Phase 1 (Complete)

Off-Street Parking & Loading

Background

The City has initiated amendments for San Bruno Municipal Code Chapter 12.100 (Off-Street Parking and Loading) and related Chapters, including Chapters 12.92 and 12.96, for a variety of public policy reasons that include:

  • Implementation of the City Council-adopted Planning Documents. The code amendments incorporate adopted parking policies and regulatory measures recommended by City Council-adopted planning documents, including the General Plan, Specific Plans, and Downtown Parking Management Plan. These approaches include shared parking, trip reduction programs, transportation demand management requirements, mechanical or automated parking systems, and other parking management strategies that address parking in the City to optimize supply and manage parking efficiently. The proposed Ordinance will encourage economic revitalization and decrease vacancies in the downtown and barriers to new businesses by facilitating minor changes of use and allowing for payment of the in-lieu fee.
  • Implementation of City Council Direction for Updated Parking Standards. The regulations implement past City Council Direction for Updated Parking Standards. At a May 8, 2018 Study Session, the City Council expressed concern about formally adopting the reduced draft parking requirements set forth by the Transit Corridors Plan (TCP), and they supported adopted revised TCP parking requirements to be more conservative in the near term. Council expressed support of more conservative revised parking requirements presented at a January 22, 2019 City Council Study Session. The January 22, 2019 parking requirements are incorporated into the draft ordinance. Additionally, the amendments will allow for the collection of in-lieu fees in the specific plan areas, as recommended in the TCP and the adopted Downtown Parking Management Plan to allow for the funding of a centrally located public parking structure. The parking regulations have not had a comprehensive update in decades and parking is major policy priority of the City. Therefore, this chapter is being updated in advance of other housing-related Zoning Code Updates planned for later in 2020, pending City Council authorization of additional funding. Additionally, the amendments incorporate policies intended to increase the supply of residential off-street parking in high-impact areas.
  • Implementation of the Housing Element. The City's 2015 Housing Element requires the City to update the parking standards for housing projects along transit corridors and adjacent to transit stations (implementation program 3-H). The deadline to complete this was April 2016. The proposed residential parking requirements are consistent with current State Laws regulating parking.

The following policy objectives have guided the proposed ordinance:

  1. Organize land use categories and parking requirements to provide updated standards that are resident- and business-supportive;
  2. Increase the supply of single-family residential off-street parking in high-impact areas by allowing increased off-street parking; and,
  3. Encourage economic revitalization and decrease vacancies in the downtown and barriers to new businesses by facilitating minor changes of use without negative parking impacts to nearby residential neighborhoods; and,
  4. Implement the policies of the General Plan, Specific Plans, and Housing Element.

Key parking policies accomplished by the proposed ordinance include:

  • A parking in-lieu fee for properties in specific plan areas to be used to construct a new parking garage in specific plan areas, including the City's downtown.
  • Transportation Demand Management program requirements.
  • Small business (defined as having floor area less than 2,500 square feet) change of use exemptions for the Central Business District (downtown).
  • Allowing tandem parking subject to additional requirements.
  • Allowing mechanical and automated parking with defined operational standards.
  • Provisions for front yard parking exceptions to increase supply of residential off-street parking in high-impact areas.
  • Adoption of bicycle parking requirements.

Ordinance & Resolutions Adoption Public Meetings

Planning Commission Public Hearing - December 17, 2019

On December 17, 2019, the Planning Commission reviewed the draft amendment and the Parking Design Standard Resolution. The Commission voted unanimously to adopt the resolution in recommending the City Council to adopt the Ordinance amendment. The Planning Commission staff report, proposed ordinance and other pertinent information can be found in the December 17, 2019 Planning Commission Staff Report, including the Ordinance and Parking Design Standards Resolution.

City Council Review

  • City Council Study Session - January 28, 2020
  • City Council Introduction of the Ordinance and Adoption of Resolutions - February 11, 2020
  • City Council Second Reading and Adoption - February 25, 2020

On February 11, 2020, the City Council held a public hearing, waived the first reading and introduced an Ordinance amending and replacing San Bruno Municipal Code Title 12 (Land Use) Article III (Zoning) Chapter 12.100 (Off-Street Parking and Loading) and amending Chapters 12.92, 12.96 and 12.200. The City Council also adopted the accompanying Parking Design Standards Resolution and Parking Fee Resolution. On February 25, 2020, Council waived the second reading and adopted the ordinance. The ordinance went into effect 30 days after the second reading, on March 25, 2020.

The City Council staff report, ordinance, resolutions and other pertinent information can be found on the City Council Agendas and Minutes page.