Sacramento Relaxes Parking Requirements to Stimulate Development

In what is being described as a "monumental shift" in the city's approach to parking, Sacramento's City Council has voted to ease minimum parking requirements for commercial and residential developments reports Tony Bizjak.

November 19, 2012, 8am PST | Jonathan Nettler | @nettsj

With an eye towards stimulating infill commercial development and high-density housing development catering to an emerging segment of residents less interested in owning cars, Sacramento's City Council approved a "sweeping set" of new parking rules this month. "This is a monumental shift in how we approach parking requirements on development projects," said Sacramento City Manager John Shirey. "We need to eliminate the unnecessary roadblocks that sometimes stifle projects."

The changes are being applauded by "builders, lower-income housing advocates, as well as pedestrian and transit advocates."

However, says Bizjak, "[t]he parking changes come with a risk, especially in parts of downtown and midtown where street parking is often hard to find. It means there will be more people, but not many more parking spots."

"City officials say they think they can manage that risk. The new rules allow businesses to build more parking than required, if they choose to, planners note. And in some commercial and downtown areas, parking officials say they hope to sign agreements with private parking lot owners to allow drivers to park in underused lots during both day and night."

"The city also plans to increase street parking on some blocks by restriping parallel spots to turn them into diagonal spots, fitting more per block," and will expand its residential permit parking program.

According to Bizjak, "[t]he new zoning also will require all new development to provide bicycle parking."

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Sacramento eases parking requirements for new projects

Published on Friday, November 16, 2012 in The Sacramento Bee