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Planning commissioners debate parking caps, on-street credits, bike parking and EV charging
Summary
At a Feb. planning commission continuation, commissioners and consultants debated draft parking rules (Division 3, section 9.7): proposed maximums, whether on-street spaces should count toward requirements, mixed-use/shared parking, bicycle-parking ratios and adding EV-charging infrastructure to large lots.
Chair Lee and the Cathedral City Planning Commission spent a large portion of their Feb. meeting reviewing draft parking provisions in Division 3 of the proposed development code update.
Consultant Brent Gibbons opened the discussion by describing the section's goals: reduce oversupply, reflect the city's transit environment and provide flexibility for commercial development. Gibbons said the draft asks whether to adopt maximum on-site parking caps and whether on-street spaces should be eligible to count toward a development's required parking.
"The city has a lot of parking as it is right now," Gibbons said, noting walking tours that showed many underused commercial lots and a planning objective to push development closer to the street.
Commissioners split over several specifics. Commissioner Malecoff argued measurements should focus on the portion of a business that generates customer parking demand (for example, restaurant seating) rather than gross square footage, and said: "I don't think street parking should count towards the total parking requirement except in the downtown, where downtowns are just special." Malecoff also urged an administrative procedure so a large retailer could seek additional spaces if required for operations.
Vice Chair Mead and others pressed for rules to cover mixed-use garages, stressing separation and restricted access where residential units share parking with commercial uses. Mead said the commission should require code provisions laying out division, entrances and security for shared or subterranean parking.
Commissioners discussed valet operations and whether the code should allow on-street valet as a partial credit. Staff told the commission the current code does not allow on-street parking to satisfy parking requirements and would require a code change if commissioners wished to permit it. Several members warned valet credits should not be cumulative in ways that encourage underused on-site lots while valets occupy street spaces.
Bicycle parking prompted a focused debate. The draft showed a 4% bicycle-parking suggestion for some uses and 2% for others; one commissioner called 4% "a bit high" in Cathedral City's climate, while others noted bicycle infrastructure investments (including the CV Link) may increase demand. Commissioners asked for clear minimum-quality and shading standards for racks so bike parking is usable in high temperatures.
On electric-vehicle charging, Chair Lee urged the commission to require or incentivize charging infrastructure in large parking lots. Staff responded that EV-charging requirements are tied to building-code standards and that planning and building staff are coordinating to ensure entitlements anticipate charging infrastructure.
What happens next: staff and the consultant team said they will refine the draft metrics and return with revised language for the commission's review in a future meeting.
Provenance: Topic introduced when consultants opened Division 3 (section 9.7) and concluded before the consultant moved to fences and walls.
