Title
Conduct a Public Hearing to Consider/Discuss/Act on a Request by the City of McKinney to Amend Chapter 146 (Zoning Regulations) Sections 146-130 (Vehicle Parking), 146-131 (Off-street loading) of the Code of Ordinances
Summary
COUNCIL GOAL: Operational Excellence
(2C: Identify opportunities for internal efficiencies and continuous improvement to effect a high performing organizational culture)
MEETING DATE: March 16, 2021
DEPARTMENT: Development Services - Planning Department
CONTACT: Jennifer Arnold, AICP, Director of Planning
Aaron Bloxham, Planning Manager
Mitch Corona, CNU, Planner I
RECOMMENDED CITY COUNCIL ACTION:
• Staff recommends approval of the proposed amendments.
ITEM SUMMARY:
• Staff proposes amendments to Section 146-130 (Vehicle Parking) and Section 146-131 (Off-Street Loading) to update certain parking and off-street loading space requirements to be more reflective of current development trends. More detailed information about the specific amendments is below.
PROPOSED AMENDMENTS: The following amendments are proposed:
• Amend Section 146-130 (Vehicle Parking) to:
o Amend Table 1, Parking Requirements, to add two new uses to the table. The two new uses include “Shopping Center” and “Industrial Flex”. The inclusion of these new uses should allow more flexibility for mutli-tenant building developments by having one shared parking ratio instead of requiring calculations for each individual use. Additionally, this should also help when there are change of occupancy requests that the parking does not become an obstruction to filling vacant spaces.
o Revise the shared parking spaces standards. In order to provide more flexibility for parking, staff is proposing to broaden the regulations for shared parking by allowing an applicant to share spaces based on a parking study showing demand during the peak hours for each use. The applicant would need to submit the shared parking information for consideration by the Director of Planning during the site plan review process.
o Provide a mechanism for the Director of Planning or his/her designee to approve a parking ratio different from the standard parking ratios. The mechanism allows an applicant to submit a parking study to show the level of parking demand for a specific development or use.
During the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting on February 23, there was discussion about the potential long-term site implications that could be associated with providing parking based on a user-specific parking study. As such (and following the Commission meeting), Staff has included additional language in the proposed amendments to specifically state that any parking reduction pursuant to a parking study shall not exceed 25% of what would have otherwise been required based on a similar use. The updated amendment also limits any other approved parking reduction to no more than 10% or 15% of the required parking, respectively.
o Clarify the process for uses not specifically identified in Section 146-130 Table 1. Currently, uses not specifically listed in Table 1 can only be classified as a similar use. The proposed change now allows the Director of Planning to also establish a parking ratio as provided by industry standards.
o Clarify the “rules for computing number of parking spaces”. Staff is proposing the addition of clarifying statements to this section that improve the usability of the vehicle parking standards.
• Amend Section 146-131 (Off-street loading) to:
o Remove the requirement to provide loading spaces, but maintain that if loaded spaces are provided, minimum location and design requirements would still apply. This allows each development to determine the amount of loading spaces needed to serve their site.
• Staff has received one letter in opposition to the proposed amendments.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
• As part of the New Code McKinney initiative (development regulation overhaul), city staff and the consultant team hosted a number of internal and external meetings, interviews, and discussions related to the existing development regulations in McKinney and presented a Code Assessment Report in early 2020.
• Based on the feedback received, the Code Assessment Report identified several immediate areas of opportunity where amendments to the existing could be made in the short-term to improve the clarity, flexibility, usability, and implementation of the Code of Ordinances.
• The amendments proposed for consideration at tonight’s meeting are in response to these areas of opportunities within the Code Assessment Report.
BOARD OR COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION:
• On February 9, 2021, the Planning and Zoning Commission voted 7-0-0 to continue the public hearing and table the item to the February 23rd meeting.
• On February 23, 2021, the planning and Zoning Commission voted 7-0-0 to recommend approval of the proposed amendments.