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Orrville council adopts parking-code change reverting to pre-2020 measurement for retail spaces
Summary
On Oct. 7 the Orrville City Council adopted Ordinance E-24 to amend Chapter 1112.07 of the zoning code, returning parking calculations for retail stores to the pre-2020 standard (based on customer service area). Safety-Service Director Wheeler cited a Dairy Queen example to show the current code would require substantially more spaces.
Orrville — The Orrville City Council on Oct. 7 adopted Ordinance E-24, amending Chapter 1112, Section 1112.07 of the city zoning code to revert parking calculations for retail stores and services to the pre-2020 language.
Safety-Service Director Wheeler told the council the earlier standard measured parking by customer service area (one parking space per 75 square feet of customer service area plus one space per three employees). By contrast, a later change measured total building square footage, which included storage and cooler areas that typically do not require customer parking. "Under the current code they would need 52 spaces," Wheeler said while citing Dairy Queen as an example; the speaker said Dairy Queen currently has 34 spaces and is building a new building that would provide 38 spaces under the proposed reversion.
The change was introduced for a public hearing and, after no additional comments, Councilmember Squirrell moved to adopt the ordinance; Carr seconded and the motion carried on a voice vote (all ayes). The ordinance text is titled: "Ordinance E-24, An Ordinance amending Chapter 1112, Section 1112.07 of the Zoning Code of the City of Orrville, Ohio, relating to Parking and Access for Retail Stores and Services."
Why it matters: Changing the measurement from total building square footage back to customer service area reduces required parking in many retail remodels and new-construction scenarios, which can affect lot layouts, curb cuts and potential off-site parking requirements. The council did not discuss an effective date in the transcript; implementation steps and any required administrative updates to building-permit procedures were not specified.
Council action and next steps: The ordinance passed on third reading and was adopted as read. No amendments were recorded in the meeting transcript. Additional questions about site-specific impacts (beyond the Dairy Queen example) were not raised during the meeting.
