Addressing a parking shortage in town, commissioners approved changes to an ordinance that will allow tandem parking in new hotels and a reduction in the size of parking spaces.

The changes mostly affects any future hotels that open in Surfside.

``There's not enough parking in the area'' to accommodate residents and the downtown business district, said Sarah Sinatra, Surfside's town planner, in explaining the need for the changes to the code.

``These changes may encourage downtown redevelopment and improve the quality of life for residents,'' she said.

But Mayor Charles Burkett was opposed to any changes to the ordinance.

``I don't think we should change our standards,'' said Burkett, the only one on the commission to vote against the new rule.

``It's a quality-of-life issue, and I believe this will only make things worse for the residents,'' he said.

Sinatra said tandem parking could be described in two ways: either as parking spaces arranged one behind the other or spaces that are provided through a mechanical lift.

``Either way,'' she said, ``hotels are required to have a valet service.''

Sinatra also said that the size of parking spaces will be reduced from nine feet by 20 feet to nine feet by 18 feet.

But in a parking garage that offers a valet service, spaces will be reduced further, to 8 ½ feet by 18 feet.