Second public engagement meeting starts at 8:30am this morning! Join in and support cleaner air, a stronger economy, and a better transportation system! No sign-up needed, just join here: bit.ly/ZOAC05202021
About 1/2 the number of attendees as yesterday and I see some returning names.
Attendee list is going. I see members of the MEDIA and some industry groups in attendance. Good thing, this needs attention as the most impactful land use change in Dallas in 50 years!
Ok, with the stragglers logging in, we've got about the same crowd I saw online yesterday, about 50-60 people.
Presentation is over and now on to the exciting part: public comment!
First comment: Says parking DOES need to be reformed, BUT:
1) Parking needs to be tied to use in some areas (LG) 2) 330ft residential buffer (where parking still required) isn't enough, wants it to be ~1,200ft 3) Bars/restaurants shouldn't be reduced and should park patio areas.
2nd comment: An architect who lives/works in Cedars. Enthusiastically supports reforming parking requirements throughout the city.
On his infill and historic projects, parking makes many projects unviable right away. And says parking hurts our transit investments.
So far, 1 for and 1 against (kinda). 3rd Comment: Mandating parking is mandating car ownership and this hurts our communities of color the hardest. We should never prevent someone from doing business or being housed because of parking.
Note: hear hear! Score: 2-1 Parking Reform
4th Comment: Lives in Oak Cliff/Works in Uptown: supports parking reform. Says 3 reforms are needed:
1) Remove CPM-Prop Owners/businesses can decide parking needs 2) Charge right price for on-street parking 3) Invest parking money collected into nbhd.
Note: Shoupista alert! 🥳
5th Comment: Supports parking reform! Will help housing costs and businesses. Thanks those working towards this reform.
Score 4-1 Parking Reform.
6th Comment: @CoalitionNewDAL is here supporting elimination of costly parking mandates! Cities around the country are eliminating them because they're a failed policy: drive up cost of housing, create car dependence and pollution, and harm historic preservation efforts.
6th Comment cont: This results in us getting less of all the things that make urban living worthwhile. Quotes Bob Kennedy: "Some men see things as they are and ask, ""Why?"" I dream things that never were and ask, ""Why not?""
6th comment cont: Closes with exhortation for ZOAC to use this opportunity to make a better future for Dallas.
Hear Hear!
7th Comment from @bryangeorgetony on behalf of @24hourdallas. Says we already know the negative effects of parking reqs on the nighttime economy, including bars, restaurants, dance halls, and hotels.
7th continued: Parking prevents clustering of businesses, degrades patron experiences, and create longer walks for pedestrians. Reforming parking makes cycling, walking, and transit a more viable option for those enjoying our nighttime economy.
You love to hear it!
7th continued: Supports reform lets businesses/owners decide how much parking they need while preventing spillover parking into neighboring areas.
Score 6-1 parkin' reform!
8th comment: Lives near Lower Greenville and SUPPORTS parking reform!
Goin' to our call-in commenters now!
Well, none of the phone participants are here to speak. Side note: Webex desperately needs a "Public Meeting" version of their software.
9th Comment: Says we have a parking problem. Says we don't have enough parking anywhere in the city. Need more parking for safety and health reasons. Says we don't have a good transit system.
Score 7-2 in favor of parking reform.
Stepped away for a sec, so maybe missed a comment, so #10 by my count. Supports Parkin' reform and says we're wasting a lot of space that could be used for TODs, says we have a housing shortage and this reform could lower cost of living. Also parking lots are ugly!
11th (by the Barrett reckoning): Says some reforms are needed but they should be limited to High-density mixed-used areas and downtown with established mass transit and quality sidewalks.
Counting this as an against? So we're at an 8-3 count pro-reform.
Ok, I have to drop off so someone tell me whether the last few are for or against!
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I'm so pumped about removing costly parking mandates in Dallas because it'll be a huge deal to remove this impediment to quality of life. Funny enough, it'll also be a really small and subtle change. L
Like, it's not like we'll suddenly see high rises on every corner with no parking. It'll just result in a very subtle downward trend in parking spaces built, most people won't even notice.
They might notice a few lots or buildings, previously undevelopable, get built on or renovated, but most won't know why.
First public engagement meeting for Parking reform has started! Thanks to the many supporters who have logged on to advocate for this reform!
They pose 3 questions to the attendees:
1) What do you think about the amount of parking Dallas? 2) Does parking availability determine your choice of destination? 3) What's more important to you? (walkability, transit options, parking etc.)
Disappointing, no talk of tradeoffs!
First comment! She lives 6 minute walk from DART station, but she takes her car everywhere. Says opponents think we should make decisions based on status quo, but disagrees and we should plan for the city we WANT to have. We can always adjust later.
zoac zoac zoac ZOAC ZOAC ZOAC! It's happening right now! We are back to talk parking!
A reminder of where we are:
I've looked over the materials for the meeting today and it looks great, we're looking at Lower Greenville as a specific example of what things might look like under the framework being considered.
Mill Creek (applicant) wanted to create a Planned Development (PD) to build an 80ft mixed-use project with 305 units. Current zoning allows mixed-use but only up to 54 feet due to a pre-existing deed restriction.
Mill Creek (applicant) held 45 public and private meetings, including one where they brought a lift to showing what 80ft of height looks like. They also consulted the variety of (largely useless) comprehensive, area, and trasnport. plans covering this stretch of East Dallas.
Disappointing to here CPC denied the proposed project at the 3G intersection. I'll post more thoughts after watching the video, but it sounds like it got veto'd by neighborhood pastoralists again. lakewood.advocatemag.com/2021/04/22/dal…
So glad we get to keep this streetscape a while longer instead of 10' sidewalks and 15 affordable units.
Ahhhh, we might see the roof from the lake or something!
It's Earth Day and what better way to celebrate Earth Day than a trip to the Zoning Ordinance Advisory Committee to discuss eliminating costly parking mandates, perhaps one of the greatest contributors to environmental destruction in US cities?
Today features Eric A Johnson Chief of Economic Development & Neighborhood Services to talk parking economics!
Today's committee meeting is going to be more of a Q&A session.