Baltimore considers eliminating off street parking requirements for new developments

BALTIMORE — City leaders say the proposed change could help address housing affordability, but residents in some neighborhoods worry about increased parking problems and want a more nuanced approach.

Baltimore is considering eliminating parking minimums for new developments as part of a broader effort to address the city's housing affordability crisis, a step more than 100 cities have also taken including Buffalo, NY, Austin, TX and Denver, CO.

The proposal, 25-0065 or the "Spaces for People Act" introduced as part of a greater set of bills for the "Housing Option Opportunity Housing Act," would remove requirements that force developers to include a certain number of parking spaces in new buildings. City Council is expected to take up the bill for a second reading at Monday night's meeting.

Another public hearing is also scheduled on the bill during the Thursday, October 16 Land Use & Transportation Committee meeting at 10 a.m.

Councilman Zac Blanchard, who sponsored the bill, said the change could help reduce housing costs.

"The price of rent has gone up exponentially. Even over the last five years between 2020 and 2025, the average rent in the city of Baltimore has gone up $250 a month. That's $3,000 a year," Blanchard said at a meeting last month.

Jed Weeks, a neighbor and advocate, pointed to an underutilized parking garage in Remington as evidence that current parking requirements may be excessive. He says neighbors pushed for even more than the requirements and often it sits half empty.

"So that's millions of dollars of unused space," he said. "Each one of these things can help address affordability and combined they start to move the needle. I don't think we're going to see significant changes overnight."

Parking advocates argue that mandatory parking minimums contribute to housing costs because developers pass on the expense of building parking spaces, which can cost thousands of dollars per spot, to renters through higher base rents.

Daniel Herriges, policy director of the Parking Reform Network, cites studies from Buffalo and Seattle, WA that show even after parking mandates were eliminated, 70% to 80% of new residential buildings still included parking.

"But 60% of the homes, the apartments in those buildings, were in buildings that would have been illegal under the prior code," Herriges said.

He says market forces, such as the need for parking in an area, would push developers in the right direction.
However, some Baltimore residents remain skeptical about the proposal, particularly in neighborhoods already struggling with parking shortages.

Betty Bland, who lives in the Historic Sharp Leadenhall neighborhood, said her area already feels overcrowded with new apartment complexes, both stadiums, the casino and a Topgolf nearby.

"I'm appalled. We're in a congested space. We're also in a community that unfortunately has three more major apartment developments coming on board," Bland said.

The 75-year-old resident worries about having to park several blocks away when carrying groceries.

"If I have to park three or four blocks away with my groceries, I'm really not going to be able to do that successfully," she said.

Renay Mitchell and Mereida Goodman who live in Garwyn Oaks, wish the change would be in a more nuanced way instead of city-wide.

"I think it's a good idea for certain neighborhoods. You know Baltimore is not a cookie cutter area. Each neighborhood is different and we all have different needs and concerns, and that needs to be addressed," Mitchell said. "We're getting a lot of catch phrases and clickbait, but no one's addressing us."

In the neighborhood, sometimes residents park on the grass.

"You come home and the street is filled up with cars. Sometimes down the street you will see people who have to park on the grass,"Goodman said.

Mitchell expressed concern that larger homes in her area could be converted to multi-family housing, creating additional parking demand.

"Due to the size of the homes, these are more likely to be turned into multi-family homes, which means more adults, more cars, more parking issues," Mitchell said.

Herriges says they've seen similar pushback in other cities before their laws were passed.

Meanwhile, Blanchard says while there has been criticism he says he's seen more support than expected, especially with those 45 and younger.

He did acknowledge that it has been harder to get older homeowners on board, and those who WMAR-2 News spoke with vowed they would not let the bill pass.

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