When considering new projects in Fairfax County, developers learn that parking studies are required to ensure that enough off-street parking spaces are available for the land use intended. Parking requirements have changed a lot since the late 20th century, with Fairfax County embracing the “modernization of parking and loading requirements” in the Parking Reimagined initiative. Nonetheless, the County states that parking studies “must be prepared and certified by a professional engineer licensed by the Commonwealth of Virginia.”
Parking Studies in Fairfax County
From the beginning, it is important to understand that parking studies are not a mere administrative excercise – that is, just more paperwork to get through. Rather, parking studies help County officials understand how a proposed development will function in the real world.
Parking studies serve many purposes, and can help:
- prevent overparking (which is a major local issue)
- justify deviations from strict zoning parking requirements
- ensure underparking doesn’t create spillover problems
- support rezoning and special exception applications
- evaluate shared parking opportunities
Preventing Overparking
In many suburban jurisdictions like Fairfax County, surface parking can consume valuable land and can drive up development costs. Traffic engineers can use parking demand data from sources such as ITE, ULI, their own previous project work, or local surveys to determine the actual demand for parking that is often lower than the code specifies, notably in transit corridors and in transit-oriented developments.
Justification of Parking Supply Below Zoning Minimums
Fairfax County’s Zoning Ordinance prescribes minimum parking ratios depending on the land use, but it is understood that these ratios are generalized. Since every development is unique, parking studies allow a developer to to avoid overbuilding through parking adjustments; justify shared parking between uses such as office, residential, and retail; and take into account both walkability and proximity to transit options. As you can imagine, investing in a parking study can save time and headaches down the road.
Avoid Spillover Problems Due to Underparking
In some instances, underparking can be a concern. These situations can involve neighborhood spillover parking, unsafe or even illegal parking conditions, or conflicts between uses (for example, residential vs. retail needs). A parking study can help avoid such problems by demonstrating peak parking demand, rates of turnover, the feasibility of shared parking, and the role of on-street parking availability.
Support of Rezoning and Special Exception Applications
Fairfax County will expect a parking analysis to support any effort for a rezoning, a special exception, or a special permit. This can include proposals within Fairfax County’s Site-Specific Plan Amendment (SSPA) process which is a way for developers and property owners to propose modifications to their projects.
Evaluate Shared Parking Opportunities
Particularly for mixed-use developments in Fairfax, parking studies can reveal trip patterns at various times and days, such as office peaks during the day, residential peaks at night, and retail peaks on evenings/weekends. By incorporating shared parking models, traffic engineers can reveal how developers can significantly reduce total parking supply while improving utilization and making the best use of parking resources for commuters, residents, workers, and owners.