Complete petition as it will be presented to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen and the Zoning Ordinance Committee:

There is much to like in the Manchester zoning code draft already, though each positive aspect points to ways the code draft should be improved. Including best practices in the updated draft will help ensure more homes are built, at a lower price point. We know that this draft ignores some well-established recommendations from consultants hired by the City, and could be stronger in several key areas. Overall, the plan is too modest to meet the housing needs of Manchester today, let alone tomorrow. We believe some small changes could make this plan more impactful, and will allow more homes to be built.

As the Zoning Ordinance Ward Meetings come to an end, we are calling on the Manchester Zoning Ordinance Steering Committee and the Board of Mayor & Aldermen to amend the draft zoning code to include the following recommendations:

I. Allow More Home Types in More Zones

The revised map improves upon the status quo by allowing more home types alongside space for commercial or retail such as coffee shops, restaurants, small businesses, and innovation. These zones included Mixed Use 1 and 2 (MX-1 and MX-2), the Innovation District (ID), the Millyard (MILL), and the Neighborhood Business Corridor zone (BC-1). From R-1B and forward, we ask that the new zoning ordinance draft simply graduate each zone’s development standards up by one zoning designation. Allowing one more home type per zone would go a long way toward meeting Manchester’s housing needs. The revised map improves upon the status quo by allowing more homes near jobs and amenities, increasing opportunity for livable, walkable, vibrant Manchester neighborhoods.

For the areas designated R-1B, apply the proposed R-2 standards. For areas designated R-2, apply the proposed MX-1 standards. For reasons designated MX-1, apply the proposed MX-2 standards, and so on.

Under this petition’s scenario:

• Zones R-S and R-1A allow only single detached homes;

• Zone R-1B and above also allow duplexes;

• Zone R-2 and above also allow stacked flats (triplexes), townhomes, and apartment houses (3-4 units);

• Zone MX-1 and above also allow small multifamily up to nine homes;

• Zone MX-2 and above also allow large multifamily (greater than nine homes)

II. Remove Parking Mandates Citywide

We recognize and appreciate that surface parking lots - dangerous for pedestrians and an eyesore - will no longer be allowed to be built in downtown zones, making our downtown more walkable and pedestrian friendly. Removing surface parking lots reduces the impacts of heat islands, and helps beautify downtown and neighborhoods. These changes will help small businesses by increasing foot traffic, improve pedestrian safety, and create more opportunity for new uses downtown.

Further, we recommend removing parking mandates altogether. The decision of how much parking to build should be left to the property owner who best understands the use of the property, and can take into consideration factors like access to transit, biking, walking, plentiful street parking, or the potential for shared parking arrangements. Current parking mandates developed by local governments are not evidence based or site specific, but instead are based on either the size or use of the property. Property owners can best assess the end use, location, and other factors to determine what amount of parking to provide. Local governments can develop parking benefit districts to manage parking demand and regulate on-street parking.

Parking Reform Case Study

In 2017, Buffalo, NY became the first major American city to remove parking mandates. After two years, 47% of major developments incorporated fewer parking spaces than the previous minimum requirements. As developers seized the opportunity to introduce more street parking, mixed-use developments consisted of 53% fewer parking spaces than what was formerly required. Newly legalized projects produced twice as many residential and business spaces compared to developments that adhered to the old parking requirements (Wroth, 27). In the years following Buffalo’s parking reforms, the city has seen historic revitalization and rebirth (Steuteville, 2022). Across the country, cities are rejecting parking mandates to prioritize their residents, small businesses, and new, affordable housing developments.

III. Align the Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Rules to Align with Best Practices.

As currently written, the ADU rules include several provisions that have been shown to reduce and prevent accessory dwelling units from being built by homeowners. These rules include renter bans, parking requirements, extreme size limitations, and rear and side yard setback requirements. These should be removed, and setback requirements should be reduced to no more than 5 feet. These recommendations are all included in AARP’s model code for ADUs. In addition, the City should consider allowing two ADUs per lot in zones R-1B and above.

Conclusion

These policies would create common-sense standards for Manchester, instituting workforce and affordable housing best practices that will meaningfully impact our supply of homes. We believe that by legalizing homes of all shapes and sizes, especially in places like Manchester with existing infrastructure and public transportation, we can improve residents’ quality of life, better support a growing job market and population, reduce the inconvenience and impact of long commutes, decrease pollution from transportation and buildings, boost the economy in older walkable downtown areas, and increase access to housing in high-opportunity neighborhoods.

Resources Used

Wroth, Edited by Katharine. “Shifting Gears: Why Communities Are Eliminating Off-Street Parking Requirements—and What Comes Next,” n.d. Accessed August 20, 2024.

Steuteville, Robert. “How Zoning Reform Has Helped to Turn Buffalo Around.” CNU, August 16, 2022. https://www.cnu.org/publicsquare/2022/08/16/how-zoning-reform-has-helped-turn-buffalo-around.