Changes in the makeup of downtown Shelburne Falls are forcing the Shelburne Planning Board and others to consider revising the town’s parking requirements.

The town is learning that preserving its downtown charm while meeting the demands of modest economic development may be as tricky as finding a parking place on Bridge Street on a busy day. As frustrating as it may seem, though, these regulations should not serve as a brake on economic growth, nor open the door to development that worsens the town’s parking situation.

The existing zoning regulations require one space per employee plus one customer parking space for every 150 square feet of retail floor space, and two parking spaces for every apartment.

That may have made sense at one time, but there are changes in the makeup of the village that require a different approach, even though the existing regulation allows the Zoning Board of Appeals to waive the parking requirements.

One example of how the current rules may hamstring good redevelopment is the old Singley’s Furniture property at Deerfield Avenue and Bridge Street. Repurposing the property, bought at auction in 2014 by Josh Simpson, and Jon and Susan Stark, has been made challenging by the current parking requirements. The owners would like to build retail space and apartments, but under current zoning, the redevelopment would require 17 to 20 off-street parking spaces.

And while it remains possible the Singley property owners could get a ZBA waiver, it’s not a given and the waiver granted might still constrain the proposal. That was the case with redevelopment ofthe Swan block on Bridge Street.

Under the existing rule, new owner Molly Cantor was facing a requirement for at least 16 spaces. And even though she got a waiver that requires only four spaces for retail use, Cantor cut back on her plans for adding apartments because they would require more parking, which just doesn’t exist nearby.

We think the existing townwide bylaw doesn’t quite fit downtown Shelburne’s needs. In its place, the Planning Board is proposing to cut apartment parking space requirements to only one space for each one-bedroom and studio apartment.

Perhaps more significantly, the proposal for the Village Commercial District would require no new parking spaces for redevelopment as long as there isn’t any elimination of existing parking spaces.

This may be, as some ZBA members suggest, going too far. The ZBA, as alternate member John Taylor said, “should have a little bit of control. If you set the bar at zero, the ZBA will have no control.”

A lax one-size-fits-all approach isn’t any better than what exists. What is proposed for the Singley lot is different than an entertainment venue or high-rise apartment complex, as zoning board members have noted.

Revised parking rules that distinguish between different types of development or reuse within the village will be better for both the developers and the community. And that will allow Shelburne Falls to retain its identity and charm while providing for engines to keep the economy moving.