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Commissioners narrow e‑bike credit to long‑term parking, flag EV code and parking size issues
Summary
The Planning Commission discussed EV‑charging code recommendations and e‑bike charging credit for transportation demand management; staff and commissioners agreed to limit e‑bike charge credit to long‑term (covered/indoor) bike parking and to clarify parking stall size language to remain consistent with state law.
At the public hearing on the LDR amendments, staff and several commissioners discussed transportation items included in the draft, including proposed language for EV charging requirements and credits for e‑bike charging under the Transportation Demand Management (TDM) program.
Staff said they had received written comments from an “EV Charging for All” coalition and from local stakeholders and that those recommendations were included in the packet. Discussion among commissioners and members of the public focused on whether a credit toward TDM requirements should be available for short‑term (outdoor) bike racks that include electrical outlets. Commissioner Colin Lawrence flagged a practical concern: “the chargers are basically glorified laptop chargers,” and he and others observed that most e‑bike chargers are not weatherproof and rely on removable batteries or indoor charging.
Because short‑term bike racks are usually outdoors, multiple commissioners and staff supported limiting the TDM credit for e‑bike charging to long‑term bike parking (covered or indoor) where batteries and chargers are protected. Staff took a straw poll of the commission and recorded support for restricting the credit to long‑term parking.
Parking‑stall size. Commissioners also discussed the LDR table that sets a new standard parking stall size of 9 by 18 feet, and staff noted a recent state law that constrains local regulation of parking stall dimensions. Commissioners asked staff to make the local language flexible enough to allow larger stalls where needed (for example for parallel parking) while adhering to the state statute’s limits on mandating larger minimums.
Next steps. Staff said they will amend the draft to limit e‑bike charging credit to long‑term parking, to clarify the definition of long‑term bike parking, and to revise the parking‑stall language to reflect the state statute and to allow larger stalls where applicants propose them.
