AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE
COLLECTION OF PARKING FEE-IN-LIEU
PAYMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH PARKING
VARIANCES PENDING THE ADOPTION OF
A NEW ZONING ORDINANCE
Whereas, in correspondence dated February 4, 2026, the Commissioner of the Department of Planning and Community Development formally requested authorization for the collection of parking fee-in-lieu payments associated with parking variances granted under the City's zoning code, including but not limited to ?267.40, Attachment 3.1; and
Whereas, the City of Mount Vernon has adopted a Comprehensive Plan that establishes goals to encourage sustainable development, transit-oriented growth, housing choice, and economic vitality; and
Whereas, the Department of Planning and Community Development has identified inconsistencies between the goals of the adopted Comprehensive Plan and the City's existing zoning code, particularly with respect to off-street parking requirements and associated fee-in-lieu provisions; and
Whereas, the current zoning code requires payment of parking fee-in-lieu fees pursuant to ?267.40, Attachment 3.1, which mandates two (2) parking spaces per dwelling unit for multi-residential developments, without differentiation based on unit size, location, or proximity to public transit; and
Whereas, Mount Vernon is unique among neighboring municipalities in applying a uniform parking requirement of two (2) spaces per dwelling unit, regardless of dwelling size, resulting in studio and one-bedroom units being subject to the same parking requirements as larger units; and
Whereas, this requirement has led to a substantial number of development proposals seeking parking variances from the Zoning Board of Appeals, including approximately forty-four percent (44%) of all Zoning Board of Appeals submittals in 2025; and
Whereas, under the current zoning framework, parking fee-in-lieu payments are required following approval of a parking variance by the Zoning Board ...
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