“I was calling about the parking in front of the IFDES Hall. People park in front of homes in the neighborhood making it hard for us to park our cars because there is no parking there and they leave trash everywhere. You guys did an article awhile back and you said that because the building had been there awhile it didn’t have to have permits. The city has said that businesses can’t have events if they don’t have parking for it. Lizarran Tapas had to build an additional parking area by the railroad, but why don’t places like the IFDES Hall have the same requirements?”
Red Phone: Dear No Where To Park, When the IFDES Portuguese Hall was built on 250 Old Gilroy Street it wasn’t required to have additional parking added at the time. Also the building is classified as an events hall, and as a result generally doesn’t need a special permit that would require more parking to be available, said city planner Melissa Durkin.
The city’s Zoning Ordinance has a whole section of parking requirements for new buildings. For example, auditoriums and exhibit halls without fixed seats should have one parking stall for each 100 square feet of building space. Private clubs require one spot for every four of the maximum occupancy. Restaurants are required to have one parking spot for every three seats or 100 square feet of floor area devoted to dining. And parking is regulated by what zone it falls in the city. See a link to the full requirements on this article at gilroydispatch.com.
Speaking of early registration … now is the time to register for the all-you-can eat shrimp dinner and dance Jan. 21 at the IFDES Lodge. Cost is $45. You can pick up tickets at Al Pinheiro Insurance (842-4619) or Mafalda’s Bridal (848-1312).
Sorry, they can’t reserve you a parking spot though.
