The City of Eugene has made changes to its land use rules so it no longer requires new developments to provide off-street parking. This change is in compliance with a state mandate to reduce pollution.
Eugene, Springfield and other metro areas in Oregon are required to make changes that encourage reduction of emissions from transportation to be more climate friendly.
“The main idea is that if developers aren’t forced to provide parking based on arbitrary numbers that were in the code before that they can look into their specific needs for their market, their lending needs, who they’re going to be renting, or who their customers are going to be, and then make that decision on their own how much parking they need to provide,” said Reid Verner, City of Eugene Land Use Supervisor.
Verner said the rule change will make it easier to allow projects within the city that are in places without space for off-street parking.
Another aspect of the rule change is that for new large parking lots there is a requirement for added tree canopy or solar panels to avoid large heat islands in the city.
According to a city press release, the city has previously made these changes to its parking rules to comply with state requirements.
- As of January 1, 2023, the City could no longer enforce minimum off-street parking requirements for development/redevelopment within a half-mile walking distance of a frequent transit corridor. The Nov. 13 City Council decision extended this citywide.
- As of April 1, 2023, new development with more than 5 dwelling units must install electrical service capacity to accommodate 40% of vehicle parking spaces, paving the way for a future with more electric vehicles.
