Wimberley council amends city‑center code to remove downtown off‑street parking minimums; P&Z urged study first

The Wimberley City Council on May 15 approved ordinance 2025‑15, amending City Code Chapter 9.03 Division 5 Section 9.03181 to remove off‑street parking minimums within the city‑center overlay, a change supporters said is needed to allow flexible redevelopment downtown and opponents warned could exacerbate parking and safety issues.

City staff told the council that downtown lots are historically small, often under a quarter acre, and that applying standard parking minimums often forces property owners to pay fee‑in‑lieu amounts rather than provide on‑site parking. Staff cited examples of steep fees for changes of use (base fee scale starting at $5,000 and rising if more than five spaces are needed), and told the council the fee‑in‑lieu fund currently holds about $42,000 from three past payments. Planning and Zoning voted unanimously to recommend denial and to ask the council to form a committee to study parking solutions before repeal.

Four written letters supporting repeal were submitted by downtown property owners (Rodney Hubind, Russ Whistler, Kevin Fowler and Gregory McBride with Chloe Glasscock). At the council meeting, members debated competing priorities: several said eliminating parking minimums supports walkability, protects historic character from pull‑in parking and reduces costly barriers to small businesses; others argued the change risks uncontrolled tenant conversions and asked how the city would enforce employee vs. customer parking and where the fee‑in‑lieu fund would be used. One councilmember urged more study before repeal; another asked staff to return with a plan to refund existing fee‑in‑lieu payments if the ordinance is repealed.

After extended discussion the council approved the ordinance on a 3‑1 vote; the minutes do not record individual yes/no votes in the transcript. The council directed staff to return at a later meeting with details about whether previously collected fee‑in‑lieu funds should be reimbursed to property owners and with options for downtown parking management, signage and shuttle or off‑site parking solutions.