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Commission continues discussion of ground‑floor parking rules; planner’s mock‑up shows small net gain in open space
Summary
Planners presented a SketchUp mock‑up showing tuck‑under ground‑floor parking for a typical downtown lot; commissioners debated a 5% open‑space minimum, parking limits, height and incentives for three‑bedroom units and agreed to continue the topic for further refinement.
Planning staff returned to the commission on Nov. 25 to continue work on a ground‑floor parking zoning amendment and showed a SketchUp test on a real vacant downtown lot. The example used a 116‑by‑126‑foot lot, assumed tuck‑under parking and a building up to the existing height limit, and produced roughly 18 parking spaces and a gain of about 936 square feet (6% of the lot) of open space.
Planner Joe said the exercise showed ground‑floor parking would not substantially increase unit counts on many small downtown lots because parking capacity remains the limiting factor, but it could allow larger units and modestly increase usable open space. Commissioners debated whether to set open‑space minimums at 5% and whether to create incentives in the ordinance to encourage three‑bedroom units (which would make the change more attractive to family‑sized housing).
No public hearing or formal vote was taken; commissioners asked staff to refine the draft language, provide a front‑street perspective, and include optional incentives for larger units before returning the matter for further consideration.
