Dallas planning panel approves sweeping parking changes, eases requirements near rail and for many restaurants and bars

The City Plan Commission voted March 6 to approve a broad set of changes to Dallas's off-street parking rules, cutting mandatory parking for many uses and exempting properties near rail transit stations.

The biggest single change reduces parking minimums for bars and restaurants to 1 space per 200 square feet of covered area. The commission also approved a separate change limiting parking minimums for bars and restaurants to buildings larger than 2,500 square feet in many districts, and it approved a measure that removes parking minimums for all uses within a half-mile of rail-based transit-oriented development stations.

Commissioners said the reforms are intended to make it easier to reuse older buildings, support small businesses and encourage development near transit. Supporters included restaurant and nightlife groups and advocates for parking reform. Opponents raised concerns about spillover parking into neighborhoods and about how reduced minimums would affect lower-income areas without reliable transit.

Voices at the public hearing were sharply divided. Laura Palmer of the Kid Springs neighborhood said residents already face high curb demand and safety issues near Bishop Arts and asked the commission to protect nearby single-family areas from having minimums reduced near streetcar lines. "We need partnership by honoring our request to remove streetcar from the half-mile," Palmer said…