off-street parking standards

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.


Distance Approximate

Time to Walk

250 feet 1 Minute

500 feet 2 Minutes

≈ 250 feet

≈ 500 feet

Change Distance Requirements for Shared Parking Option



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



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


• 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


• 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)

off-street parking standards

Government & Nonprofit