A consultant’s report on parking in Fairfax City identified several possible improvements, but it was ambivalent on whether or not the city needs another parking garage.
Shared during a Fairfax City Council work session on June 3, the new report was commissioned by the city as part of its attempts to “address its future economic development and growth,” as higher-density developments start reducing the existing parking supply.
John Dorset from Walker Consultants said Fairfax City has a robust inventory “on paper,” but noted that a report showed peak public parking occupancy hovers around 33% on weekdays and 40% on weekends.
According to the report, Fairfax has underutilized lots with inconsistent signage or restricted access, leaving some key lots near capacity while others are almost empty.
Dorset said the City of Fairfax’s automated parking signage is “excellent” but said there are opportunities to improve.
Some of the report’s recommendations included:
- Hiring a parking champion: Not for a full-time position, but a part-time city staffer could be the “spear of the arrow” for all things parking and communicate with different stakeholders and local projects about parking issues, the report said.
- Clearer on-street spots: Dorset said while Main Street has on-street parking delineated into well-organized spaces, the same care should be taken elsewhere in Old Town as well.
- Uniform signage: Dorset said one hurdle for those parking in Fairfax is a lack of uniform signage helping drivers understand which parking areas are private and which are public.
- Shared parking agreements: Shared parking agreements could boost the amount of publicly available parking. While there are a few agreements in place, Dorset said Fairfax City can do more.
However, when it comes to building a new garage, Dorset’s recommendation was heavily conditional.
In particular, the report notes that potential overflow from a concert hall planned for The Ox — a mixed-use development currently being reviewed by the city — could push demand beyond the capacity of the city’s existing public parking lots:
When just the concert hall project is considered, the impact is significant. Initial site plans show 522 parking spaces built; however, the projected demand during a sold-out event is about 1,400, resulting in a more than 880-space on-site deficit. The existing public parking system cannot accommodate overflow during a sold-out event.
Walker Consultants suggests that Ox Hill Companies, the developer, discuss an agreement with Fairfax County to share its 1,900-space Judicial Garage B (4400 Chain Bridge Road), which already provides free parking during special events in the city.
If the county allows public access to Judicial Garage B for special events and Fairfax City maintains current parking minimums and increases its number of shared parking agreements, Dorset said there’s likely no need to build a new parking garage in the near future.
However, if Fairfax discontinues public access to Judicial Garage B for special events, local concert venues are frequently fully booked, and the City of Fairfax moves to eliminate minimum parking requirements, a new garage may be needed.
If a new garage is built, Dorset recommended a three or four-level facility with 300 to 400 spaces, a roughly $15-20 million project.
“The key takeaway of the study is that you don’t need a garage,” Dorset said, “but if these things happen, you might need a garage.”
In general, Dorset said the City of Fairfax has enough parking for at least the next 15 years, barring zoning changes or eliminating public access to Judicial Garage B.
