Billings Warehouse Flooring, LLC is proposing to construct a new flooring store at 2908 Millennium Circle.  They are seeking a variance from the parking requirements for the new site.  There is no designation for furniture stores within the site development ordinance for parking requirements.  City staff has typically regarded furniture stores as retail which requires one parking stall per 200 square feet of store.  National standards and trends are 1 parking stall per 1000 square feet of store plus one stall per employee.  The proposed flooring store is proposing to construct a 10,000 square foot store.  At the rate of a retail store, they would be required to install 50 parking stalls.  At the rate of 1 per 1000 sf plus one per employee, they would be required 15 parking stalls.  They are proposing constructing 15 stalls.

The Council may:

• Approve the variance which allows the applicant to construct a new flooring store at 2908 Millennium Circle; or
• Do not approve the variance.  If the variance is not approved, the flooring store will need to meet the site development ordinance for a retail store.

The administrative cost of the variance is offset by the application fee.

Staff recommends that Council approve the variance for the proposed flooring store's off-street parking with the condition that the variance only applies as long as the building is used as a flooring store.