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SR-9-A (78) PCD SF AA f \plan\admm\ccreport\coastpref doc Council Meetmg January 12, 1999 Santa MOnica, California qA t"z,fft TO Mayor and City Council FROM CIty Staff SUBJ ECT Recommendation to Direct Staff to Negotiate With Coastal Commission Staff to Develop Solutions to Preservmg Preferential Parkmg m the Ocean Park Neighborhood INTRODUCTION This report recommends that the City Council direct staff to continue workmg With Coastal CommiSSion staff to develop mutually agreeable solutions to preserve the preferential parking zones In the Ocean Park neighborhood while promoting enhanced publiC access to the coast BACKGROUND On June 8, 1998, the Coastal CommiSSion Issued a Notice of Violation to the CIty of Santa Monica mformmg the City that the seven preferential parkmg zones created between 1983 and 1989 had been established Without a coastal development permit and would reqUire such a permit City staff submitted an application for the seven zones under protest, Without waiving the City's nghts to bnng or defend a legal action City staff requested that the Coastal CommiSSion heanng on thiS matter be held at the next meeting which was near Santa MOnica In order to allow for community partiCipation Coastal CommiSSion staff 1 agreed to put the Item on the agenda of the January 1999 meetmg In West Los Angeles I n late December of 1998, the Coastal Commission sent a notice to all residents, bUSinesses and property owners In the vIcinity of the preferential parkmg zones notlfymg them that the Coastal CommIssion would be conSidering the application In late December, City staff received notice of the Coastal CommisSion staff recommendations on the seven zones These recommendations Included making dramatic changes to the three zones closest to the ocean by allOWing preferential parking priVileges only between the hours of 8 p m and 6 a m In early January, City staff sent a notice to all holders of preferential parkmg permits In the seven zones notifYing them of the potential consequences of the Coastal CommiSSion hearmg (see attachment) On January 6, 1999, City staff met with Coastal Commission staff and a representative of Assembly member Sheila Kuehl's offIce to dISCUSS potentIal optIons for preserving the current preferential parking zones while continuing to promote public access to the coast City staff presented the reasons that Santa MOnica IS unique among California Cities In Its commitment to preserving and promoting coastal access ThiS commitment IS eVidenced by the provISion of over 5,500 public beach parking spaces, over 880 metered parkmg spaces on street and In lots In Ocean Park, low-cost transit and beach shuttle services, extensive public Improvements to beach areas, and the Coastal Circulation and Parking Study currently underway Coastal CommiSSion staff had concerns about the availability of low-cost short-term parking adjacent to the beach and was aware that the City IS studYing 2 this Issue as part of the Coastal Circulation and Parkmg Study, Coastal Commission staff and City staff agreed that It would be more effective for the Coastal CommIssion to review thiS Issue once the Study had been completed As a result. City staff withdrew its permit applicatIon for the seven zones and WIll reapply for a permIt On January 7, 1999, CIty staff sent a notice to all preferential permit holders m the seven zones mformlng them that the Coastal Commission hearing had been postponed City staff would like to continue workmg With Coastal Commission staff over the next several months to study and recommend measures to preserve the preferential parkmg zones while ensunng that a range of options for the coastal parking IS available In Santa MOnica One of the pnmary areas of consideration will likely be the availability of lower-cost short-term parkmg m the south beach parkIng lots As thiS Issue Will be considered In the context of the Coastal CIrculation and ParkIng Study, members of the pUblIC WIll be encouraged to contmue partlclpatlng In thiS study BUDGET/FINANCIAL IMPACT There IS no budget or financial Impact as a result of thiS recommendation at thiS time If the Coastal CommisSion requests that the scope of work for the Coastal Circulation and Parkmg Study be expanded to better address their concerns, additional fundmg for thiS study may be needed 3 RECOMMENDATION It IS recommended that the City Council direct staff to contmue workmg with Coastal CommiSSion staff to develop mutually agreeable solutions to preserving the preferential parking zones In the Ocean Park neighborhood while promoting enhanced public access to the coast Prepared by Suzanne Frick, Director Andy Agle, Deputy Director Planning and Community Development Department Kate Vernez, Assistant to the City Manager Attachment" Notrce to Preferential Parking Permit Holders 4 ., e -.. J Suzanne Frick Director Planning & Community Deve lopme nt De partm ent 1685 Ma 10 Street PO Box 2200 Santa MOnica. Callforma 90407-2200 ? CI'V ~" Sant.a IUoniea" January 4, 1999 Dear PreferentIal Parkmg PermIt Holder YOUR PREFERENTIAL PARKING MAY BE IN JEOPARDY Wlthm the past "\veek. you may have receIved a notIce from the Coastal ComnllsslOn regardmg a publIc hearmg to consIder preferentIal parkmg m Ocean Park On January 14. 1999. the Cahforma Coastal ComnllsslOn .\'111 hold a heanng to consIder ehmmatmg or mo(iIfymg seven reSIdentIal preferentIal parkIng zones (zones A, B, C, F. I, M and P) that were estabbshed wlthm the Ocean Park NeIghborhood of Santa MOllica dunng the 19805. The results of the Coastal CornnusslOn actIon may Impact your abIlIty to park m your neIghborhood WHY IS THIS HAPPENING NOW? On June 8, 1998. the Coastal ComnnsslOn Issued a NotIce ofVIOlatlOn to the CIty of Santa Momca mformmg the CIty that the seven preferentIal parkmg zones created between 1983 and 1989 had been establIshed \nthout a coastal development permIt and would reqUIre such a permIt Pnor to estabhshmg the zones m the early 19805, the CIty consulted Coastal CommIssIon staff and concluded that Coastal COlluUlsslOn approval was not reqmred Although the CIty does not agree that Coastal CommIssIOn approval IS requIred, the CIty submmed an applIcatIon for the seven zones, under protest, \\'1thout walnng Its nghts to bnng or defend a legal actIOn WHAT ACTION COULD THE COASTAL COMMISSION TAKE? The Coastal CommISSIon could take one of the followmg actIons · ElImmate all the preferentlal parkmg zones III Ocean Park · ReqUIre all the zones to be ehmmated after 2-3 years · ModIfy the hours to allow publIc parkmg on the street between 6 a ill - 8 p.m. III the summer and 6 a ill - 6 p m dunng non-summer penods · Expand the boundanes of the preferentIal parkmg zones · Allow the zones to eXIst Vvlth addltlonal IDltIgatlOns Any of the actIOns ,,'hICh remove or change the restnctIOns wnhm the zones could senously Impact parkmg avmlabihty for reSIdents who hold parkmg permIts III these areas tel 310458-2275. fax 310 576-4755 It WHICH ZONES WILL BE CONSIDERED? '" ZO"\"E A VIcente Terrace (applIcatIOn no 5-98-261) ZO:\E B Fraser. Hart. and Wads\\"orth A venues between Barnard Way and );ellson \Vay. the north sIde of Ocean Park Boulevard berween Barnard \Vay and Kellson Way. BIcknell Ayenue. PaCIfic Street, and Strand Street benveen )l"eIlson Way and Ocean Avenue. and HollIster Avenue bet\\'een NeIlson \Vay and Ocean Avenue'Bamard Way (5-98-437) ZO~E C Second and llmd Streets benveen Ocean Park Boulevard and the south CIty hmIts. HIll Street bet\....een Ylam Street and Fourth Screet. and Beach Street. Ashland Avenue, and Marme Street between Mam Street and Thrrd Street (5-98-438) ZO)l"E F HIll and Raymond Streets benveen Lmcoln Boulevard and Seventh Street (5-98-442) ZO)l"E I Second and Thud Street from Ocean Park Boulevard to Strand Street, Strand Street. HollIster Avenue. and Ocean Park Boulevard from ~Iam Street to Thrrd Street. ~orman Place from :V-1am Street to Second Street. and .\-"l11es Street from Second Street to Thud Street (5-98-439"\ ZOi'-:'E ~\1 Thud Street bem:een PIco Boulenrd and Strand Street, Bay Street between ~edson Way and TInrd Street. BIcknell Ayenue benveen N"ellson \Va)' and Thud Street. PaCific Street hem"een ~edson \Vay and Thud Street. and BIcknell Avenue benveen Thrrd and Fourth Streets (5-98-440) ZO~E P The Barnard Way frontage road (5-98-441) HOW CAN YOU HELP? The CIty of Santa MOnIca sees thIS as a senous threat to the avaIlabIlIty ofparkmg for reSIdents m Ocean Park The arguments In support of preferentIal parkIng are outlmed In the attachment to tlus letter Please conSIder attendmg the publIc heanng or provIdmg \\TInen or verbal comments The heanng WIll be held at OlympIC Collection Banquet & Conference Center 11301 ,"Vest OI)'1llpIC Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90064 9 a.m., Thursday, Janual1' 14, 1999 Comments can be sent to California Coastal Commission South Coast Area, PO Box 1450 200 Oceangate, 10th Floor Long Beach. CA 90802-4416 (562) 590-5071 To obtain contact information for mdlVldual CommissIOn members: http://\nyw.ceres.ca.gov/ coastalcomm/web/index.h tml The Transportatlon Department WIll prOVIde BIg Blue Buses to the heanng. If you would lIke to make a bus reservatlon or WIsh to dISCUSS thIS matter WIth CIty staff, please contact Andy Agle. Deputy DIrector, at 310-458-2275. SIncerely, ~ 1ilbtL-- Suzanne Fnck ~ . . PREFERENTIAL PARKING ZONE BACKGROUND INFORMATION The CIty of Santa MOllIca mamtams that the Coastal ComnllsslOn's regulatory authonty does not extend to preferentIal parkmg zones wlthm the coastal zone of Santa MOllIca The CIty"S posItIOn m thIS matter IS based on five pnmary factors 1 PreferentIal Parkmg Does ]\ot Restnct Coastal Access PreferentIal parkmg zones \Vlthm Santa Maruca do not restnet publIe access to coastal areas The CIty of Santa MOllIca mamtams a deep and long-standmg cornnutment to provl(hng publIc access to the coast The CIty prondes over 5,500 publIc beach parlang spaces WIth unmernate access to the coast, mcludmg over 3.000 spaces south of the Santa Ylomca PIer and nearly 2,500 north of the PIer OutsIde of the extensIve parkmg avaIlable IInmedIately adjacent to the beach, there IS a wIde range of add1tlOnal publIcly avaIlable parkmg facIlIties rn the Coastal Zone of Santa MOnIca, rangmg from lImIted-term on-street metered spaces to all-day flat-fee parkmg structures Tlns non-beach lot parkmg totals over 10,000 spaces. mcludmg nearly 7.700 spaces m parlang lots/structures and on-street In the Do"Wnto\vn area, over 550 on-street spaces on Ocean Avenue (north of the PIer). over 450 on-street spaces north ofDo\1;ntown and wIthm the coastal zone. over 870 spaces III the Santa MOllIca CIVIC Aud1tonum parkmg lot, over 330 In metered lots on )-1am Street (south of the PIer), and 01-er 550 on-street metered spaces south of the PIer and west of Fourth Street 2 PreferentIal Parkmg was EstablIshed to Restnct Employee and Customer Parlang III Resldenl1al Neighborhoods PreferentIal parkmg m these zones was necessary because employees and customers ofMam Street busmesses and other area busmesses were parkmg III reSIdentIal neIghborhoods. By elmunatmg or modIfymg the present zones, access to the coast would not be enhanced Rather, employees and customers of area busmesses would return to parkmg on the reSIdentIal streets 3 Coastal CommIssIon Approval IS ~ot ReqUIred The establIshment of a preferential parkmg zone IS not a "development" nnder the CalIfornIa Coastal Act and therefore does not reqUIre a coastal development permIt. Under such a broad defmItIon. the Coastal ComnllssIOn would be assertm2 authontv over the Installation of a WIde ~ -' range ofparkmg and traffic control measures such as traffic SIgnals, stop SIgnS, speed hmIt SIgnS, etc ThIS IS far beyond the mtent of the Coastal Act 4 The Coastal CommIssIon has Wan!ed ItS RIght to ReqUIre a PermIt .~ , Pnor to establIshmg the first preferentIal parkIng zone m the coastal zone m 1983, the Santa MOllIca Cny Attorney researched the Issue of Coastal CornrrllsslOn perrl11ttmg of these parkmg zones Although the CIty Attorney mdependently concluded that the CalIfornIa Coastal Act does not reqmre CornrmsslOn approval ofpreferennal parkmg zones. the ComnllsslOn's legal staff adVIsed the Clty Attorney that such approval would not be reqUIred Thus, the CIty'S actIons have been consIstent WIth the adnce receIved from the ComnllSSlOn and the CommIsslOn has been on notIce smce 1983 that the Cny was estabhshmg preferentIal parkmg zones m the Coastal Zone Smce that tIme. the CIty IS unaware of any Judgments or legls1atlve amendments to the CalifornIa Coastal Act whIch have expanded the ComnnsslOn's authonty over preferentIal parkmg zones ... 5 Exc1u5lVe CItv Authonty _ _ The CalIfornIa VehIcle Code grants exclUSIve authonty to CItIes to create preferentIal parkmg on deSIgnated pubhc streets Page 4 of3