SPCC: Palm Court to retain parking
district but not other SPHS areas
January 08, 2016
Santa Paula News
The results of a joint study of traffic conditions at Santa Paula High School resulted in recommendations for boosting signage and lighting but not creating more parking districts.
The City Council learned of the results of the report — a joint effort by the city and the Santa Paula Unified School District — at the January 4 meeting.
“To bring the two entities together,” said Interim Public Works Director Brian Yanez, “was great for the community and good for our staffs…it strengthened our relationship with the school district.”
Yanez noted that those living in the area of the high school have been very patient with the process which at one point included a survey, creation of parking districts and other measures before the last council decided to adopt only one such restricted area on Palm Court.
Dennis Lammers, a transportation planner with the consulting firm Stantec outlined the results of the approximately 1-year long traffic study that included traffic, pedestrian and street and on-site parking data collected during peak school hours and special events, the latter bringing the most complaints from nearby residents over several years.
Lammers told the council the study included last year’s high school graduation ceremony and the fall’s homecoming football game, the two highest attended events at SPHS.
Two streets that feed into the high school from Santa Paula Street, 5th and 6th, need traffic flow and pedestrian improvements and traffic must be slowed; the study found that more than half the drivers exceed the 25 mph speed limit.
With construction of the Science and Technology building now done and the addition of the baseball field for parking onsite parking is sufficient, but during special events extra measures should be taken to control pedestrian traffic and direct drivers to onsite parking. Remote parking could be considered at St. Sebastian School.
New and more speed limit signage, restricting left turns from 5th and 6th streets onto Santa Paula Street during peak morning and afternoon school hours, “street narrowing” measures such as bulbouts by extending the curbs, improved lighted crosswalks and overhead flashing beacon lights and signs at Santa Barbara and 5th streets south of the campus should also be considered. The study also recommended encouraging students to take the inner-city bus to lessen traffic impacts.
The cost of additional improvements according to Yanez would be close to $200,000.
Councilwoman Ginger Gherardi told Lammers, “In the packet we have a recommendation that says under findings that the implementation,” of parking districts is not recommended.
“That was not on a slide,” during the presentation, and she asked, “Is that a correct statement?”
“That,” said Lammers, “is a correct statement…”
Palm Court resident Guy Mansfield told the council the street most impacted by school traffic issues was not studied at all and when students are dropped off in the morning there are as many as 100 that use the narrow street.
Mansfield said Palm Court still requires a parking district and Yanez told the council that street signage and placards for residents would come next week.
He also questioned a proposed Cardinal Court in the district’s Vision Plan that would block 5th Street.
After more discussion Mayor Martin Hernandez noted, “I remain with my first position that the whole area around the high school should have been a parking district.”
He asked if SPPD Reserves or Citizens Patrol could be assigned to write parking tickets.
Police Chief Steve McLean said the SPPD remains short staffed with Reserves supplementing full-time officers.
“I’ll have to work on volunteers,” that McLean said could issue tickets.
Councilwoman Jenny Crosswhite asked Yanez if the request for proposal could be created so work could be piecemeal if funds were hard to come by.
“Absolutely,” said Yanez who said he would also discuss funding with the school district.
The council — without Jim Tovias who recused himself because he lives near the high school — agreed to proceed with a Request for Proposal.
