Edmonds council adopts lower parking minimums for new residential developments

Edmonds — The City Council on July 22 adopted changes to the Community Development Code that revise residential parking requirements after brief debate and two motions on the council floor.

Council member Nand moved to remove a third “whereas” clause in the ordinance that read, in part, that “excessive off‑street parking requirements create unnecessary expense and consume valuable land.” The motion to strike that clause was seconded and put to a roll‑call vote; the motion failed, recorded in the transcript as a 3‑to‑4 vote, and the clause remained in the ordinance text.

Council President Pro Tem then moved to adopt the ordinance amending the parking requirements for residential developments. The motion was seconded and carried on a council vote. Council members said they wanted the change codified after lengthy discussion at prior meetings; proponents argued the reduced parking minimums will lower development cost and help encourage housing supply.

Council member Dash supported removing language that he said sounded “more appropriate for Seattle,” while Council member Nand said the clause did not reflect the sentiment of his constituents and had pulled the item from consent to highlight that point.

The adopted ordinance updates minimum parking ratios for residential projects; the council did not adopt additional amendments during the July 22 meeting and no further changes were recorded.

Why this matters: Lower parking minimums can reduce the cost and land footprint of new housing, potentially affecting housing supply and neighborhood parking demand. Council members stressed constituents’ views during debate.

The ordinance was adopted during the meeting; staff will implement the code change through standard permitting and code‑administration channels.