I wanted to be sure to give equal time to the city government's perspective on the W. Chapel Hill St. deck issue, which we discussed here on Wednesday. If you missed it, Patrick Baker responded to yesterday's post in the comments section... worth a read.
Jon Ham's also got some thoughts up on this over at Right Angles, the John Locke Foundation's Triangle-area blog. I'm not ready to go where Jon's gone on this (implying that the timing of releasing this after the election seems more than coincidental) -- though I say that with the caveat that it's still unclear to me whether elected officials were aware of this before the election, or if this was strictly approached at the staff level. I suspect that if the entire Council had known about it, the Stith campaign would have at least mentioned it in their very public campaign against what they claimed to be city mismanagement. Still, I'm curious to see whether anything more comes of this angle.
Just to be clear, my own perspective on this is that the City seemed to do just about everything right in addressing the situation -- save for handling how this was announced to the general public. (Though I must add again the disclaimer that I'm certainly not an engineer; heck, I couldn't fix my own toilet and needed two tries to get it right in adding an object to my toilet tank to displace water and conserve!)
The City's press release on the situation follows after the jump cut.
. . .
Message from City Manager Patrick W. Baker
Chapel Hill Street Garage Vehicle Weight Restrictions
The condition of the City-owned Chapel Hill Street Garage, located
across from City Hall and the U.S. Post Office, has been covered in the news media
lately. Repairs are needed, and as advised by a professional engineering
firm that examined the garage for safety, the City is limiting the use of Levels
2-8 by vehicles over 4,000 pounds to ensure overall garage safety.
In August 2007, as advised by the engineering firm, the City
posted signs restricting parking for vehicles over 4,000 pounds on Levels 2-8.
I want you to know that we are continuing to follow their recommendations
closely, because the safety of the people who park in the garage is our top
priority.
To help you better understand this project, here are answers to pertinent questions you may have about the Chapel Hill Street Garage.
1. Is the Chapel Hill Street Garage in danger of immediate collapse because of the needed repairs?
According to professional engineers who conducted an extensive review of the structural aspects of the garage, the garage is not in immediate danger of collapse. However, extensive repairs are needed so that the garage can be fully utilized without restriction. That is why the City Council has granted approval to begin repairs in mid-December.
2. What is being done to make the garage safe?
Repairs will begin in mid-December and will last through May 2008, depending on weather and other factors. During that time, the City will continue to limit parking to weight-restricted vehicles on Levels 2-8.
Since August, we have been actively managing the number of heavy vehicles entering Levels 2-8 to keep the weight threshold in line with the engineering firm’s recommendations. Heavy vehicles over the 4,000 pound weight limit must park in the ground level parking spaces or in the lot. Basement parking is also available for heavier vehicles.
3. If I drive a pick-up truck, SUV or minivan, where should I park?
Vehicles under the weight limit of 4,000 pounds, such as cars, mini-vans and compact pick-up trucks/SUVs (examples include Ford Ranger, Chevy S-10 and Ford Escape), may park in the garage on any available level. Vehicles over the 4,000 pound weight limit, such as full-size cargo vans and half-ton or larger pick-up trucks/SUVs (examples include Ford F-150, Chevy Suburban and Ford Explorer), cannot park inside the garage.
Parking options for vehicles over the 4,000 pound weight limit include the lot beside the garage as well as other downtown garages and lots. For hourly parkers, Central Parking will direct motorists to the closest garages, lots and on-street parking to accommodate their parking needs.
4. Where can I park if the garage is full during repairs?
For monthly parkers, Central Parking will provide options at the Chapel Hill Street Garage or other downtown garages and lots. For hourly parkers, parking in the lot beside the garage is an option if spaces are available. If not, Central Parking will direct motorists to the closest garages, lots and on-street parking to accommodate their parking needs.
5. Did the City know about the problems with the deck prior to media coverage?
Funds to pay for major repairs to City-owned parking garages were part of the voter-approved 2005 bond package. Repairs to the Chapel Hill Street Garage were slated for next year.
However, earlier this year, the City contracted a professional engineering firm to examine the garage. Upon reviewing their recommendations in August, the City followed the engineer’s recommendations to immediately impose weight restrictions on vehicles entering the upper levels of the garage. According to the engineers, by limiting the weight of the vehicles using the garage, the garage can be used safely now and during the repairs.
We will continue to act responsibly and inform our citizens who park in this garage of the conditions and parking alternatives. If you have any additional questions regarding parking restrictions during the repair process, contact Central Parking directly at (919) 680-2481.
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