2025-04-17; 2024 Carlsbad Parking Study Results (District 1); Murphy, Jeff

To the members of the:

CITY COUNCIL
Date :Un[z5°cA ~ CCV
CM.U::,ACM ✓ ocM (3) V
April 17, 2025
Council Memorandum
To:

From:

Honorable Mayor Blackburn and Members of the City Council Jeff Murphy, Community Development Director
Via: Sheila Cobian, Acting City Manager ~
Re: 2024 Carlsbad Parking Study Results (District 1)
{city of
Carlsbad
Memo ID# 2025029
This memorandum provides the results of the annual 2024 Carlsbad Parking Study conducted in the Village, Barrio, and beach areas. In short, the parking study results, which represent a very limited snapshot in time, largely corroborate the results found in previous years in that the current parking system in the downtown area is adequate overall, but public parking challenges are progressively worsening.

Background
In 2017, the city completed the Carlsbad Village, Barrio, and Beach Area Parking Management Plan.

Among other things, the Parking Management Plan includes a requirement to complete a parking study on an annual basis to evaluate the current parking situation in the Village, Barrio, and beach areas. This Council Memorandum provides the results of the parking study conducted in 2024. For reference, the results of the 2023 Parking Study are provided in Attachment A.

Discussion
In August 2024, the city's parking consultant conducted fieldwork commensurate with previous Village, Barrio, and beach area parking studies to examine and document parking conditions within the study area. The parking study was conducted during the city's summer parking season on a weekday (Thursday, August 15, 2024) and a weekend (Saturday, August 17, 2024) at 6 a.m. (morning), 10 a.m. (midday) and 6 p.m. (evening), consistent with 2017 Parking Management Plan requirements.

In determining adequacy, the parking industry considers the ideal target parking occupancy rate to be 85%, meaning that there are approximately one or two parking spaces available per block, or in a desired parking area/lot at any given time.

The findings of the 2024 Parking Study (Attachment B) largely corroborate those in previous years, which found that the current parking system is generally adequate to handle summertime parking demands. Some of the key takeaways found in the study are reflected below:

Community Services Branch
Community Development Department
1635 Faraday Avenue I Carlsbad, CA 92008 I 442-339-2600 t Council Memo - 2024 Carlsbad Parking Study Results (District 1) April 17, 2025

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Village
• The availability of street parking remained relatively consistent with previous years, never exceeding the 85% occupancy threshold at any time of any day. With that said, usage was highest in the midday and evening for both the weekday and weekend, which is typical for an area with a high concentration of commercial destinations. • The availability of parking spaces in public parking lots, on the other hand, still experienced occupancy rates above 85%, and there was an increase in weekend evening occupancy going from 95% last year to 98% this year.
• Despite posted three-hour parking restrictions and enforcement, the Village still experienced a high percentage of vehicles parked in the street for four to 12 hours for both weekday (34%) and weekend (31%) usage1.
• Areas of high demand for street parking locations seem to be concentrated around Laguna Drive, Roosevelt Street, and the south end of State Street. Of these three streets, only State Street has a designated three-hour time restriction.

Beach
• Occupancy rates for street parking in the beach area increased as the day progressed but never exceeded the 85% occupancy threshold at any time of any day. During the weekday, occupancy increased from 61% (morning) to 68% (midday) to 80% (evening). Street parking during the weekend was slightly higher with the occupancy of street parking increasing from 62% (morning) to 79% (midday) to 84% (evening).
• Compared to the previous year, the study showed a sharp increase in public parking lot usage during the weekday evening, going from 69% to 100% in 2024. Increases were also observed during midday, where occupancy during weekend use of the public parking lots rose from 93% to 98%. During weekend usage, occupancy remained the same at 100%. • Compared to the Barrio and Village, the beach has the highest turnover of vehicles (having a shorter length of stay, 0-4 hours).
• Not surprising, most parking throughout the day is concentrated around beach access points.

Barrio
• While a handful of street segments within the Barrio exceeded an 85% occupancy at some point during the day, street parking occupancy in the greater Barrio area ranged between 61% and 73% on weekdays and weekends.
1 A total of 73 citations were issued in August for violation of the three-hour parking restriction.

Council Memo - 2024 Carlsbad Parking Study Results {District 1} April 17, 2025

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• Weekend parking space occupancy in public parking lots experienced one of the few declines in the study area when compared to the prior two years. • How long cars were parked did not significantly vary between the weekday and weekend, with less than 60% of observed vehicles staying between 0-4 hours. • Compared to the beach and Village neighborhoods, the Barrio had the highest percentage of vehicles staying parked in the street for more than 12 hours for both weekday {12%} and weekend (17%}. This is indicative of the mostly residential nature of the Barrio neighborhood. • During both weekday and weekend observations, areas of high demand seem to be concentrated in the northeastern and southwestern corners of the Barrio neighborhood, where there is a school, churches and community centers.

Overall, the 2024 Parking Study revealed that the current supply of public parking is generally sufficient to meet demand. Still, compared to prior parking studies, convenient parking is becoming increasingly more difficult to find in some areas, at least some of the time, and the situation is likely to worsen in the future.

Aside from having a popular and thriving downtown that attracts visitors, certain state legislative changes directly impact the availability of parking --- namely, state density bonus law, which among other things, offers reduced parking standards for new housing projects that include affordable units; and Assembly Bill (AB} 2097, which prevents jurisdictions from imposing minimum parking requirements for any development located within ½ mile of a transit center, like the Carlsbad Village Station. AB 2097 is relatively new, effective in 2023, so the full impact will likely become more apparent in the next several years. However, city staff are noticing that increasingly more and more development projects in the downtown area are relying on AB 2097 to reduce their on-site parking obligations. Informational bulletins have been included that provide additional information on these state laws (Attachments C and D}.

Next Steps
No further action is needed for the 2024 Carlsbad Parking Study. The city will continue to produce annual parking reports to monitor parking usage and behavior and report the findings to City Council.

While the emphasis of the annual study is on parking capacity, peak-occupancy, and turnover, it still only represents a very limited snapshot in time. While current and prior parking studies provide useful information to evaluate year-to-year changes in parking supply, it is not recommended that the information be used as the sole basis for coordinating land use and transportation decisions.

Rather, a more comprehensive study may be needed to evaluate the true parking demand over a 12-month period. Even though it is typical in the parking industry to collect data on one weekday and one weekend day in the summer months for a parking study, there is no narrative as to how this data is both reflective of, or can be extrapolated to, the overall usage patterns/demand during the other days of the week during the summer or other times of the year. Put another way, more information is Council Memo - 2024 Carlsbad Parking Study Results (District 1} April 17, 2025

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needed to determine if parking challenges extend beyond the summer months. This data could then be used to help inform meaningful parking policies and parking-related infrastructure improvements.

To initiate such a study, a funding request in the amount of $150,000 will be included in the City Manager's draft budget for fiscal year 2025-26. If approved by City Council, the funding will be used to hire a parking consultant to conduct an annual parking study of the Village, Barrio and beach area.

In the meantime, staff from various city departments will continue to implement the recommended parking management strategies listed in the 2017 Parking Management Plan (Attachment D}.

Attachment:

A. City Council Memorandum (2023 parking study), dated January 4, 2024 B. 2024 Carlsbad Parking Study Data Report (Due to the size of Attachment B, a hardcopy is on file in the Office of the City Council, as reference)
C. IB 131 -AB 2097 Parking Requirements
D. IB 112 - Density Bonus
E. Village, Barrio and Beach Area Parking Management Plan, Staff Report dated August 22, 2017 cc: Geoff Patnoe, City Manager
Cindie McMahon, City Attorney
Christie Calderwood, Police Chief
Jeffery Smith, Police Captain
Paz Gomez, Deputy City Manager, Public Works
Laura Black, Deputy City Manager, Administrative Services Zach Korach, Finance Director
Tom Frank, Transportation Director/City Engineer
Mike Strong, Assistant Director of Community Development Eric Lardy, City Planner
Robert Efird, Principal Planner
Shelley Glennon, Associate Planner
Matt Sanford, Economic Development Director

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Carlsbad
Parking
Study
Data Report

Prepared for the City of Carlsbad
Prepared by Dixon Resources Unlimited
April 3, 2025
Attachment B

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Table of Contents
Key Findings ......................................................................................................................................... 4 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 6 Study Area ......................................................................................................................................... 6 Methodology .................................................................................................................................... 6 Results ................................................................................................................................................ 11 Key Considerations ....................................................................................................................... 11 Deﬁnition of Terms ........................................................................................................................ 11 Occupancy ..................................................................................................................................... 12 Key Takeaways for Occupancy by Neighborhood ................................................................ 20 Barrio ....................................................................................................................................... 20 Beach ...................................................................................................................................... 20 Village ..................................................................................................................................... 21 Destination-Based Occupancy ................................................................................................ 22 Key Takeaways for Destination-Based Occupancy by Neighborhood ................................ 31 Barrio ....................................................................................................................................... 31 Beach ...................................................................................................................................... 31 Village ..................................................................................................................................... 31 Length of Stay ................................................................................................................................ 33 On-Street .................................................................................................................................... 35 Off-Street .................................................................................................................................... 35 Weekend Historical Comparison ............................................................................................. 36 Key Takeaways for Length of Stay by Neighborhood ........................................................... 39 Barrio ....................................................................................................................................... 39 Beach ...................................................................................................................................... 41 Village ..................................................................................................................................... 42 Appendix ........................................................................................................................................... 44

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Figures
Figure 1. Summary of 2024 Parking Inventory.................................................................................. 4 Figure 2. Project Study Area ................................................................................................................ 8 Figure 3. Existing Parking Supply ....................................................................................................... 9 Figure 4. Parking Space Type Map .................................................................................................. 10 Figure 5. Weekday Morning (6 a.m. – 9 a.m.) Occupancy ............................................................ 14 Figure 6. Weekday Midday (10 a.m. – 1 p.m.) Occupancy ........................................................... 15 Figure 7. Weekday Evening (6 p.m. – 9 p.m.) Occupancy ............................................................ 16 Figure 8. Weekend Morning (6 a.m. – 9 a.m.) Occupancy ........................................................... 17 Figure 9. Weekend Midday (10 a.m. – 1 p.m.) Occupancy ........................................................... 18 Figure 10. Weekend Evening (6 p.m. – 9 p.m.) Occupancy ......................................................... 19 Figure 11. Weekday Morning (6 a.m. – 9 a.m.) Destination Occupancy ..................................... 23 Figure 12. Weekday Midday (10 a.m. - 1 p.m.) Destination Occupancy .................................... 24 Figure 13. Weekday Evening (6 p.m. – 9 p.m.) Destination Occupancy ..................................... 25 Figure 14. Weekday Peak Period Destination Occupancy ........................................................... 26 Figure 15. Weekend Morning (6 a.m. – 9 a.m.) Destination Occupancy .................................... 27 Figure 16. Weekend Midday (10 a.m. – 1 p.m.) Destination Occupancy .................................... 28 Figure 17. Weekend Evening (6 p.m. – 9 p.m.) Destination Occupancy .................................... 29 Figure 18. Weekend Peak Period Destination Occupancy ........................................................... 30 Figure 19. Weekday Average Length of Stay ................................................................................. 37 Figure 20. Weekend Average Length of Stay ................................................................................ 38 Figure 21. Weekday Average On-Street Length of Stay in Barrio ............................................... 40 Figure 22. Weekend Average On-Street Length of Stay in Barrio ............................................... 40 Figure 23. Weekday Average On-Street Length of Stay in Beach ............................................... 41 Figure 24. Weekend Average On-Street Length of Stay in Beach .............................................. 42 Figure 25. Weekday Average On-Street Length of Stay in Village .............................................. 43 Figure 26. Weekend Average On-Street Length of Stay in Village.............................................. 43 Tables
Table 1. Total Parking Supply .............................................................................................................. 4 Table 2. Average Weekday Parking Occupancy by Neighborhood, Parking Type, and Time of Day ...................................................................................................................................................... 13 Table 3. Average Weekend Parking Occupancy by Neighborhood, Parking Type, and Time of Day ...................................................................................................................................................... 13 Table 4. Weekday On-street Length of stay ................................................................................... 35 Table 5. Weekend On-street Length of stay ................................................................................... 35 Table 6. Weekday Off-street Length of stay ................................................................................... 35 Table 7. Weekend Off-street Length of stay ................................................................................... 35 Appendix
On-Street Inventory Comparisons .................................................................................................. 44

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Key Findings
The Study evaluated the inventory of all
available public and private parking sup ply in
the Study Area, which totaled 6,838 parking
spaces across on-street public, off-street public,
NCTD transit, and private parking locations.

Figure 1 displays a breakdown of the 2024
parking inventory, and Table 1 provides a
historic comparison of the total parking supply
from 2022 to 2024. Parking supply ﬂuctuated
each year due to various factors. Changes in
methodology compared to previous years led
to an updated on -street parking space
inventory for the study area, as detailed in the
methodology section of this report. In 2024, the
NCTD Transit Lots saw a net increase of 20
spaces. This included the addition of 15 spaces in Transit Lot B following the completion of construction and the discovery of ﬁve previously unaccounted -for spaces in Transit Lot C.

Meanwhile, the private parking supply experienced a reduction of eight spaces due to construction at a single lot.

Table 1. Total Parking Supply
Parking Type Total 2022 Total 2023 Total 2024
On-Street Public Parking 4,122 4,047 3,988
Off-Street Public Parking 783 783 783
NCTD Transit Parking 541 541 5611
Total Public Spaces 5,446 5,371 5,332
Private Parking 1,514 1,514 1,506
Total Spaces 6,981 6,885 6,838

Based on parking utilization data collected by LPR and drone technology, the Study determined that on both the weekday and weekend, the Beach and Village neighborhoods observed peak occupancies during the evening (6 p.m. - 9 p.m.) collection period, while the Barrio neighborhood observed peak occupancies in the morning (6 a.m. - 9 a.m.). High occupancy rates (above 85%) were observed mostly in the Beach and Village neighborhoods, especially in the evening collection period, consistent with previous years.

1 110 parking spaces were unavailable at Parking Lot A due to construction fencing. The inventory was not reduced since these parking spaces were not removed. However, parking utilization analysis for this location was conducted based on a lower inventory number since these parking spaces were unavailable during this Study.

Figure 1. Summary of 2024 Parking Inventory
■ On-Street Public Parking ■ Off-Street Public Parking
■ NCTD Transit Parking ■ Private Parking

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The areas of high demand are mostly located in the Village and Beach neighborhoods, such as Ocean Street, Garﬁeld Street, Lincoln Street, Roosevelt Street, Laguna Drive, and the off-street facilities along Carlsbad Village Drive. In these areas of high demand, the Study shows that the turnover tends to be high as well, which is indicative of a commercial area with restaurants and businesses. Although certain locations in the Barrio neighborhood observe high demand in the morning such as along Magnolia Aven ue, Harding Street, and Pine Avenue, occupancy is generally not as high as the other neighborhoods, and the turnover tends to be lower compared to what was observed in the Village and Beach neighborhoods, which is indicative of a residential area.

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Introduction
Dixon Resources Unlimited (DIXON) collected parking data on behalf of the City of Carlsbad as part of the city’s 2017 P arking Management Plan’s (PMP)’s and Village and Barrio Master Plan’s (VBMP’s) on-going annual parking survey requirement. The purpose of the 2024 parking survey (Study) is to demonstrate the current parking conditions for three distinct neighborhoods (Village, Barrio and Beach neighborhoods) (referred to henceforth as the “study area”).

This report features a description of the methodology used for data collection, a breakdown of current parking supply in the study area , and a variety of visualizations including maps, tables, and graphs to present the data analysis results for key parking utilization metrics, including occupancy, destination-based occupancy, and length of stay for each neighborhood, providing a breakdown by day of week and time of day for the data collection period.

Study Area
Across the study area, a total of 370 on-street block faces, deﬁned as a single side of the street between two cross streets, and 54 public, private, and North County Transit District (NCTD) off- street parking lots were surveyed. The study area is generally bordered by Laguna Drive and Ocean Street to the north, Tamarack Avenue to the south, Interstate 5 to the east, and the Paciﬁc Ocean to the west. The study area can be seen in Figure 2.

Methodology
Data was collected by DIXON ﬁeld staff using vehicle-mounted License Plate Recognition (LPR) and drone technology. License plate numbers are immediately anonymized and hashed as part of the data analysis process, therefore real plate numbers were not stored or retained for the Study in order to maintain privacy. On-street and off-street parking data such as occupancy and length of stay is determined from these collections. D rones are ﬂown by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certiﬁed pilot to collect off-street data as well as verify on-street data. On- street and off-street data is collected simultaneously throughout all collection times. Data was collected during the City’s summer peak parking season on Thursday, August 15th (weekday) and Saturday, August 17th (weekend) at 6 a.m. (morning), 10 a.m. (midday) and 6 p.m. (evening).

Parking space inventory (number of parking spaces) was collected for on-street block faces and off-street facilities in the study area which included the Village, Barrio and Beach Neighborhoods.

On-street inventory was assessed using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Google Maps (Street View and aerial imagery), with in -person ﬁeld veriﬁcation . Individual curb segments were mapped in GIS format to indicate where parking is permitted and prohibited.

Marked spaces were counted directly, while unmarked curb segments were converted into space counts using standardized size parameters . Parking spaces were generally measured assuming a standard length of 20- feet. However, an 18 -foot length was applied to spaces adjacent to driveways or other non -parking areas, as curb cuts and restricted zones provide easier entry and exit compared to parking between two vehicles. Differences in methodology compared to the 2023 Carlsbad Parking Study resulted in a lower recorded inventory for the

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study area. While the previous study’s methodology and curb measurements were not provided, it is understood that a uniform 20 -foot space length was applied to all on -street parking, including spaces near driveways. The variation in space sizing, along with the absence of detailed curb measurement data from the prior study, hindered direct comparisons and contributed to the difference in the inventory count for 2024.

As part of the on -street parking inventory measurement process, posted policies, driveways, loading zones, and red curbs were recorded. Within the study area, four types of on -street parking spaces were identiﬁed: 3 -hour time -limited spaces, 20 -minute tim e-limited spaces, and 3-minute loading zones, all of which are enforced from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily except on Sundays and holidays, as well as unrestricted spaces. These parking space types are illustrated in the parking space type map (Figure 4).

Off-street inventory provided in the 2023 Study was used as a reference, and ﬁeld counts were conducted by data collectors to conﬁrm any changes to the supply due to factors such as construction or other factors . Off-street inventory values were categorized by ownership, including public, private, or NCTD Transit. Parking restrict ions and policies were not documented for off- street locations using this methodology , and occupancy collected by drone was categorized by ownership.

Figure 3 shows the total inventory space counts for the off-street locations, while Appendix A displays a comparison of the 2023 and 2024 total inventory space counts for the on -street locations. Three off-street parking lots located in the Village Neighborhood were not included during the original scoping of the Study and did not receive an occupancy recording. However, they are accounted in the inventory counts for the 2024 Parking Study as shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3. Table 1 and Figure 1 summarize the parking supply for the Study Area by parking type.

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Figure 2. Project Study Area

/'
.,,.✓
Buena Vista Lagoon
Pacific Ocean
Parking Locations
- On-Street
~- Off-Street
• hborhoods Ne1g
Barrio
Beach Area
Village
Zones Zone
,--1 Beach Overlay
!o.-- '
---1 Coastal Zone
L __ , ion
,-, 1/2mi from Stat .., __ ,
,--1 Study Area ._ __ ,
A

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Figure 3. Existing Parking Supply

Note: See Appendix 1 for on-street parking quantities by block

Buena Vista Lagoon
Pacific Ocean
Parking Locations
* Dashes represent
on-street spacesesent
# Numbers repr
off-street spaces
_ On-Street
- Off-Street
• hborhoods Ne1g
Barrio
Beach Area
Village
Laguna Dr
A
Aqua Hedionda
0 500 1,000 ft

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Figure 4. Parking Space Type Map

Buena Vista Lagoon
Pacific Ocean
Parking Inventory
* Dashes represent
on-street spaces
■
■
■
3hr
20min
3min
Unrestricted
Neighborhoods
Barr io
Beach Area
Village
Aqua Hedionda
0 Holiday
Park
A
500 1,000 ft

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Results
The following analysis includes key takeaways on the occupancy and length of stay for each neighborhood within the greater study area.

Key Considerations
The parking industry considers the ideal target parking occupancy rate to be 85 %2, meaning that there are approximately one or two parking spaces available per block face, or in a desired parking area. This occupancy target minimizes congestion and maximizes utilization of parking assets. Areas that regularly exceed 85% occupancy can appear full to the parking public and contribute to congestion as motorists circle looking for an available space. Likewise, areas that regularly are well below 85 % are considered underutilized. The goal is to seek a balanced parking system that remains at or near 85% occupancy during most times on average, knowing that there will realistically be some exceptional or outlier times.

When parking durations are long, this means that the turnover of parking spaces is low.

Conversely, when durations are shorter, this means that turnover is high. High turnover can maximize the number of motorists that can utilize available parking assets, which is especially important in commercial areas due to proximity to goods and services and the need for customer access.

The ﬁndings in the following Parking Utilization Study are based on a sampling of data, collected during the summer peak season on Thursday, August 15 th (weekday) and Saturday
August 17 th (weekend) for a three-hour period each day to capture morning, midday and evening trafﬁc beginning at 6 a.m., 10 a.m., and 6 p.m.

Deﬁnition of Terms
Occupancy: The percentage of parking supply that is occupied.

Peak Occupancy: The highest occupancy rate observed.

Average Occupancy: Average demand over multiple days and/or facilities.

Length of Stay: The amount of time a car remains in a given parking space.

Turnover: The rate at which a parking facility is used, or the number of vehicles that can use a parking space within a given time.

Block face: A single side of the street between two cross streets.

2 Donald Shoup, The High Price of Free Parking (Planners Press, 2011)

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Occupancy
Parking occupancy was analyzed for the on-street and off-street public parking locations in the Barrio, Beach, and Village neighborhoods. Occupancy is deﬁned as the percentage of parking supply that is occupied. This metric helps provide insight into the level of demand for a speciﬁc parking location, which can allow for a more granular understanding of parking utilization in the study area . The tables summarize the average parking occupancy by neighborhood, parking type, and time of day for the weekday (Table 2) and weekend (Table 3) to provide a historical comparison of occupancy during the peak parking season in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

Percentages highlighted in red indicate high occupancy (>85%). For the Village neighborhood, off-street occupancy rates for the NCTD Transit and private parking locations were calculated separate from the off-street public parking locations, as seen in the last row of Table 2 and Table 3 to provide further insight into parking utilization at these locations .

However, the NCTD Transit parking locations were also included in the calculations for the off- street public parking occupancy in the Village, as parking utilization was not analyzed by ownership, but rather was analyzed as part of the entire lot. Figures 5 through10 visualize the average occupancy by day of week and time of day for each block face and off- street public parking location. As noted above in the methodology, three off-street lots located within the Village neighborhood are not included in the occupancy analysis and will be added in the next annual.

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Table 2. Average Weekday Parking Occupancy by Neighborhood, Parking Type, and Time of Day

Neighborhood Parking Type Morning (6 a.m.) Midday (10 a.m.) Evening (6 p.m.) 2024 2023 2022 2024 2023 2022 2024 2023 2022
Barrio
On-Street Parking 72% 66% 57% 61% 61% 56% 66% 74% 74%
Off-Street Public
Parking
49% 41% 41% 48% 50% 35% 45% 54% 54%
Average 67% 62% 54% 59% 59% 52% 62% 71% 70%
Beach
On-Street Parking 61% 63% 62% 68% 79% 72% 80% 89% 81%
Off-Street Public
Parking
45% 44% 39% 98% 93% 87% 100% 69% 68%
Average 59% 60% 59% 71% 81% 74% 83% 87% 79%
Village
On-Street Parking 57% 58% 53% 72% 79% 76% 73% 74% 69%
Off-Street Public
Parking
53% 61% 59% 64% 89% 89% 86% 93% 92%
Average 56% 59% 54% 69% 81% 78% 77% 77% 73%
Village
(Other
Parking
Sources)
Off-Street NCTD
Parking
57% 47% 44% 70% 58% 55% 83% 70% 63%
Off-Street Private
Parking
36% 41% 40% 64% 67% 58% 53% 57% 45%
Table 3. Average Weekend Parking Occupancy by Neighborhood, Parking Type, and Time of Day

Neighborhood Parking Type Morning (6 a.m.) Midday (10 a.m.) Evening (6 p.m.) 2024 2023 2022 2024 2023 2022 2024 2023 2022
Barrio
On-Street Parking 73% 71% 67% 69% 81% 64% 65% 71% 70%
Off-Street Public
Parking
27% 43% 43% 39% 82% 30% 20% 70% 44%
Average 64% 66% 62% 63% 81% 57% 56% 70% 65%
Beach
On-Street Parking 62% 69% 74% 79% 91% 86% 84% 91% 92%
Off-Street Public
Parking
59% 72% 71% 100% 100% 99% 100% 100% 81%
Average 61% 70% 68% 83% 92% 88% 86% 92% 91%
Village
On-Street Parking 45% 48% 44% 76% 75% 70% 75% 79% 80%
Off-Street Public
Parking
38% 56% 60% 81% 91% 94% 98% 95% 98%
Average 43% 50% 47% 77% 78% 74% 83% 82% 83%
Village
(Other
Parking
Sources)
Off-Street NCTD
Parking
43% 52% 44% 81% 70% 60% 100% 79% 86%
Off-Street Private
Parking
27% 35% 35% 64% 64% 50% 58% 53% 49%

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Figure 5. Weekday Morning (6 a.m. – 9 a.m.) Occupancy

Pacific Ocean
occupancy
■ > 85%
■ 70- 85%
50 - 70%
■ < 50%
Buena Vista Lagoon
Neighborhoods
Barrio
Beach Area
Village
A
Aqua Hedionda
0 500 1,000 ft

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Figure 6. Weekday Midday (10 a.m. – 1 p.m.) Occupancy

Pacific Ocean
Occupancy
■ > 85%
■ 70- 85%
50 - 70%
■ < 50%
Buena Vista Lagoon
Neighborhoods
Barrio
Beach Area
Village
A
Aqua Hedionda
0 500 1,000 ft

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Figure 7. Weekday Evening (6 p.m. – 9 p.m.) Occupancy

Pacific Ocean
Occupancy
■ > 85%
■ 70- 85%
50 - 70%
■ < 50%
Buena Vista Lagoon
• hborhoods Ne19
Barrio
Beach Area
Village
A
Aqua Hedionda
0 500 1,000 ft

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Figure 8. Weekend Morning (6 a.m. – 9 a.m.) Occupancy

Pacific Ocean
Occupancy
■ > 85%
■ 70- 85%
50 - 70%
■ < 50%
Buena Vista Lagoon
• b rhoods Neigh o
Barrio
Beach Area
Village
A
Aqua Hedionda
0 500 1,000 ft

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Figure 9. Weekend Midday (10 a.m. – 1 p.m.) Occupancy

Buena Vista Lagoon
Pacific Ocean
Occupancy
■ > 85%
■ 70- 85%
50- 70%
■ < 50%
Neighborhoods
Barrio
Beach Area
Village
A
Aqua Hedionda
0 500 1,000 ft

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Figure 10. Weekend Evening (6 p.m. – 9 p.m.) Occupancy

Pacific Ocean
Occupancy
■ > 85%
■ 70- 85%
50 - 70%
■ < 50%
Buena Vista Lagoon
• b rhoods Neigh o
Barrio
Beach Area
Village
Laguna Dr
A
Aqua Hedionda
0 500 1,000 ft

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Key Takeaways for Occupancy by Neighborhood
Barrio
Weekday morning (6 a.m. - 9 a.m.) on-street occupancy has continued to increase year after year, and weekday midday (10 a.m. - 1 p.m.) on-street occupancy had no change from 2023.

However, weekday evening (6 p.m. - 9 p.m.) on-street occupancy decreased compared to the previous years as seen in Table 2. Weekday occupancy for the off-street locations is similar to what was observed in previous years, with a slight increase in the morning, and a decrease in the midday and evening. Similar to the weekday, weekend morning on -street occupancy has increased year after year, however there were slight decreases in the midday and evening.

Weekend occupancy for the off-street locations observed signiﬁcant decreases in occupancy compared to 2023, with off-street morning occupancy dropping from 43% to 27% , off-street midday occupancy dropping from 82% to 39%, and off- street evening occupancy dropping from 70% to 20% as seen in Table 3. However, there is less variation when comparing these occupancies to what was observed in 2022, as there were signiﬁcant increases in occupancy at the off-street locations from 2022 to 2023 in the midday and evening collection times, as seen in Table 3.

During both weekday and weekend observations, a reas of high demand seem to be concentrated in the northeastern and southwestern corners of the Barrio neighborhood, where there is a school churches, and community centers. In Figure 5, the on-street block faces near the elementary school such as Jefferson Street and Magnolia Avenue can be observed to exceed 85%, which is consistent with the typical morning school trafﬁc.

Beach
Compared to the previous year, an overall decrease in average occupancy was observed throughout the day for both weekday and weekend collection at the on -street locations .

Morning (6 a.m. – 9 a.m.) on-street occupancy for both the weekday and weekend decreased only slightly compared to 2023, however a more noticeable decrease was observed for midday (10 a.m. - 1 p.m.) and evening (6 p.m. - 9 p.m.) on-street occupancy as seen in Table 2 and Table 3. Average weekday and weekend occupancies at the off-street locations increased or stayed the same compared to the previous year , with the excep tion of weekend morning occupancy, which observed a decrease from 72% last year to 59% this year.

Weekday midday off-street occupancy was high (98%), consistent with previous years, as beachgoers and other visitors tend to favor this time of day. Weekday evening off -street occupancy was at full capacity, reaching 100%, which is a signiﬁcant increase compared to the previous year (69%). Weekend off-street occupancy remained at capacity (100%) in the midday and evening similar to 2023, as expected in a n area of the city that attracts a high volume of visitors during high tourism season. Areas of high dem and can be observed throughout this neighborhood, but a signiﬁcant number of block faces can be seen to have exceeded 85% occupancy especially in evenings, as shown in Figure 7 and Figure 10.

Page 21 of 48 ends

Village
On-street occupancy rates remained relatively consistent with previous years, never exceeding the 85% occupancy threshold at any time of day as seen in Table 2 and Table 3. On-street occupancy rates were the highest in the midday (10 a.m. - 1 p.m.) and evening (6 p.m. - 9 p.m.) for both the weekday and weekend, which is typical for an area with a high concentration of commercial destinations. Areas of high demand for on-street parking locations seem to be concentrated around Laguna Drive, Roosevelt Street, and State Street as shown in Figure 7 and Figure 10 for the evening collection time . Occupancy rates at the off- street public parking locations decreased compared to the previous year, with the exception of weekend evening occupancy, which observed a slight increase from 95% last year to 98% this year. Despite this decrease, high occupancy rates above 85% were observed in the evening on both the weekday and weekend as seen in Table 2 and Table 3, consistent with 2022 and 2023.

Occupancy rates for the off-street NCTD Transit parking locations increased compared to the previous year, with the exception of weekend morning (6 a.m. – 9 a.m.) occupancy, which observed a decrease from 52% last year to 43% this year as seen in Table 3. High occupancy was observed in the weekend evening, reaching 100% capacity. Occupancy rates at the off- street private parking locations decreased throughout the weekday collection times, but ﬂuctuated during the weekend, with a decrease in the morning, no change in the midday, and an increase in the evening.

Page 22 of 48 ends

Destination-Based Occupancy
Destination-based occupancy aims to provide insight into the overall utilization of parking assets around destinations such as commercial retail and restaurants in each neighborhood.

This metric is particularly helpful in understanding parking utilization trends in the urban context as it examines the occupancy in relation to each parcel and the parking supply around it, rather than for one speciﬁc parking location. This was done through examining the parcels within the study area by measuring a 1/8-mile buffer around each parcel, or approximately two blocks length of a short city block, and taking the average occupancy of all the on-street and off-street parking locations (incorporating both private and public inventories) within the buffer for a given parcel. Unlike the 2023 Carlsbad Parking Study, parking supply for the NCTD Transit and private parking locations were included in the destination -based occupancy analysis to remain consistent with the analysis in other sections and because they represent parking assets that help meet demand. The increase in the parking supply used for the analysis yielded lower utilization numbers compared to the previous year . Destination-based occupancy was calculated for the morning (6 a.m. -9 a.m.), midday (10 a.m. - 1 p.m.) and evening (6 p.m. - 9 p.m.) intervals for Thursday, August 15th (weekday) and Saturday, August 17th (weekend).

Figures 11 through 13 and Figures 15 through 17 visualize the parking occupancy within a 1/8-mile buffer around each parcel for the three collection intervals in the weekday and weekend respectively, while Figure 14 and Figure 18 show the peak period of destination occupancy for each parcel for the weekday and weekend.

Page 23 of 48 ends

Figure 11. Weekday Morning (6 a.m. – 9 a.m.) Destination Occupancy

\
?~
i ____±'\:
,e
Pac1f1c Ocean
Occupancy
■ > 85%
■ 70- 85%
50 - 70%
■ < 50%
Buena Vista Lagoon
~
• b rhoods Neigh o
Barrio
Beach Area
Village
Laguna Dr
A
Aqua Hedionda
0 500 1,000 ft

Page 24 of 48 ends

Figure 12. Weekday Midday (10 a.m. - 1 p.m.) Destination Occupancy

Pac1f1c Ocean
Occupancy
■ > 85%
■ 70 - 85%
50 - 70%
■ < 50%
Buena Vista Lagoon
Neighborhoods
Barrio
Beach Area
Village
Laguna Dr
A
Aqua Hedionda
0 500 1,000 It

Page 25 of 48 ends

Figure 13. Weekday Evening (6 p.m. – 9 p.m.) Destination Occupancy

Pac1f1c Ocean
Occupancy
■ > 85%
■ 70- 85%
50 - 70%
■ < 50%
Buena Vista Lagoon
• b rhoods Neigh o
Barrio
Beach Area
Village
Laguna Dr
A
Aqua Hedionda
0 500 1,000 ft

Page 26 of 48 ends

Figure 14. Weekday Peak Period Destination Occupancy

Buena Vista Lagoon
Pac1f1c Ocean
Peak Occupancy
■ Morning
Midday
Evening ncy
• Multiple Peno s • d > 85% Occupa
• Pea k >85% Occupancy
• hborhoods Ne19
Barrio
Beach Area
Village
Laguna Dr
A
Aqua Hedionda
0 500 1,000 ft

Page 27 of 48 ends

Figure 15. Weekend Morning (6 a.m. – 9 a.m.) Destination Occupancy

Pac1f1c Ocean
Occupancy
■ > 85%
■ 70- 85%
50 - 70%
■ < 50%
Buena Vista Lagoon
Neighborhoods
Barrio
Beach Area
Village
Laguna Dr
A
Aqua Hedionda
0 500 1,000 ft

Page 28 of 48 ends

Figure 16. Weekend Midday (10 a.m. – 1 p.m.) Destination Occupancy

Pac1f1c Ocean
Occupancy
■ > 85%
■ 70- 85%
50 - 70%
■ < 50%
Buena Vista Lagoon
• b rhoods Neigh o
Barrio
Beach Area
Village
Laguna Dr
A
Aqua Hedionda
0 500 1,000 ft

Page 29 of 48 ends

Figure 17. Weekend Evening (6 p.m. – 9 p.m.) Destination Occupancy

Pac1f1c Ocean
Occupancy
■ > 85%
■ 70- 85%
50 - 70%
■ < 50%
Buena Vista Lagoon
• b rhoods Neigh o
Barrio
Beach Area
Village
Laguna Dr
A
Aqua Hedionda
0 500 1,000 ft

Page 30 of 48 ends

Figure 18. Weekend Peak Period Destination Occupancy

Buena Vista Lagoon
Pac1f1c Ocean
Peak Occupancy
■ Morning
Midday
Evening . > 85% Occupancy • Multiple Periods
• Pea k >85% Occupancy
Neighborhoods
Barrio
Beach Area
Village
Laguna Dr
A
Aqua Hedionda
0 500 1,000 ft

Page 31 of 48 ends

Key Takeaways for Destination-Based Occupancy by Neighborhood Barrio
Parcels in the Barrio neig hborhood consistently see occupancies between 50% and 70% on weekdays and weekends, although a greater share of parcels have occupancies between 70% and 85% on weekends. On both weekdays and weekends, several parcels observed occupancies between 70% and 85% in the morning (6 a.m. – 9 a.m.), with a few exceeding 85%, especially in the southeastern end as seen in Figure 11 and Figure 15. This is consistent with having an elementary school located in this area, which would expect higher occupancy in the morning with students being dropped off for school, or for weekend activities. During the weekday, most parcels in the Barrio neighborhood observed peak occupancy in the morning, with a few parcels in the northeast corner of the neighborhood having observed peak occupancy in the midday (10 a.m. – 1 p.m.) or evening (6 p.m. – 9 p.m.), as seen in Figure 14.

During the weekend, while many parcels observed peak occupancy in t he morning, several parcels in the northwest section of the neighborhood observed peak occupancy in the midday as seen in Figure 18.

Beach
Parcels in the Beach neighborhood mostly observed occupancies between 50% and 70% on the weekday morning (6 a.m. – 9 a.m.) and midday (10 a.m. – 1 p.m.), while most parcels in the evening (6 p.m. – 9 p.m.) had occupancies between 70% and 85%, with some exceeding 85%.

On the weekends, occupancy rates increased over the time of day, as the parcels mainly had occupancies between 50% and 70% in the morning, and between 70% and 85% in the midday and evening, as well as a few parcels with over 85% occupancy in the evening. Considering that many of the parcels in the Beach neighborhood have a high concentration of re tail and restaurant destinations, the high occupancy observed in the evening on both the weekday and weekend as shown in Figure 13 and Figure 17 is consistent with typical commercial cores, where many patrons and visitors frequent for dining . This is also reﬂected in Figure 14 and Figure 18, where a majority of the parcels observed peak occupancy in the evening, with the exception of several parcels above Carlsbad Village Drive that observed peak occupancy during the midday. During the weekend, there are several parcels below Chestnut Avenue that observed peak occupancy during the midday, as seen in Figure 18.

Village
Parcels in the Village neighborhood generally tend to have occupancy rates below 50% in the morning (6 a.m. – 9 a.m.); however, more parcels on weekend mornings have occupancies below 50% (Figure 11) than on weekday mornings (Figure 15). Conversely, in the midday (10 a.m. – 1 p.m.) , occupancy rates were generally higher in the weekend compared to the weekday, with several parcels observing occupancy rates between 70% and 85%, and a few exceeding 85% as shown in Figure 16. Occupancy rates in the evening (6 p.m. – 9 p.m.) were consistently high on both the weekday and weekend, with the highest number of parcels observing occupancy rates between 70% and 85%. Compared to the weekday evening (Figure 13), more parcels exceeded 85% occupancy on the weekend evening (Figure 17). In the evening, the highest demand-based occupancy rates were observed in the parcels closest to the commercial destinations adjacent to the Beach neighborhood as shown in Figure 13 and

Page 32 of 48 ends

Figure 17. This is also reﬂected in Figure 14 and Figure 18, where the parcels that observed peak occupancy in the evening are located adjacent to the Beach neighborhood. Apart from the parcels located adjacent to the Beach neighborhood, most parcels observed peak occupancy in the midday during both the weekday and weekend, as seen in Figure 14 and Figure 18. During the weekday, there were a few parcels along the northern boundary of the neighborhood that observed peak occupancy in the morning, as seen in Figure 14.

Page 33 of 48 ends

Length of Stay
The following tables and maps display the length of stay data in the Barrio, Beach, and Village neighborhoods. Length of stay is deﬁned as the amount of time a car remains in a given parking space. The length of stay is measured using three distinct methods to offer multiple perspectives on the results.

1. Tables 4 t hrough 7 show a percentage of the number of individual cars that were observed to stay either between 0 -4 hours, 4-12 hours, or more than 12 hours . These time intervals were based on the data collection rounds for each neighborhood. There are four hours between the morning and midday intervals, eight hours between the midday and evening intervals, and 12 hours between the morning and evening intervals. The time interval is calculated using the following formula:

(mid-point between last-time seen and first-time unseen) - first-time seen

If there is not a first-time unseen, then:

(mid-point between last-time seen and end of day) – first-time seen

2. Heat maps show the average daily length of stay per block face and off-street parking facility by weekday (Figure 19) and weekend (Figure 20). This is calculated by taking the average length of each vehicle’s stay at a given location. Compared to the percentage of vehicles within each time bin in the tables, the average length of stay provides more variation in results. To reﬂect this, the maps display length of stay in two- hour intervals: 0–2 hours, 2–4 hours, 4–6 hours, 6–8 hours, and over 8 hours.

3. Pie charts (Figures 21 through 26) illustrate the percentage distribution of when a vehicle was ﬁrst observed to when it was last observed, including instances where a vehicle was only seen during a single time period. This method is consistent with how data was reported in the 2023 Study, which included only weekend results.

Historical comparisons for Methods 1 and 2 were not possible due to the unavailability of 2023 data. However, Table 8 presents a comparison of weekend results from the third method between 2023 and 2024.

Length of stay data is useful in understanding parking behavior as it can provide insight into some of the common uses of parking for that location. For example, in locations that are adjacent to commercial establishments, there may be higher turnover, or more vehicles staying for shorter times. On the other hand, in locations that are primarily residential, turnover may be longer, meaning that more vehicles are parked for longer durations. Turnover is deﬁned as the rate at which a parking facility is used, or the number of vehicles that can use a parking space within a given time.

Parkers may move their vehicles throughout the day for legitimate reasons, such as leaving and returning to their residence. However, some may do so to evade citations or “recycle” time - limited parking spaces. If a vehicle is observed on the same block fac e during consecutive

Page 34 of 48 ends

collection rounds—regardless of whether it moves in between —it is counted as being parked for the entire duration of those rounds. Conversely, if a vehicle relocates to a different block face or parking lot between rounds, it is recorded as a separate instance each time. To maintain privacy, real license plate numbers were not retained in the study. Instead, unique identiﬁers were assigned to track individual vehicles across time periods and locations, enabling the calculation of length-of-stay metrics.

Page 35 of 48 ends

On-Street
Table 4. Weekday On-street Length of stay

Neighborhood 0-4 hours 4-12 hours 12+ hours
Barrio 58% 29% 12%
Beach 67% 26% 6%
Village 60% 34% 6%
Total 62% 30% 8%
Table 5. Weekend On-street Length of stay

Neighborhood 0-4 hours 4-12 hours 12+ hours
Barrio 54% 29% 17%
Beach 72% 19% 9%
Village 63% 31% 6%
Total 63% 27% 9%
Off-Street
Table 6. Weekday Off-street Length of stay

Neighborhood 0-4 hours 4-12 hours 12+ hours
Barrio 60% 38% 2%
Beach 58% 42% 0%
Village 55% 42% 3%
Total 55% 42% 3%
Table 7. Weekend Off-street Length of stay

Neighborhood 0-4 hours 4-12 hours 12+ hours
Barrio 58% 29% 12%
Beach 67% 26% 6%
Village 60% 34% 6%
Total 62% 30% 8%

Page 36 of 48 ends

Weekend Historical Comparison
Table 8. Weekend Historical Length of Stay Comparison

Neighborhood Interval 2023 2024
Barrio
Morning Only 15% 24%
Morning to Noon N/A 1%
Morning to Afternoon 10% 10%
Morning to Evening 23% 17%
Midday Only 25% 15%
Midday to Evening 8% 7%
Evening 19% 25%
Beach
Morning Only 6% 16%
Morning to Noon 4% 2%
Morning to Afternoon N/A 5%
Morning to Evening 9% 9%
Midday Only 31% 25%
Midday to Evening 7% 6%
Evening 43% 36%
Village
Morning Only 9% 14%
Morning to Noon 5% 1%
Morning to Afternoon N/A 4%
Morning to Evening 10% 6%
Midday Only 30% 34%
Midday to Evening 9% 5%
Evening 37% 37%

Page 37 of 48 ends

Figure 19. Weekday Average Length of Stay

Buena Vista Lagoon
Pacific Ocean
Length of Stay
■ 8+ hrs
■ 6 _ 8 hrs
■ 4 _ 6 hrs
■ 2 _ 4 hrs
■ o _ 2 hrs
■ No Data
Neighborhoods
Barrio
Beach Area
Village
A
Aqua Hedionda 0 500 1,000 ft
-~-

Page 38 of 48 ends

Figure 20. Weekend Average Length of Stay

Buena Vista Lagoon
Pacific Ocean
Length of Stay
■ 8+ hrs
■ 6 - 8 hrs
■ 4 - 6 hrs
■ 2 - 4 hrs
■ Q - 2 hrs
■ No Data
Neighborhoods
Barrio
Beach Area
Village
A
Aqua Hedionda 0 500 1,000 ft

Page 39 of 48 ends

Key Takeaways for Length of Stay by Neighborhood
Barrio
On-street length of stay was similar for weekday and weekend collections, with 54% of observed vehicles staying between 0-4 hours on Thursday, and 58% staying between 0-4 hours on Saturday. On both the weekday and weekend, 29% of vehicles were observed to stay between 4 - 12 hours at the on -street locations. Out of all three neighborhoods , the Barrio neighborhood had the highest percentage of vehicles staying parked for more than 12 hours for both weekday (12%) and weekend (17%) on-street parking. This is indicative of the mostly residential nature of the Barrio neighborhood. On the weekend, the locations with longest length of stay seem to be concentrated in the areas adjacent to the Village neighborhood, as seen in Figure 20. When comparing on-street length of stay on the weekday (Figure 21) and weekend (Figure 22), there were more vehicles that stayed from morning (6 a.m. – 9 a.m.) to evening (6 p.m. – 9 p.m. ) on the weekend (17 %) compared to the weekday (12%), likely attributed to the residential nature of the neighborhood. More vehicles parked in the morning and left before 10 a.m. (less than 4 hours) on the weekday (29%) compared to the weekend (24%), which could be attributed to the fact that Jefferson Elementary School is located at the southern extent of the neighborhood. Overall, more than 50% of the vehicles were observed to have parked in the morning on both the weekday and weekend, which is the highest proportion observed out of all the neighborhoods. In the off-street parking locations, the Barrio had the highest percentage of vehicles staying between 0-4 hours on the weekday (60%), and the highest percentage of vehicles staying for more than 12 hours on the weekend (12%). One data outlier was a higher percentage of vehicles that were observed to stay between 4–12 hours in the weekday (38%) at the off-street parking locations, compared to 29% for all other locations and collection days.

Page 40 of 48 ends

Figure 21. Weekday Average On-Street Length of Stay in Barrio

Figure 22. Weekend Average On-Street Length of Stay in Barrio

Evening
(FlrstTlme Capture)
Midday to Evening
(>6hrs)
Midday Only
(0-6hrs)
Evening
(First Time Capture)
Midd ay to Evening
{>6hrs)
Midday Only
(0-6hr s)
Morning to Evening
(>12hrs)
Morning Only
(0-4hrs)
Morning to Noon
(4-7hrs)
Morning to Afternoon
(7-12hrs)
Morning Only
(0-4hrs)
Mornin g to Noon
(4-7hrs)
Morning to Afternoon
(7-12hrs)
Morning to Evening
(>12hrs)

Page 41 of 48 ends

Beach
The Beach neighborhood had the highest overall turnover rate of all three neighborhoods, with the highest percentage recorded for vehicles observed to have stayed between 0-4 hours on S aturday at the on -street parking locations (72%) in this neighborhood. On both the weekday and weekend, the Beach neighborhood had the lowest percentage of vehicles staying between 4 -12 hours in the on -street locations. Turnover was higher on the weekend compared to the weekday, which can be correlated to the high volume of parkers visiting the beach. On-street turnover was higher than off- street turnover, which is expected as on -street parking tends to attract short- term parkers, whi le off -street parking tends to be more accommodating for long-term parkers. There was a fairly even split between vehicles staying 0-4 h o u r s v e r s u s 4-12 hours on the weekday at the off- street parking locations, however a signiﬁcantly higher percentage of vehicles stayed between 0 -4 hours on the weekend. The block faces with the highest turnover seem to be concentrated near Paciﬁc Avenue and Carlsbad Village Drive as shown in Figure 19 and Figure 20. When comparing on-street length of stay on the weekday (Figure 23) and weekend (Figure 24), more vehicles were observed to have parked in the morning and leave before 10 a.m. (less than 4 hours) on the weekday (23%) compared to the weekend (16%). A higher proportion of vehicles were observed to park in the midday (10 a.m. – 1 p.m.) in the weekend compared to the week day, however, there is a relatively even split of vehicles parking in the morning, midday, and evening in this neighborhood overall, which could be attributed to the mixed land uses.

Figure 23. Weekday Average On-Street Length of Stay in Beach

Evening
(Flrstllme Capture)
Midday to Evening
(>6hrs) Midday Only
(0-6hrs)
Morning Only
(0-4hrs)
Morning to Noon
(4-7hrs)
Morning to Afternoon
(7-12hrs)
Morning to Evening
(>12hrs)

Page 42 of 48 ends

Figure 24. Weekend Average On-Street Length of Stay in Beach

Village
While the Village neighborhood observed moderately high rates of parking turnover, it was not as high as the Beach neighborhood. On average, more vehicles were observed to have stayed between 4-12 hours than between 0-4 hours in the off-street parking locations, compared to in the on-street locations. Turnover was higher overall on the weekends compared to weekdays, with 63% of vehicles parked on-street observed to have stayed less than 4 hours on the weekends, compared to 34% on the weekday . While the percentage of vehicles staying between 4 -12 hours was relatively consistent throughout the neighborhood on both the weekday and weekend, there was a slightly higher percentage of vehicles staying between 4- 12 hours (42%) on the weekday at the off-street locations. Out of the three neighborhoods, the Village neighborhood had the highest percentage of vehicles staying between 4 -12 hours at all parking locations on both the weekday and weekend, except at the off- street parking locations on the weekday, which had the same percentage of vehicles staying between 4 -12 hours as the Beach neighborhood (42%). The areas of highest turnover seem to be located adjacent to the Beach neighborhood as shown in Figure 19 and Figure 20, which suggests that visitors may be parking their vehicles in the Village neighborhood before walking over to the Beach neighborhood for commercial activities. When comparing length of stay on the weekday (Figure 25) and weekend (Figure 2 6), there were more vehicles observed to have parked in the midday and left b e f o r e 6 p . m . ( l e s s t h a n 6 h o u r s ) on the weekend (34%) compared to the weekday (28%). More vehicles were observed to have stayed from morning to afternoon (7-12 hours) on the weekday (7%) compared to the weekend (4%). While there is a relatively even split of vehicles parking at each time of day on the weekday, a signiﬁcantly Evening
(First Time Capture)
Midday to Evening
(>Ghrs)
Morning Only
(0-4hrs)
Midday Only
(0-Ghrs)
Morning to Noon
(4-7hrs)
Morning to Afternoon
(7-12hrs)
Morning to Evening
(>12hrs)

Page 43 of 48 ends

higher proportion of vehicles were observed to park in the midday and evening on the weekend.

Figure 25. Weekday Average On-Street Length of Stay in Village

Figure 26. Weekend Average On-Street Length of Stay in Village

Evening
(First Time Capture)
Midday to Evening
(>6hrs)
Evening
(First Time Capture)
Midday to Evening
(>6hrs)
Midday Only
(0-6hrs)
Morning Only
(0-4hrs)
Morning to Noon
(4-7hrs)
Morning to Afternoon
(7-12hrs)
Morning to Evening
(>12hrs)
Morning Only
(0-4hrs)
Midday Only
(0-6hrs)
Morning to Noon
(4-7hrs)
Morning to Afternoon
(7-12hrs)
Morning to Evening
(>12hrs)

Page 44 of 48 ends

Appendix
On-Street Inventory Comparisons
Street Cross Streets 2023 2024 Difference
Garfield St Normandy Ln - Pacific Ave 13 14 1
Carlsbad Blvd Beech Ave - Christiansen Way 17 17 0
Christiansen Way Garfield St - Carlsbad Blvd 36 33 -3
Cypress Ave Garfield St - Ocean St 35 35 0
Ocean St Cypress Ave - Pacific Ave 28 28 0
State St Grand Ave - Parking Lot 29 24 -5
Beech Ave Washington St - Carlsbad Blvd 31 32 1
Oak Ave Madison St - Roosevelt St 18 20 2
Grand Ave Roosevelt St - Madison St 13 13 0
Grand Ave Roosevelt St - State St 8 5 -3
Roosevelt St Carlsbad Village Dr - Grand Ave 18 17 -1
Oak Ave State St - Fence 30 30 0
State St Oak Ave - Carlsbad Village Dr 28 31 3
Pine Ave Roosevelt St - Tyler St 33 36 3
Roosevelt St Oak Ave - Pine Ave 31 30 -1
Laguna Dr Cabrillo Pl - Jefferson St 85 84 -1
Jefferson St Arbuckle Pl - Laguna Dr 20 18 -2
Laguna Dr Jefferson St - Alley 27 24 -3
Home Ave Hope Ave - Jefferson St 35 30 -5
Pacific Ave Mountain View Dr - Garfield St 45 47 2
Grand Ave State St - Carlsbad Village Station 4 5 1
Grand Ave Carlsbad Village Station -
Washington St 15 16 1
Carlsbad Blvd Cypress Ave - Beech Ave 30 31 1
Beech Ave State St - Roosevelt St 20 19 -1
Jefferson St Grand Ave - Home Ave 21 22 1
Madison St Carlsbad Village Dr - Grand Ave 19 19 0
Washington St Chestnut Ave - Walnut Ave 18 18 0
Maple Ave Garfield St - Carlsbad Blvd 25 23 -2
Garfield St Acacia Ave - Maple Ave 17 15 -2
Chestnut Ave Carlsbad Blvd - Garfield St 26 23 -3
Grand Ave Harding St - Jefferson St 27 26 -1
Grand Ave Carlsbad Blvd - Garfield St 56 57 1

Page 45 of 48 ends

Street Cross Streets 2023 2024 Difference
Christiansen Way Carlsbad Blvd - Washington St 36 36 0
State St Beech Ave - Christiansen Way 16 20 4
Grand Ave Jefferson St - Madison St 8 8 0
State St Carlsbad Village Dr - Grand Ave 48 46 -2
Roosevelt St Grand Ave - Beech Ave 41 46 5
Washington St Pine Ave - South of Pine 10 10 0
Tyler St Pine Ave - Oak Ave 12 11 -1
Garfield St Sycamore Ave - Walnut Ave 24 20 -4
Tyler St Walnut Ave - Pine Ave 12 11 -1
Garfield St Maple Ave - Chestnut Ave 22 21 -1
Arbuckle Pl Jefferson St - Madison St 19 19 0
Laguna Dr Buena Vista Cir - State St 31 28 -3
Ocean St Grand Ave - Christiansen Way 14 14 0
Walnut Ave Carlsbad Blvd - Garfield St 16 18 2
Washington St Oak Ave - Carlsbad Village Dr 12 13 1
Garfield St Carlsbad Village Dr - Grand Ave 45 52 7
Carlsbad Blvd Carlsbad Village Dr - Grand Ave 18 17 -1
Carlsbad Blvd Juniper Ave - Cherry Ave 15 15 0
Carlsbad Blvd Juniper Ave - Hemlock Ave 20 17 -3
Acacia Ave Garfield St - Carlsbad Blvd 26 25 -1
Cherry Ave Garfield St - Carlsbad Blvd 22 20 -2
Hibiscus Cir 3850 Hibiscus Cir Dwy - Corner 45 40 -5
Garfield St Redwood Ave - Hemlock Ave 12 10 -2
Garfield St Tamarack Ave - Redwood Ave 13 13 0
Walnut Ave Roosevelt St - Tyler St 43 44 1
Chestnut Ave Roosevelt St - Tyler St 36 36 0
Roosevelt St Chestnut Ave - Walnut Ave 28 30 2
Pine Ave Jefferson St - Madison St 19 19 0
Pine Ave Harding St - Jefferson St 22 23 1
Camellia Pl Harding St - Dead End 27 26 -1
Palm Ave Harding St - Jefferson St 31 29 -2
Chestnut Ave Harding St - Roundabout 24 22 -2
Jefferson St Palm Ave - Chestnut Ave 28 30 2
Harding St 3512 Harding St Dwy - Chestnut
Ave 33 33 0
Madison St Magnolia Ave - Palm Ave 29 28 -1
Chestnut Ave Roundabout - Madison St 29 28 -1

Page 46 of 48 ends

Street Cross Streets 2023 2024 Difference
Roosevelt St Magnolia Ave - Chestnut Ave 57 57 0
Anchor Way Jefferson St - Hibiscus Cir 49 40 -9
Grand Ave Dead End - Hope Ave 31 33 2
Jefferson St Anchor Way - Crosswalk 22 18 -4
Harding St 3640 Harding St Dwy - Palm Ave 18 12 -6
Palm Ave Dead End - Harding St 15 15 0
Harding St Palm Ave - 3512 Harding St Dwy 0 11 11
Madison St Chestnut Ave - Walnut Ave 31 26 -5
Palm Ave Jefferson St - Madison St 24 26 2
Madison St Palm Ave - Chestnut Ave 23 26 3
Redwood Ave Garfield St - East of Garfield 44 44 0
Oak Ave Harding St - Jefferson St 22 24 2
Madison St Walnut Ave - Pine Ave 22 19 -3
Oak Ave Dead End - Harding St 36 30 -6
Harding St Oak Ave - Carlsbad Village Dr 27 24 -3
Pine Ave Dead End - Harding St 33 30 -3
Jefferson St Pine Ave - Oak Ave 28 27 -1
Chestnut Ave Sa Diego Fwy - Harding St 13 14 1
Avocado Ln Harding St - Dead End 26 24 -2
Chestnut Ave Madison St - Roosevelt St 21 22 1
Magnolia Ave Harding St - Crosswalk 16 15 -1
Carol Pl Harding St - Jefferson St 65 38 -273
Carlsbad Blvd Grand Ave - Christiansen Way 8 8 0
Ocean St Beech Ave - Cypress Ave 17 13 -4
Ocean St Mountain View Dr - Garfield St 31 26 -5
Christiansen Way State St - Roundabout 4 6 2
Jefferson St Carlsbad Village Dr - Grand Ave 23 21 -2
Madison St Oak Ave - Carlsbad Village Dr 34 32 -2
Roosevelt St Oak Ave - Carlsbad Village Dr 22 19 -3
Madison St Grand Ave - Arbuckle Pl 39 44 5
Walnut Ave Lincoln St - Garfield St 49 49 0
Chestnut Ave Lincoln St - Garfield St 39 40 1
Jefferson St Home Ave - Arbuckle Pl 16 14 -2
Madison St Arbuckle Pl - Laguna Dr 46 46 0
Garfield St Beech Ave - Christiansen Way 50 54 4
Beech Ave Carlsbad Blvd - Garfield St 21 25 4
Oak Ave Lincoln St - Washington St 30 30 0

3 Large change in inventory due to construction.

Page 47 of 48 ends

Street Cross Streets 2023 2024 Difference
Lincoln St Pine Ave - Oak Ave 19 21 2
Oak Ave Carlsbad Blvd - Ocean St 10 10 0
Sycamore Ave Garfield St - Carlsbad Blvd 22 21 -1
Ocean St Christiansen Way - Beech Ave 17 16 -1
Garfield St Pine Ave - Walnut Ave 24 26 2
Ocean St Oak Ave - Carlsbad Village Dr 33 31 -2
Juniper Ave Garfield St - Carlsbad Blvd 26 26 0
Redwood Ave Garfield St - Carlsbad Blvd 28 24 -4
Madison St Pine Ave - Oak Ave 26 26 0
Jefferson St Oak Ave - Carlsbad Village Dr 31 28 -3
Hope Ave Grand Ave - Home Ave 20 19 -1
Home Ave Dead End - Hope Ave 24 23 -1
Hemlock Ave Garfield St - Carlsbad Blvd 29 27 -2
Oak Ave Jefferson St - Madison St 25 23 -2
Tyler St Walnut Ave - Chestnut Ave 10 8 -2
Roosevelt St Walnut Ave - Pine Ave 30 28 -2
Garfield St Beech Ave - Cypress Ave 16 20 4
Pine Ave Lincoln St - Garfield St 45 47 2
Pine Ave Garfield St - Carlsbad Blvd 11 8 -3
Carlsbad Blvd Carlsbad Blvd - Pine Ave 7 5 -2
Carlsbad Village
Dr Ocean St - Garfield St 31 32 1
Carlsbad Blvd Pine Ave - Oak Ave 10 9 -1
Ocean St Carlsbad Village Dr - Grand Ave 21 32 11
Garfield St Juniper Ave - Cherry Ave 19 16 -3
Roosevelt St Beech Ave - Laguna Dr 52 45 -7
Magnolia Ave Madison St - Village Dr 29 20 -9
Acacia Ave Dead End - Garfield St 47 53 6
Juniper Ave Dead End - Garfield St 50 50 0
Garfield St Cherry Ave - Acacia Ave 20 17 -3
Lincoln St Pine Ave - Walnut Ave 35 27 -8
State St Laguna Dr - Beech Ave 71 72 1
Laguna Dr Alley - Buena Vista Cir 19 17 -2
Hemlock Ave Dead End - Garfield St 50 43 -7
Tamarack Ave Hibiscus Cir - Garfield St 11 8 -3
Ocean St Garfield St - Pacific Ave 14 12 -2
Jefferson St Tamarack Ave - Carol Pl 11 10 -1
Harding St Pine Ave - Oak Ave 27 26 -1
----

Page 48 of 48 ends

Street Cross Streets 2023 2024 Difference
Harding St Chestnut Ave - Pine Ave 57 57 0
Jefferson St 3750 Jefferson St Dwy - Magnolia
Ave 17 12 -5
Harding St Magnolia Ave - 3640 Harding St
Dwy 15 16 1
Magnolia Ave Dead End - Harding St 11 11 0
Harding St Carlsbad Village Dr - Grand Ave 24 24 0
Garfield St Hemlock Ave - Juniper Ave 12 10 -2
Lincoln St Walnut Ave - 3259 Lincoln St 26 28 2
Carlsbad Blvd Christiansen Way - Beech Ave 12 12 0
Carlsbad Blvd Beech Ave - Duffield Sports Center 31 31 0 State St Laguna Dr - Roundabout 8 7 -1
Lincoln St Carlsbad Village Dr - Oak Ave 8 12 4
Washington St Grand Ave - Christiansen Ave 7 6 -1
Alley Christiansen Way - Dead End 44 53 9
Grand Ave Roosevelt St - Madison St 11 11 0
Grand Ave Jefferson St - Madison St 11 10 -1
Grand Ave Roosevelt St - State St 7 9 2
Grand Ave State St - Carlsbad Village Station 4 5 1
Grand Ave Harding St - Jefferson St 11 9 -2
Grand Ave Carlsbad Village Station -
Washington St 19 17 -2

AB 2097
~ ttachment C
~ City of

PARKING REQUIREMENTS
Carlsbad
Informational Bulletin
IB-131
This bulletin provides an overview of the restrictions
imposed by the state legislature under AB 2097 on the
city's ability to require minimum parking standards on
certain private development projects.

BACKGROUND
Most cities, including Carlsbad, have historically required that new residential and commercial development
provide onsite parking spaces to sufficiently
accommodate occupants and customers and reduce
impacts to neighboring land uses. The commonly applied
parking standard is formula based, where the minimum
number of required parking spaces is dependent upon the size and type of use being built. For example, Carlsbad requires one parking space for every 100 square feet of restaurant space, two parking spaces for each apartment unit with two or more bedrooms, and so on.

Based largely on a body of academic research regarding
the potential impacts minimum parking ratios have on car ownership, vehicle miles traveled, and use of public
transit, the state legislature passed AB 2097, which added Government Code §65863.2, that effectively eliminates
parking requirements in new residential and commercial
developments when located within a half-mile of a major transit stop.

According to the Assembly Floor Analysis on AB 2097, the study found that in buildings with no on-site parking, only 38% of households owned a car, but in buildings with at least one parking space per unit, the study found that
more than 81% of households owned automobiles. As
such, by eliminating parking minimums in new
development, the state legislature figures that fewer
households will rely on the automobile for transportation.

Documents Referenced
Carlsbad Village Station Eligible Parcels; Map
Poinsettia Station Eligible Parcels; Map
Carlsbad Housing (Element) Plan; IB-137
2021-2029 Housing Element; Plan
Carlsbad Parking Standards; §21.44
EV Charging Station Requirements; §18.22
EV Charging Permit Streamlining; IB-165
Density Bonus; IB-112
Supportive Housing Defined; §21.04.355.1
Transitional Housing Defined; §21.04.362
CA Coastal Commission Memo; Policy
Developers could still voluntarily provide onsite parking (and many likely will), but the number of parking spaces provided will be based on builder preference and market demand, not by city-established minimum parking
standards .

The state legislature's intent with this action, which is effective January 1, 2023, is that it will help drive down construction costs, reduce vehicle traffic, increase public transit ridership, and promote walkable and bikeable
communities so people can get around without a car,
which will reduce the greenhouse gas emissions
responsible for climate change.

NEW STATE LIMITS ON PARKING

AREAS AFFECTED
Pursuant to Government Code §65863.2(a), a city cannot
impose or enforce any minimum automobile parking
requirements on a residential, commercial, or other
development project (except for hotels, motels, short
term rentals, or other transient lodging --- city parking standards still apply to those) if the project is located within one-half mile of public transit. The state defines public transit as a "major transit stop," containing any one of the following:
• Fixed rail station
• Bus rapid transit stop
• high-quality transit corridor included in a regional
transportation plan
• Intersection of two or more major bus routes were
buses stop every 15 minutes or less during peak
commute periods
Community Development Department I 1635 Faraday Ave. I Carlsbad, CA 92008 I www .carlsbadca.gov The city does not have any high-quality transit corridors per SANDAG's 2021 Regional Transportation Plan. And
North County Transit District's Breeze bus system, does not meet the bus stop requirements and therefore does
not qualify.

Currently, there are only two locations in the city that meet the definition of public transit --- Carlsbad Village Station and Poinsettia Station. Maps have been provided showing those parcels that are subject to §65863.2. See "Documents Referenced" above.

In cases where only a portion of the project site is located within one-half mile of a major transit stop, the following standards must be met in order to be eligible.
• At least 75% of the total project site is located within one-half mile of a major transit stop; and
• At least 90% of the proposed residential units, or
100 units or more, whichever is less, are located
one-half mile of a major transit stop.

Projects failing to meet these requirements do not qualify for the allowances under §65863.2 and must meet
current city parking standards.

EV CHARGING & ADA PARKING
Irrespective of proximity to public transit, state law allows the city to continue to apply minimum parking standards for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations as well as
required parking spaces accessible to persons with
disabilities (ADA).
• For EV stations, the required number of EV parking
spaces for residential projects is provided in Table

4.106.4.3.1 of Carlsbad Municipal Code (CMC)
§18.21.040. For nonresidential projects, EV parking
space requirements are provided in Table

5.106.5.3.3 of CMC §18.21.050. The parking
requirement is based on the total number of actual
parking spaces that would have otherwise applied to

Page 2 of 3 ends

the development if the state code section did not
exist. Refer to IB-165 for an overview of the city's
streamlining provisions and alternative standards for
EV charging stations .
• For ADA parking, the city applies the standards set
forth in Chapter 1109A (multifamily) and Chapter
118 (commercial) ofTitle 24, Volume 1 of the 2023
CA Building Code. Like EV spaces, the total number
of ADA spaces is based on the total number of actual
parking spaces that would have otherwise applied to
the development.

EXEMPTIONS
The city may apply its minimum parking standards to a
proposed project if it makes written find ings that failure to impose parking standards will result in one of the
following to occur.
• Hinders the city's ability to meet its share of low
and very low-income housing. Refer to IB-137 for
more on the city's Housing Element and Regional
Housing Needs Assessment requirements.
• Hinders the city's ability to meet any special housing needs for elderly or persons with disability. Refer to
the city's 2021-2029 Housing Element for more
information.
• The proposed "housing development project" will
negatively impact existing residential or commercial
parking that is located within one-half mile of the
project. The state defines a "housing development
project" as either:
o A 100% residential development; or
o Mixed-use development where at least 2/3 of
the project is designed for residential use; or
IB-131_AB 2097 Parking Limits (Feb. 2024)
o Project includes transitional housing or
supportive housing.

The city exemption determination must be supported by a preponderance of the evidence in the record showing that not imposing or enforcing minimum parking standards
would have a substantially negative impact on the above referenced development.

The exemption finding must be made by the city within 30 days following receipt of a completed application.

EXCEPTIONS TO THE EXEMPTIONS
Government Code §65863.2{c) provides a list of specific project types that are not subject to the above exemption provisions. In other words, the city cannot impose
minimum parking standards on the following housing
development projects, irrespective of whether the above discussed exemption findings can be made.
• The housing development project contains fewer
than 20 housing units.
• The housing development project dedicates a
minimum of 20% of the total housing units to very
low-, low-, or moderate-income households,
students, elderly, or persons with disabilities.
• The housing development project is subject to
parking reductions based on the provisions of any
other applicable law. As an example, the proposed
development is a density bonus project, which offers
reduced parking standards for development
projects. Please refer to 18-112 for more on density
bonus law.

PARKING SPACES PROVIDED VOLUNTARILY
When a project voluntarily provides parking, the city is limited to only imposing the following parking
requirements:

IB-131_AB 2097 Parking Limits (Feb. 2024)
• The city may require that the voluntary parking
spaces meet established minimum location and
design standards.
• If a project voluntarily provides parking spaces, the city can require that the spaces be available to the
public.
• If a project voluntarily provides parking spaces, the city can require that a parking fee be charged to
residents or customers for use. Conversely, the city
cannot require that the voluntarily provided parking
spaces be offered to the residents or customers free
of charge.

PROPERTIES IN THE COASTAL ZONE
Development in the Coastal Zone requires a Costa I
Development Permit consistent with Carlsbad Municipal
Code {CMC) Chapter 21.201. Following adoption of AB
2097, the California Coastal Commission released on June 30, 2023 a memorandum discussing how the Commission
and local governments can impose other types of
conditions in these areas to ensure projects and Local
Coastal Programs (LCPs) are consistent with the public
access and recreation policies of the Coastal Act {Chapter 3) and certified LCPs. These other types of conditions may assist the city in making the necessary findings to approve required Coastal Development Permits (§21.201.0B0(C)).

YOUR OPTIONS FOR SERVICE
Questions pertaining to this state law, please contact the Planning Division at 442-339-2600 or via email at
Pia nni [email protected].

Page 3 of 3 ends

Density Bonus
This bulletin outlines the development allowances
provided under Govt. Code §65915, commonly
referred to as state density bonus law. The bulletin is only intended to summarize the key provisions of
state law rather than cite them in total. The
document has been updated to include recent state
legislation, including AB 1287, the "middle -income
homes density bonus law," which became effective
January 1, 2024.

BACKGROUND
State density bonus law allows a developer to
increase density (total number of homes) allowed on
a property above the maximum set under a city's
local land use plan (Carlsbad General Plan) by as
much as 100%. In addition, qualifying applicants can
also receive reductions in required development
standards such as setbacks and height limits when
those standards prevent the applicant from achieving
the density allowed under state law. Other tools
include reduced or no parking requirements for
certain project types.

In exchange for these benefits, a certain number of
the new dwelling units within the development
project must be reserved for lower-income
households, seniors, or the other eligible affordable
housing projects.

Pursuant to Government Code §65915(a)(1), each
jurisdiction must adopt an ordinance that specifies
how compliance with density bonus law will be
implemented . Failure to adopt an ordinance does not
relieve the city from complying with state density
bonus law. As such, the city's adopted ordinance,
Carlsbad Municipal Code §21.86, references state
mandates where appropriate (as opposed to
repeating state code requirements) and focuses more
on the permit processing requirements for density
bonus applications .

ELIGIBILITY
Any housing development that proposes five or more
units and incorporates at least one of the following is eligible for a density bonus. Note: Accessory Dwelling
Units (ADUs) may be included as part of a single-family or multi-family development, but ADUs do not count
towards/against the total density allowed under state
density bonus. Refer to info-bulletin 1B-111 for more
on AD Us.
l!-'.Attachment D
(_ City of
Carlsbad
Informational Bulletin
18-112
• At least 5% of t he housing units are restricted to
very low-income residents.
• At least 10% of the housing units are restricted to
low-income residents.
• At least 10% of the units in a for-sale housing
development are restricted for moderate
income.
• 100% of the housing units (other than manager's
units) are restricted affordable with a maximum
of 20% of the units being moderate .
• At least 10% of the housing units are rent
restricted at the very low-income level for
transitional foster youth, disabled veterans, or
homeless persons.
• At least 20% of the housing units are for low
income college students in housing dedicated for
full-time students at accredited colleges.
• The project donates at least one acre of land to
the city for very low-income units, and the land
Community Development Department I 1635 Faraday Ave. I Carlsbad, CA 92008 I www.carlsbadca.gov has the appropriate permits and approvals and
access to needed public facilities.
• The project is a senior citizen housing
development ; in which case, no affordable units
are required.
• The project is a mobile home park that is age
restricted to senior citizens; in which case, no
affordable units are required .

AFFORDABILITY DURATION
State density bonus law establishes how long an
affordable unit must stay affordable.
• Affordable rental units must be restricted at the
targeted income level group for at least 55 years.
• Affordable for-sale units must be restricted at the
targeted income level group for at least 30 years,
which starts after the initial sale of the affordable
unit . Affordable units may be sold at a market
price to other than targeted households provided
that the sale results in an equity sharing
agreement with the city.

DENSITY BONUS CALCULATIONS
Despite the city's rounding requirements under CMC
§21.53.230 (Table A), for projects utilizing density
bonus, Government Code §65915(q) requires that
each component of any density calculation resulting in
fractional units shall be separately rounded up to the
next whole number. In other words, fill density related calculations must be rounded up.

Base Density Calculation
Step one in calculating density bonus is to calculate
the project's base density, which represents the
number of dwelling units allowed under the city's
General Plan, per acre of property. Calculating base

Page 2 of 7 ends

density under density bonus is no different from how
the city calculates density for standard residential
development projects, with the following exceptions:
• While the city uses developable (or net) acreage
in determining density, density bonus law
requires cities to use gross acreage. This
allowance was clarified in an HCD technical
assistance letter dated July 26, 2023.
• While the city utilizes a "mid-range" density
calculation for determining the allowable number
of units on a property, state law requires that
density bonus be calculated based upon the
maximum density allowed under the city's
General Plan and zoning ordinance for the
subject property.
• Pursuant to SB-330 (Housing Crisis Act of 2019),
the city is prohibited from enforcing housing
caps. As such, the housing caps in the city's
Growth Management Plan (GMP) cannot be
applied to new housing development projects .

Refer to IB-132 for more information on SB-330
and Reso No. 2021-074 for the city's suspension
of the GMP cap limits and performance standard
moratorium provisions.

Density Bonus Calculation
Step two in calculating density bonus is to calculate
the project's density increase, which represents the
number of units allowed in addition to the base
density units. These additional dwelling units are set
per a sliding scale, based upon two primary factors:
• The percentage of units in the project that will be
set aside (reserved) as affordable; and,
• The household income category of those
affordable units (i.e., very low, low, or moderate
income).

For convenience, a Density Bonus Table is included on
page six of the city's Density Bonus Report (Form
P-l(H) ). As you will see from the table, the numbe r of affordable units (far left column) and the level of
affordability (top row) greatly influence the number of density bonus units that can be granted .

For example, a project that reserves 10% of its units as affordable for very low-income families is eligible for a

32.5% density bonus, as opposed to a density bonus of
only 20% if those same affordable units were reserved
for /ow-income families . Refer to info-bulletin IB-137 (Carlsbad's Housing Plan) for more information on
household income and affordability .

IB-112_State Density Bonus Law_Updated: March 2024

INCLUSIONARY HOUSING CALCULATIONS
To help provide local affordable housing, the city in
1993 adopted an inclusionary housing ordinance
(§21.85), which established the legal basis for
requiring affordable (inclusionary) housing units in
new residential development in the city .

For more information, refer to info-bulletin IB-157
(lnclusionary Housing Program). While the city's
inclusionary regulations are separate from density
bonus law, there are a few important provisions in the
city's inclusionary ordinance that directly affect
density bonus projects, as reflected below.
• The city's inclusionary requirements apply to~
proposed development projects that include
residential units. This means that projects
subject to the state density bonus law/city's
density bonus ordinance (§21.86), must also
comply with the city's inclusionary housing
ordinance (§21.85).
• Projects proposing seven or more housing units
are required to restrict at least 15% of the total
proposed units for low-income households. The
total proposed units include base density and
density bonus units .
• When calculating inclusionary requirements,
fractional units resulting in less than 0.5 are
rounded down to the next whole number.
• The required affordable inclusionary units satisfy
the required affordable density bonus units.

The city's application of its inclusionary code is
consistent with AB 2345 and the Department of
Housing & Community Development's (HCD)
technica l assistance letter dated September 2, 2022
to the City of West Hollywood .

IB-112_State Density Bonus Law_Updated : March 2024

THEORETICAL EXAMPLE
Sometimes showing the math helps folks better
understand how density bonus works. The following is
a theoretical example on how these different density
calculations are applied.

A property 1.003 net acres in size has a zoning
designation of R-15 (11.5 to 15 dwelling units per
acre). Under density bonus, this results in a maximum
base density of 15.05 units for this site {1.003 acres
multiplied by 15 units per acre), which rounds up to 16 units.

The applicant proposes that 3 of the 16 units will be
reserved for low-income households. This results in

18.7% of the units that will be reserved as affordable
housing {3 affordable units divided by 16 base density
units), which rounds up to 19%.

Based on the sliding scale found in the Density Bonus
Table in the Density Bonus Report (Form P-l(H }), with
19% of the affordable units reserved for low-income
families, the project's base density can increase by

33.5% or 5.36 units (16 base density units multiplied by

33.5%), which rounds up to 6 density bonus units for a
total of 22 units for this project.

To satisfy the city's inclusionary ordinance, a total of

3.3 affordable low-income units are required for this
project {15% inclusionary requirement multipl ied by 22 total units), which rounds down to 3 units.

In this example, the 3 affordable low-income units
satisfy the requirements under state density bonus law
as well as the city's inclusionary housing ordinance.

SECONDARY DENSITY BONUS
AB 1287 (Alvarez, 2023) amended state density bonus
law by requiring jurisdictions to award an additional
(or second) density bonus for projects that have
allocated a certain amount of affordable housing for
very-low income, low-income, or moderate-income
units, as summarized in the section below.

Minimum Eligibility
The proposed density bonus project must comply with
one of the following affordability requirements to be
eligible for an additional density bonus.
• A minimum of 15% of the base units are reserved
for very low-income households; or
• A minimum of 24% of the base units are reserved
for low-income households; or
• A minimum of 44% of the base units are reserved
for moderate -income households.

Page 3 of 7 ends

Density Increase
Under state law, the city must grant the developer an
additional density bonus if additional units are set
aside for either very low or moderate-income
households. Like traditional density bonus calculations, the secondary density bonus is also on a sliding scale, based on the project's base density.

For reference, the secondary density bonus allowances
have been included in the Density Bonus Table found
on page six of the city's Density Bonus Report (Form P- 10::!l). To help illustrate how this secondary density
bonus is applied, let us relook at the previous
theoretical example.

Instead of 3 units, the applicant now proposes
that 5 of the 16 units will be reserved for low
income households. This results in 31.2% of the
units that will be reserved as affordable housing,
which rounds up to 32%.

With 32% of the affordable units reserved for
low-income households, the project's base
density can increase by 50% or 8.0 units (16 base
density units multiplied by 50%), for a total of 24
units.

Since more than 24% of the base units are being
reserved for low-income households (31.2%,
specifically), this project is eligible for a second
density bonus. In this example, the applicant
proposes to reserve an additional 15% of the
base units for moderate-income households,
which results in 2.4 units (16 base density units
multiplied by 15%) that rounds up to 3 units.

With 15% of the affordable units reserved for
moderate-income households, the project's base
density can increase by an additional 50% or 8.0
units (16 base density units multiplied by 50%).

As a result, the total project size increases to 32
total units, 8 of which will be restricted
affordable .

I
It is important to highlight that AB 1287 caps the
affordable set aside at 50%. For projects that allocate the maximum of moderate-income units (44%), they
would only be eligible to set aside another 6% of very low income or moderate-income units to receive an
additional bonus of 23.75% or 22.5%, respectively.

Page 4 of 7 ends

REMOVAL OF EXISTING RENTAL UNITS
Under density bonus law, projects that include the
demolition or removal of affordable rental units are
ineligible for density bonus unless the units are
replaced concurrent with the development of the
project. This provision applies to the following types of rental units:
• Units subject to recorded restrictions
• Units subject to rent control
• Units occupied by very low- or low-income
households
If household rental income cannot be determined, the
city may assume households are occupied by low
income households in the same proportion as low
income renters in the city, consistent with AB 2556.

Additionally, under state law the affordable units
required under density bonus may also be used to
satisfy any replacement unit requirements. This
allowance was clarified in an HCD technical assistance
letter dated December 14, 2023.

DEVELOPMENT STANDARD DEVIATIONS
Traditional development projects must be designed to
comply with city established development standards
and design regulations such as building height
limitations, setback requirements, minimum parking
ratios, and on-site open space directives.

However, under state density bonus law, applicants
can deviate from these development standards when
found that the standards prevent the applicant from
achieving the density allowed under the state law.

There are two types of tools available to applicants:
• Incentives & Concessions
• Waivers
IB-112_State Density Bonus Law_Updated: March 2024
Incentives & Concessions
Incentives and concessions, as defined under state
density bonus law, allow a developer to deviate from
those requirements when modifying such regulat ions
would provide "identifiable and actual cost
reductions" to provide for affordable housing costs
and rents. This requirement was clarified in the court
decision of Schreiber v. City of Los Angeles (later
codified as part of the passage of AB 1287) and the
sections below reflect the holdings in that case.

Application
A few key considerations regarding the application of
incentives or concessions:
• Under the government code, the terms
"incentives" and "concessions" are used
interchangeably . As such, the city considers them
one in the same ("incentives/concessions").
• A density bonus project is entitled to
incentives/concessions even without a request
for a density bonus --- if a developer provides the
affordable housing specified under density bonus
law, they are eligible for incentives/concessions.
• The city applies incentives/concessions to the
development standards or design regulations
requiring deviation, not to the individual
situation.

For example, say a project proposes three
separate buildings with each building requiring
an increase in the city's maximum building
height standard . In this example, the city would
require one incentive/concession for this
deviation, even though the deviation applies to
three separate buildings.

If that same project requires a deviation from
the building height and rear yard setback
IB-112_State Density Bonus Law_Updated: March 2024
standards, the city will require two
incentives/concessions since these are
considered two different development
standards.
• Pursuant to the Schreiber case, which was later
codified as part of the passage of AB 1287, a
developer is not required to provide financial
evidence (i.e., proforma) documenting that a
requested incentive/concession will result in
actual cost reductions. However, applicants need
to reasonably document "why " the requested
incentive/concession will reduce affordable
housing development costs. As such, the city
requires applicants to provide reasonable
documentation to show that a requested
incentive/concession will result in identifiable
cost reductions to provide for affordable housing
costs or rents.

Number Author ized
The number of incentives/concessions that can be
requested by a developer varies by the amount and
type of affordable units being proposed, as reflected
below.

INCOME % OF AFFORDABLE UNITS1
Very Low 5% 10% 15% 16% ,?:80%
Low 10% 17% 24% --- ,!80%
Moderate 10% 20% 30% 45% 20%
Student2 20% --- --- --- ---
Incentives 1 2 3 4 53
1 The% of a project' s affordable units must be at least equal to the listed %. 2 Low er-income stud ent in a dedicated student housing development. 3 To qualify for 5 incentives, a project must reserve at least 80% of t he units for lower income households (very low, low, or combination thereof). The remaining 20% may be reserved for modera te income households. The applicant shall also receive a height increase of up to three additional stories, or 33 feet.

As noted in footnote #1, when determining the
appropriate numbe r of incentives/concessions , a
project's percentage of affordable units must be "at
least" equal to the percentages shown in the table
above (§65915(d)(2)) . In other words, the percentages
in the table are minimums .

So, in the case of the theoretical example project that reserved 19% of the units for low-income, the
applicant is eligible to receive two
incentives/concessions. If affordable units are
provided to satisfy the city's inclusionary housing
obligation above required density bonus affordable
units, the total number of affordable units count

Page 5 of 7 ends

when determining the number of
incentives/concessions allowed .

Grounds for Denial
Under the Schreiber case, the city must grant a
requested incentive/concession unless it finds, under
a preponderance of evidence, the following:
• The incentive/concession does not result in
identifiable and actual cost reductions to provide
for affordable housing costs or rents.
• Granting the incentive/concession would have a
specific adverse impact on public health or safety
or on property listed on the California historical
register, which cannot be mitigated, or would be
contrary to state or federal law.

Wa ivers
Density bonus law offers another form of assistance to
developers, separate from concessions/waivers, in the
form of "waivers." A waiver is a modification or
reduction to established development standards or
design regulations when those requirements
potentially cause the construction of the development
project physically infeasible, if not approved.

Application
A few key considerations regarding waivers.
• Waivers do not count as an incentive/concession
and can be used in concert (combined) with
incentives/concessions.
• The developer must provide sufficient
documentation justifying why the city's
established development standard(s) or design
regulation(s) physically preclude construction of
the project and why the waiver(s) is necessary.

Page 6 of 7 ends

Sufficient documentation may include a written
explanation of the physical constraints
accompanied with an exhibit showing the site
and developable envelope.

Number Author ized
Unlike concessions/incentives, applicants are
entitled to waive any established development
standards or design regulations that would physically
preclude the development from achieving the
allowances authorized under density bonus law. In
other words, there is no limit in the number of
waivers an applicant can request.

Grounds for Denial
The city is not required to grant or otherwise
authorize a waiver if it finds that the requested
deviation or modification causes a specific adverse
impact on public health or safety and cannot be
mitigated, would have an adverse impact on property
listed on the California historical register, or would
otherwise violate state or federal law.

Like incentives/concessions, the city must include a
showing of substantial evidence when making a
finding of denial on a waiver request.

PARKING ALLOWANCES
Despite the city's parking requirements under CMC
§21.44, the city may not require more than the
following parking ratios for a density bonus project
(including parking for persons with disabilities):

Unit Type Required Parking
Studio 1 space
One Bedroom 1 space
Two Bedroom 1.5 spaces
Three Bedroom 1.5 spaces
Four Bedroom 2.5 spaces
IB-112_State Density Bonus Law_Updated: March 2024
State law further limits parking requirements for
specified projects as reflected below.
• 0.5 spaces per unit for projects with at least 11%
very low income, 20% lower income, or 40%
moderate income, when located within½ mile of
accessible major transit stop, which in the city is
the Carlsbad Village Coaster Station or Poinsettia
Coaster Station.
• No parking spaces are required for projects
meeting the following:
o 100% affordable to lower income residents,
within½ mile of a major transit stop, which
in the city is the Carlsbad Village Coaster
Station or Poinsettia Coaster Station.
o 100% senior or special needs rental project
affordable to lower income, either with
paratransit service or within½ mile of an
accessible bus route that operates at least
eight times per day.
o Rental supportive housing development
that is 100% affordable to lower income
households.

Parking requirements may be satisfied by providing
individual parking stalls or in tandem, so long as the
stalls are provided onsite.

Requesting these parking standards does not count as
an incentive/concession or waiver; however, an
applicant may request further parking standard
reductions using the incentive/concession or waiver
allowances.

DENSITY BONUS APPLICATIONS
The city's Density Bonus Ordinance can be found in
CMC §21.86 and applicants should follow the permit
submittal requirements and processes set forth in the
Land Use Review Application (Form P-1).

IB-112_State Density Bonus Law_Updated : March 2024
Pursuant to changes in state density bonus law that
went into effective in 2019, the city developed a
supplemental form outlining the information that
must be submitted for a complete density bonus
application; referred to as the Density Bonus Report
Form P-l(H). This includes project location, property
description, project description, density calculations, and information on any requested
incentives/concessions or waivers.

Once a development application is determined to be
complete, the city, under state law, will notify the
applicant of the level of density bonus and parking
ratio the development is eligible to receive.

PROJECTS IN THE COASTAL ZONE
When a density bonus project is proposed in the
coastal zone, legislation that went into effect in 2019 attempted to strike a balance between the state goals
of promoting housing and protecting the coast.

Density bonuses, incentives/concessions, waivers, and
parking reductions are to be permitted so that they
are consistent with both density bonus law and the
California Coastal Act. Granting of a density bonus or
an incentive does not require a general plan, zoning, or local coastal plan amendment.

YOUR OPTIONS FOR SERVICE
To schedule an appointment to submit an application
or to learn more about density bonus, please contact
the Planning Division at 442-339-2600 or via email at
[email protected].

NOTE: State density bonus law is regularly updated
and revised by the state legislature and the city may
not be able to timely update this bulletin to reflect
the most current provisions. Please refer to current
state law (§65915 et seq.).

Page 7 of 7 ends

Carlsbad City CouncilApril 17, 2025

Carlsbad City Council
April 17, 2025