The City of Tomball reviewed and discussed the multiple parking lot designs for the three proposed parking lot locations on North Elm, Market and Fannin Streets at its regular meeting held Aug. 1.

The parking lot designs are in preparation for the FM 2920 Access Management Plan, conducted in coordination with the Houston-Galveston Area Council and the Texas Department of Transportation in 2008, which calls for the removal of the on-street parking that is currently within the limits of downtown Tomball along FM 2920.

The City of Tomball conducted a Livable Centers Downtown Plan which identified five potential areas for parking lot locations that could serve to replace the parking that will be lost along FM 2920.

The Engineering and Planning Department contracted with a company to design the potential parking lots. In May, council approved the design contract for parking lots on North Elm, Market and Fannin.

Council reviewed 5 potential parking lot designs on Aug. 1. Three designs were submitted for North Elm, one for Market and one for Fannin with two detention pond options.

Council agreed on a design for North Elm which would include 98 parking spaces at the corner of North Elm and FM 2920, between FM 2920 and Houston Street, adjacent to Burlington Northern Railroad Tracks. The designs calls for an expanded railroad swap with the Burlington Northern Sante Fe (BNSF) Railway Company.

The potential parking lot would cost $171,339.76. The cost does not include any acquisition from the railway company.

Acting City Engineer Lori Lakatos presented two options for Fannin. Both proposed lots would provide 38 spaces for parking at the southwest corner of Fannin and South Oak, adjacent to a residential site, across from Tomball ISD Administration Building.

Options for this lot include an option to construct a detention pond or an option to potentially share the detention pond with TISD. Council agreed to move forward with making arrangements with TISD.

The proposed lot would cost $130,905.22. That cost does not include any agreement made with TISD.

Lakatos explained the potential layout for Market Street. The parking lot option provides 12 parking spaces. The area is bound by Elm and South Walnut between the Tomball Fire Department and a residential site. The proposed site would cost more than $250,000.

Council members agreed not move forward with the proposed parking lot for Market Street and possibly search for other areas.

Although no action was taken, council narrowed its parking lot scope and agreed to do further research on the proposed Fannin and North Elm parking lots as well as contact the BNSF Railway Company and TISD.

The two parking lots would cost approximately $302,000 prior to land acquisition or detention pond agreements.

Plans calling for the removal of parking spaces along FM 2920 were initiated by TxDOT. In recent years TxDOT has discussed a proposal that would eliminate the on-street parking and include a turn lane along Main Street.

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