Salem City Council will conduct a first reading on a proposed code amendment to eliminate minimum off-street parking requirements citywide during the regular council meeting Monday evening.
After the first reading of the ordinance, council will vote on whether to move it forward and conduct a public hearing.
What does it do?
The proposed code amendment updates to the Unified Development Code to eliminate these parking requirements are in response to new State Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities rules.
The new state rules require the city to change how it regulates parking, meaning city leaders must eliminate all minimum off-street parking requirements for all uses citywide or implement an array of other parking reforms by June 30 unless an extension is approved by the state.
Why is the city doing it?
In a report to council, city staff said the proposed code amendment aligns with the Climate Action Plan, allows the market to determine parking amounts, can be implemented relatively quickly through a code amendment without additional staff or resources, and allows the city to voluntarily explore and implement other parking reforms in the state rules.
“Currently, the city generally requires a certain number of off-street parking spaces for each use such as a restaurant, office or warehouse,” city staff said in the report. “For example, a restaurant must provide one off-street parking space per 250 square feet of the building. Under the proposed code amendment, the city would no longer mandate any specific number of off-street parking spaces for each use.”
This does not mean that off-street parking cannot be provided, staff noted.
“Instead, it means a developer or property owner could determine the amount of parking that should be provided given the market and other considerations,” staff said. “Space not used for parking could be used instead for housing, jobs or other uses.”
What else is on the agenda?
Other agenda items include:
- A proclamation recognizing April as Child Abuse Prevention Month and Arbor Month in Salem.
- The starting of a process to eliminate five overlay zones in the South Central Association of Neighborhoods.
- Accepting a $1.344 million grant from the State of Oregon for the Navigation Center.
- A public hearing on the designation of the Salem Civic Center as a local historic resource.
- A motion from Councilor Julie Hoy regarding limiting terms of neighborhood association board positions.
How to participate
The meeting is at 6 p.m. It will be held in person at the City Council Chambers at the Salem Civic Center at 555 Liberty St. SE and can also be watched on Comcast Cable CCTV Channel 21 or on the Salem YouTube channel in English/American Sign Language and Spanish.
Those wishing to comment in person can sign-up on the rosters at the chamber entrance before the start of the meeting.
Written public comments on agenda items can be emailed by 5 p.m. Monday to cityrecorder@cityofsalem.net. Or pre-register between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday at cityofsalem.net/Pages/Public-Comment-at-Salem-City-Council-Meeting.aspx to speak during the meeting via Zoom.
For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodworth@statesmanjournal.com, call 503-910-6616 or follow on Twitter @wmwoodworth
