A renter is less likely to need a parking spot than a condo owner and that’s one factor that should be considered in setting new off-street parking requirements, say City of Victoria staff.
Councillors Thursday supported staff recommendations for the first major overhaul of off-street parking regulations in 36 years. Proposed changes factor in such things as size of apartment units, rental versus owned, market versus affordable, and total number of units.
“The world has changed and we have to make sure that we are allocating the requirements for parking to what the actual demand is,” Jonathan Tinney, city director of sustainable planning, said in an interview.
“So when we look at residential, our current standard is a blanket rate no matter what you’re building. But we know that somebody living in a studio apartment is going to own fewer cars than somebody in a three-bedroom apartment. And if that is an affordable, non-market unit, they’re probably going to own fewer cars than if it’s in a market unit,” Tinney said.
“This is excellent work. It’s such good work,” said Mayor Lisa Helps. “My only worry is this doesn’t go far enough.”
The changes are long overdue and follow best practices from other cities, said Helps.
“You’ve found creative solutions. You’re kind of taking the low hanging fruit, doing what’s easy and then putting off some of the things that need more discussion rather than just rushing ahead with everything.”
The proposed changes include:
• Fewer parking stalls required for smaller condominium units.
• Fewer parking stalls required for affordable housing.
• Fewer parking stalls required for rental housing.
• New parking stall requirements for developments downtown and in village centres.
• A requirement for more secure bicycle-parking stalls in multi-residential and office developments.
• Parking requirements that reflect demand.
Coun. Chris Coleman said with such a wide range of components being suggested, he hopes the public will participate in planned public consultation.
“It puts some information in front of the public and lets them react to it. I hope we do get reaction, that people say in this instance it makes sense and this instance it doesn’t and why,” Coleman said.
City staff say they looked at other changes but decided against including them at this time. The include lowering parking requirements where car-sharing is required, establishing cash in lieu regulations for off-street parking, and lowering parking requirements for buildings close to transit.
Helps said the changes will help drive Victoria’s climate leadership plan which calls for an 80 per cent reduction of 2007-level green house gas emissions by 2050, and foresees dramatically fewer trips by individuals in cars.
“The OCP [Official Community Plan] is organized around concentrating density in downtown and village centres and hopefully someday soon we’ll see the corresponding transit improvements to go with that kind of land use planning.”
“Really this is about approving parking regulations for buildings that are going to be standing for the next 50 to 70 to 100 years and that’s what the focus is,” Helps said.
The reality is that council for years has been adjusting parking requirements of new developments through variances, Tinney said, a process that has essentially just been creating more work for all involved.
If approved by council today the proposed regulations will be go through public consultation before moving to a public hearing.
