Cheryl Rossi
Van. Courier
Parking at new residential developments could come at a premium if the city’s parking management division gets its way.
It will recommend to city council Thursday that parking stall requirements for new condos and townhouses be set on average 30 per cent lower than they are under current bylaws. The move, say city officials, would reduce the supply of residential parking by nine per cent in new developments and discourage car ownership.
“That is a departure,” said Paul Pinsker, a city parking and development engineer. “It’s in the interest of sustainability and affordability and to some extent livability, in that we’re trying to move towards a world of less auto reliance and fewer cars. And we’re hoping that the trend towards a reduced number of vehicles per household keeps going.”
Pinsker reports that from 2003 to 2006, 3,400 new dwellings were constructed in Vancouver, while only 1,900 additional vehicles of all types were registered.
Staff recommend that half a parking space be allotted for units smaller than 50 square metres and no more than 1.5 parking spaces for the largest of units. At the moment, the maximum number allotted for per unit is 2.2 spaces.
“With the proposed recommended standard (nine per cent below the observed demand), a development of small or average-size units would incur a modest shortfall of parking relative to the combined on- and off-street parking supply,” states Pinsker’s report to the standing committee on city services and budgets. “A project of mixed or large-sized units would be in balance or perhaps have a small surplus of parking.”
Since 2005, parking stall requirements for developments in Vancouver do not include space for visitors.
The new parking bylaw would apply to 90 per cent of the city, with the exceptions being downtown, the Downtown Eastside, False Creek and East and West Fraserlands, all of which will be dealt with separately
“This is really a very transit-oriented type of standard,” Pinsker said, noting that transportation options for the city are increasing with the construction of the Canada Line, lobbying by the city of TransLink for additional buses, a new private car sharing company starting operations here and an unexpectedly faster increase in the number of people commuting on foot and by bicycle.
Pinkser said requiring developers to build fewer parking stalls could reduce construction costs with the savings passed on to buyers. An underground parking space costs upwards of $30,000 to build so the reduction of half a space could reduce building costs by $15,000 per unit.
With reduced parking stall requirements, small-scale developments, such as 10 townhouses on one lot, could forego underground parking and save a significant amount of money by constructing courtyard garage parking.
But will policy be written to ensure savings are passed on to buyers?
“Ugh. I don’t know,” Pinsker said. “It’s still a free marketplace.”
Pinsker said the city will recommend a minimum number of parking stalls instead of a maximum number for fear developers would provide the maximum number.
“Some developers have in their minds that parking is something that really helps with sales, and I think real estate agents find that if there’s lots of parking with a unit then that attracts more people,” Pinsker said.
The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver opposes the reduced parking requirements and wants the city to require at least one parking space per unit. According to Pinsker’s report, it argues reduced requirements should only be considered in neighbourhoods that enjoy immediate access to public transportation.
Parking management staff will review the possibility of allowing residential units and parking spots to be sold separately.