Removing Parking in IFSA - Now With ADA Provisions
As you may recall, there’s been a proposal put on the table to remove the parking requirements within the newly designated International Financial Services Area. In effect, it would let the market decide how much parking is required for new construction projects within the defined district. All of our multi-modal transit oriented walkable cities geek friends love the idea … but now there’s a little catch.
In today’s Environment and Public Works Committee meeting a modified proposal was presented. The ordinance has been redrafted to address Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) concerns. Under existing City code there are requirements for the minimum number of accessible parking spaces. The number of accessible stalls required would remain the same with the new guidelines and continue to exceed federal and state ADA requirements. For example, if a project using today’s code required 100 parking stalls and 4 of them had to be accessible spaces, under the new guidelines the 96 stalls could be eliminated. However the 4 accessible stalls would still be needed. The proposal is still a market based approach for parking, but it aligns itself more closely to the concerns of the Tacoma Area Commission on Disabilities.
The proposal appears to be heading to a public hearing on July 14th.
Previously on Exit133: Proposal to Remove Parking Requirements in IFSA
Filed under: General
3 comments
D DavidS June 12, 2009
If I understand this correctly, this means that every building, regardless of size, must build at least 1 stall. What an utter waste of resources. What a way to discourage those with placards from using alternative modes of transportation.
If there is appropriate turnover in the on-street parking, a car with the disabled placard can already park all day regardless of time limits. I challenge anyone to find a single jurisdiction that has adopted this absurd “you must build parking” rule when parking minimums have been removed.
J Jesse June 12, 2009
If there were streetcars, trolleys, cable cars, or light rail all over the downtown vacinity, there would be no need for parking requirements of any kind. Think Portland for an example.
S stan smith June 13, 2009
Here is a copy of the letter submitted by the Commission on Disabilities.
City Manager Eric Anderson and Members of the City Council
The Tacoma Area Commission on Disabilities would like to outline our concerns regarding the proposed changes to the downtown parking regulations in the International Financial Services Area (IFSA). As you know, the Commission on Disabilities was formed by the Tacoma City Council to promote the rights of people with disabilities and to serve as an advisory committee relative to programs and policies that may impact persons with disabilities.
At our May 2009 regular meeting, several staff members from the Community and Economic Development Department came to brief us on the proposal to eliminate parking requirements within the IFSA. We appreciated the opportunity to learn more about this proposal and would like to share with you our concerns and propose a possible solution to address these concerns for your consideration.
The IFSA has significant topographic and grade variations that present barriers to many people with mobility concerns. Although we support the goal and vision to reduce the use of private vehicles in the IFSA, the existing transit and Link Rail stops are not located in sufficient numbers and locations to ensure that existing and future buildings are accessible to people with mobility issues. For many people, private cars and specially modified vans need to be able to park within or adjacent to buildings to give them full access to the employment, goods or services housed within that building.
The IFSA is being proposed to encourage the expansion and growth of financial service businesses in Tacoma’s downtown. The Commission is concerned that without comprehensive review and understanding of the needs of persons with disabilities, that the future benefits of the IFSA will not be available to all Tacoma citizens. The IFSA must be planned to ensure that persons with disabilities have similar access to employment and services as people without disabilities. Tacoma should not knowingly create an area in the downtown that adds additional burdens and challenges to people with disabilities.
To address these concerns, the Commission would recommend that an accessibility plan be required for future developments within the IFSA that propose reduced or no on-site parking. The accessibility plan should be customized to the proposed development so that issues including, but not limited to: topography; adjacency of transit stops, accessible routes between buildings and transit stops including grade changes, sidewalks and curb ramps; availability of alternative accessible parking such as off-site or shared parking lots, street parking spaces; and, use of van/bus pools are considered. The accessibility plans should address needs of both employees and visitors/customers of the development. Monitoring and enforcement of the accessibility plan provisions by the City will also be necessary to ensure long term success.
Commission members are in favor of a comprehensive approach to addressing the revitalization of downtown Tacoma, creation of new jobs and industries, and enhancement of our City that will benefit all citizens of Tacoma. We appreciate this opportunity to provide you with our advice and would be happy to review future policy and regulatory matters, and to work with you and your staff on the proposed accessibility plan requirement.
Sincerely,
Tacoma Area Commission on Disabilities
Chair, Dan Eberle