Fayette County's Planning Commission

will discuss proposed new parking requirements one more time before deciding

whether to recommend them to the County Commission.

The group has been studying the county's development regulations for parking

and other pavement after members of the County Commission noted a conflict

between rules that require a minimum number of parking spaces and those

that limit developments to a maximum amount of impervious surface pavement

and buildings.

The trend is toward less pavement, to reduce rainwater runoff and improve

absorption of rainwater through the soil and into the water table.

Planning Commission members have discussed a variety of solutions, including

allowing alternative types of pavement that allow water to seep through.

But there are a number of technical questions to be answered before the

group is ready to recommend alternative pavements.

Also, new federal and state regulations regarding rainwater runoff are

on the way that will affect anything the county does, and commissioners

say it might be better to wait for those regulations before making any

wholesale changes.

Meanwhile, during its August workshop the group focused on some initial

steps, including reductions in the number of parking spaces required for

several cat egories of

development.

Among revisions the commission may recommend are:

Limiting parking spaces to 5 percent above the minimum requirements and

allowing reductions of up to 5 percent below the minimums.

Updating the use categories to include more uses and more realistic parking

ratios for those uses.

Allowing and encouraging the use of pervious pavement for parking lots,

provided they are constructed according to established specifications

and well-maintained.

Allowing a percentage of required parking to be smaller spaces for compact

cars.

Requiring that more thought goes into the drainage design for and around

parking areas so that best management practices are used and storm water

is treated on site if possible.

The Planning Commission last week tabled action on those changes and will

discuss them again at its Sept. 21 work session.

The group did approve staff-recommended changes to regulations that require

new subdivisions to hook onto county water lines if they are within a

specified distance of those lines. The proposed changes would increase

that distance, requiring more new subdivisions to use county water.

Fire Marshal David Scarbrough said the changes will improve fire safety.

County commissioners will vote on the proposed change Sept. 28 at 7 p.m.

at the County Administrative Complex.