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001 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: August 21, 2012 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 7-d <br /> SUBJECT: Discussion Regarding Parking Provisions for the Eno River Parking Deck <br /> DEPARTMENT: County Manager PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br /> County Attorney <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> Manager's Parking Deck Use <br /> Policy <br /> John Roberts, 245-2318 <br /> Frank Clifton, 245-2320 <br /> PURPOSE: To discuss parking provisions for the Eno River Parking Deck in Hillsborough. <br /> BACKGROUND: The Eno River Parking Deck (the "Deck") was constructed and began <br /> operations in 2009. In order to provide parking to its west campus employees, Orange County <br /> entered into a 40 year lease for 200 spaces in the Deck. During the course of the lease, <br /> substantial disagreement over the terms of the lease arose between the County and the Deck's <br /> owners. This disagreement led to litigation between the parties to determine the rights and <br /> responsibilities of the parties pursuant to the terms of the lease. <br /> In May and June of 2012, after a lengthy mediation, the parties agreed to a settlement. As part <br /> of the settlement, the County agreed to acquire the Deck for $1 million plus two County-owned <br /> properties located on Churton Street in Hillsborough. The County's purchase of the Deck <br /> closed on June 6, 2012 and the County now owns and controls the Deck and its 400 parking <br /> spaces. <br /> Because the Deck was acquired during the Board of Commissioners' summer break, no <br /> decisions regarding parking administration for the deck have been made. For this reason the <br /> Manager implemented an interim parking deck use policy. Among other things the policy <br /> provides that all parking spaces are free. It is highly unusual for a parking deck to provide free <br /> daily parking, although free parking on weekends is not unusual. <br /> On a daily basis there is limited demand for parking in downtown Hillsborough due to the <br /> availability of numerous free on-street spaces. This limited demand will likely be affected by <br /> two things going forward. First, the Town of Hillsborough Board of Commissioners is <br /> considering removing many free spaces on Churton Street as part of a traffic improvement plan. <br /> Second, due to the needs of the State's courts which operate in the Orange County Justice <br />