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Consider public testimony regarding, and an ordinance amending Chapter 8, Article VI of the Zoning and Development Code, Code of Ordinances (2018 Edition) regarding off-street parking and loading, to reduce, modify, or eliminate the minimum number of required off-street parking spaces for certain nonresidential uses and update related provisions. (First Reading)*
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In recent years, many cities began evaluating their parking regulations to determine whether minimum parking requirements remain appropriate for current development patterns and land use goals. In 2020, the City adopted its comprehensive plan, Round Rock 2030, which includes implementation strategies to reevaluate off-street parking requirements, to consider the site development impacts of parking requirements, and to encourage redevelopment of aging commercial areas. Related policy direction is also included in the City’s strategic and economic development plans, both of which support reinvestment in existing commercial areas.
For these proposed revisions, Planning and Development Services (PDS) staff evaluated:
• The City’s current off-street parking requirements,
• Recent development patterns within the city,
• Parking regulations and recent reforms from peer communities, including examples from Bastrop and Taylor, which have both eliminated minimum parking requirements for all uses, and
• The Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Parking Generation Manual, which provides data on observed parking demand across various land uses.
This analysis resulted in the proposed amendments, which would modify minimum off-street parking requirements for certain nonresidential uses. Requirements related to stacking, fleet, and other existing parking design standards would remain as-is.
The proposed amendments will:
• Reduce, eliminate, or modify minimum off-street parking requirements for certain nonresidential uses, allowing parking supply to be determined by market demand rather than government mandate. Recommended parking ratios for each use would continue to be provided where minimum parking is not required.
• Retain minimum parking requirements for certain assembly uses and all residential uses.
• Update the off-street parking table to remove minimum requirements for selected commercial and public/civic uses and revise certain industrial parking requirements.
• Clarify how parking requirements apply in Planned Unit Development (PUDs) - where a PUD establishes a minimum parking ratio for a use that is also listed in the Code, the parking requirement shall be based on the amended Code; where a use is not listed in the Code, the PUD parking requirement shall continue to apply.
• Clarify accessibility requirements by specifying that accessible parking must be provided in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Texas Accessibility Standards (TAS) when off-street parking is provided.
The proposed amendments will not change:
• Existing dimensional standards and design requirements for parking spaces and parking lots, landscaping, screening, and stormwater management.
• Existing requirements for downtown parking.
• Existing requirements for stacking spaces for drive-through uses and fleet parking.
• Existing parking requirements in residential zoning districts, and the C-2 (Local Commercial) and MU-R (Mixed-Use Redevelopment and Small Lot) zoning districts. Staff proposes to keep these standards in place to prevent spillover parking from negatively affecting neighborhood streets.
The proposed amendments are intended to provide more flexibility for property owners and developers to determine the appropriate amount of parking for their developments. This flexibility will ultimately support more efficient use of land based on the needs of the site and the specific use of the property. These amendments will also provide relief for small businesses working with a limited budget to adjust their parking needs based on their specific business needs.
At its April 1, 2026, meeting, the Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended approval of the proposed amendments, and no public comments were received at the public hearing. Since the Planning and Zoning Commission recommendation, clarifying language was added regarding the application of PUD parking standards versus code parking standards and references throughout the code were updated where necessary to maintain accurate cross-references.