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Planning board favorably recommends citywide reduction of residential parking minimums to City Council
Summary
The Planning Board voted 4–0 to favorably recommend a petition to reduce minimum off‑street parking for single‑, two‑, three‑ and multifamily dwellings from 2 spaces to 1 space per unit. Staff noted overlay district inconsistencies and said the administration will propose a comprehensive ordinance update later in the year.
The Worcester Planning Board on Aug. 5 voted unanimously to favorably recommend a petition to the City Council that would reduce the base off‑street parking requirement for single‑, two‑, three‑ and multifamily dwellings from two spaces per unit to one.
Petitioner Mark Borenstein argued the change would codify recent practice and better align requirements with actual demand: "We require way too much parking in the city of Worcester, as I'm sure the board would agree with," he told members. Planning staff (Michelle Smith) said multiple recent city plans and data show many households have one or fewer vehicles and recommended a comprehensive ordinance update to reconcile effects on overlay districts (for example, some Commercial Corridor Overlay District subareas currently require parking at levels above the petitioned base). Smith noted that, under existing inclusionary zoning incentives, required parking in some projects can already be reduced (effectively to 0.5 spaces per unit in certain eligible affordable developments), so the petition could interact with those provisions.
The board asked staff to continue work on a comprehensive citywide approach and to reconcile overlay district language before council action. The board's favorable recommendation now goes to City Council for further review and potential ordinance change.
