STAFF REPORT: OFF-STREET PARKING REVIEW - REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL TERMS OF REFERENCE

TOWN OF VIEW ROYAL COUNCIL REPORT

TO: Council
DATE: November 3, 2023
FROM: Leanne Taylor, MCIP, RPP, Director of Development Services
MEETING DATE: November 7, 2023

OFF-STREET PARKING REVIEW - REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL TERMS OF REFERENCE

RECOMMENDATION:

THAT the report dated November 3, 2023 from the Director of Development Services titled “Off-Street Parking Review – Request for Proposal Terms of Reference” be received for information.

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this report is to update Council on the terms of reference for the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Off-Street Parking Review, a non-core project (N-099) identified in the 2023 – 2027 Financial Plan, to be completed in 2023 and 2024.

TIME CRITICAL:

To ensure that a consultant is selected by the end of this year, staff was aiming to post the RFP on the BC Bid Portal by the end of October 2023. Considering recent Provincial announcements concerning new housing legislation and the uncertainties revolving around parking bylaws to accommodate housing (i.e., will provincial legislation override municipal parking requirements for residential uses), staff will postpone publishing the RFP until after the staff update on the RFP at the November 7, 2023, Council meeting.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

In the Financial Plan 2023 – 2027, Council approved the Off-Street Parking Review as a non-core project (N-099) to be completed in 2023 – 2024. The project objectives include the following:

• undertake a comprehensive review and update of the Town’s parking regulations for all uses, except for the small-scale, multi-unit residential uses until further announcements by the Province;
• undertake a comprehensive review and update on accessible, EV charging infrastructure, and bicycle parking requirements;
• introduce loading requirements (currently, the Zoning Bylaw does not have on site loading requirements for moving and delivery trucks);
• ensure that the parking requirements for all uses reflect current policies, local parking needs and best practices;
• establish best practices for dealing with minor parking variances for commercial businesses, to support the local economy and streamline processing times;
• review the current cash-in-lieu requirements for a reduction in parking to ensure the Town is being adequately compensated for parking variances; and
• carry out extensive stakeholder and public engagement to test parking innovations.

To ensure that the Town is not working on establishing residential parking requirements that may not be consistent with Provincial legislation, staff will draft the RFP to ensure it is clear in the terms of reference that the review will not include a review of the parking requirements for small-scale, multi-unit housing for people, including secondary suites, townhomes, and triplexes until further direction is provided by the Province. If the Province confirms that municipalities can continue to regulate parking for these residential uses, then staff would add this component to the contracted project.

BACKGROUND:

At the Committee of the Whole meeting on October 10, 2023, staff presented a report (attached) to the Committee on the draft terms of reference for the Off-street Parking Review. The Committee received the report at the meeting to advance with the RFP process.

DISCUSSION:

While there are some aspects of the parking regulations in the Zoning Bylaw that work well, there are several sections that require review and update to ensure that the parking regulations meet the needs of the Town. Reviewing parking requirements for residential uses is only one component of the parking review. The comprehensive review will review and update the Town’s parking ratios for all uses, including commercial and institutional uses. It will also assess and provide recommendations on accessible, EV charging infrastructure, loading, and bicycle parking requirement; cash-in-lieu requirements; minor parking variances for commercial uses; and parking design guidelines to meet climate action objectives.

However, to ensure that the Town is not working on establishing residential parking requirements that may not be consistent with new housing legislation, staff will draft the RFP to ensure it is clear in the terms of reference that the review will not include a review of the parking requirements for small-scale, multi-unit housing, including secondary suites, townhomes, and triplexes, until further direction is provided by the Province on these other zoning matters that may affect the delivery of housing supply. The Province has indicated to municipalities that additional legislation to provide more certainty for projects will be introduced in the coming weeks, at which time, staff may know if parking requirements for small-scale, multi-unit housing needs to be added to the contracted project.

SUSTAINABILITY/CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS:

The risk on not undertaking a fulsome review of the Town’s parking standards as outlined under the proposed terms of reference would likely result in more parking variances and undesirable site planning and impacts from a sustainability perspective. Moreover, providing too much parking can discourage residents from using alternative modes of transportation. Lastly, this work will support the Town’s Community Climate Action Policy and Community Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Plan which strongly encourages multi-modal transportation options and shifts beyond the car.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:

The Financial Plan 2023 – 2027 allocated $35,000 in 2023 and $40,000 in 2024 of Casino revenue to carry out this project.

ALTERNATIVES:

No alternatives are provided for this report.

CONCLUSION:

This report is to provide Council with an update on the scope of the RFP for the off-street parking review. Staff will ensure that the terms of reference are clear to avoid confusion on the Town’s expectations for the desired outcomes of this project and reflect potential Provincial changes.

ATTACHMENTS:

Attachment 1: Committee of the Whole Report dated October 5, 2023.