Serena: Guest parking codes ought to match Scottsdale’s growing needs
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By Christian Serena
As a commissioner serving on the Planning Commission, I recently witnessed city staff recommend that commissioners approve a project that defied logic and raised residents’ eyebrows.
Acting on the staff’s advocacy, the commission voted 5-1 to approve a new 224-unit apartment complex in south Scottsdale on Scottsdale Road that provides zero parking for guests.
You read that right: 224 apartment units with no guest parking!
Because I believe it is illogical to vote for projects that fail to allocate parking spaces for guests, I was the lone dissenting vote, even though the proposal for the apartment building was within the city’s arcane parking code.
Most of the commission’s decisions are based on zoning technicalities and confusing codes. However, I believe that common sense should more frequently factor into the commission’s decision making.
If we did that, it would help reduce residents’ concerns about how we reach many of our decisions, including those about parking.
The parking issue, not just in the downtown area, is a hot-button issue the Planning Commission has been eager to address for several months. That’s why commissioners were happy to hear that the City Council is scheduled to begin discussing the parking issue in a work-study session on Tuesday, Feb. 11.
Obviously, there is a diversity of opinion about the parking issue. But I believe most people agree that the city has outgrown the existing parking codes. They must be meticulously examined and updated to make sure they match the city’s evolving needs.
As a planning commissioner and lifelong resident of Scottsdale, I want the best for our city and citizens. I believe difficult conversations, perhaps uncomfortable ones that are honest and transparent, always lead to the best results.
I anticipate that comprehensive conversations that engage the community about the parking issue will have that type of outcome.
Editor’s Note: Christian Serena is serving his first term on the city’s Planning Commission.
