City Council Minutes 1999 05 04 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Davidson called for City Attorney introduction. Sam Light, City Administrator, read by title only, Ordinance No. 1287, Series 1998 - An Ordinance Amending 17.20 of the Louisville Municipal Code and the Louisville Commercial Development Design Standards and Guidelines to Require That All Development within Downtown Louisville Meet Specific Off-Street Parking Requirements. He explained that there are proposed second reading amendments to the Ordinance, in addition to a change to the title of the Ordinance. Davidson called for staff presentation. Paul Wood, Planning Director, stated that Ordinance 1287, Series 1998 would establish a parking requirement specific to the downtown commercial district. The ordinance has been amended since the first reading, and the proposed second reading amendments have been properly published. He reviewed the highlights of the current draft of the ordinance: 1. It would establish a parking requirement of 2.5 spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area. That is stated in the ordinance as one space per 400 square feet of gross floor area. The 2.5 spaces per 1,000 requirement is based on data from the Staff parking survey, which determined existing parking demand ranges from 1.8 to 2.6 spaces per 1,000 square feet. That survey used gross square footage in its analysis. 2. Existing building area is exempted from the parking requirement, only additions and new construction have to meet the parking requirement. Existing private parking in excess of the requirement could be used to meet all or part of the parking demand for an expansion. Existing private parking cannot be removed unless it exceeds the 2.5 spaces per 1,000 requirement. 3. The parking requirement would apply to the CC zoned district on both sides of the RR tracks and the CB district on the west side of the tracks. 4. All commercial land uses are treated the same, there are no exemptions for retail and restaurant uses, as was once proposed. 5. The proposed parking improvement fee has been removed. 6. A new component of the proposed Ordinance provides Council flexibility in determining how an applicant may implement the required 2.5 parking spaces per 1,000 square feet of new floor area. Council authority to modify how an applicant implements the required spaces is necessary for both a PUD and a building permit that does not require a PUD. Such modification would need to be based upon criteria already established in the zoning code. 7. Parking is allowed to be located off-site. However, it must be within 700 feet, with the distance measured as a reasonable, safe and legal pedestrian route. The 700 feet is an increase in distance from the standard zoning code distance of 300 feet, measured in a straight line distance. That was done in an effort to provide more flexibility in finding appropriate locations for parking. The distance is referenced from the Downtown Louisville Framework Plan recommendations. The Planning Commission held a public hearing on the ordinance at their March 18 regular meeting. After discussion, they passed, by a vote of 4-1, Resolution 15, Series 1999, which recommends disapproval of the proposed ordinance. The resolution includes a recommendation to City Council, which is: "That the City assume a strong leadership