S 2628Cities & Towns

Towns and Cities - Zoning Ordinances - Minimum Parking Requirements

This bill limits how many parking spaces cities and towns can require for new homes and businesses.

Held for study

Population
Affected

Introduced Feb 13, 2026Committee Senate Special Legislation and Veterans Affairs

Plain-English Summary

This legislation updates state zoning laws to limit the amount of off-street parking that cities and towns can require for new developments. It sets maximum parking space mandates for single-family homes, apartments, and commercial properties. Furthermore, it prohibits municipalities from requiring any off-street parking for specific projects, including small homes, small businesses, historic buildings, daycares, and affordable housing. While towns retain control over loading zones and bicycle parking, they must update their local ordinances to match these new state standards by December 31, 2026, unless they obtain a specific waiver.

For younger readers

This new law changes the rules for building parking lots in towns. Usually, when someone builds a house or a store, the town tells them how many parking spots they must build. This law says towns cannot force builders to make too many spots. For some buildings, like small houses, old historic buildings, or places for older people to live, the town cannot make them build any extra parking spots at all. Towns have until the end of 2026 to change their rules to match this new law.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups

Property DevelopersHomeownersSmall Business OwnersRentersMunicipal Planning Departments

Impacted communities

All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost

Amount unknown

Estimated revenue

None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints

For Progressives

Lowers the cost of constructing affordable and multi-family housing by removing expensive parking mandates, potentially making rent more accessible for low-income residents.
Promotes environmental sustainability by reducing the amount of land covered by asphalt, which helps decrease urban heat islands and encourages the use of public transportation and walking.
Supports community welfare by eliminating parking barriers for essential services like child daycare centers and assisted living facilities, making them easier to establish in neighborhoods.
Could lead to increased profits for private developers without a guarantee that the savings from reduced construction costs will be passed down to tenants as lower rent.
May negatively impact working-class families and individuals with disabilities who rely on personal vehicles for work and mobility, especially in areas where public transit is unreliable.
Risk of accelerating gentrification in historic districts by removing development barriers, potentially displacing long-term residents in favor of denser, higher-end construction projects.

For Conservatives

Reduces government overreach and regulation by allowing property owners and developers to determine parking needs based on market demand rather than arbitrary government mandates.
Protects private property rights by preventing municipalities from forcing landowners to use valuable land for parking spaces that they may not want or need.
Lowers barriers to entry for small business owners and entrepreneurs by eliminating costly parking requirements for small commercial spaces, fostering economic growth.
Violates the principle of local control by overriding the authority of towns and cities to manage their own zoning and neighborhood planning standards.
Likely to cause increased congestion and chaos on local streets as new developments occur without adequate off-street parking, forcing vehicles to clutter public roadways.
Undermines traditional neighborhood character and the suburban lifestyle by artificially encouraging high-density urbanization and discouraging personal vehicle ownership.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 35 additions

SECTION 1. Findings and declarations. The general assembly hereby finds and declares: In order to ensure that demand for off-street parking is managed efficiently in conjunction with fostering housing production, economic development, historic reservation, and land conservation and conservation throughout the state, there is a need to establish statewide standards concerning minimum requirements for off-street parking.

SECTION 2. Chapter 45-24 of the General Laws entitled "Zoning Ordinances" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 45-24-78. Minimum requirements for off-street parking.

(a) A municipality shall not:

(1) Require more than one off-street parking space per single-family dwelling unit;

(2) Require more than one-half (0.5) of an off-street parking space per multi-family dwelling unit;

(3) Require more than two (2) off-street parking spaces per one thousand (1,000) square feet of commercial space.

(b) Project-based parking. A municipality shall not require off-street parking for:

(1) An attached or detached single-family dwelling unit that is less than twelve hundred (1,200) square feet of gross floor area in size;

(2) A commercial space that is less than three thousand (3,000) square feet of gross floor area in size;

(3) A building undergoing adaptive reuse as defined in § 42-64.22-2;

(4) An accessory dwelling unit as defined in § 45-24-31;·

(5) Structures located within historic districts as defined in § 45-24.1-1.1;

(6) Child daycare centers as defined in § 42-12.5-2;

(7) Low- or moderate-income housing as defined in § 45-53-3; or

(8) Assisted living residences as defined in § 23-17.4-2, housing for the elderly as defined under § 42-66.1-2, or age-restricted private housing as described in § 34-37-4.1(a)(4) and (5);

(c) Local powers. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit a municipality's right, within state and local regulations, to:

(i) Establish its own requirements for off-street loading, bicycle parking, or temporary parking per zoning district of its city or town; or

(ii) Require parking, traffic, or access studies in connection with applications for development.

(d) Accessibility. Nothing in this section shall be construed to alter requirements under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. §12101 et.seq., concerning the provision and design of parking spaces permanently marked for the exclusive use of individuals with disabilities.

(e) Waivers. A municipality may petition the department of housing for a waiver from one or more requirements of this section, which waivers the department is hereby authorized to grant, upon submission of an empirical study prepared by a credentialed transportation or land use planning expert clearly demonstrating that a specific application of one or more requirements will cause significant harm that cannot reasonably be managed through alternative means.

(9) Implementation. Each city or town shall amend its zoning ordinances to conform to this section by December 31, 2026.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.