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Planning board weighs flexible parking rules in draft ordinance to allow indoor amusements
Summary
Mount Vernon planners reviewed a draft ordinance that would permit indoor amusement uses (trampoline parks, go‑karts, arcades) in Commercial Business, LI‑7.5 and Industrial districts by special permit; board asked for discretion on parking ratios and recommended staff convey comments to City Council.
The Mount Vernon Planning Board reviewed draft legislation that would amend the zoning code to permit indoor amusement uses by special permit in the city’s Commercial Business (CB), LI‑7.5 and Industrial zoning districts and advised staff to forward board comments back to the City Council ahead of the council’s May public hearing.
Associate Commissioner Lucas Herbert told the board the legislation was modeled on nearby municipalities’ rules and includes a broad definition of indoor amusement uses — examples cited by staff included trampoline parks, go‑kart tracks, batting cages, laser tag, climbing walls and virtual reality arcades. The council had referred both a zoning‑text amendment and an environmental assessment form to the planning board for feedback.
Board members generally expressed support for allowing the uses but asked for regulatory flexibility on parking. Staff said the draft intentionally left specific parking ratios to planning board discretion on a case‑by‑case basis because indoor amusements vary widely in space needs and patron turnover; a climbing wall or VR arcade has very different parking demand than a go‑kart facility. Commissioners urged the applicant and staff to consult the Department of Recreation and to consider whether a council‑managed improvement fund could be created so that large attractions paying into it could help underwrite adjacent infrastructure upgrades.
Lucas Herbert noted a concrete inquiry: a Fun City operator is interested in a former Bed Bath & Beyond space downtown and the middle‑level parking there is currently underused — a circumstance that would ease parking supply concerns for that particular site. The board asked staff to pass the planning comments to the council (Lucas Herbert and James will convey them), and staff confirmed the council’s public hearing on the ordinance is scheduled for May 14.
Why it matters: Allowing indoor amusement uses can expand local entertainment options and capture economic activity downtown, but the varied footprints and intensity of those uses make fixed city‑wide parking formulas impractical. The board’s request for case‑by‑case parking discretion and a discussion with recreation staff reflects a preference for tailored conditions on special permits rather than a one‑size‑fits‑all parking ratio.
What’s next: Staff will transmit the planning board’s feedback to City Council for the May 14 hearing; the board also recommended outreach to the recreation department and consideration of an infrastructure improvement fund paid by developers as a mitigation option.
