The San Pablo City Council recently approved a plan to manage growing parking shortages at City Hall.
The decision allows the City Manager to spend $50,000 to add signs, paint curbs, and reorganize how the lot is used. This move comes as the city finishes the new police headquarters and regional training center.
Community Services Director Greg Dwyer reported that the lot is currently overwhelmed. He provided figures showing that while the City Hall lot has 120 stalls and should have 50 open for the public, “on average, there is usually about 10 spots open.” Dwyer observed that people “pull in and just walk across the street” to reach the county buildings in the morning.
While city spots are scarce, neighboring county lots often have significant vacancies. The Contra Costa County Health garage has 345 stalls with about 55 open on average, and the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) center usually has 30 of its 42 stalls available. Dwyer noted that county staff and patrons often avoid the garage because “they want to park on a flat spot” and find the parking structure “a little confined.”
The plan creates specific zones to keep spaces open for residents and staff. Green zones will offer two-hour parking for people doing city business. Other areas will be reserved for city employees and elected officials. The police department will help manage the lot. They plan to start with “warning citations in the beginning for a certain period of time” before issuing fines.
The council also authorized the city to negotiate with the nearby Walgreens for 10 extra parking spots. These spaces would be used for officers visiting the new training center, which expects “roughly 19 vehicles from outside the city coming in for regional training.” City Manager Matt Rodriguez explained that Walgreens is also losing money because “these cars are parked there all day long” by people not visiting the store.
Council members agreed to keep the new rules focused on weekdays. The lot will remain available on weekends for community events and private rentals at Maple Hall. This ensures the public can still use the space during non-business hours.