North Carolina bill would eliminate parking minimums statewide
Why it matters: Charlotte has considered ending these requirements as the city aims to be less car-dependent. This state bill, however, would override the local rule and effectively settle any debate.
The legislation is gaining broad support across North Carolina, from rural farmers to business leaders to environmental activists.
"This is an affordable housing issue, farmland preservation issue, sprawl issue — there's a lot of components to it," says Ryan Carter, policy director at Catawba Riverkeeper.
Context: Catawba Riverkeeper, the nonprofit dedicated to protecting the Catawba-Wateree River Basin, has worked on this legislation for years, intending to reduce stormwater runoff.
Just one inch of rainfall on an acre of parking lot generates 27,000 gallons of runoff, according to Catawba Riverkeeper. That rainwater carries pollutants into waterways, including the Catawba-Wateree River Basin and downstream to farmlands.
Others see ending parking minimums as a way to promote attainable housing. When developers are forced to build parking, the number of spaces often exceeds the market demand, driving up construction costs and making housing less affordable.
A surface parking spot, on average, costs about $5,000 to $10,000, while a parking deck space can run around $50,000, according to Strong Towns.
Case in point: Gastonia eliminated parking minimums in recent years — a move that made the 200-unit Fairhaven Place workforce housing development more financially viable, according to assistant city manager Quentin McPhatter.
"It certainly helped move things along and move the needle in terms of our revolution of downtown," McPhatter says.
Zoom out: Nationwide, cities are moving away from parking minimums. A mix of red and blue states — including Washington, Illinois, Oklahoma and Montana — are considering statewide legislation similar to North Carolina's.
Zoom in: House Bill 369, the Parking Lot Reform and Modernization Act, would also ban coal tar sealants and other toxic pavement products that are harmful to humans and the environment.
Already, Mecklenburg County has banned coal tar products, and Lowes, Home Depot and Ace Hardware no longer carry products containing the chemical.
The bill also reverses a state law that prevents local governments from requiring storm runoff deterrents for redevelopment sites.
What they're saying: Rep. Mark Brody, a Republican sponsoring the bill, says he often looks at unused portions of Walmart or big shopping center lots and asks: "Why have all this wasted space?"
Carter says the bill would encourage infill development, spur revitalization in western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene and promote the reimagining of corporate business parks.
The other side: Unlike Raleigh, Durham and Gastonia, Charlotte still mandates a set number of spaces per development, even for a bar near the light rail, if it's close enough to a single-family home.
Charlotte has hesitated to drop parking minimums. Over the years, officials have voiced concerns that the city's transit system is too inadequate to make such a change. They worry limited parking would lead to more on-street parking, disrupting quiet neighborhoods.
However, the city is beginning to address its parking demand by implementing residential parking permit programs in the fast-growing neighborhoods of Dilworth and Wilmore.
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CBS News
11 minutes ago
- CBS News
Watch Live: House nearing final vote on Trump's "big, beautiful bill"
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Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
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Newsweek
35 minutes ago
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AOC Turns Up Pressure on Senator Murkowski Over Trump Bill
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And after you turned your back on them to vote "YES", you said your fellow House GOP should vote NO. Americans are going to suffer. YOU admit that. And YOU supported it. — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 3, 2025 A report from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that 11.8 million more Americans would be uninsured by 2034 if the bill became law. Murkowski was one of the final holdouts in the Senate, citing concerns about the bill's effects on Alaska's vulnerable populations. GOP leaders spent hours negotiating with her, offering carve-outs for Alaska on Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funding. While some provisions passed parliamentary review, others—such as enhanced Medicaid payments—were ruled noncompliant with Senate budget rules. Trump's massive budget proposal, while backed by many of the president's supporters, has drawn sharp criticism from some lawmakers and health experts over its proposed Medicaid cuts. The CBO estimated that the bill would slash the program by about $790 billion over the next decade to help offset about $4.5 trillion in tax breaks. Medicaid provides health coverage to tens of millions of low-income Americans, with about 71 million people enrolled in the program. Other provisions include permanently extending the 2017 Trump tax cuts while exempting overtime pay, tips and some Social Security income from taxation; repealing most clean‑energy tax credits created under President Joe Biden; authorizing a $40 billion border security surge and funding a nationwide deportation initiative; and raising the federal debt ceiling. Ocasio-Cortez wrote in her post: "Americans are going to suffer. YOU admit that. And YOU supported it." Murkowski, who took office in 2002, said in her July 1 post that her decision to support the bill was "one of the hardest votes" she's had to cast. "My goal throughout the reconciliation process has been to make a bad bill better for Alaska, and in many ways, we have done that," she added. "While we have worked to improve the present bill for Alaska, it is not good enough for the rest of our nation—and we all know it," she continued, adding, "This bill needs more work across chambers and is not ready for the President's desk." What People Are Saying House Speaker Mike Johnson wrote on X on July 3: "The time is now! President Trump is waiting with his pen. Today, we will deliver the One Big Beautiful Bill to the President's desk—and the American people will FINALLY get the relief they demand and deserve." House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wrote on X on July 3: "Just took to the House Floor to speak in support of a country where everyone can afford to live the good life. And in strong opposition to Trump's One Big Ugly Bill that is devastating to everyday Americans. We will not be silenced." Senate Majority Leader John Thune wrote on X on July 1: "Since we regained the majority in January, our Republican team has been laser-focused on achieving the mission before us today. Now we're here—passing legislation that will make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous." Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on X on July 1: "Today's vote will haunt Senate Republicans for years to come. Americans will see the damage done as hospitals close, as people are laid off, as costs go up, and as the debt increases. Democrats will make sure Americans remember the betrayal that took place today." Elon Musk wrote on X on June 30: "Every member of Congress who campaigned on reducing government spending and then immediately voted for the biggest debt increase in history should hang their head in shame! And they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth." Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky wrote on X on June 29: "There's no such thing as a tax relief without spending cuts. Gov't can reduce the tax rate, but the spending still must be paid for. Gov't must borrow money (which raises interest rates & requires more taxes later) or print money (which causes inflation). Both hurt Americans." What Happens Next Both chambers must agree on the final version of the bill for it to advance to the president's desk to be signed into law. The House minority leader is holding the House floor in a speech that has already run for more than six hours, delaying what Republican leaders hoped would be a quick march to the final vote on Thursday.
