CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Pass the ordinance approving a parking variance for the property located at 1112 S. Washington Street - PZC 23-1-093
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DEPARTMENT: Transportation, Engineering and Development
SUBMITTED BY: John Scopelliti, Assistant Planner
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
The Planning and Zoning Commission considered PZC 23-1-093 on October 18, 2023, and recommended approval of the request (approved 9-0). Staff concurs.
BACKGROUND:
The subject property is zoned OCI (Office, Commercial, and Institutional District) and is located at 1112 S. Washington Street. The petitioner, Inhun Baek with Kingdom Martial Arts, requests approval of a variance to Section 6-9-3 (Schedule of Off-Street Parking Requirements) to reduce the required number of parking spaces on the subject property from 161 spaces to 140 spaces to accommodate the building’s proposed tenant mix.
DISCUSSION:
The subject property is improved with an approximately 36,222 square-foot building and 140 shared parking spaces. The current tenant mix is varied and includes a learning center, multiple fitness facilities (including a dance studio), and medical/dental/professional offices that have different parking requirements per Section 6-9-3 (Schedule of Off Street Parking Requirements) of the Municipal Code.
The purpose of the City’s parking requirements is to ensure that adequate parking is provided to meet demand. Based on the building’s current tenant mix and each tenants’ corresponding parking requirements, there is an existing shortage of 3 code-required parking spaces on-site. This shortage indicates there are no excess parking spaces available to accommodate additional tenants such as Kingdom Martial Arts (even though the building has three vacant tenant spaces).
Parking Requirements and Vacant Space
The petitioner has provided a tenant roster with required parking information in the attached Parking Study. There are currently three vacant tenant spaces in the building. Kingdom Martial Arts plans to occupy one of the vacant tenant spaces (Suite 100B), and it is assumed that the two remaining vacancies will be occupied by professional offices in the future. Code required parking for these uses is outlined below:
• The tenant space Kingdom Martial Arts intends to occupy is approximately 3,081 square feet in size. Section 6-9-3:6 (Schedule of Off Street Parking Requirements) of the Code requires fitness facilities to have a parking ratio of 4 parking spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area, resulting in 12 required parking spaces for Kingdom Martial Arts.
• Professional offices are required to have 3 parking spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area. The two vacant tenant spaces in the building total approximately 1,650 square feet, requiring an additional 6 parking spaces to be provided on site.
Based on the above calculations, Kingdom Martial Arts and occupancy of the vacant office spaces will require an additional 18 parking spaces to be provided on site to comply with the City’s parking requirements.
Parking Analysis
Pursuant to Section 6-9-3 (Schedule of Off Street Parking Requirements) of the Municipal Code, the proposed tenant mix (including Kingdom Martial Arts and two additional office tenants) requires 161 parking spaces to be provided on the subject property. With 140 parking spaces provided, there is a deficit of 21 parking spaces. (Note: This number accounts for the existing shortage of 3 parking spaces, plus the additional 18 spaces required by code for occupancy of the building’s vacant tenant spaces.)
As such, the petitioner requests approval of a variance to reduce the number of required parking spaces from 161 spaces to 140 spaces. To support the requested variance, the petitioner has submitted a detailed parking study that compares the City’s parking requirements to current parking occupancy/demand on the subject property. The petitioner’s Parking Supply and Occupancy Survey identifies that only 46% (or 65 of the 140 spaces) are currently occupied during peak times, signifying a significant parking surplus. Additionally, the petitioner has identified that the current tenant mix is varied, and tenants have differing peak times, thus reducing the parking demand at any given time.
Based on the current and projected parking demand outlined in the Parking Study, staff believes the requested parking variance is appropriate and is supportive of the request. Staff notes that if more intensive uses plan to occupy the building in the future, an additional parking variance will be required.
Findings of Fact
The petitioner’s responses to the Standards for Granting a Variance can be found in the attachments. Upon review, the Planning and Zoning Commission and staff agree with the petitioner’s findings and recommend their adoption by City Council.
Planning and Zoning Commission Action
The Planning and Zoning Commission conducted the public hearing to consider PZC 23-1-093 on October 18, 2023. Lindsay McLachlan, a current tenant of 1112 S. Washington Street, spoke in support of the case. She provided testimony stating that the landlord is open and agreeable to installing the requested signage by the HOA directly north of the subject property, which is signage discouraging overflow parking on the adjacent residential properties. She stated that the landlord is also open to the possibility of making the direction of travel a “one-way only” to improve traffic flow on the subject property.
After limited discussion, the Planning and Zoning Commission closed the public hearing and voted to recommend approval of the petitioner’s request as presented (approved 9-0). Staff concurs with the Planning and Zoning Commission’s recommendation.
FISCAL IMPACT:
N/A