sr-041211-7c~;tYO, City Council Report
Santa Monica
City Council Meeting: April 12, 2011
Agenda Item: 7-C
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Eileen Fogarty, Director of Planning and Community Development
Subject: Ordinance and Resolution related to parking restrictions.
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1) introduce for first reading the attached Ordinance amending Municipal Code
Sections 3.12.860 and 3.12.880 related to large vehicle parking restrictions in
order to more clearly post signs conformant to California Vehicle Code
provisions, and
2) adopt the attached Resolution establishing on-street parking regulations for
specific vehicle heights pursuant to the requirements of the California Vehicle
Code.
Executive .Summary
California Vehicle Code Section 22507 allows local jurisdictions to prohibit the parking
of specified vehicles, particularly vehicles over certain heights, on City streets. In order
to prohibit the parking of specified vehicles, the local authority must adopt an ordinance
or resolution.
The ordinance amends two existing sections of the Santa Monica Municipal Code that
provide parking restrictions for large vehicles, and combines those two sections into one
section. The purpose of this ordinance is to ensure consistent notice, regulation, and
enforcement of large vehicle parking restrictions City-wide.
The resolution will allow the Principal Transportation Engineer to install signs and/or
markings prohibiting the parking of vehicles over five feet high in those locations where
it is determined that the vehicles over the specified height potentially impacts traffic
safety. For example, there are many on-street parking spaces located adjacent to
driveways or alleys where parked vehicles over five feet in height can limit the visibility
for drivers attempting to exit the driveway or alley.
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Background
At the request of the Santa Monica Police Department and City Attorney, staff from the
Planning & Community Development Department reviewed existing Municipal Code
sections related to parking restrictions for large vehicles: Existing sections 3.12.860
and 3.12.880 were shown to be nearly identical in the type of vehicle for which parking
restrictions were provided, and the parking restrictions applied to similar time periods.
The primary difference between the two sections was that section 3.12.860 pertained to
residential districts, while section 3.12.880 pertained to commercial and industrial
districts. Both sections used slightly different language for the time .periods of
restriction, and the dimensions describing large vehicles were also slightly different.
Therefore, staff recommends amending the Municipal Code sections so that consistent
language is applied. Section 3.12.860 is proposed to be amended to include relevant
aspects of Section 3.12.880, so that Section 3.12.880 can be repealed. This will allow
staff to develop and erect signs that can provide adequate notice of the parking.
restrictions, which will in turn allow Santa Monica Police to carry out associated
enforcement.
Furthermore, the Principal Transportation Engineer is charged with investigating and
evaluating traffic safety issues. Frequently there are safety issues identified related to
the parking of vehicles over certain heights on City streets. Serving in the capacity of
the Parking and Traffic Engineer, the Principal Transportation Engineer is authorized by
Section 3.12.710 of the Municipal Code to "establish, maintain, and designate upon the
surface of the roadway or curbs parking or standing. regulation markings, which
markings shall conform to the provisions of the Vehicle Code and shall have the
meanings therein prescribed:"
In order to conform to the requirements of California Vehicle Code Section 22507, staff
has developed a proposed resolution that directly reflects the Vehicle Code.
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Discussion
By adopting this proposed ordinance, Council will ensure that notice of the City's
parking regulations for large vehicles can be adequately displayed, and associated
enforcement can be carried out. Notice of the proposed ordinance will require the
installation of signs at every entrance to the City (more than 50 locations). The
installation of signs at every entrance to the City is supported by case law.
By adopting this proposed resolution, Council will ensure that the City's parking
regulations are established in accordance with the California Vehicle Code.
Financial Impacts & Budget Actions
The installation of additional signs could cost as much as $5,000. Funds are available
in the FY10-11 budget in account 01556.544010.
Prepared by: Sam Morrissey; P.E., Principal Transportation Engineer
Approved:
v
been Fogarty
Director, Plan in and omm nity
Development
Forwarded to Council:
;) °~~
Rod Gould
City Manager
Attachments:
A. Ordinance
B. Resolution
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City Council Meeting 04-12-2011
Santa Monica, California
ORDINANCE NUMBER (CCS)
(City Council Series)
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL
OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA
AMENDING SANTA MONICA MUNICIPAL CODE
SECTIONS 3.12.860 and 3.12.880 RELATED TO
LARGE VEHICLE AND TRAILER PARKING RESTRICTIONS
WHEREAS, the City. of Santa Monica consists of just eight square miles of
coastal land, which is the home of 90,000 residents, the job site of 300,000 workers,
and a destination for as many as 500,000 visitors on weekends and holidays; and
WHEREAS, for decades, the City has regulated overnight parking of large
vehicles and trailers on public streets and alleys in residential, commercial, and
industrial districts; and
WHEREAS, the defined dimensions. of large vehicles and the specified hours of
restricted overnight parking in residential districts are slightly different from those
applicable in commercial and industrial districts; and
WHEREAS, these minor variations in overnight parking restrictions do not
promote public welfare; instead, they create confusion, hinder compliance, and impair
enforcement efforts; and
WHEREAS, standardizing restrictions. on overnight parking would promote
compliance and facilitate more efficient and effective notice and enforcement, and will
thereby promote public welfare; and
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WHEREAS; adopting a uniform definition for the size of large vehicles would
provide clarity regarding the prohibited vehicles and would restrict overnight parking of
any large vehicle, including 18-wheel trucks, panel trucks, most delivery trucks, and
most campers and recreational vehicles ("RVs"); and
WHEREAS, the City's unusual density necessitates special efforts to ensure
adequate emergency response time and to preserve. the free and safe flow of
pedestrian and vehicular traffic; and
WHEREAS, the parking of unhitched trailers upon public streets and alleys
impedes traffic and parking circulation, particularly in case of emergencies that would
require immediate removal of an unhitched trailer; and
WHEREAS, .the parking of unhitched trailers upon public streets and alleys
harms public safety and welfare, as such trailers' inherent inability to move under their
own power hampers emergency response efforts and obstructs access to the City's
already congested roads in times of emergency; and
WHEREAS; restricting the parking of unhitched trailers would improve traffic and
parking circulation, and will thereby promote public safety and welfare; and
WHEREAS, the .parking of unhitched trailers on public streets produces
undesirable visual blight, attracts graffiti and vandalism, damages the City's economic
vitality, and harms the general welfare; and
WHEREAS, in order to preserve the quality of residents' lives and protect the
City's visitor industry, which is essential to the City's economic vitality, the City must
safeguard the safety, visual appeal, and charm of its streets and public spaces,
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NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA
DOES HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 3.12.860 of the Santa Monica Municipal Code is amended
to read as follows:
3.12.860 Overnight parking P-arkir+g of trailers and large vehicles-if}
Between the hours of':^~o0~,=rr: 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. on any public street or
ir+e~n+i~.l rli~+rin+ .+ ncMhlic h°rl by Ar+'nlrv ^ of #hic (`nrl°
alley in the City a ~~.,.,,.,. _....._ no
person shall park any hitched or unhitched trailer of anv size, or any vehicle of
which any part of the vehicle, together with all fixtures, accessories or property.
with the exception of single post radio antennas, measures more than. eight (8)
feet in width, or ~°~~°^ ^^~' ^^° half /71 /7\ ei ht 8 feet in height, or twenty (20)
feet in length, unless such person shall have a permit for such trailer or vehicle;
SECTION 2. Section 3.12.880 of the Santa Monica Municipal Code is hereby
amended to read as follows:
3.12.880 Parking of h.r.,,.,..h:,.l°~ :., ^...r.^.nwi.:..l .,..,f :^rt..~+.:.,r.+:~+.:..+~
trailers.
(a) Bt~;;,;~zne-F~r° ^fT-~.-d^~ss-as~e#ir~ed~„-zhe Vehiele Sede~e-No
person shall park a=~;;a;e anv trailer on a ~ public street or alley in a
..1 r! # '..I rlic.+rin+ ~, on+.. hl'~hnr+ h.. A r+inln ^ i.f +h'c. ('nrlrv .n rF
...~... ~.,~........~ ............~~.,.~ ............ ..................... ...... ..,~ .. ....... _ _. ...._ -___, ~~ r_.,
f ...h inh +nnrv+hnr uii+h oll F.h~~ron nr nrn ncrfv ~ni4h 4hc cvncn+'nn of
^nnrvcc nr'nc
vrwrnorrw~c.~ ~.,~ ....~ ~ ....~ ..,...... ~--.., ............,... ..... .., p.... p,... y ...,.. ..._ _..__r,. _.. _.
I^ no+ r.+rl'n .~n+nnnx o o +hon o nh+ /A\ foot in ~uirl+h nr c'nh4
rv.'rr^i" .. m°rvo~~r ~ mnr
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~Q~ see+ ~., +.e•,.+,+ „r +..,e.,+„ iom see+ •., porn++, the City, unless the trailer, while
otherwise lawfully parked is attached to a vehicle capable of moving the trailer in
a normal manner upon the street or alley.
(b) This Section shall not apply to trailers that are:
(1) in the process of being loaded or unloaded; or
(2) authorized to park at a particular location pursuant to aCity-issued permit.
SECTION 3. 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, are hereby repealed or modified to that extent necessary
to effect the provisions of this Ordinance.
SECTION 4. If any section, subsection, 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
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 5. The Mayor shall sign and the City Clerk shall attest to the passage
of this Ordinance. The City Clerk shall cause this ordinance, or a summary thereof, to
be published once in the official newspaper within 15 days after its adoption. This
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Ordinance shall be effective 30 days from its adoption and once signs have been
erected giving adequate notice thereof.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
i ~~
~/ ~~
MA~~ A JOGtf S M UTf~E
Cit Attorney
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Reference Resolution No.
10572 (CCS).