Council staff briefed on parking manual amendments to comply with SB 181 and HB 368
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Sign Up Free
Summary
Planning staff proposed codifying the off‑street parking manual and allowing tandem and driveway parking to count toward minimums in specified residential situations to meet state law; staff do not propose changing parking dimensions, minimums, or landscaping/surface standards.
Planning staff told the council the city must update municipal code and the off‑street parking manual to conform with two state laws (SB 181 and HB 368) adopted in the most recent legislative session. The amendments presented to the council would formally codify the off‑street parking manual and make several targeted changes while retaining current parking dimensions, minimum requirements, landscaping, and surface standards.
Key points: Staff recommended allowing tandem parking to be used to satisfy minimum parking requirements across land uses and allowing driveway parking to count for single‑family, two‑family, rowhouse, and townhome uses provided the driveway leads to at least one space behind the front building line. For residential tandem layouts, staff proposed an assignment requirement so two tandem spaces are allocated to a single dwelling unit to avoid access conflicts. The changes are intended to reduce barriers to housing and to ensure local code aligns with the state compliance deadline of Dec. 31, 2025.
Council questions and clarifications: Council members asked whether tandem parking could be unlimited (staff said it can meet minimums but only in two‑deep rows, not three), whether mechanical stacking is permissible (it may be allowed depending on the use and location but cannot be used to circumvent building‑use requirements), and how enforcement interacts with storage of vehicles outside enclosed spaces (staff said enforcement practices would not change; this update addresses minimum parking, not outdoor storage enforcement).
Why this matters: The amendments are compliance measures tied to state law and may affect how developers configure parking and how single‑family and small‑multifamily projects count driveway and tandem spaces when meeting minimums.
Next steps: Staff recommended adoption of the zoning code amendments and codification of the off‑street parking manual; the item will move forward for formal consideration per the council's legislative process.