[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6196905,"mediaKeyId","3853923-c0980c0216fbb1e65869886842fd9cba","parentId",3853923,"title","Staff proposes removing parking minimums for affordable housing; council asks for workshop before final vote","audioSeconds",989,"startMs",7036000,"endMs",8025000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3853923-c0980c0216fbb1e65869886842fd9cba&start=7036&end=8025","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3853923-c0980c0216fbb1e65869886842fd9cba/thumbnail_7036000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6196905/Vancouver/Clark-County/Washington/Staff-proposes-removing-parking-minimums-for-affordable-housing-council-asks-for-workshop-before-final-vote","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6196905-a2014d6d9cfa7a24134842c21d76c0c5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771173867&Signature=buocytGKgtGA2TXs9KIgK2p8wcqc40IbpBW0rYTtWRFqR1PE-03kf7ynjpyyALG~gvRXT7ovoKL66S6H6PQ-VJZLlS6Xkspc5eMalmUMk9Txu7mNvg~ZkUJ4rCDTqhJqfs9AmRVQacd2VzM22rNdnItYTejr6Oo81vCyltnz9UBYWalc5CfzTH6Xr-PtgGznYVZUZDta7vH8tHdFv2TKIkwK-0JMC9b9j25zhmd3MuY08MZbpnvhr0wx4Bo20CWcA1v-ErXjeXFI3neLhF-K8XQYRZI3B8iC5kGGGKHbVwz8DmdCus~a1yzdxNbAtm3mXQkWETtpcYyoyVE8DWbKxw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Vancouver City, WA","date","2025-06-02T00:00:00Z","article","City staff told Vancouver City Council on June 2 that they will propose eliminating off-street parking minimums for housing projects that set at least half their units at 100% of area median income (AMI) or below for at least 10 years.

Staff said the change — paired with other proposals such as development-fee timing adjustments and review-process improvements — is aimed at accelerating stalled affordable housing developments by reducing the cost and land area consumed by required parking stalls. A staff slide cited a Portland study estimating a circa-$30,000 cost per structured parking stall and noted Colorado research showing parking reform can materially increase housing production.

“Removing the costs of overbuilt parking can be one of the most effective things a local jurisdiction can do to improve housing feasibility,” a staff presenter said. The change would not force any property to build fewer stalls; rather, it would allow developers to “right-size” parking based on market demand, lender requirements and project design. Projects that do build parking must still meet ADA and electric-vehicle requirements.

Several councilors said the policy is significant and asked for more time and analysis. Councilor Paulson said the council had not had a workshop and that the proposed timeline — first reading next week and public hearing June 16 — compressed deliberation on a wide-ranging change. “Changing an entire code in 13 days is not our typical routine,” she said, urging inclusion on the next workshop agenda.

Councilor Fox, who noted recent state legislative changes on parking, also called for more information on how the proposal intersects with new state rules. Councilor Harless highlighted the staff point that the planning commission recommended the change and asked staff to include more detail when the item returns.

Staff told council the ordinance was recommended by the Planning Commission and that delay could affect affordable projects currently on a development timeline. “There are projects that are actually gonna be stalled if they have to meet parking minimums,” a staff member said, asking the council to weigh speed in the context of a housing slowdown.

Councilors directed staff to bring the parking-minimums item into the housing-action workshop scheduled for next week to allow fuller council discussion. Staff said it could shift the code-reading timeline by a few weeks (to early July) if council preferred more deliberation.

The proposal remains at the staff/first-reading stage. Staff said the change was part of a larger package of actions to address reduced housing starts, including development-fee timing changes, process improvements, and exploration of additional funding for affordable housing.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Vancouver City Council (06-02-25)","oneSentenceSummary","City staff proposed eliminating off-street parking minimums for affordable housing projects that reserve at least half their units at or below 100% AMI for 10 years, citing cost savings and faster project feasibility.","taxTitle","Vancouver, Clark County, Washington","taxId",2767,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6196914,"Vancouver council debates rental-registration fee, delays inspection specifics",3195,1294000,4489000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3853923-c0980c0216fbb1e65869886842fd9cba&start=1294&end=4489","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3853923-c0980c0216fbb1e65869886842fd9cba/thumbnail_1294000.jpg","/articles/6196914/Vancouver/Clark-County/Washington/Vancouver-council-debates-rental-registration-fee-delays-inspection-specifics","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6196914-af5ef815d85011260c6de825eea56d73/orig.mp4?Expires=1771173867&Signature=X3hgh9~hnc9Kqeu290uLKe2ZqB2y9bA5uM7pawVEvTrXzwXXAK8MT6OO9yvCNYgMfy0QzXMW0LnMiJU-pOcuiLc~ZFPU5SmnGf6qclhb8h1h2I-gH7kMqysmbDqhVfgLk6sTccBePFYsJ3ha66Q04gx0NX0ximUeT~iL7x9-nrRc9l91Ecq1HelI1J5MJlKiTECB6dgo36h0bfL3Wl0Jv4oz9OWLuEUV7m5qU~wJKCaAQqcNUZVO3DbslE0oXa0yY1rIOna7UPS40wlNu~RoM307EafL7ChAxFRj2PVlLIw5WmbGJaicRufOK7LsizE9uTunH2wisXdQltp2A0BkOg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Vancouver City Council members debated an ordinance on June 2 that would establish a rental-registration program requiring all rental housing in the city to register annually and pay a $30 per-unit fee, with some exemptions for income-restricted units.

The measure is intended to create a complete inventory of rental housing, identify owners and contacts, and provide data to support future enforcement, education and relocation-assistance programs. Councilors and members of the public raised concerns about the fee structure, the timing of the first registration, and whether small, owner-occupied and newly built units should be treated differently.

Supporters of the program said it is a tool to fill gaps in the city’s data on rental stock and to improve communication and enforcement. Critics — including a landlord representative and several council members — warned the fee and any inspection program that follows could increase costs for small landlords and ultimately be passed on to tenants.

“[The registration] was never really a consideration, in part because we want to create a complete data set of what units we have in the city, who owns those units, and how we can contact them,” said Carrie, staff member, explaining why staff proposed unit-level registration. “We don't have a way of contacting on-the-ground local building owners right now.”

Councilor Fox pressed staff on implementation details and the ordinance’s timing provisions, saying the code reads as if a unit cannot be rented unless it is already registered. “If I get a license to rent a unit that was just built in August or September, I'm paying $30 for that unit and then I'm paying $30 again in January,” Fox said, arguing the city should allow a 12‑month, anniversary-style license or otherwise clarify the start date to avoid double-charging new units.

Staff responded that the current proposal uses a single annual registration window in January so the city can manage renewals and communications on one schedule. Taylor, staff member, said the program includes a director authority to waive fines and adjust start dates if implementation is delayed, and staff offered to clarify the ordinance language to reflect the intended operational approach.

Members of the public weighed in. Albert Schlafield, speaking for Al Angelo Company, urged the council to reject the ordinance or alter it, saying inspection costs and private-inspector requirements would “drive costs up and those costs are inevitably gonna get passed on to tenants.” He also asked whether registration and inspections must be linked and whether landlords of a few units would be disproportionately affected.

Councilors discussed exemptions and fee structure at length. Councilor Perez urged the council to distinguish between small, local landlords and large corporate owners, proposing either a fee waiver for owners of five units or fewer or a tiered fee structure. Staff and other councilors noted the advisory committee that recommended the ordinance included representatives from tenants, small and large landlords, tenant-rights groups and property managers, and that committee had recommended a per-unit fee to avoid penalizing large owners with a large per-property flat fee.

Staff highlighted a proposed 90‑day “learn” period at program launch during which the registration fee would be waived to encourage early sign-ups, and said income‑restricted units at or below 60% of area median income would be required to register but would be exempt from the fee.

No final vote on the rental-registration ordinance occurred on June 2. Councilors chose to pull the item from the consent agenda for extended discussion and directed staff to revise language addressing the start date and registration timing, clarify penalties and waiver authority, and return with an updated proposal. Councilor Fox and others said any substantive changes to fee structure should be returned to the advisory committee for reconsideration.

The city manager and staff also agreed to bring the matter back for a follow-up discussion so the council could consider whether small landlords should be permanently exempted from the fee or placed on a tiered schedule. The council left the fee structure in the draft code “for now” and asked staff to provide clearer text before the next reading.","Vancouver City Council members debated an ordinance on June 2 that would establish a rental-registration program requiring all rental housing in the city to register annually and pay a $30 per-unit fee, with some exemptions for income-restricted units.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6196909,"Council approves EZ Fiber franchise; members press for coverage maps and protections of front-yard restoration",1042,4504000,5546000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3853923-c0980c0216fbb1e65869886842fd9cba&start=4504&end=5546","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3853923-c0980c0216fbb1e65869886842fd9cba/thumbnail_4504000.jpg","/articles/6196909/Vancouver/Clark-County/Washington/Council-approves-EZ-Fiber-franchise-members-press-for-coverage-maps-and-protections-of-front-yard-restoration","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6196909-57a5529455898dd853e645321e63b1b8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771173867&Signature=o8pEZ-Inq0jTn12AyhHckGNrrMfaOKfZf~6u5~ndlsiwmEXW~yCkCFUbWl5t7ScJi78YdsJ1j73ly~e6NIhb6gA3G~HI0yc8AFUHM3SDvgQKqwG1bMcEqTN2k2fZm3LFbOmvYtYXoUUHVXT8bVg0jq-4gs41ts6CC21SK9WL7lGtJE0qH-44JV7w3pftGyJ2KB-WSty2wDNM2IVO8mYC0q7bjf4a1I6WwKmjshsWQn3SVRdnFBhB8y8sjFtCkp-NcKonKZJ69mXjrajI9yEKZYaz1vUEsRCPt8TwR4OrLqRHjenJpQL7sbnv~a7b4SAgawNRqj70vGw1jtYIpFPy4A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Vancouver City Council on June 2 held a public hearing and approved an ordinance granting a nonexclusive, revocable franchise to EZ Fiber Texas LLC to install and operate fiber-optic telecommunications facilities in the city's public rights of way.

The council approved the EZ Fiber franchise by roll call after a staff presentation; the decision follows earlier franchise agreements discussed that evening, including agreements with Ziply and Flying Bull/Novus Scribe Prime Fiber LLC. Councilors used the hearing to press staff on how fiber construction is routed through neighborhoods, whether alleyways could be used instead of front yards, and how the city enforces restoration of disturbed landscaping.

“Most of the work that they're doing involves non-open trench type work,” said Carrie, staff member, describing industry-standard directional boring and the city’s inspection process. “We really endeavor to make sure that when these things come in and then they move on, that you really don't — you won't notice that they were there in the first place.”

Ryan Lopoza, staff member, told council the utility-inspection team closely monitors construction to ensure public rights of way are restored “as good or better” than before installation. He said companies generally want to be good partners but acknowledged residents have reported obtrusive equipment left in front yards in past projects.

Councilors pressed for more information about whether franchise applicants propose maps showing where they plan to build. Carrie said providers are sometimes reluctant to publish detailed build maps because they consider them proprietary, but the city can require franchise or permit submittals that allow staff to map coverage and identify gaps.

Councilor Paulson asked whether the new entrants are focusing buildout in higher-income neighborhoods and whether the city should require broader coverage. Ryan Lopoza said Ziply has been actively constructing on the East Side and working westward; he said Ziply’s stated plan is to eventually light up the entire city. “Competition is good,” he told council. “More providers should translate to better pricing and more choices for residents.”

Several public commenters raised concerns about fiber and internet — some praising expanded options and others warning about health or social effects. Those comments included strongly worded statements that the city moderated for decorum; staff and council did not adopt those views as policy.

Councilors asked staff to: collect and map franchise and permit data to identify areas that remain underserved; report back on whether franchise agreements can lawfully require providers to prioritize coverage of underserved neighborhoods; and confirm restoration and inspection standards to prevent visible or intrusive infrastructure in private yards.

The council then voted on the EZ Fiber ordinance by roll call; the motion passed with all present councilors voting aye.

The city will retain inspection authority under the franchise terms and has requested build information from providers in order to overlay coverage maps and identify gaps for future outreach and potential partnership.","Vancouver City Council on June 2 approved a franchise for EZ Fiber Texas LLC to install and operate fiber-optic facilities in city rights of way, and used the public hearing to press staff on coverage maps, right-of-way restoration and equitable service distribution.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6196899,"Clark County and Vancouver outline regional parks task team to study sustainable funding and system gaps",602,7933000,8535000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3853923-c0980c0216fbb1e65869886842fd9cba&start=7933&end=8535","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3853923-c0980c0216fbb1e65869886842fd9cba/thumbnail_7933000.jpg","/articles/6196899/Vancouver/Clark-County/Washington/Clark-County-and-Vancouver-outline-regional-parks-task-team-to-study-sustainable-funding-and-system-gaps","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6196899-95f613e1bba7359c761be435199a5e50/orig.mp4?Expires=1771173867&Signature=NMiRyd7oHKJJ6YY8xNv4g4z14Cp6NaSLpTPQ-p15TwHTyiBa~HdbIzPjpi7Ux5XQmokDKL4UThbe6fMMoWnSiWHPrTKVLdLrs9wDh~PVdmZQRbhlOA73h2ZhZT0cXTYHGVaxgfKeUPmgATDWOBHFfMNKN08gDCZedqHqQSZXSV-dQIVaG0cQSLw~hJXbQrkU9LyoLmC1tlBv9kHT6dDM7F1OuQHR411t-kmtLkOUVU3cutUPVjMveJPX9jVTku7WThqcEq4Gw0~NyTx9nbQ-tCEUjAkzMLHP~g8k6005xBLLdM~1a3eDpkRDVDGKpmtdv-dwJLSfttcM1~AXVtMCqA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Clark County and City of Vancouver officials on June 2 outlined a new, countywide effort to evaluate regional parks needs and funding options and asked each city to participate in a task team that will assess gaps, study national models and propose sustainable approaches.

Speakers from Vancouver and Clark County described rapid population growth in the region, the countywide mix of large regional parks and local city parks, and the need to consider the park system in a regional context rather than strictly within jurisdictional lines.

“People don’t think about jurisdictional boundaries when they go to a park,” Vancouver Parks Director Dave Perlick said. “We have an opportunity to build something that works together and provides the greatest amount of benefit in an efficient way for our community.”

Clark County staff said the task team will first benchmark the existing system against national metrics, identify gaps in park acreage, trails and regional connections, and then examine funding and governance models used in other metro areas. The task-team phase is expected to last about six months, followed by broader community engagement and outreach.

Ross Hoover and Jenny Coker of Clark County said the county manages roughly 11,000 acres of parks, natural areas and open space and that population growth has outpaced previous forecasts. The county’s Parks, Recreation, Open Space and Trails (PROS) plan will be updated in 2026 and staff said regional trail connections and coordinated planning are priorities.

Councilors asked for clarity about how Vancouver would specifically benefit. Councilor Paulson said the questions should include lessons from past regional efforts and whether prior efforts failed and why. Councilor Perez requested economic and access-related specifics — such as how funding changes would affect trailheads, kiosks, parking, and maintenance — and asked staff to provide local cost/benefit detail.

Staff said the effort is not itself an annexation plan and stressed that it is an early-stage service-planning conversation intended to inform decision-makers. The county plans to form the task team, visit cities across the county for input and return recommendations to county council and city councils. Clark County Council had asked staff to begin conversations with cities about sustainable parks funding and service planning.

The city signaled support for the regional conversation and requested additional details on how any recommended funding model would deliver concrete benefits to Vancouver residents, including equity-focused access and maintenance commitments. Staff said they would engage Vancouver’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission and return with more detailed benchmarks, maps and fiscal analyses.","Clark County staff and Vancouver Parks officials told the council they will form a countywide task team to evaluate regional parks needs, benchmark systems elsewhere, and recommend sustainable funding models. The process will include data collection, outreach and a six-month task-team phase followed by community engagement.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Staff proposes removing parking minimums for affordable housing; council asks for workshop before final vote

Vancouver council debates rental-registration fee, delays inspection specifics

Council approves EZ Fiber franchise; members press for coverage maps and protections of front-yard restoration

Clark County and Vancouver outline regional parks task team to study sustainable funding and system gaps