§ 20.90.220. Reduction in Required Off-Street Parking Spaces.

A.

Alternative Transportation.

1.

A reduction in the required off-street vehicle parking spaces of up to fifty percent may be authorized with a development permit or a development exception if no development permit is required, for structures or uses that conform to all of the following and implement a total of at least three transportation demand management (TDM) measures as specified in the following provisions:

a.

The structure or use is located within two thousand feet of a proposed or an existing rail station or bus rapid transit station, or an area designated as a neighborhood business district, or as an urban village, or as an area subject to an area development policy in the city's general plan or the use is listed in Section 20.90.220.G; and

b.

The structure or use provides bicycle parking spaces in conformance with the requirements of Table 20-90.

c.

For any reduction in the required off-street parking spaces that is more than twenty percent, the project shall be required to implement a transportation demand management (TDM) program that contains but is not limited to at least one of the following measures:

i.

Implement a carpool/vanpool or car-share program, e.g., carpool ride-matching for employees, assistance with vanpool formation, provision of vanpool or car-share vehicles, etc., and assign carpool, vanpool and car-share parking at the most desirable on-site locations at the ratio set forth in the development permit or development exception considering type of use; or

ii.

Develop a transit use incentive program for employees and tenants, such as on-site distribution of passes or subsidized transit passes for local transit system (participation in the regionwide Clipper Card or VTA EcoPass system will satisfy this requirement).

d.

In addition to the requirements above in Section 20.90.220.A.1.c for any reduction in the required off-street parking spaces that is more than twenty percent, the project shall be required to implement a transportation demand management (TDM) program that contains but is not limited to at least two of the following measures:

i.

Implement a carpool/vanpool or car-share program, e.g., carpool ride-matching for employees, assistance with vanpool formation, provision of vanpool or car-share vehicles, etc., and assign carpool, vanpool and car-share parking at the most desirable on-site locations; or

ii.

Develop a transit use incentive program for employees, such as on-site distribution of passes or subsidized transit passes for local transit system (participation in the regionwide Clipper Card or VTA EcoPass system will satisfy this requirement); or

iii.

Provide preferential parking with charging station for electric or alternatively-fueled vehicles; or

iv.

Provide a guaranteed ride home program; or

v.

Implement telecommuting and flexible work schedules; or

vi.

Implement parking cash-out program for employees (non-driving employees receive transportation allowance equivalent to the value of subsidized parking); or

vii.

Implement public information elements such as designation of an on-site TDM manager and education of employees regarding alternative transportation options; or

viii.

Make available transportation during the day for emergency use by employees who commute on alternate transportation (this service may be provided by access to company vehicles for private errands during the workday and/or combined with contractual or pre-paid use of taxicabs, shuttles, or other privately provided transportation); or

ix.

Provide shuttle access to Caltrain stations; or

x.

Provide or contract for on-site or nearby child-care services; or

xi.

Incorporate on-site support services (food service, ATM, drycleaner, gymnasium, etc. where permitted in zoning districts); or

xii.

Provide on-site showers and lockers; or

xiii.

Provide a bicycle-share program or free use of bicycles on-site that is available to all tenants of the site; or

xiv.

Unbundled parking; and

e.

For any project that requires a TDM program:

i.

The decision maker for the project application shall first find in addition to other required findings that the project applicant has demonstrated that it can maintain the TDM program for the life of the project, and it is reasonably certain that the parking shall continue to be provided and maintained at the same location for the services of the building or use for which such parking is required, during the life of the building or use; and

ii.

The decision maker for the project application also shall first find that the project applicant will provide replacement parking either on-site or off-site within reasonable walking distance for the parking required if the project fails to maintain a TDM program.

2.

A reduction in the required off-street vehicle parking spaces for a structure or use of up to ten percent or up to two off-street vehicle parking spaces, whichever is less, may be authorized with a development permit or a development exception if no development permit is required for a particular use, for nonresidential uses in conformance with the following:

a.

In addition to the off-street bicycle parking spaces required for the structure or use, ten off-street bicycle parking spaces consisting of bicycle racks or five off-street bicycle parking spaces consisting of bicycle lockers shall be provided for every one required off-street vehicle parking space that is reduced; and

b.

The bicycle parking spaces shall conform to all of the requirements of this chapter.

B.

One-Family Dwellings.

1.

A reduction in the required off-street vehicle parking for a one-family dwelling is allowed by right if the following criteria are met:

a.

At least one covered parking space is provided; and

b.

No more than one dwelling or one One-Family Dwelling and one Secondary Dwelling occupy the lot; and

c.

The location of the required covered parking is set back a minimum of forty-five feet from the front lot line when the garage is accessed via a curb cut from the front lot line and forty feet from the side corner lot line when the garage is accessed via a curb cut from the side corner lot line; and

d.

The required covered parking is accessed by a driveway of a width no less than ten feet and no more than twelve feet; and

e.

Any curb cuts accessing the parking shall be in proportion to the driveway width; and

f.

No additional paving in the front setback shall be designated or used for parking; and

g.

The covered parking structure shall meet all other applicable regulations of this title.

2.

When a garage, carport, or covered parking structure is demolished or converted in conjunction with the construction of a Secondary Dwelling, and the required off-street parking spaces that were provided by such garage, carport, or covered parking structure, are required to be replaced on-site, the replacement spaces may be covered spaces, uncovered spaces, or tandem spaces, or replaced by the use of mechanical automobile parking lifts and in any setback area unless specific findings are made that tandem parking and parking in setback areas are not feasible based on specific site or regional topographical or fire and life safety conditions. A garage, carport or parking structure shall be deemed converted when all or any part of a Secondary Dwelling is proposed to be constructed in all or any part of the area occupied by a garage, carport or parking structure.. Such required replacement parking spaces shall comply with Section 20.90.140 of Chapter 20.90, and the provisions for stormwater management and treatment in Chapter 20.95.

C.

Ground Floor Commercial Uses in Neighborhood Business Districts or Urban Villages.

1.

The off-street vehicle parking requirement for uses subject to Note 3 on Table 20-190 in Section 20.90.060 shall be reduced to one space per four hundred square feet of floor area, provided all of the following requirements are met:

a.

The site is designated on the general plan land use/transportation diagram with the neighborhood business district overlay or designated as urban village; and

b.

The use is located on the ground floor of a building; and

c.

No parking reduction is approved for a use pursuant to Section 20.90.220.A.1 of this chapter.

D.

Multiple Family Residential in the Main Street Districts. The decision maker may reduce the required vehicle parking spaces for a multiple-family residential use in the pedestrian oriented zoning districts with a development permit based on the following findings:

1.

The project includes one or more of the following options:

a.

The project includes unbundled parking that maximizes the efficient use of available parking; or

b.

The project includes a car-share program that reduces the demand for parking spaces; or

c.

The project promotes safe pedestrian movements by eliminating or significantly reducing the need for vehicular driveways to the Main Street by means of parcel assembly or shared access or by providing a new pedestrian walkway to the Main Street that facilitates safe and convenient access for a substantial segment of the surrounding neighborhood; and

2.

The project does not include a parking reduction pursuant to Section 20.90.220.G; and

3.

For a project that includes ground floor commercial building space, the project is designed in a manner that ensures the availability of adequate parking for ground floor commercial uses; and

4.

The project provides vehicle parking spaces at a parking ratio of no less than 0.8 parking spaces per residential unit.

E.

Nonresidential Uses in a Main Street District. The decision maker may reduce the required vehicle parking spaces for non-residential uses by up to thirty percent with a development permit based on the following findings:

1.

The project achieves one of the following:

a.

The project promotes safe pedestrian movements by eliminating or significantly reducing the need for vehicular driveways to the Main Street through parcel assembly or shared access or by providing a new pedestrian walkway to the Main Street that facilitates safe and convenient access for a substantial segment of the surrounding neighborhood; or

b.

The project promotes the efficient use of available parking by providing shared parking facilities; and

2.

The project does not include a parking reduction for ground-floor commercial building area subject to reduced parking pursuant to Section 20.90.220.A or 20.90.220.C of this title; and

3.

For a project that includes ground floor commercial building space, the project is designed in a manner that ensures the availability of adequate parking for ground floor commercial uses.

F.

Miniwarehouse/Ministorage.

1.

A reduction in the required off-street parking may be authorized with a development permit for those miniwarehouse/ministorage buildings meeting all of the following requirements:

a.

Buildings are single story; and

b.

Loading spaces are available directly adjacent to those storage units contained in the single-story building.

G.

Other Uses.

1.

Up to a twenty percent reduction in the required off-street parking for private instruction or personal enrichment; sororities, fraternities and dormitories occupied exclusively (except for administrators thereof) by students attending college or other educational institutions; SROs; efficiency living units; emergency residential shelters; residential care/service facilities; convalescent hospitals; hotels/motels; bed and breakfast inns; senior housing uses; recreation uses; gasoline service or charge stations when combined with other uses; and performing arts rehearsal space uses may be approved with a development permit or a development exception if no development permit is required, provided that such approval is based upon the findings that the project is either within two thousand feet of an existing or proposed bus or rail transit stop; or the use is clustered with other uses that share all parking spaces on a site.

2.

Up to a one hundred percent reduction in the required off-street parking for emergency residential shelters may be approved with a development permit or a development exception if no development permit is required.

(Ords. 26248, 26455, 27607, 27955, 28321, 28448, 28449, 28791, 28836, 28858, 29012, 29217, 29821, 30133.)