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Home My WebLink About2024-03-11 24-099 Ordinance24-099 03/11/2024 CITY COUNCIL ACTION Council Meeting Date: March 11, 2024 Item No: 24-099 Responsible Dept: Planning Action Requested: Ordinance Map/Lot: N/A Title, Ordinance Amending Chapter 165, Land Development Code, to Reduce Off -Street Parking Minimums for Residential Dwellings and to Allow the Planning Board to Authorize Reductions in Parking Minimums for Uses Requiring a Land Development Permit Summary The proposed change would update the City's Code of Ordinances to reduce off-street parking minimums for residential dwellings (unless otherwise specified) from 1.5 spaces per dwelling unit to 1 space per dwelling unit. It would also empower the Planning Board to authorize a reduction in the number of required parking spaces for any project requiring a Land Development Permit if the applicant provides a parking study or other method of demonstrating a lesser parking demand for the project. A need has been expressed in the City for this reduction as parking is often raised as a barrier to affordable housing. Off-street parking minimums can disincentivize development as parking is expensive to construct and maintain, and it occupies space that could otherwise be used to place additional units. Reducing minimum parking requirements can also help address the negative impacts that excess parking has on water quality, urban heat, and sprawl. The 2022 Comprehensive Plan suggests that the City "revise zoning regulations to remove barriers to development for a variety of housing types including single -room occupancy housing, tiny homes, and transitional housing." The Plan also suggests reducing parking minimums generally as a way to reduce excess parking in the City. Committee Action Committee: Planning Board Action Staff Comments & Approvals k " la"— — City Manager Introduced for: First Reading and Referral Meeting Date: March 19, 2024 For: aC� City Solicitor Against: Finance Director 24-099 03/11/2024 CITY COUNCIL ORDINANCE Date: March 11, 2024 Assigned to Councilor: Leonard ORDINANCE, Amending Chapter 165, Land Development Code, to Reduce Off -Street Parking Minimums for Residential Dwellings and to Allow the Planning Board to Authorize Reductions in Parking Minimums for Uses Requiring a Land Development Permit. WHEREAS, the proposed changes would update the City's Land Development Code to reduce off-street parking minimums for residential dwellings from 1 1/2 spaces per dwelling unit to 1 space per dwelling unit and would authorize the Planning Board to allow a reduction in parking minimums for projects requiring a Land Development Permit; WHEREAS, a need has been expressed in the City for more affordable housing and parking can serve as a barrier to producing said housing; WHEREAS, the 2022 Comprehensive Plan suggests that the City "revise zoning regulations to remove barriers to development for a variety of housing types including single -room occupancy housing, tiny homes, and transitional housing" and suggests reducing parking minimums generally as a way to reduce excess parking in the City; BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BANGOR AS FOLLOWS, THAT The Code of the City of Bangor is amended as follows: § 165-72. Required number of spaces. A minimum number of off-street parking spaces shall be provided and maintained by the owner of every building or property hereafter erected, altered or changed in use, in accordance with the following requirements: Ip -- - ----- - --- - - -- - - - -- - E. All other dwellings: 1 space per dwelling unit. ' 112 spaces peF dwelling unit, = _ pt that On the O. Other provisions: , in eensHltatiefr-wit� (1) Uses not listed in this schedule: The Code Enforcement Officer, in consultation with the Plannina Officer and City Engineer, shall determine the number of spaces required based on Institute of Transportation Engineers standards for the most similar use or uses, or may accept 24-099 03/11/2024 an empirical determination of overall parking needs of a use as prepared by a qualified parking_ analyst. (2) Combination of above uses in �165-72: the sum of the requirements of the various uses computed separately if the peak hour use is similar in the opinion of the Code Enforcement Officer, or in the opinion of the Planning Board if a Land Development Permit is required; otherwise, the number of parking spaces required for the use requiring the greatest number of spaces. (3) In addition to the above requirements, sufficient spaces shall be provided to accommodate parking requirements of employees and company vehicles as may be needed. (4) The Planning Board may authorize a reduction in the required number of parking spaces for any use requiring a Land Development Permit per �165-111 if the applicant provides a parking_ study or other method of demonstrating a lesser parking demand for the use. Additions underlined, deletions strtrCI( thFeUg-h ffi W M e �'1 f� ` I �� .�.�� "" �� ./ � �1. F 1.�.� //; .q w '' I�EV'�� L��1"�T � M� .� CIT� �F BAI�T+G+C�R. PLANV�IC�ICr QIWI51ClN Memorandum To: Honorable Bangor City Council Debbie Laurie, City Manager From: Anja Collette, Planning Officer Date: March 20, 2024 CC: Courtney O'Donnell, Assistant City Manager David Szewczyk, City Solicitor Anne Krieg AICP — Director of Community & Economic Development Re: Planning Board Recommendation March 19, 2024 Amending Chapter 165, Land Development Code, to Reduce Off-Street Parking Minimums for Residential Dwellings and to Allow the Planning Board to Authorize Reductions in Parking Minimums for Uses Requiring a Land Development Permit Please accept this memorandum as the recommendation from the Planning Board for the noted item. The Planning Board considered this item in a noticed public hearing on March 19, 2024. The meeting was conducted in the Council Chambers at City Hall and on Zoom. Members in attendance in the Chambers were Chair Reese Perkins, Vice Chair Ted Brush, and Members Don Meagher, Jonathan Boucher, Trish Hayes, Mike Bazinet, and Joshua Saucier. Alternate Member Janet Jonas was also in attendance. Planning Officer Collette reviewed the proposed changes, including the addition of the provision for the Planning Board to authorize a reduction in the required minimum parking spaces for land development projects when applicants can demonstrate a reduced need. From the staff inemo: A. This proposed change would reduce the minimum off-street parking spaces required for general residential units from 1.5 spaces per dwelling unit to 1 space per dwelling unit. It would also empower the Planning Board to reduce parking minimums for projects that require a Land Development Permit (including commercial projects) if the applicant can demonstrate a reduced need. B. A need has been expressed in the City for this reduction as parking is often raised as a barrier to affordable housing. Off-street parking minimums can disincentivize development as parking is expensive to construct and maintain, and it occupies space that could otherwise be used to place additional units. Reducing minimum parking requirements can also help address the negative impacts that excess parking has on water quality, urban heat, and sprawl. Additionally, reducing parking can incentivize people to use alternative modes of transportation and can make transit easier to provide (by reducing sprawl), both of which contribute to a reduced cost of living and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. 73 HARLOW STREET,BANGOR,ME 04401 TELEPHONE: (207)992-4280 FAX: (207) 945-4447 WWW.BANGORMAINE.GOV CITY OF BANGOR PLANNING DIVISION PLANNING BOARD RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL 3.19.2024 Land Development Code—Parking Minimums C. The 2022 Comprehensive Plan suggests that the City "revise zoning regulations to remove barriers to development for a variety of housing types" and suggests reducing parking minimums generally as a way to reduce excess parking in the City. Vice Chair Brush asked if there were concerns about an increase in on-street parking resulting from this change. Planning Officer Collette stated she did not anticipate an issue since there would still be a requirement of 1 space per unit and there would be no maximum, so developers could put in more spaces if they anticipated a greater need by their clientele. Two members of the public spoke in support of the change, citing seeing partly empty parking lots in newer residential developments and the negative impacts of providing excess parking. Member Boucher moved to recommend to City Council that the proposed amendments ought to pass. Member Bazinet seconded the motion. The motion passed 7:0 with all members voting in favor. The result of the vote is that a majority of Planning Board members voted to recommend that the proposed amendments ought to pass. Anja Collette Page 2 � 2 IN CITY COUNCIL MARCH 11, 2024 COrd 24-099 First Reading and Referral to Planning Board Meeting on March 19, 2024 ��:,w�,��° '" .�� °,„�,��"��,°��*°.�� CITY CLERK IN CITY COUNCIL MARCH 25, 2026 COrd 24-099 Motion made and seconded for Passage Vote: 8-0 Councilors Voting Yes: Deane, Fish, Fournier, Leonard, Schaefer, Tremble, Yacoubagha, Pelletier Councilors Voting No: None Passed B�andon Powell DEPUTY CITY CLERK