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Sterling Heights parking study finds lots underused; city to fold recommendations into 2026 zoning rewrite
Summary
Consultants told the Sterling Heights City Council a citywide parking study found every studied lot below 55% occupancy and recommended minimums, maximums, shared‑parking incentives and EV‑ready requirements to align the zoning rewrite with redevelopment goals.
A citywide parking study presented to the Sterling Heights City Council found that every off‑street lot the consultants examined had occupancy below 55 percent — far short of the 75–85 percent range planners generally recommend.
"Every parking lot that we studied, occupancy never exceeded 55%," consultant Kayla Malden said, summarizing field counts and aerial observations gathered into a proprietary ArcGIS tool the city will receive. In one example the team reported a peak observed occupancy of 22 percent at a movie theater parking lot.
The consulting team from Spalding Decker and city planner Dr. Parcel said the study tested proposed parking minimums and maximums against observed demand and recommended a layered approach: base minimums, context‑specific maximums, shared‑parking incentives for adjacent uses, bike parking, pedestrian connections and EV‑charging readiness for new development. "We provided recommendations on parking reductions and what standards you may look at to add an additional reduction," Malden said.
Councilmembers asked whether the Institute of Transportation Engineers' (ITE) parking generation guidance overstates local demand. The consultants said ITE offers crowd‑sourced national data and that Sterling Heights’ suburban context and site‑specific conditions warranted a local calibration. "We were looking closer to that 75%" utilization target, Malden said.
Officials highlighted early wins. Dr. Parcel described a recently approved plaza where the city reduced 150 parking spaces and added 54 trees, nearly 200 shrubs and a 4,500‑square‑foot plaza to improve pedestrian access and landscaping.
City staff said the recommendations will be incorporated into a comprehensive zoning ordinance rewrite planned for 2026 and that ordinance language will be drafted later with public hearings and additional stakeholder input. The planner and consultants emphasized that the study itself does not change code; it provides the data and recommended language to guide future ordinance amendments.
The council meeting did not contain a vote on zoning changes; staff said they will return with specific ordinance language and a public process before any amendments are adopted.
