Agenda - Planning Commission - 04/05/2012

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This amendment builds upon existing landscaping requirements based on parking lots and provides additional direction on acceptable means of accomplishing these requirements. The amendment moves parking lot landscaping standards from individual districts into the Off - Street Parking Ordinance. The intent of relocating this text is to provide all off - street parking information in one location and reduce duplication of standards. The proposed text also expands language to provide direction on the intent and placement of parking lot landscaping based on feedback from previous site plan review. Perimeter parking area landscape requirements have been added, which requires sites in business or employment districts abutting a street or similar district to provide landscape screening at a minimum of three (3) feet in height to screen headlights. Where a business or employment district abuts a residential district, a landscape screen of six (6) feet in height and eighty percent (80 %) opaqueness is required. Finally a new transportation demand management section has been added for review and input. This new section is intended to require new construction in Business, Employment and Mixed Use districts to consider the use alternatives to parking. Some methods are included as requirements such as accommodating bicycle parking, while others may be as a choice with off -sets to the number of parking spaces required, such as car pool parking. Using these alternatives further supports the overall reduction in the amount of parking provided. Other Considerations for Off - Street Parking: While preparing draft updates of the parking ordinance, staff explored alternatives that may help the city achieve objectives to reduce excess impervious surface and outside storage (including excess parking). Below are some of these alternatives we would like to review with the Planning Commission. These alternatives could be added to the ordinance as a requirement or through an incentive in an effort to balance economic development objectives while also reducing overall costs for new development. Again, discussion on this provision began as a discussion to reduce the amount of outside storage area for the Office Park District. Staff would like policy direction as to whether to expand this, ifapproved, to other business and employment districts as well. Alternative 1: In an attempt to encourage shared parking and maximize parking allotments for larger sites such as for office buildings and large- format retailers, Staff would like to discuss with the Commission the use of parking maximums for some larger parking lot users (big box retailers, office buildings, larger industrial users) to prevent underutilized parking. This option could be a requirement of the ordinance or if an applicant wants to add parking beyond the minimum, require mitigation features such as additional storm water management techniques within the parking and drive areas. This not only benefits sites for aesthetic reasons but also reduces the amount of storm water management required. Use of these mitigation techniques could also be used to provide credit to certain utility fees, to be discussed more in detail at a later date. Alternative 2: In another attempt to discourage over parking of sites, staff would like to discuss with the Commission a requirement that any parking areas over the minimum be required to use a pervious paver system. That way, additional parking does not truly expand the amount of impervious surface and actually provides storm water benefits. As it relates to balance of economic development, pervious parking areas could qualify for stormwater utility credit. Alternative 3: Staff would like to explore expanding upon current storm water management practices by encouraging the use of best management practices for storm water management within parking and drive areas. If this were added, storm water credits would apply. This could be used as a tool to address Council's goals of further studying development fees (in this instance, storm water management). Funding Source: Development of the Zoning Code Amendments are being processed through the Planning Services Contract with Stantec. Staff Recommendation: