The city of Bellaire held a public hearing and presentation Aug. 3 over the Planning & Zoning Commission’s recommendations for reducing the city’s parking requirements.
This review of Bellaire’s current parking standards is just one part of the city’s larger comprehensive plan to promote more market-driven outcomes in the area, reduce excess parking supply, encourage more efficient land use and mitigate aesthetic issues related to parking, according to agenda documents.
The overview
Discussion regarding possible changes to local parking standards began back in May during a P&Z commission meeting, Community Impact previously reported. Bellaire officials outlined a tentative framework for how development constraints in commercial districts could be alleviated, which included:
- Creating a new purpose statement in the applicable sections of the city’s code of ordinances to better align with Bellaire’s intentions
- Providing a pathway for parking credits and reductions
- Adding flexibility for off-site and shared parking
- Providing administrative discretion on a reduction of parking up to 10%
Since then, the Planning and Zoning Commission, along with Bellaire’s Development Services Department, have drafted several proposed parking ordinances based on these objectives.
Development Review Planner Monique Alejos said in the presentation that the commission’s recommendations affect only two sections of the city’s ordinance code: off-street parking and loading, and parking requirements.
Current situation
Agenda documents indicate that proposed revisions to the Bellaire code’s purpose statement related to off-street parking and loading include:
- Specification that such parking may only be provided for permitted uses, along with standards for uses that require off-street loading areas and/or involve on-site stacking of vehicles associated with drive-thru activity
- Statement of Bellaire’s intention to reduce congestion in public streets and promote the safety and welfare of the public through its ordinances
- Statement of Bellaire’s goal to provide sufficient parking in nonresidential areas near residential neighborhoods to avoid overflow parking onto residential streets
Regarding creating a pathway for credits, Alejos said the commission recommended that a new subsection be implemented into the city’s code that specifically identifies the circumstances in which commercial properties may be eligible to receive credits toward the earning or reduction in the required number of off-street parking spaces.
The commission also proposed an expansion of the city’s existing off-site parking credit provisions, per details from the presentation.
If approved, this change would allow property owners to secure off-site plots on a separate property that could count toward the minimum requirements for off-street parking, Alejos explained to the council.
“Now, you would see this in Houston, maybe around the Heights area ... where a property owner has their main property where the business is located, and they may purchase a property ... a block down the road to host their parking spots,” Alejos said. “It does kind of create a more walkable neighborhood.”
More details
Alejos said that while there are options already available for property owners seeking to share parking with another business, both the Development Services Department and the Planning and Zoning Commission seek to reduce the requirements on the practice.
The development review planner explained that currently, shared parking limitations for two or more businesses stipulate that only 50% of parking can be located off-site. The proposed amendment would eliminate this restriction and thereby grant property owners the ability to host shared parking plots at their discretion.
Alejos went on to explain that more broad changes to Bellaire’s shared parking requirements were recommended as well, including the addition of schools and places of worship to the city’s list of permissible locations for shared parking.
The debate
At one point during the Aug. 3 public hearing, Alejos discussed another proposal from the commission that suggested giving business owners the opportunity to place rideshare-designated parking spaces on their property.
This change is primarily due to the increasing trend of citizens using ride-sharing services in the area, she said.
When it came time for council questions, council member Ross Gordon addressed his concerns directly regarding underutilized parking spots if this change were to be implemented.
Ensuring that parking spots remain available for patrons visiting the businesses in question, Gordon suggested that drop-off locations be created for rideshare drivers instead of actual parking spots.
“What I don’t want to have is parking spots that people feel they can’t park in,” Gordon said. “I think we’re trying to solve a problem, not create a problem, which would be my concern.”
Going forward
Final deliberation and consideration of the amendments to the city’s code of ordinances is anticipated to take place Sept. 21.
Before the public hearing’s close, council member Jackie Georgiou acknowledged the concerns raised by her fellow council members, while also recognizing the positive impact the changes could have in improving the city’s accessibility and mobility.
Georgiou said the commission’s recommendations were not “the end-all, be-all,” but rather, the basis for parking-related plans moving forward, which the council can assess before making any final decisions.
“We are just trying to create the environment, and now, the devil’s in the details,” Georgiou remarked. “So as we get through it ... pick it apart, I think it’s good for us to think those things through.”
