Council reviews updated middle-housing parking rules, adopts tandem-parking allowances in draft code

City planning staff presented a comprehensive update to Arlington Municipal Code Chapter 20.72 that restructures parking requirements for middle housing, adds explicit tandem-parking rules, and ties parking requirements to original lot size per state guidance.

Amy (staff member) said she recreated the parking table to reflect state rules and local policy. Under the draft, parking for middle housing would be determined by the lot size before subdivision: if the original lot is 6,000 square feet or larger, two parking spaces per dwelling would be required; if the original lot is smaller than 6,000 square feet, one space per dwelling would be required. The code text also retains a statutory exemption: projects within a half-mile walking distance of a major transit stop — the city’s designated stop is Smoky Point — may not be required to provide parking in some cases. "So the parking goes off the size of the lot before a subdivision or lot split," Amy said, and she confirmed the major-transit-stop exemption applies with Smoky Point identified as the city's major transit stop.

The draft also adds explicit rules to allow tandem parking in specific circumstances, including assigned tandem spaces in multifamily developments so spaces are not blocked or cross-assigned. Amy said commercial tandem rules from the existing code were left intact and that the new subsections spell out when tandem is allowed and how spaces must be assigned.

Staff did not change the multifamily parking ratios in the code; Amy said that higher multifamily minimums remain "a directive from council a few years ago," and that the city enforces a condition in multifamily land-use permits making developers or homeowner associations responsible for resolving any parking problems that arise.

Councilmembers discussed enforcement and past issues at a development called Centennial Park, where residents experienced parking shortages while the developer rented units prior to finishing parking. Amy said the developer later added additional parking. Councilmember questions also covered whether yard parking is permitted; staff referenced existing streets and sidewalks code requiring paved parking surfaces (permeable paving options like grasscrete are allowed) and a front-yard paving limit of about 40 percent.

The update was presented in workshop; staff will return with the ordinance text for formal consideration and no vote was taken at this meeting.

Why it matters: The changes implement state guidance on middle housing, standardize how parking is calculated, and allow more predictable use of tandem parking. The rules affect how developers design townhomes and small multi-unit projects and how residents experience street and on-site parking.

Next steps: Staff will bring the finalized ordinance for council action at a subsequent meeting.