(The Center Square) – A majority of the Bellingham City Council approved an interim ordinance to eliminate minimum parking requirements for developers in order to boost housing capacity, but some voiced their doubts that it will find success in creating more affordable housing.
Agenda Bill 24375 does not prohibit the construction of parking but allows the market to determine the appropriate amount needed on a case-by-case basis; this will reduce the cost of construction.
Supporters of the ordinance say parking minimums reduce the land available for dwelling units, commercial and industrial space.
However, the city council was not in full support of the ordinance during the Committee of the Whole meeting on Monday.
Councilmember Michael Lilliquist said he was not prepared to vote and wanted to consider amendments, due to his doubts that the ordinance will help bring down the cost of housing across the city.
“This ordinance will definitely improve housing production … but the complexity is that greater housing production is not the same as greater housing affordability,” Lilliquist said during Mondays meeting. “And I’d rather we talk about it.”
Fellow Councilmember Lisa Anderson said she understands that the development of more units is important, but doubts developers will create units dedicated to lower-income individuals.
“The only way that we’re going to have potentially lower rent for some of these units is if we require it,” she said.
She added that a one-year pilot program will not result in enough evidence or data regarding the success of the zoning ordinance.
Last month, Bellingham Mayor Kim Lund issued an executive order to quickly address a worsening housing crisis within the city through streamlined permitting processes, new legislation, and incentivising the creation of more housing.
According to Lund’s office, by removing parking minimums, land for housing frees up and helps reduce housing costs.
Councilmember Daniel Hammill countered Lilliquist and Anderson’s points, saying that any argument against the creation of more housing units is a “NIMBY argument.”
He pointed to data showing that the number of housing units being built in the city have significantly dropped since 2021.
According to a presentation to the Bellingham Committee of the Whole, the city has issued permits for 516 units of housing as of Dec. 13. That is only about half of the city’s annual target.
City council staff cite studies that note that surface lots with a capacity of 100 cars can range generally between $78 to $200 per square foot, with a national average being about $21,000 per space. Surface parking spaces in Washington cost approximately $83 per square foot. Therefore a 10-foot by 20-foot parking stall would cost approximately $16,600 in 2023.
The ordinance was passed in the Bellingham Committee of the Whole with five in favor. Anderson voted in opposition and Lilliquist abstained from voting.