HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 9757 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 9757
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council June 9, 2015
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•a SUBJECT: VALET PARKING ORDINANCE REVIEW
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The City's valet parking ordinance ("the ordinance") allows the City to issue a valet permit to allow
businesses to operate valet services in the City's right—of-way. The permit enables businesses to
keep a vehicle in the designated valet zone for no more than five minutes to allow patrons to load
and unload their vehicles. The vehicle is then removed to an off-site location which enables more
effective use for off-street parking resources. The five minute limit is a mechanism for valet
operators to obtain an effective turn rate through the zone and ensure the need for public safety
is met with minimal impact in the adjacent traffic lane.
The City recently received requests to amend the ordinance. A formal request came from the
Tarrant County Hotel Association suggesting an increase to the vehicle retention time from five
minutes to thirty-five minutes to better serve the business needs of the hotels.
The Stockyards Hotel has also requested an exemption from the five minute vehicle retention
limit because the hotel operates in a valet area recessed from the City's street.
Seeing as there is desire from valet permit stakeholders to make revisions, I have directed staff to
work with a group to review the ordinance as it relates to the vehicle retention period in the valet
zone. I am also requesting the group review any other topics of significance relative to this
ordinance. The goal of this group is to make recommendations on revisions to the ordinance
balancing the needs of the businesses that utilize valet parking, the needs of the patrons and the
City's needs inclusive of ensuring that valet parking doesn't obstruct the public right-of-way.
This group will meet at least twice with the first meeting in July 2015. Additional meetings will be
held if necessary. During the first meeting, the group will review the ordinance, discuss proposed
revisions, and discuss benchmarking from other municipal valet operations. The second meeting
in August will seek to obtain consensus on revisions addressing the stakeholders' concerns and
the City's need to regulate valet parking in the public right-of-way. Staff will review and consider
the group's recommendations and submit staff recommendations for Council approval this fall.
The group will be open to any interested stakeholders, but the following stakeholders have
agreed to participate: Downtown Fort Worth, Inc.; Cultural District Alliance; Tarrant County Hotel
Association; The Stockyards Hotel; The Courtyard Blackstone Hotel; Sundance Square; Reata
Restaurant; The Convention & Visitors Bureau; Tarrant County Restaurant Association; Eddie
V's; Bass Hall; Stockyards Business Association; and City of Fort Worth staff, including the Police
Department and the Department of Transportation & Public Works.
If you have any questions please call Peter Elliott at 817-392-7977.
David Cooke
City Manager
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS