Dayton planners debate reducing multifamily parking and standardizing event‑center requirements

City planning staff and commissioners discussed possible changes to Dayton’s multifamily and event‑center parking standards during the Oct. 2 Planning Commission meeting.

Planner Hayden explained options ranging from switching parking requirements from a per‑unit basis to a per‑bedroom basis to keeping the current per‑unit standard with flexibilities such as proof‑of‑parking plans and professional parking studies. Using the recent Parkway neighborhood multifamily proposal as an example, Hayden said a per‑bedroom approach could reduce required stalls by roughly 75–90 spaces for that project.

"If we moved to a per‑bedroom basis, there would be a significant reduction — right around 85 to 90 spaces less for the Parkway neighborhood," Hayden said, noting the city also offers a proof‑of‑parking mechanism that allows developers to defer some stalls subject to later installation if issues arise.

Commissioners weighed developer feasibility against resident impacts. Several urged caution about under‑parking and noted Dayton prohibits overnight street parking, which raises the cost of under‑providing on‑site stalls. Commissioner comments favored requiring developers to provide parking studies if they request reductions; others noted the city already has code language allowing limited flexibility through PUDs and proof‑of‑parking.

The commission also discussed event‑center parking. Hayden said some ordinance language treats event centers differently across zoning sections; staff recommended aligning the standard to 1 space per 3 occupants (including employees), which mirrors surrounding communities’ practice. Commissioners agreed this standard is reasonable and noted occupancy is set by the building code.

No code changes were adopted; staff will compile comments (including emailed input from Commissioners Brown and Demuth) and return with a summary and suggested ordinance language if warranted.