Planning board asks staff to draft amendment to reduce office parking minimums

The planning board signaled support for drafting a Land Development Code amendment to reduce office parking minimums, following a presentation by property‑owner representatives citing national office occupancy data. Presenter Zach Lombardo summarized the proposal as targeting office uses: "We're proposing for you to consider to propose to Council is to reduce the office parking requirement from 1 to 300 to 1 to 600," he said.

Board members and staff discussed possible unintended consequences — notably that freeing regulatory parking could make space available for restaurants or other higher‑intensity uses in mixed‑use buildings. Members suggested drafting alternatives, including an exception for buildings that contain restaurants or other non‑office uses, or presenting multiple options for public hearing. Mary Holden said staff could prepare and return a draft ordinance for the board to review and then forward to council for the required two hearings.