In its letter, MCA states that the revised study also fails to provide sufficient empirical evidence to justify a reduction in parking spaces for multi-family residential buildings of 40 to 42% below County zoning ordinance requirements.
The letter notes that (1) County parking utilization surveys of multifamily residential buildings near public transit do not support a reduction below 1.0 parking spaces per unit. Applicant is requesting a parking ratio of 0.75 spaces per one bedroom dwelling units and 0.9 for two-bedroom units; (2) That there is no basis for the applicant’s claim that residents of the new multi-family residential buildings will be able to utilize the WFC Metro Parking Garage. In fact, the County Staff report states that the aging Metro Garage will not be used for that purpose and that the developer should provide residential parking; (3) That available statistics for comparable nearby areas show that proximity to Metro does not eliminate the requirement for residents to own cars and that most residents have at least one car; and, (4) Overflow parking in adjacent neighborhoods is likely and it is unfair to create a situation and then argue that it would be dealt with through increase parking restrictions and law enforcement. The letter concludes that County authorities should deny the applicant’s request.