Visitor parking may be increased at new multifamily complexes

By Richard Dyer
Mail | Twitter: @RHDyer

After approving a multifamily development with no allotted guest parking spaces, Apache Junction is now considering a code change that would set a guest parking requirement for new apartments, condos and townhomes.

City staff recommends a requirement of 0.3 guest parking spaces for every dwelling unit in apartments, condominiums and townhomes — three parking spaces for every 10 dwelling units in addition to the required resident parking — Planner Nicholas Leftwich said at the Apache Junction Planning and Zoning Commission’s April 11 meeting.

That is in line with the 0.34 guest parking spaces per unit at the 52-unit Villas on Superstition, but a lot more than the zero guest parking spaces planned for the 166-unit Havenly Superstition community, according to a table Leftwich had in a memo to the commission.

“Different projects come in and they all have different parking standards. Every time there was a reoccurring need to provide guest parking that was not explicitly required by the code,” he said to the commission.

“So the code had a minimum baseline — for every so many bedrooms there needs to be this much resident parking — but we lacked any kind of explicit per-unit guest parking. And that has shown to be a need for several of these projects just because we didn’t want it to spill over, we didn’t want it to create any kind of traffic issues in the area,” Leftwich said.

City staff have been working on text-amendment changes for the city code for guest parking. Other changes include for electric-vehicle parking, one spot for every 250 parking spaces to be required to be equipped with a charging station; American Disabilities Act accessible parking; compact motorcycle and motor-scooter stalls; and bicycle parking, requiring bicycle racks. The proposed changes will be brought before the planning commission at a future meeting, Leftwich said.

“Thank you for all the hard work and research,” Commissioner Frank Schoenbeck said.

“I think it’s a great baseline; I think it’s a great start,” Commission Chairman Dave Hantzsche said.

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

rdyer@iniusa.org

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.