By KIMBERLY ACEVEDO
Because of the congestion downtown, the city is looking towards the future of using the parking, especially on weekends, Long Beach Commissioner of Public Works Rob Raab said. The parking garage would be used to augment some of the parking needs in other parts of the community, he said. By creating an additional 200 parking spaces in the center of town, the garage would be used by shoppers, commuters and business owners.
We are talking about dedicating a portion to the merchants and their employees, City Manager Edwin Eaton explained. We want to keep the downtown area for the customers.
Some merchants in the area feel that this would be a great idea since long term parking is scarce.
I've been waiting for this for years, Tilbens Photo and Electronics owner Steve Sedlik said. He feels that downtown parking has always been a problem, but this project will be creating more parking spaces.
Since there is a two hour time limit on parking downtown, most employees constantly move their cars or park on side streets. Or just get a lot of tickets.
I park in the middle [lot], Tilbens employee George Carneso said. I move every few hours, so I wouldn't mind parking at the garage. Carneso said parking in the median for an extended period of time puts him at risk for a ticket.
I think they should have done this years ago, Echo Stationers employee Anne Feldman said, and her CO-worker Maria DeGennaro agrees. It's either park on the side streets or get tickets all day, she said.
During the summers, beach goers would also be able to park at the garage, officials said. Considerations for a shuttle bus are being looked at.
The construction is supposed to start on March 18, Eaton said, and commuters will be informed of the scheduled work.
The city is donating the property site and the Long Island Rail Road will be funding the project through a series of state grants. The contractor, MKM of Long Island City, was the lowest responsible bidder for the project, Raab said. Although it could be sooner, the scheduled completion date is 2004. Since the city would be responsible for the maintenance and security, they have not determined if a parking sticker would be required or if gates would be used, Raab said.
The garage, to be located directly above the existing lot, would be a one level off the ground, approximately 25 feet in height, Eaton said. Since there are two sections that make up the parking lot, the garage would cover the southern most section, including the bus terminal. Plans also include landscaping, increased security and lighting.
The first phase of work will consist of constructing an egress onto National Blvd. where a traffic light may be installed followed by the eighth-month construction of the parking deck. Approximately half of the existing spaces would be lost during this phase.
During certain phases of construction, Raab said commuters would be able to use the City Hall, directly behind the building lot. The city is also considering providing additional buses for commuters. The final design for the project is a Spanish motif, which would match the exterior of the railroad station.
There is definitely going to be some impacts in the downtown area, Raab said. The city has been working closely with the Long Island Rail Road to develop alternate schemes to aid the commuter.
