Is there a parking issue for the downtown area of Fountain Hills? It might depend on when you are looking.

The Town Council has approved, on a 6-1 vote, a professional services agreement with Kimley Horn & Associates for an analysis of parking availability in the downtown area. The area to be considered is bounded by El Lago Boulevard, La Montana Drive and Panorama Drive around Fountain Park.

The information is considered important to planning documents including the 2020 General Plan (voter approved), Vision Fountain Hills and the 2020 Strategic Plan adopted by the council. Public Works Director Justin Weldy said the analysis “is intended, in all respects, to assist the elected and appointed officials and staff in guiding future growth, development, redevelopment and infill.”

The General Plan calls for a parking study that assesses the required capacity and use of existing parking facilities and recommends parking standards based on current best parking practices.

Other than the Civic Center parking that provides for the Community Center, Library/Museum and Town Hall, other public parking in the downtown is generally street parking along Avenue of the Fountains and Panorama Drive around Fountain Park. The four large parking lots between Avenue of the Fountains and Palisades Boulevard are privately owned by the downtown property owners’ association and subject to potential restriction, although they are generally open to public access.

Councilman Allen Skillicorn was the lone vote opposing the agreement.

“Three hundred and sixty-one days a year there is an abundance of parking,” Skillicorn said. “I don’t see this as a huge issue.”

Skillicorn also said he has issues with Kimley Horn and some problems the company has experienced. Weldy explained that Kimley Horn & Associates is a nationwide company and the problems Skillicorn referred to are with another division in another state. The Town has used the company numerous times over the years regarding engineering and analysis and has been pleased with the work. In fact, the council approved a second agreement with Kimley Horn at the same meeting related to traffic signal design (see separate story).

Councilwoman Hannah Toth said she disagreed with Skillicorn’s assessment that parking is an issue only four days a year.

“We see a lot of pride and passion in this town related to special events,” Toth said. “Events will probably only grow in town. Parking is the number one complaint related to events.”

Toth alluded to, and Weldy expanded that the analysis will have a five-year horizon and take into consideration the needs related to the planned International Dark Sky Discovery Center in the Civic Center.

Vice Mayor Sharron Grzybowski said she has heard for many years about parking issues in the downtown. She said a parking garage is likely and the analysis is needed to plan that future.

Weldy agreed that the study will likely indicate the possibility of future multi-year funding to address needs.