Title
Notice/Advertisement Title: Parking Impact Study Rules and Regulations
Contact Name: Justin Goodwin, Administrator, Division of Mobility & Parking Services
Contact Telephone Number: (614) 724-1893
Contact Email Address: JMGoodwin@columbus.gov
Body
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SUBJECT: Parking Impact Study Rules and Regulations EFFECTIVE DATE: August 28, 2024 |
I. WHO WE ARE
The Department of Public Service delivers essential services that positively impact City of Columbus residents’ lives every day. The Department consists of five divisions: Design and Construction, Infrastructure Management, Mobility and Parking Services, Refuse Collection, and Traffic Management.
The Division of Mobility and Parking Services is committed to providing safe, equitable and predictable mobility and parking options for all residents, guests and visitors in the City of Columbus. We aim to increase mobility choices, manage congestion, and facilitate access to goods and services in a city experiencing enormous growth. Specifically, the Division of Mobility and Parking services works with Development applicants to:
A. Identify parking impacts of proposed Development and changes of use; and
B. Determine Mitigation needs to offset parking impacts.
II. PURPOSE
In 2024, the City of Columbus initiated a series of zoning code reforms to align with the
current and future needs of the community. This includes meeting broader housing, mobility
and affordability objectives. In an effort to proactively manage on-street parking supply and
curbside resources for existing and future users, Chapter 4310 of the Columbus City Code
allows for the requirement of a Parking Impact Study.
A Parking Impact Study shall apply to all Developments and to the expansion or change
in use of an existing Development when located within a parcel with a 2024 Zoning Code
district designation for which there is no minimum vehicular parking requirement. Any
Development for which there is a request for variance to the minimum parking requirements
should reference the Department’s Parking Variance Review Guidelines
found in Chapter 3312 of the Columbus City Code.
Topics addressed include:
A. The parking and mobility considerations involved in a site plan review.
B. Circumstances for when a Parking Impact Study is required.
C. Instructions and methodology for completing a Parking Impact Study.
D. Instructions on how to determine if Mitigations are required.
E. Details of programmatic Mitigations and parking management fees that may be required.
III. AUTHORITY
Pursuant to the authority granted under Chapter 4310 of the Columbus City Code, 1959, as amended by Ordinance #2115-2024, the Director hereby adopts, establishes and publishes these rules and regulations to be effective at the earliest time allowed by law.
These rules and regulations supersede all previously promulgated rules and regulations for a Parking Impact Study. However, these rules and regulations do not supersede the Parking Variance Guidelines requirements found in Section VI(A.2.d.) under Applicability - When is a Parking Impact Study Required.
IV. DEFINITIONS
The following words, terms and phrases, when used in these rules and regulations, shall have the meanings ascribed to them, except when the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
A. Administrator means the administrator of the Division in the Department.
B. Block Face represents one side of a street between two consecutive intersections.
C. Critical Curb Access Needs is a use or building’s curbside loading and access needs that must be met for the use or building to perform its core operational functions safely and successfully. Examples include: mail delivery, Commercial goods delivery, solid waste servicing areas, passenger pick-up and drop-off, and on-demand delivery spaces.
D. Commercial is a property use for which a certificate of zoning clearance has been issued by the Department of Building and Zoning Services.
E. Department means the City of Columbus Department of Public Service.
F. Development means the construction or alteration of buildings, structures, parking facilities or roadways within a parcel or parcels of land, or a parcel of land to be subdivided into multiple parcels of land.
G. Development Application refers to all proposals for Development, expansion, or change in use of an existing Development.
H. Director means the director of the Department, or designee, unless otherwise specified.
I. Division refers to the Division of Mobility and Parking Services, unless otherwise specified.
J. Managed Parking Area means a block or portion of a block located in the public right-of-way that has a time limit, payment, permit or special use requirement to utilize the curbside space.
K. Mitigation is the act of reducing impacts of Parking Spillover on adjacent streets and increasing mobility options. These acts are inclusive of programmatic efforts, associated site or public infrastructure improvements, or a management fee.
L. Non-residential means any Development that is not a Residential Development.
M. Parking Impact Study is a study that determines the impact a Development will have on a nearby public parking system and identifies any additional costs for the City of Columbus that are necessary to manage the parking impact of said proposed Development.
N. Parking Occupancy is the number of parked vehicles divided by the number of available parking spaces.
O. Parking Spillover is the assumed Vehicle Parking Demand that is not satisfied on-site and therefore, increases nearby public on-street Parking Occupancy by that unsatisified amount.
P. Public Parking Systems is an assemblage of publicly owned or publicly managed facilities designated for the temporary placement of vehicles, as outlined in Columbus City Code Chapter 4310.
Q. Residential means any Development that consists of a dwelling unit as defomed om Sectopm 3303.04-Letter D of the Columbus City Code; apartments, condominiums, townhomes, a residential hotel, an extended stay hotel or any combination of these elements.
R. Vehicle Parking Demand is one vehicle per Residential unit and one vehicle per 50% of the standard parking minimum requirement set forth in Chapter 3312 of the Columbus City Code.
V. STEP 1: SITE PLAN REVIEW
The Development applicant is required to complete the preliminary site compliance checklist as required by the Department of Building and Zoning Services. Upon receipt of the site plan, the Division will respond within ten (10) business days with indication whether or not a Parking Impact Study will be required, and the parameters of that study.
The site plan review shall include, at a minimum, determination of the appropriate curb management, mobility and Critical Curb Access Needs within the public right-of-way immediately adjacent to the Development site and/or within the immediate vicinity of the site. Such considerations may include, but are not limited to, the addition of or modifications to:
A. Paid and/or time-limited parking
B. Permit parking
C. Loading and delivery zones, including uses such as rideshare pickup/drop off, valet, etc.
D. ADA-compliant street parking
E. Car-share parking
F. Bicycle parking
G. Bike share, mobility hubs, or other forms of shared mobility device parking
H. Transit stops and associated infrastructure
All proposed curb management improvements or modifications will be reviewed for compliance with Division standards. This review may also identify new curb management improvements necessary to accommodate mobility, parking and Critical Curb Access Needs generated by the project. These improvements may be required in the site development plans as a condition of final site compliance or permit approval. This review will also consider planned improvements to the public right-of-way that may impact the use of the adjacent curb in the future.
The Division will coordinate any recommendations or requirements with Development review conducted by the Department’s Division of Traffic Management and any other requirements of the Department. Applicants should consult the Division of Traffic Management’s Development Traffic Studies rules and regulations for other review requirements that may be applicable to their project.
VI. STEP 2: PARKING IMPACT STUDY
A. Applicability - When is a Parking Impact Study Required?
1. According to Chapter 4310 of the Columbus City Code, determination of when a Parking Impact Study is required is based on consideration of the following factors, at a minimum:
a. Site proximity to nearby Public Parking Systems;
b. Size and land use of the proposed Development;
c. Amount of on-site parking and/or loading spaces in the proposed Development;
d. The zoning classification of the proposed Development; and
e. Any other factors deemed relevant in promoting the purpose of Code Chapter 4310.
2. Consistent with the previous considerations, the following criteria is used for these rules and regulations:
a. A Parking Impact Study is required for Development Applications when any of the following conditions are met:
i. A proposed Residential Development with more than ten (10) Residential units and which provides less than one (1) vehicular parking space per unit.
ii. A proposed Non-residential Development greater than twenty-five hundred (2,500) square feet in size and which provides less than fifty percent (50%) of the standard required parking minimums for the subject use as defined in Title 33 of the Columbus City Code.
b. A Parking Impact Study is not required for Development Applications when any of the following conditions are met:
i. The property site is located in a Managed Parking Area, and ALL blocks within seven hundred and fifty (750) feet of the property site have managed parking. Managed parking includes permit parking, metered parking, and/or time limited parking.
ii. A project utilizing a state of Ohio Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program as determined by the Department of Development. In the case of mixed-use projects, as defined in Title 34 of the Columbus City Code, a Parking Impact Study may be required for the portion of the project not directly tied to the LIHTC program.
c. When a Development Application is proposing more than ten (10) Residential units, zero (0) parking spaces, and does not require a Parking Impact Study, the project will require the implementation of Mitigation strategies per the requirements found in Section VII(A.2.) under Mitigation Requirements.
d. For zoning districts that require minimum on-site parking as referenced in Title 33 of the Columbus City Code, Development Applications must follow the Department’s Parking Variance Review Guidelines found in Chapter 3312 of the Columbus City Code.
B. Waiver of Parking Impact Study
The Administrator has the authority to waive a Parking Impact Study if the preparation would result in unnecessary or duplicate analyses-when considering the following factors-including but not limited to:
1. Planned parking facility or parking management improvements.
2. Previous studies in the vicinity of the site (either privately or publicly funded) or the availability of data deemed sufficient to meet the objectives of the study.
3. Voluntary commitment of Mitigations by the applicant, which may include a parking management fee. The Administrator shall determine whether the proposed voluntary commitments are sufficient to support a waiver and shall document such determination.
C. Parking Impact Study - Data Collection
The applicant may complete a Parking Impact Study on their own or through a contracted consultant service. However, the Division will confirm the Parking Impact Study parameters based on to the applicant’s submittal of the site plan. To complete the Parking Impact Study, the following conditions must be met:
1. Parking Occupancy must be counted on all on-street and publicly available off-street parking locations as determined by the Division on a project-by-project basis. Generally Parking Occupancy will be counted on all Block Faces within seven hundred fifty (750) feet of the project site.
2. Parking Occupancy counts shall be taken on a typical day so as best to determine parking demand under normal conditions. Counts are not to be taken during special events, poor weather conditions, holidays or any other condition that may have a significant impact on parking.
3. One (1) Parking Occupancy count is required at a single point in time, on one (1) weekday, Monday through Friday, during each of the following time three (3) periods:
a. Between the hours of 5:00 AM and 7:00 AM;
b. Between the hours of 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM; and
c. Between the hours of 6:00 PM and 8:00 PM.
4. One (1) Parking Occupancy count is required at a single point in time, on a Saturday unless otherwise specified, during each of the following three (3) time periods:
a. Between the hours of 5:00 AM and 7:00 AM;
b. Between the hours of 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM; and
c. Between the hours of 6:00 PM and 8:00 PM.
5. Photographs or video of each block/off-street parking area studied shall be provided, including time stamp, to validate counts.
6. The presence of mobility options proposed within the plan and existing adjacent to the project site should be noted. Examples of mobility options include the presence of a COTA transit stop, shared mobility device station, and/or dedicated car share vehicle space.
7. Data shall be provided to the Division using the provided templates and meeting data standards as outlined in Exhibits A, B and C.
8. In the event that the study area is adjacent to or includes streets within a jurisdiction other than the City of Columbus, the Division will contact staff from that jurisdiction to gather input on parking conditions in the area.
a. For the purposes of this evaluation, the streets within another jurisdiction will not be considered as providing capacity for overflow demand not managed on site, though they may be required to be studied in order to understand existing parking demands in the area.
Applicants shall email the completed Parking Impact Study to DPSDevelopmentparkingstudy@columbus.gov <mailto:DPSDevelopmentparkingstudy@columbus.gov>. Studies that the Division deem complete will be reviewed within ten (10) business days from submission. The Division will notify the applicant whether or not Mitigations are required, according to Section VII.
D. Determination of Impact
The results of a Parking Impact Study will determine if action is required to mitigate the proposed Development’s impact on nearby Public Parking Systems. Upon final review and acceptance of the completed Parking Impact Study, the Division will provide, in writing, a determination of the impact to the Development applicant. Determination of impact is based on consideration of the existing and projected supply of nearby public parking and the local market demand for parking or loading activity near the proposed Development.
Specifically, the following calculations apply:
1. The results of the Parking Impact Study will document the existing on-street occupancy plus the projected Parking Spillover from the proposed Development and determine the aggregate demand for public parking. The overall aggregate demand will determine if a Mitigation action is required, and if so, which Mitigation tier is applicable as noted in Section VII.
2. Parking Spillover is determined by assumed typical Vehicle Parking Demand, as follows:
a. Typical Vehicle Parking Demand for a Residential Development is assumed at a parking ratio of one (1) vehicle parking space per Residential unit.
b. Typical Vehicle Parking Demand for a Non-residential Development is assumed at a parking ratio of fifty percent (50%) of the standard minimum parking requirement for the subject use as defined in Title 33 of the Columbus City Code.
3. When on-site parking is proposed to be provided at a lower ratio than the typical Vehicle Parking Demand the difference of the actual parking provided and the typical Vehicle Parking Demand is used to calculate the projected Parking Spillover.
4. To determine the impact of projected Parking Spillover, use the following calculation:
a. Seventy-five percent (75%) of Parking Spillover is assumed to utilize the closest inventory of on-street public parking.
b. Twenty-five percent (25%) of Parking Spillover is assumed to utilize other non-public parking and/or other transportation options.
Below is an example of how the determination of impact is configured:
• Proposed number of Residential units: 80 units
• Proposed square footage of Commercial use: 0
• Proposed on-site parking: 40 proposed spaces (Vehicle Parking Demand is 1 parking space per unit; here there are 80 units, thus, only half of parking is being provided)
• Existing on-street parking supply: 250 existing total spaces
• Existing on-street occupancy per Parking Impact Study: 200 exisiting occupied spaces
• Projected Parking Spillover: (80 units - 40 proposed spaces) * 75% = 30 needed spaces
• Aggregate on-street demand: (200 existing occupied spaces + 30 needed spaces)/ 250 existing total spaces = 92%
With an aggregate on-street demand of 92%, the project qualifies for Tier II Mitigation.
VII. STEP 3: MITIGATIONS
A. Mitigation Requirements
1. Mitigations are required for Development Applications when a Parking Impact Study determines the on-street parking demand increases to an aggregate of seventy (70) percent or higher.
a. Required Mitigations are tiered based on the level of impact as follows:
iii. Tier I = 70.0 - 79.9% aggregate on-street demand
iv. Tier II = 80.0 - 99.9% aggregate on-street demand
v. Tier III = 100%+ aggregate on-street demand
b. Tier I impacts require the implementation of a minimum of one (1) programmatic Mitigation.
c. Tier II impacts require the implementation of a minimum of two (2) programmatic Mitigations and the deposit of a parking management fee.
d. Tier III impacts require the implementation of a minimum of three (3) programmatic Mitigations and the deposit of a parking management fee.
2. For Residential Development Applications proposing zero (0) on-site parking spaces and a Parking Impact Study is not required (e.g. the Development is located within a Managed Parking Area), programmatic Mitigations are required.
a. Required Mitigations are tiered based on the number of Residential units as follows:
i. More than ten (10) units but less than fifty (50) units requires the implementation of a minimum of one (1) programmatic Mitigation.
ii. Fifty (50) or more units but less than one hundred (100) units requires the implementation of a minimum of two (2) programmatic Mitigations.
iii. One hundred (100) or more units requires the implementation of a minimum of three (3) programmatic Mitigations.
3. The results of a Parking Impact Study will not require additional on-site parking, if not otherwise proposed by the applicant.
B. Programmatic Mitigations
Programmatic Mitigations are commitments by the Development applicant to invest in and sustain programs (and where applicable, associated site or public infrastructure improvements) to manage parking demand and/or promote the use of alternative transportation options by tenants or visitors of the proposed Development.
1. For any programmatic Mitigation, the Development applicant is required to provide documentation of a five (5) year commitment to sustaining the Mitigation strategy. Programmatic Mitigations include but are not limited to:
|
Category |
Mitigation Examples |
|
Active Transportation |
Secure Bike Parking Bike and Scooter Share Micro Mobility Infrastructure |
|
Transit |
Transit Pass Compensation |
|
Sustainable Transportation |
Car Share High Occupancy Vehicles (ex. shuttles) |
|
Parking Management |
Shared Parking Agreement Loading Zones for Critical Access Needs |
|
Other Transportation Demand Mitigation (TDM) Effort |
Rideshare credits Multi-modal Information & Education Employee/Resident Incentive Programs |
2. The Administrator reserves the right to request additional documentation throughout the five (5) year commitment period, to verify the validity of such programs being implemented including but not limited to agreements/contracts, program marketing material, purchase orders and program contact information.
C. Parking Management Fee
1. A parking management fee is required to mitigate Tier II and Tier III on-street aggregate parking demand impacts.
2. The parking management fee represents the current expenses related to operating and administering a managed parking program including but not limited to:
a. Enforcement operations
b. Permitting operations
c. Permit issuance
d. Parking restriction signage
e. Staff administration
3. The parking management fee is assessed on a per Block Face basis within the Parking Impact Study area as determined in Section VI and is dependent on the scale of parking impacts created by a Development. The current per Block Face parking management fee is five thousand seven hundred and twenty-five dollars ($5,725). This is a one-time fee.
4. In order to ensure that the parking management fee is fair and represents current cost levels, it shall be reviewed and adjusted periodically by the Director, with adjustments to the fee schedule effectiveon July 1 of each year.
5. The parking management fee shall be due prior to final site compliance plan approval. All funds shall be collected by the Division and deposited in the Mobility Enterprise Fund or other appropriate fund.
6. Parking management fee monies shall be used for the management of parking and mobility programs within the Parking Impact Study area for that Development that such fees were collected.
7. If an approved Development Application is abandoned and no construction activities are initiated within six (6) months of payment, the Administrator shall have the authority to provide a full refund of the parking management fee. Prior to any refund of the parking management fee, the applicant must submit written confirmation to the Department and the Department of Building and Zoning Services hat the proposed Development project has been withdrawn and that any future proposed Development project will require a new site compliance plan submittal.
VIII. APPEALS
A. A Development applicant that wishes to appeal the requirement to mitigate parking impacts shall submit an appeal, on forms provided by the Department, containing the following information:
a. The name, address, and telephone number of the applicant and co-applicant(s) as necessary;
b. The reason for the requested appeal; and
B. A written appeal must be sent to the Division within fifteen (15) calendar days from the issuance of Mitigation requirements.
C. The Director shall convene a hearing on the matter within thirty (30) days of receipt of the notice of appeal.
D. The Director’s decision on an appeal shall be considered a final appealable order.
E. Refer to Chapter 4310 of the Columbus City Code for further appeal details.
BY ORDER:
KELLY SCOCCO, DIRECTOR