Saskatoon council votes to remove minimum parking requirements for new developments

Saskatoon city council has voted to eliminate minimum parking requirements for new developments.

The amendment to the zoning plan ordinance was unanimously adopted on Wednesday evening. It does not affect the rules for parking on the street.

Previously, the amount of off-street parking was based on the size of the building, the number of dwelling units and the use. Now, the developer, homeowner or business can determine how much parking should be provided.

The change is part of a series of ordinance changes the city had to make to qualify for money from the federal government’s Housing Accelerator Fund, which is designed to increase the supply of affordable housing.

“We won’t even notice it, but it will allow for more housing to be built and for us to have vibrant neighbours and less wasted space… a bold move by council,” Mayor Charlie Clark said during a public hearing at Saskatoon city council on Wednesday night.

He said lowering construction costs by eliminating parking requirements will help speed up the construction of new homes.

Jon Naylor was one of four speakers at the public hearing and was the only one to speak out against the ordinance, saying it would penalize people who rely on cars.

“I’m concerned that if we don’t build enough parking in the way the government chooses, it will punish residents by imposing stricter parking regulations. We already have hospital workers struggling to find parking, and families who rely on cars,” Naylor said.

Stakeholders welcomed the measure, stating that the previous minimum parking requirements increased overall development costs, leading to higher rents.

‘A step in the right direction’

Cameron Choquette, CEO of the Saskatchewan Landlord Association, said eliminating the minimum parking requirements is “a step in the right direction.”

He said the measure will help reduce development costs and allow developers and landlords of housing to create the number of parking spaces needed for their target group.

For example, Choquette said that a surplus of parking spaces for a 36-unit senior living facility would be “a waste of money on parking spaces that would remain empty,” when that money could have been better spent adding housing or improving amenities.

“The bottom line is that we hope this will increase the number of homes that can be built on a site, rather than on asphalt pavement and parking lots,” Choquette said.

“It is important that the municipal council is progressive, agile and flexible when it comes to zoning plans, development policies, assessments, etc., because these influence the start of housing construction and its affordability every day.”

Choquette noted that the change will impact future developments and not eliminate existing parking spaces.

“All of our existing parking spaces, they’re not going anywhere. There’s still an oversupply, in most cases, of parking spaces,” he said.

‘A great incentive’

Myles Parkinson, president of Vox Development, said the bylaw change means that instead of just 29 homes, 56 homes will be allowed to be built in an affordable housing project planned near the University of Saskatchewan.

He said these units have indoor and outdoor parking and storage for bicycles, as many people living in affordable housing do not have their own cars and rely on public transport or alternative modes of transportation.

“This will allow us to produce a larger number of suites and therefore we can reduce the cost of entry for people who are essentially in a one- or two-bedroom unit. The size will be greatly impacted. We can condense everything down, which will result in long-term affordability for the tenant,” he said.

The city noted that “there has not been a comprehensive study of parking rates in Saskatoon in at least 25 years” and that the decision coincides with a number of cities in North America that have eliminated or reduced parking requirements.

Parkinson agreed that the change was necessary.

“It’s a big incentive because we can basically inject this into our capital costs and then deliver it to the end user at a more affordable rate over the long term.”