Committee hears staff recommendation to retain Miami Beach parking impact fee at current level

City planning staff told the Finance and Economic Resiliency Committee that the city’s parking impact fee—an in‑lieu charge for developments that provide fewer than required off‑street spaces—remains at $40,000 per space and that the administration does not recommend raising it to a construction‑cost‑adjusted figure.

Staff noted a recent parking‑garage project after CPI adjustment would translate to roughly $55,000 per space, but the administration said raising the fee would sharply increase the annual in‑lieu payment (from about $800 to roughly $1,100 per space per year) and could disproportionately affect small businesses. Planning memorandum materials show the city has not comprehensively updated off‑street parking requirements since 1989.

Commissioners used the briefing to question broader policy choices. One commissioner said many new parking structures appear underused and argued the city should reconsider minimum parking requirements and rely more on demand management. The commissioner moved to refer zoning‑related parking standards to the Land Use Committee; planning staff and the committee agreed the issue should be considered by Land Use and later by the full commission.

The committee also voted to return the item to the commission with a favorable recommendation for the administration’s recommendation to keep the one‑time fee at $40,000 per space. Committee members suggested a referral to Land Use for a broader reevaluation of off‑street parking requirements and to study options such as shared parking, resident parking rates in underused garages, and incentives to reduce parking supply.