Downtown development projects may soon come with fewer parking spaces.
Meeting as the committee of the whole on Tuesday, council gave initial approval to a new program that would let developers pay a fee to the city rather than meet the otherwise required number of spaces.
That money would then be put toward future municipal parking projects and efforts to shift people away from the use of private vehicles.
“I think it’s going to free up some capacity for building (more residential units),” said Coun. Dominique O’Rourke, noting those units could come in handy when Conestoga College opens its planned Macdonell Street campus.
“We want to help with that specific type of housing at the moment,” added Mayor Cam Guthrie, referring to apartments above ground-level commercial spaces.
Under the program, developers would be able to apply to reduce the number of on-site parking spaces they’re required to provide.
In the case of conversions and additions to existing buildings, the city fee would range between 12.5 and 75 per cent of the cost of a parking space, depending on the quantity they wish not to provide. On the low end is one to 10 spaces, with the 75 per cent fee applicable in cases of 30 or more spaces.
When it comes to new builds, the fee ranges between 25 and 90 per cent of the cost of parking space, based on the same range of spaces noted above.
Staff estimate the program would generate $600,000 annually, though that depends on the level of participation from developers.
Approval of the proposed program wasn’t unanimous, with Coun. Christine Billings voting against it.
“We’re providing pretty deep discounts for a lack of parking,” said Billings. “It’s not full-cost recovery.”
“Cash-in-lieu for parking is an acknowledgement you aren’t providing the parking that would normally be required under zoning,” commented Doug Minett, co-founder of The Bookshelf. “The amount of people using public transit coming downtown is very tiny.”
All funds generated through the program should go toward building new public parkades, Minett added.
“It would be flying in the face of what cash-in-lieu is supposed to be replacing if it is used for transit,” he said.
Not so, countered Chris Greyson-Gaito of the Guelph Coalition for Active Transportation.
“More parking will just encourage more people to drive and that’s not what we want to do in this city,” he said. “If transit and active transportation are safe, convenient and fast, people will regularly use transit and active transportation over driving.”
Guthrie, who favours eliminating downtown parking minimums altogether, reluctantly voted in support of the initiative.
“We’ll give it a try for a few years and see what happens,” he lamented.
Prior to the motion’s approval, Guthrie moved an amendment that would have seen all of the money generated put toward transit enhancements. However, it was withdrawn after staff reminded him uses of reserves are dictated by the Planning Act.
“I wish we could do it,” the mayor said.
Coun. Phil Allt was absent from the committee meeting.
Council is tentatively slated to consider formally approving the program during its meeting on Feb. 27.
