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Later this year, the City of Olympia will consider ways to offer a wider range of off-street parking options to those who are bringing new or redevelopment housing projects to the community. City staff are inviting community feedback to understand where less space for parked vehicles – such as mutli-family housing parking areas – could benefit future occupants. An online questionnaire, available at engage.olympiawa.gov/reducing-parking-requirements will be available for community feedback through mid-November.
Olympia has a housing shortage. Current housing development rates are about half of where they ought to be to meet Olympia’s projected needs. Reducing how much dedicated vehicle storage space is required per housing unit could increase supply for all types of future housing. It could also help support more affordable housing.
“We know that meeting minimum parking requirements can be a big part of the expense and square footage that’s currently needed to build new housing,” said City Planner Gary Cooper. “Providing the flexibility would let those who are building housing here consider reducing how much of that cost they want to dedicate towards space for vehicles. Some buyers may prefer a less vehicle-dependent lifestyle. The lower cost of these units could help more people find their future home within Olympia, something they may not be able to do now even when they already work and play here.”
The changes being considered are the result of the City’s Housing Action Plan and a strategy to “expand the overall housing supply by making it easier to build all types of housing projects.” The plan calls for the City to consider how it can, “reduce parking requirements for residential uses, including for multifamily developments near frequent transit routes.”
To stay informed of this effort, sign up to receive Planning and Development updates from the City of Olympia at olympiawa.gov.
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