BACKGROUND / PLANNING ANALYSIS
Under Chapter 130 of the City Code (Off-Street Parking), incentives for providing alternatives modes of transportation are provided, which allow for corresponding reductions in the minimum off-street parking requirements. These alternatives to vehicular parking include short and long term bicycle parking, carpool and vanpool parking, dedicated drop-off and loading for ride share services, scooter parking, and dedicated shower facilities.
Recently, a main use parking structure project proposed to incorporate a number of these alternative modes, but the corresponding reduction in parking spaces resulted in a decrease in the amount of allowable accessory uses along the sidewalk perimeter of the project. This was because within a main use garage, the allowable accessory uses are a percentage of the space used for parking, and is currently limited to no more than 25% of the square footage of the parking structure. In order to allow for the parking alternatives to be used within main use garages, and still allow for a reasonable amount of accessory uses, a proposal has been drafted to increase the percentage of allowable accessory uses, based upon parking reductions associated with the alternative parking incentives. In this regard, the following is proposed:
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Percentage reduction in traditional parking utilizing alternative parking incentives
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Percent of square footage that can be used for non-parking uses on site
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15 percent
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30 percent for commercial and /or residential uses (when permitted);
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20 percent
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35 percent for commercial and / or residential uses (when permitted)
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In addition to this revision, modifications for the allowable percentages of workforce and affordable housing within main use garages is proposed, as well as a zero parking requirement for such housing units. In this regard, the maximum percentage of allowable accessory uses related to workforce and affordable housing would increase from 25% to 35%. Also, since it is becoming more common for these types of units to be leased to people that do not have a personal vehicle, dedicated parking is not as critical.
Finally, a number of much needed, non-substantive clean-up changes to the text of the relevant sections of the ordinance are proposed.