Stadium parking plan means a walk for fans
Similar arrangement has posed problems for some residents in Lancaster
DAINA KLIMANIS The York Dispatch
June 23, 2006


Jose Quiros can see Clipper Magazine Stadium from the front porch of his Lancaster City townhouse.
On game days, he can also see the cars lining West New Street in front of his home.

"They make 5,000 seats, but they don't make 5,000 parking spaces," Quiros said.

Counting skyboxes and picnic area seating, the stadium in Lancaster seats more than 6,200, a number that has brought Quiros and his neighbors a parking problem.

It's the result of a parking plan similar to the one York is considering as the city's independent-league baseball stadium moves toward construction.

Clipper Magazine Stadium, home of the Lancaster Barnstormers, has little dedicated parking, so most of those driving to a ballgame must park in a lot or garage a few blocks from the stadium site and walk to the game.

Even though signs direct stadium patrons to plentiful free parking, a few choose to park on streets adjacent to the ballpark instead, frustrating residents who can't find room for their cars when they get home.

But the problem hasn't
been as bad as some feared -- it was lessening last year as the season wore on -- and the plan increases foot traffic in a way that York City officials hope they can imitate to give York's shops and restaurants a boost.

Most park in lots: There are more than 1,600 off-street parking spaces within three blocks of Lancaster's stadium, and that's where the majority of last year's ballpark patrons parked, said Lisa Riggs, executive director of the James Street Improvement District, a community development organization working in the area.

"Overall, I don't think we heard that was an overwhelming problem," Riggs said.

The stadium was built with about 500 parking spaces of its own, but those are generally reserved for VIPs and season ticket holders, she said.

And while some living several blocks from the stadium said they didn't see the parking problems they anticipated, parking spaces on the blocks immediately adjacent to the stadium are choked every game day, residents said. The result is increased noise and litter.

"Everyone slams their doors, blares their radios," said Valerie Snoke, who lived with her mother within a block of the stadium last year. "It's been driving everyone crazy."

Her mother, who's had a kidney transplant and has a toddler to care for, has trouble getting to and from her car if she can't park in front of her home, Snoke said.

Parking among the dense row houses near the stadium is already so tight that it takes only a few cars to cause parking problems, Riggs said.

"Even if five or six fans parked on the street, it would be a noticeable impact," Riggs said.

Good for some businesses: But those who park on the street have benefited some businesses in the area.

Chris Ditzler, co-owner of Slugger's Pizzeria a block from the stadium, said his corner pizza place gets extra attention when people walk to and from their cars.

"A lot of our business is walking traffic," Ditzler said, though he attributed an even bigger impact to word-of-mouth advertising.

Whether the people on foot are coming from parking spots on the street or in lots and garages, pedestrians are what city officials want.

That's why the York City administration supports having patrons walk a few blocks to events in its proposed 4,260-seat stadium.

Three blocks isn't very far for people to walk to a game, but is far enough to give people exposure to what the city's businesses have to offer and encourage them to stop in, said York City Mayor John Brenner.

"Again, more feet on the street are good," Brenner said. "And these are the feet you want on the street, people who are looking for something positive to do for them, for their families, and who hopefully have a few bucks to spend."

A redevelopment proposal calls for about 230 parking spaces in two lots on the stadium site, a proposal the city council would have to approve before the project is built. The stadium lease requires the York Professional Baseball Club, a subsidiary of Keystone Professional Baseball, to contract for additional parking as necessary.

More than 1,000 commercial and public parking spaces are within a six-minute walk of the stadium, according to a parking study recently completed. Another 1,000 are available within just two minutes' walk more.

Getting fans to spots: The stadium lease requires the York Professional Baseball Club to provide traffic control and parking attendants for all stadium events. A similar agreement is in place in Lancaster.

Despite those measures, some Lancaster stadiumgoers park where they're not supposed to, which can be a negative for nearby businesses.

Eric Lapinsky, co-owner of The Brickyard sports bar a few blocks from the Lancaster stadium, said that when street parking filled up, people would occasionally park in the bar's private lot without coming in for a drink or snack.

But Lancaster's parking crunch eased as the season wore on. Not only did baseball fans get a better feel for the neighborhood with repeat visits, but changes in advertising and signs steered people off the streets, said Riggs, of the James Street Improvement District.

"The biggest thing was just literally putting it on the signs that said 'free parking' with arrows," Riggs said.

The shift has brought some relief to people such as Lancaster resident Anna Kennedy, who lives within a block of the stadium. The parking spots near her home were getting a little easier to find at the end of last season, she said, making it easier to bring home groceries and her children. It's a trend she hopes continues.

"Hopefully, as the years go by, it'll change," Kennedy said.

The York City stadium project at a glance
After years of talk about bringing baseball back to town and more than a decade of starts and stops, Mayor John Brenner's administration has backed a stadium site in the city's Arch Street neighborhood and is doing its best to keep the project on the fast track.

The project is being directed by the York County Economic Development Corp., which expects the stadium to promote economic development.

--- The timetable: If the project stays on schedule, the new stadium will be open for baseball in June 2007. Demolition of buildings now standing at the stadium site is set to begin in June, and stadium construction could begin in August.

--- The team: The unbuilt stadium has already been leased by the York Professional Baseball Club, which plans to bring in an independent Atlantic League team. The league is not affiliated with the major leagues, but many of its players have major league experience.

The club is a subsidiary created by Keystone Professional Baseball, which owns the Lancaster Barnstormers, another Atlantic League team.

--- The cost: It could take as much as $31.5 million to complete the project, but costs are expected to come in lower, said Darrell Auterson, president and CEO of the York County Economic Development Corp.

Officials have secured $29.5 million in promised funding so far: $13.5 million from the state, $8 million in advance rent from the baseball club and up to $8 million in private pledges.

--- Acquiring the land: Plans call for acquiring 23 properties, 15 of them residential, to build the stadium. Settlements on most of those properties have taken place.

Three properties might be seized via eminent domain, a move authorized by the city redevelopment authority. Two of those are commercial sites whose owners rejected offers of more than 170 percent of the properties' appraised values, saying the appraisals were flawed. One of those owners contends the authority does not have the power to seize the land in the first place.

The owner of the third property, a vacant lot, did not respond to purchase offers.
About this series
As York City Mayor John Brenner and other officials have promoted a planned independent-league baseball stadium, they have urged people to take a trip to nearby Lancaster, where a similar stadium was completed last year. Not only has that stadium been drawing sellout crowds, but some officials have credited it with encouraging development and boosting property values.

This summer, work is expected to begin on a similar stadium in York. Over three days, The York Dispatch has looked at the prospects for York's stadium project, in part by examining the Lancaster experience.

The series includes:

--- Wednesday: The project's economic development potential.

--- Yesterday: A look at whether people will attend Atlantic League games in downtown York.

--- Today: A look at stadium parking plans, which call on people to do some walking.

To see past stories in the series, go to www.yorkdispatch.com
--Reach Daina Klimanis at 505-5439 or dklimani s@yorkdispatch.com.