Garden Grove : Study Backs Increase in Development Parking

A study that recommends increasing the amount of space allotted to parking and recreational areas in development projects will be discussed tonight by the Planning Commission.

The two areas are being studied because the ordinances on those standards have not been revised since 1981, according to Frank Haselton, a city urban planner. The commission is not expected to vote on any changes tonight, he said.

The study by Willdan Associates of the City of Industry states that Garden Grove should increase the open space requirements for apartment complexes and define leisure areas more specifically.

It says that the city provides little guidance to developers about what constitutes recreational areas. For instance, rooftops of housing complexes could be designated as leisure areas, the study says, adding:

“A project could be developed without any private patios or balconies or any usable recreational areas and still meet the area requirements.”

It also recommends changing from two to four the number of parking spaces required for single-family homes and revising the codes for commercial and industrial uses.