Planning Department staff are initiating a zoning text amendment to the off-street parking requirements.

The parking requirements have existed in the current state for several years with few changes. City staff have reviewed the existing requirements and made notes of specific changes that are viewed as necessary based on historic experience with the current code and familiarity with existing sites in Shakopee.

The goal of the proposed changes is to "right-size" the parking requirements and allow for more flexibility in design and development of parking areas. In many cases, the proposed minimum parking requirements are reduced to allow for more efficient use of space and reduce stormwater runoff due to large amounts of impervious surfaces on sites devoted to parking areas. In select cases the requirements are increased, such as funeral homes that currently have a requirement of one space per employee.

Planning staff reviewed multiple sources and dates of aerial photographs, utilized site visits, reviewed other comparable communities parking regulations, and reviewed publications on common industry standards when drafting the proposed changes to the parking requirements.

A summary of the proposed changes are:

• Addition of a section to allow up to 20% of required parking as "proof of parking". Proof of parking allows a user to not construct all of their required parking, but they must have an area specifically denoted on development plans where additional parking could be provided, if necessary. The parking must be provided if developed parking is found to be insufficient.
• Adjustment to minimum parking requirements for several uses, including: retail establishments, apartments, funeral homes, furniture and appliance stores, grocery stores, medical clinics, churches, taverns, retail centers, nursing homes, and manufacturing operations.  
• Addition of a parking maximum of no more than 20% above the minimum requirement.
• Allowing administrative review of shared parking, instead of Board review to streamline reviews, and increasing the allowed proximity to 500' instead of 300'.
• Addition of bicycle parking as a requirement, based on the amount of vehicle parking required.
  
  
• An addition of an allowance of up to 10% of spaces as compact car spaces
• Clarification for common areas of confusion, specifically trailers in residential zones
• Addition of requirement to pave parking areas with concrete or asphalt in all residential zones, except the Rural Residential and Agricultural Preservation zones.
• Addition of a maximum amount of parking surface in the front yard of single-family homes of 45%.

At the November 20, 2018 City Council meeting, the Council reviewed the draft ordinance and suggested additional changes to the draft ordinance. The following additional changes have been made and are included the attached ordinance:  

• Removed a section that further restricted the length of RVs in urban residential areas.

• Added a section allowing vehicles being washed and dried to be parked on grass.
• Clarifying in the bicycle parking requirements that additions and alterations to buildings greater than $100,000 applies to commercial buildings and multi-family residential buildings greater than 12 units.
• Added a section noting that parking areas greater than 30 parking spaces must not exceed the required minimum parking spaces by 20%.
• Clarified the section on expansion of uses section applies to commercial, industrial, and multiple-family residential developments.

The draft ordinance is attached. Sections proposed to be removed are struckthrough and sections proposed to be added are underlined.