21-03-2025
North Carolina bill would eliminate parking minimums statewide
A new North Carolina bill could eliminate off-street parking minimums — the number of spaces local governments require for new developments.
Why it matters: Charlotte has considered ending these requirements as the city aims to be less car-dependent. This state bill, however, would override the local rule and effectively settle any debate.
The legislation is gaining broad support across North Carolina, from rural farmers to business leaders to environmental activists.
"This is an affordable housing issue, farmland preservation issue, sprawl issue — there's a lot of components to it," says Ryan Carter, policy director at Catawba Riverkeeper.
Context: Catawba Riverkeeper, the nonprofit dedicated to protecting the Catawba-Wateree River Basin, has worked on this legislation for years, intending to reduce stormwater runoff.
Just one inch of rainfall on an acre of parking lot generates 27,000 gallons of runoff, according to Catawba Riverkeeper. That rainwater carries pollutants into waterways, including the Catawba-Wateree River Basin and downstream to farmlands.
Others see ending parking minimums as a way to promote attainable housing. When developers are forced to build parking, the number of spaces often exceeds the market demand, driving up construction costs and making housing less affordable.
A surface parking spot, on average, costs about $5,000 to $10,000, while a parking deck space can run around $50,000, according to Strong Towns.
Case in point: Gastonia eliminated parking minimums in recent years — a move that made the 200-unit Fairhaven Place workforce housing development more financially viable, according to assistant city manager Quentin McPhatter.
"It certainly helped move things along and move the needle in terms of our revolution of downtown," McPhatter says.
Zoom out: Nationwide, cities are moving away from parking minimums. A mix of red and blue states — including Washington, Illinois, Oklahoma and Montana — are considering statewide legislation similar to North Carolina's.
Zoom in: House Bill 369, the Parking Lot Reform and Modernization Act, would also ban coal tar sealants and other toxic pavement products that are harmful to humans and the environment.
Already, Mecklenburg County has banned coal tar products, and Lowes, Home Depot and Ace Hardware no longer carry products containing the chemical.
The bill also reverses a state law that prevents local governments from requiring storm runoff deterrents for redevelopment sites.
What they're saying: Rep. Mark Brody, a Republican sponsoring the bill, says he often looks at unused portions of Walmart or big shopping center lots and asks: "Why have all this wasted space?"
Carter says the bill would encourage infill development, spur revitalization in western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene and promote the reimagining of corporate business parks.
The other side: Unlike Raleigh, Durham and Gastonia, Charlotte still mandates a set number of spaces per development, even for a bar near the light rail, if it's close enough to a single-family home.
Charlotte has hesitated to drop parking minimums. Over the years, officials have voiced concerns that the city's transit system is too inadequate to make such a change. They worry limited parking would lead to more on-street parking, disrupting quiet neighborhoods.
However, the city is beginning to address its parking demand by implementing residential parking permit programs in the fast-growing neighborhoods of Dilworth and Wilmore.
