Committee weighs HB 382 changes to local parking rules; proposal would allow one space per unit and off-site options

House Committee on Housing members debated HB 382, a measure that would limit municipal mandatory on-site parking requirements for new housing and allow greater use of off-site parking as a way to reduce redevelopment barriers.

Representative Howland, sponsor of an amendment, said she reduced onerous requirements and proposed a streamlined standard: “I tried to simplify and say… 1 space per unit,” and to allow off-site parking to count toward requirements. She also proposed delaying the effective date to 2026 to give municipalities time to plan financing such as tax-increment financing (TIF) or parking impact fees.

Several members supported the simplified approach. Representative Gibbs recommended retaining “1 space per unit” without tying it to unit size. Representative Aaron said the amendment was “great” because removing all parking requirements could put parking pressure on streets. Representative Dumont and Representative Bolio favored the simpler approach and advised that planning boards can handle off-site arrangements in practice.

Opponents urged keeping the original, broader deregulation. Representative Bolio argued the committee should let developers decide parking needs and flagged the housing shortage: “Let's let people build the housing that people wanna buy first.” Representative Miles and others warned that added language could reintroduce regulation the committee sought to remove.

Decision and next steps: The chair took a hand-count straw poll and recorded enough support to pursue a compromise amendment combining the original bill with a one-space-per-unit floor for residential developments and preserving commercial provisions. The chair said she would work with Representative Paige to draft that amendment for the next committee meeting.