Commission approves changes for parking spaces

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  • Blair Hall
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Weatherford City Commissioners approved a city ordinance change, 5-0, for the sizes of parking spaces during Tuesday’s commission meeting.

The ordinance change means parking spaces now can be 18 feet long instead of 20 feet long.

No discussion was made for or against the change by commissioners.

Along with the ordinance change, commissioners approved the recommendation from the Planning and Zoning Commission, 5-0, as well as an emergency clause, 5-0, allowing the change to take place immediately after publication.

The Weatherford Planning and Zoning Commission recommended a change from 20 feet to 18 feet in the City of Weatherford ordinance regarding length of parking spaces on commercial property off-street during its June meeting.

The request was sent to the committee following a meeting of the city commission where Commissioner Warren Goldmann recommended the issue have a public hearing. At June’s meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission no one attended to speak against shortening the length of spaces on private property. Chief of Police Louis Flowers, fire department representative Jay Moore, city inspector Joy McKellip and Mayor Mike Brown spoke on behalf of the change saying it will conform more to industry standards.

In addition it has become common for the permits office to get requests from businesses interested in expanding to Weatherford to ask for a variance to the ordinance requiring 20-foot-long parking spots.

“This requires the business owner to request a hearing of the board of variance and impose costs to the owner of $250 and more. It also is a strain on our department. It would simplify things to change the ordinance to industry standards,” McKillip said.