Legislative News from Councilmember Paul Koretz

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Untangling the Parking Web

Communities across the City have reported faded colored curb markings, missing and/or obsolete parking limit lines and signage. In such situations, a motorist can unknowingly park illegally and receive an unexpected citation. 

In order to avoid these kinds of confusions, Councilmember Koretz made a move to make sure that the City use clear and consistent identifications for legal and illegal parking, particularly when long-standing parking spots are removed from public use.  

To that end, Councilmember Koretz introduced a motion this week instructing the Department of Transportation to report on the process and practices for installing new pavement and curb markings, including standards and specifications for the use of markings and delineation, the current inventory of all roadway markings across the City, and the general principles that are followed, including a verification process to ensure all markings are correctly removed/installed.  Parking notifications should be easy to decipher and the public should not be penalized when the markings are unclear. 

Increasing Notifications and Preventing Demolitions on Potential Historic-Cultural Monument Designations 

The City is home to many historically significant properties throughout its communities. Many of these properties were built in significant periods dating back to the City's founding. On occasion, there are instances wherein a historically significant property is set for demolition, and the Council must introduce a Motion to issue a stay until the building's historic significance can be vetted by the Cultural Heritage Commission, for potential designation as a Historic-Cultural Monument. 

To date, the City's Administrative Code is silent on the period of time between a Motion's introduction and subsequent Council action, and thus technically may allow for a demolition to occur while a Historic-Cultural Monument designation is pending Council review. The Administrative Code which became effective January 20, 2018, however, requires the Department of Building and Safety to notify by mail, the Council District office of the site regarding the proposed demolition of a building or structure that is 45 years or older, at least 30 days prior to the issuance of the demolition or building structure permit.  

In an effort to provide as much notice as possible to all interested community members and/or stakeholders and to close loopholes to protect pending Historic Designations from demolition, Councilmember Koretz introduced a motion this week instructing the Planning Department to report on the feasibility of the preparation of an Ordinance to amend all relevant sections of the Administrative Code to expand the definition of "initiation" of the designation of a historic-cultural monument to include the introduction of a Motion by a Member of the Council.  In addition, he instructed the Department Building and Safety to prepare and present an Ordinance to increase the notification requirements from 30 days to 60 days prior to the issuance of a demolition or structure permit for a building or structure that is 45 years or older based on the date the application is submitted.