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Another look at parking
Parking back on Planning Commission's plate
BY EMILY BATTLE
Date published: 10/7/2008
BY EMILY BATTLE
The proposals for how to fix downtown parking that have been bouncing around City Hall for nearly two years will land in the Planning Commission's court this week.
On Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., commissioners will hold a public hearing on several changes to the rules that govern downtown parking.
The goal from the beginning has been to change the way parking is required downtown, to reflect the fact that it's a denser mix of varied property uses than suburban developments, which usually have more land available for giant parking lots.
The proposed changes would apply to an area bordered by Amelia Street, Prince Edward Street, Lafayette Boulevard and Sophia Street.
They include the following:
Cut the number of parking spaces required by the zoning ordinance in this area in half. If you wanted to open a restaurant downtown right now, you'd have to provide one parking space for every four seats in your restaurant, plus one for every two employees. Under the new rules, you'd have to provide one space for every eight seats, plus one for every four employees.
Allow up to five of these required spaces to be waived for a new business or expansion of a business for the following uses: eateries, retail, offices, theaters, auditoriums and bed-and-breakfasts.
Allow on-street parking that directly abuts a property to count toward the total parking requirement. The city would have to analyze the parking around each block to determine who gets credit for what space.
Allow property or business owners to pay a fee instead of providing required parking places. That fee would be $5,500 per space.
That last idea isn't new. The Planning Commission held a public hearing on it in January of 2007. While it drew some support, it also drew some downtown business and property owners who said the fee would favor large developers over smaller businesses.
After that hearing, the commission asked for a meeting with the City Council to get a clearer idea of what they wanted to do about downtown parking.
The two groups met over the summer, and this slate of proposals is the latest solution to a problem city leaders believe is stifling economic development in Fredericksburg's central business district.
Emily Battle: 540/374-5413
Email: ebattle@freelancestar.com
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Date published: 10/7/2008
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