F:\PCDShare\2005CouncilStaffReports\prefparkTT24^th25th.doc Santa Monica, CA

Council Meeting: June 14, 2005

To: Mayor and City Council

From: City Staff

Subject: Resolution Modifying Preferential Parking Zone TT to Reduce Hours for Restrictions on 24^th and 25^th Streets between California and Washington Avenues and Amending City Council Resolution 9344 CCS

Introduction

This report recommends the reduction of evening preferential parking restrictions for two blocks within Zone TT, where current restrictions end at 10 pm. The residents of the 1000 block of 24^th Street between California and Washington Avenues have submitted a petition requesting that their preferential parking restrictions end at 9 pm. The residents of the 1000 block of 25^th Street have submitted a petition requesting that their preferential parking restrictions end at 6 pm.

Background

Residents of the 1000 blocks of both 24^th and 25^th Streets between California and Washington Avenues have submitted petitions requesting a reduction of hours for their preferential parking restrictions, as detailed in the following table:

Block	Petition Date	% of Residential Units Petitioning	Request
1000 24th Street	June 2004	75%	End restrictions at 9pm
1000 25th Street	October 2004	80%	End restrictions at 6pm

Current restrictions are “Two-hour parking 9am-10pm, Daily, except by permit.”

These blocks are part of Zone TT which includes 20th through 25th Streets between Wilshire Boulevard and Washington Avenue, and California and Washington Avenues between 20th and 26th Streets. See Attachment B, Vicinity Map.

Zone TT was originally created in August 1999 for the 2200 block of California. At that time, preferential parking also existed on other blocks in the neighborhood, including the 1100 blocks of 21st through 24th Streets and the 1000 block of 22nd Street, but restrictions were not uniform. Most blocks had two-hour daily parking restrictions, except by permit. In response to petitions from additional blocks in the neighborhood, Zone TT was amended and enlarged in February 2001 to its current boundaries and restrictions.

Zone TT consists of both single and multi-family zoned properties with the multi-family residences closer to the commercial district on Wilshire Boulevard. The commercial district on Wilshire Boulevard is the major reason that residents have requested preferential parking in this neighborhood. Parking demands from the large medical complex just south of Wilshire Boulevard also exerts some pressure. North of California Avenue and east of 21st Street, the zone consists of single-family residences, including the two petitioning blocks.

Community Input

Residents and other neighbors in the immediate area (1000 blocks of 23^rd through 25^th Streets and California Avenue between 23^rd and 26^th Streets) were invited to attend a neighborhood meeting in January 2005 to discuss preferential parking restrictions. Staff received two e-mails supporting the petition effort, and none opposing. Five residents (all of whom live on the 1000 blocks of either 24^th or 25^th Streets) attended the meeting. All attendees had signed the petitions, and all were in favor of restrictions ending earlier in the evenings. They stated that it’s difficult to have visitors in the evenings, and that there is plenty of parking available. Comments from the neighborhood meeting are summarized in Attachment C.

Recommendation for the 1000 blocks of 24^th and 25^th Streets in Zone TT

Staff recommends granting the petitions on these streets as requested by a minimum of 75 percent of the residents. Though restrictions will no longer be uniform in the area, the request of the significant majority of residents who desire less stringent restrictions should be granted. Staff recommends the following amended regulations for preferential parking zone TT:

1) Two-hour parking between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. daily, except by permit on:

· 20^th, 21^st, 22^nd, and 23^rd Streets and Chelsea Avenue between Wilshire Boulevard and Washington Avenue

· 24^th and 25^th Streets between Wilshire Boulevard and California Avenue, and

· California and Washington Avenues between 20^th and 26^th Streets

2) Two-hour parking between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. daily, except by permit on:

· 24^th Street between California and Washington Avenues

3) Two-hour parking between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily, except by permit on:

· 25^th Street between California and Washington Avenues.

Budget/Financial Impact

The recommendation presented in this report does not have any budget or financial impact.

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.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the City Council:

1. Approve the attached resolution amending Preferential Parking Zone TT 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.

Attachments: A Resolution Establishing Preferential Parking, Exhibit A –

Preferential Parking Zones

B Vicinity Map

C Summary of Comments from Neighborhood Meeting

Prepared by: Andy Agle, Interim Director, Planning and Community Development

Lucy Dyke, Transportation Planning Manager

Beth Rolandson, Senior Transportation Planner

Ruth Harper, Transportation Planning Associate