ST. PETE BEACH — Major changes to the Land Development Code on how the city evaluates off-street parking requirements, with a focus on encouraging walkability and multimodal transportation, have been approved by the city commission.
Michelle Gonzalez, transportation and parking director, told commissioners the city’s parking requirements were incorporated into the city code in 2005 “and have not been significantly updated since.” The city’s study reviewed best practices in other municipalities.
“In the decade since then, many changes have occurred in the transportation and parking environment,” Gonzalez said. “The transportation and parking sector is in a period of transition, with modern technologies, products and services, fundamentally shifting customer expectations and opportunities. It was the goal of the city to bring the code up to date through this study and the recommended updates.”
The study recommended changing requirements to allow on-street parking to count as up to 10% of the required parking for non-residential uses. Another change will allow non-residential properties to apply for tandem valet parking, so long as the business submits a valet management plan to the city for review and approval.
It also allows for a 10% reduction in required parking if the business is in a walkable area, such as Gulf Boulevard from 35th to 75th avenues and Blind Pass Road from 75th to 81st avenues.
The city added a Multi-Family Residential category that requires developments provide one parking space per bedroom.
Ballrooms as part of hotels will be required to provide one parking space per 600 square feet, while standalone ballrooms would require 1 space per 300 square feet.
Under adopted changes, a bar or nightclub will be required to provide 1 parking space per 100 square feet, while a retail or convenience store will need to show a site plan that depicts 1 space per 300 square feet, and a grocery store will have to provide 1 space per 200 square feet.
Gonzalez said the city now only encourages shared business-to-business parking, but it will expand the program and make it more flexible for different commercial uses. All shared parking arrangements will require the submittal of an agreement for review and approval by the City.
The update also adopts standards for pedestrian connectivity from the public right-of-way to storefronts and enhanced landscaping standards for parking lots that cannot be located at the rear of buildings. It also requires increased screening for commercial properties that abut or are across an alley from residential properties.
To encourage multi-modal transit, in parking lots with over 50 spaces, up to 10% of the 25% requred for compact spaces may be designated for golf carts, scooters, or motorcycles. It also expands existing bike rack requirements to include all non-residential properties over 5,000 square feet. “As an ongoing objective, the city shall encourage the utilization of a multi-modal transportation system as needed,” the study recommends.
In another policy focusing on new development, proposed changes note “the city shall review all proposed development and redevelopment site plans for the accommodation of bicycle and pedestrian traffic needs, when appropriate.”
Gonzalez said the city held multiple meetings and conducted community and business surveys on the parking issues. Two workshops were held in December with the planning board and city commission. She said the city also received many emails and comments from residents.
“This is great because it’s just another example of how we needed to share the limited resources that we have,” said Commissioner Mark Grill.
Mayor Al Johnson raised the issue of parking sensors and bringing the Freebee shuttle service to the north end of the city.
“We’re working on both of those,” said City Manager Alex Rey.
The parking study recommendations were passed on first reading at a March 22 meeting. A second reading will be scheduled in a few weeks.