(A) General.
(1) This section identifies allowed reductions and alternatives to on-site automobile parking spaces required by § 155.324.030
(Number of On-Site Parking Spaces Required).
(2) These reductions are allowed either by-right or require approval of an administrative adjustment. If the reduction is requested as part of a project subject to discretionary approval, the request is considered by the review authority as part of the overall project.
(B) Calculation of parking reductions.
(1) Available reductions apply only to non-exempt parking spaces as specified in § 155.324.020 (Applicability).
(2) Available reductions are additive (i.e., multiple reductions may be combined for a single project). Each allowed reduction is calculated using the number of parking spaces required before any other reduction is applied. For example, parking for a development requiring 20 parking spaces that qualifies for a 10% transit proximity reduction (division (C)(1) above) and a 25% low demand reduction would be reduced by 35% (seven spaces).
(C) Available reductions. The following allow for the reduction of required on-site parking spaces:
(1) Transit proximity. For projects in proximity to a public transit bus stop where the average interval of time between buses is 90 minutes or less (90-minute headways) during weekday daytime hours, required on-site parking may be reduced as shown in Table 324-2. Public transit bus stops exclude school bus stops.
Table 324-2: Transit Proximity Parking Reduction | |
Proximity to Bus Stop | Allowed Parking Reduction |
600 feet | 30% |
900 feet | 20% |
1,200 feet | 10% |
(2) Bus pass.
(a) On-site parking is not required for a multi-family rental unit within 900 feet of a public transit stop if the lease agreement includes a complementary bus pass for use by the resident, paid for by the property owner during the entire duration of the rental.
(b) The Department will authorize this reduction only after the property owner or the property owner’s authorized representative has submitted to the Department a signed agreement in a form approved by the City Attorney guaranteeing that the complementary bus pass will be provided as required for the parking reductions.
(3) Bicycle facility proximity. Required on-site parking may be reduced by up to 30 percent for projects located within 300 feet of an existing designated Class I or Class II bicycle facility as shown in General Plan Figure M-2.
(4) Carpool spaces. For non-residential uses, two automobile parking spaces may be exchanged for one carpool parking space. The carpool parking space must be designated as such with signage and/or space markings.
(5) Electric vehicle charging stations. Two required parking spaces may be exchanged for one space served by an electric vehicle charging station. To receive reduction, electric vehicle charging stations must be in excess of the minimum number of charging stations required by § 155.324.050(C) (Electric Vehicle Charging).
(6) Loss of on-street parking. If providing new on-site parking requires a new curb cut through an existing sidewalk and thereby eliminates an on-street parking space, the on-site parking is required only if the new on-site parking provides at least two more spaces than the number of lost on-street spaces. For example, if a new parking lot eliminates one on-street parallel parking space, new off-street parking is required only if it contains at least three spaces.
(7) Required disabled and electric vehicle spaces. Replacement parking spaces are not required if retrofitting a required accessible parking space or installing a required electric vehicle charging station eliminates one or more required parking spaces (e.g., to accommodate accessible loading area).
(8) Bicycle and motorcycle spaces.
(a) Bicycle or motorcycle parking may replace up to two required automobile spaces or 10% of the required number of on-site automobile parking spaces, whichever is less.
(b) Each automobile parking space must be replaced by space for at least six bicycles or four motorcycles. Bicycle parking spaces must comply with development standards in § 155.324.070 (Bicycle Parking).
(c) Bicycle spaces replacing an automobile space must be in addition to the minimum bicycle parking spaces required by § 155.324.070 (Bicycle Parking).
(9) In-lieu fees. Parking requirements may be satisfied through the payment of in-lieu fees consistent with any in-lieu parking fee program established by the City Council.
(D) On-site shared parking.
(1) Shared parking is the practice of allowing land uses with different peak and off-peak parking demand schedules to share required on-site parking spaces.
(2) Shared parking is allowed with an administrative adjustment for uses on a single lot, on adjacent lots and on lots within 100 feet of one another.
(3) An applicant requesting shared parking must submit a parking demand study justifying the shared parking. The study must be prepared by a qualified transportation planning consultant or consist of materials that provide satisfactory evidence as determined by the Director.
(4) The total number of parking spaces in a shared parking arrangement must be equal to or greater than the number of spaces ordinarily required for any one of the participating uses.
(5) To approve an administrative adjustment for shared parking, the Director must make the findings in § 155.412.030(F) (Findings for Approval).
(6) The Director may require that additional documents, covenants, deed restrictions or other agreements are executed to ensure that:
(a) The required parking spaces are maintained for the duration of the uses served; and
(b) Uses with similar hours and parking requirements as those uses sharing the parking remain for the life of the building.
(E) Off-site parking.
(1) Required parking may be provided off-site on a non-adjoining lot with an administrative adjustment if the parking is located no more than 300 feet from the lot serving the use. Required parking may be provided on an adjoining lot by-right.
(2) To approve an administrative adjustment for off-site parking at a non-adjoining lot, the Director must make the findings in § 155.412.030(F) (Findings for Approval) and find that the off-site parking is located and designed in a manner that will conveniently meet the parking needs of the use that it serves.
(3) Prior to establishing the off-site parking, a covenant record (“parking indenture”), approved by the city, must be filed with the County Recorder guaranteeing that off-site parking will be maintained exclusively for the use served for the duration of the use.
(4) The number of required parking spaces may be reduced by up to 25% with an administrative adjustment for uses with unique operating characteristics that result in a lower parking demand than otherwise would be required.
(5) An applicant requesting reduced parking for a low demand use must submit evidence to the satisfaction of the Director that the use requires fewer parking spaces than otherwise required by § 155.324.030 (Number of On-Site Parking Spaces Required). Acceptable evidence may include parking surveys, sales receipts and examples of comparable uses in Eureka or similar communities.
(6) To approve the administrative adjustment, the Director must make the findings in § 155.412.030(F) (Findings for Approval) and the following additional findings:
(a) Evidence submitted by the applicant demonstrates that the use requires fewer parking spaces required by § 155.324.030 (Number of On-Site Parking Spaces Required) for the use; and
(b) The use will provide a sufficient amount of on-site parking to accommodate its expected parking demand.
(F) Low impact development.
(1) Required parking spaces may be reduced by up to 15%, not to exceed four spaces, with an administrative adjustment in cases where the parking requirement conflicts with the city’s storm water system (MS4) permit requirements.
(2) To approve the administrative adjustment, the Director must make the findings in § 155.412.030(F) (Findings for Approval) and find that providing all of the on-site parking while complying with the city’s storm water system (MS4) permit requirements is not possible due to physical site constraints.
(G) Infill incentive permit reductions. Required parking spaces may also be reduced through an infill incentive permit. See Table 412-2 in § 155.412.060 (Infill Incentive Permits).
(Ord. 885-C.S., passed 5-21-19; Am. Ord. 902 C.-S., passed 8-18-20)