As part of the settlement, the City agreed to spend up to $250,000 to "conduct a nationwide RFQ and/or RFP process to select a highly qualified, professional parking consultant...to prepare a parking study for downtown and Alamitos Beach. [Ed. note: Alamitos Beach residents publicly asked the Council to budget a professional parking study in testimony during September 2016 Council budget proceedings, reported by LBREPORT.com at the time.]

The settlement agreement indicates it was entered into on October 26, 2016, and City Attorney's release summarizes the agreement's other elements as including:

[Scroll down for further.]

• The City will deposit a percentage of the net proceeds from the sales of the three properties, approximately $139,000, into a parking solution implementation fund. The developers of the three projects will also each contribute $20,000 into this fund, which will be used to address parking-related issues in the Downtown area and to implement recommendations and suggestions identified in the parking study. [LBREPORT.com links to the actual settlement text below.]

• The City will pay up to $30,000 in attorneys' fees to Petitioners. The City will be reimbursed for this expense by the developers of the three projects.

• LB TAPS will dismiss the three lawsuits.

• LB TAPS agrees not to challenge the sales of the three properties or any projects brought forth by the developers at those properties. LB TAPS also agrees not to challenge any other sales of properties formerly owned by the City's Redevelopment Agency, and agree not to challenge any other development projects in the Downtown area until the parking study is completed, presented to the City Council, and the City Council completes its analysis and action, if any, on the parking study.

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The three Council-approved property sales challenged by TAPS and subject to the settlement agreement are at 3rd St/Pacific ("Ensemble property"); 125-133 North Long Beach Boulevard and 234-248 East Broadway, (together with the property formerly owned by LB's Redevelopment Agency located at 127-135 East Broadway, collectively, "Raintree property"); and 200-232 Long Beach Boulevard, ("Broadway property").

TAPS has posted the full settlement agreement text (signatures omitted) on its website at this link.

In a statement released to LBREPORT.com, TAPS indicates it "received the support of more than 1,000 residents who identified that the lack of parking in Downtown and Alamitos Beach as a key concern affecting their quality of life and growing worse with every new building project. The settlement of these lawsuits is a response to these concerns."

TAPS co-founder Debora Dobias is quoted in the group's statement as saying, "This agreement represents a big change in the city's direction. The parking study will give the city the tools and professional help to both improve parking and, if necessary, adopt or modify new City policies, such as the lax parking requirements in downtown Long Beach. We are thrilled that the City has committed to work with us throughout this upcoming process and look forward to a win-win situation for both residents and those seeking to redevelop the City."

TAPS (Transportation And Parking Solutions) indicates it's a non-profit group and says it was founded in 2014 "to promote the social welfare of the residents of the City of Long Beach by working to rectify the transportation and parking problems that exist in the City. It maintains a web presence at www.lbparking.com

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On its Facebook page, TAPS states:

[TAPS Facebook page text]

The info from the study is needed for real change to occur. This could change the city's current direction and help other areas of this city as well.

Why didn't we just use that money to build parking? That would only buy at most 12 parking spaces.

The bad news

We were not able to get more parking in those 3 buildings. Unless the city changes those low parking requirements Downtown, we are at the mercy of developers.

TAPS sacrificed its ability to file more lawsuits for at least the 15 months that the study will take to complete. TAPS' sacrifice was significant considering the lawsuits were the only way we got the city to even discuss the policies that are making our parking worse.

Why did we settle?

We had a very good case but going to court would have delayed any progress significantly and, of course, the outcome is never certain in court. It has become urgent to change policies and begin solutions. Many new developments will soon be approved with inadequate parking and parking lots will be taken away.

What's next?

We will need the public's help to convince our city leaders to change some policies. They are beginning to listen!...

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"We are pleased that this settlement agreement has been reached," said Long Beach City Attorney Charles Parkin in the City Attorney office release. "The City will proceed with the sale and development of these properties, and move forward with the parking studies in Downtown and Alamitos Beach."

"TAPS was concerned that the development of these three parcels, which would replace existing parking lots in two cases, would exacerbate a perpetual problem identified by many residents -- a lack of parking," said Jamie T. Hall, an attorney with Channel Law Group that represented Long Beach TAPS. "The City has heard the voice of TAPS and its supporters and has agreed to grab the bull by the horns and tackle this problem -- even though it might be challenging."

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The settlement agreement provides timeline and action specifics. City Attorney's office release indicates the parking studies are expected to be completed in approximately two years.