FAYETTEVILLE -- The main parking lot west of the Walton Arts Center is getting new parking equipment.
City Council members are expected to approve buying four parking kiosks for the 280-space lot, along with parking equipment for a new Spring Street Municipal Parking Deck, at today's meeting.
Fayetteville Agenda
The City Council is scheduled to meet at 5:30 p.m. today in Room 219 of the City Administration Building, 113 W. Mountain St. Also on the agenda:
• Offering 1.2 acres at 2634 and 2648 Old Wire Road for sale. Selling the two lots, previously owned by Mary Lou Dunn and her late husband, Allen “Sonny” Dunn, will help defray the cost of buying 11 acres to expand Gulley Park last year.
• A $250,000 contract with the Walton Arts Center for educational, entertainment and administrative services in 2015.
• Spending roughly $700,000 for LED lighting fixtures, light poles and installation along the city’s trail system.
• A $149,000 construction contract with CAM Lawn Services to plant trees and shrubs along Crossover Road and Garland Avenue.
• A $103,000 design contract with Garver LLC for moving water and sewer lines at the Arkansas 112 interchange on Interstate 49.
• Four rezoning requests: on 93 acres west of Arkansas 112 and north of Truckers Drive; 21.6 acres north of the Fayetteville Boys & Girls Club; 2.5 acres northwest of Cross Avenue and Maine Street; and 0.32 acres at 956 Ray Ave.
Source: Staff Report
The kiosks will replace existing equipment.
Instead of getting a ticket when entering the lot and paying when they leave, drivers will park in numbered spaces. They'll enter the space number into one of the four kiosks and pay in advance for a specific amount of time. Time can be added at a later point if needed.
Kiosks will be installed at the exit across from Grubs Bar & Grille, east of George's Majestic Lounge and underneath a canopy along West Avenue at the crosswalk to the Arts Center.
The new system will work just like it does on Dickson Street and in the rest of city's entertainment district. Gates blocking entrances to the West Avenue lot will remain upright except during $5 event parking for performances at the Arts Center.
Sharon Waters, parking and telecommunications manager for the city, said the changes are in response to repeated damage to the parking lot's entrance gates.
"We have a really lively crowd in the entertainment district," Waters said. "They get a kick out of breaking the gates to then let everyone else out for free."
"We've paid a lot of staff overtime to come in, fix the gates, and, then, as soon as they get home, they get another call," she added. "This will completely eliminate that and reduce costs."
The price tag for the four kiosks is $67,000. Waters said numbers will be painted on parking spaces in March when University of Arkansas students are on spring break. The kiosks should be operational by the end of May, Waters said.
Six kiosks will be placed in the 245-space Spring Street parking deck that's being built on the south end of the Walton Arts Center property. Total cost is $99,000. City officials expect parking deck construction to be complete by October.
All parking equipment is being purchased from Dallas-based Associated Time & Parking Controls. It's the same equipment used in the rest of the entertainment district and in university parking garages.
NW News on 02/17/2015