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HomeMy WebLinkAboutA003 - Council Action Form dated May 14, 2002 t ITEM # 3a` DATE 05/14/02 COUNCIL ACTION FORM SUBJECT: MOTION TO APPROVE A TEXT AMENDMENT TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE TO ESTABLISH MINIMUM OFF-STREET PARKING REQUIREMENTS FOR SIT-DOWN RESTAURANTS. BACKGROUND: CURRENT PARKING REGULATIONS. When the current Zoning Ordin n-ce was approved, one of the differences from the previous ordinance was the' manor?in which parking was regulated. The parking requirements of the previous ordinance for many uses were based on fluctuating criteria, examples of which include, the number of employees, number of available seating, or number of beds. For restaurants, the required parking was based on the legal occupancy load and number of employees per maximum work shift. The previous parking regulations for restaurants is as follows: "Section 29.40(11) Parking for Restaurants, Night Clubs, Bars, and Dance Halls: One (1) parking space for every four (4) occupants, based on the legal occupancy load as defined by the City Code, and one (1) parking space for each two (2) employees per maximum work shift." As can be imagined, the administration of these parking regulations was difficult. First of all, the legal occupancy load of each restaurant had to be determined. Secondly, the number of employees needed to be provided to the City. Of course, the number of employees can vary depending upon the popularity of the business or what time of year it is. Therefore, the parking regulations were based on a number that could vary over time. When the current Zoning Ordinance was approved, parking requirements for most uses, including restaurants, were changed to be based on the size (square footage) of the use. This method is much easier to administer because the size of each use does not change often. When it does change, the size of a use is clearly identified on a site plan and building plan. The current parking requirements for restaurants are included in Table 29.406(2) below: Table 29.406(2) — Minimum Off-Street Parking Requirements Use Parking Requirement Entertainment, Restaurant and Recreation Trade 14 s aces/1,000 s . ft. 12 spaces/1,000 sq. ft. in dining or waiting Fast Food Restaurant area, or 1 space/2 employees if no seating As can be seen in the table above, sit-down restaurants are required to provide 14 parking spaces/1,000 square feet of restaurant area. In reviewing several proposed sit-down restaurants, staff has noted that the current requirement is very restrictive and has led staff to conclude that a change to the standard may be justified. Staff has been contemplating bringing forward a text amendment to change the parking requirement for sit-down restaurants. Recently, the owner of Minsky's Pizza in Nevada and Campustown purchased the former Toyota Dealership site at 3605 Lincoln Way. He is proposing to renovate the building (approximately the front half) into a Minsky's Pizza Restaurant and Lounge. However, the site does not allow for 14 spaces/1,000 to be provided. As a result, the applicant has requested that staff initiate the text amendment to the parking requirement that we have been contemplating (see attached letter). PROPOSED PARKING REGULATIONS FOR SIT-DOWN RESTAURANTS. The following is the recommended text amendment to the parking requirements for Sit-Down Restaurants (changes are in bold italics and strirken through): Table 29.406(2) — Minimum Off-Street Parking Requirements Use �..... 70arking Requirement Entertainment, Restaurant and Recreation Trade 14 spaces/1,000 sq. ft. Sit-Down Restaurant 9 s aces/1,000 sq. ft. 12 spaces/1,000 sq. ft. in dining or waiting Fast Food Restaurant area, or 1 space/2 employees if no seating and, Section 29.201 Definitions Sit-Down Restaurant means a use engaged in the preparation and sale of food and beverages, which could include the sale of alcoholic beverages when conducted as a secondary feature of the use. The food and beverage is generally for the consumption on-site, however, may include limited carry-out service. In order to support the regulations proposed above, staff has conducted research regarding parking requirements for sit-down restaurants. Staff has reviewed the Parking Generation Manual compiled by the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), researched parking requirements of other communities, and evaluated parking for existing sit-down restaurants within the City of Ames. The highlights of that research are outlined below. 2 ITE PARKING GENERATION STUDY. The Institute of Transportation Engineers has written a Parking Generation Manual to help planners, engineers, and decision makers understand the demand for parking for various land uses. The manual is a survey of parking demand for many different types of land uses throughout the country. The following table is a summary of the survey conclusions regarding parking for sit-down restaurants. Restaurant Type Parkin Demand Quality Restaurant 14 s aces/1,000 s . ft. of restaurant area Family Restaurant 9 s aces/1,000 s . ft. of restaurant area The ITE Manual separates sit-down restaurants into two categories: Quality Restaurants and Family Restaurants. The Manual defines each of those restaurants as follows: "Quality Restaurant — This type of restaurant comprises eating establishments of high quality and with turnover rates generally of at least one hour or longer." "Family Restaurant— This category of restaurants comprises sit-down eating places with turnover rates of generally less than one hour. Restaurants in this group are usually moderately priced and frequently belong to chains such as Denny's, Pizza Hut, Shakeys, and Big Boy, etc." The number of parking spaces illustrated in the survey are an average of the peak parking spaces demanded by each of the two types of sit-down restaurants. When the current Zoning Ordinance was approved, the City adopted a standard of 14 spaces/1,000 square feet of gross restaurant area, which is consistent with the ITE survey for parking demanded by Quality Restaurants. In reviewing the definitions for the two types of sit-down restaurants in the ITE survey, staff believes that the types of restaurants generally located within the City of Ames more closely fit the definition of Family Restaurant than Quality Restaurant. That belief is not based on the "quality" of the restaurants in Ames, but rather on the average turnover rate. Staff believes that the majority of the restaurants in Ames have an average turnover rate of one hour or less. Furthermore, the ITE Manual cautions that the number of Quality Restaurants surveyed was low and that the rates identified for the Quality Restaurants should "...be used with caution. Many Zoning Ordinances throughout the United States utilize a rate of 10 parking spaces per 1,000 square feet. The average weekday and Saturday rates (identified in the survey) are higher than this." Staff believes that the survey results identified in the ITE Manual for the parking demand of Family Restaurants supports the recommended change to 9 spaces/1,000 square feet of gross restaurant area for sit-down restaurants in Ames. 3 OTHER MUNICIPALITIES PARKING REQUIREMENTS, Staff also examined parking requirements for sit-down restaurants of other municipalities. As mentioned earlier, the ITE Manual indicates that many Zoning Ordinances throughout the United States utilize a rate of 10 spaces/1,000 square feet of restaurant area. The results of staffs research are provided in the table below. 1t1ii 1t © S1iaU� n �• �1'� a il z Burlington 1 space/1 00 square feet 10 s aces/1,000 sq. ft. 1 space/150 square feet (approximately 6.67 spaces/1,000 sq. ft.), Cedar Falls plus one parking space for every two employees, with a minimum of five parking spaces for employee parking Cedar Rapids 10 s aces/1,000 square feet Council Bluffs 1 space/1 50 square feet (approximately 6.67 s aces/1,000 sq. ft. Davenport 1 space/1 00 square feet 10 s aces/1,000 sq. ft. Des Moines 1 space/1 50 square feet (approximately 6.67 s aces/1,000 sq. ft. Iowa City 1 space 150 square feet (approximately 6.67 s aces/1,000 sq. ft. 1 space/100 square feet (10 spaces/1,000 sq. ft.)for indoor patron Waterloo use, plus 1 space/200 square feet (5 spaces/1,000 sq. ft.)for outdoor patron use West Des Moines 1 space/1 00 square feet 10 s aces/1,000 sq. ft. Fort Collins, Colorado 10 s aces/1,000 square feet Champaign, Illinois 1 s ace/125 square feet 8 s aces/1,000 sq. ft. Lawrence, Kansas 1 s ace/200 square feet 5 s ace/1,000 sq. ft. St. Paul, Minnesota 1 s ace/125 square feet 8 s aces/1,000 sq. ft. Columbia, Missouri 1 space/1 00 square feet 10 s aces/1,000 sq. ft. The cities surveyed represent various Iowa cities, as well as several Midwestern college towns. The parking requirements for sit-down restaurants in these cities range from 5 spaces/1,000 square feet to 10 spaces/1,000 square feet. Staff believes that this survey of other municipalities parking regulations supports the proposed amendment to the parking requirements for sit-down restaurants, changing the required parking from 14 spaces/1,000 square feet to 9 spaces/1,000 square feet. 4 PARKING FOR EXISTING SIT-DOWN RESTAURANTS. Staff wanted to identify how the proposed regulations would affect (if at all) existing sit-down restaurants in Ames. Therefore, staff examined the parking provided and required for several existing sit-down restaurants in Ames. The results of that research are outlined in the table below. Previous Current Proposed Parking rx„ :.i Parking Parking Size P�ark�n g Restaurant Space Requirement Requirement (sq.ft.} Re uirement Provided ,�,,q 14/1000 9/1000 paces (Spaces) ` Country Kitchen 6,500 119 63 91 59 A lebee's 4,998 104 66 70 45 Hickory Park 17,883 246 134 251 161 Dublin Bay 5,749 69 69 81 52 Red Lobster 4,077 118 59 58 37 Happy Joe's 4,000 52 52 56 36 Perkins 6,090 112 75 86 55 The restaurants identified in staff's survey represent a variety of sit-down restaurant types. They range in size from 4,000 to 17,883 square feet. All of these restaurant buildings were actually constructed prior to the approval of the current parking requirement of 14 spaces/1,000 square feet. Two of the restaurants presently provide less parking than the current requirement. None of the restaurants will become non-conforming as a result of the recommended text amendment. Generally speaking, staff believes that the proposed regulations of 9 spaces/1,000 square feet is adequate for the majority of sit-down restaurants in Ames. SUMMARY. In summary, staff believes that the current parking requirement for sit-down restaurants, 14 spaces/1,000 square feet, is too great. Staff believes that the proposed standard of 9 spaces/1,000 square feet is more appropriate. Staff believes that the data supplied in the ITE Parking Generation Manual, as well as the survey of other municipalities regulations support the proposed amendment. Furthermore, the proposed parking regulations should not have a detrimental affect on existing sit-down restaurants in our community. Staff believes that implementation of the proposed parking regulations outlined in this Action Form would provide an adequate amount of parking spaces for sit-down restaurants while not "over-parking" these restaurants in our community. 5 RECOMMENDATION OF THE PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION: The Planning & Zoning Commission reviewed this proposed change to the Zoning Ordinance at their meeting of April 17, 2002 and approval was recommended. ALTERNATIVES: 1. The City Council can approve the recommended text amendment to the Zoning Ordinance regarding parking regulations for sit-down restaurants. 2. The City Council can deny the recommended text amendment to the Zoning Ordinance regarding parking regulations for sit-down restaurants. 3. The City Council can approve the recommended text amendment to the Zoning Ordinance regarding parking regulations for sit-down restaurants, with modifications. 4. The City Council can refer the recommended text amendment to the Zoning Ordinance regarding parking regulations for sit-down restaurants back to staff for further review and comment. MANAGER'S RECOMMENDED ACTION: It is recommended that Alternative #1 be adopted. Alternative #1 recommends that the text amendment to the Zoning Ordinance regarding parking regulations for sit-down restaurants be approved. COUNCIL ACTION: Attachment s:\Council Action Forms\Text Amendments\Sit-Down Restaurant Parking Regulations -05-14-02 6