Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Planning And Zoning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council keeps 10-foot minimum parking stalls after hours-long debate and vote
Summary
After council debate about narrow urban infill lots and drivers of larger vehicles, Port Orange rejected a proposal to reduce minimum parking width from 10 feet to 9 feet; the motion failed in roll call.
The City Council voted to retain the current 10-foot minimum for off-street parking stalls after an extended discussion about redevelopment, vehicle sizes and redevelopment site constraints.
Planning staff proposed lowering the standard to 9 feet to accommodate constrained infill sites and to align with many peer cities; staff cited recent development projects that were approved with 9-foot spaces under variance or site-specific agreements. Several council members, citing frequent large trucks and trucks used by residents in rural parts of the city, opposed a blanket reduction and said they would prefer a variance process for constrained redevelopment sites.
Public commenters and council members said narrower stalls increase the risk of door dings and make it difficult for parents to unload children or for older residents using mobility aids. The planning staff said it is common in other cities to use 9-foot stalls, and that the change could offer design flexibility when lots are constrained.
The council called the roll on the ordinance (first-reading code amendment to reduce stall width to 9 feet); the roll returned unanimous "No" votes and the proposal did not advance.
What happened: Staff recommended the code change; council rejected it and told staff to continue processing constrained cases through variance or site-specific review.
