Design Topics
October 2006

Parking Analyses

Enclosed is a timley piece, written by a local architect, addressing the issue of capturing additional parking spaces on an existing parcel.

Real estate and design professionals are familiar with the impact of parking limitations.

Though typically thought of as static – parking criteria change over the years and parking analysis can offer a hidden opportunity to add value to a property.

If a project was constructed prior to the 1980’s, there is a good chance that it’s parking plan does not take advantage of zoning changes which have occurred since. These changes largely came about as cities grappled with balancing federal and state parking requirements for the handicapped with the needs of property owners whose parking areas had shrunk as a result these land seizures.

These changes, however, may improve allowable floor area to parking spaces ratios. For example, compact parking spaces have been downsized from 9’x18’ to as small as 7 ½’x14’ and standard spaces from 10’x 20’ or 10’x 22’ to 9’x18’.

I recently completed a project which clearly demonstrates the benefit of parking analysis and redesign. The project, a retail shopping center, was constructed in the early 1970’s and parking had not been modified since. As shown in Figure 1 below, there were 109 parking spaces, a wide trash enclosure, wide aisles and minimal landscaping. This served a building of approximately 29,000 sq.ft.

FIGURE 1 – Original Parking Plan

The updated plan, a shown in Figure 2 below, revised the parking layout and updated compliance with all applicable Ordinances and Standards. There was an increase of 10% with the eleven parking spaces added and landscaping was increased from 6.1 to 22.7 per cent. All interior curbing was relocated, but all existing sidewalks, driveway approaches, transformer pads and signage were retained.

FIGURE 2 – Revised Parking Plan

There was a significant increase in the allowable building area/occupancy load with the added eleven parking spaces resulting in additional revenue opportunity for the owner. Table A, below, demonstrates how these additional parking spaces would affect each of several common uses.

TABLE A – Area/Occupant Increases

Plainly, a periodic review and analysis of parking layouts, and site design criteria in general, will offer a property owner an opportunity to exploit improved code standards resulting in an increase in allowable floor area for his parcel or allowable occupancy load of his existing building(s).

By Russell Gamble, A.I.A.
Architecture and Planning
408.866.6543