CITY of ALBUQUERQUE
TWENTIETH COUNCIL
COUNCIL BILL NO. F/S R-12-40
ENACTMENT NO. R-2012-085
SPONSORED BY: Rey Garduño
RESOLUTION
TEXT AMENDMENT TO THE NOB HILL HIGHLAND SECTOR DEVELOPMENT PLAN TO FURTHER CLARIFY PARKING REQUIREMENTS IN THE CCR-1, -2, AND -3 ZONING DISTRICTS FOR SPECIFIC USES ALLOWED IN THE UNDERLYING ZONING BUT NOT SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSED IN THE PLAN AND TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE REGARDING THE REGULATION OF PARKING LOTS.
WHEREAS, the Council, the Governing Body of the City of Albuquerque, has the authority to adopt and amend plans for the physical development of areas within the planning and platting jurisdiction of the City authorized by statute, Section 3-19-3, NMSA 1978, and by its home rule powers; and
WHEREAS, the Council has the authority to adopt, amend, or repeal such a sector development plan; and
WHEREAS, the City ofAlbuquerqueadopted the Nob Hill Highland Sector Development Plan (NHHSDP) in 2007 through Council Resolution R-07-185, Enactment Number 96-2007; and
WHEREAS, the NHHSDP established five zones to regulate appropriate commercial and office development in the Plan area; and
WHEREAS, these zones contain requirements for off-street parking for commercial establishments based primarily on square footage; and
WHEREAS, a recent influx of new businesses, particularly in the Community Commercial/Residential zones on Central Avenue, has revealed inadequacies in the parking requirements for certain commercial uses; and
WHEREAS, there are concerns that some types of businesses, such as bars and dance halls, could open in these zones with only a fraction of their actual parking needs met by off-street parking; and
WHEREAS, the Off-Street Parking Regulations of the City of Albuquerque Zoning Code, §14-16-3-1 ROA 1994, set standards for off-street parking for bars and dance halls based on permitted fire occupancy load; and
WHEREAS, amending the NHHSDP’s parking regulations to add specific requirements for bars and dance halls will help limit the impact of these uses on the surrounding community by requiring that adequate off-street parking be provided; and
WHEREAS, it is appropriate to strike a balance between the strict off-street parking regulations found in the Zoning Code and the policies of the NHHSDP and other applicable City plans that call for the reduction of off-street parking requirements in Activity Centers and pedestrian-friendly areas like Nob Hill; and
WHEREAS, in addition to tailoring the off-street parking requirements for specific uses in the NHHSDP, it is also appropriate to tailor other regulations pertaining to the provision of off-street parking, specifically paving requirements, that are not adequately addressed in the Zoning Code in order to meet the unique needs of the area; and
WHEREAS, the Zoning Code requires parking lots to be paved with asphalt, an impervious material that impacts drainage and other environmental issues; and
WHEREAS, the 2010 amendment to the Downtown 2010 Plan established a precedent for allowing as an alternative paving requirement the use of compacted, stabilized crusher fines, a pervious material, for parking lots; and
WHEREAS, minimizing impervious surfaces and maximizing pervious surfaces for new development is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan, specifically II.D.2. policy B, Possible Technique 6.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL, THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OFALBUQUERQUE:
HCS Pub. October 19, 2012
