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ORDINANCE NO. 2026-_____
AN INTERIM URGENCY ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF
CULVER CITY ESTABLISHING A 45-DAY MORATORIUM ON
THE ISSUANCE OF ANY NEW BUILDING PERMITS OR
ENTITLEMENTS FOR AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE FLEET
SERVICES AND DECLARING THE URGENCY THEREOF AND
THAT IT SHALL TAKE EFFECT IMMEDIATELY
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA, DOES HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. FINDINGS
The City Council of the City of Culver City hereby finds, determines and declares that:
A. Government Code Section 65858 expressly authorizes the City Council, in order to protect public health, safety, and welfare, to adopt an interim urgency ordinance prohibiting uses that are in conflict with a contemplated general plan, specific plan, or zoning proposal that the legislative body, planning commission or the community development department is considering or studying or intends to study within a reasonable time, provided that the urgency measure shall require four- fifths (4/5) vote of the legislative body for adoption, and shall be of no further force and effect forty-five (45) days from its date of adoption, unless duly extended.
B. Culver City Charter Section 614 provides additional authority for the City Council to adopt an ordinance as an urgency measure for preserving the public peace, health or safety by a four-fifths vote.
C. In November, 2024, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved the expansion of commercial Automated Vehicles (AV) fleet operations into Southern California and the greater Los Angeles region, with Culver City situated within the central portion of the Westside service area.
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D. Culver City’s most recent comprehensive Zoning Code Update became effective on October 9, 2024, prior to the CPUC authorization of AV fleet operations in Southern California, and does not include definitions, zoning classifications, or development standards specific to AV uses or fleet service operations.
E. In recent months, the Culver City Current Planning Division has received multiple inquiries regarding the permissibility of AV fleet-related services and uses on properties throughout the City, and the Culver City Municipal Code (CCMC) does not provide adequate clarity regarding whether AV fleet service operations are allowed, which zoning districts may accommodate such uses, and whether any applicable development standards, operational requirements, or other regulatory provisions would apply.
F. Without the proposed interim urgency ordinance, the City may be required to issue permits for AV fleet service operations while staff prepares the draft ordinance for a code amendment defining this use and establishing appropriate approval processes and development standards.
G. The City Council finds that the proposed Interim Urgency Ordinance is necessary to preserve the public health, safety, and welfare, as the unmitigated development of AV fleet service operations throughout the City under the existing zoning regulations has the potential to create health and safety hazards resulting from continuous 24-hour facilities with staging, dispatching and associated activities, noise, lighting, and operational impacts during all hours of the day and night; potential proximity to sensi tive receptors and existing residential neighborhoods, and excessive queuing and stacking of vehicles in public rights -of- way with potential impacts to alleys, loading areas, and emergency access routes.
H. The City Council finds that the proposed Interim Urgency Ordinance is necessary to avoid conflict with the goals and policies of the General
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Plan 2045, including objectives related to active transportation, pedestrian-oriented development, and efficient land utilization.
I. The City Council finds that the adoption of the urgency ordinance is necessary to allow City staff adequate time to prepare a future Zoning Code Amendment to update the City’s development standards regulating AV fleet service operations citywide to protect the public health, safety, general welfare and character of existing neighborhoods and viability of nearby businesses.
J. The City Council finds that the threat to the public health, safety and welfare is current and immediate because there are pending inquiries regarding the permissibility of AV fleet -related services and uses on properties throughout the City.
SECTION 2. CITYWIDE MORATORIUM ON THE ISSUANCE
OF BUILDING PERMITS OR ENTITLEMENTS FOR AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE FLEET SERVICES.
A. Based on the above recitals and to protect the public safety, health, and welfare, the Council finds it is necessary to adopt the Interim Urgency Ordinance that enacts a 45- day moratorium on autonomou s vehicle fleet services citywide.
B. As used in this ordinance, autonomous vehicle fleet services means passenger transportation services, local delivery services, and other businesses that rely on fleets of three or more autonomous vehicles, as defined by Vehicle Code Section 38750, with rated capacities less than 10,000 lbs. This classification includes the following activities for autonomous vehicles, including, but not limited to, dispatching, storage, cleaning, software servicing, vehicle maintenance and servicing, and offices. It does not include charging only facilities, as EV charging must be permitted by right per State law. However, facilities with electric vehicle charging are not exempt from this classif ication solely because electric vehicle
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charging occurs on site. During the 45-day moratorium, no building permit or land use determination or entitlement shall be granted for, nor shall any application for a subdivision, use permit, variance, building permit, or land use determination or entitlement required to comply with the CCMC, including any appeals, be accepted or processed for any autonomous vehicle fleet service citywide. “Building permit” for purposes of this Ordinance shall not include plumbing, mechanical and electrical permits for existing structures.
SECTION 3. URGENCY MEASURE.
Based on the findings set forth in section 1, the City Council finds and declares that there is a current and immediate threat to the public health, safety and welfare of the community and upon that basis has determined that an urgency ordinance pursuant to the provisions of Government Code section 65858 and Culver City Charter Section 614 is warranted and shall take effect immediately upon adoption by a four-fifths vote of the City Council.
SECTION 4. CEQA.
The City Council finds that the adoption of this ordinance is statutorily exempt from CEQA pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3, section 15061(b)(3), because the activity is covered by the general rule that CEQA applies only to projects which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. The proposed urgency ordinance maintains the status quo and prevents changes in the environment pending the completion of the contemplated Zoning Code Amendment, and because there is no possibility that this urgency ordinance may have a significant adverse effect on the environment, the adoption of this urgency ordinance is exempt from CEQA.
SECTION 5. EFFECTIVE DATE.
Pursuant to Section 614 of the City Charter, this Ordinance shall be introduced and adopted at one and the same meeting and shall become effective
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immediately. This ordinance shall be of no further force and effect upon the expiration of 45 days from the date of adoption, unless extended in accordance with Government Code section 65858.
SECTION 6. SEVERABILITY.
The City Council hereby declares that, if any provision, section, subsection, paragraph, sentence, phrase or word of this Ordinance is rendered or declared invalid or unconstitutional by any final action in a court of competent jurisdiction or by reason or any preemptive legislation, then the City Council would have independently adopted the remaining provisions, sections, subsections, paragraphs, sentences, phrases, or words of this Ordinance, and as such they shall remain in full force and effect.
SECTION 7: RIGHTS AND REMEDIES.
Nothing in this Ordinance shall be construed to affect any suit or proceeding impending in any court, or any rights acquired, or liability incurred, or any cause or causes of action acquired or existing, under any act or Ordinance hereby repealed or amended as cited in this Ordinance; nor shall any just or legal right or remedy of any character be lost, impaired or affected by this Ordinance.
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SECTION 8: PUBLICATION.
Pursuant to Section 616 and 621 of the City Charter, prior to the expiration of fifteen (15) days after the adoption, the City Clerk shall cause this Ordinance, or a summary thereof, to be published in the Culver City News and shall post this Ordinance or a summary thereof in at least three (3) places within the City.
APPROVED and ADOPTED this 10
TH day of August, 2026.
FREDDY PUZA, MAYOR
City of Culver City, California
ATTEST: APPROVED AS TO FORM:
JEREMY BOCCHINO HEATHER BAKER
City Clerk City Attorney