The Washington City Council adopted an ordinance Dec. 2 amending section 400.265.c of the city zoning code to reduce minimum off‑street parking requirements for retail in the city’s general mixed‑use district from one space per 250 square feet (gross) to one space per 350 square feet (gross).

Council members and planning staff said the change is intended to better reflect mixed uses in the C‑2 district, reduce excessive paved area, and allow more landscaped or stormwater‑management features in large parking lots. Planning staff told the council that a 55,000‑square‑foot retail building under the new standard would require 158 parking spaces, down from 220 under the current code.

The council held a public hearing on the code amendment during its regular meeting. Planning staff told the council that the Planning & Zoning Commission recommended the reduction after studying the C‑2 area and aligning the change with the city’s comprehensive plan. The staff presentation noted online shopping trends, variation in shopping‑center occupancy and an effort to avoid differentiating public versus nonpublic floor area for calculation simplicity.

Council members questioned how the change would affect regulatory responsibilities and stormwater (MS4) obligations. Staff said reducing paved surface should help by allowing more green space and that existing parking lots are grandfathered; lots already built would remain unless redeveloped. Staff also said site plan review and the site plan committee would continue to check parking where building footprints or uses change, and that temporary uses (for example, placing seasonal merchandise in parking spaces) do not count toward required spaces.

After discussion the council voted to adopt the ordinance. The ordinance was introduced as an amendment to section 400.265.c; the council recorded its passage as “ordinance 3b.”

The change applies to future development and to site plans submitted after the ordinance takes effect. Staff and council members said the amendment is intended to enable redevelopment opportunities in shopping centers, reduce unnecessary impervious surface, and make room for trees and other stormwater‑management measures required by the code for lots with more than 30 spaces.

Council members did not specify an effective date in the public discussion beyond the standard ordinance process, and staff said existing parking facilities are not reduced retroactively by the amendment.