City Council changes parking rules

The East Lansing City Council voted Tuesday to modify the rules for approving off-site parking in the city at its meeting at City Hall, 410 Abbot Road.

The council voted to change the ordinance, which outlines requirements for businesses and multiple-family residencies where parking is not located on the property, to include more defined wording in the ordinance.

Parking for off-premise sites would impact various student groups, including fraternities, sororities and housing cooperatives, said East Lansing Planning and Zoning Administrator Darcy Schmitt.

Some of the changes include requiring property owners to purchase parking passes on a yearly basis for employees or residents who use municipal parking facilities.

Businesses and residencies would need to provide off-premise parking for the spaces they could not provide on-site. Requirements for the off-site parking include a location within a quarter mile of the business or home the parking spaces serve.

“We are saying that for multiple-family uses, office uses or any uses located in the business district, required off-premise parking facilities may be provided on properties separate from that,” Councilmember Roger Peters said. “But the use of such facilities are intended to serve subject to these following requirements.”

City Council will review any request for parking based on the requirements in the ordinance. Mayor Vic Loomis said he was uncomfortable with the wording of the clause. He said he was uncomfortable with City Council having the final say on whether to grant parking spaces.

“If you meet all of these six (requirements), then City Council will consider and it’s up to the City Council to determine whether it meets the intent of allowing parking to be placed in the municipal parking structure,” Schmitt said.

One of the added items to the ordinance concerned some council members. The line stated council could approve or deny a request for parking based on proximity to public transit.

Peters said the line refuted the original purpose of providing close off-premise parking.

“If we’re saying that a quarter of a mile is close enough for people to walk to an off-site parking facility then if you satisfy that requirement, you’re okay,” he said. “I guess I don’t see where the proximity to public transit fits into the requirement.”