BY JOHN A. DARNELL JR.
      associate editor
      Boardman Township’s Director of Planning and Zoning, T.J. Keiran, met last week with engineers, architects, contractors and a land use lawyer to discuss a proposed amendment to the local zoning ordinance that if approved would ease regulations on the construction of parking lot construction.
      Too often builders are forced to go before the Zoning Board of Appeals to seek variances on parking lot standards that Keiran said “have proven insufficient for Boardman Township.”
      Keiran said current parking standards were drafted for urban areas like Chicago or New York City “where pedestrians have access to subways, bus lines and bicycle lanes, so minimal vehicle parking is necessary.
      “That doesn’t make sense for Boardman Township,” he said noting parking standards are too restrictive.
      “Our approach is that instead of us telling the developer how much parking they need to have, they can tell us how much parking they want. We propose to provide greater latitude when determining parking space requirements.”
      Measures proposed under the new regulations will include consideration for shared parking agreements, basing the parking needs for spaces for restaurant lots based on their number of seats instead of using square footage, as well as considerations for proximity to a bus stop.
      Keiran said his staff has been working with members of Boardman Township’s Architectural Review Board in developing amendments to current standards. One standards proposed to be eliminated says a township zoning inspector “may refer to the estimates of parking demand based on the recommendations of the American Planning Association, the Urban Land Institute, the Institute of Traffic Engineers or similar resources in making their determination.”
      Those agencies develop standards for urban areas, Keiran said.
      Under the new proposal some mandates on sidewalks would also be modified.
      Keiran told those attending last week’s meeting that his office would still require compliance with drainage, stormwater, landscaping and green space regulations.
      “We must adhere to those standards,” the planning/zoning director said.
      The proposal on new parking standards will be presented to the Boardman Zoning Commission, and then for a first reading before the Boardman Township Board of Trustees on Nov. 24.