BIA Comments on City of Columbus Parking Proposal

Council President Hardin, Chairman Dorans & Council Colleagues,

For over 80 years, the Building Industry Association of Central Ohio (BIA) has represented all aspects of central Ohio’s residential development and construction industry. As the region’s leading organization solely focused on housing creation, our industry applauds the City for engaging in discussions and legislation that will lead to better housing outcomes for our residents.

As the City concludes its public comment period on Zone-In Phase One, eliminating minimum parking requirements throughout the selected corridors has been a popular discussion topic among the Council, the community, and developers. Our industry hopes this testimony will provide important context and suggestions to further this conversation.

When one thinks of the cost of housing, few are aware of the leading role that parking plays in driving costs and impacting overall affordability. One of the first items that any developer must consider is parking, how much parking to have, and where it will be placed.

In fact, many developments are designed around parking in an effort to meet the needs of our automobile-centric society and local requirements.

Simply put, we are overparked and underhoused.

Studies have consistently shown that parking costs are a leading driver of overall housing costs, pricing out current and future residents. According to the Brookings Institute, in a joint study with the Harvard Center for Housing, the cost of structured parking can average $50,000 per space, a cost that is ultimately paid for by residents in the form of higher housing costs.

Moreover, government-mandated vast surface lots contribute significantly to sprawl, making our cities less walkable and creating asphalt heat traps, leading to runoff and environmental impacts.

Our organization was excited to hear that the City of Columbus was joining the ranks of more than 60 other cities across our country by eliminating parking minimums in the City. 

This is a policy whose time has come.

However, the proposal under consideration needs to go further.

Data has consistently shown that eliminating parking minimums reduces overall construction costs and preserves land for better and more valuable uses. This begs the question, why is this proposal not being expanded to the entire City?

If we truly believe, and our industry does, that eliminating minimum parking requirements is the correct policy decision, waiting for a future date to fully implement this change only negatively impacts and cost burdens residents and property owners in the areas that remain status quo.

For skeptics who believe that removing parking minimums will immediately cause developers to begin offering projects without parking, we can assure you that will not be the case. Because of our market’s high automobile usage, nearly every financial institution lending to a developer requires adequate parking. Simply put, no parking, no loan.

Removing minimums would allow for innovation in design and land usage. Developers have every incentive to provide adequate parking. They are skilled enough to know what that amount is, unlike the current system based on archaic and outdated formulas and thinking.

By removing minimums, developers could identify places for bike racks, dedicated ride-share pickups, and other resident-driven initiatives.

We are also aware of proposals to make this policy an elimination of parking minimums in name only endeavor by adding additional reviews, processes, and, despite the claims, parking minimums. This would be a costly error, adding time and cost and preventing innovation. If this path is taken, the City will not see the positive gains other communities have but, instead a “different name, same outcome” result.

Finally, it is worth a reminder that in 2022, the City implemented a costly electric vehicle charging requirement on new residential and commercial properties. The City was warned at that time about concerns regarding the high cost of this mandate and the underutilization of these charging stations. As costs continue to rise and the City acknowledges that parking costs impact housing affordability, the City should reassess this mandate and move to a market-driven approach that will allow property owners to make the best decisions for their property and meet the demands of their residents and customers.

The City has had parking minimums as part of its development fabric. We understand that change and the fear of the unknown can cause some uncertainty. However, we have the good fortune of seeing similar policies work in other communities.

Removing parking minimums is a good policy. Let’s be bold and apply it throughout the City, prioritizing homes for people rather than cars.

 Respectfully,

Jon Melchi

Executive Director

BIA of Central Ohio