HomeMy WebLinkAboutAMENDMENT TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE - PARKING FOR FOUR BEDROOM UNITS - 69-88 - REPORTS - RECOMMENDATION/REPORTITEM NO.17
PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD MEETING OF August 22,1.9M
STAFF REPORT
PROJECT: Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance - Parking for Four Bedroom
Units - #"-88
APPLICANT: City of Fort Collins
PROJECT PLANNER: Joe Frank
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Request to amend the parking regulations to require
2.25 parking spaces per multi -family dwelling unit containing four or more
bedrooms.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The Planning Staff and Planning and Zoning Board
has discussed at a previous work session, the need to amend the existing
parking regulations to provide a single standard of 2.25 spaces for multi -family
dwelling units containing four or more bedrooms.
BACKGROUND: Last December, the City Council asked that the Development
Services Staff and the Planning and Zoning Board look at the issue of parking
standards for four bedroom units. The Planning Staff and the Planning and
Zoning Board met a special work session on February 4, 1988 to discuss this
issue.
The City Council questioned whether the current parking regulations were
sensitive to the requirements of four -bedroom units. Staff reviewed the
existing policies as well as researched parking requirements in other communi-
ties.
The code currently requires that for each multi -family dwelling there shall be
1.5 parking spaces per each dwelling unit containing one or less bedrooms; 1.75
spaces per 2 bedroom unit, and; 2 parking spaces per dwelling unit containing
three or more bedrooms. In addition, disabled, bicycle and motorcycle parking
must be provided.
A survey was conducted by the Planning Staff of other "front range" communi-
ties to assess parking requirements. The eleven communities surveyed for this
report included Boulder, Denver, Littleton, Longmont, Golden, Cheyenne,
Loveland, Aurora, Pueblo, Colorado Springs and Lakewood. In addition, a
brief literature search was conducted.
OFFICE OF DEVELOPMENT 300 LaPorte Ave. • P.O. Box 580 • Fort Collins, Colorado 80522 • (303) 221-6750
SERVICES, PLANNING DEPARTMENT
Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance - #66-88
P & Z Meeting - August 22, 1988
Page 2
8 of 11 communities surveyed did not specifically identify parking require-
ments for four bedroom units: 6 communities required 1.5 to 2 spaces per each
dwelling unit with no distinction for bedrooms (average: 1.58 spaces per
dwelling unit); 2 communities required 2.0 to 2.5 parking spaces per dwelling
unit containing three or more dwelling units (average: 2.25 spaces per unit).
For the 3 communities that did specifically require parking for four -bedroom
units, the standard ranged between 2 and 3 spaces per unit (average: 2.17).
All of the communities stated that four bedroom multi -family units were a rare
occurrence.
The literature search on four -bedroom units offered little new information.
Parking requirements ranged between 1.5 and 2.5 spaces per unit.
The Planning and Zoning Board closely examines the parking needs of multi-
family projects located adjacent to or within existing residential neighborhoods.
The primary concern of the Board is to avoid overburdening neighborhood
streets from unwanted parking as well as to avoid unnecessary and excessive
parking. Decisions on parking need are made after evaluating the type of
unit, user, site location, and the number of bedrooms. Depending upon these
factors the Board may approve parking standards different from that required
by the Code. The case -by -case evaluation used by the Planning and Zoning
Board appears to be the most accurate, fair and flexible approach to the issue.
However, both the Board and Staff felt that the current parking requirement
of 2.0 per three or more bedroom unit was not appropriate in most cases and
recommended that the parking regulations be amended to require 2.25 spaces
per four or more bedroom multi -family units.
RECOMMENDATION
The Planning and Zoning Board recommend to City Council that the Parking
Regulations of the code be amended to require 2.25 parking spaces for dwelling
units containing four or more bedrooms as follows:
That Section 29-494, "Required Spaces", of Subdivision D, "Off Street -Parking
and Vehicular Use" requirements be repealed and amended as follows:
(2) For each multifamily dwelling there shall be parking spaces as indicated
by the following schedule:
Number of bedrooms Parking spaces
per dwelling unit per dwelling unit
1 or less 1.5
2 1.75
3 2.0
4 and above 2.25