Proposed apartment complex wins initial approval for having a smaller parking lot

The City of Decorah's Board of Adjustment has approved a request by Echo Development to be allowed to build a smaller parking lot for its proposed Decorah Business Park apartment complexes.

The developer has unveiled plans for four 48-unit apartment complexes at 2400 Sweet Parkway.  That size of a development would normally require 360 parking spaces in a parking lot.

But Echo Development has presented the standards used by other Iowa communities for apartment complex parking, suggesting there should be one parking space for each studio apartment, 1.5 spaces for every one-bedroom apartment and 2 spaces for every 2-bedroom apartment.  Under those guidelines, 244 parking spaces would be required.

The Board of Adjustment approved the request.  Their action is independent of any city council or planning & zoning commission action, so the smaller parking lot has won final approval.