City of Dallas considering eliminating parking minimums for businesses
DALLAS – The City of Dallas is considering doing away with its parking minimums for businesses.
The regulations, which require a number of spots per square foot of development, have been around for decades.
Some say they're contributing to the affordable housing crisis in the city.
No one argues that the city's parking code is obsolete. But how to bring it into the 21st Century is a matter of debate.
"The thing that they want to get rid of is an anachronistic arbitrary ratio set probably 40 or 50 years ago… that is very hard to update," said Tony Jordan, president of the Parking Reform Network.
In January, a Dallas zoning committee voted to advance a proposal to eliminate minimum parking rules. Currently, for example, developers must have one parking space per bedroom in an apartment and one to two for single-family homes.
Supporters argue that's a solution to the housing shortages plaguing Dallas.
"One, it would simply free up land," said Michael Wade, senior planner, Department of Planning and Urban Design. "You know, land is arguably the most important resource that a city has in addition to its finances. We only have a finite amount of land."
Land, Wade said, that's being used for pricey parking lots and garages.
Supporters say it would also discourage dependence on vehicles, as well as give developers, rather than the government, the authority to determine how many spots they need.
But opponents say an elimination would force parking into neighborhoods near entertainment and mixed-use areas like the West End.
"What happens when people park in the neighborhood instead of closer to those businesses is that they bring noise, trash, sometimes crime into the community," said Melissa Kingston, Dallas City Plan Commissioner, District 14.
They also believe that Dallas doesn't have a robust enough public transit system to afford this change.
Kingston supports a stair step approach to ensure that it's fair to all.
"We are making a decision that will stick with us for decades, so we'd better get it right," Kingston said.
The next step is for the City Plan Commission to hear staff recommendations. If approved, it would go to the full City Council for a vote, which could happen this summer.
