Ord. No. 2020-4. Parking Demand and Objective Standards.

Amending Section 27.64.100 of the San Mateo Municipal Code to Provide the Option of Determining Parking Demand with a Project-specific Parking Demand Study and Adopt Objective Criteria for Payment of Parking in Lieu Fee Within Central Parking and Improvement District

WHEREAS, The City of San Mateo has codified parking requirements for parcels within the Central Parking and Improvement District at Municipal Code Section 27.64.100; and

WHEREAS, Subsection (a)(1) of Section 27.63.100 sets forth the minimum parking requirements within the Central Parking and Improvement District; and

WHEREAS, The City has commissioned a study to determine whether these parking requirements need to be updated; and

WHEREAS, Until that study has been completed, the City wishes to provide project applicants with the option of funding project-specific parking demand studies to determine the appropriate parking requirements; and

WHEREAS, Section 27.64.100 authorizes the parking in-lieu fee instead of providing parking on-site for parcels within the Limited Parking Zone of the Central Parking Improvement District; and

WHEREAS, Section 27.64.100 provides for either the provision of on-site parking spaces or the payment of a parking in lieu fee for parcels within the Central Parking Improvement District but outside of the Limited Parking Zone; and

WHEREAS, For projects without a submitted planning application on the effective date of this Ordinance, the City of San Mateo wishes to clarify the circumstances under which the payment of a parking in-lieu fee will be permitted for parcels within the Central Parking and Improvement District but outside of the Limited Parking Zone;

NOW, THEREFORE, THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN MATEO ORDAINS AS FOLLOWS:

27.64.100 PARKING ASSESSMENT AND SPECIAL DISTRICTS

(a) Downtown Specific Planning Area—Central Parking and Improvement District (CPID).

(1) Minimum Parking Requirements. Where a parcel of real property is located within the Central Parking and Improvement District, new projects to be located on said parcel shall either fund a City-commissioned project-specific parking demand study to determine the number of required parking spaces or meet the off-street parking requirements set forth below:

(2) New Projects. New projects shall include the following:

(A) New construction of buildings on a vacant or previously-built-upon parcel;

(B) External expansion of existing buildings or established uses including all added floor area that creates need for additional parking;

(C) New use in an existing building or structure with or without substantial internal renovation that results in a requirement for additional parking under the provisions of this chapter.

(3) All new projects that enter into parking agreements with the CPID shall be subject to the assessment defined in current CPID resolutions. New projects as defined in subsections (2)(B) or (C) will be required to provide additional parking in the amount that the parking requirement caused by the expansion or new use exceeds the parking requirement established on June 19, 1986 as follows:

(A) Properties within the Primary Benefit Zone shall provide required parking or pay parking in-lieu fees if the additional parking required exceeds 10 parking spaces; otherwise, a new project under subsection (2)(B) or (C) will cause the project property owner's parking deficiency under the current CPID assessment resolution to be increased by the number of additional parking spaces required by the new use or expansion or the number of existing and required parking spaces eliminated, or both.

(B) Properties outside the Primary Benefit Zone shall provide required parking or pay parking in-lieu fees for any additional parking required as a result of a new project under subsections (2)(B) or (C) or the elimination of existing and required parking spaces, or both.

(4) Limited Parking Zone (LPZ). Restrictions on parking in the limited parking zone in addition to other requirements of this chapter are as follows:

(A) All Uses. New vehicular access to loading facilities, parking lots or structures and buildings is prohibited along street frontages within the limited parking zone. Existing curb cuts along street frontages in the LPZ shall be eliminated, unless the following requirements are met:

(i) Curb cuts are needed for access to parking or loading facilities and do not negatively affect retail continuity or pedestrian safety; and

(ii) A site plan and architectural review for the access is approved.

(B) Residential Uses. Parking shall be provided as follows:

(i) On-site, provided that vehicular access from a street in the limited parking zone is prohibited unless no other access is feasible and no remote parking facility such as leased spaces is available or can be made available within 200 feet;

(ii) On a site outside the limited parking zone; or

(iii) By lease or agreement with the City or CPID when a CPID parking facility is located within 200 feet.

(C) Nonresidential Uses. Parking may be provided on-site in an amount not to exceed the required number of visitor stalls, subject to the approval of a special use permit. On-site parking in excess of the required visitor stalls may be allowed subject to approval of a special use permit where a new project meets one (1) of the following:

(i) The parcel has primary access from a street outside the limited parking zone; or

(ii) The parcel is located on a corner site which has a minimum lot area of 22,000 square feet or one-half the land area of the block in which the use is located, whichever is less.

(D) Projects within the Limited Parking Zone may pay the City's parking in lieu fee for any required parking not provided on site.

(5) Projects within the City's Central Parking Improvement District and outside of the Limited Parking Zone must satisfy a minimum of 25% of the project's required parking through provision of on-site parking. However, in order to prevent parking shortages in public parking facilities or neighboring residential zones, projects within the City's Central Parking Improvement District and outside of the Limited Parking Zone must satisfy a minimum of 50% of the project's required parking through provision of on-site parking when:

(A) Public off-street parking occupancy within one-quarter mile of the proposed project location exceeds 85% at peak periods based on a parking study; or

(B) The proposed project location is adjacent to areas zoned R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, or R-5.

(6) Parking Expansion Zone. Parking provided in addition to the minimum parking requirements may be leased to the CPID on a long term basis as public parking in accordance with a current CPID resolution.

(7) Employee and Resident Parking.

(A) New projects within the CPID shall provide required employee and resident parking by one (1) or more of the following means:

(i) On-site, if located outside the limited parking zone;

(ii) Off-site through construction or lease of private spaces, subject to approval of a special use permit; or

(iii) By CPID lease, in-lieu fee payment, or parking agreement, as defined by a current CPID resolution, subject to availability.

(B) Any nonresidential use outside the limited parking zone may reduce employee parking in accordance with the following:

(i) Demonstration by the applicant that the amount of floor area per full-time equivalent employee exceeds the following due to unusual circumstances:

(ii) A reduction in the employee parking requirement may be granted equal to the percentage difference between the lower employee density demonstrated by the applicant and the employee density standards delineated above.

(8) Visitor and Customer Parking. New projects within the CPID may utilize the spaces provided by the CPID for the visitor and customer parking requirement, subject to assessment as defined by a current CPID resolution and availability of spaces.

(9) Loss of Metered Parking. New projects which result in the loss of on-street metered CPID parking spaces shall compensate the CPID for the loss of metered parking by one (1) of the following:

(A) Provide replacement stalls on-site within 200 feet of a new residential use or within 500 feet of a new non-residential use, to be made available for use by the public;

(B) Compensation to the CPID for the cost of providing replacement parking, in accordance with a current CPID resolution; or

(C) Approval of a special use permit by the Planning Commission, based on the finding that the improvements which necessitate the loss of metered parking spaces improve overall street circulation.

(b) Downtown Specific Planning Area—Outside the Central Parking and Improvement District. Minimum off-street parking requirements for residential and non-residential uses shall be as specified in Sections 27.64.160 through 27.64.260.

(c) 25th Avenue Parking District. Where a parcel of real property is located within the boundaries of the 25th Avenue motor vehicle off-street parking assessment district, a building or structure not to exceed one (1) story in height may be constructed and maintained on said parcel without provisions for, or maintenance of, off-street parking facilities for all executive and commercial uses. Off-street parking facilities shall be installed and maintained for each story in excess of one (1) story, so that the total number of parking spaces provided for the additional story or stories, shall meet the off-street parking requirements as specified herein.

(d) Hillsdale Station Area. Where a parcel of real property is located within the Hillsdale Station Area Plan boundary, off-street parking is subject to the Station Area Parking Requirements listed in the Plan. In addition, all new development on such properties must prepare a Trip Reduction and Parking Management Plan as detailed in the Hillsdale Station Area Plan, including, but not limited to, Table 6-1, Station Area Parking Requirements.

The foregoing ordinance was adopted by the City Council of the City of San Mateo, State of California by the following vote:

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