PARKING COMMITTEE REPORT

PARKING COMMITTEE REPORT

CHAPEL OF THE CROSS

NOVEMBER 2006

1. Introduction

1.1. Charge: The rector, with the approval of the vestry, appointed an ad hoc Parking Committee with the following charge: To study the future parking needs of the Chapel of the Cross in the light of the Next Step Committee's draft facility proposals (including during construction phases), to identify present and future resources available to us, and to make recommendations to the vestry. A progress report should be available for the vestry retreat on May 12-13, 2007. The committee, by agreement with by rector, extended its charge to include an analysis of and recommendations to improve (1) opportunities for transportation for parishioners living in retirement communities and (2)access to/from the current church parking areas.

1.2. Committee members: Dana Campbell, Paul Carew, David Joseph, Martin Rody, Frances Widmann, Barbara Hastings, and Jim Crow (Chairman)

1.3. Assumptions: The committee, in agreement with the report from the Next Step Committee, assumed the following: moderate parish growth; no increase in clergy number; modest increase in staff positions; access for construction vehicles limited to the East side of the church between the church and Spencer Dormitory.

2. Facilities and use: The committee recognizes that churches located within a congested downtown area experience significant parking space restrictions. The problem is magnified significantly when a large university is in close proximity to the church. Parking situations were reviewed at University Methodist and University Presbyterian churches. Both churches experience similar parking situations to those at the Chapel of the Cross. University Methodist with approximately 1800 members has 38 parking spaces; University Presbyterian with approximately 1400 members has 30 spaces.

2.1. Parking facilities at the Chapel of the Cross: A maximum of 47 spaces is available within our current facilities; 31 parking spaces are marked for perpendicular parking adjacent to the Morehead Lot, one space adjacent to the playground is designated for handicapped, an additional 4-7 unmarked spaces are available around the perimeter of the semi-circular drive and an additional 6-8 unmarked spaces are available for parallel parking along the wall adjacent to the chapel. The absence of well-marked spaces significantly reduces the parking capacity and makes estimates inexact. In addition to church-owned property, approximately 71 paid parking spaces are available in the Morehead Lot, adjacent to the church (at a cost of $1.25/hour), and approximately 300 paid spaces are available in the town lot on Rosemary Street (at a cost of $0.50/30 minutes) a short walk from the church. Free parking is available on Sundays until 2:00 p.m. in these lots as well as in metered spaces along Franklin Street; free parking is also allowed on Sundays until 2:00 p.m. in unmarked spaces on both sides of Franklin Street.

2.2. Transportation facilities to/from retirement communities: Currently, transportation between the Chapel of the Cross and the area retirement communities is inadequate. There is no regularly scheduled transportation service between the church and Carol Woods, Carolina Meadows, the Cedars, Galloway Ridge, or the Forest at Duke on Sundays or during the week; informal carpools are available but are not coordinated within/between the communities. The Cedars is considering implementing a schedule on Sundays to service all churches. Transportation may be available during the week for special services such as funerals, if demand is sufficient.

2.3. Utilizing the above facilities:

2.3.1. Reserved parking for clergy and support staff is adequate. Thirteen spaces are reserved 24 hours/day, 7 days/week for clergy and support staff, including the director of Christian education, altar guild, and the choirmaster.

2.3.2. Free parking on Sundays for the 7:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. services is marginally adequate.

2.3.3. Reserved parking for the handicapped and elderly around the semi-circular drive way on Sundays is inadequate.

2.3.4. Free parking for the 5:15 p.m. service and for special evening services is woefully inadequate.

2.3.5. Free parking during the week to support the business of the parish (e.g., committee meetings, senior choir rehearsal, parish choir rehearsal, pre-school staff, pre-school drop off/pickup, etc) far out-strips our resources. Pre-school parking is inadequate, confusing, and unsafe for the 37 children enrolled. Senior choir and parish choir rehearsals routinely require 33 spaces on Wednesday evenings and 20 spaces on Monday evenings, respectively. Pre-school staff routinely requires10 spaces during weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

3. Recommendations: Members of the Parking Committee considered numerous alternatives to increase quality (safety and convenience) and quantity of parking facilities both on and off parish property. Possible changes/alternatives that were considered are summarized in Appendices A1 and B1 for the near-term and mid-to-long-term, respectively. Based on these considerations, the committee makes the following recommendations:

3.1. Near-Term. The following actions are recommended to ease the parking situation in the near term; Figure 1 incorporates these recommendations.

3.1.1. Increase vigilance for illegal parking; use of Chapel of the Cross stickers should be emphasized. Student residents should assist in enforcing the parish's parking rules, especially during periods of high demand; parking citations (warning for the first offense) and towing (for subsequent offenses) should be considered if the problem worsens. Parking policies as well as the location of all parking facilities should be presented in Cross Roads and other parish publications and in information packets given to visitors and newcomers.

3.1.2. Add 8 marked, parallel spaces (spaces 33-40) in the parish lot along the wall adjacent to the chapel.

3.1.3. Add 7 marked, parallel spaces (spaces 41-47) along the perimeter of the semi-circular driveway.

3.1.4. Reserve 13 spaces (spaces 19-31) in the parish parking lot and semi-circular driveway as follows: (Note the change in days/times reserved for support from 24 hours/day; 7 days/week)

Function	Times Reserved	Number of Spaces
Clergy	24 hours/day; 7 days/week	4
Christian Education Director	24 hours/day; 7days/week	1
Alter Guild	24 hours/day; 7 days/week	2
Choirmaster	24 hours/day; 7 days/week	1
Support Staff (Parish Administrator, Administrative Assistant., Publications Assistant, Johnson Intern Director)	8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Monday though Friday	5
Elderly/Handicapped	24 hours/day; 7 days/week	1

3.1.5. Reserve ten spaces for use by the disabled parishioners (including but not limited to handicapped parishioners) for all Sunday services and special services; no sticker/identification would be necessary; 'disabled' would be self-defined.

3.1.6. Use the Morehead lot (71 legal, general use spaces + handicap spaces) at the parish's expense. The University has agreed to sell parking coupons, which will be distributed to individuals conducting parish business. Coupons can be purchased by the parish in bulk for $1.25/hour.

3.1.7. Use the town lot on Rosemary Street (in excess of 300 spaces) at the parish's expense. The town agreed to sell tokens in bulk that can be distributed to individuals conducting parish business. Cost of tokens varies from $0.65 to $0.4875/half-hour, depending on the number of token purchased, the later being the cost if 200 or more are purchased.

3.1.8. Develop a new traffic pattern for entering and exiting the grounds. All traffic should enter the access closest to the Morehead lot; semi-circular traffic flow would be counter-clockwise only; all traffic should exit the access most distant to the Morehead lot. Individuals parking closest to the Yates building would exit by making a right hand turn into the semicircular driveway. Note: this change requires a small amount of construction to (1) widen entrance and exit areas to the maximum width and (2) reduce the length of the 'island entry' into the semi-circle.

3.1.9. Reduce hours for reserved parking for support staff to weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

3.1.10. Limit traffic flow for pre-school to pick-up/drop-off only; parking would not be permitted in any parish lot; parking would be limited to the Morehead lot at parent's expense. The semi-circular driveway should be used for pickup/drop-off; parking would not be permitted. Times for picking up and dropping off should be staggered with ten minute intervals between grade-groups; parents would remain in their cars; students for each age group would assemble in the chapel; teachers would escort each group to their respective room. A traffic control officer should be available to direct incoming and outgoing traffic on Franklin Street during the pickup and drop-off times.

3.1.11. Initiate a program to organize carpools to service retirement centers for each Sunday service, and special services, such as Christmas and Easter, and, upon request, during the week.

3.2. Medium-to-long-Term: Approximately 15 spaces (Figure 1, spaces 21-35) described in the near-term plan will be lost post-construction. The following recommendations are made by the committee for the medium-to-long term; Figure 2 incorporates these recommendations.

3.2.1. Continue use of reserved spaces/times, altered traffic pattern, drop-off/pickup logistics and the Morehead and town lots as outlined above.

3.2.2. Construction of purpose-built facilities (at ground level, below the parish hall or below ground, under the parish hall or the office building) is not recommended. The excessive cost and the negative impact on the architectural beauty and integrity of the chapel and the church far outweigh the number of spaces that could reasonably be added.

3.2.3. Add 15 spaces to the parish lot.

3.2.3.1. Seven marked spaces (spaces 19-25) should be created perpendicular to the side of the chapel. The current master plan recommends relocating the sidewalk (between the parking area and the chapel) closer to the chapel to accommodate entry to the new office building. The space created should be used for additional perpendicular parking similar to that along the wall adjacent to the Morehead lot. Four trees (three cedars and one large oak that will be removed during construction of the new building) and two rose buses will be removed. New landscaping would be required for the chapel bays, such as adding flowering trees (e.g. dogwoods, cherry trees).

3.2.3.2. Seven/eight marked spaces (spaces 26-32) should be created around the semi-circular drive way as follows: Widening the circular drive by removal of the large magnolia that is currently blocking the view of the church would add 5 spaces (spaces 28-32), removal of the wall adjacent to the chapel would add two spaces (spaces 26, 27). Widening the exit would ease traffic flow and could add one additional space.

3.2.4. Establish bus service to/from each retirement community for each Sunday service, special celebrations, such as Christmas and Easter, and special events such as funerals; establish regularly scheduled service during the week.

3.3. During construction: A significant number of spaces in the parish lot will be lost during 2.5 to 3 years of construction.

3.3.1. Approximately 14 spaces should be reserved for parish employees. These spaces include 7-8 perpendicular spaces (spaces 1-8) most distant to the construction site in our current parish lot as well as all 7-8 spaces along the perimeter of the semi-circular driveway. The restricted use of these spaces by parish employees should be forcefully communicated to the contractor. Morehead and town lots will continue to be available during the week and on Sundays as above.

3.3.2. Parking on property owned by the Lutheran Church was proposed; however the Lutheran Church is planning a substantial construction project and did not foresee the possibility of our using their facilities. The availability of their space should be re-evaluated once timelines for initiating construction of our and their properties are definite.

4. Summary: Consistent with its charge and the assumptions of the Next Step Committee, the Parking Committee considered numerous options to improve parking for our parish. The committee recognized the severity of the current problem and the likelihood that the situation will worsen in the future. Though no solution, in the absolute sense, was forth coming, the committee recommends several actions for the near-term and medium-to-long-term that would improve the quality (including safety) and quality of parking. These recommendations include use, at parish expense, of off-property parking, redesigning traffic flow in and out of the current lot and redesigning current parking spaces to improve and increase parking.
APPENDIX A1

Options for Improving Parking at the Chapel of the Cross - (Near Term)

The following is a summary of options that were considered by the Committee to alleviate/improve parking for the near term. Though some of these actions require additional expenses for the parish, none require significant construction.

Option 1: Maximize the number of spaces that our present facilities could accommodate by adding marked parallel spaces along the wall adjacent to the chapel and marked parallel parking spaces along the perimeter of the semi-circular driveway. Currently this space is used, however because they are not specifically delineated, space is often wasted, confusion is increased and safety is compromised. Approximately 8 spaces could be added along the wall adjacent to the chapel and 7 along the perimeter of the semi-circular driveway; safety would be improved by having legally defined spaces; confusion would be reduced at times that the lot is most crowded (such as drop-off/pickup for pre school); costs would be minimal; there would be no significant construction.

Option 2: Make formal use of the Morehead and town lots with the parish underwriting parking costs. The University has agreed to allow the parish use of the same parking system that the University uses for its departments by purchasing coupons ($1.25/hour) that can be distributed to individuals conducting parish business; approximately 71 general-use spaces and in close proximity to the church would be made available. Karen Cheek, Parking Service Manager; CB #1600, Manning Drive; telephone: 919.962.7144; email: KEC@DPS.PSAFETY.UNC.EDU should be contacted to initiate our use of the Morehead lot. The town has agreed to sell tokens that can be used for parking in the lot on Rosemary Street; the cost varies depending on the number of tokens purchased (range: $0.65 to $0.4875/half-hour, the later being the cost if 200 or more are purchased). The town further agreed to rent parking spaces by the month at a rate of $85.00/month per space. The spaces would be designated for use by a specific car and could not be used by any other vehicle. These additional facilities would substantially increase our parking opportunities. All expenses would be born by the parish, which would be responsible for implementing and monitoring (to the extent deemed necessary) the system.

Option 3: Reduce the number of reserved spaces and/or the hours that spaces are reserved. Currently, eight spaces are required 24 hours/day, 7 days/week for clergy, Christian education director, altar guild and choirmaster. An additional 5 spaces are reserved 24 hours/day for 7 days/week for support staff and one is reserved for handicapped parishioners. The committee agrees that reserving eight spaces for clergy et al. (as above) and one for the handicapped is necessary, however reducing the hours for support from 24/7 to 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday would free-up much needed space, especially on Saturdays, Sundays, and during the week-day evenings.

Option 4: Add well-marked reserved spaces for the disabled, elderly and/or handicapped; parking in these spaces should not require stickers/tags and should be designated as 'reserved for disabled'; 'disabled' should be self-defined. One space should be reserved 24/7; an additional 10 spaces should be reserved for all Sunday services and special services.

Option 5: Currently, transportation between the Chapel of the Cross and the area retirement communities is inadequate. There is no formal scheduled transportation service to/from the Church on Sundays or during the week at Carol Woods, Carolina Meadows, the Cedars, Galloway Ridge or the Forest at Duke; informal car pools are available but are not coordinated within/between the communities. The Cedars is considering implementing a schedule on Sundays to service all churches. Transportation services may be available during the week for special services such as funerals, if demand is sufficient. The committee discussed initiating a program, in the short-term, to organize car pools to/from the parish for each of the Sunday services, for special services (such as Christmas and Easter) and upon request during the week. Adding formal scheduled bus service during the week and on Sunday was considered.

Option 6: Increase vigilance for illegal parking. On many occasions individuals are using our parking facilities for other than church business. Use of stickers should be emphasized and student residents could be directed to enforce parking rules; parking citations (warning for the first offense) and towing (for subsequent offenses) should be considered if the problem worsens. The committee understands the sensitivities of such actions, but feels that with careful planning and an understanding implementation, illegal parking could be reduced without confrontation.

Options 7: Reduce congestion and confusion and increase safety during high traffic times, e.g. times for dropping off and picking up children for pre-school, special services when church attendance is unusually high, etc. A new traffic pattern was considered. All traffic would enter the current lot through the access closest to the Morehead lot; semi-circular traffic flow would be counter-clockwise only; all traffic would exit through the access most distant to the Morehead lot. Individuals parking proximal to the Yates building would exit by making a right hand turn into the semi-circle and exit accordingly. This change would require (1) widening both the new entrance and new exits to their maximum widths and (2) reduce the length the 'island entry' into the semi-circle for exiting traffic that is closest to the Yates Building.

Option 8: Limit traffic flow for pre-school to pick-up/drop-off only; parking would not be permitted in any parish lot; parking would be limited to the Morehead lot at parent's expense. The semi-circular driveway would be used for pickup/drop-off; parking would not be permitted. Times for picking up and dropping off would be staggered with ten minute intervals between grade-groups; parents would remain in their cars; students for each age group would assemble in the chapel; teachers would escort each group to its respective room. A traffic control officer should be available to direct incoming and outgoing traffic on Franklin Street during the pickup and drop-off times.

Option 9: Reorganize our current parking design to ease entering and exiting parking spaces. Perpendicular parking is the current design for parking; a change to 45 degree angle would ease entry and exit of each space. This change would require a turn-around area at the end of the lot closest to the Yates Building resulting in a loss of at least 4-5 spaces.

APPENDIX B1

Options for Improving Parking at the Chapel of the Cross - (Medium to Long Term)

The following is a summary of options that the committee considered to alleviate/improve parking following construction of the new facilities. It is estimated that 15 spaces of our current parking facilities will be lost post-construction; this loss includes 11 perpendicular spaces adjacent to the Morehead lot plus 3 parallel spaces and 1 space for the handicapped along the wall adjacent to the chapel. Recommendations to improve the quality and quantity of our parking over the medium-to-long term may require significant cost to the parish as well as significant construction for purpose-built parking facilities.

Option 1: Design a purpose built parking facility at or below ground level under the parish hall and/or office building; in either case approximately ten spaces would be added. The current design of the new parish hall is a four story facility, one floor below and three above ground. The below ground area houses the pre-school and parish archives; the above ground facilities contain the parish hall and classrooms. The addition of above ground parking, under the proposed parish hall was discussed with the architect; the useable space in the parish hall would be reduced by one story. The architect and Next Step Committee felt strongly that such an addition would severely compromise the continuity and flow within the proposed new buildings as well as between the new buildings and the chapel and church. Below ground parking was also reviewed. The Next Step Committee determined that the loss of such space designed to support our pre-school efforts would not be in the best interest of the parish.

A purpose built parking facility placed under the proposed office building was also considered; approximately 40 spaces could be added at a cost in excess of $5,000,000 (today's dollar); an area for turning around would be required. Such a change would require one of the following: (1) the addition of fifth floor to the existing plan, (2) substantial reduction the square footage (by one floor) of the office building or (3) excavation of two levels.

1) Addition of a fifth floor: Both the architect and Next Step Committee felt strongly that adding a fifth floor would compromise the architectural integrity of the space and would compete architecturally with the chapel and the church.

2) Reduction of the office space by the equivalent area of one floor: Again, the Next Step Committee, the Parking Committee and the architect felt strongly that such a trade-off of office space for limited parking space is not in the best long-term interest of the parish; the current requirements would quickly outstrip the added space and the parish would face a similar parking situation with the added short fall of office space in the near future. Cost was considered excessive.

3) Excavation of two levels: Two-level excavation was deemed unworkable since a decent-ramp must begin outside of our property line (approximately the middle of Franklin Street).

Option 2: Enlarge the current parking lot. The plans for the new facilities include relocating the sidewalk along and parallel to the chapel; the new sidewalk would be closer to the chapel and in line with the new entrance. At least seven additional perpendicular spaces adjacent to the chapel could be created. The large oak tree adjacent to the current entrance (which will be removed during construction of the new buildings), three cedar trees and two rose bushes would be removed; the stone wall parallel to the chapel would be re-located closer to the chapel. Additional landscaping would be required between the parking facility and the chapel wall.

Option 3: Enlarge the semi-circular driveway to add at least 7 well-marked spaces. Removal of the large magnolia in front of the church and two unhealthy cedar trees would add approximately 5 spaces along the perimeter of the semi-circle. Removal of the short wall to the right of the chapel door (looking at the door from the outside) would add two more spaces.

Option 4: Replace or supplement organized carpools with a formal bus service between the retirement communities and the church for all Sunday and special services and during the week.

Option 5: Purchase property near the church/chapel for use as a parking facility. The committee discussed this potential with several area realtors; zoning could be problematic. One property is currently available and is situated on Hillsborough Street. The property is listed at a cost of $1,500,000, is at the bottom of a substantial hill which would be a barrier to most individuals and is not sufficiently close to the church to be useful. Because of the high cost of property near the downtown and because of the problem of zoning, the committee did not pursue this further.