In response to ongoing reports of unsafe and “inappropriate” activity atop the downtown Morgan Hill parking garage, the city will partially close the structure’s top floor until some permanent safety measures can be installed, according to city staff.
The closure will start Sept. 1 and continue through the end of October, according to a notice from Morgan Hill Communications Manager Maureen Tobin. During that time, city officials will determine the best methods to prevent unauthorized access to the top floor of the three-story structure.
These construction improvements could include fencing around the ledge that keeps people from climbing onto the unsafe surfaces, and also aesthetically complements the rest of the building, Tobin added.
The Morgan Hill City Council will consider funding to install specific safety enhancements to the garage’s top floor at the Sept. 6 meeting.
In the meantime, city officials will keep the top floor—a section consisting of about 50 parking spaces—closed to all access.
Since the parking garage opened in March 2016, city staff have faced “several challenges” arising from unauthorized activity in the garage, Tobin said. Most notably, this includes youth and adults climbing on the roof and the ledge surrounding the garage’s top floor. These ledges are currently unprotected.
“We can’t be aware of this type of activity and not do something,” Tobin said. “Obviously, we don’t want people on the ledges and the roof of the top floor of the garage.”
Other inappropriate and unsafe activities in the garage—which the city hopes to crack down on—include cars speeding through the structure, skateboarding, bicycling and loitering.
The top-floor closure starting Sept. 1 is part of a “three-pronged approach” to addressing these concerns. In addition to the physical enhancements, that approach also includes enforcement and education, Tobin said.
About 50 parking spaces will be unavailable to the public during the closure, Tobin added.
The downtown garage is located between East Third and Fourth streets.
Anyone who witnesses illegal or unsafe activities or uses of the parking garage can call Morgan Hill Police Department at (408) 779-2101.
