Politics & Government

UPDATED Parking a Problem at Menorah Park, Montefiore

Study concluded campus has 300 fewer spaces than is ideal

UPDATED Thursday 11:22 a.m.:  at the facility and the campus has added spaces over the years to respond to the demand. 

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does not have enough parking to suit its needs, according to a study the City of Beachwood directed the campus to conduct.

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MS Consultants, Inc., observed parking conditions at the campus, which includes Wiggins Place and the separately owned Montefiore Home, in April.

MS Consultants found that during peak hours, the number of visitors and employees present in Menorah Park buildings exceeded the number of parking spaces by 73 people. At Montefiore, peak hours saw 66 more people than there were available spaces.

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The study notes that ideally, parking lots are 85 percent full at peak hours – leaving space for cars to quickly find parking spaces and move traffic effectively – but this would require nearly 300 more spaces.

The results suggested that the campus reconfigure the lots to add 46 spots: 32 parking spots to the north end of campus – the area between Montefiore and Cedar Road – and 14 to Montefiore's lots.

More parking would still be required to accommodate peak hours, but the campus has little room for new development. MS suggests that Menorah Park employees be offered incentives to reduce the number of cars on campus by carpooling, using public transportation or bicycling to work.

The study proposes leasing spaces from the and adds that building a parking deck is possible but not cost effective for this site.

The study also suggests that the City of Beachwood change the traffic signals on Cedar Road to help traffic exit the campus more easily.

In December Council approved 5-3 a proposal by Menorah Park to build an addition to a building and eliminate five parking spots, but Council added that they would not approve further improvements until Menorah Park submitted a parking study.

The study was submitted to the Planning and Zoning Commission prior to last week’s meeting. The commission said they would hold a work session to discuss it further. That meeting has not yet been scheduled.

A Menorah Park spokesperson spoke with Beachwood Patch this afternoon and said that the center is reviewing the report and its recommendations.


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