City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the City Council consider and adopt the Valet Parking Pilot
Program (“Pilot Program”) for implementation in the Downtown Area and authorize
staff to commence this Pilot Program immediately.
BACKGROUND:
The development of this Pilot Project is the result of a collaborative effort with the
DBA, their membership, and stakeholders.
As Downtown continues to develop and prosper, businesses are opening that
attract a clientele that values valet parking. Several Downtown restaurants have
expressed interest in providing valet parking at their location or to have that service
generally available to their clientele. Up until the present time, valet parking has
been permitted only on a limited, “special event” basis for such functions as art
gallery openings, Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, and private parties.
Over the course of much of 2007, the Redevelopment Agency as well as the City,
through the Engineering Division, has been in contact with the DBA, restaurants,
and stakeholders, dialoguing about the need for valet parking. Staff has
responded to the expressed need of all stakeholders, and has collaboratively
formulated the proposed Pilot Program.
Meeting Date: 4/21/2008 Item Number: J-2
AGENDA ITEM: A JOINT ITEM: Consideration and Adoption of a Valet Parking
Pilot Program in the Downtown Area
Contact Person/Dept.: Gabe Garcia Phone Number: (310) 253-5633
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: [X]
Public Notification:
Verbal notification has been given to the DBA; Master Notification List (04/17/08)
Department Approval:
Charles D. Herbertson (04/09/08)
City Attorney Approval:
Carol Schwab (by H. Baker) (04/16/08)
Fiscal Impact Review:
Jeff Muir (04/16/08)
City Manager Approval:
Jerry B. Fulwood (04/17/08) City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
DISCUSSION:
EXISTING CURB-SIDE PARKING CONDITIONS IN DOWNTOWN
Parking spaces in the public right-of-way in downtown Culver City are limited
because most of the roadway width is needed for traffic flow. There are
contiguous block faces where curb-side parking is not available for this reason.
Generally, there is less curbside parking in downtown than in most other areas of
similar size in Culver City. In recognition of this, three public parking structures
have been built by the Redevelopment Agency.
Considering the current strong demand for parking in the Downtown, a group of
staff representing Redevelopment, Planning, and Engineering, walked and
surveyed the downtown area, identifying all possible areas where valet parking
could be instituted. Several potential locations were identified. Once the sites
were analyzed and the criteria mentioned below were applied, three viable
locations made the final list. Among the locations that did not meet the criteria
were several curbside spaces on the perpendicular streets to Culver Boulevard
and to Washington Boulevard.
COMMUNITY VALET SERVICE PHILOSOPHY
The above scenario makes it infeasible to provide valet parking for single entities
(i.e., individual businesses). Therefore, staff concludes that the best interest of all
entities desirous of valet parking is best served by a curbside valet program that
services the community as a whole, or at a minimum, a group of interested
restaurants and businesses on the same block(s).
CRITERIA UTILIZED IN SELECTING THE POTENTIAL LOCATIONS
The criteria utilized by staff in assessing the appropriateness of a location to serve
as a potential site for valet parking were the following:
1. VEHICULAR SAFETY: A potential valet service area would need the
adjacent adequate space to permit merging in and out of the travel lane and
into the valet service area safely;
2. PEDESTRIAN SAFETY: A potential valet service area would need the
adjacent sidewalk width to accommodate a valet station and several valet
attendants and concurrently provide for ADA compliance and unimpeded
pedestrian flow; City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
3. MINIMUM VALET SERVICE AREA OF 60 FEET: A potential valet service
area would need a minimum curbside length of 60 feet for entering and
exiting maneuvers, and to serve two valet patrons concurrently;
4. NO QUEUING INTO CROSSWALKS: A potential valet service area would
need to not interfere with pedestrian crossings and would, at the busiest
valet period, not queue valet service patrons’ vehicles into crosswalk areas;
5. EFFICIENCY: A potential valet service area would need to not interfere
with the afternoon peak hour of traffic flow, generally, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.; and
6. RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD PROTECTION: A potential valet service
area would need to not use residential neighborhoods in its activities and
routes to and from the valet service area.
LOCATIONS THAT MEET THE CRITERIA
The locations that meet staff’s criteria are the following:
1. On westbound Washington Boulevard, the area immediately west of Main
Street (Area 1);
City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
2. On eastbound Washington Boulevard, the first “cutout” immediately east of Irving
Place (Area 2).
3. On northbound Watseka Avenue, the two loading parking spaces immediately
north of the alley that is located north of Washington Boulevard. (Area 3).
City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
PILOT PROGRAM
Attachment No. 1, the proposed Pilot Program, Downtown Culver City, contains
the full text of the proposed Pilot Program, for the City Council’s consideration.
Staff recommends adoption of this Pilot Program for a period of six months, with a
three-month extension, if necessary. The proposed Pilot Program covers all
details necessary to assure a successful Pilot Program. Among the topics are
documentation required, hours of operation, valet attendant staffing levels, fees,
securing adequate parking, and others.
PILOT PROGRAM PERMIT ISSUANCE
Presently, there is no provision in the Culver City Municipal Code (CCMC) and
there is no adopted City Council policy that addresses specifically the
regulatory/permitting process applicable to long-term operation of a valet service.
However, the CCMC gives the City Engineer the authority to regulate the use of
the public right-of-way, including parking and encroachment permits. It is under
this authority that staff proposes to execute the Pilot Program.
At the conclusion of the six-month trial, Staff will return to the City
Council/Redevelopment Agency the Proposed Valet Parking Program at a joint
Agency and Council meeting, for consideration and adoption as a permanent
program. At such time, staff may recommend changes to the existing program,
including potential expansion of the program Citywide, if appropriate.
Contingent upon Council approval, the Public Works Department, through the
Engineering Division, will accept applications from Associations to participate in this
Pilot Program. The Pilot Program is only for the Downtown area of Culver City.
When all required documentation, application and fees are submitted, the
Engineering Division, under the authority of the City Engineer, will issue a six-
month permit to the Association.
FISCAL ANALYSIS:
There will be no fixed new expense to the City or the Agency. Occasionally, members
of our respective staffs may need to inspect operations during evenings/nights and
weekends. This overtime cost is undetermined. The potential revenue during the
6-month pilot may be approximately $8,000.
City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
ATTACHMENTS:
1) Proposed Valet Parking Pilot Program
MOTION:
That the City Council and the Redevelopment Agency:
Consider and adopt the proposed Pilot Valet Parking Program for implementation
in the Downtown Area, and authorize staff to commence this program
immediately.