Planning commission asks staff to limit parking‑minimum reforms to downtown rather than citywide

The Richland Planning Commission voted to direct staff to return with an ordinance that narrows proposed parking‑minimum reforms to the city’s Central Business District (CBD), after hearing consultant findings, public comment and a spirited commission discussion.

The decision came after a consultant presentation on a parking optimization study and a public hearing that included local residents and planners who urged both immediate action and caution.

"I hope that this parking, getting rid of this parking minimum will give it another surge forward so that we can keep moving towards having a nice downtown area," Richland resident Randy Slovak told the commission during public comment. City planning staff and a consultant from Kimley‑Horn presented a parking study that analyzed downtown parking patterns and recommended options ranging from adopting state parking reforms to abolishing minimums citywide.

Staff background and consultant work

Mike Stevens, Richland planning manager, summarized the process: the city contracted Kimley‑Horn to analyze parking in the downtown Central Business District because several projects and ongoing council discussions had highlighted concerns about how parking requirements affect downtown redevelopment. The consultant, Robert Farren of Kimley‑Horn, told commissioners the study focused on the CBD and its stakeholder engagement likewise concentrated on downtown property owners and representatives.

Farren said the firm evaluated three policy options: implement the state‑mandated parking reforms as written; adopt the state mandates and abolish minimums in the CBD; or abolish minimums citywide. The study’s findings and many national examples showed the largest economic and redevelopment benefits in denser, urban and transit‑oriented areas where site constraints make required on‑site parking a barrier to reuse or infill development.

Public comment and commissioner concerns

Public commenters and several commissioners urged different approaches. Francesca Meyer, a Richland resident and former planning commission chair, told commissioners much of the local code’s trip‑generation and parking ratios are “plucked from the air,” and that the current standards can block redevelopment. By contrast, other commissioners raised concerns about spillover parking, enforcement burdens, and how removing minimums might interact with accessibility requirements and on‑street parking in neighborhoods.

"The research generally shows on average parking being delivered at a similar rate as was previously required," the consultant said in response to questions about where vehicles would go if minimums were removed. He also recommended parking‑management tools—time limits, enforcement, on‑street delineation and targeted additional on‑street spaces—if spillover occurs.

Vote and direction to staff

Commissioner [name recorded in roll call as] moved that staff return with a revised ordinance focused on the Central Business District, with explicit attention to accessibility and other design details; the motion was seconded. The commission voted by roll call: Chair Richardson, Commissioners Hernandez, Lambert, Leonard and Samuel voted yes; Vice Chair Nicholson and Commissioner Anderson voted no. The motion passed.

What this means

- The commission did not adopt the study’s broadest option (citywide repeal) at this meeting. Instead it directed staff to prepare CBD‑focused code language and to return with that ordinance for further public discussion and action.

- The consultant emphasized the study did not include a citywide analysis and recommended downtown‑first reforms where redevelopment constraints are greatest. Staff said additional interdepartmental coordination (public works, transit, building) would be advisable before any citywide policy change.

Quotes

"This is something that gets complained about all the time by developers," said Kurt Meyer, a Richland resident. "It makes permitting harder. It makes using existing buildings harder."

"If the community felt additional discourse and conversation was needed, if this was to roll out at a citywide level, that would be my only caution," consultant Robert Farren said in reply to commissioners’ questions.

Next steps and context

Staff told the commission it could return a CBD‑focused draft ordinance at a subsequent meeting (staff suggested a target for the December meeting cycle) after additional interdepartmental coordination and refined language addressing accessibility (ADA parking rules), bicycle parking quality, and parking‑management tools.

Ending

The commission’s recommendation will go to City Council as a planning commission referral; City Council retains final authority to adopt code changes. Commissioners said they favored a careful, downtown‑first approach that preserves the ability to revisit citywide options after additional study and public outreach.