by David Chapman
Staff Writer
Deteriorating and vacant parking lots across Downtown will soon need changes if their property owners continue to use them as revenue generators under proposed legislation to amend Downtown zoning codes.
The Jacksonville Economic Development Commission proposes a surface parking improvement plan and legislation that would include all commercial and City-owned surface parking lots.
The legislation, which has been drafted and could be introduced Jan. 1, covers lots in Brooklyn, Riverside, LaVilla, Church, Cathedral, Riverfront and Institutional districts in addition to a portion of riverfront area bounded by Main, Duval, Liberty and Bay streets, Hogan’s Creek and the St. Johns River.
Close to 50 percent of Downtown land is used for parking purposes, said JEDC Executive Director Ron Barton.
He said a continuance of substandard surfaces creates real and perceived safety concerns, devalues other property and creates blight.
“It stares at you,” said Barton. “It creates an environment that’s not desirable to build.”
Economic conditions have caused landowners to hold off on developments and instead use the lots for parking to generate revenue, he said.
The lots aren’t under proper code and aren’t new construction, but were grandfathered in, he said.
Barton believes the depressed economy allows for the legislation and action to take effect that would “set the table for development recovery.”
In addition, the legislation discourages the demolition of existing buildings and structures simply for the purpose of creating revenue-generating surface lots, which Barton said has happened too often and adds to the already saturated vacant surface numbers.
As part of the research leading to the legislation, JEDC staff identified 263 Downtown lots and evaluated them based on perimeter, interior, aesthetics and safety standards.
Of the 263, 85 were deemed acceptable, with the other 178 lots were deemed unacceptable or needing improvements. The majority of the unacceptable lots or those needing improvements were west of the Downtown core and included “significant pedestrian and vehicular safety hazards,” the report states.
Barton has already met with 10 to 11 City Council members about the legislation and said he received enthusiastic feedback.
He expects Council members Don Redman and Warren Jones, whose districts include the affected area, will sponsor the legislation.
Property owners who choose to continue to use the lots for commercial parking would have to adhere to the code and come into compliance as well as receive proper permitting.
Barton said the legislation is not a revenue builder. He said it applies to all parking lots, including those owned by the City.
“We (the City) have quite a few of them out there, too” he said.
Property owners will have up to three years to phase their properties into compliance.
One area excluded from the legislation is the Sports District, which Barton calls “an animal of its own” and has more temporary residential lots, such as private homes leasing spaces for sporting events.
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