Frisco City Council members approved an amendment to a city ordinance to adjust a mandated reduction in parking spaces for downtown businesses during their Aug. 1 meeting.
The mandated parking reduction amendment drops the 50% reduction to 30% for any expanding or new retail spaces, according to meeting documents. It also excludes outdoor seating and restaurants from the reduction as city officials look to incentivize more outdoor spaces downtown.
Current situation
Applying a 50% reduction to all businesses was not sustainable for the amount of growth taking place, Assistant Director of Planning Jonathan Hubbard said.
“What staff has found is that as new development, as more intensive development, has come into the downtown, ... adequate parking is not being provided to serve those more intensive uses,” Hubbard said.
Some businesses will continue following the parking reduction as is:
- Any businesses not expanding or already established before the ordinance will keep the 50% reduction.
- Businesses moving into an existing space and not planning to expand will also follow the existing 50% reduction of their parking requirements.
“Any residential development, any single-family, multifamily development, whatever it may be, that comes into the downtown—it is required to be parked at 100% like elsewhere in the city,” Hubbard said.
What they’re saying
Frisco Planning and Zoning Commission members recommended council approve the amendment at their June 27 meeting. At the meeting, city staff mentioned members of the Downtown Advisory Board and the Downtown Merchants Association had concerns with the changes but were supportive overall.
“The [Downtown Advisory] Board has voted in support of the proposed zoning ordinance amendments,” Hubbard said. “They did want it on the record that while supportive of the amendments, they still have concerns that this may potentially hinder small-business growth.”
An incoming parking garage is expected to ease some parking concerns downtown, Mayor Jeff Cheney said.
“The city is certainly helping to provide relief,” Cheney said.
