Circulate San Diego submitted a letter of support for of Mayor Gloria’s Parking Policy Reform proposal for non-residential uses. This proposal would allow business near transit and neighborhood commercial zones to right-size their parking footprint according to their needs by eliminating parking requirements for most uses in these areas. Construction of surface parking can cost $27,000 per space, while underground parking can cost around $35,000 per space. On July 16, 2021, the Active Transportation Committee voted to recommend that the City Council approve the proposal. However, the item has yet to be calendared.
Under current law, businesses seeking to build, remodel, or repurpose outdoor space can be hit with burdensome requirements to build unaffordable parking spaces.
Moreover, current parking minimums are a threat to the City’s goals from its Climate Action Plan. Forcing businesses to build parking creates large stretches of asphalt that are hostile to pedestrians, cyclists, and transit users. If the City is to achieve its goal of having large shares of commuters in TPAs bike, walk, or use transit by 2035, it cannot require businesses to cater to drivers.
The Mayor’s proposal was presented to the Planning Commission on June 16, 2021, which voted to recommend that the City Council approve the proposal. However, the item has yet to be calendared for a committee or a City Council meeting. Circulated urged council members to calendar the item and pass it as quickly as possible, so that San Diego businesses can enjoy its benefits.
