THE SPECTATOR: TIME FOR ACTION ON DOWNTOWN PARKING
There’s not enough parking in Downtown Brenham. That’s a phrase that’s been repeated for 15 years or longer. When the Downtown Master Plan for Brenham was adopted 10 years ago, the lack of parking was more of a perception. Now, with downtown booming with new shops, restaurants and bars, it has become a reality. The Master Plan laid out several steps to be taken to alleviate the parking problem. One was to work with Washington County to move the courthouse employee parking to a new location. Another was to work with business owners to have both them and their employees stop parking directly in front of their businesses or others…but rather park in the remote lots on Commerce and Vulcan streets. Also, about ten downtown lots were identified for potential purchase by the City for parking development. That was ten years ago. You know how many of these items have been accomplished? None! Not a single one.
But it’s not for a lack of trying. There are three groups that should be held responsible for this lack of progress. Downtown business owners have not been strict enough in encouraging their employees to park in other areas instead of in front of stores. The City of Brenham has had several opportunities to purchase lots for additional parking over the past ten years, but never pulled the trigger. Early on it was suggested to at least put some asphalt down over the grass field on North Park Street where the old municipal building was located. That hasn’t happened either because some thought a hotel was imminent at that spot. And then there comes Washington County. Officials with Brenham Main Street have met with the past two County Judges asking them to strongly encourage the courthouse employees to use the lot on Vulcan Street. Anyone receiving a jury notice is told to do just that. I personally have visited with Judge John Durrenberger twice about the problem, even as recently as a month ago. I told him how I had just spent a half hour that morning videoing and photographing seven courthouse employees as they parked on Alamo and Baylor Streets on the courthouse square before walking through the “employee only” door of the courthouse prior to 8 a.m. Judge Durrenberger said he would “do what he could” to get them to stop, but said “those folks don’t work for me”. That’s a good point, because I saw County department heads doing the same thing. I also told him how after 8 a.m. I photographed the lots on Commerce and Vulcan Street where only a handful of cars were parked. I also saw more than one downtown business owner or employee park right in front of their businesses. Now…a month later…I see the same 7 vehicles parked in almost the same spaces on the square every single day. And that’s on only just one side of the courthouse! A visitor might use that space for an hour or two, if that. An owner or employee uses it all day.
I say “enough is enough”. It’s time for action to be taken to come up with some solutions. I visited recently with City Manager Carolyn Miller who agreed that something needs to be done. Ms. Miller liked the idea of paving the site where the old municipal building stood on North Park Street, and maybe working out a deal with the County to reserve one of those lots for their courthouse employees. Personally, I think if the County doesn’t want to work toward a solution, then the City should remove all of the reserved parking spaces for County officials around the square. On court days a few spaces could be reserved for the delivery and pickup of inmates, but that’s it. The City needs to also move forward with the purchase of at least one other lot to be developed for parking. And business owners downtown need to crack down on their employees and fellow business owners who continue to park in front of stores.
It's going to take a concerted effort to resolve Downtown Brenham’s parking issues. I for one am tired of hearing excuses for the past 15 years. Now….who is going to take the first step?
And that’s the way it looks to this Spectator.
Nice to have discussions like this. I don’t know the best answer but I’m moving away from the topic to say we are blessed to live in a country where you are free to have your own opinions and share them. Some parts of the world you don’t. And pay attention to politicians…many, on all sides, want to suppress your ability to express your opinion if it differs from theirs…God Bless America!!
My question is how are the employees at the courthouse, obviously majority county employees, “don’t work for me”. From Judge Durrenberger said he would “do what he could” to get them to stop, but said “those folks don’t work for me”. That is the dumbest thing I have heard. He is the county judge, correct. Time for a new Judge for sure…..
The County Judge presides over meetings of the County Commissioners and might have a few other duties, like using emergency powers. He can’t tell the County Clerk or somebody like that how to run their office or who to hire and fire. We elected those people to make those decisions. That’s their office to use or abuse. He could lead by example though and give up his own designated parking spot.
SOMEB0DY running a grader alongside the “Blue Bell” RR spur line between S PARK and SOUTH MARKET would enhance space for 20 25 cars, especially for SAT night parking for the Farmers Market and the Four Star patrons. (Patrons park there anyway and have to stumble around over the terrain in the dark. It could still be free parking.) I suggested that some years ago and was told would need a fence along the track. Really? The Blue Bell train only runs VERY periodically. I’m sure something could be worked out. I’ll take a wild guess BB might even post a schedule of when the train runs. Might even incorporate a tourist run to the creamery as part of the Brenham “experience.” Might even be able to handle that without paying ANOTHER engineering and planning CONSULTANT !
SPEAKING OF LIGHTING. I drove along Commerce Sat night about 9:00 from South Austin to South Baylor. Lots of parked cars, locations open. Unity Theater on one end Four Star on the other end, Longhorn Saloon,
B and B in between. LIGHTING is poor to the extent of not only tripping over unseen changing in walk level, but kind of spooky walking -period- especially alone or maybe kind of vulnerable already (age or whatever)
I believe the old Southern Pacific line is still owned by Union Pacific or is leasef to BNSF. Railroad companies are sticklers for trespassing and any other unauthorized use of their properties. The liability issues would be enormous. As well, any passenger cars would have to be in compliance and the only ones that probably are are those owned and operated by Amtrak. To have a locomotive and a passenger car sitting idle in Brenham would be cost prohibitive, especially when you consider there would have to be at least two railroad employees to operate that train.
1 hour parking meters on the square will stop the employee problem. Maybe 2 hours so shoppers are not rushed.
Seems like parking time was limited in the past. There weren’t parking meters, but there were signs, and someone would mark the tires with chalk.
I agree that parking is a problem on the square and believe that all of the reserved spaces around the courthouse need to be eliminated, I think parking meters and fees to park are a horrible idea. I have seen many of meters fail to work correctly, the more advanced ones are hard to use and confusing for senior citizens, and most people despise additional fees.
Since the employees and business owners dont think they are part of the problem or part of the solution, do what I do, take your business and your monies elsewhere.where there are plenty of parking spaces and business that desires YOUR business. I guarantee the folks that have businesses downtown will pay attention to that.
These pictures of the parking lots on Commerce and Vulcan must have been taken at 7:00 am or 7:00 pm, because if you go by them after 8:00 in the morning, at noon or before 5 in the afternoon these lots are almost parked full. Just saying take a walk by these lots during the day not at 7 in the morning.
I guarantee you they were taken shortly after 8 a.m. on a weekday. I was outside the courthouse until about 8:10 when the last employee walked through the door. You are welcome to ask any of my employees if I’m ever at work at 7 a.m. I was doing good to get to the courthouse area before 8 a.m.! LOL
I fully agree. Owners and employees of businesses should park away from the best parking, and let the potential customers use them. Also, the reserve parking for the court employees is ridiculous as well. Besides a few spots for the Police/Sherriff’s Department, the court officials should not be taking the best spots around the court house. Those should be for the regular people who need to do business at the court house. Just doing that would help tremendously during the M-F parking.
Paving the grass area or building a double story, open top structure, would solve any other parking issue.
Agreed.
I would love to bring my out of town cousins for lunch at must be heaven but impossible to find parking within a reasonable distance for them to walk, u oh I’d heard more than 1 person say “don’t go downtown at lunchtime, no place to park”
I would like to add to your list: when I go Downtown, at least once or twice a week, there are numerous cars taking up two parking spots. This is lazy and disrespectful of others!
Pick a spot and build parking garage they are very profitable or build a parking lot with buses going back and forth like at the airport or both and employees should park anywhere but in front of the store. A Cable car could be built from a parking lot to downtown and back maybe above railroad from Blue Bell.
Yes Sir ! I was just about to say the same thing about a Parking Garage. I thought there were talks for a parking garage
At what cost? Parking produces little. Until businesses en masse say they’re losing customers, we need businesses not parking. I’m downtown for work every day. In the heart of spring tourist season during early voting there were times I had to walk an extra block a couple of times. 90% of the time… no problems getting to work.
Why would the local government pay market rates on the expensive tax base property downtown to build an empty lot that generates no value? Easier solution is to charge for parking. Close to the square, higher the rate. Make the spots immediately surrounding the courthouse 30 minute only and enforce it.
There are the large jury panels 1 day a month, typically. That’s like saying we need to build a parking lot because on parade days it’s hard to park… At 7:00 Saturday night, there was plenty of parking everywhere even with an event and multiple live acts going.
If business owners are receiving complaints that their customers can’t get to them, then they will tell employees to move.
It’s not a perfect comparison but I’ve never heard anyone say “we aren’t going back to Fredericksburg (or any other quaint/touristy town) it was just too hard to park.”
Downtown employee…I don’t believe you have attended any of the public meetings about Downtown issues over the past 15 or so years. Parking is always the number one issue raised by the merchants. Just visit with a few of those on Alamo Street.
At our business on Main Street we have had many customers say they couldn’t find a parking spot so they had to go somewhere else!
I refuse to go downtown at lunch because of the parking. And if there’s a store I want to go to, but I can’t find a spot within 3 blocks, I don’t go. I don’t actually need anything from the shops downtown because, let’s face it, those shops don’t sell necessities.
I also don’t know of anything, besides the restaurants, that are typically open at 7 pm on a Saturday.
As for your comment about Fredricksburg, it sounds like you’re only wanting the tourists shopping downtown and you don’t really care where the locals go.
I hear you, most shops neither sell anything that I want or can afford. But that’s just me. I don’t begrudge them their business or their customers. The business owners and their staff probably consider their jobs to be necessities and tourism revenue is money coming from outside of town that helps fund our local government. Good on them and better still for the rest of us if they can find ways to succeed in this economy.
Thank you for speaking up on this issue AND bringing facts with solutions.
100% agree. Also can we reclaim the parking spots that have been taken over by restaurants and not allow any further reduction of parking.
Joe…there has only been one parklet constructed in the last 5 years or so, and it only takes us 3 spaces. I think locals and visitors enjoy that parklet, and I believe a few more in certain locations would bring added value to our donwtown. However, I do think the City should add some parking spaces over and above the number that are lost to parklets.
IF we are going to address parking issues, how about limiting all of the RESERVED parking spaces all around the courthouse. If we expect the courthouse employees to park remotely, how about ALL courthouse employees parking remotely and getting rid of the reserved spaces. Let the powerful people set the example.
You are tired of excuses for 15 years. I have heard the same for 40 years. When Dorothy Morgan was mayor she complained that the county judge would not force court house employees to park off the square. Then she was county judge and nothing more was said. Nothing changed then and nothing is going to change now. Another threat to downtown that needs more than the usual “feel good” politics is the current proposal to allow Parklets similar to that in front of 96 West which City Council admits will take away up to 18 downtown parking places. City Council should first provide an additional 36 parking places, allowing a net increase of 18 instead if a loss of 18
Tommy…I believe parklets can be a great asset for Downtown. But I agree that the City should add more parking than they are taking away.
Why not build up? Has anyone thought of building a parking garage on N Park St?
A parking garage on North Park Street is included in the Downtown Master Plan.