Council Meeting: September 10, 2002                              Santa Monica, California

 

To:                   Mayor and City Council

From:              City Staff

Subject:          Resolution 1) Amending Preferential Parking Zone KK (17th Street between Colorado Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard and 18th Street between Colorado Avenue and Broadway) and enlarging it to be bounded by Santa Monica Boulevard, 19th Street, Colorado Avenue, and 14th Street, 2) Eliminating Zone Y (19th Street between Santa Monica Boulevard and Broadway) as it would be surrounded by the larger Zone KK, and 3) Amending City Council Resolution 9344 CCS

 

Introduction

This report recommends the expansion of Preferential Parking Zone KK to include the area bordered by Santa Monica Boulevard, 19th Street, Colorado Avenue, and 14th Street, with the exceptions of the commercial boulevards, namely: Santa Monica Boulevard, Broadway and Colorado Avenue.  The expanded zone would incorporate four blocks that currently have preferential parking regulations and a larger area that would be pre-approved for preferential parking.  The larger area includes three blocks on which regulations would be implemented immediately because residents have submitted qualifying petitions.

 

Background

This neighborhood has experienced problems previously with long-term non-resident parking. Previously, the City has addressed these problems by enacting various preferential parking regulations. The neighborhood currently has two preferential parking zones encompassing four blocks.  Preferential Parking Zone Y, on 19th Street between Santa Monica Boulevard and Broadway, was created in 1992 with “No Parking” regulations between 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, except by permit.   Preferential Parking Zone KK, on 18th Street between Santa Monica Boulevard and Broadway, was created in 1998 with the same restrictions as Zone Y.  It was further amended and enlarged in February 2000 to include two blocks of 17th Street between Santa Monica Boulevard and Colorado Avenue. 

 

In November 2000, residents of the 1500 block of 15th Street submitted a qualifying petition that once again initiated the study process in this neighborhood.  Residents of the following three blocks have now completed and submitted petitions for preferential parking:

 

Neighborhood Parking Issues

This area is primarily a multi-family neighborhood with a fair amount of commercial businesses near the intersections of Santa Monica Boulevard, Broadway, and Colorado Avenue.  Residents in this area are affected by employee parking from area businesses, especially from car dealerships along Santa Monica Boulevard.  Neighbors have expressed frustration by the amount of parking generally taken up by the car dealerships.  Employees of both UCLA-Santa Monica Hospital (15th and Arizona) and St. John’s Hospital (20th and Santa Monica) spill over into the area.  Patrons from the 14 Below Bar at 14th and Santa Monica also park later into the night and can make noise.  This area is surrounded by other preferential parking districts.  In addition to the preferential parking which exists on 17th, 18th, and 19th Streets (within this study area), the 1300 blocks to the north (between Santa Monica and Arizona) have preferential parking and Euclid Street to the west also has restrictions.  (See Attachment B: Vicinity Map).

 

Study Findings

During the fall of 2001, the area bounded by Euclid Street, Santa Monica Boulevard, 20th Street, and Colorado Avenue was studied to determine parking occupancies and usage.  A summary of peak parking occupancies is included as Attachment C.  The study demonstrates that parking occupancies are moderate (greater than 50 percent but less than 85 percent) and high (greater than 85 percent).   Average occupancies on the residential blocks in the study area without preferential parking range from 67 percent to 87 percent.  The range of average occupancies on blocks with preferential parking is slightly lower—from 43 percent to 71 percent.  The three petitioning blocks have average occupancies in the mid-70 percent range, with peak occupancies ranging from 86 percent to 94 percent around the noontime hour.  Peak occupancies on blocks in the area that already have preferential parking, however, occur in the early morning, signifying residents parking on the street where they live.  Saturday midday occupancies for blocks without preferential parking range from 67 to 84 percent, while occupancies for blocks that have preferential parking are lower. 

 

Community Input

Businesses and residents in the study area were invited to attend a meeting to discuss preferential parking in their neighborhood in March 2002. Residents at the meeting generally wanted preferential parking, but there were varying opinions on the types of restrictions that they wanted.  Some residents wanted restrictions from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. only, while others wanted restrictions that began at 7 a.m. and lasted until 9 p.m. or later. Residents generally agreed that they wanted “No parking” versus “Two-hour parking”.  This is consistent with other preferential parking zones in the area and typical of areas affected by large employers/institutions with significant off-street parking resources and neighborhoods where a significant percentage of the parking spaces on the residential blocks are located adjacent to commercial/institutional enterprises (and therefore, not subject to preferential restrictions).  Residents were also divided about whether or not they wanted Saturday restrictions. One owner of a small business in the area was concerned about the lack of available parking to support their business.  Employees of an office building in the area near the intersection of 15th and Broadway were concerned that many of their visitors do have a need to park on the street for short periods of time during the day, and those needs are not met on-site.  However, a significant amount of parking will be unaffected by preferential parking regulations as that parking is directly adjacent to business and commercial uses on these residential streets.  Combining all of the on-street parking for 14th and 15th Streets between Colorado Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard, 55 percent is adjacent to commercial properties and will not be restricted by preferential parking.  Based on a review of conditions in adjacent preferential zone XX, which has similar regulations, it appears that sufficient parking will be available, and that any displaced vehicles can be accommodated at meters on Santa Monica Boulevard, Broadway and Colorado Avenue.  Implementation of regulations in zone XX reduced overall parking occupancies on residential streets by only 14 percent.  Comments from the neighborhood meeting and other correspondence received are summarized in Attachment D.

 

In addition, a survey was sent to all residents asking them about their preferences on restrictions, specifically, whether they preferred “No parking” or “two-hour parking”, what hours they preferred, and which days of the week they wanted restrictions.  The current restrictions on the four blocks within the study area are “No parking 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday”, and this is one option for other blocks.  The largest group of respondents to the survey, 40 percent, wanted “No parking 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday.” Twenty-eight percent wanted “No parking 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday”, while 23 percent wanted two-hour parking restrictions.  Only nine percent wanted “No restrictions” from Monday through Friday. The desire for Saturday restrictions was again almost evenly divided among survey respondents.  However, survey respondents who live on blocks that already have preferential parking regulations decidedly preferred Saturday restrictions. Overall, the survey yielded an 11 percent return.  Both the survey and results from the survey are included with Attachment E.

 

Recommendations for Expanded Zone KK

The objective of these regulations is to alleviate the parking pressure on residential streets and provide consistent regulations within the area. The entire area is to be pre-approved for preferential parking so that any block-to-block spillover associated with the regulations will be incorporated within the proposed zone and within adjacent existing zones.  Staff recommends that the following regulations be approved adjacent to residential properties:

1)     No parking between 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday, except by permit on:

 

·        14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th Streets between Santa Monica Boulevard and Colorado Avenue.

 

This includes the blocks which currently have preferential parking, and would require no changes to these four blocks.

 

Budget/Fiscal Impact

Initially, it is estimated that area residents in the proposed zone will purchase approximately 300 new permits. This will generate approximately $6,750 in additional revenue in FY 02/03 ($7.50/permit for the remainder of 2002, and $15/permit for 2003), and $4,500 in subsequent budget years at account 01415.400290. The budget should be amended to reflect this additional revenue.

 

CEQA 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 was recently amended to define 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 little or no expansion of use beyond that existing at the time of the lead agency’s determination. . ." This exemption lists as an example of "existing facilities:" "( c ) 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.

 

Recommendations

It is recommended that the City Council:

1.       Approve the attached Resolution amending and enlarging Preferential Parking Zone KK so that it is bounded by Santa Monica Boulevard, 19th Street, Colorado Avenue, and 14th Street, eliminate Zone Y (which would now be included in Zone KK), and amend Resolution 9344 CCS (Resolution of the City Council of the City of Santa Monica Re-Establishing Various Preferential Parking Zones) by replacing Exhibit A.

2.       Approve the revenue budget adjustment outlined in this report.

 

Attachments:              A         Resolution Establishing Preferential Parking, Exhibit A –

Preferential Parking Zones

                                    B         Vicinity Map

                                    C1       Parking Occupancy Summary

                                    C2       Parking Utilization Summary

D         Summary of Comments from Neighborhood Meeting and Correspondence Received

E         Preferential Parking Survey

E1       Preferential Parking Survey Results

                                   

 

Prepared By:             Suzanne Frick, Director of Planning and Community Development

                                    Lucy Dyke, Transportation Planning Manager

                                    Beth Rolandson, Senior Transportation Planner

                                    Ruth Harper, Transportation Planning Associate