Planning board approves off‑site parking at 120 La Quinta Place to support 115 La Quinta redevelopment, with conditions

The Planning & Zoning Board approved a use‑by‑exception to allow an off‑site commercial parking lot at 120 La Quinta Place to serve proposed redevelopment at 115 La Quinta Place, but the decision drew sustained public opposition at the hearing from nearby residents who raised concerns about alley access, flooding and neighborhood character.

Applicant and staff: Attorney James Whitehouse, representing the property owner, told the board the proposed 11‑space parking lot lies about 150 feet from the development at 115 La Quinta and is permitted by the zoning code’s off‑site parking provision when conditions are met. Staff recommended approval after the applicant supplied additional information requested at a prior hearing, including a conceptual site plan for 115 La Quinta demonstrating the parking need to rehabilitate and re‑use three existing buildings on that lot.

Public concerns: Neighbors opposed the lot during public comment, saying the alley that would serve the parking is narrow, unpaved, often clogged with existing deliveries and dumpsters, and prone to flooding. “The alley is poorly lit at night,” one resident said, and several noted repeated flooding near Riberia and San Sebastian after recent storms. Neighbors also questioned whether a parking easement would remain if the developer did not build the planned restaurant or sold the property.

Board discussion and conditions: Board members debated whether the use met the code’s requirements that such an exception be controlled and promote public welfare. Several board members said the lot is in a commercial district and that other nearby lots already operate from the alley; others said more assurances were needed to prevent neighborhood impacts.

The board approved the use‑by‑exception with conditions to limit neighborhood impacts: the off‑site lot must be limited to the owner/applicant (if the property is transferred, the new owner must obtain a new approval), the parking is to be used principally for staff (to reduce turnover), no dumpster is allowed on the lot, no commercial deliveries may occur from the alley, a solid six‑foot screening wall or fence is required along property lines adjacent to residential lots in accordance with code, the parking facility may not be used as a general 24/7 public lot, and the approval was granted for a two‑year period (rather than the one‑year minimum in the code) to allow time for the 115 La Quinta development to proceed. The applicant indicated willingness to record any necessary agreements and to tie the parking activation to development of 115 La Quinta.

Motion and vote: The motion to approve the use‑by‑exception passed on roll call: Mike Davis — yes; Ashley Barnes — yes; Susan Johns — yes; Matthew Schafer — no; Carl Blow — yes; Charles Pappas — no. The board recorded the approval of application 2025‑0049 with the listed conditions.

Next steps: Staff will draft a written order capturing the conditions; staff and the applicant agreed the applicant would work with the city to record any required easement or covenants. The board’s decision allows the owner to provide off‑site parking for the proposed reuse and rehabilitation of the buildings at 115 La Quinta, which the applicant described as a mix of museum, retail and a 60‑seat restaurant in the conceptual plan shown to the board.