EV charging, bicycle, motorcycle parking requirements proposed in Apache Junction
Bicycle racks are not presently required at multifamily developments.
Arianna Grainey
Posted
Planner Nicholas Leftwich at the commission’s June 27 meeting.
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We do have quite a lot of cyclists within Apache Junction and so it was determined that moving with new development to propose a requirement for bicycle parking to have racks as part of the development system.”
Bicycle racks, parking spaces for motorcycles and charging stations for electric vehicles would be required of new multifamily Apache Junction developments under proposed city code changes.
The planning and zoning commission on June 27 voted 6-0 to recommend that the Apache Junction City Council approve a text amendment to the city code under parking, loading and circulation regulations. Commissioner Frank F. Schoenbeck was absent.
The city council is to review the changes at a study session July 17 and vote on them Aug. 1.
Changes were sought because developers have put forth plans designating little space for guest parking or none at all, Planner Nicholas Leftwich said at the commission’s June 27 meeting.
“It had of course been long noted that the city needed to update our parking regulations regarding guest parking given that we saw sometimes there’s deficiencies. Sometimes there wasn’t enough where even though people were meeting the minimum parking requirement sometimes there was very little guest parking, sometimes there was none at all. So it was deemed necessary that we would work on this,” he said.
The text amendment calls for 0.3 guest parking spaces to be required per dwelling unit in multifamily residential properties — if 100 units, there would be 30 guest parking spaces; and adding Americans with Disabilities Act parking requirements information to clarify what the standards are, Leftwich said.
Motor scooter and motorcycle parking spaces, bicycle racks, and EV charge ports are not presently required at multifamily developments.
“For safety purposes, as well as to provide some design flexibility, we’ve determined to recommend a requirement for two motorcycle parking stalls — or motor scooter parking stalls, they being the same — to be included out of every 75 parking spaces. Those are a little bit more narrow, but they are designated so that motorcycles can have a place to park,” he said.
“Additionally, we don’t have anything within our code currently regarding bicycle parking. We do have quite a lot of cyclists within Apache Junction and so it was determined that moving with new development to propose a requirement for bicycle parking to have racks as part of the development system,” Leftwich said.
An electric-vehicle charging port will be required for every 250 parking spaces in new Apache Junction developments, he said.
“There was also, in review of the trend — as well as the upcoming technology — of electrical vehicles, the requirement to require one electric-vehicle charging port parking space of at least Level 2 capacity for every 250 parking spaces,” Leftwich said.
Later he said one EV charging port would be required for parking lots of 125 to 375 parking spaces.
Level 2 EV charging stations are defined in the text amendment by their capacity to provide 30 to 80 amperes using a 208- to 240-volt outlet. An EV charging station capable of simultaneously charging at 30 amperes or greater for each of two vehicles — also known as dual-port charging station — shall be counted as two level 2 EV charging stations, it states.
The primary duties of the planning and zoning commission include community contact regarding items including a zoning change request, to an application from a developer for a shopping center development or housing project. Also included are conditional use permits with the final decision being handled at the planning and zoning commission level, according to the city’s website.
Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on Twitter @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.
Richard Dyer Managing Editor | East Valley @RHDyer
Meet Richard Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.
Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions.
Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.
Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.
Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.
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