Dallas City Council members on Wednesday called for action on updating the 1965 Off-Street Parking Code.
After four years of debate at lower levels of Dallas city government, five City Council members called for the clarification presented Wednesday.
The Dallas Urban Ordinance Advisory Committee (ZOAC) has held numerous meetings on this topic.
“So I think we need to either let the fish catch or cut the bait,” said Councilwoman Paula Blackmon.
Some places have too many parking lots. Anything else is not enough.
On Gramercy Oaks Drive in Far North Dallas, many vehicles park on city streets because the residential development doesn't have enough off-street space.
Councilwoman Carla Mendelsohn said much of District 12 has that problem.
“You might have three or four adults living in a one-bedroom apartment, because that's how people in Dallas live today. So for the most part, our salaries are pretty low.” Mendelsohn said.
Both the fire chief and the police chief identified problems on streets where street parking is not often expected.
Dallas requires one off-street space for every bedroom in a housing development.
The code was developed in 1965, when Dallas had far more open spaces for parking.
But in places with fewer cars, such as areas around downtown where infill development in small spaces is encouraged, this may be more than is needed today.
“We're still using the code that was based on our city in 1965,” said North Oak Cliff City Councilman Chad West.
Andrea Udrea, Dallas' assistant director of planning and urban design, is overseeing off-street parking ordinance reform.
“We need norms that allow for growth based on the needs of cities today,” she said.
Elmwood in Oak Cliff is an area where businesses have struggled to open existing stores due to parking requirements.
They don't support the idea of walkable neighborhoods. This was the case in Elmwood even before the 1965 Parking Act, which encouraged large parking lots, was enacted.
West said reducing the need for parking could lead to more new development of vacant parking lots near downtown Dallas.
“The lack of commercial use is a loss of revenue for the city and a loss of housing opportunities,” West said.
However, members from different parts of Dallas have different views on the solution.
“I agree that this is not a one-size-fits-all situation. We are a very diverse city,” said City Councilor Paul Ridley.
Although further discussion is scheduled, the goal mentioned Wednesday is a plan for City Council to approve the 1965 parking reform by the end of 2023.
Separately, Dallas is also discussing new on-street parking regulations that could increase parking meter fees and eliminate some spaces for moving traffic in business areas. ing.
