That could be part of the sales ploy for an apartment project proposed in Auburn by The Stratford Company, part of a major four-block redevelopment of the downtown area.

Renters wouldn’t actually be given the title to a car. Instead they would have access – for a fee – to a car-sharing program.

It’s called Zipcar, and it works like paying for a rental car by the hour. A fleet of vehicles is parked in neighborhoods or apartment complexes, giving users access by reservation 24 hours a day.

If Stratford goes ahead, it would mark the first appearance of Zipcars in South King County. There are none in Pierce County.

The Auburn City Council last week gave Stratford the option to use car-sharing as a way to reduce the developer’s obligations to install parking spaces.

Zipcars are billed as a “green” alternative to individual car ownership. The cost averages about $10 an hour, including the cost of gas and insurance.

Seattle’s dense urban neighborhoods spawned a car-sharing program called Flexcar eight years ago. The company merged last year with Boston-based Zipcar, which offers a similar program in cities around the country and overseas.

Currently there are about 250 Zipcars parked in the Seattle area between Bellevue and Bainbridge Island, according to interim general manager Jessica Nowakowski in Seattle.

Auburn Mayor Pete Lewis said it took time for the City Council to get comfortable with the idea, but it finally agreed to a pilot project with Stratford.

The apartment site is located across from Auburn’s Sounder commuter rail station and transit center, which helps make the Zipcar concept more plausible, he said.

“It’s time to stop operating in the old-time mode when trying to build transit-centered areas,” Lewis said.

The idea is that some people who move to the complex wouldn’t own a car; they could use mass transit much of the time and rent a Zipcar for occasional errands and outings.

Ron Thomas, director of design and development for Stratford, said no decision has been made on whether to go with the car-sharing program. The entire mixed residential-retail project is still in the conceptual stage, although Stratford expects to have something for the city to look at this fall.

Construction would begin next spring, with completion in 2010.

Thomas said car-sharing is a risky marketing idea in the suburbs. In dense urban areas, the idea sells well to about 20 percent to 30 percent of residents in an apartment or condominium project, he said.

In Auburn, Thomas said officials are looking at maybe 10 percent of apartment residents buying into a Zipcar.

The benefit for the developer is that it wouldn’t have to build as many parking spaces. Auburn now requires one parking space per living unit in the downtown area.

Under the formula adopted by the City Council, the deve-loper would be allowed 13 Zipcars for a 130-unit apartment complex. And instead of 130 parking spaces, Stratford would have to provide only 65 – as long as it achieved the full 10 percent reduction in resident-owned cars.

For every parking space filled with a Zipcar, a reduction of four more parking spaces would be allowed. Zipcars also must be available on site and used by a portion of residents.

Howell said his company isn’t sure car-sharing will pencil out in Auburn, but it’s willing to try. He said the plan also might require the developer to make a payment to Zipcar.

Stratford’s apartment project is on one of four blocks proposed for downtown redevelop- ment. Lewis said the developer of the other blocks could also consider the ride-sharing program.

Liz Chamberlain, senior planner for the City of Auburn, said the parking reduction program was generated by city staff members as they looked for ways to attract residential development downtown.

“We kind of envision this strongly encouraging a lifestyle change,” she said.

The car-sharing program would be strictly monitored, and Stratford would have to find off-site parking if it didn’t meet Auburn’s requirements.

The contract with the city would be for the life of the project.

“We are optimistic,” Chamberlain said.

Mike Archbold: 253-597-8692