HomeMy WebLinkAboutPEC120036 REVISED PARKING REPORT by Felsbur Holt and Ullevig_received 122112
December 21, 2012
Mr. Greg Hall, PE
Public Works Director
Town of Vail
75 S. Frontage Road
Vail, CO 81657
RE: Vail Golf Course Clubhouse Expansion – Parking Assessment and Management Plan
FHU Project No. 12-457-01
Dear Mr. Hall:
This letter-report is intended to provide information concerning the parking impact associated with
the Vail Golf and Nordic clubhouse remodel effort. The remodel would adjust the square footage
of a number of rooms (some increasing, some decreasing in size, some not changing at all)
resulting in a net increase of 2,974 square feet of space. The remodeling is intended to make the
venue more attractive option for various types of functions, as well as to accommodate larger
functions
Questions have been raised about the traffic impact and parking needs relative to the remodeling.
This addresses the parking impact and mitigation. A separate letter-report addresses the traffic
needs of the proposed remodeling.
EXISTING CONDITIONS
Currently, the clubhouse serves the Vail Golf Course which includes 18 holes, a driving range, a
pro shop, restaurant, and other ancillary uses. While the remodeling would affect the configuration
of one hole, it is not anticipated to impact the level of golfing that takes place. The only change in
parking will be that resulting from an increase in banquet-related functions and the notion that
some of the functions will be larger than those hosted in the past.
The existing clubhouse parking lot provides 112 designated spaces for the current uses. This
supply has been more than adequate to accommodate winter activity (Nordic Center) at the
clubhouse. During the summer, the 112 spaces suffices most of the time, but peak activities
occasionally overwhelm the parking lot and require overflow parking to take place along Sunburst
Drive. This occurred five times in 2012, all of which took place in July and August while golfing
was at a peak. Some of these occurrences are the direct result of golfing tournaments which
usually involve shotgun starts (and therefore a full course). Clearly, there are times in which the
existing parking has been lacking.
When banquet-type functions take place at the site, they are usually in the evening when golfing
activity has subsided, and excess parking usually becomes available. The peak parking needs of
golfing tend to be over the noon-time hours, whereas the peak parking needs for banquet activity
tend to be in the late afternoon/early evening. However, there is limited coordination that has
taken place regarding the scheduling of banquet functions in light of other activity, and this is
thought to have contributed to overflow parking taking place along Sunburst Drive in the past.
December 21, 2012
Mr. Greg Hall
Page 2
REMODELING PARKING NEEDS
The 2974 square-foot net increase is anticipated to attract more functions. Additional parking
needs associated with the remodeling are closely tied to the nature of the venue use and how the
remodeling might increase the number of activities at the clubhouse.
Functions are anticipated to occur between 60 and 70 times per year, so banquet room parking is
not a consideration for 290 to 300 days per year, but adequate parking should be made available
when a function is taking place. The parking needs have been estimating based on the anticipated
operational characteristics of the clubhouse (golfing and activities) using various assumptions,
some of which have been verified by anecdotal information regarding parking at the Donovan
Pavilion in West Vail. Also, data from Institute of Transportation Engineer’s Trip Generation
manual (9th Edition) was reviewed in confirming certain aspects of this analysis.
The plan that has resulted from this analysis is based on a shared parking concept in which
multiple uses share a common parking lot, reduced in size to account for uses not peaking
simultaneously. A classic shared-parking example is the combination of office and lodging uses;
office parking tends to peak during the middle of the day, whereas parking demand for lodging
peaks in the late evening. Providing a common parking lot to accommodate the simultaneous
peak of these two uses would be overkill and lead to the construction of parking spaces that would
never be used. The same concept is applicable for the clubhouse given golfing and banquet-
related functions. Shared parking plans are common where two or more land uses/activities share
a common parking lot, and shared parking is beneficial with respect to cost, environmental impact,
and aesthetics (avoiding the “sea of asphalt”).
In addition to a shared parking plan, a management plan is also needed to help ensure that
banquet room function parking is balanced with golfing activity. The Town routinely manages its
parking including that for major events at Ford Park (as an extreme example of the Town’s
management capabilities). In the clubhouse case, activities need to be scheduled such that
enough excess golf parking is available and/or the appropriate management measures are
implemented to increase capacity or to locate some of the parking demand off-site. The final
parking plan needs to consider:
Ways of expanding the parking supply
Strategically scheduling activities to avoid conflicts with peak golf parking times
Management techniques to increase parking capacity at the existing lot (such as valet)
and/or remove parking demand from the existing lot (off-site valet, shuttles)
Combinations of the above.
Needed Parking for Remodeled Venue
Major analytical considerations in determining the parking needs for banquet-related functions
include identifying the anticipated attendance level and then estimating the average occupancy of
parked vehicles associated with banquet room use. There is limited data available specific to the
Vail clubhouse parking lot, so professional judgment has come into play into the analysis as well as
other data to check the results as previously indicated. There is typically a range of
reasonableness regarding assumptions for analyses such as this, and assumed parameters
December 21, 2012
Mr. Greg Hall
Page 3
applied here were selected to maintain conservatism in the analysis (i.e. the lower or more
conservative end of the range).
A key assumption used in this analysis pertains to auto occupancy. An average auto occupancy of
2.0 persons per car is being used here for banquet room parking. In reality, the auto occupancy
will vary depending on the nature of the function. Anecdotally, a range of 2.0 and 3.0 person per
vehicle would tend to be appropriate. Some of the larger functions will be wedding receptions in
which families will travel in one vehicle. Information acquired from the Donovan Pavilion
Management indicates that wedding receptions held there have averaged 150 attendees in size
and they tend to utilize about one-third of the parking lot (45 parked vehicles). This is analogous to
approximately 3.0 persons per car. Again, to remain conservative for this analysis of the
clubhouse, an auto occupancy of 2.0 persons per car is being used for banquet room activities.
Hard data should eventually be collected to better refine this figure and possibly adjust the process
that is shown later in this letter-report.
Given this, a peak activity involving 200 persons would require 100 spaces. An average function
with 140 participants would need 70 spaces. Given no other activity at the clubhouse, this level of
parking could be accommodated given the existing 112 space lot. But when other activity at the
clubhouse also requires parking (such as golf activity), there will be fewer than the 112 spaces
available. The amount of parking that is available depends on the time of year and the time of day
in question. Herein lies the foundation for a shared parking plan and a management plan to
ensure that functions (particularly larger ones up to the 200-person limit) are not scheduled during
peak golfing time periods without proper measures to accommodate all parking.
The remodeling project will include the expansion of the parking lot by 12 spaces. This will be a
positive step with respect to accommodating banquet room functions, but it is also a positive for
peak golfing days that threaten to overflow onto Sunburst Drive (without a banquet room function).
The additional 12 spaces (which would bring the total supply up to 124) could reduce the number
of days that golf activity overflows the lot, thereby benefiting the parking operations during no
activity at the banquet room as well.
Excess Golfing Parking Available
As mentioned, golfing activity has filled the existing lot in the past; this occurred five times in 2012
during July and August, all on weekdays. However, it is recognized that the parking lot is not full
all day long, and that parking demands tend to subside from their peak by mid-afternoon, with
spaces becoming more available into late afternoon and evening. Understanding the nature of
how much parking becomes available as the day progresses is a critical first step in crafting a
parking plan for banquet room functions.
Parking for golfing activity can vary by time of year and time of day. An estimated hourly profile
can be developed based on tee time transactions obtained from the golf course. These tee times
can be converted into estimated parking demands using various assumptions. The key
assumptions used in this tee-time analysis include:
The average time period that a person (registered/paid tee time) stays parked at the
clubhouse is five hours. Clubhouse staff have indicated that an 18-hole round typically
takes a little over four hours. Five hours was assumed as many golfers are at the Vail golf
Course for a longer period of time, some to warm up on the driving range and some to
unwind at the clubhouse after completing their round.
December 21, 2012
Mr. Greg Hall
Page 4
An auto occupancy of 1.5 persons per vehicle. This is equivalent to half the parked
vehicles serving one golfer and the other half serving two.
Employees use approximately 15 parking spaces.
Hourly tee-time green fees were reviewed for the June to September 2012 time period, and these
data were converted into estimated hourly parking demand using the assumptions above. In
reviewing and sorting four months of hourly accumulated tee-time (and associated estimated
parking) data, the following was discovered:
The mid-June to the end of August is the peak season for golf. Early June and September
activity is generally 20 to 40 percent lower.
Parking accumulations during the mid-June to late August time period are estimated to be:
a. 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM – Lot is full the vast majority of the time, barring bad weather
b. At 2:00 PM, there are 5 to 10 spaces available on average in the existing lot. The
90th percentile of parking availability is virtually zero.
c. At 3:00 PM, there are 10 to 20 spaces are available on average. The 90th percentile
of parking provides 5 to 10 spaces.
d. At 4:00 PM, there are 20 to 25 spaces are available on average. The 90th percentile
of parking available is estimated to be between 10 and 20 spaces
e. At 5:00 PM, there are an estimated 25 to 30 spaces available on average. The 90th
percentile level provides an estimated 20 to 25 spaces.
f. At 6:00 PM, there are an estimated 40 to 45 spaces available on average. The 90th
percentile level provides an estimated 30 to 35 spaces.
g. At 7:00 PM, there are an estimated 55 to 65 spaces available on average. The 90th
percentile level provides 45 to 55 spaces.
A clear pattern shown here is that parking at the existing lot becomes more available into the late
afternoon and evening. As a check to the parking space quantities mentioned above, data
published in the ITE Trip Generation Manual (9th Edition) for golf courses was reviewed. This
reference presents golf course trip-making on an hourly basis for inbound and outbound
movement, allowing one to calculate the accumulation of vehicles. The data are broken out in the
manual for weekdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Inbound and outbound trips can be added and
subtracted to gauge parking accumulations.
Using a 90th percentile level of ITE trip generation, their data suggest that peak accumulations of
125 to 130 vehicles result for an 18-hole golf course. Analyzing the ITE data also suggests that:
Maximum accumulations tend to occur from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. This in line with the
finding above from using the Vail tee-time data.
December 21, 2012
Mr. Greg Hall
Page 5
By 3:00 PM, the parking accumulation is approximately 25 percent below peak levels of the
day. This would equate to 25 to 30 spaces of the existing parking lot being available.
By 4:00 PM, the parking accumulation is approximately 30 percent below peak levels of the
day. This would equate to 30 to 35 spaces of the existing parking lot being available.
By 5:00 PM, the parking accumulation is approximately 50 percent below peak levels of the
day. This would equate to 55 to 60 spaces of the existing parking lot being available.
By 6:00 PM, the parking accumulation is approximately 65 percent below peak levels of the
day. This would equate to 70 to 75 spaces of the existing parking lot being available.
By 7:00 PM, the parking accumulation is approximately 80 percent below peak levels of the
day.
The results from the ITE data above suggest that the levels of available parking at the clubhouse
estimated from tee time data may actually be low. With the interest of maintaining conservatism in
the analysis, the tee-time data results will still be used, but the ITE data clearly confirms that using
the tee-time-based estimates is a conservative approach to developing a parking plan, in that they
inherently imply a relatively low amount of parking would be available at the existing lot during the
mid to late afternoon time period.
The above parking space availability represents a best estimate of existing conditions during the
peak season of mid-June to late August. Other months will typically provide a greater amount of
available parking as golfing levels tend to drop at times outside of this two-and-a-half month period.
As indicated, early June and all of September experience 20 to 40 percent less golfing activity.
Very little golf occurs at any other times of the year outside the four-month June to September
period.
During the winter months of December through March, the clubhouse serves as the Nordic Center.
Discussions with Vail staff suggest that the parking lot is usually not more than 50 percent utilized
for winter activity. This in essence provides 50 to 60 spaces (one-half of 112) available for banquet
room functions.
PARKING PLAN
To accommodate a shared and managed parking plan for golfing and banquet functions, a four-
step process has been developed as guidance for venue booking staff. The following describes
each step.
Step 1
The first step in booking a function is to ensure that there is no other activity already scheduled on
the same day. This applies to not only functions at the venue but golf-related activity as well, such
as a tournament. Requests to book functions on days with other activities should be avoided.
Upon this step being satisfied, the venue booking staff member should proceed to step 2.
December 21, 2012
Mr. Greg Hall
Page 6
Step 2
Considering that the parking lot will be expanded by 12 spaces and in using the 90th percentile of
available parking (lower end of the estimates above), available parking can be converted into
attendees using an average auto occupancy of 2.0 persons per car as previously discussed. So:
A 3:00 PM function could accommodate up to 34 persons (12 new spaces plus 5 spaces
available x 2 persons per car) without other measures.
A 4:00 PM function could accommodate up to 44 persons (12 new spaces plus 10 available
x 2 persons per car) without other measures.
A 5:00 PM function could accommodate up to 64 persons (12 new spaces plus 20 available
x 2 persons per car) without other measures.
A 6:00 PM function could accommodate up to 84 persons (12 new spaces plus 30 available
x 2 persons per car) without other measures.
A 7:00 PM function could accommodate no more than 114 persons (12 new spaces plus 45
available x 2 persons per car) without other measures.
The above time of day accommodation level represents the mid-June to late August time frame,
peak season of golf. Should there be a request to book a function outside this period, Step 3
comes into play.
Step 3
Adjust the total allowable attendee count as follows IF the function is to be scheduled before June
15 or after August 31:
Functions in early June and September can be increased by 44 persons (20 percent less
golfing activity provides 22 spaces from the existing lot at 2 persons per car) not to exceed
a total of 200 persons.
Functions in December through March can be increased by 136 persons (50 percent of the
existing 112 spaces is 56, plus 12 new spaces provides 68 at 2 persons per car) not to
exceed 200 persons.
Functions in April, May, October, and November can be increased to up to 200 persons
barring any other activity taking place.
At this point, a total attendance would result from summing that allowed in Step 2 and Step 3.
Should there still be a need for additional attendees with respect to parking, Step 4 provides
guidance as to other proactive management measures available and the relative impact in terms of
parking and associated attendees.
December 21, 2012
Mr. Greg Hall
Page 7
Step 4
If additional attendees are still required, the following menu of options would be available:
Relocate employee cars off site. This could free up 15 spaces, allowing 30 more persons
to attend.
Implement on-site valet parking (that would need to be implemented at the beginning of the
day) which could allow an additional 30 parking spaces, allowing an additional 60 more
persons to attend a function.
Implement off-site valet parking which could add 50 more spaces (given 50 off-site spaces
at the Public Works facility), allowing another 100 persons to attend a function.
Implementing shuttle service to off-site parking areas which could allow up to 200 people if
properly conducted and communicated with attendees.
The way these steps could be applied may best be illustrated through an example. For instance, if
an inquiry was made to book a 160-person function in July with a desired start time of 6:00 PM, a
booking staff member would:
Step 1 - First determine if any other function is taking place on the specific date of interest. If there
is, this function should probably not be booked that day. If not, then the Vail agent could proceed
to step 2
Step 2 – Determine that a 6:00 PM start would allow for 84 persons during peak season.
Step 3 – Determine that the date of the function is during peak season (mid June to late August),
therefore no adjustment would be made. The count is still at 84 persons.
Step 4 – Pick and choose measures from the management menu that would increase the attendee
count from 84 to 160. Options could include:
Relocating employee vehicles and implementing on-site valet service (allowing 90 more
people to attend) allowing a function size of 174 (84 plus 90), or
Implement off-site valet service only, which could allow 100 more persons, providing a total
function size of 184 (84 plus 100).
These steps could be structured into easy to use tables better allowing a booking agent to offer
options relative to date and time of day for a particular function.
There would be a learning curve for the venue staff in charge of scheduling the banquet room. But
this analysis shows that the concept of shared parking in conjunction with proper management can
result in a workable solution. The four-step process outlined here can be a tool to determine the
best practices in scheduling a given function. Pricing will also come into play as well, structured to
possibly discourage functions at peak times and cover the added costs needed to implement
management measures (valet, shuttles, etc.) when needed.
REFINEMENT
December 21, 2012
Mr. Greg Hall
Page 8
The process and parameters spelled out here are based on a series of conservative assumptions.
Maintaining a conservative approach is recommended to start and ensure that parking can indeed
be managed, and banquet room functions can be appropriately scheduled without major parking
issues. It is highly recommended to collect data specific to the clubhouse use and better refine the
parameters in the four steps; the process should be updated annually. Specific data that should be
collected include:
Auto occupancy data for banquet room attendees.
Parking lot counts from Noon to 7:00 PM during peak days of the peak season.
An assessment of how much more parking capacity is gained from implementing on-site
valet service.
SUMMARY
Based on the available data and the analysis presented herein, larger (200 person) and additional
banquet room functions can be accommodated as part of the remodeling provided that:
Banquet room functions are appropriately scheduled relative to their size.
Active management strategies are implemented commensurate with the anticipated
attendance level.
The operations of the lot be monitored and assessed on a regular basis to refine the
management process and develop best practices at managing the clubhouse parking.
Should you have any questions regarding this progress report, please call me at 303-721-1440.
Sincerely,
FELSBURG HOLT & ULLEVIG
Christopher J. Fasching, PE, PTOE
Principal
Attachment