Worcester panel asks administration to draft zoning changes to reduce off‑street parking minimums

Chair Councilor Morris Bergman and planning staff heard more than a dozen residents, developers and business representatives urge the city to reduce minimum off‑street parking requirements to spur housing development and reduce construction costs.

"We support item 3c to reduce parking minimums," Doug Quattroci, executive director of Mass Landlords, told the committee, saying the Worcester Now Next plan recommends the change and that smaller parking ratios would let the market determine how much parking is needed. Mike Cain of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce highlighted the expense of structured parking, telling members that a 2019 chamber figure showed about $60,000 per structured parking space. Josh Boucher cited an industry report showing a U.S. median parking‑garage cost of roughly $33,000 per space and said high parking costs discourage small developers from building housing in Worcester.

Chief Development Officer Peter Dunn framed the item as an "informational communication" tied to Now Next’s list of six early actions. He said staff had studied other cities and planned to return with a specific draft ordinance in the fall. "At one extreme is the elimination of off‑street parking," Dunn said, while noting downtown overlay districts in Worcester already have no required off‑street parking. He also said empirical data from recent multifamily projects show market demand closer to 0.75–1.0 parking spaces per unit than the current 2 spaces per unit baseline.

Assistant Chief Development Officer Michelle Smith and Dunn told councilors most variance requests to the Zoning Board of Appeals seeking parking relief are granted (staff estimated more than 90% approval), which they said suggests the ordinance is out of step with current market demands.

Councilors questioned whether changes would apply only to new development or to changes in use and asked how accessible parking and building‑code requirements would be protected. Staff said building‑code accessibility standards would remain unchanged and that the zoning changes would primarily affect new construction and changes of use, although reducing minimums could enable more infill and adaptive reuse.

After public testimony and staff answers, Chair Bergman moved to file the communication and issued a chairman’s order asking that the economic development office, in conjunction with the city manager, prepare a draft zoning amendment to reduce parking ratios consistent with public feedback and committee comments. The committee took a roll call and voted unanimously to file and request the draft ordinance.

The administration said it will continue stakeholder outreach and return with a recommended ordinance and draft language for the council to consider. The committee did not adopt specific new ratios at this meeting and left detailed numeric proposals for a future staff report and ordinance drafting process.

The subcommittee’s next formal step will be receipt of the administration’s draft ordinance and any required hearings at the Planning Board and full City Council.