18.52.050 Adjustments by the Director

   Automobile parking requirements prescribed by this chapter may be adjusted by the director in the following instances and in accord with the prescribed limitations in Table 4, when in his/her opinion such adjustment will be consistent with the purposes of this chapter, will not create undue impact on existing or potential uses adjoining the site or in the general vicinity, and will be commensurate with the reduced parking demand created by the development, including for visitors and accessory facilities where appropriate. No reductions may be granted that would result in provision of less than ten (10) spaces on a site. The following are adjustments that apply to developments not located within a parking assessment district. Adjustments within the parking assessment districts are contained in Section 18.52.080. The decision of the regarding parking adjustments may be appealed as set forth in Chapter 18.78 (Appeals).

Table 4
Allowable Parking Adjustments

Purpose of Adjustment	Amount of Adjustment	Maximum Reduction 2
On-Site Employee Amenities	Square footage of commercial or industrial uses to be used for an on-site cafeteria, recreational facility, and/or day care facility, to be provided to employees or their children and not open to the general public, may be exempted from the parking requirements	100% of requirement for on-site employee amenities
Joint Use (Shared) Parking Facilities	For any site or sites with multiple uses where the application of this chapter requires a total of or more than ten (10) spaces, the total number of spaces otherwise required by application of Table 1 may be reduced when the joint facility will serve all existing, proposed, and potential uses as effectively and conveniently as would separate parking facilities for each use or site. In making such a determination, the director shall consider a parking analysis using criteria developed by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) or similar methodology to estimate the shared parking characteristics of the proposed land uses. The analysis shall employ the city's parking ratios as the basis for the calculation of the base parking requirement and for the determination of parking requirements for individual land uses. The director may also require submittal and approval of a TDM program 1 to further assure parking reductions are achieved.	20% of total spaces required for the site
100% Affordable Housing (4)	Based on maximum anticipated demand; applicant may request up to a 100% reduction in parking.
Affordable Housing Units and Single Room Occupancy (SRO) Units  (3)	The total number of spaces required may be reduced for affordable housing and single room occupancy (SRO) units, commensurate with the reduced parking demand created by the housing facility, including for visitors and accessory facilities. The reduction shall consider proximity to transit and support services and the director may require traffic demand management measures 1 in conjunction with any approval.	a.   40% for Extremely Low Income and SRO Units b.   30% for Very Low Income Units c.   20% for Low Income Units
Housing Near Transit Facilities	The total number of spaces required may be reduced for housing located within a designated Pedestrian/Transit Oriented area or elsewhere in immediate proximity to public transportation facilities serving a significant portion of residents, employees, or customers, when such reduction will be commensurate with the reduced parking demand created by the housing facility, including for visitors and accessory facilities, and subject to submittal and approval of a TDM program.1	20% of the total spaces required for the site.
Transportation and Parking Alternatives	Where effective alternatives to automobile access are provided, other than those listed above, parking requirements may be reduced to an extent commensurate with the permanence, effectiveness, and the demonstrated reduction of off-street parking demand effectuated by such alternative programs. Examples of such programs may include, but are not limited to, transportation demand management (TDM) programs or innovative parking pricing or design solutions.1 (note: landscape reserve requirement is deleted).	20% of the total spaces required for the site
Combined Parking Adjustments	Parking reductions may be granted for any combination of the above circumstances as prescribed by this chapter, subject to limitations on the combined total reduction allowed.	a.   30% reduction of the total parking demand otherwise required b.   40% reduction for affordable housing projects
Modification to Off-Street Loading Requirements	The director may modify the quantity or dimensions of off-street loading requirements for non-residential development based on existing or proposed site conditions; availability of alternative means to address loading and unloading activity; and, upon finding that: 1) the off-street loading requirement may conflict with Comprehensive Plan goals and policies related to site design planning, circulation and access, or urban design principles; and 2) the use of shared on-street loading would not conflict with Comprehensive Plan goals and policies related to site design planning, circulation and access or urban design principles; maximum reduction in one loading space.	One loading space may be waived
Restriping Existing Parking Facilities	Existing parking facilities may be restriped in accordance with applicable provisions of the municipal code. The Director may approve a reduction in the number of required on-site parking spaces to achieve the City’s waste management objectives, make improvements to on-site circulation that would reduce or eliminate a hazard, or bring substandard parking stalls into compliance with current design requirements. This provision applies only to sites with existing structures and existing parking facilities that are intended to remain in substantially the same form after re-striping of the facility.	10% of the total spaces required for the site, or 2 spaces, whichever is greater.

 

   1.   See Section 18.52.050(d) below regarding requirements for TDM programs.

   2.   No parking reductions may be granted that would result in provision of less than ten (10) parking spaces on site.

   3.   No parking reductions may be granted for projects that are entitled to the reduced parking standards in Table 1 of Section 18.52.040 for senior housing.

   4.   Applies to 100% affordable housing projects and the residential component of 100% affordable housing mixed-use projects. "100% affordable housing" as used herein means a multiple-family housing project consisting entirely of affordable units, as defined in Section 16.65.020 of this code, available only to households with income levels at or below 120% of the area median income, as defined in Chapter 16.65, except for a building manager's unit.

   (a)   Combining Parking Adjustments

   Parking reductions may be granted for any combination of circumstances, prescribed by this chapter, so long as in total no more than a 30% reduction of the total parking demand otherwise required occurs, or no less than a 40% reduction for affordable housing projects (including Single Room Occupancy (SRO) units).

   (b)   Deferral of Meeting Full Requirement by Landscape Reserve

   Where the expected need for off-street parking or bicycle facilities for a particular use is uncertain, due to unknown or unusual operating characteristics of the use and unavailability of comparable data to establish need, the director, upon recommendation of the architectural review board, may authorize that construction and provision of not more than fifty percent of the required off-street parking stalls and not more than twenty-five percent of the bicycle parking spaces be deferred. The number of bicycle parking spaces deferred shall be apportioned by construction type (long term or short term) in the same percentages as indicated in Table 1 of Section 18.52.040. The director may set such conditions as necessary to guarantee provision of such deferred spaces whenever the director determines the need to exist. Land area required for provision of deferred parking or bicycle spaces shall be maintained in reserve and shall be landscaped pursuant to a plan approved by the architectural review board demonstrating that ultimate provision of the deferred spaces will meet all requirements of this chapter. Upon use of the parking area at near build-out (at least 90% occupancy) over a period of at least ten years, the director may allow the reserve area to be used for other uses that do not generate parking demand, subject to restrictions and conditions to prevent conversion to a more intense use unless sufficient additional on-site parking is provided.

   (c)   Off-Site Parking

   Except in parking assessment areas, the director may authorize all or a portion of the required parking for a use to be located on the site not more than 500 feet from the site of the use for which such parking is required, where in the director's judgment, such authorization will be in accord with the purposes of this chapter. The distance to the off-site parking shall be measured from the nearest corner of the parking facility to the nearest public entrance to the building via the shortest pedestrian route.

   (d)   Transportation Demand Management (TDM)

      (1)   A Transportation Demand Management (TDM) program may be (a) proposed by an applicant, or may be (b) required by the director for any project requesting a reduction in parking or generating 50 or more net new weekday (AM or PM peak hour) or weekend peak hour trips, or (c) may be required as CEQA mitigation for identified potential significant parking impacts.

      (2)   Where a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) program is proposed or required, the TDM program shall outline parking and/or traffic demand measures to be implemented to reduce parking need and trip generation. The Director shall have the authority to adopt guidelines for preparing TDM plans. Required measures may include, but are not limited to: participation in the Transportation Management Association or similar organization, limiting “assigned” parking to one space per residential unit, providing for transit passes, parking cash-out, enhanced shuttle service (or contributions to extend or enhance existing shuttle service or to create new shared or public shuttle service), car-sharing, traffic-reducing housing, providing priority parking spaces for carpools/vanpools or “green” vehicles (zero emission vehicles, inherently low emission vehicles, or plug-in hybrids, etc.), vehicle charging stations, additional bicycle parking facilities, or other measures to encourage transit use or to reduce parking needs. The program shall be proposed to the satisfaction of the director, shall include proposed performance targets for parking and/or trip reduction and indicate the basis for such estimates, and shall designate a single entity (property owner, homeowners association, etc.) to implement the proposed measures.

      (3)   Monitoring reports shall be submitted to the director two years after building occupancy and again every year thereafter, noting the effectiveness of the proposed measures as compared to the initial performance targets, and implementing modifications if necessary to enhance parking and/or trip reductions.

      (4)   Where the monitoring reports indicate that performance measures are not met, the director may require program modifications and may impose administrative penalties if identified deficiencies are not addressed within six months.

(Ord. 5504 § 6, 2020: Ord. 5460 § 12, 2019: Ord. 5432 § 13 (part), 2018: Ord. 5406 §§ 7 and 12, 2017: Ord. 4964 § 3 (part), 2007)