Parking lots, roads and other impervious surfaces directly impact Central Ohio watersheds because they increase the amount of stormwater pollution washing into our rivers and streams. When we create too much runoff, our communities and waterways suffer from pollution, flooding and stream channel erosion. Cities have zoning requirements for parking lot size and design, but they are often outdated and have resulted in the sea of pavement we have today.

The City of Columbus is in the process of updating the parking code to reflect considerations for modern parking needs and sustainable development. The Sierra Club was invited to provide initial feedback to the proposed parking code and participated in a stakeholder meeting with the Department of Development, the mayor’s Green Team, and city zoning officials.

According to the Columbus Department of Development: “The objective for Columbus is to ‘right size’ its approach to parking. Excess parking provision is a particular issue of interest as it results in underutilization of land, higher development and maintenance costs, and an increase in impervious surface and stormwater runoff.”

The following proposed changes to the Columbus parking code are a step in the right direction, and additional comments are included for consideration:

• The proposed code increases requirements for parking lot landscaping, which includes more trees, increased soil area and language to encourage the use of bio-retention (like rain gardens) or other stormwater control measure approved by the Department of Public Utilities.

The Sierra Club welcomes improvements to parking lot landscaping requirements. The use of rain gardens or bio-retention creates an aesthetically pleasing site as well as a functioning landscape to control stormwater. The emphasis on bio-retention should be stronger, and more guidance should be provided to encourage bio-retention. In addition, design goals should be recommended with the use of bio-retention in order measure the stormwater benefits of the practices. Also, any landscaped areas should be sunk below grade rather than planted on raised islands to effectively retain water and reduce parking lot runoff. General landscaping requirements should also encourage preservation of existing vegetation and discourage the use of invasive species. The Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources provides a list of invasive plants.

• The proposed code allows for the use of alternative hard surfaces such as porous concrete and permeable pavement. The proposed code states "Hard surface materials other than concrete and asphalt are subject to additional review and prior approval by relevant departments and divisions."

The Sierra Club supports the use of alternative materials. The language should explicitly encourage porous or permeable surfaces as a stormwater control measure. In addition, relevant departments should develop guidance for the use of alternative hard surface materials to favor materials that control stormwater runoff.

• The proposed code reduces minimum parking spaces for some uses, which is a significant step in the right direction. Minimum parking requirements do not reflect the true need for parking and unnecessarily take up space that can be better utilized.

The Sierra Club encourages Columbus to make further efforts to reduce paved surfaces and increase green space.

• The proposed code includes minimum bicycle parking requirements for residential, retail, institutional, educational and athletic uses.

The Sierra Club supports bike parking, and we hope that accessible bike parking will reduce the number of cars on the road. Bike parking should also be located in open, visible spaces to reduce theft or the fear of theft.

Summary: Current parking requirements are excessive and outdated, and the City of Columbus has responded to this issue by evaluating real demand for parking. We encourage the city to consider other factors at the neighborhood level that may reduce demand for parking lot space. Additional parking may not be necessary in areas where transit and pedestrian accessibility are adequate and where there are opportunities to share neighboring parking facilities. The city can encourage overall sustainability by increasing public transportation options which will decrease the overall demand for parking lots and fossil fuels.

The City of Columbus is taking positive steps to address environmental impacts of development and parking, and we encourage continued efforts to protect valuable green space and water resources. The Sierra Club will continue to provide input in this process and advocate for additional codes and ordinances that protect our natural resources.