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Council approves special review for Energy Labs parking lot after debate over required spaces and landscaping
Summary
Council approved a special review allowing Energy Laboratories to construct a 40-space surface parking lot; planning staff and the applicant said 53 total stalls are required by code after an upcoming building addition, and the design includes landscape islands and lighting; two council members voted no, citing over-requirement of parking.
Billings — The City Council approved Special Review 1001 to allow construction of a 40-stall surface parking lot at 1108–1110 South 28th Street for Energy Laboratories, with conditions for landscaping, fencing, lighting, and bicycle parking.
Planning staff said the parcel is an infill site and that the Zoning Commission recommended conditional approval. The agent, Stephanie Donovan, said the city-calculated requirement for the planned addition is 53 stalls; the proposed new lot would provide 40 stalls with the remainder provided at an existing lot south of the building.
Donovan said the landscape plan uses low shrubs ("30 inches or lower") and canopy trees in islands; she told council the shrubs and trees meet code and will be maintained. "All the shrubs are low. They're 30 inches or lower, so they're not tall, which meets, you know, CPTED standards," Donovan said.
Some council members questioned whether the city code forces overly rigid parking standards that impose costs and encourage paving rather than more flexible solutions. Council member Ripsis said he would vote against the criteria, calling the required extra pavement “the exact opposite of good, smart infill development.” Council member Nees also voted no; however, the motion passed, with council members citing canopy-tree benefits and stormwater and safety care.
The conditions require landscape buffering, shielded lighting, bike racks closer to the building, and construction-hour limits. The project must meet site plan and permitting requirements before construction can begin.
