Fairfax County is considering a plan to revamp minimum parking requirements for the first time in 35 years in the hope of reshaping the county's landscape over homeowner groups' concerns.
Two of Northern Virginia’s most pressing problems — a lack of affordable housing and urban runoff damaging local streams — couldFairfax County officials say both issues can be addressed by reducing minimum parking requirements for new construction, which they argue could lower construction costs for affordable housing and reduce the amount of hard surfaces that serve as channels for storm water runoff and cause further environmental damage by emanating heat into the atmosphere during hot days.
that have limited space for new housing and a lot of traffic, part of a push to free up land for new homes while urging residents to use trains, buses or bikes instead of driving, urban planners say. For neighborhoods near bus or rail transit stations, that means cutting the amount of available parking in multifamily buildings by as much as 40 percent, to about one space for every two bedrooms.
With those expenses shaved, “you’re reducing the overall cost of the project and giving yourself the ability to add more density,” he said. “This becomes doubly important when we’re asked to provide affordable housing, which is really important in the county.”Neighborhood civic associations argue the reductions ignore the fact that residents in some areas are already struggling to find enough parking.
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