Title
Downtown Exempt Parking Area Code Amendment Recommendation
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Move to accept, and forward to the full City Council for consideration, the Planning Commission recommendation to amend the Downtown Exempt Parking Area standards.
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to accept, and forward to the full City Council for consideration, the Planning Commission recommendation to amend the Downtown Exempt Parking Area standards.
Report
Issue:
Whether to approve and forward to the full City Council for consideration, the Planning Commission recommendation to amend the Downtown Exempt Parking Area standards.
Staff Contact:
Joyce Phillips, Principal Planner, Community Planning and Development, 360.570.3722
Presenter(s):
Leonard Bauer, Director, Community Planning and Development
Background and Analysis:
At its February 17, 2022, meeting, the Land Use and Environment Committee (LUEC) referred to the Planning Commission a potential revision to the Downtown Exempt Parking Area map and requirements. The proposal, if approved, would make the entire area within the boundary exempt from automobile parking requirements for residential development.
Approximately two years ago, Community Planning and Development staff noted that some housing projects that had gone through the presubmission conference stage of review were not proceeding to the application stage. Upon inquiry, it was noted that the parking requirements were one of the reasons some of these projects were not moving forward.
In March 2021, the LUEC discussed potential revisions to the Downtown Exempt Parking Area boundary. The proposal was to keep the outer boundary the same, as shown in Figure 38-2 of Chapter 18.38 of the Olympia Code (see Attachment 1), but to make the entire area exempt from minimum automobile parking requirements for residential development rather than having a portion of the boundary limited to a 10% reduction in residential parking requirement...
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