HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 8a. Study Session - Consider deferring formation of new Preferential Parking Permit Districts Item 8a
Department: Public Works
Cost Center: 5101
For Agenda of: 7/11/2023
Placement: Study Session
Estimated Time: 45 Minutes
FROM: Matt Horn, Public Works Director
Prepared By: Gaven Hussey, Parking Program Manager
SUBJECT: COUNCIL CONSIDERATION OF DEFERRED FORMATION OF NEW
PREFERENTIAL PARKING PERMIT DISTRICTS
RECOMMENDATION
Receive a presentation on the status of the Preferential Parking Permit District Program
including issues facing the City’s Parking Services Program; and either:
1. Defer the establishment of new parking districts until Council provides direction
on policy and program elements that were identified by the Access and Parking
Management Plan. This action would require Council to adopt a Draft Resolution
entitled, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of San Luis Obispo,
California, temporarily deferring new Preferential Parking Permit Districts; or
2. Direct Staff to conduct outreach and return with a recommendation after outreach
on next steps; or
3. Provide direction to staff to continue the Preferential Parking Permit District
program under current adopted policies.
POLICY CONTEXT
California Vehicle Code (CVC) section 22507 allows local authorities, by Ordinance or
Resolution, to establish preferential parking privileges for permitted residents, merchants,
and their guests. City Council adopted, by Ordinance, Municipal Code sections 10.36.170
et seq. allowing for the establishment of preferential parking permit districts by Resolution.
City Council has the authority to determine the number of parking permits issued per
addressed unit, the days, and hours that the permits are valid, and which type of
properties are eligible to receive permits.
The Access and Parking Management Plan (APMP) provides the framework to develop
strategies that align the Preferential Parking District Program with other City policies and
Major City Goals. The updated APMP provides recommendations on policy revisions to
correctly align the Preferential Parking Permit District Program with current utilization and
community needs.
DISCUSSION
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Item 8a
Parking District Historical Overview
The first preferential parking permit district was established in 1979 in what is referred to
as the Alta Vista Parking District near the southern boundary of the Cal Poly campus. The
intent of the district was to limit Cal Poly related parking in the neighborhood and to
improve the overall ‘quality of life’ for the residents. Since then, the City has established
eleven (11) additional parking districts, expanded existing districts multiple times, and
received requests to establish many more. A map of the existing parking districts is
included as Attachment B. Parking districts historically have been limited to areas that
are predominately residential and participation is restricted to only residential properties
with four or fewer units.
The four or fewer unit restriction aligns with the City’s Zoning Regulations, which require
residential properties of more than four units to provide parking on -site for residents as
well as guests (SLOMC 17.72.030). This limitation was a significant issue for the Dana
Street neighborhood because there are five multi-family properties intermixed with single-
family residential and commercial properties on that street. City Council developed a
unique solution for this unique area at the March 2, 2021 Council meeting and introduced
an ordinance amending the Municipal Code language to allow multi-family properties of
five to eight units on Dana Street to participate in the parking district prog ram and to
receive permits.
Around the same time of the Council meeting, staff began to receive requests from
business owners to establish a parking district in a non -residential area, the South
Higuera, Tank Farm, and Suburban Road area. Council adopted changes to the Municipal
Code to allow commercial properties the ability to participate and form Preferential
Parking Permit Districts on February 15, 2022. Council took action again on April 19, 2022
by adopting an ordinance to allow for Limited Daytime Use Permits to address the needs
of commercial properties in or directly adjacent to the Dana Street Parking District.
The unique needs of the Dana Street Preferential Parking Permit District and the inclusion
of commercial properties in Preferential Parking Permit District led staff to consider
possible revisions to the Preferential Parking Permit District Program which is a future
work program item that is in the 2023 update to the Access and Parking Management
Plan. The upcoming rate study in the fall of 2023 will also provide some insight into
elements of the Preferential Parking Permit District Program, particularly around the
equity and cost recovery of fees and a full work program task to analyze the existing
Preferential Parking Permit District Program is not scheduled or forecasted at this time.
District Requests and Staff Resources
Parking Services Program typically receives four to six requests annually to form new
Preferential Parking Permit Districts, with roughly twelve to twenty hours of staff time
dedicated to outreach and planning associated with each initial district request depending
on the proposed size and scope of the district. Typically, new district requests do not have
adequate resident support and the process generally requires staff to provide two to three
days of effort to this process regarding the formation of each district requested.
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Item 8a
If the district receives initial resident approval, staff will spend an additional week and a
half to two weeks time on summarizing the process for the district before it returns to
Council for review and formation consideration.
If approved, additional staff time is then committed to implement the district, and notice
residents of the approval and how to secure permits. Staff will spend an additional two to
five days contracting and installing signage, and another week assisting with permit
issuance, noticing, and response to inquiries. In total between seventeen and twenty -
three days of staff time are needed to support each new district. Staff also spend roughly
three weeks annually maintaining and replacing Preferential Parking Permit District
signage and between two to three weeks assisting with permit setup and issuance for all
current districts. Formation of any new district is a time intensive effort.
Currently, the Parking Services Program has received six separate new Preferential
Parking District requests this calendar year and has met with two groups that had
sufficient resident support to begin discussions. A copy of the general areas (the
boundaries have not been fully defined for each proposed district) are included as
Attachment C. Through those discussions, both groups ultimately opted to try other
methods and seek additional residential support before requesting to form a district.
Approximately six to nine months elapses f rom the time a request is received to when it
is brought to Council for consideration. If approved, implementation of a new district or
existing district expansion can take an additional three months depending on the
availability of equipment and materials to establish a new district.
Deferral of New District Formation Requests
The Parking Services Program has struggled to keep up with the increase in petitions and
necessary outreach for Preferential Parking Permit Districts this year. Revisions to the
program could help reduce staff time committed to developing and guiding residents
through the initial process of establishing eligibility to form districts. Strategies outlined in
the Access and Parking Management Plan can help shape the criteria for establishing
districts, but staff need to develop or revise policies to support these strategies and ensure
that public space is more effectively used to support the whole community.
The Parking Services Program’s administrative staff that previously supported the
districting process are primarily focused on aligning existing policies to those outlined in
the Access and Parking Management Plan and modernization efforts that include the
Cultural Arts District Parking Structure, renovation efforts to existing parking
infrastructure, the gateless parking structures transition, virtual permitting, and
implementation of tiered based parking options in the downtown.
In addition to the administrative support necessary to establish districts, the operation
components relied on to support existing Preferential Parking Permit Districts time is in
high demand. The Parking Services Program and Police Department staff that are used
to enforce current district policies are relied on for more than just the districts and do not
always have the bandwidth to properly enforce the existing area. Further district additions
would reduce the current available resources even more and reduce the overall
effectiveness of the purpose of the Preferential Parking District program.
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Item 8a
Staff are focusing on returning to Council in late Spring of 2024 with revision to the
Preferential Parking District program.
Public Engagement
Residents for a Quality Neighborhoods has been notified of this item and staff were
working to arrange a meeting at the time of this report submittal.
CONCURRENCE
The City’s Police Department is supportive of the options regarding the formation of new
Preferential Parking Permit Districts.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The California Environmental Quality Act does not apply to the recommended action in
this report, because the action does not constitute a “Project” un der CEQA Guidelines
Sec. 15378.
FISCAL IMPACT
Budgeted: N/A Budget Year: On-going
Funding Identified: N/A
Fiscal Analysis:
Funding Sources
Current FY
Cost
Annualized
On-going Cost
Total Project
Cost
Parking Fund N/A N/A N/A
Total N/A N/A N/A
There are no direct operational costs associated with the temporary suspension of the
formation of Preferential Parking Permit Districts, however there is a potential loss of
future revenues associated with enforcing parking violation and permit issuance.
ALTERNATIVES
Council could choose to pursue one or more of the options listed in the
recommendation. This is a policy matter and staff has laid out the existing work efforts
underway and how deferring new districts could help focus parking services operations
on important projects and programs that continue to need refinement.
ATTACHMENTS
A - Draft Resolution to temporarily suspend Preferential Parking Permit Districts
B - 2023 Map of all Residential Parking Districts
C - Potential Residential Areas
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R ______
RESOLUTION NO. ________ (2023 SERIES)
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA, TEMPORARILY
DEFERRING NEW PREFERENTIAL PARKING PERMIT
DISTRICTS
WHEREAS, the City of San Luis Obispo recognizes the importance of managing
parking within its jurisdiction to ensure equitable access and efficient utilization of limited
parking spaces; and
WHEREAS, Preferential Parking Permit Districts have been established in various
areas of the city to address parking challenges specific to those neighborhoods pursuant
to San Luis Obispo Municipal Code Chapter 10.36.170; and
WHEREAS, the establishment of new Preferential Parking Permit Districts
requires careful evaluation of the existing parking conditions, community input, and
thorough analysis by Parking Services; and
WHEREAS, the City Council acknowledges the need to reassess the criteria and
procedures for establishing new Preferential Parking Permit Districts to ensure their
effectiveness and compatibility with the city’s evolving parking needs.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of San Luis
Obispo as follows:
SECTION 1. New Preferential Parking Districts, as defined in San Luis Obispo
Municipal Code Section 10.36.170 will be temporarily deferred until further notice,
effective immediately. During this temporary deferral period, no new Preferential Parking
Permit Districts will be established.
SECTION 2. Parking Services will continue to receive requests for new Preferential
Parking Districts during the deferral period. However, these requests will be placed on
hold and will not be processed until the temporary deferral is lifted by resolution of the
City Council.
SECTION 3. During the temporary deferral period, Parking Services will conduct a
comprehensive review and assessment of the existing criteria and procedures for
establishing and operating Preferential Parking Permit Districts. This review should
include a thorough analysis of parking demand, impacts on affected neighborhoods, and
consideration of alternative parking management strategies.
SECTION 4. Parking Services will engage community stakeholders, including
residents, businesses, and relevant organizations, to gather feedback and input regarding
the effectiveness and potential improvements to the Preferential Parking Permit Districts
program.
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Resolution No. _____ (2023 Series) Page 2
R ______
SECTION 5. Upon completion of the aforementioned review and assessment,
Parking Services shall present their findings and recommendations to the City Council for
further consideration and direction on potential updates and revisions to the criteria and
procedures for establishing Preferential Parking Permit Districts.
SECTION 6. This resolution shall take effect immediately and remain in effect until
such time as the City Council determines it is appropriate to lift the temporary deferral on
new Preferential Parking Permit Districts or permanently cease creation of new
Preferential Parking Permit Districts.
Upon motion of ___________________, seconded by_____________________
and on the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
The foregoing resolution was passed and adopted this ____ day of ___________, 2023.
__________________________
Mayor Erica A. Stewart
ATTEST:
_____________________________
Teresa Purrington
City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
_____________________________
J. Christine Dietrick
City Attorney
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the
City of San Luis Obispo, California, on __________________________.
__________________________
Teresa Purrington
City Clerk
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Nor
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a RosaCal
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aSanta RosaBroadHi guer a GrandMont e r e yNorth ChorroRamonaPatriciaHighland
PARK VIEW
MONTERY HEIGHTS
ALTA VISTA 2
ALTA VISTA 1
COLLEGE HIGHLANDS
PALOMAR
ANHOLMTASSAJARA 2
MURRAY
FERRINI
DANA
MISSION ORCHARD
TASSAJARA 1
ALTA VISTA 1, 2 AM - 10 PM Mon-Fri
ALTA VISTA 2 , 2 AM - 5 PM Mon-Fri
ANHOLM, 8 AM- 2 AM Daily
COLLEGE HIGHLANDS, 10 PM- 10 AM Daily
DANA, 8 AM - 2 AM, Daily
FERRINI, 12 AM - 5 PM Daily
MISSION ORCHARD, 6 am- 6 pm Mon-Fri
MONTERY HEIGHTS, 2 am - 10 pm Mon-Fri
MURRAY, 8 am - 5 pm Mon-Fri
PALOMAR, 10 pm - 6 am Daily
PARK VIEW, 12 am - 7 am Daily
TASSAJARA 1, 24 hrs Daily
TASSAJARA 2, 10 pm- 6 am Daily
¯0 0.5 1 1.5 20.25
Miles
Residential Parking Districts
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1.Receive a presentation on the status of the Preferential Parking
Permit District Program including issues facing the City's Parking Services
Program; and either
a.Defer the establishment of new parking districts until Council provides
direction on policy and program elements that were identified by the Access
and Parking Management Plan and adopt a Resolution temporarily deferring
new districts; or
b.Direct Staff to conduct outreach and return with a recommendation after
outreach on next steps; or
c.Provide direction to Staff to continue the Preferential Parking Permit District
Program under current adopted policies.
California Vehicle Code (CVC) 22507
Allows local authorities to restrict or prohibit parking on certain streets except for permitted
residents, merchants, and their guests
SLO Municipal Code Section 10.36.170
Allows for the establishment of Preferential Parking Permit Districts by Resolution
1.Established in 1979
•Alta Vista
2.Purpose
•Limit parking impacts caused in the
neighborhood
•Improve quality of life for the residents
3.Two permits per residence
4.Limited to four or fewer units
•Exception: Dana Street ~ five to eight units
5.Inclusion of Business Properties
6.Creation of Limited Use Permit within district
boundaries
•10.36.170 Designation of preferential parking permit
areas—Adoption of resolution
•10.36.180 Designation of preferential parking permit
areas—Content of resolution
•10.36.190 Designation of preferential parking permit
areas—Sign posting
•10.36.200 Limitations on parking in a preferential
permit parking area
•10.36.220 Preferential parking permit—Issuance
•10.36.221 Lost, stolen, or defaced permit replacement
•10.36.230 Preferential parking permits—Display
required
•10.36.232 Enforcement
•ALTA VISTA (2)
•ANHOLM
•COLLEGE HIGHLANDS
•DANA STREET
•FERRINI
•MISSION ORCHARD
•MONTEREY HEIGHTS
•MURRAY
•PALOMAR
•PARK VIEW
•TASSAJARA/SOUTH TASSAJARA (2)
•53% use overall
•81% of vehicles
displayed valid
permits
•Summer occupancy
drops to 25%
•Mission/Lincoln
•North
Broad/Anholm
Expansion
•Meadow Park
•Hillcrest/Park
•Phillips/Howard
•Devaul Ranch
•Beach Street
Category Basis Total
Enforcement $51.81 per hour @ avg. of 42 hours per week for 42 weeks $91,393
Citation Processing $1.50 per citation @ 4,929 citations $7,393
Cite Adjudication/info $93.83 per hour @ avg. of 2 hours per week for 42 weeks $7,882
Permit Processing Admin. Assist. $56.01 per hour @ avg. 240 hours $13,442
Permit Costs Actual costs $5,536
Fuel Estimated based on mileage $900
Postage and Printing Actual costs $1,537
Signs Signs and Posts $2,000
TOTAL $130,083
1.Receive a presentation on the status of the Preferential Parking
Permit District Program including issues facing the City's Parking Services
Program; and either
a.Defer the establishment of new parking districts until Council provides
direction on policy and program elements that were identified by the Access
and Parking Management Plan and adopt a Resolution temporarily deferring
new districts; or
b.Direct Staff to conduct outreach and return with a recommendation after
outreach on next steps; or
c.Provide direction to Staff to continue the Preferential Parking Permit District
Program under current adopted policies.