Ocean Shores planning commission debates removing retail parking minimums, tables revisions to August meeting

Chair Randy Johnson opened the July 14 City of Ocean Shores Planning Commission meeting by introducing proposed amendments to the city code’s parking schedule that would remove minimum parking-space requirements for certain retail categories.

The proposal described changes to sections of Title 17.54 — with redline language setting ratios such as "1 space per 500 square feet" in some subsections and then adding language to establish "no minimum parking space requirements" for specified retail uses. The chair said the edits would affect subsections e, f and g and showed the draft on the meeting screen.

The change prompted a divided discussion among commissioners over scope and consequences. One commissioner warned of consequences for visitor-serving uses, saying: "If you've got 100 rooms, you should have 100 parking spots," arguing that hotels with inadequate on-site parking would displace vehicles onto nearby streets and harm the visitor experience. Another commissioner asked why the city should set parking levels for a motel owner rather than leave that flexibility to developers.

An agency official advising the commission said staff could defend either approach legally but stressed the role of counsel is to identify enforcement or defensibility problems: "I could defend legally either one of those cases," the official said, adding they would advise the commission if a proposed path looked "perilous."

Commissioners also debated whether the amendment should apply only to retail-style businesses — which often lack dedicated parking — or to all commercial uses. Staff and commissioners noted that separate code sections may require separate ordinances and that a finalized, consolidated draft must be prepared before the commission can hold a public hearing. A staff member said members should produce a single "how you want it" version so the city can schedule the hearing.

Because several commissioners reported they did not have the same draft in hand and members identified multiple competing versions, the commission agreed to delay further action. The item was not voted up or down on the merits; instead the commission agreed to carry the topic forward to the next meeting in August for additional review and a public hearing to be scheduled after a consolidated draft is circulated.

The chair also noted related practical concerns raised in the discussion: the town’s seasonal tourism, constrained downtown and examples of existing businesses that do not meet current standards. Commissioners cited a recently passed state law that reduced single-family detached parking requirements this year as context for reviewing local standards but did not identify a specific statute at the meeting.

Next steps: commissioners instructed staff to circulate a single consolidated draft of the proposed parking-code amendments, confirm which subsections will be included in each ordinance, and schedule a public hearing at a future meeting. The commission will resume the item in August.