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PC - Review and Discussion of Update and Informational Materials Regarding Comprehensive Revisions to Zoning Code Requirements and Standards Relating to Required Off-Street Parking Citywide
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Meeting Date: August 11, 2021
Contact Person/Dept: Sol Blumenfeld, Community Development Director
Michael Allen, Current Planning Manager
Gabriela Silva, Associate Planner
Andrea Fleck, Planning Technician
Phone Number: (310) 253-5736 / (310) 253-5727
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: [X]
City Council Action Required: Yes [] No [X] Date: N/A
Public Notification: (Email) Meetings and Agendas - Planning Commission (07/21/2021).
Department Approval: Sol Blumenfeld, Community Development Director (08/06/2021)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Planning Commission receive and discuss the comprehensive parking code update strategies and direct staff to return with a draft Zoning Code Amendment for Planning Commission consideration at a future meeting.
BACKGROUND
The City has been advancing several mobility and transportation strategies that help inform on-site and offsite parking needs. City parking policies have been shifting toward requiring less on-site parking, concentrating parking at key public areas, sharing parking among uses and in general downsizing the parking footprint in new development in favor of encouraging use of alternative modes of transit.1
Accordingly, in May 2020, the Planning Commission and City Council conducted a joint study session to discuss the topic and provide direction to staff on proceeding with the preparation of a Comprehensive Zoning Code Amendment to facilitate reduced parking requirements citywide. As a result, staff has researched various parking reduction strategies and mobility trends, including municipal codes from other jurisdictions, articles, existing best practices, studies, surveys, and other sources (see summary of research in Attachment No. 1). Staff also assessed past projects presented to the Planning Commission, as well as City Council, to aid in establishing a baseline for required mobility features.
Most recently, the City Council on May 24, 2021 took action to send a letter of support for Assembly Bill (AB) 1401, which would prohibit city's from implementing minimum parking requirements for any land use within a certain distance of certain transit infrastructure (Attachment No. 2). Preliminary mapping indicates most properties within the City would be eligible to provide zero parking under this concept. While widespread elimination of all parking requirements may not be the city's intent, the Council's action speaks to the goals and objectives of the City as related to reduced parking and reduced parking cost burdens and underscores the recognition that parking is the flip side of mobility and that encouraging alternative parking modes is a way to promote mobility.
Based on the research conducted and the goals and objectives identified for the City's future development as it relates to off-street parking, mobility, and promotion of alternative transit modes, staff has refined the draft changes to be included in the proposed Zoning Code Amendment to be presented in September to the Planning Commission. The mobility measures to be included in the draft amendment have been reviewed by the Community Development Department, Transportation Department, and Public Works Department and are consistent with the direction of the ongoing General Plan Update.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION
Among the various objectives of the draft Zoning Code Amendment are reduced parking supply and parking footprints, encouraging use of alternative modes of transportation, increased transit/mobility options, promoting housing development, and promoting parking alternatives. Accordingly, the draft Zoning Code Amendment is proposed to include changes to the following:
Summary of Proposed Parking Code Changes
* Minimum Required Parking Ratios: The proposed revisions will result in a general reduction of required off-street parking, based on survey of other jurisdictions and consultation of ITE Parking Generation Manual. Depending on the recommendations from Planning Commission, this may also include complete elimination of minimum required off-street parking for projects within a specific distance to public transportation infrastructure meeting specific criteria, consistent with the letter of support issued by the City Council for AB 1401. Preliminary mapping indicates a majority of the properties in the City would be within the specified distance from public transportation and thereby would not have a minimum parking requirement.
* Parking Maximums: Establish a cap on how much surplus parking may be incorporated into a project/site, with any excess parking subject to payment of a fee (e.g. mobility fee) as a penalty. Some exceptions would be allowed for small-scale residential projects.
* Parking Reductions: Establish automatic reductions to required parking when a project implements alternative parking solutions or mobility improvements/measures (outlined below), with a combined maximum reduction of forty (40) percent.
* Transportation Demand Management (TDM): Codify and create more robust TDM requirements.
* Bicycle Parking: Revise bicycle parking requirements. The proposed revisions will result in a general increase in required bicycle parking with additional requirements pertaining to size, placement, etc.
* Automated and Stacked Parking: Establish a citywide threshold for administrative review of automated and stacked parking (e.g. smaller scale parking), in order to streamline the process for allowing this type of parking.2
Parking Reductions and Mobility Features. Staff has examined the alternative parking codes in several cities and had developed the following best practices and related implementation measures for Commission consideration:
* The draft amendment includes a series of mobility measures with associated allowable parking reductions for certain uses when incorporated into projects. For these uses/projects, mobility measures could be combined for a maximum allowable parking reduction of forty (40) percent,3 including a reduction for implementation of a TDM Plan. A higher maximum reduction could be considered as it aligns with the underlying concept of AB 1401 supported by the City Council.
If the Commission would like to consider recommending elimination of minimum parking requirements, then the following methodology is proposed as a project TDM requirement:
* Each measure would have an associated value (i.e. number of points), which would be tallied to meet a specified minimum value required to achieve credit. The minimum required number of points would depend on project size. Projects with a minimum parking requirement would have a lesser minimum point requirement.
The list of planned mobility measures includes the following.
* In-Lieu Fees: Eliminate existing language allowing the fees to be used for the development of parking and shared parking analysis and instead apply them toward provision of mobility features associated with project TDM. Develop a point-based methodology (see above) that sets a maximum cap on the amount of parking reduction permitted through payment of the in-lieu fee.
* Car-Share: Allow a parking reduction for certain uses with provision of on-site car-share and assign a point value for projects without a parking requirement
* Carpool/Vanpool: Allow parking reduction for certain uses with the provision of preferential parking for rideshare vehicles and rideshare matching, and assign a point value for projects without a parking requirement
* Bikeshare: Allow a parking reduction for certain developments that incorporate on-site bikeshare or are within a certain distance from City-sponsored bikeshare facility, and assign a point value for projects without a parking requirement
* Proximity to Transit: Allow a parking reduction for certain uses within 0.25 and 0.5 miles of a major transit stop. This measure would be eliminated or restructured if the full elimination concept (AB 1401) is recommended.
* Travel Subsidies and Financial Incentives: Allow a parking reduction for certain uses and assign a point value for projects without a parking requirement, for the implementation of specific subsidies for alternative transit modes including the following.
o Metro Pass Subsidy
o Bike-Share Subsidy
o Parking Space Cash-Out Program
o Commuter Incentives for Non-drive-alone Modes
o Subsidized Rideshare Vehicles
o Pre-tax Transportation Benefits
* Unbundled Parking: Allow a parking reduction for certain developments/uses within the TOD or certain distance from eligible transit, when all development parking is unbundled
* Ride-Hail: Allow a reduction in required parking for commercial uses that incorporate on-site ride-hail parking
* Bicycle Parking: Allow a parking reduction for non-residential and mixed-use developments that provide bicycle parking in excess of minimum bicycle requirements
* Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Plan: Establish a requirement for a TDM Plan that incorporates a minimum combination of mobility measures, which have varying associated point values and/or parking reduction values. The requirement for a TDM Plan will be based on project size, with the number of required mobility measures tiered such that larger projects have a higher requirement. If aligning with the no parking concept (AB 1401), projects with a minimum parking requirement would have a lower scale of minimum points required.
o Multi-modal Infrastructure
o Travel Subsidies and Financial Incentives
o Automobile Trip Consolidation
* Shuttle Service
* Ride-Share Matching Program
* Guaranteed Ride Home Program
o Scheduling
* Compressed Work Week
* Remote Work
* Staggered Shifts/Flexible Work Hours
o Promotion
* On-site Services and Amenities
* Site-wide TDM Program Coordinator
* Marketing/Targeted Outreach
o Other (Optional)
* Parking Pricing (including for use by general public)
* Mobility Fee
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Compilation of Research Sources by Concept
2. City Council Staff Report pertaining to support of AB 1401 (May 24, 2021)
NOTES
1. The City has focused development around transit nodes such as the Transit Oriented Development District adjacent to the Expo Light Rail line, reduced parking requirements by Council resolution when in proximity to transit, required mobility options in Conditions of Approval in new developments, permitted automated parking administratively in parking deficient area and is constructing a pilot circulator project between the TOD District and the downtown.
2. The Hayden Tract and Smiley Blackwelder areas are considered to be parking impacted areas per Section 17.320.025.C where automated parking may be administratively approved.
3. 40% is the maximum parking reduction derived by staff based upon the data found regarding this topic as listed in Attachment No. 1 (Pages 1-2) under "Reduction Cap."
MOTION
That the Planning Commission:
Receive and discuss the summary of updates and parking concept information presented, and direct staff to return with a draft Zoning Code Amendment for Planning Commission consideration at a future meeting.