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Astoria council holds first reading of downtown parking-district code update
Summary
The council advanced a downtown parking-district ordinance to its first reading, authorizing updates to out-of-date language, aligning signage hours with code, enabling a future parking-permit program and removing section 6.365 (data-collection requirements) to reduce staff burden and potential civil‑rights/privacy risk.
The Astoria City Council held a public hearing and moved the first reading of an ordinance to amend the downtown parking‑district section of the Astoria City Code on March 16.
Ryan Quigley, assistant to the city manager, told the council that the code was originally adopted in 1988 and last updated in 2004; staff recommended a mix of minor cleanups and several major updates. The major items are (1) resolving inconsistencies between posted signage and code hours (signage currently reads 9 a.m.–6 p.m. while the code says 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.), (2) adding enabling language for a parking‑permit program, and (3) removing section 6.365, which requires businesses, hotels and housing units to provide certain information that staff said is infrequently submitted and raises privacy and constitutional concerns.
Finance Director Hillary Norton explained that in practice those occupational/permit forms are rarely completed in person, lowering the reliability of the data and increasing staff workload. “It would remove that,” Norton said, describing the operational rationale for deleting the section.
During public comment, resident Donna May Perdue described persistent parking hardship near the Merwin apartments, including tickets and tows for residents and confusing 3‑hour limits for visitors during Sunday markets. Councilors thanked staff for the cleanup work; Councilor Mozzarella moved to hold first reading of the ordinance and Councilor Conklin seconded. The motion passed by roll call; Director Norton read the ordinance title for the record.
The first reading advances the code amendment for further deliberation and required readings. If adopted later, the changes would modernize language, enable a permit program that the council could implement in the future, and remove a data‑collection requirement staff said is both operationally unrealistic and legally risky.
