SR-05-14-2013-11BCity Council Meeting: May 14, 2013
Agenda Item: 11 -B
To: Mayor and City Council
From: David Martin, Planning and Community Development Director
Subject: Amendment of Preferential Parking Zone T
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Amend the regulations to "No parking 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, except by permit' for
Preferential Parking Zone T which includes the following blocks:
Exposition Boulevard, Delaware Avenue, and Virginia Avenue between Stewart
Street and Centinela Avenue
• Stewart Street, Yorkshire Avenue, Dorchester Avenue, and Warwick Avenue
between Exposition Boulevard and Virginia Avenue
i 34th Street between Exposition Boulevard and Delaware Avenue
2. Approve the attached Resolution amending Preferential Parking Zone T 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.
Executive Summary
Residents of the 3000 blocks of Exposition Boulevard and Delaware Avenue, and the
1800 -1900 block of Warwick Avenue have submitted petitions to change the existing
preferential parking regulations. They assert that nonresident parking in. the
neighborhood generated by Exposition Boulevard businesses is impacting their ability to
find parking near their homes. Staff recommends amending the preferential parking
regulations in this neighborhood to address existing non - resident parking and in
anticipation of the opening of the Expo Light Rail station at 26th Street and Olympic
Boulevard. The proposed regulations are: "No parking 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, except by
permit." Additional revenue is not anticipated as a result of this action. New signage
would be required at an estimated cost of $2,400.
Background
Preferential parking is a tool the City uses to manage non - resident parking on
residential streets, as authorized by Santa Monica Municipal Code Chapter 3.08 and the
California Vehicle Code. Preferential parking regulations manage the use of on- street
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parking to assist residents in finding parking near their home. Only residents who live on
a block with preferential parking restrictions are eligible to purchase a permit. Permits
may be used within two block faces of the permit owner's address.
Residents may petition to modify the regulations in a preferential parking zone at any
time. Upon receipt of a petition representing two - thirds of the residential units on a
block, a parking occupancy study of the neighborhood is conducted and a community
meeting is held. In evaluating the petitions, staff typically evaluates the larger
neighborhood, rather than an individual block due to the potential for parking
displacement when regulations are changed. Staff typically recommends that Council
pre- approve preferential parking regulations for the entire zone to streamline and
expedite the process for adjacent blocks should some displacement occur. The Council
considers the preferential parking request and Municipal Code requirements to approve
the amendment of a preferential parking zone.
Once Council amends preferential parking regulations, the changes are implemented on
the block or blocks that have submitted qualifying petitions. Changes are not
implemented on blocks that have been pre- approved by the Council until the time that
the residents of those blocks submit qualifying petitions representing two- thirds of the
residential units on the block.
Discussion
Zone T was established by Council on October 2, 1990 and amended on December 18,
2001. Refer to Attachment B for a map of the area parking regulations. It is comprised
of the area bounded by: Stewart Street, Exposition Boulevard, Centinela Avenue, and
Virginia Avenue. The neighborhood is predominantly single family homes, small
multifamily residences and commercial uses along Exposition Boulevard. Stewart Street
Park and the Expo buffer park are located within the Zone. There are two types of
regulations in Zone T. Stewart Street and the blocks between Stewart Street and
Yorkshire Avenue are "no parking 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, except by
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permit." The restrictions on the remaining blocks are "two hour parking 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Monday through Friday, except by permit."
In March 2012, a petition was submitted to change the existing preferential parking
regulations representing 71 percent of the households on the 3000 block of Exposition
Boulevard between Dorchester and Warwick Avenues. Subsequent petitions have been
submitted by the 1800 -1900 block of Warwick Avenue between Exposition Boulevard
and Virginia Avenue (68 percent in April 2013) and the 3000 block of Delaware Avenue
between Dorchester and Warwick Avenues (68 percent in April 2013).
As a result of the original petition, a parking occupancy study was conducted of the
neighborhood. The parking occupancy of each block was observed hourly on Saturday,
August 25 and Wednesday, August 29, 2012. The study indicates a range of
occupancies throughout the neighborhood. Generally, high weekday occupancies were
observed along Exposition Boulevard, with lower occupancies on the blocks to the
south. Weekend occupancies are lower with the exception of spaces immediately
adjacent to Stewart Street Park. Maps of the peak parking occupancies are included as
Attachment C.
Residents identified employees of Beachbody LLC (3301 Exposition Boulevard) as
contributing to the parking problem in the neighborhood. In an effort to identify short
term solutions while simultaneously pursuing changes to the preferential parking
regulations, staff co- hosted two neighborhood meetings with Beachbody management
in summer 2012. At these meetings, Beachbody staff detailed their parking
management plan, which includes shuttling employees to two offsite lots. During new
hire orientation, they explain to employees that parking in the neighborhood is against
company policy and communicate with anyone found to be violating the policy.
A community meeting was held on January 10, 2013 to discuss amending the
preferential parking regulations. Fifteen community members were in attendance and
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expressed unanimous support for more stringent preferential parking regulations. Full
meeting comments are included as Attachment D.
In response to ongoing nonresident parking in the neighborhood generated by
Exposition Boulevard businesses, as well as an anticipated increase in parking demand
in the vicinity to be generated by the Expo station at 26th Street and Olympic Boulevard,
staff recommends amending the regulations in this neighborhood to be: "No parking 8
a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, except by permit." Extending the regulations to 10 p.m. would
prevent most non - resident parkers from using of neighborhood streets as a park and
ride for the Expo station. Adjacent blocks are included in the recommendation to
expedite the preferential parking implementation process should they submit complete
petitions in the future.
Alternatives
The Council could maintain the existing conditions or adopt different hours and types of
restrictions than recommended.
Environmental 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 defines Class 1 exempt projects in the following way: "Class 1
consists of the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor
alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or
topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of use beyond that existing
at the time of the lead agency's determination." This exemption includes: "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.
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Next Steps
If the preferential parking regulations are amended, they will be implemented on the
petitioning blocks within 8 weeks. Regulations will be implemented on the remaining
blocks upon receipt of a qualifying two- thirds petition from the residents of that block.
Blocks that have preferential parking regulations would be eligible to petition for the
new, more restrictive regulations. Pre - approved blocks would only be eligible to petition
for the new regulations.
Per Council's direction, staff plans to undertake an evaluation of the preferential parking
program this year to determine ways in which the program could be enhanced to further
address parking in residential areas.
Financial Impacts & Budget Actions
It is not estimated that this change will result in new permit sales as most blocks in this
area already have preferential parking regulations. New signage will need to be ordered
and installed at an estimated cost of $2,400. Funds for the purchase and installation of
new signage are available in account 01416.544010.
Prepared by: Jason Kligier, AICP, Transportation Planning Associate
Approved:
` ;� "v
David Martin
Director, Planning and Community
Development
Forwarded to Council:
Rod Gould
City Manager
Attachments:
A. Resolution Establishing Preferential Parking, Exhibit A — Preferential Parking
Zones
B. Existing parking regulations map
C. Parking occupancy data map
D. Community meeting comments
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Attachment
Existing e l a ti o s
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Legend
ammomma No parking 8AM -8PM Mon -Fri, except by permit
2 hour parking 8AM -8PM Mon -Fri, except by permit
• • • • • Pre - approved (petition needed)
unman Petitioning Block
Attachment C
Peak Parking Occupancy 8AM
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Ci IY YI
Santa Me.ieam
Legend
Peak Parking Occupancy
85 -100%
67-84%
0 -66%
■ ■ ■ ■■ Petitioning Block
Attachment C
Peak Parking Occupancy 11AM - 2PM
Saturday, August 25, 2012
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Legend
Peak Parking Occupancy
85 -100%
67-84%
0 -66%
■u®■ Petitioning Block
ID
Santa of
Santa Monica
Attachment D
Preferential Parking Community Meeting
January 10, 2013
• Concern about employees parking in neighborhood on weekdays
• Spill over on to other blocks
• Weekend parking is sometimes difficult
• The streets are full during the day including 5pm
• 1 would like 7 days a week no parking Sam to 8pm (many in favor)
o Ditto, but I would like it to end at 11pm
• Quarterly events at Beachbody result in parking in the neighborhood on weekends
• There will be SMC students parking here once the parking lot on Stewart is closed
• When Expo starts running, there will be little to no parking at Bergamot Station
• Trains will run until 11 or midnight and Agensys will remain open until 30 mins after last train
• Regulations on 34`x' Street are working fine and I do not want a change
• Preferential Parking is difficult when having many visitors in town
• Concern about the maintenance yard and the employee parking generated by it
• Imax validates parking for screening events and pays for more parking spaces than they need
and asks visitors to park in the parking lot
Reference Resolution No.
10747 (CCS)