Fort Collins Parking Requirements Under Fire as Developers Seek Flexibility for Walkable Development

Fort Collins is debating whether excessive parking minimums are killing the walkable, bikeable neighborhoods the city claims to want, as speakers at the October 21 City Council meeting pointed to cities like Longmont and Denver that eliminated requirements citywide while council members expressed openness but concerns about residential neighborhoods.

Peter Erickson, a Fort Collins resident, told council that the city requires 2.5 parking spaces per bowling lane compared to Brighton's four and Greenwood Village's three, creating vastly different parking lot sizes for identical businesses.

"Any city planner will tell you that these are deeply arbitrary numbers," Erickson said. "They're not based on data or evidence."

The town of Brighton requires a 33% larger parking lot for a bowling alley than Greenwood Village due to the different standards, Erickson explained. "Think of that ocean of empty parking that is unlikely to ever be used, that fourth parking spot per bowling lane."

Council approved on first reading land use code amendments that eliminate parking minimums only within the Transit-Oriented Development overlay district, which runs along high-frequency bus routes including College Avenue. The TOD covers a fraction of the city's commercial areas.

At least four council members voiced support during the October 21 meeting for eliminating commercial parking minimums citywide, though staff recommended waiting for additional community engagement before expanding the policy beyond transit corridors.

Longmont Eliminated Minimums in 2014 With Success

Longmont became the first Colorado city to eliminate commercial minimum parking requirements in 2014, according to the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project. The city found that parking requirements were consuming 80% or more of downtown lot area, preventing new restaurants and retail businesses from opening on Main Street.

After removing the requirements, previously underutilized and vacant downtown sites became feasible for business use, according to city reports. Longmont expanded the policy citywide in August 2024, eliminating all minimum parking requirements and replacing them with maximums.

Studies of multifamily properties in downtown Longmont found 15% to 50% of parking spaces sat unused during peak periods, indicating oversupply relative to actual demand. The city has not reinstated parking minimums and instead relies on parking maximums to avoid overbuilding.

"Downtown Longmont just keeps getting nicer," Erickson said. "Let's do it too."

Matthew Buhunin, a Fort Collins resident, said land is too precious to waste on excessive parking requirements.

"According to the county assessor, a single acre of land in downtown Fort Collins costs $3 million," Buhunin told council. "Land is also permanent. The choices we make today about land use shape our neighborhoods for generations to come."

Buhunin criticized Fort Collins for requiring five parking spots per 1,000 square feet of bar space and seven spots per 1,000 square feet for fast food restaurants.

"Are we mandating driving under the influence?" he asked about bar parking requirements. "That means you get more parking asphalt than you do restaurant" for fast food establishments.

State Law Now Restricts Parking Mandates Near Transit

Colorado House Bill 24-1304, which took effect August 7, 2024, prohibits municipalities in Metropolitan Planning Organizations from imposing or enforcing minimum parking requirements for multifamily residential, adaptive reuse for residential, or mixed-use developments with at least 50% residential within a quarter mile of qualifying transit stops.

Local governments may still enforce existing agreements, set parking maximums, or require minimums for specific affordable housing developments with written findings and annual reporting.

Fort Collins falls under this state restriction for qualifying projects near transit stops served by the MAX Bus Rapid Transit system and other high-frequency routes.

Council Members Express Mixed Views

Council Member Kelly Ohlson said he supports exploring citywide parking minimum elimination but has concerns about residential neighborhoods adjacent to large developments.

Ohlson referenced past examples in his district where large student housing developments built with minimal parking overwhelmed adjacent residential neighborhoods, requiring the city to add a parking structure after the fact in the College-Prospect area.

"I think you have to tread carefully when you're talking about areas right next to residential neighborhoods and massive developments go in with 1,500 units and little or no parking," Ohlson said.

Mayor Pro Tem Emily Francis said she supports examining parking minimums throughout the city later but accepts staff's recommendation to conduct additional community engagement first.

Clay Fricke, planning senior manager, said staff heard mixed opinions on parking during public outreach for the commercial corridors update.

"That's why from staff's perspective, we feel more comfortable doing more intentional community engagement around it," Fricke said.

Planning Staff Recommend Focused Engagement

Fort Collins eliminated parking minimums in the TOD overlay for residential uses in 2013 before reinstating modified requirements following neighborhood complaints about parking spillover. The city adjusted parking ratios multiple times since then based on parking studies.

A 2014 TOD Parking Study found that alternative compliance options and lower minimums support compact, walkable development near transit without creating significant parking shortages. The study recommended on-street paid parking and public-private partnerships for parking structures as additional tools.

Fort Collins currently requires three vehicle parking spaces per 1,000 square feet of floor area for most commercial uses, five spaces per 1,000 square feet for standard restaurants, and seven spaces per 1,000 square feet for fast food establishments, according to city development review standards.

Multifamily housing in the TOD overlay requires as few as 0.5 parking spaces per unit in some locations.

City Council will consider the commercial corridors land use code amendments at second reading December 2. Staff indicated they could study citywide parking minimum elimination as a future land use code update if council provides direction.

Contact Clay Fricke at the Fort Collins Planning Department for more information about parking requirements and land use code updates.