Dallas considering eliminating parking minimums

City planners say that much of Dallas' parking code was developed in the 1940s and reflects outmoded ideas about land use.

A plan from city hall to eliminate the requirement that developers build a set number of off-street parking spaces received its most recent public hearing on Thursday.

The City Plan and Zoning Commission, which hears proposed changes to city code and zoning before ideas are advanced to the city council, set a March 6 date for a final vote to recommend parking code changes.

City planners say doing away with minimums will free up considerable time and resources for staff, saying 50% - 70% of the time permitting new builds is spent on developers meeting specified parking minimums.

Additionally, the city of Dallas Planning and Development said parking reform would allow the market to dictate the number of parking spaces needed for new projects, saying the current parking code is a one-size system that doesn't address current building and land use.

A number of speakers during the public hearing on Thursday supported eliminating parking minimums, saying it would allow more opportunities for small entrepreneurs to start businesses without having to worry about a minimum required amount of parking spaces.

Mark Rieves lives in Lower Greenville and said he understands much of Dallas is over-parked with too many large surface lots going unused. Still, there is concern in older established neighborhoods about eliminating parking minimums too quickly.

“Let’s not go overboard at the very beginning," Rieves said. "If we just eliminate parking all the way around in the city of Dallas, and then we have problems, we can't get it back. It's, then, we would be taking.”

Rieves and District 14 plan commissioner Melissa Kingston, who represents the area, pointed to the passage of a planned development ordinance for Lower Greenville in 2011 that included parking minimums as a key piece in turning the area into a premier neighborhood entertainment district after struggling with crime from late-night establishments years prior.

One of the requirements included a minimum number of parking spots for bars and restaurants.

City planners on Thursday said they don't recommend parking minimums for bars because it promotes people driving to parking lots and establishments where customers patronize to consume alcohol.

A Lower Greenville bar owner who spoke with NBC 5 on Thursday but didn't want to be identified said a majority of customers now use ride-share services, so parking spaces aren't as integral as in years past.

On Thursday, City Plan Commissioner Brent Rubin asked if current parking regulations prevent new developments "in the mold of Lower Greenville" in other parts of the city.

"It does," City of Dallas planner Michael Wade responded. "Parking minimums do prevent areas like that, whether it's at a large scale, or just a small, more neighborhood supported scale, from being built around the city."

The CPC is expected to advance a recommendation on March 6 updating Dallas' parking code.

The proposal would then require approval of the Dallas City Council later this year.