SeaTac City Council members acted March 25 to close a possible loophole in the city's park 'n fly regulations.

To provide a little economic incentive, SeaTac had allowed one bonus off-street parking space for every 25 square feet of retail/commercial, residential or service space required by the building code.

The bonus parking spaces were usually used for park 'n fly operations for Sea-Tac International Airport travelers.

But city officials discovered that, under the formula, a typical 250-room hotel with 87,000 square feet would qualify for 3,500 bonus parking spaces.

That is more than three times the 1,061 spaces in the large valet Master Park garage on International Boulevard that opened last year.

So council members approved a temporary fix. The new ordinance would allow one bonus space for every 250 square feet. Hotels would receive .5 spaces per hotel room.

However, the council voted to end the new ordinance in 120 days.

Planning director Steve Butler said the four-month period will give a consultant hired to review the city's entire zoning code time to study the issue.

The delay will also give the city's planning commission time to look at alternatives. Two members of the citizens' advisory commission have indicated to lawmakers they may favor a more restrictive ordinance.

Council members first considered passing a moratorium, but city attorney Mary Mirante Bartolo suggested adding the sunset provision to the ordinance.

Deputy Mayor Gene Fisher warned his colleagues, "We don't want to kill incentives to build in the city. This is part of the incentive plan for the city."

In other business, Mayor Ralph Shape accepted on behalf of the city two awards for SeaTac's light-rail station area plans.

The plans cover neighborhoods around stations at South 154th Street and South 176th Street along International Boulevard. They encourage pedestrian-friendly, transit-oriented development.

Butler presented the 2007 Governor's Smart Communities Award while Scott Greenberg presented the American Planning Association-Washington Chapter Honorable Mention Award.

Greenberg is vice president of the state chapter as well as Burien's planning director.

City Manager Craig Ward also announced the city has just been notified it won a third award for the plans.