Saskatoon councillors abolish minimum parking requirements

Saskatoon city council voted unanimously during a public hearing on Wednesday to remove minimum parking requirements for new developments on the site.

Before the zoning plan was changed, buildings had to have a minimum number of parking spaces, based on the size of the building and the number of homes.

Mayor Charlie Clark said the demands were preventing the construction of “urgently needed housing.”

“Developers are still building parking lots, but they’re not building additional parking lots because that’s an added expense and a waste of land,” Clark said in an interview with CTV News on Thursday.

He said properties must still have accessible parking spaces and visitor parking.

According to Clark, Vancouver and Edmonton have had success in eliminating their own parking requirements.

“I think this is a very important step if we are serious about making a city more efficient,” he said.

Jon Naylor, a member of the Varsity View Community Association, said some residents have concerns about the ordinance change.

Naylor said staff at the Royal University Hospital and the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital were already struggling to find parking.

“The community, particularly in this area, is very concerned about on-street parking,” he said.

Naylor fears that the poor parking will lead to stricter parking rules.

“If this developer-driven parking plan doesn’t work and creates more on-street parking and conflicts, the city’s plan is to essentially punish residents who want to park on the street with severe penalties,” he said.

Karen Kobussen, senior director at the Saskatoon and Regina Home Builders’ Association, believes the change is “long overdue.”

“The parking requirements have probably been in place since the 1960s, just like everything else related to it, it has to evolve and grow,” Kobussen said.

“We need to see more multi-family developments … in places where parking is not necessarily the primary amenity, (such as) along bus lines; access to walking and biking trails,” she said.

Kobussen said there may be discussions to address the parking issues in the future.

“I think there just needs to be a new conversation and solutions need to be put forward,” she said.