Camas considers parking changes near paper mill

Drivers seeking longer-term parking spots along Northeast Adams Street in downtown Camas could soon find they have a few more options.

The Camas City Council is expected to pass a resolution later this month that would turn two of the four 10-minute parking spaces on Northeast Adams into 2-hour parking spaces.

Representatives from Adams Street Bar & Grill approached the City earlier this year with a request to turn the four 10-minute parking spots in front of the Georgia-Pacific (GP) paper mill’s visitor center into 2-hour parking.

“Staff checked with the (Downtown Camas Association) and GP about this request,” Camas Engineering Manager James Carothers told Council members during their June 17 workshop. “DCA said it was fine with them as long as GP is OK with it. GP said they would like to keep at least two of the 10-minute parking spaces, so we took it to the Parking Advisory Committee May 14.”

The parking committee, which heard GP desired keeping at least two of the 10-minute parking spaces for vendors who are using the short-term parking on a regular basis, recommended keeping the two northern spaces as 10-minute parking, while changing the other two spaces to 2-hour parking.

“Two-hour parking may better serve some downtown businesses and their patrons that seek longer parking time limits,” Carothers told the Council in his staff report. “There would be a nominal cost of labor and materials from the existing Street Operations budget for sign changes if the requested change is implemented.”

Carothers said he would work with the City’s attorney to draft a resolution for the Council’s consideration, and bring it back to the Council in July, likely during the Council’s next regular meeting, Monday, July 15.