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Home My WebLink AboutA002 - Council Action Form dated January 31, 1984 Old ITEM #: DATE: 1-31-84 COUNCIL ACTION FORM • SUBJECT: An ordinance amendment to allow reduction in parking stall size for small cars. BACKGROUND: The Planning and Zoning Commission asked the Department of Planning and Housing to look into the feasibility of reducing the parking stall size for small cars in private parking lots. As a result, the Department contacted the Planning Advisory Service, Iowa State University, and surveyed fourteen of the largest cities in Iowa to determine what the current practice in Iowa is with regard to permitting small car parking stalls in private parking lots. A copy of the survey is attached. Five of the fourteen cities surveyed currently permit reduced size parking stalls for small cars. The maximum percentage of small car stalls permitted ranges from five percent to one-third of all stalls and the dimensions of the small car parking stalls varies from 7.5 to 8.5 feet in width and 15 to 16 feet in length. Normal parking stall dimensions are 9 by 19. Information received from the Planning Advisory Service indicated that the ^um- ber of small cars, that is cars six feet by fifteen feet or less, are increasing in the United States. In 1980, 55 percent of registered automobiles were small cars, and it is estimated by 1985 75 percent of the cars in use will be small cars. However in looking at the high number of small cars on the road, one should also take into consideration that automobiles are not the only vehicles • driven to work and shopping. Many persons also use pick-up trucks, vans, recreational vehicles, and four-wheel drive, all-terrain vehicles, which are being down sized. However, it is unlikely that many will ever be in the same size category as small cars. Several communities throughout the United States have done field surveys of park- ing lots to determine the percentage of off-street parking spaces occupied by small cars in their communities. The results ranged from the overall range of 26.6 percent small cars in Nausau County, New York, in 1979, to 40.37 percent in Des Plaines, Illinois, in 1980. No more recent field surveys were available and none have been done in Iowa. As a part of the study of small car parking spaces, the Department of Planning and Housing prepared a text amendment to the zoning ordinance to permit small car parking stalls for presentation to the Planning and Zoning Commission. This proposed amendment to the zoning ordinance would allow small car parking stalls in parking lots with ten or more spaces. These stalls would be at least eight feet by sixteen feet in size and must be clearly identified with signs. The original proposal that went to the Planning and Zoning Commission left blank the maximum percentage of required off-street parking spaces that can be .designated for small cars. The Department suggested that a conservative figure for the maximum percentage of small car parking spaces would be 20 percent. Since small cars have the option of parking in full size parking spaces, an imbalance in the • S ratio of small car parking spaces to full size parking spaces should not be • created by allowing 20 percent of the spaces for small car parking. However, the Department recommended that a field survey of parking lots be conducted in Ames to determine more accurately the appropriate percentage to be used for this community. • The Planning and Zoning Commission reviewed the information presented by the Department and decided that they would like to recommend to the City Council that the Council approve the proposed ordinance changes with a maximum of 20 percent of the parking stalls designated for small cars. The Planning and Zoning Commission felt that a field survey could still be done, but the Commission was comfortable with the 20 percent figure for small car parking stalls and wanted to make this ordinance change before the major building push this spring. The Commission felt that changes in the percentage of small car stalls could be made later if the field survey indicated that another figure would be more appropriate. The Planning and Zoning Commission made the following motion: MOTION: (Manatt/Cooper) That we recommend to City Council that they approve an amendment to zoning ordinance to allow small car parking spaces in parking lots; the small car spaces shall be eight feet by sixteen feet; a maximum of 20 percent of the parking stalls shall be designated for small cars; and a parking lot shall have a minimum of ten parking spaces before small car parking stalls are allowed. Motion carried 4-0. Jim Valenta, City Transportation Engineer, has reviewed the provisions for small • car parking stalls and concurs with the changes as recommended by the Planning and Zoning Commission. In addition, Mr. Valenta is suggesting that the following three technical amendments to the ordinance be inacted. 1. In Section 29.41(8) , change the column heading reading "stall-to-curb" to "aisle-to-curb." The reason for this change is that the "stall-to-curb" designation has been difficult to enforce because there are several interpretations which can be made of this designation. However, the "aisle-to- curb" designation would be clearly enforceable because there is only one interpretation of its meaning. 2. Several of the "aisle width" and "curb-to-curb" designations are recommended to be increased to allow sufficient width for vehicular movements in aisles. 3. Several minor changes are recommended in the "curb-to-curb" designations in order to make the measurements more precise. A copy of the proposed ordinance amendment to Section 29.41 is attached, including the revised tables. The first table is the existing section of the ordinance with the technical changes which have been described above. In order to compare the existing arithmetic designations with those proposed in the attached ordinance amendment, the existing ordinance is attached with changes highlighted. The new section pertaining to the small car parking spaces is also attached. • } ALTERNATIVES: 1. Accept the recommendation of the Planning and Zoning Commission and set February 21 as the public hearing date for first reading of an ordinance • amendment to allow reduction in parking space size, including the technical changes. City staff will conduct a field survey of parking lots in the spring of 1984 to verify the percentage of small cars using these lots and will determine at that time if modification to the maximum percentage of small car spaces is required. 2. Modify the proposed ordinance amendment to allow reduction in parking stall size and technical changes and set February 21 as the public hearing date for first reading of the ordinance. City staff will conduct a field survey of parking lots in the spring of 1984 to verify the percentage of small cars using these lots and will determine at that time if modification to the maximum percentage of small car spaces is required. 3. Send the proposed amendment to zoning ordinance to allow a reduction in parking stall size back to the Planning and Zoning Commission until a field survey of the size of cars in parking lots can be completed. 4. Reject the recommendation of the Planning and Zoning Commission to approve an ordinance amendment to allow a reduction in parking stall size. MANAGER'S RECOMMENDED ACTION: It is the recommendation of the City Manager that the City Council adopt Alternative No. 1 which is to accept the recommendation of the Planning and Zoning Commission and set February 21st as the public hearing date for first • reading of the proposed ordinance amendment to allow a reduction in parking stall size, including the technical changes. This alternative will update the parking requirements in the zoning ordinance to allow a limited number (20 percent) of the parking spaces in off-street parking to be devoted to small car spaces. In addition it will provide an opportunity to make sure technical changes are made to the tables for computing the various parking angles. City staff will conduct a field survey of parking lots in the spring of 1984 to verify the percentage of small cars using these lots and will determine at that time if modification to the maximum percentage of small car spaces is required. COUNCIL ACTION: •