SR-400-04 (10)
F:\PCDShare\2005CouncilStaffReports\doubledrivereport.doc Santa Monica, CA
Council Meeting: June 14, 2005
To: Mayor and City Council
From: City Staff
Subject: Introduction for First Reading of an Interim Ordinance of the City Council
Allowing Administrative Approval of the Number and Type of Driveways
Required for Parking Structures With Over 40 Spaces in Multi-Family,
Commercial and Industrial Districts in the City
Introduction
This report recommends that the City Council introduce for first reading an interim
ordinance allowing administrative approval of the number and type of driveways
required to serve parking lots or structures which provide over 40 parking spaces. This
change would assist housing developments required to provide between 40 and 80
spaces in multi-family, commercial and industrial areas and remove an incentive for
inclusion of unnecessary driveways in other project designs.
Background
For large projects with parking areas of 81 or more spaces, the Santa Monica Municipal
Code allows staff to determine the appropriate number and type of driveways. The
Code currently requires that two double driveways be provided for parking areas of 41
to 80 spaces. Any change to this requires a variance, an expensive and time
consuming procedure.
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Analysis
When evaluating and approving a design for a parking lot or structure, the
Transportation Management Division is concerned with the efficient, effective and safe
circulation of both vehicles and pedestrians inside the parking area and on the public
right-of-way. Generally, each additional entrance or exit from a parking structure into
the public right-of-way creates a point of conflict between vehicles, bicyclists or
pedestrians in the street or alley. Curb cuts reduce on-street parking opportunities and
degrade the pedestrian experience by creating breaks in the sidewalk and landscaped
parkways. Therefore, fewer driveways is generally preferable, as long as they are
adequate to ensure that queuing of vehicles does not occur in the public right-of-way.
There are many examples of parking structures and lots where one entrance/exit safely
serves several hundred parking spaces.
The proposed ordinance would eliminate the Code’s current mandate that applicants
provide more driveways than their project may need simply to avoid a variance process.
This most impacts affordable housing projects, especially those containing as few as 25
2-bedroom units, or 35 1-bedroom units. Other projects large enough to require 41
parking spaces are already subject to discretionary review requirements. The code
modification is proposed as an interim change, with permanent changes to be included
in the Zoning Ordinance update associated with the new Land Use Element. Because
it is relatively simple to effect and removes an apparently unintended obstacle to the
development of affordable housing projects in multi-family, commercial and industrial
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zones, staff recommends that implementation not be delayed for development of the
Land Use and Circulation Element.
Budget/Fiscal Impact
This ordinance will be implemented by existing staff. No budget/fiscal impact is
expected.
Recommendation
It is recommended the City Council introduce on first reading An Interim Ordinance of
the City of Santa Monica to Allow Administrative Approval for the Number and Type of
Driveways for Parking Structures With Over 40 Parking Spaces.
Prepared by: Andy Agle, Interim Director of Planning and Community Development
Lucy Dyke, Transportation Planning Manager
Beth Rolandson, Senior Transportation Planner
Ruth Harper, Transportation Planning Associate
ATTACHMENTS: A) Ordinance
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F:\atty\muni\laws\barry\driveways.doc
City Council Meeting 6-14-05 Santa Monica, California
ORDINANCE NUMBER ____ (CCS)
(City Council Series)
AN INTERIM ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA
MONICA ALLOWING ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVAL OF THE NUMBER AND TYPE
OF DRIVEWAYS REQUIRED FOR PARKING STRUCTURES WITH OVER 40
PARKING SPACES IN MULTI-FAMILY, COMMERCIAL, AND
INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS IN THE CITY
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA DOES ORDAIN AS
FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Findings and Purpose. The City Council finds and declares:
(a) The City of Santa Monica is concerned with the efficient, effective and safe
circulation of both vehicles and pedestrians both inside parking areas and within the
public right-of-way.
(b) Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 9.04.10.08.100 provides discretion to
transportation staff to determine the number of driveways for projects providing over 80
parking spaces, but mandates two double driveways for projects providing between 41
and 80 parking spaces in multi-family, commercial and industrial districts.
(c) When evaluating and approving a design for a parking lot or structure which
contains over 80 parking spaces, the Transportation Management Division assesses
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whether the design provides for the efficient, effective, and safe circulation of both
vehicles and pedestrians.
(d) Each additional entrance or exit from a parking structure into the public right-
of-way creates an additional point of conflict between vehicles, bicyclists or pedestrians
in the street or alley.
(e) Each additional entrance or exit requires an additional curb-cut which
reduces on-street parking.
(f) Fewer entrances and exits from parking structures into the public right-of-way
create fewer points of conflict between vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians.
(g) The current Zoning Ordinance provision can require applicants with projects
providing 41 and 80 spaces to propose more driveways than are necessary to safely
and efficiently serve particular projects, thereby leading to the potential conflicts
addressed above.
(h) The City’s Zoning Ordinance should be revised to provide the Transportation
Planning Manger with the discretion to establish the number and type of driveways
provided to serve parking lots or structures which provide over 40 parking spaces
based on considerations of safety, efficiency, and effectiveness.
(i) Pending completion of these permanent revisions, in order to protect the
public health, safety, and welfare, it is necessary on an interim basis to change current
development standards as they relate to the number and type of driveways provided to
serve parking lots and structures.
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(j) Based on the reasons described above, there exists a current and immediate
threat to the public safety, health, and welfare should this interim ordinance not be
adopted. Consequently, it is necessary for this ordinance to establish on an interim
basis the following development standards.
SECTION 2. Driveways. The minimum number and type of driveway required to
be provided in all multi-family residential, commercial, and industrial districts shall be
determined based on the number of parking spaces contained in any given parking
area in accordance with the following standards:
1 to 20 spaces 1 single driveway
21 to 40 spaces 1 double driveway
41 spaces and over Number and type of driveway to be approved by the
Transportation Planning Manager based on
considerations of safety, efficiency and effectiveness.
SECTION 3. This ordinance shall be of no further force or effect sixty days after
its effective date, unless prior to that date, after a public hearing, noticed pursuant to
Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 9.04.20.22.050, the City Council, by majority
vote, extends this interim ordinance.
SECTION 4. Any provision of the Santa Monica Municipal Code or appendices
thereto inconsistent with the provisions of this Ordinance, to the extent of such
inconsistencies and no further, is hereby repealed or modified to that extent necessary
to effect the provisions of this Ordinance.
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SECTION 5. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase of
this Interim Ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by
a decision of any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect
the validity of the remaining 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 would be subsequently
declared invalid or unconstitutional.
SECTION 6. The Mayor shall sign and the City Clerk shall attest to the passage
of this Ordinance. The City Clerk shall cause the same to be published once in the
official newspaper within 15 days after its adoption. This Ordinance shall become
effective 30 days from its adoption.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
_________________________
MARSHA JONES MOUTRIE
City Attorney
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