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Bel Air commission weighs ending long-term parking leases and revising fee-in-lieu rules
Summary
Commissioners debated a proposed code amendment to limit long-term (15-year) parking leases, consider shorter leases or grandfathering, and reform fee-in-lieu provisions (currently $4,000 per space) to support parking-fund solvency; the commission voted to ask staff and the Town Board to study and propose changes.
The Town of Bel Air Planning Commission spent substantial time Dec. 4 discussing a proposed amendment to Chapter 165 that would change how the town manages off-site parking: limiting or eliminating long-term (15-year) leases of town-controlled spaces to developers and revising fee-in-lieu rules that let developers pay instead of providing on-site parking.
Steve Chismar (named on the record) and staff said the parking fund is drawing on reserves and the town budgeted about $140,000 from reserves for the parking fund in fiscal year 2026. Chismar warned that long-term leases can "subsidize parking for the project" by encumbering town parking resources…
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