MAY 7, 2009 ISSUE
Boone Could Require Bicycle, Motorcycle Parking in UDO
At the spring quarterly pubic hearing held on Monday, May 4, the Boone Town Council and the Boone Planning Commission reviewed a proposed amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) that would require designated bicycle and motorcycle parking for all new development in Boone.
The recommended changes to parking standards are in line with two Smart Growth principles: (1) Take advantage of compact building design; and (2) Provide a variety of transportation choices. Smart Growth is a planning approach that emphasizes mixed land uses, varied housing opportunities, walkability, open space and natural preservation and a variety of transportation choices, among other qualities. The Town of Boone underwent a Smart Growth Audit in 2007 and is close to adopting a land use master plan based on Smart Growth principles. After the land use plan is complete, the town will completely rewrite the UDO to meet the guidelines of the land use plan.
According to the UDO amendment request presented on Monday, “bicycle parking can be provided at a fraction of the cost of vehicle parking, and up to a dozen bicycles can be parked in the same area normally required for one automobile.”
Under the proposed amendment, bicycle parking will be required when a new building is constructed, when an addition to an existing building is constructed and when a change in use of a building results in a requirement for more vehicle parking. The exceptions would be single-family and two-family housing, home occupation uses and agriculture and livestock uses.
The UDO amendment details recommended bicycle space requirements for various residential and commercial land uses. Town planning staff recommended a short-term parking requirement of two spaces or one space per 20 units (whichever provides the highest number of spaces) and a long-term parking requirement of one space per four units for multi-family residences. Commercial retail establishments would be required to furnish two spaces or one space per 5,000 square feet for short-term parking and two spaces or one space per 12,000 square feet for long-term parking.
Council member Stephen Phillips questioned whether the recommended requirement for multi-family housing is sufficient. Planning Commission Chair Bunk Spann suggested that perhaps the town should consider a higher number of required spaces if it wishes to encourage bike use.
Each bicycle parking space would be at least six feet long by two feet wide, with at least four feet between parallel racks. Planning staff recommended bike racks that allow for both wheels to be secured, rather than only one. However, these types of racks are more expensive, at $150 to $300 each, while single-wheel racks run less than $150 each.
Phillips asked if the town could be more flexible in the types of racks it allows.
“As a bicyclist, I’m comfortable with only one tire being secured,” he said.
Council members agreed that bicycle parking street signage should only be installed in cases where the bike racks are not easily visible from the street or from the front entrance to avoid “sign pollution.”
The proposed amendment would also require one motorcycle parking space for every 40 motor vehicle spaces. Motorcycle spaces would be at least eight feet long by four feet wide.
The council did not take action on the amendment.
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