Council hears debate, delays decision on ordinance to allow underground parking structures in commercial zones

Midway City Council on Tuesday held a public hearing and extended debate on proposed Ordinance 2025-18, a code text amendment to allow multi-level (stacked) parking structures under conditions in Midway’s commercial zones. The council continued the item to allow staff to refine the ordinance language on visibility, natural-grade definitions and stormwater/engineering requirements.

Michael (city staff member) opened the staff presentation with background: Midway’s current code prohibits parking structures. The applicant asked to allow parking structures as a conditional use; staff drafted an alternative that would allow stacked parking only where specific requirements are met, chief among them that only one layer of parking be visible at natural grade and additional levels be entirely below natural grade.

The draft conditions discussed on the record included limits on ramp visibility and location, a prohibition on creating new “natural grade” by berms, maximum ramp slopes (10% unless heated/covered), requirements for ventilation, lighting and storm-water control for below-grade levels, and a provision disallowing reclaimed surface-area gains from stacked parking to be converted into additional building floor area.

Paul (project representative) presented a specific proposal for the Southfield property that would replace a large surface parking area with below-grade parking and rooftop amenities (tennis/pickleball courts and landscape). He said the project’s building footprint and massing would not change from the previously approved master plan, but the surface parking would be reconfigured so the visible public-facing areas preserve the main-street character.

Council members raised technical and policy concerns in a lengthy discussion: several asked for clearer, tighter language around “natural grade” (edge cases where surface lots are already built slightly over natural grade), the definition of what “visible” means for the first layer of parking, requirements to keep ramps, entrances and exits out of Main Street sightlines, and explicit engineering/Stormwater language to require compliance with city engineering standards.

Council member Kevin said he was concerned that subterranean parking could enable denser commercial development by freeing up surface area that otherwise would limit building footprint, and he suggested adding a clause to prevent developers from using freed-up area to expand building floor area. Other council members responded that item 9 in the draft (which disallows converting area gained from stacked parking into additional building area) already addresses that concern but agreed the draft could be clarified.

Speakers noted trade-offs: subterranean parking reduces visible surface lots (which many residents find unattractive) and can allow more usable open or amenity space at the surface, but if not regulated it can enable larger building footprints and an urban character that some members said is not desirable on Midway’s Main Street.

Councilors requested staff to revise the ordinance text to: (1) clarify “natural grade” and how small grade adjustments are treated; (2) reword the “one visible parking layer” standard to remove ambiguity (several suggested “one at-or-above natural grade”); (3) add an explicit engineering/stormwater/groundwater requirement referencing Midway engineering specifications; (4) add a clear prohibition on placing buildings above stacked parking where the council wants to prevent that result; and (5) either remove or narrowly define the provision allowing parking under designated open space until the council develops a clear open-space definition for the commercial zone or applies the allowance to a single master-plan amendment (Southfield) rather than the entire code.

By consensus on the record, the council left the public hearing open for comment and then voted to continue consideration of Ordinance 2025-18 so staff could incorporate the council’s direction and produce revised ordinance language. The council encouraged the applicant to proceed with submittals to the city in parallel where possible while the ordinance is refined.

Ending: City staff will return a revised draft reflecting the council’s technical edits; council indicated support for the underlying idea if the code language and limits are tightened to preserve Midway’s Main Street character.