Phoenix is rethinking lower parking requirements for new apartments after backlash
Phoenix City Council will vote on a watered-down policy change to reduce parking space requirements at new apartment complexes, after neighborhood groups rebuked the initial, more aggressive proposal.
If approved, the change would lower the minimum number of parking spaces Phoenix requires at new apartments near downtown, midtown and light rail, and at complexes meant for special needs populations. The initial proposal, by comparison, reduced parking requirements citywide and specifically for affordable housing developments.
The policy debate has revolved around how Phoenix can design a more sustainable, affordable and prosperous community that also balances residents' quality of life.
Less parking is meant to increase walkability and encourage public transit use, which in turn should benefit the environment by reducing fossil fuel emissions. It should also reduce construction costs for developers to enable more affordable housing, the argument goes.
Parking minimums prevent car-free communities from existing, which advocates of walkable communities say unfairly restricts choice for those who want a more urban lifestyle.
Previous coverage: Phoenix considers allowing fewer parking spaces for apartments in push for public transit
But in Phoenix, where deadly extreme heat dissuades many from walking outdoors for half the year and where public transit is hardly a viable option across the entire sprawling metro region, some are skeptical that fewer cars and parking spaces are realistic options.
Critics also see deregulation as an opportunity for developers to cut corners. They fear having to park on the street far away from their apartment or being charged exorbitant fees for parking, which would disproportionately burden low-income people.
In September, city staff, the planning commission and neighborhood groups all recommended different plans to the City Council. Rather than decide on the controversial issue, Mayor Kate Gallego and the City Council pushed it back to the council's transportation subcommittee for additional deliberation.
It was at that Oct. 18 meeting that city staff presented a new subdued, modified plan.
Subcommittee councilmembers Debra Stark, Kesha Hodge Washington and Laura Pastor approved it.
Council member Ann O'Brien, of the suburban District 1 in north Phoenix, voted no. O'Brien said she might change her mind but was skeptical of a policy tweak that changed the formula for calculating how many parking spaces were needed at apartments citywide.
The existing policy is a multipronged formula that entails four different parking space requirements depending on the size of the apartment. The new policy streamlines the formula to a simple 1.5 spaces per apartment, no matter whether it's a studio or three bedroom.
O'Brien's concern was that the new formula would harm her district disproportionately because District 1 has many three-bedroom rentals, she said. She pointed to the rise in popularity of single-family home rental neighborhoods.
City planning official Chris DePerro said the multi-pronged formula and the simple formula amounted to the same number of parking spaces, meaning effectively no change to minimum parking requirements citywide. The shift to a flat 1.5 parking space requirement was made simply to streamline the process and easy compliance, he said.
O'Brien is scheduled to meet with city staff in mid-November to review how the formula would affect District 1 specifically.
Here's how the modified plan stacks up to what the city initially proposed:
For apartments citywide (not near downtown, by light rail):
The initial recommendation: 1.25 parking spaces per apartment.
The modified recommendation: 1.5 parking spaces per apartment.
For downtown-area apartments, considered "infill development district:"
The initial recommendation: 50% reduction of parking requirements (0.75 parking spaces per apartment)
The modified recommendation: No change, 0.75 spaces.
For apartments near light rail, subject to "Walkable Urban Code" regulations:
The initial recommendation: 0.5 parking spaces per apartment.
The modified recommendation: 0.75 parking spaces per unit.
For affordable apartments citywide:
The initial recommendation: Half of citywide requirement.
The modified recommendation: No reduction for "affordable" apartments.
Instead, a 50% reduction for seniors and "special needs populations," so long as developer provides a traffic study.
Greater than 50% reduction allowed for seniors and "special needs populations," so long as developer provides a traffic study and successfully applies for a use permit.
For affordable apartments adjacent to light rail (part of Walkable Urban Code):
The initial recommendation: Eliminate parking requirements, allowing for no parking spaces.
The modified recommendation: Revert to existing parking requirements, which allow between 0.5 and 0.75 parking spaces per apartment, depending on the location.
The city originally intended to cut parking requirements in half at affordable housing complexes citywide and down to zero at affordable complexes near the light rail.
Proponents of the city's original plan said reducing parking requirements would improve affordability because developers wouldn't have to pave unnecessary parking spaces that go unused and could instead maximize the space by building more apartments.
They emphasized that the city rule regulated parking minimums, not maximums, and said residents shouldn't be concerned because bank lenders would not approve loans for apartment developers without adequate parking,
But neighborhood groups blasted the proposal as discriminatory, saying it would make life harder for poor renters by restricting their transportation options. The city's public transit isn't built out enough, nor is it reliable enough for riders to rely on it full time, critics said.
Rather than forcing people to public transit by making car ownership difficult, critics question why the city doesn't build out the transit system first and make it a desirable, reliable option.
They added that reducing parking in lower-density parts of the city would lead to more street parking, causing congestion and poor quality of life. The critics also expressed a deep skepticism that lenders and developers would "right size" parking, as supporters had stressed.
"Right sizing" parking refers to building the appropriate number of parking based on the specific circumstances of the development.
Reduced parking for affordable housing projects likely to remain
Removing the affordable housing clause, however, won't necessarily guarantee parking for low-income renters.
City officials plan to loosely define "special needs" to provide flexibility, DePerro said. The proposal would allow 50% less parking for special needs populations, so long as the developer provides a traffic study, plus greater reductions if developers apply for a use permit.
The clarification came after Councilwoman Kesha Hodge Washington, who represents District 8 in south Phoenix and parts of downtown, asked for the definition. Hodge Washington said she preferred to allow reductions for other populations that could benefit, such as those in transitional housing.
DePerro said the definition would include the disabled and elderly but would also include a clause that says "or as otherwise approved by the zoning administrator."
Christian Solorio, a former state lawmaker and affordable housing architect, said he would classify a project for chronically homeless individuals or single moms as special needs. He hopes the city widens the definition substantially to encompass general affordable housing developments.
Solorio said he begrudgingly supported the modified policy change.
"The status quo isn't very good, so any changes are welcome," Solorio said. "But I don't think it goes far enough to give relief affordable housing developers really need."
Applying for a use permit, which requires a public hearing and the approval of the City Council, will mire the process in bureaucracy and provide more avenues for wealthy neighborhoods to fight affordable housing, Solorio said.
Neighborhood groups, meanwhile, approve of the modifications.
Resident Neal Haddad, of the Neighborhood Coalition of Greater Phoenix, called the modification a "step forward" that will allow the city to test out reduced parking minimums in downtown and midtown where public transit access is best.
An exact date has not been set for the City Council to vote on the policy. It's expected to come in late November or early December.
Reporter Taylor Seely covers Phoenix for The Arizona Republic / azcentral.com. Reach her at tseely@arizonarepublic.com or by phone at 480-476-6116.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix eases off parking requirement changes after community backlash
