Commission debates strip-mall parking rules and shared-parking options after tenant seeks space at Brandon 90 Plaza

At the meeting a construction representative, Leroy Aske, told the Planning and Zoning Commission his client’s strip mall (1313–1321 E. Ash Place, the Jimmy John’s building) faces parking shortfalls if a restaurant tenant occupies a vacant unit under current city parking standards. Staff said Brandon typically uses a retail standard of 1 parking stall per 300 square feet and an eating-and-drinking standard of 1 per 100 square feet (or seat-based), which can produce dramatically different requirements depending on the tenant. Aske said Jimmy John’s occupies about 1,500 square feet and the prospective tenant would be about 2,600 square feet; under a stricter restaurant standard they would not have sufficient on-site stalls. Staff described how Sioux Falls applies an intermediate 1-per-200 standard for strip malls at the building phase to avoid re-evaluating tenant changes each time. Commissioners discussed several options: (1) apply a 1-per-200 strip-mall standard on initial building permit and only revisit if the building is substantially altered; (2) continue applying standards at each change-of-use/building-permit if the use type changes materially; and (3) allow shared parking through a conditional-use permitting process when peak hours do not overlap. Commissioners asked staff to prepare draft language (including a potential classification that differentiates high- and low-density eating/drinking establishments by percent of floor area dedicated to seating) and return the item to a future agenda; staff estimated drafting an amendment would take roughly 60–90 days. Leroy Aske said he would seek tenant commitments and may pursue a building permit, a conditional-use path or acquiring adjacent land depending on cost and timing.