§ 8176-3.8.1. Justifications for reductions in number of required motor vehicle parking spaces.

An applicant may use one or more of the following measures and approaches to justify a reduction in the number of required motor vehicle parking spaces.

a.

Parking Study. Applicant provides a parking study to assess the land use's parking needs. Parking studies shall be prepared by a registered transportation engineer.

b.

Transportation Demand Management Plan. Applicant prepares a Transportation Demand Management Plan to reduce motor vehicle trips to the land use. Transportation Demand Management Plans shall be prepared by a person/firm qualified to prepare such plans, as determined by the Planning Director. Such plans shall provide documentation describing the measures that will be used to reduce parking demand. Such measures may include, but are not limited to:

1.

Locating a project within one thousand five hundred (1,500) feet of a stop for bus, rail, shuttle, or other public transit services.

2.

Installing transit stops or enhancing existing adjacent transit stops by incorporating additional landscaping, shelters, informational kiosks, or other amenities.

3.

Locating the project adjacent to a designated bicycle route or path.

4.

Improving existing bicycle routes and paths in the vicinity of the project.

5.

Providing residents or employees with transit passes.

6.

Providing shuttle services for employees, visitors, or residents.

7.

Creating ridesharing programs.

8.

Improving the pedestrian environment surrounding the project by the provision of sidewalks, marked crosswalks, additional landscaping, street furniture, lighting, and/or other safety features.

9.

Allowing flexible work schedules or telecommuting.

10.

Providing on-site amenities, which could include daycare, restaurants, and/or personal services such as banking or dry cleaning.

11.

Installing additional bicycle parking facilities above the minimum requirements.

12.

Providing shower and locker facilities. The provision of showers and associated lockers may be provided in lieu of required motor vehicle parking under some circumstances. Requirements for this reduction include:

i.

The number of showers provided shall be based on demonstrated demand. At least six (6) lockers for personal effects shall be provided per shower and shall be located near showers and dressing areas. Lockers shall be well ventilated and of a size sufficient to allow the storage of cycling attire and equipment. Showers and lockers should be located as close as possible to the bicycle parking facilities.

ii.

For every two (2) showers (one (1) per gender) and six (6) clothing lockers per shower provided, the amount of motor vehicle parking spaces provided may be reduced by three (3) spaces, up to a maximum reduction of three (3) percent of required motor vehicle spaces. Existing parking may be converted to take advantage of this provision.

13.

Other measures to encourage transit use or to reduce parking needs.

c.

Affordable or Senior Housing. The total number of spaces required may be reduced for affordable (low income, very low income, extremely low income) or senior housing units, commensurate with the reduced parking demand created by the housing facility, including for visitors and accessory facilities, only where the reduction can be substantiated by data that evidences the residents cannot or will not own vehicles. The reduction shall consider proximity to transit and support services and include traffic demand management measures in conjunction with any approval.

d.

Drive-Through Land Uses. A reduction in the required number of parking spaces may be approved if documentation is provided which demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Director that the required number of parking spaces will not be needed due to the drive-through nature of the land use.

e.

Parking Reserve. When parking spaces required by this Article for nonresidential uses are not needed by the current land use occupants or are not needed in the current phase of development, the land for those spaces may be held in reserve. This parking reserve shall be limited to one (1) parking space or up to ten (10) percent of the total number of required parking spaces, whichever is greater. The parking reserve area shall be included in the determination of lot coverage as though the spaces were in use. To take advantage of reserved parking, the following provisions shall be met:

1.

The applicant must demonstrate that the reduced number of parking spaces will be adequate to provide sufficient parking for the land uses on the property.

2.

The area designated as reserve parking must be clearly depicted on the approved site plan, and the terms and conditions of the reserved parking shall be clearly set forth in the approved site plan notations.

3.

Landscaping must be provided in lieu of the required parking spaces in compliance with Section 8178-8, Landscaping and Screening.

4.

The reserved parking spaces must be maintained in a manner that leaves them available for conversion to required parking spaces. No above-ground improvements shall be placed or constructed upon the reserve parking area.

5.

The permit shall be conditioned to require the conversion of the reserved spaces into usable parking spaces as initiated by occupant use or phased development, or at any time that the Director determines necessary.

f.

Reduced Parking Requirements for Existing Commercial Development. When an existing commercial use does not meet current parking requirements for the number of motor vehicle spaces, the parking requirements for a change of use on parcels zoned Coastal Commercial (CC) shall occur as follows:

1.

No intensification of use: No additional parking is required when the change of use results in the same motor vehicle parking requirements as the prior use.

2.

Intensification of use: When a proposed intensification of use results in increased parking requirements when compared to the prior use, then the required number of additional parking spaces shall be limited to the difference between those required for the prior use and the intensified use.

3.

Preservation of existing commercial use: When a proposed intensification of use results in an increased parking requirement when compared to the prior use (see Section 8176-3.8.1(f)(2) above), and an additional reduction in parking requirements may be granted when the applicant demonstrates all of the following:

i.

No physical expansion of the existing commercial development is proposed;

ii.

Adequate space is unavailable on-site for additional on-site parking, and all feasible on-site parking is included in the project description;

iii.

Shared parking, pursuant to Section 8176-3.6, is not available to meet parking requirements;

iv.

Other transportation incentives programs, listed in Sec. 8176-3.8.1(b), are not feasible or will not lessen the number of parking spaces required; and

v.

Parking demand for the commercial business will be reduced by one or more of the following factors:

1.

The business operation is limited to the evening hours, when beach recreational uses are low or non-existent; or

2.

The primary customer base consists of nearby residents or beachgoers that do not generate additional parking demand.

g.

Expansion of an Existing Single-Family or Two-Family Dwelling. An existing, single-family or two-family dwelling that does not meet current parking requirements for number of motor vehicle spaces may be expanded if all of the following conditions exist:

1.

The dwelling has at least one (1) covered motor vehicle parking space;

2.

The existing lot configuration does not allow for a second space or does not allow for access to a second space;

3.

The driveway provides a minimum of twenty (20) feet from the property line to the existing covered space that can be utilized as a parking space;

4.

The addition contains no habitable, interior space (i.e., the addition consists of a garage expansion, outdoor patio expansion, etc.);

5.

The addition will not result in an increased demand for on-street parking; and

6.

The proposed addition otherwise conforms to the provisions of this Chapter.

(Ord. No. 4492, § 4, 6-21-2016)