Miami City Commissioners Vote to Reinstate Downtown Parking Minimums

"Miami commissioners voted 4-1 last week in favor of an ordinance that would essentially force developers to build more parking," according to an article by the Next Miami.

Commissioner Manolo Reyes is quoted in the article saying Miami is "not a pedestrian and bicycle city" and "we don’t have a mass transit system, period."

"Commissioner Joe Carollo also spoke in favor of the ordinance at the meeting," according to the article. "He has previously called developers 'greedy' for wanting to build less parking."

As for the changes proposed by the ordinance: "Developers will be required to build the full amount of parking required by zoning, unless they can get a commission vote to allow a reduction for their specific project. Parking reduction waivers by city planners for projects near transit stops will no longer be permitted."

According to the article, the commissioners overrode the objections of a Miami zoning task force and the city's Planning and Zoning Board in voting for the approval for the ordinance.

According to the Parking Reform Network, Miami waived minimum parking requirements for newly constructed buildings in the city's downtown when it adopted the Miami 21 form-based code in 2009.

Previous coverage, published in February 2022 by the Next Miami, provides more background. Neither article explains whether the ordinance has been fully adopted and when the law would take effect if so. Please let us know in the comments if you have more information.