Council Agenda - City of Burbank

Tuesday, January 28, 2003

Agenda Item - 11


 

CITY OF BURBANK

PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT

MEMORANDUM

 

DATE: January 28, 2003
TO: Robert R. Ovrom, City Manager
FROM:

Bruce S. Feng, Public Works Director

by: Amy Teel, Administrative Analyst II

SUBJECT: PARKING ISSUES RELATED TO STRIP COMMERCIAL ZONING


PURPOSE

Pursuant to the City�s 2001/2002 Work Program and consistent with City Council discussion at the May 2002 goal-setting session, the purpose of this report is to present the findings of an ad hoc committee comprised of Public Works, Community Development, Police and Fire department staff, with City Council and Traffic & Transportation Committee representation, convened to examine parking issues related to strip commercial zoning.

BACKGROUND

In the 1940�s and 1950�s, strip commercial zones developed along the City�s arterial streets. At the time, automobile ownership was far less common than it is today, and as a direct result, zoning codes were lenient. In fact, it was not until 1951 that one off-street parking space per 1,000 square feet (sf) of commercial floor area was required for commercial buildings in excess of 4,000 sf, regardless of the type of usage. Today�s parking requirements are not only higher, but also vary according to usage. Additionally, during the 1960�s, as properties along these strip commercial zones recycled, new owners regularly requested (and frequently received) parking requirement variances to allow uses requiring more parking than that provided.

ANALYSIS

In a 1988 report to the Traffic & Transportation Committee, then-Public Works Director Carl Brooks identified parking as "one of the most controversial issues before us today...a critical factor affecting the quality of life in residential neighborhoods, and the economic viability of our businesses." Then, as now, those areas where strip commercial zones abut residential neighborhoods are the most heavily impacted, and therefore, the most problematic. Employees, customers, residents and guests all want the same thing: convenient parking. Unfortunately, given the current and projected population densities, compounded by an ever-increasing dependence on the automobile, there simply is not enough "convenient" parking to go around.

The availability of on-street parking can mean the difference between a business (especially a small business) succeeding or failing at a given location. In fact, convenience has been identified as a key factor in enticing customers to strip commercial areas. In the absence of such convenience, customers are likely to take their business to other retail areas that do provide convenient customer parking.

Competing Interests

Maintaining a balance between residential and commercial interests in order to provide an economically healthy environment for both continues to be a significant challenge. In addition to retail uses along strip commercial zones, office uses create an even greater demand for all-day parking, making it all the more difficult to balance the needs of the surrounding residents, as well as the other retail and commercial services typically located in strip commercial areas. Additionally, continued reductions in the availability of on street parking in response to residents� demands for restricted parking can cause smaller or more marginal businesses to fail altogether.

If or when that happens, no one�s interests are served, as inadequate parking may deter the very uses (e.g., restaurants, retail shops, etc.) that would directly serve these neighborhoods. The inability to attract such tenants may prompt commercial property owners to convert their buildings to non-commercial uses, such as business or medical offices. This, in turn, can have a detrimental effect on the adjacent residential neighborhoods by reducing the sites for commercial uses that would otherwise serve and revitalize these neighborhoods. This may ultimately result in vacancies, blight, and the associated decreases in both residential and commercial property values.

Financial Constraints

Most existing businesses within these strip commercial zones lack the space and/or financial resource necessary to substantially increase the off-street parking supply. Likewise, the costs for the City to purchase commercial properties and demolish existing structures to build parking lots to service these areas are simply too prohibitive. Financial considerations notwithstanding, an even greater constraint to resolving on-going parking issues within strip commercial zones is the existing mixture of commercial uses, which impedes the formation of clearly defined districts and the synergistic benefit of like and complementary uses for parking efficiencies.

Long-Range Options

Commercial parking overflow into residential neighborhoods garners a great deal of attention, but in reality, parking problems are by and large a product of conflicting uses. There are several advantages to concentrating mixed commercial uses into distinct districts or "clusters." One of those advantages is the enhanced potential for shared parking and improved feasibility of satellite parking with shuttle service for employee parking. The desired concentrations of like uses can be achieved by relocating existing businesses where feasible. Development strategies could focus on infill and relocation to encourage clusters of related uses. Although the City plays an important role by directing potential new uses to targeted areas, providing planning services, and assisting with the relocation of interested local businesses, such strategies cannot possibly succeed without a cooperative effort involving the residents, landowners, and business owners.

Despite the long-term benefits to be gained, seeking to treat the cause (conflicting uses) rather than the symptom (parking impacts) may require potentially unpopular policy decisions. Parking along the City�s strip commercial zones has been problematic for the past 40 years, and efforts to date have failed to resolve the issue to the complete satisfaction of those directly affected. This may be attributable in part to the constraints presented not only by popular opposition to seemingly radical policy decisions, but also by those presented by limited resources. To successfully reorganize the distribution of new and existing commercial uses into distinct districts to alleviate the problems symptomatic of conflicting uses, development strategies would need to be implemented in incremental, piecemeal fashion to ensure long-term resolution. Efforts to tackle parking issues related to strip commercial zoning from a policy-based, long-range perspective can potentially have as many drawbacks as advantages. At the very least, this aggressively ambitious effort would require total buy-in from residents, business owners, property owners and City leaders alike if there is to be any hope of success.

One approach might be to allow different uses (potentially residential) along commercial strip zones in order to alleviate the daytime parking demand. Long-range options would be more appropriately evaluated through the Land Use Element and/or General Plan updates. The Land Use Element update looks at the City as a whole. This is a key element in that other areas of the City would likely have to compensate for land use changes to strip commercial areas. Additionally, the benefit of the General Plan update is that it involves residents and property owners, as well as appointed and elected officials through the use of community meetings and other outreach efforts.

Short-Term Options ("Toolbox")

In addition to such broader, much longer-range approaches, we have at our disposal a veritable "tool box" of potential short-term mitigation options that can be applied as appropriate. These include:

  • Preferential (Permit) Parking
  • Redesign Existing Off-Street Commercial Parking
  • Angled Parking
  • Shared Parking Incentives
  • Satellite Employee Parking
  • Rehabilitate Existing R-1 Parking Lots
  • Use of Alley-Adjacent R-1 Lots for Off-Street Parking

Preferential (Permit) Parking

This is currently the most popular option among residents, and easily the most utilized. Time-limited restrictions (e.g., 2-HR or 1-HR Parking, Except by Permit) are the most conducive to balancing the competing residential and commercial demands; however, businesses are eligible to apply for a limited number of parking permits on those streets with "permit only" parking restrictions. As with requests for "permit only" parking restrictions, all requests by businesses for parking permits within these zones are subject to approval by the Traffic & Transportation Committee.

Redesign Existing Off-Street Commercial Parking

Although the Magnolia Park area has a significant supply of off-street parking, customers predominantly use on-street parking, or lots with street driveways, while lots with alley access continue to be underutilized. Some of this may simply be attributable to human nature (i.e., "convenience"); however, it may also be partially due to the fact that many of these lots are not readily visible and/or well signed. This relatively low-cost option can also provide the consistency needed to promote neighborhood identification. Lastly, City staff could assist local businesses with redesign of existing lots to maximize parking as needed. This could include, but need not be limited to, tandem parking and the need to recover potential parking spaces currently used for storage purposes.

Angled Parking

Although somewhat costly relative to the number of actual parking spaces gained, this particular option has been extensively implemented in the Magnolia Park area, where the City Council recently approved the installation of six additional angled parking spaces on one street. The Council also supported staff�s recommendation to provide an additional 12 parking spaces on two more streets over the course of the next three fiscal years; however, these additional spaces will only be added as future budgets permit. Despite the relatively low number of net spaces gained, angled parking has the added advantage of serving as a passive traffic-calming device for the adjacent residential neighborhoods.

Shared Parking Incentives

The City could offer some type of economic incentive(s) as a matter of policy to "better- or well-parked" businesses to encourage them to "share" their surplus off-street parking with other area businesses. At the very least, the City could assume a mediator role in helping businesses negotiate mutually agreeable terms for doing so.

Satellite Employee Parking

As with shared parking, the City could offer some type of incentive(s) to those businesses willing to encourage or compel their employees to utilize satellite employee parking with shuttle service. Although a very feasible, and comparably cost-effective method, given human nature and the ever-present pursuit of convenience, this particular option, though certainly viable, might prove difficult with respect to implementation/compliance.

Rehabilitate Existing R-1 Parking Lots

In general, the use of R-1 lots for off-street parking has not been well received; even so, there are many examples throughout the City. Compared to the costs and net spaces gained with angled parking, this option has a very good cost-benefit ratio. It is far more financially feasible (and developmentally desirable) to acquire alley-adjacent R-1 lots for off-street parking. In those areas where such lots exist, parking issues related to competing residential and commercial demands have all but vanished. Despite the very practical application and undisputed success of this option, residents generally remain unreceptive to the idea. To demonstrate the practical benefits to be gained, the City could spearhead the rehabilitation of existing R-1 lots, bringing them up to current code standards, especially with respect to aesthetics and a landscaped buffer area. Adding a pilot program involving a demonstration project to the FY 2002-2003 Work Program could prove a valuable first step toward gaining public support for the last mitigation option.

Renewed Use of Alley-Adjacent R-1 Lots for Off-Street Parking

Though generally unpopular, compared to the expense and net parking spaces gained with angled parking this alternative is a relatively cost-effective option that provides more parking. Compared to the acquisition and construction costs associated with parking structures, the costs to construct off-street parking on alley-adjacent R-1 lots is much lower, and could therefore be more readily shared (or entirely borne by) those businesses directly benefiting. And in some instances, the use of R-1 lots for well-designed off-street parking can actually improve the existing streetscape, as well as provide opportunity for neighborhood identification. Again, special emphasis should be placed on the aesthetics of the lots and landscaped buffer areas adjacent to the residential properties.

CONCLUSION:

Alleviating parking issues related to strip commercial zoning requires two fundamental components:

  1. Specifically identifying the nature and extent of the problem; and
  2. Working with the affected commercial and residential interests to identify and implement the most appropriate mitigation measure(s) to resolve the problem(s).

There are no ready-made "one-size-fits-all" solutions for parking issues related to strip zoning. Each situation tends to be unique with respect to the specific nature of the issue. It has been staff�s experience that where businesses and residents are at odds over on-street parking usage, ultimately, both parties have been able to successfully work together to achieve mutually acceptable solutions using the most appropriate "toolbox" option available. Therefore, as issues arise, each situation must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to appropriately "customize" the solution.

RECOMMENDATION:

Note and file.

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