A Worcester city council subcommittee has signaled openness toward reducing but not fully eliminating parking minimums city-wide.
The Standing Committee on Economic Development met on Thursday night to discuss the planning board’s recommendation to consider adopting an ordinance that eliminates or “aggressively reduce” parking minimums — a mandate requiring a set number of parking spaces be built alongside new developments. The planning board did not submit a drafted ordinance but instead encouraged the council to incorporate parking minimum reductions, simplified parking requirements and expanded parking maximums in a future ordinance.
The idea to eliminate or reduce parking minimums is supported by City Manager Eric D. Batista, The Worcester Chamber of Commerce and several city residents, all of whom say the minimums are a roadblock in producing new housing. Studies have found that having a required number of parking spaces gives developers less room to build additional housing and increases construction costs…