Bay County adopts parking rule changes for beach area homes to curb roadside and yard parking

The Bay County Board of County Commissioners adopted text amendments Tuesday to Chapter 25 of the Bay County Land Development Regulations that revise residential parking requirements for the county’s beach area special treatment zone.

Staff said the change aligns county parking requirements for the beaches with the City of Panama City Beach’s front beach overlay and clarifies how gross floor area is calculated for parking purposes. Under the adopted language, parking requirements for certain residential uses in the beaches area will be based on gross floor area but will exclude interior parking and garage areas from the gross floor area calculation.

Commissioners and staff discussed problems created by short‑term rentals and larger homes that advertise high capacities but have limited off‑street parking. Staff noted that residential parking areas used to satisfy the requirement do not have to be paved if they meet dimensional standards and are accessible from an approved driveway; common‑area parking serving multiple lots can be counted toward compliance.

Wayne Porter, planning staff, said the planning commission recommended approval subject to a definition of gross floor area. Staff proposed language in LDR Appendix A to define gross floor area and to explicitly exclude interior parking and garage areas from the calculation.

The board voted to adopt the ordinance; commissioners said the change aims to reduce parking in rights‑of‑way and yards and to reduce traffic obstructions that can block emergency access.