Planning Commission recommends zoning amendments related to parking and family daycare

The City Planning Commission recommended approval of two zoning bills Tuesday afternoon related to parking regulations and family daycare centers.

The first bill was introduced by Councilman Brian O’Neill last month. It would change the minimum lot area for each dwelling unit to 480 sq. ft. from 360 sq. ft., except in the CMX-2.5 district, which would maintain the 360-foot standard.

O’Neill’s bill would also change the parking requirements for multi-family and “visitor accommodation” uses in the CMX-2.5 district. The code currently has no minimum parking requirement in that district, but O’Neill’s bill would require 3 parking spaces for every 10 units.

The Commission recommended approval of the bill, with the additional clarification that a one-space parking requirement would not kick in until four units were built. With the Commission’s amendment, a property owner could have up to three units without providing a parking spot. The bill will be considered by the Rules Committee on October 31st.

The other zoning bill to get Commission approval on Tuesday was one introduced by Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds-Brown earlier this month. The bill amends the section of the new code related to use-specific standards for family daycare, by clarifying that such a use must be located in a single-family or two-family residence. Prior language simply required a family daycare to be located in a residential building.

The bill also says that a family daycare may host a maximum of six children, unless a special exception is granted, in which case the daycare may hold up to 12 children. That bill will also be heard by the Rules Committee October 31st.

Contact the reporter at jaredbrey@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @jaredbrey