Parking at Promenade, Whole Foods, Schucks and Others Measured, Compared

A Patch article last week about an addition to the Brentwood Promenade, which would add retail space while reducing parking drew comments about crowded parking conditions.

Some unscientific research (a tape measure and a couple hours) showed that the Promenade does have some of the smallest parking spots in the area. It also has many average-sized spots.

A single data-taker with a tape measure on a windy day aren't ideal conditions for accuracy. The measurements below are in inches, give or take a half. Only parking spot widths were measured.

Brentwood Assistant City Administrator/Director of Planning & Development Ellen Rottjakob said parking stalls are measured from the center of each line, not from the inside edges, as was done initially. Measuring from inside to inside subtracts 4 inches from the true measurement.

The chart below has been amended to reflect that. Four inches were added to each number.

The selection was as random as possible, but only a very small sample of each lot was measured. When I'd find one far from the norm, I'd measure spots nearby.

I happened to run into a painting crew from Bob Otto Striping Services at Schnucks, and Bob Otto Jr. told me the standard width is nine feet, which is 108 inches. He said that's often fudged, depending on available space.

Disclaimers out of the way, I'll go out on a limb to say I found the parking lot with the biggest variations was the Promenade and the lot with the consistently largest spots was Walmart.

Rottjakob also said the proper way to make the measurement is to take the entire length of one parking row and then divide by the number of stalls to find the average width. For example, 109 feet with 12 stalls is 9 feet each.

Parking spot widths in area parking lots, measured in inches.

Aldi (Maplewood)

107

Also in Patch:

• Proposed Promenade Redevelopment Requires Shane Co. Demolition