7 Parking Requirements for Multifamily Residential District
CITY OF
CHANHASSEN
7700 Market Boulevard
PO Box 147
Chanhassen, MN 55317
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Phone: 952.227.1100
Fax: 952.227.1110
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2310 Coulter Boulevard
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Senior Center
Phone: 952.227.1125
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Web Site
'INfW.ci .chanhassen. mn. us
[2]
MEMORANDUM
TO:
Planning Commission
FROM:
D~/'
Sharmeen AI-Jaff, Senior Planner ~ ""7
DATE:
April 18, 2006
SUBJ:
Parking Requirements For Multifamily Residential District (R-16)
On February 7,2006, staff presented an application for the construction of a multi-
family building with a variance to the parking standards for Gateway Place located
at the northwest intersection of future Highway 101 and the extension of Lake Susan
Drive. City Code requires 2 parking spaces per two or more bedroom units of
which 11/2 spaces must be enclosed. The applicant provided parking spaces that
exceeded the total number of required parking spaces (enclosed + above ground)
but could not meet the total required number of enclosed parking spaces. The
applicant for Gateway Place conducted an exercise that demonstrated it is difficult
to provide 11/2 enclosed parking spaces per unit without expanding the footprint of
the garage beyond the footprint of the apartment building. The Planning
Commission directed staff to visit the parking ordinance and check the criteria
and formulas used by surrounding communities.
Prior to May 24, 2004, the City required the following:
In the R-16 District requirements are as follows:
· One (1) enclosed stall per dwelling. All enclosed stalls must be located in
an underground garage structure.
· One (1) exterior stall per unit.
Staff's reasoning for the amendment stated "Parkin!! standards should be based
on the number of bedrooms. not the zoning district."
The amended ordinance required the following:
· Efficiency units and one-bedroom units--One and one-half stalls, one of
which must be completely enclosed in a garage.
· Two-bedroom and larger units--Two stalls, one and one-half must be
completely enclosed in a garage.
The City of Chanhassen . A growing community with clean lakes, quality schools, a charming downtown, thriving businesses, winding trails, and beautiful parks. A great place to live, work, and play.
Planning Commission
April 18,2006
Page 2
Multifamilv Parking Requirement In Other Communities:
The following is a summary of what other communities require and how they compare to the
City of Chanhassen:
City Total Parking Required Enclosed Suaces
Minnetonka 2 1
Chaska 2 No requirement
Plymouth 2Yz 1
Eden Prairie 2 1
Chanhassen
. Efficiency & One lY2 1
Bedroom
. Two Bedrooms 2 lY2
All communities require a minimum of two parking spaces of which one must be enclosed with
the exception of the City of Chaska. If Chanhassen' s multifamily parking requirements were
similar to surrounding communities, a variance could have been avoided completely.
It is staff's opinion that the city code be amended back to the one enclosed parking space only.
This item, if accepted, would be placed on a future Planning Commission agenda.
ATTACHMENT
1. Parking ordinances for surveyed communities.
g:\plan\issue paper\parking multi family. doc
MULTIFAMILY PARKING ORDINANCES FOR SURVEYED COMMUNITIES
Minnetonka
Two parking spaces for each dwelling unit, of which one space per dwelling unit shall be
completely enclosed. The two required parking spaces may not include the space in front of
garage doors. Additional spaces for visitor parking shall be provided based on the specific
characteristics of a development and the anticipated demand for visitor spaces as determined by
the city. These characteristics may include, but shall not be limited to, the project size, the
number of enclosed parking spaces, the accessibility of open parking spaces, access to on-street
parking, topographical characteristics, the preservation of significant trees, the impact to
surrounding property, and the site and building design. Developments of 12 or fewer dwelling
units, where each unit has two enclosed parking stalls, must have a minimum visitor parking
ratio of 0.75 spaces per dwelling unit. Visitor parking may include spaces in front of garage
doors for individual units;
Chaska:
Two spaces per dwelling unit.
Eden Prairie
Two per dwelling unit, one of which must be enclosed
Plymouth:
Two and one-half fee free spaces for each dwelling unit, of which one must be enclosed.
Chanhassen:
. Efficiency units and one-bedroom units--One and one-half stalls, one of which must be
completely enclosed in a garage.
. Two-bedroom and larger units--Two stalls, one and one-half must be completely enclosed in
a garage.
. Garage stalls for multifamily buildings containing more than 20 dwellings must be placed
underground or attached to the primary structure. The city may allow freestanding garage
stalls only when the applicant demonstrates that the architectural design of the building
results in an inability to accommodate all the stalls under the building and when the majority
of this requirement is met with underground parking.
. One visitor parking stall shall be provided for each four dwellings.