Over at Fresh Loaf, Wheatley writes about an interesting vote by Va-Hi commercial property owners this evening involving the rezoning of three commercial areas.  All of our very favorite, reoccurring ITP characters again take center-stage, including Reggie Rezone, Sherrie Shared-Parking and Maximilian Mixed-Use.

The rezone vote apparently has something to do with a proposed giant parking deck building disguised as mixed use called “The Mix” (warning: clicking on their website may cause seizures or initiate a “harrowing decent into madness“), which is planned across from Blind Willie’s.

THE MIX! - Wheatley's Screen Grab

Is that a Regal Cinemas?

Chris sends along this AP article about a debate in D.C. and other major U.S. cities that sounds all too familiar.  A must read for all the 315 West Ponce fanatics out there!

Here’s the money quote…

Some cities have switched directions altogether, replacing the minimum requirement with a cap on the maximum allowable number of parking spaces. London and San Francisco began making the shift decades ago. San Francisco is currently considering extending the new approach to more neighborhoods.

Activists say too much parking is required even in New York City, particularly outside Manhattan. In August, a coalition of environmental groups said existing parking minimums would boost traffic and cancel out much of the expected improvements from the city’s green initiatives.

The D.C. proposal would eliminate minimum parking requirements with some exceptions. Caps on parking would also be established.

In old D.C. neighborhoods like Capitol Hill and Georgetown, where parking is scarce, opponents of the change fear that if new homes don’t provide off-street spots, competition for on-street parking will worsen.

I guess in the mass-transit starved land that is Atlanta, shared parking is our version of parking caps.

And the question ultimately becomes, do we as a city want to remain progressive in terms of future transit options (outlined in the community trans plan) or should we follow in the footsteps of our predecessors and continue to cater to the considerable outside pressures of the almighty auto?