Raleigh City Council may vote Tuesday to drop parking requirements on new developments
Raleigh leaders could vote Tuesday on whether to drop parking requirements across the city for new developments.
Parking minimums have historically been used by cities across the country to ensure developers provide enough parking for their projects. Now some cities, including San Francisco, Portland and Minneapolis, have removed parking requirements in an effort to reduce vehicle emissions.
The Raleigh City Council will hold a public hearing at 1 p.m. Tuesday and could vote that day to change the city’s rules.
If parking minimums are removed, it doesn’t mean parking would be banned. Developers and builders could still offer parking based on market demands.
“The intent of this text change is to address the effects of minimum vehicle parking requirements, which incentivize driving, contribute to carbon emissions, add to the cost of housing and penalize residents who cannot afford to own a car or choose not to drive,” according to documents provided in the city’s agenda.
Jennifer Irving Kochman lives off Woodburn Road near the Village District. Parking is only allowed on one side of the street and her home doesn’t have a driveway or garage.
While there is a parking permit program for her neighborhood, it gets crowded.
“You’re always competing with a lot of people,” she said. “You know, because we’re right near the Village District, and we’re right near NC State, and you get what they call overflow parking.”
This along with another potential change to city rules that would allow businesses, called accessory commercial units, in residential areas should concern neighbors, Irving Kochman said.
“I think the neighborhoods that are going to be affected most are older neighborhoods, and those that are downtown,” she said. “And I think they’re going to suffer a lot.”
There are some places where this new rule could help and some places where it could be problematic, said Ted Van Dyk, an area architect who also lives near the Village District.
“Let’s take Capitol Boulevard,” he said. “Big wide shopping center parking lots that were built for a time when the Kmart was drawing X number of people every Saturday, and now it’s laid fallow for years, right? And could we do with less parking and do some infill development and get more vitality? Absolutely.”
But there are some residential areas that rely on street parking that will likely be hurt from the spill-over, Van Dyk said.
“When you apply something like that city-wide, I think there’s a lot of unintended consequences,” he said. “It is very difficult to understand and manage without spending some time studying specifics.”
Both Van Dyk and Irving Kochman said they are in favor of the city taking steps to reduce pollution, but this particular issue should be studied more.
How to speak
The Raleigh City Council meets at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Raleigh Municipal Building, 228 W. Hargett St., Raleigh. People are required to sign-up by 5 p.m. Monday to speak.
People can sign up by visiting www.raleighnc.gov/public-hearings-city-council or by calling the city clerk at 919-996-3040.
Time is normally restricted to eight minutes for each side meaning not everyone who signs up will be able to speak.
