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PCD:PA:SF:PC:DM MAR 2 1 1995
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Council Meeting: March 21, 1995 Santa Monica, California
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: City Staff
SUBJECT: Ordinance for Introduction and First Reading Amending
Section 9.04.10.08.190(a), Location of Required Parking
Spaces and Section 9.04.10.08.200, Subterranean Parking
Structures, of Article IX of the Santa Monica Municipal
Code.
INTRODUCTION
The proposed text amendment would ensure that individuai projects
cannot be built over common subterranean parking garages, thereby
avoiding potential environmental review and the standards for
larger projects required by the commercial zoning standards adopted
in 1993. This amendment was initiated by City Council in response
to the adoption of new zoning standards for the commercial
districts of the City. The new standards require projects
developed on large parcels to be built to a reduced floor area
ratio unless a certain portion of the project square footage is
devoted to housing. In addition to the amendment related to
subterranean parkinq, the "Location of Required Parking Spaces"
section is also being modified to allow for a garage design which
consists of two, rather than one garage door.
BACRGROUND
Following the adoption of the new commercial zoning standards, the
City Council directed staff to initiate a text amendment to address
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8 R 2 1 1995
the issue of prohibiting common underground parking facilities for
projects on individual parcels. On June 1, 1994 the Planning
Commission approved a Resolution of Intention to amend Section
9.04.10.08.190(a) and Section 9.04.10.08.200 of Article IX of the
Santa Monica Municipal Code to establish requirements related to
individual commercial projects and common subterranean parking
garages. Staff originally recommended that language be
incorporated into Section 9.04.10.08.200(d) to require that a lot
tie be recorded as a means to ensure that the development is
considered as one project. On June 15, 1994, the Commission
approved a motion recommending City Council adoption of the
proposed text amendment, with the added recommendation that the
Council consider a caay to accomplish the objective of the amendment
without requiring that a lot tie be recorded.
ANALYSIS
The proposed text amendments were initiated by City Council to
ensure that individual projects cannot be built over common
subterranean parking garages, thereby avoiding environmental review
and the housing and floor area ratio requirements for larger
projects. In response to the Planning Commission's request to
consider a way to achieve the objectives of the amendment without
requiring a lot tie agreement, staff has reevaluated its original
proposal. Staff has concluded that there is an alternative to a
lot tie.
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As proposed, the amendment would require buildings on two or more
separate parcels, that share a common subterranean parking
facility, to combine the parcels pursuant to Section 9.04.06.010
(g) as described below, thereby joining the properties and creating
one development site. Section 9.04.06.010 (g) states the
following:
Two or more parcels may be combined and used as a single
parcel if:
(1) The building site shall be sub7ect to all
requirements of this Chapter as though the total area
comprised in the site were a single parcel.
(2) All of the building site shall be under common
ownership.
(3j A covenant by the owner of the parcels shall be
filed with the Zoning Administrator and recorded with the
County Recorders's office before any use or combination
of parcels occurs. The covenant shall state the
intention of the owner to develop the parcels as a single
building site and shall be in the form required by the
Zoning Administrator.
A covenant process is already in place and administered by the
Zoning Administrator to satisfy the third requirement. If two or
more adjacent properties are developed without a covenant as
described above, they would be considered separate projects, and
under the provisions of the proposed text amendment, would not be
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able to share a common subterranean parking garage. The covenant
would accomplish the same thing as a lot tie, and would be recorded
with the County Recorders Office.
The proposed amendment would add the following sentence to Section
9.04.10.08.200 (SUbterranean Parking Structures) of the Zoning
Ordinance:
(d) Development located on two or more separate parcels
may share common subterranean parking garages or link
circulation between subterranean parking facilities only
if the parcels are combined pursuant to Section
9.04.06.010(g).
In addition, due to the proposed change to Section 9.04.10.08.200
stated above, it is necessary to modify Section 9.04.10.08.190 (a)
(Location of required parking spaces) as follows, with the new
language in bold:
(a) Required off-street parking spaces shall be located
on the parcel or building site. In commercial or
industrial districts, off-street parking may be located
off of the parcel or building site, except as prohibited
by Section 9.04.10.08.200 of this Chapter, if each of the
following conditions are satisfied:
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Since this amendment would modify Section 9.04.10.08.190, staff is
proposing that another change be included in this amendment related
to garage design. The section would be revised to allow for a
garage design which consists of two, rather than one garage door.
Such an allowance provides greater design flexibility; a two-door
design may also act to improve the aesthetics of the design in some
situations. Furthermore, allowing two small garage doors may be
more appropriate with certain types of architectural styles, and
requiring the approval of a variance for such doors results in
unreasonable cost and time delays for applicants. Section
9.04.10.08.190 (b) (1) would be modified as follows:
(b) Parking requirements may not be met by providing
parking in the front one-half of a parcel in a
residential district except:
(1j In a garage which shall have not more
than .,..~ 18 feet of garage door or doors
facing the front lot line for each 75 feet or
fraction thereof of lot width. A door to a
single space shall 'I'..~ ...,.,~ ~::all be not less
than 39 8 feet nor more than 9 feet wide, and
a door to two spaces shall not be :.,r more
than 16 feet wide. Any garage on the front
one-half of a lot or on the side street side
of a corner or a reversed corner lot shall be
fully enclosed within the architecture and
structure of the main building.
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BQDGET/FINANCIAL IMPACT
The proposed ordinance would have no budget or financial impact.
It is recommended that the City Council hold a public hearing and
introduce the attached Ordinance for first reading.
Prepared by: Suzanne Frick, PCD Director
Karen Ginsberg, Planning Manager
David Martin, Associate Planner
Attachment: A. Proposed Ordinance
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ATTACHMENT A
cA:f:\atty\muni\laws\mhs\subt
City Council Meetinq 3-21-95 Santa Monica, California
ORDINANCE NUl~ER (CCS)
(City Council Series)
AN ORDINANCE OF TFiE CITY COLJNCIL OF THE
CITY OF SANTA MONICA AMENDING SANTA MONICA MUNICIPAL
CODE SECTIONS 9.04.10.08.190 AND 9.04.10.08.200
REGARDING COMMON SUBTERRANEAN PARICING STRIICTURES AND
LOCATION OF REQUIRED PARKING SPACES
WIiEREAS, the Planning Cam_mission adopted a Resolution of
Intention to amend the zoninq ordinance to prohibit projects on
individual parcels from sharing subterranean parking structures
unless the parcels were combined; and adopted a Resolution of
Intention to allow greater design flexibility in garages; and
wHEREAS, the Planning Commission held a public hearing on the
proposed amendments on June 15, 1994 and November 2, 1994, and made
recommendations to the City Council followinq the hearing; and
WHEREAS, the City Council finds and declares that the
proposed amendment is consistent in principle with the goals,
ob7ectives, policies, land uses, and programs specified in the
adopted General Plan, in that the amendments allows development
consistent with the General Plan, and ensures that while greater
design flexibility is provided, development pro7ects comply with
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applicable setback, inclusionary housinq and environmental review
requirements; and
WHEREAS, the public health, safety, and qeneral welfare
require the adoption of the proposed amendment, in that the
amendment will allow qreater desiqn flexibility and ensure that
individual projects will not be built over common subterranean
garaqes and thereby avoid environmental analysis and inclusionary
housing requirements associated with larger projects;
NOW, THEREFORE, TIiE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA
MONICA DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 9.04.10.08.190 of the Santa Monica
Municipal Code is amended to read as follows:
9.04.10.o8.i9a Locatian of required parkinq spaces.
(a) Required off-street parkinq spaces shall be
located on the parcel or building site. In commercial or
industrial districts, off-street parking may be lacated
off of the parcel or buildinq sit =. px:.: :~ is °....~.._=e~cci
~~r 33c=__- -._~..----.~..:. _- =•-_s _..__ =--• if each of the
following conditions are satisfied:
(1) All parking spaces are located within
1,000 feet of the perimeter of the parcel or building
site and the parking area commences within 300 feec of
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the perimeter. This distance shall be computed from the
nearest point of the parkinq area.
(2) The property on which the parking spaces
are provided is owned in fee by the owner of the parcel
or building site which is sub~ect to the parking space
requirements.
(3) Additional documents, covenants, deed
restrictions, or other agreements as may be deemed
necessary by the Zoning Administrator are executed to
_ assure that the required parking spaces are maintained
off site.
(b) Parking requirements may not be met by providing
parking in the front one-half of a parcel in a
residential district except:
(1) In a garage which shall have not more than
~:~ :~+ ~•=e~ :.° garaqe door ~r ~oor~ facing the front 1ot
line for each 75 feet or fraction thereof of lot width.
:. ..oor ,.,, a~:~~id .^.3~:3 ~: n~ a..~ ~~~~ ~..~« be not less
than i-6 ~ feet -or =.,re `~s- _ :ee~ xi~_, _-~ a. .:,,~r _..
c~a •saace;; :;::aZ~ -c~ ~e -~: more than 16 feet wide. Not
more than one double qarage may be entered :rom the side
street side of a corner of a reversed corner lot throuqh
a door not more than 16 feet wide. Any garage on the
front one-half of a lot or on the side street side of a
corner or a reversed corner lot shall be fully enclosed
within ~he architecture and strsctura of the main
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building except for entrances;
{2) In multi-family residential districts,
where the parcel has no alley, provided that no part of
a required front yard shall be used for parking purposes;
(3) Where the parcel is in the A Overlay
District and has been approvad for parkinq use pursuant
to the provisions of Part 9.04.08.36. ---
SECTION 2. Sectlon 9.04.10.08.Z00 of the Santa Monica
- Municipal Code is amended to read as follows:
9.04.10.08.200 Subterranean parkinq structtl=es.
A parking structure shall be considered to be
subterranean if the structure is entirely underground.
All subterranean parkinq structures shall be constructed
and maintained as follows:
(a) All openings for inqress and eqress facing the
front parcel line shall be situated at or behind the
front building line of the maia buildinq. There shall be
no more than two openinqs facinq the front parcel line
for each main building.
(b) A subterranean parkinq structure may be
constructed and mai.ntained in any required yard area
except in the required unexcavated areas.
(c) Exits from any subterranean parkinq structure
shall provide sight distance which comply with standards
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established by the City Parkinq and Traffic Engineer.
id; Deveiap~e.:L ~~ca_e3 ~oa *_~ro ar ao~e separate
.;,1::~+1:. ~uay .:f:.~r.~: c:n~:~~:n ;+,l:t.~rraru.~~^ ~a:k~r.:; ~3.ac,.r~r.:, a~
__R,e •~±r~:;_a~.^r. bst~ree^ ~::bterrar.ean ~a.^ki.zg taci!itie5
a~lr '_' the par~eis ~re ccrrcine~ pi:rsua:.~ ~a Section
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SECTION 3. Any provision of the Santa Monica Municipal Coda or
appendices thereta, inconsistent with the provisions of this
- Ordinance, to the extent of such inconsistencies and no further,
are hereby repealed or modified to that extent necessary to effect
the provisions of this Ordinance.
SECTION 4. If any section, subsectian, sentence, clause, or
phrase of this Ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid or
unconstitutional by a decision of any court of any competent
jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the
remaininq portions of this Ordinance. The City Council hereby
declares that it would have passed this Ordinance, and each and
every section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase not declared
invalid or unconstitutional without regard to whether any portion
of the Ordinance wauld be subsequently declared i.nvalid or
unconstitutional.
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SECTION 5. The Mayor shall siqn and the City Clerk shall
attest to the passage of this Ordinance. The City Clerk shall
cause the same to be published onca in the official newspaper
within 15 days after its adoptian. This Ordinance shall be
effective 30 days from its adoption.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
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MARSHA J~ ES MOUTRIE
_ City Att ney
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