off-street parking standards
TRANSCRIPT
Agenda Item #5UDO Amendment 12-7.3 ‘Off-Street Parking
Standard’
Off-Street Parking Requirements Presentation
Outline
• Item from the 2017 Planning & Zoning Commission’s Plan of
Work to provide options on creating parking flexibility.
• Workshop presentations and policy discussion with the Planning
and Zoning Commission on parking requirements on:
– February 2nd
– May 4th
– June 1st
• On August 3rd, Planning and Zoning Commission voted 7-0
to recommended approval of this Draft Ordinance
Amendment to the City’s Off-Street Parking Requirements.
Policy Direction from Planning & Zoning Commission
• Provide flexibility and parking alternatives for
developing and redeveloping properties to increase
their economic development viability and taxable
value.
• Responsibly reduce regulatory barriers that
contribute to underutilized parking areas while still
protecting neighborhoods from overflow parking.
• Increase the discretion given to Administrator to
consider alternative parking options.
• Eliminate parking requirements that add minimal
value and would streamline staff processes.
Staff Recommendation & Discussion
• Planning and Zoning Commission endorsed nine ordinance revision concepts
recommended by staff:
– Adjust the purpose statement for Off-Street Parking Requirements
– Remove the percentage cap of intense uses allowed in shopping centers without requiring
additional parking
– Change distance eligibility requirements for shared & off-site parking options
– Provide relief for small sites by exempting a certain amount of square feet from the
requirements.
– Improving the demand-based parking option
– Adjusting the multi-family parking ratio for 2 bedroom units.
– Eliminate “concepts” requirement for large parking lots.
– Revisit required curbing around the perimeter of parking areas
– Applying redevelopment overlay parking requirements flexibility to all older sites by right.
Ordinance Revision #1: Adjusts the purpose
statement for Off-Street Parking Requirements
Sec. 12-7.3. - Off-Street Parking Standards.
Per Section 12.7.3 in the Unified Development Ordinance :
1. Eliminate Reduce the occurrence of non-resident on-street parking in
adjoining neighborhoods;
2. Avoid the traffic congestion & public safety hazards
3. Expedite the movement of traffic on public thoroughfares in a safe
manner.
4. Provide flexibility and parking alternatives for developing and
redeveloping properties to increase their viability.
Ordinance Revision #2: Allows shopping centers to have a minimum
parking ratio that is not dependent of the parking ratios of the tenants
that occupy them.
Ordinance Revision #2: Allows shopping centers to have a minimum
parking ratio that is not dependent of the parking ratios of the
tenants that occupy them.
• Removes the rule that no more than 25% of any shopping center square
footage shall be utilized for intense uses unless additional parking is
provided.
• Allows shopping centers to maintain the specified parking ratio regardless
of the composing tenant uses unless otherwise determined by the
Administrator.– 1 parking space per 250 square feet in General Commercial, Suburban
Commercial, and Wellborn Commercial.
– 1 parking space per 350 square feet in Commercial Industrial
Ordinance Revision #3: Extends the City’s demand based parking
option to all developments and remove the requirement that a
balance of land be held in reserve.
• College Station’s current Demand Based Parking Option:
– Only applies to large-scale developments
– Requires that the balance of land that would have been required parking be
held in reserve in an undeveloped area.
• New Demand Based Parking Options allows commercial and multifamily properties
to propose an alternative parking plan based on the demand they generate
without requiring that a balance of land be held in reserve.
– The reduction in parking spaces would need to be justified with a parking study
prepared by a professional engineer or transportation planner.
– Final determination would be made by the Administrator.
Ordinance Revision #4: Changes the distance eligibility
requirements for shared and off-site parking option from 250 feet to
500 feet.
Sec. 12-7.3. - Off-Street Parking Standards.
Distance Approximate
Time to Walk
250 feet 1 Minute
500 feet 2 Minutes
≈ 250 feet
≈ 500 feet
Change Distance Requirements for Shared Parking Option
Sec. 12-7.3. - Off-Street Parking Standards.
Distance Approximate
Time to Walk
250 feet 1 Minute
500 feet 2 Minutes
750 feet 3 Minutes
Approximately 250
feet from building
face
Change Distance Requirements for Shared Parking Option
Sec. 12-7.3. - Off-Street Parking Standards.
Distance Approximate
Time to Walk
250 feet 1 Minute
500 feet 2 Minutes
750 feet 3 Minutes
Approximately 500
feet from building
face
Ordinance Revision #5: Provides relief for small sites by
granting a general reduction of two parking spaces for
certain non-residential uses
• Targeted parking relief for small sites by
exempting an amount an floor area from
parking requirements
– Provides an extra 585 -774 sq. ft. of
site flexibility depending on parking
configuration (2 parking spaces +
associated drive aisle)
– Does not apply to tenant spaces in
shopping centers
– Would require providing at least one
parking space unless otherwise
specified in the UDO.
Ordinance Revision #6: Eliminates additional layout and
landscaping requirements for large parking lots over 120 spaces.
• Currently UDO states that large
parking lots over 120 parking spaces
must choose one of three parking lot
concepts which are meant to
encourage additional landscaping.
• Eliminating this section would reduce
regulations and provide flexibility.
• The City’s normal parking
requirements would now also apply to
large sites.
Ordinance Revision #7: Allows curbs in parking areas to be
omitted if pedestrian areas are adequately protected
• Currently UDO states that all
paved surfaces shall be curbed
but alternatives can be approved
by the Administrator.
• There are enough examples of
omitted curbs with protected
pedestrian areas.
• Streamlines processes to allow
this by right.
Ordinance Revision #8:
Adjusts the Multi-Family Parking Ratio for 2 Bedroom Units
Current College
Station MF
Requirements
(Per Bedroom)
16 Peer City
Average*
Proposed College
Station Requirement
(Per Bedroom)
Efficiency: 1.5 1.2 1.5
1 Bedroom 1.5 1.5 1.5
2 Bedroom: 1.5 1.0 1.0
2 Bedroom where
each bedroom is less
than 130 s.f.
1.25 N/A Eliminate
3+ Bedroom 1.0 0.8 1.0
• Made up of 10 Texas cities (Austin, Bryan, Conroe, Denton, Georgetown, Missouri City,
Plano, San Marcos, Sugarland, & Waco) and 6 other university cities (Norman, OK;
Ft. Collins, CO; Columbia, MO; Fayetteville, AR; Tallahassee, FL; Baton Rouge, LA).
Staff Recommendation & Discussion
• In summary the ordinance amendments proposed for UDO 12-7.3 would:
– Adjust the purpose statement for Off-Street Parking Requirements
– Allow shopping centers to have a minimum parking ratio that is not dependent of the parking
ratios of the tenants that occupy them.
– Extend the City’s demand based parking option to all developments and remove the
requirement that a balance of land be held in reserve.
– Change the distance eligibility requirements for shared and off-site parking option from 250 feet
to 500 feet.
– Provide relief for small sites by granting a general reduction of two parking spaces for certain
non-residential uses.
– Eliminate additional layout and landscaping requirements for large parking lots over 120 spaces.
– Allow curbs in parking areas to be omitted if pedestrian areas are adequately protected
– Adjust the Multi-Family Parking Ratio for 2 Bedroom Units
Parking
Ratios
Alternative Parking Plan• Currently 3 options to choose from
– Shared Parking
• For multi-use developments with different peak demands or operating
hours.
• Must be located no further than 250 feet from the building site.
– Off-Site Parking
• Allows for the location of parking to be at a remote location or separate
lot from the principal use.
• Must be within 250 feet or a shuttle service be provided.
– Bicycle Parking
• Allows for the reduction in the number of required spaces if bicycle
facilities such as bicycle lockers, employee shower facilities, and
dressing areas for employees are provided.
History of Off-Street Parking
Downtown Bryan 1931
Photo Credit: Downtown Bryan Association
The High Cost of Free Parking
Sec. 12-7.3. - Off-Street Parking Standards.
• Landmark planning book written by
Donald Schoup, Professor of Urban
Planning at UCLA in 2005
• “Free parking” is not really free as
costs are passed on elsewhere.
• Makes the case that policies like
parking minimums are a prescription
with unintended side effects.
• Parking should be market driven by
prices.
Current Seating Capacity:
102,512 seats
Parking that would be
required: 25,628 spaces
Would require approximately:
194 acres
Critiques of Parking Minimum
Requirements
Sec. 12-7.3. - Off-Street Parking Standards.
• An obstacle to redevelopment efforts.
• Harmful to small scale developments.
Makes some smaller lots undevelopable.
• Parking lots are aesthetically
displeasing.
• Private business can better judge value
vs. accessibility tradeoffs.
• Lowers densities and skews travel
choices in favor of driving while making
walking, biking, and transit less
competitive.
Northgate: Return on Investment
Various City Approaches Regarding
Reducing Parking Minimums
• Reduce or eliminate parking minimums in certain districts such as their downtown and higher density districts.
– (City of San Antonio, TX in Infill Development Zone).
• Reduce or eliminate parking minimums citywide (Buffalo, NY; Asheville, NC).
• Reduce or eliminated parking requirements for certain property types
– Non-residential properties (Fayettville, AR)
– Residential properties under a certain number of units (Minneapolis, MN – 50 units)
– Buildings less than 2,500 & 10,000 sq. ft. (Providence, RI)