Agenda - Planning Commission - 02/02/2017 - Special

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FEDERAL REALTY INVESTMENT TRUST Parking Is Power At Bethesda Row in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C., designers placed parking behind and to the side of buildings. This fosters a pedestrian -friendly environment and allows stores to utilize most of the road frontage. A mix of parking accommodates different users. Short-term customers can park on the street, while shoppers planning a longer stay can park in the garage. asy accessibility, high visibility, a sense of personal security, and adequate, convenient parking are all preconditions for successful retailing, and with- out them retail Likely will fail, regardless of the sophistication of the shopping environment or the quality of the tenants. Parking is arguably the most important of these requirements because today's consumers, condi- tioned by their suburban shopping center experi- ences, expect nothing less than a guaranteed space dose to their shopping destination every time they shop. Neighborhood streets that repli- cate the convenience and abundance of suburban parking —albeit in quite different configurations — will have solved one of the great dilemmas that urban shopping locations face. These are the chal- lenges: How can communities squeeze enough convenient parking into a pedestrian environment where it is not desirable to have large parking Lots facing the street in front of the stores? How can commu- nities configure parking in ways that are clearly organized so that shoppers can find spaces in multiple locations from block to block? Size the street's parking requirements realistically. Recognize that parking needs will usually be less along neighborhood shopping streets than in suburban shopping centers because some urban shoppers will arrive on foot or by transit, shuttle, or bicycle. Recognize that parking needs often change over time. If a neighborhood gets improved transit service, parking needs may decline. Conversely, the introduction of additional anchors, changes in tenant types, or a denser concentration of retailers as the street's popularity grows can increase the number of parking spaces needed. Provide spaces in a dear, evenly distributed supply of parking that includes on -street and off-street options. Encourage store employees to park away from store entrances. On -street parking is critical for some retailers' success because it is the most convenient type of parking and cre- ates the steady turnover of shoppers needed by stop -and -go retailers like coffee shops, dry cleaners, and specialty food stores. 1"'