SR-417-004-05
F:\PCD\Share\prefkkexp.doc Santa Monica, California
Council Meeting: February 22, 2000
To: Mayor and City Council
From: City Staff
Subject: Recommendation to Adopt a Resolution Expanding Preferential Parking
Zone KK and Amending City Council Resolution 9344 CCS
Introduction
This report recommends the City Council:
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1. Adopt a resolution expanding Preferential Parking Zone KK to include 17 Street
between Santa Monica Boulevard and Colorado Avenue and amending City Council
Resolution 9344 CCS.
2. Direct the Finance Department to increase the revenue projection for account
01415.400290 by $2250.
Background
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Residents submitted to the City a petition for preferential parking on 17 Street
between Broadway and Colorado Avenue in February of 1998. The signed petition
represented 71%, or 27 of the 38 residential units on the block. A parking study was
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completed in the spring of 1998. In October of 1998 residents of 17 Street between
Santa Monica Boulevard and Broadway submitted a completed petition to the City. A
study of the two-block area was completed in the Spring of 1999. It demonstrated that
residents? ability to park is substantially hindered by non-resident parking. Staff
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recommends that the City Council expand Zone KK to include 17 Street between
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Santa Monica Boulevard and Colorado Avenue. Zone KK already includes 18 Street
between Santa Monica Boulevard and Broaday and the restrictions correspond to the
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suggested restrictions for 17 Street, ?No Parking, 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Monday
through Saturday, except by permit.?
Discussion
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Residential units on 17 Street are mostly multi-family with a few single family
residences. Many residents do not have adequate off street parking and place a high
demand on street parking. Residents use up to 60% of the on-street parking for their
long-term parking needs. Residents in the proposed Zone have been affected by
spillover parking from commercial uses along Santa Monica Boulevard, Broadway and
Colorado Avenue including automobile related businesses, professional offices and
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industrial facilities. Other land uses on 17 Street include: two childcare facilities (1500
block) Chabad House, a religious institution, and Holiday Villa and Holiday Villa East,
retirement communities (1400 block). When the high demand for residential parking is
compounded by the high demand for business parking, the situation becomes
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extremely difficult for the residents of 17 Street.
The parking study completed in the spring of 1999 found that the parking occupancy
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was consistenly greater than 85% for both sides of the 1400 block of 17 Street from 9
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a.m. to 5 p.m., and on the 1500 block of 17 Street from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. At one point in
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the afternoon on the west side of the 1400 block, occupancy was over 100% with
parked cars blocking driveways.
Due to the high demand of parking by residents and the amount of parking that will be
unaffected because it is adjacent to business and institutional land uses, relatively few
vehicles will be displaced. The vehicles that are displaced can be accomodated on
surrounding streets, including Santa Monica Boulevard, Broadway and Colorado
Avenue.
Comment from Residents and Businesses
Staff invited residents and businesses in the affected area to a meeting to discuss the
proposed regulations in December, 1999. The residents who attended the meeting and
who contacted the Transportation Management Division in response to the meeting
notice were in favor of the proposed restrictions. Businesses in the area that contacted
the City were made aware of the availaibility of on-street meter permits that may help
alleviate some of their parking needs.
Staff has also communicated with the management of the Holiday Villa retirement
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communities on the Northwest and Northeast corners of 17 Street and Broadway and
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the Chabad House at 1428 17 Street. The two organizations were made aware of the
meeting and asked for their input regarding the regulations. The manager of the
Holiday Villa properties has agreed to allow the non-loading spaces adjacent to their
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buildings on 17 Street be preferential parking spaces in exchange for the ability to
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purchase 15 visitor parking permits, a number roughly equivalent to the number of
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spaces on the 17 Street frontage.
Staff has also spoken with representatives of Chabad House regarding the proposed
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regulations. Chabad House, a synagogue and educational center located at 1428 17
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Street, has concerns regarding the regulations on 17 Street. While they would not be
eligible to purchase parking permits, as they are not a residence, staff has
communicated with Chabad House representatives that staff would like to work with
Chabad House on establishing regulations at the three spaces adjacent to Chabad
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House on 17 Street. The three spaces would not be subject to preferential parking
because Chabad House is an institutional use, and the City?s general practice is to not
instiute preferential parking adjacent to institutional uses.
Proposed Regulations
The proposed regulations balance the need to provide residents with preferential
access to parking on their street with the needs of their commercial and institutional
neighbors by allocating the spaces available on the basis of the street frontage of these
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uses. The proposed regulations are consistent with those on the parallel blocks of 18
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and 19 Streets. These are the closest regulated streets in the neighborhood. Visitors
and employees of commercial establishments on Santa Monica Boulevard, Colorado
Boulevard and Broadway can park at metered parking spaces along those streets as
well as in off-street parking facilities provided by those uses. There are regulations on
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17 Street north of Santa Monica Boulevard that allow for two-hour parking, but
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because people are reluctant to park and cross Santa Monica Boulevard on foot, and
because of the high proportion of non-residential and, therefore, non-preferential, street
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frontage on 17 Street itself, staff is recommending that the proposed preferential
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parking zone on 17 Street be incorporated into the zone immediately east instead.
The proposed parking restriction ?No parking, 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Monday through
Saturday, except by permit? are supported by the residents who attended the meeting
and many of those that corresponded with the City. The proposed regulations are
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identical to regulations on 18 Street and 19 Street between Santa Monica Boulevard
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and Broadway, thus staff recommends that the Council expand the Zone including 18
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Street, Zone KK, to include 17 Street.
Budget/Fiscal Impact
Initially, it is estimated that approximately 150 permits will be purchased by area
residents in the proposed zone. This will generate approximately $2250 annually in
additional revenue in FY 99/00 at account 01415.400290. The budget should amended
to reflect this additional revenue. The preferential parking signs will be installed by City
crews.
CEQA Analysis
The proposed project has been determined to be categorically exempt from the
provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), pursuant to Article 19,
Section 15301 ( c ) which was recently amended to define Class 1 exempt projects in
the following way: "Class 1 consists of the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting,
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leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities,
mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving little or no expansion of use
beyond that existing at the time of the lead agency?s determination. . ." This exemption
lists as an example of "existing facilities:" "( c ) Existing highways and streets,
sidewalks, gutters, bicycle and pedestrian trails, and similar facilities." Preferential
parking zones involve only the issuance of permits for the use of an existing public
street and include negligible or no expansion of this existing use.
Recommendations:
It is recommended that the City Council:
1. Approve the attached Resolution expanding Preferential Parking Zone KK to include
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17 Street, and Amending Resolution 9344 CCS (Resolution of the City Council of
the City of Santa Monica Re-Establishing Various Preferential Parking Zones) by
replacing Exhibit A.
2. Direct the Finance Department to make the budget adjustments outlined in this
report.
Attachments:
A Resolution Establishing Preferential Parking
Exhibit A - Preferential Parking Zones
B Vicinity Map
Prepared by: Suzanne Frick, Director of Planning and Community Development
Lucy Dyke, Transportation Planning Manager
Beth Rolandson, Transportation Planning Assistant
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