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Home My WebLink AboutA004 - Council Action Form dated September 14, 2021f ITEM: 33 DATE: 09/14/2021 COUNCIL ACTION FORM SUBJECT: TEXT AMENDMENT TO THE "DSC and CSC" SERVICE CENTER ZONING DISTRICTS TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF VEHICLE PARKING SPACES REQUIRED FOR THEATERS, AUDITORIUMS, STADIUMS, AND ARENAS BACKGROUND: At the July 29, 2021 meeting, City Council received a request from a property ownerwithin the Downtown to initiate a Zoning Text Amendment to eliminate parking requirements for theaters in the ' DSC" Downtown Service Center Zoning District. In his letter to Council, Jerry Nelson asked the Council to consider removing the requirement to provide off-street parking spaces in order to facilitate the rehabilitation of the Ames Tribune building (317 5ch St.) into a theater and event space. The intended capacity for the Nelson project is approximately 200 seats. At the August 3rd City Council meeting. the Council responded to Mr. Nelson's request and directed staff to proceed with initiating changes to the Zoning Ordinance that would allow for no parking requirements for the uses of auditoriums, theaters. stadiums. and arenas in the DSC and CSC zoning districts. The proposed text amendment would eliminate all requirements for parking for such uses. The Zoning Ordinance distinguishes parking rates for Downtown and Campustown (DSC and CSC zoning) from other parts of the community. This is the case because of the availability of public parking and the intention of the City to support intensification of development in these concentrated urban areas. DSC/CSC zoning does not require parking for most commercial/entertainment uses. However, auditoriums, theaters. stadiums. and arenas are required to have one (1) space per four (4) seats of 10 spaces /1 .000 square feet, with a minimum of 20 spaces on site. The one space per four seats is itself a higher rate compared to all other zoning districts where the rate is one space per five seats. This increase in parking requirements from other commercial zoning districts seems counter intuitive to the goal of creating vibrant, active urban areas in Downtown and Campustown by encouraging more surface parking and is unclear why it is structured as such historically. The former Tribune building has no on-site parking as it was developed at a time when parking would not be required with a building. This is the situation for almost all historical buildings in Downtown as well as Campustown. Buildings in Downtown and Campustown can be reused for commercial, office, and restauranUbar/entertainment uses, without providing for parking. However. creating a performance venue of a theater does require providing for parking under the current standards. In the case of the Tribune building. the property owner could choose to pursue remote/shared parking agreement in order to establish the theater use but securing upwards of 50 parking spaces on private property would be difficult to do Downtown where most parking is public parking. Additionally, tying 1 up surface parking spaces for the theater use may not be the best long-term solution for supporting other uses and redevelopment options Downtown. A 2019 Downtown Parking Study determined there is public parking available in Downtown with higher levels of availability in the evening hours. Parking is free after 6:00 pm in all unreserved parking spaces Downtown. The study inventoried 450 on-street parking spaces and 737 off-street public parking spaces within Downtown. Peak demand Downtown was measured at 1 :00 pm. The study determined there is a forty-five percent (45%) occupancy rate of parking stalls at 6:00 pm. Downtown Parking Peak Utilization Figure 7.Peak�Iour Occupancy"Heat Map' -1 PM " ► z h •. - ;; M .A - l •_ Source:Walker Consultants,2019 The City reviewed the operations of parking in Campustown in May 2019, The City managed approximately 327 spaces and there are an additional 40 spaces in the Intermodal Facility. Parking is free after 6:00 pm in all unreserved parking spaces located in Campustown. No utilization study was performed at that time as the City considered changes to the duration of parking at metered stalls. No evening parking issues were noted at that time. The DSC and CSC zoning district parking requirements are the same for all uses. Campustown and Downtown are two very different commercial areas with different parking availability and demands. Additionally. transit service supports both areas. but is more significant in Campustown due to the nature of many businesses oriented to a student customer base compared to Downtown. Although Campustown at one time was the home of two movie theaters. currently, theaters do not exist in either commercial 2 district and there are few existing buildings that would be able to house such uses as an auditorium or theater. The Tribune building is unique in the size of its space and being able to house a small theater. Despite the lack of existing facilities, it is not possible to predict what redevelopment or rehabilitation projects may occur in the future. Approving the reduction in parking would apply to all future projects and not to just the one request. Under current conditions, the proposed reduction in parking requirements is not viewed as having a significant impact on parking demands given existing development patterns and uses in both districts. PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION: The Planning and Zoning Commission met on August 18, 2021 to consider the proposed text amendment. Commissioners discussed the appropriateness of allowing a reduction in required parking and asked questions related to the availability of parking in the larger Downtown and Campustown areas. City staff presented additional alternatives based upon facility size as well. Ultimately, the Commission recommended that the City Council adopt the changes to remove parking all parking requirements for auditoriums, theaters, stadiums, and arenas within the Downtown Service Center and Campustown Service Center Zoning Districts. The vote was 3-1-0 in support of the recommendation. ALTERNATIVES: 1 . Approve on first reading changes to remove all parking requirements for auditoriums, theaters. stadiums, and arenas within the Downtown Service Center and Campustown Service Center Zoning Districts. 2. Modify the proposed ordinance and approve on first reading. 3. Direct s 9 staff to make additional changes to the draft ordinance and return with an t updated ordinance at a future meeting. 4. Decline to approve the proposed changes and maintain the existing parking requirements. CITY MANAGER RECOMENDATION The City has purposely reduced parking for uses in Downtown and Campustown acknowledging the uniqueness of the urban environment compared to the City as a whole. There are several existing entertainment uses, for which there are no parking requirements regardless of their size or capacity. The addition of a theater to the list of uses that do not require parking is similar to these types of uses. especially based upon the likely small scale of any theater venue proposed in these areas. Theater parking demand peaks in evening hours, with the exception of large movie theaters that also have peak demand on Saturday afternoons. Data about parking utilization supports there is publicly available parking for this type of use during evening hours and also on weekends. 3 Staff believes the proposed parking reduction for the proposed use(s) in DSC is appropriate based upon the vision for Downtown described in the Land Use Policy plan as a strong center with a goal for 24-hr activity. Although remote parking is theoretically possible for the use, it is not likely to be accomplished and may be counter to the overall goals for redevelopment if private parking is reserved for these uses in perpetuity. Not requiring the proposed use to provide required off-street parking will increase pedestrian activity creating a livelier area, encouraging people to move throughout the district as they move from public parking locations to different destinations. A similar urban environment exists in Campustown with more emphasis on residential density accommodating student housing. The Land Use Policy Plan does contemplates supporting a walkable, lively commercial district. Campustown is intended to be a unique district with a great deal of variety in activity and appearance. The uses that are impacted by this parking requirement do not presently exist within the district. However, two movie theaters have operated in the past with similar public parking availability. Public parking is not as plentiful as exists in Downtown as it is a smaller area; however, there is still a large number of public and private parking spaces that exist in the area. Although it has fewer parking spaces, it is a more active area with high density residential, pedestrian friendly features. and has better multi-modal access that all would support allowing for intensification of uses without additional off-street parking. Therefore, it is the recommendation of the City Manager that the City Council approve Alternative No. 1, as described above. Attachment A — Proposed Minimum Off-Street Parking Requirements Table Table 29.406(2) Minimum Off-Street Parking Requirements PRINCIPAL LAND USE ALL ZONES EXCEPT DOWNTOWN(DSC)AND DOWNTOWN(DSC)AND CAMPUSTOWN(CSC) CAMPUSTOWN(CSC)SERVICE SERVICE CENTER ZONES CENTER ZONES RESIDENTIAL DWELLINGS One and Two-Family and 2 spaces/Residential Unit(RU) 1 space/RU Single Family Attached (including Manufactured Homes outside RLP District) Apartment Dwellings 1.5 space/RU;for one-bedroom units DSC 1 spacelbedroom for units of 2 bedrooms or more Developments with up to 18 units: 1.25 space/bedroom for units of 2 - 0-2 bedrooms units:NONE bedrooms or more in University - 3+bedroom units: 1 space/RU Impacted(O-UIE and OUIW) 1 space/residential unit for an Developments with more than 18 Independent Senior Living Facility units: 1 space/RU CSC-All Developments 1 space/RU Dwelling House I space per bedroom N/A Family Home 2 spaces plus 1 space/2 full time staff NONE members of the largest shift Group Living NONE Nursing and convalescent 1 space/5 beds,plus 1 space/2 staff homes members of the largest shift College and University 1 space/3 bed housing,fraternities and sororities Mobile Home and 2 spaces/Manufactured/Mobile Home NONE Manufactured Home in Space plus 1 space for guest parking/4 Manufactured/Mobile Manufactured/Mobile Home Spaces Home Parks Short-Term Lodging Hotel/Motel,including I space/guest room;plus 6 spaces/1,000 1 space/guest room,plus 5 ancillary uses sf of ballroom, meeting,bar and spaces/1,000 sf of ballroom, restaurant areas; plus 1 space/2 meeting,bar and restaurant areas; employees of the largest shift plus 1 space/2 employees of the largest shift Boarding houses,rooming 1 space/bed 0.5 space/bed houses, and lodging houses OFFICE Medical/Dental office 1 space/143 sf where there is no agreement NONE for shared parking; I space/200 sf where 5 PRINCIPAL LAND USE ALL ZONES EXCEPT DOWNTOWN(DSC)AND DOWNTOWN(DSC)AND CAMPUSTOWN(CSC) CAMPUSTOWN(CSC)SERVICE SERVICE CENTER ZONES CENTER ZONES there is an agreement for shared parking or for medical facilities that exceed 50,000 sf Other office 1 space/300 sf NONE TRADE AND WHOLESALE Wholesale Trade 1 space/500sf NONE Printing 1 space/200 sf of retail area;plus 1 NONE space/2 employees on largest shift; plus 1 space/company vehicle Fuel Sale/Convenience 1 space/200 sf;spaces at fuel pump NONE Stores islands may be counted towards this requirement Retail Sales and Services- 1 space/300 sf NONE General Display store(furniture, 1 space/500 sf NONE appliances,carpets,etc.) Financial institution Ground level: 1 space/250 sf,other than NONE (freestanding or as ground ground level: 1 space/300 sf level service area) Entertainment and 14 spaces/1,000 sf NONE Recreation Trade Sit-Down Restaurant 9 spaces/1,000 sf NONE Fast food restaurant 12 spaces/1,000 sf in dining or waiting NONE area,or 1 space/2 employees if no seating Recreation facility,health 5 spaces/1,000 sf NONE club Enclosed tennis handball 4 s aces/court plus 1 s ace/200 sf for rest NONE P P P racquetball or squash of building courts Bowling Alley 5 spaces/lane.Bar,restaurant and other NONE uses shall provide parking according to the requirement for that use INSTITUTIONAL AND MISCELLANEOUS USES Auditoriums,theaters, Greater of 1 space/5 seats or 10 -NONE- stadiums and arenas spaces/1,000 sf,with a minimum of 20 spaces ,with a Minimum e€20 spaees Places of Worship When seating is provided in main NONE auditorium: 1 space/4 seats, exclusive of Sunday School and other special areas. When seating is not provided in main auditorium: 1 space/60 sf of worship area Private clubs,fraternal 1 space/200 sf NONE 6 PRINCIPAL LAND USE ALL ZONES EXCEPT DOWNTOWN(DSC)AND DOWNTOWN(DSC)AND CAMPUSTOWN(CSC) CAMPUSTOWN(CSC)SERVICE SERVICE CENTER ZONES CENTER ZONES organizations,libraries, museums and community buildings Funeral Home/Mortuary 1 space/50 sf in slumber rooms, parlors NONE and funeral service rooms Vehicle Service Facilities NONE Fuel Sales Only 3 spaces plus 1/employee Service/Repai r Faci I ities 3 spaces plus 2 spaces/service bay Car Wash 2 spaces plus 5 stacking spaces/washing NONE bay Motor vehicle sales and 2 spaces plus 1 space/500 sf over 1,000 sf NONE service in the showroom,plus 2 spaces/service bay Heliport or helicopter Greater of 1 space/employee or 2 NONE landing area spaces/1,000 sf of patron area,but not less than 10 spaces Hospital/medical center 1 space/2 beds plus 1 space/2 staff NONE members of the largest shift Schools primarily serving Greater of 2 spaces/classroom or 1 NONE children younger than age space/4 seats in auditorium 16 High schools and Greater of 1 space/2 students;or 10 4 spaces/classroom universities spaces/classroom;or 1 space/4 seats in auditorium Sports Practice Facility 2 spaces/1,000 sf of gross floor area 2 spaces/1,000 sf of gross floor area INDUSTRIAL I ndustrial Service, 1 space/500 sf plus 1/space/company NONE Manufacturing and vehicle Production,Resource Production and Extraction For manufacturing uses exceeding 50,000 sf 1 space/1,000 sf Warehouses One(1)parking space per 5,000 sf NONE MIXED-USE Mixed-use development parking shall be Mixed-use development parking DEVELOPMENT determined as the sum of parking shall be determined as the sum of requirements of the individual use parking requirements of the components individual use components 7 ORDINANCE NO. AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE MUNICIPAL CODE OF THE CITY OF AMES, IOWA, BY AMENDING SECTION 29.406(2)THEREOF,FOR THE PURPOSE OF REDUCING THE NUMBER OF VEHICLE PARKING SPACES REQUIRED FOR THEATERS IN THE DOWNTOWN SERVICE CENTER (DSC) AND CAMPUSTOWN SERVICE CENTER (CSC) ZONE; REPEALING ANY AND ALL ORDINANCES OR PARTS OF ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT TO THE EXTENT OF SUCH CONFLICT; PROVIDING A PENALTY; AND ESTABLISHING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. BE IT ENACTED,by the City Council for the City of Ames,Iowa,that: Section One. The Municipal Code of the City of Ames, Iowa shall be and the same is hereby amended by amending Section 29.406(2)as follows: "Sec.29.406.OFF-STREET PARKING. Table 29.406(2) Minimum Off-Street Parking Requirements PRINCIPAL LAND USE ALL ZONES EXCEPT DOWNTOWN(DSC)AND DOWNTOWN(DSC)AND CAMPUSTOWN(CSC) CAMPUSTOWN(CSC) SERVICE CENTER ZONES SERVICE CENTER ZONES INSTITUTIONAL AND MISCELLANEOUS USES Auditoriums,theaters,stadiums Greater of 1 space/5 seats or 10 NONE and arenas spaces/1,000 sf,with a minimum of 20 spaces Section Two. Violation of the provisions of this ordinance shall constitute a municipal infraction punishable as set out by law. Section Three. All ordinances, or parts of ordinances, in conflict herewith are hereby repealed to the extent of such conflict,if any. Section Four. This ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage and publication as required by law. Passed this day of Diane R. Voss,City Clerk John A.Haila,Mayor