Lee County proposes revised parking requirements

At the May 7th Management and Planning meeting of the County Commissioners, staff presented the proposed new parking requirements, consistent with sustainability goals.  Below is the announcement on Lee County's website:

 Lee County is proposing a comprehensive review of commercial parking requirements.  In general,  the update results in fewer required paved parking spaces for new development.  The new codes will also be streamlined and more reader friendly.

 

Parking regulations for unincorporated Lee County were codified in 1986 as part of the Zoning Regulations.  Other than occasional minor amendments, this is the first comprehensive review of these regulations.  In addition to a review of nationwide parking trends and studies, this update was prompted by:

•   Growing national and local interest in sustainable, compact communities
•   Environmental benefits of requiring less impervious pavement
•   Inclusion of new trends, such as mixed-use development
•   Importance of streamlined regulations
•   Implementation of the Lee Plan update

 

What would change?

The proposed changes to the parking regulations will, in many cases, result in a decreased number of required parking and in others, it will remain the same.  One major change is to provide incentives for mixed-use type developments where the minimum required spaces for each use will, in most cases, decrease. 

Some specific highlights include:

•  A new "multiple-use" category
• Would replace current, cumbersome shared parking provisions
• Would reduce required spaces based on the theory that parking demand varies with different uses, so spaces can be shared
• Options to further reduce the amount of required parking administratively – including proximity to  transit, boat parking, connection to bicycle and pedestrian facilities, golf cart parking, availability and proximity of parking facilities, and parking demand studies
• A maximum parking rate for commercial, industrial and mixed-use parking lots of 80 or more spaces
• Streamlining the codes so they are more user-friendly

How will changes be considered?

After reviewing the proposed changes for Lee County Commissioners during a Management and Planning meeting, zoning staff will outline the proposed update to the County’s review committees:

• Land Development Code Advisory Committee
• Executive Regulatory Oversight Committee
• Local Planning Agency

 

Commissioners will hold public hearings at a later date on proposed changes before they are adopted into the Land Development Code.

For additional information, contact Mikki Rozdolski by e-mail at MRozdolski@keegov.com or by phone at (239) 533-8317.

Last episode of Moving Beyond the Automobile: Parking Reform

by Elizabeth Press on April 26, 2011 from the series Moving Beyond the Automobile



In the tenth and final video in Streetfilms' Moving Beyond the Automobile series, we are talking about parking reform. From doing away with mandatory parking minimums, to charging the right price for curbside parking, to converting on-street parking spots into parklets and bike corrals, cities are latching onto exciting new ideas to make more room for people in our cities and repurpose the valuable public space that lines our streets.

"Historically the parking problem was defined as there not being enough convenient places to put your car," UPenn professor Rachel Weinberger told Streetfilms, "but increasingly cities are starting to understand that the parking problem could be defined differently and it could be the case that there is too much parking."

In March, we shared with you the first 5 episodes of a series by Streetfilms, called Moving Beyond the Automobile. This month we are sharing the latest three episodes. These topics are very timely for issues facing Lee County, so I hope you'll watch these short videos.



# 8 Episode: The Right Price for Parking
by Elizabeth Press on April 19, 2011 from the series Moving Beyond the Automobile

You might be shocked at how much traffic consists of drivers who have already arrived at their destination but find themselves cruising the streets, searching for an open parking spot. In some city neighborhoods, cruising makes up as much as 40 percent of all traffic. All this unnecessary traffic slows down buses, endangers cyclists and pedestrians, delays other motorists, and produces harmful emissions. The key to eliminating it is to get the price of parking right.

So what's the right price for curbside parking? According to UCLA professor Donald Shoup, author of The High Cost of Free Parking, "the right price is the lowest price you can charge and still have one or two spaces available on each block." Depending on the demand for parking at a given location, the right price could be higher or lower than the static prices you see at traditional meters. You need a dynamic system that adjusts the price based on demand.

The city of San Francisco has been putting Shoup's ideas into practice on an unprecedented scale with its SFpark program, which is set to launch later this week. In addition to strategically adjusting curbside meter rates, SFpark sets prices in city garages to make them an attractive alternative to on-street spots, and distributes real-time information about parking availability to help drivers find open spaces. It is the most ambitious project in the United States to cut traffic and improve quality of life by getting the price of parking right.