Reston Citizens Association (RCA) Request for Planning Commission Amendment Modifications and Follow-on Motions to the Proposed “Parking Reimagined” Amendment to Section 6 of the County Zoning Ordinance Related to Off-Street Parking and Loading
August 10, 2023
- Request that all Provisions in the Advertised Amendment related to Residential Parking that reduce the Minimum Parking Requirements (MPRs) from the current Ordinance be removed, until such time that County staff can provide survey data and metrics that substantiate the proposal. This will allow for a slower roll-out while necessary further analysis and study is done as requested in a Follow-On Motion.
- Request that any authority for approvals by the Director of Land Development Services (LDS) be eliminated. This change is too significant to give additional authority to a non-elected official. Calling this streamlining clearly signifies easier approvals. In fact, approvals should be more difficult when making the requirements easier as this Amendment does.
- Request that all adjustments to off-street parking that may be granted are accompanied by a requirement that provides all such space be dedicated to open space, tree canopies, landscaping, or affordable housing.
- Request inclusion of the criterion in the current Zoning Ordinance that requires that transit services already exist or are programmed for completion within the same time frame as the completion of a subject development. Further request an adjustment in a transit-related area be added to the criterion in the Advertised text that would require that any rail station or transit facility that does not currently exist in these areas be constructed or implemented within ten (10) years after approval of the adjustment, with the qualification that the operative requirement is “whichever comes first”.
- Request that the Planning Commission recommend a Follow-on Motion requiring Staff to study the impacts of Off-Street Parking and Loading, to include a specific focus on the minimum off-street residential parking requirements for Revitalization Areas (RAs), Transit Station Areas (TSAs), Transit Oriented Developments (TODs), and the Planned Tysons Corner Urban District (PTC), beginning within three (3) years after adoption of an updated Section 6 of the Zoning Ordinance. The purpose of this study is to assess the extent to which:
- The adopted minimum off-street parking rates create adverse off-site impacts to public health and safety or adversely affected the existing site and adjacent neighborhoods with overflow parking;
- The One Fairfax Equity affected-person classes of socio-economic status (low-income), race, color, age, neighborhood of residence, and disabilities are more impacted by inadequate off-street parking and loading;
- The methodology used for Parking Reimagined that focused on Zoning areas, rather than distance from transit, is not the best approach for examining this Section of the Ordinance, and
- Off-street parking and loading integrate effectively with the transportation network itself to include public transit, roads, bicycle movement, pedestrian movement, and on-street parking.
- Request that the Planning Commission recommend statistically valid studies of Parking Reimagined with a Follow-on Motion that requests an updated Section 6, within five (5) years from the adoption of this revision to Section 6 of the Zoning Ordinance.