AN ORDINANCE AMENDING DIVISION 18 OF THE FORT BRAGG MUNICIPAL CODE (ILUDC 1-25) TO AMEND CHAPTER 18.36 “PARKING AND LOADING” TO: 1) REDUCE MINIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENTS FOR MULTIFAMILY HOUSING; AND 2) AMEND CHAPTER 18.35 “LANDSCAPING STANDARDS” TO ADDRESS INCONSISTENCIES IN LANDSCAPING REQUIREMENTS FOR PARKING LOTS. AN ORDINANCE AMENDING DIVISION 18 OF THE FORT BRAGG MUNICIPAL CODE (ILUDC 1-25) TO AMEND CHAPTER 18.36 “PARKING AND LOADING” TO: 1) REDUCE MINIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENTS FOR MULTIFAMILY HOUSING; AND 2) AMEND CHAPTER 18.35 “LANDSCAPING STANDARDS” TO ADDRESS INCONSISTENCIES IN LANDSCAPING REQUIREMENTS FOR PARKING LOTS. BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT BRAGG AN ORDINANCE AMENDING DIVISION 18 OF THE FORT BRAGG MUNICIPAL CODE (ILUDC 1-25) TO AMEND CHAPTER 18.36 “PARKING AND LOADING” TO: 1) REDUCE MINIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENTS FOR MULTIFAMILY HOUSING; AND 2) AMEND CHAPTER 18.35 “LANDSCAPING STANDARDS” TO ADDRESS INCONSISTENCIES IN LANDSCAPING REQUIREMENTS FOR PARKING LOTS.
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING DIVISION 18 OF THE FORT BRAGG MUNICIPAL CODE (ILUDC 1-25) TO AMEND CHAPTER 18.36 “PARKING AND LOADING” TO: 1) REDUCE MINIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENTS FOR MULTIFAMILY HOUSING; AND 2) AMEND CHAPTER 18.35 “LANDSCAPING STANDARDS” TO ADDRESS INCONSISTENCIES IN LANDSCAPING REQUIREMENTS FOR PARKING LOTS.
ORDINANCE NO. XXX-2025
WHEREAS, California Constitution Article XI, Section 7, enables the City of Fort Bragg (the “City”) to enact local planning and land use regulations; and WHEREAS, the authority to adopt and enforce zoning regulations is an exercise of the City’s police power to protect the public health, safety, and welfare; and WHEREAS, the City of Fort Bragg (“City”) adopted a General Plan in 2002 which established policies for all lands within Fort Bragg city limits and its sphere of influence; and WHEREAS, the City adopted an Inland General Plan and certified an Environmental Impact Report Addendum (“EIR Addendum”) for the General Plan on December 2, 2012; and WHEREAS, the City adopted an Inland Land Use and Development Code and Negative Declaration on February 10, 2014; and WHEREAS, the adoption of an Inland Land Use and Development Code is necessary to: 1) provide a regulatory framework for implementation of the Inland General Plan; 2) to implement new State planning and land use requirements; and 3) update zoning regulations in accordance with City Council policy direction; and WHEREAS, pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b3), this project is exempt from CEQA by the commonsense exemption; and WHEREAS, the Planning Commission held duly noticed public hearings on January 29 and February 12, 2025 to consider the Zoning Code Amendment, accept public testimony and adopted a resolution recommending that City Council adopt a zoning amendment to modify the City’s parking regulations; and WHEREAS, the City Council held a duly noticed public hearing on March 24, 2025 to consider the Zoning Code Amendment, and accept public testimony regarding a zoning amendment to modify the City’s parking regulations; and NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Fort Bragg City Council, based on the entirety of the record before it, which includes without limitation, CEQA, Public Resources Code §21000, et seq. and the CEQA Guidelines, 14 California Code of Regulations §15000, et seq.; the Fort Bragg Inland General Plan; the Fort Bragg Inland Land Use and Development Code; the Project application; all reports and public testimony submitted as part of the City Council meeting of March 24, 2025 and City Council deliberations; and any other evidence (within the meaning of Public Resources Code §21080(e) and §21082.2), the City Council does hereby make the following findings and determinations:
SECTION 1: LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS
The foregoing recitals are true and correct and made a part of this Ordinance.
On January 29, 2025 and February 12, 2025 the Planning Commission held a properly noticed public hearing to consider recommending the proposed minor amendment to the Inland Land Use and Development Code to the Fort Bragg City Council for adoption and adopted a resolution in support of the City Council’s adoption of the amendment to the ILUDC pursuant to Gov. Code Section 65355; and On March 25, 2025, the City Council held a properly noticed public hearing to consider adoption of the minor amendment to the Inland Land Use and Development Code; and SECTION 2: ILUDC AMENDMENT FINDINGS
Pursuant to Fort Bragg Municipal Code Section 18.94.060, the City Council makes the following findings for adoption of the proposed amendments to the Fort Bragg Inland Land Use and Development Code:
The proposed amendment is consistent with the General Plan and any applicable specific plan; and The proposed amendment would not be detrimental to the public interest, health, safety, convenience, or welfare of the City.
The proposed amendment is internally consistent with other applicable provisions of this Development Code.
The project is exempt from CEQA, pursuant to Section 15061(b3) “the commonsense exemption” The documents and other material constituting the record for these proceedings are located at the Community Development Department.
SECTION 3: Based on the foregoing, the City Council does hereby Amend the residential parking requirements of Table 7 of chapter 18.71.080 Planned Development as follows:
TABLE 3-7 - PARKING REQUIREMENTS BY LAND USE
Land Use Type:
Recreation, Education, and Public Assembly
Vehicle Spaces Required
Minimum
Maximum
Mobile home
Outside of mobile home park
1 space for each unit. No spaces
-
Within a mobile home park or Tiny Home Community
1 space for each unit, plus 0.5 guest parking space.
-
Multifamily housing, live/work unit, co-housing, residential component of a mixed-use project Zero to 1 bedroom: 1 space per unit.
2 bedrooms or more: 1.5 spaces per unit.
2.25 spaces per unit.
Organizational house, rooming or boarding house, residential care facility
0.5 spaces per bedroom.
1 space per bedroom.
Second dwelling unit
See § 18.42.170(M).
See § 18.42.170(M).
Single-family dwelling
Zero to 1 bedroom: 1 space per unit.
2 bedrooms or more: 1.5 spaces per unit.
4 spaces
Notes:
(1) Recreational vehicle parking spaces may also be required. See Subsection (D) of this Section (Recreational vehicle (RV) parking spaces).
SECTION 4. Based on the foregoing, the City Council does hereby Amend Section 18.71.090A2b as follows:
18.36.090 - Parking Design and Development Standards
Required parking areas shall be designed, constructed, and properly maintained in compliance with the following requirements. Except where noted, the Director may modify the requirements of this Section through Minor Use Permit approval (§ 18.71.060).
A. Location of parking. Parking areas shall be located as follows:
1. Residential. Residential parking shall be located on the same parcel as the uses served. Temporary (overnight) parking is allowed within required setback areas only on a paved driveway.
2. Nonresidential. Nonresidential parking shall be located on the same parcel as the uses served or within 300 feet of the parcel if shared parking or public parking facilities are used to meet parking requirements. a. Nonresidential parking shall not be located within a required front setback. b. Parking may be located within a required side or rear setback; provided, that it is separated from the side or rear property line by a minimum 5-foot-wide landscaped area. The Director of Public Works may waive this landscaping requirement for parking spaces accessed directly from an alley. c. Parking between the primary structure and the fronting street should be avoided.
3. Within the Downtown. Parking within the Downtown area identified by § 18.36.080(C), Figure 3-7 (CBD Special Parking Combining Zone), shall not be located between a primary building and the fronting street.
SECTION 4. Based on the foregoing, the City Council does hereby Amend Section 18.34.050(C) as follows:
18.34.050 (C) Parking Areas. All parking areas shall be landscaped as follows:
4. Perimeter parking lot landscaping. All surface parking areas shall be provided a fence, or landscape buffer between the parking area, and streets and adjoining properties, and the open areas between the property line and the public street right-of-way shall be landscaped. a. Adjacent to streets and only where allowed by § 18.36.090 or preexisting conditions. i) A parking area for a nonresidential use adjoining a public street where allowed by § 18.36.090(A) (Parking Design and Development Standards - Location of parking) shall be designed to provide a landscaped planting strip between the street right-of-way and parking area equal in depth to the setback required by the applicable zoning district or 15 five feet, whichever is more. b. Adjacent to side or rear property lines. Parking areas for nonresidential uses shall provide a perimeter landscape strip at least 5 feet wide (inside dimension) where the parking area adjoins a side or rear property line. The Director of Public Works may waive this landscaping requirement for parking spaces accessed directly from an alley. Trees shall be provided at the rate of 1 for each 25 linear feet of landscaped area, or other spacing as determined SECTION 7. Severability. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase of this Ordinance is for any reason held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid or unconstitutional, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of the Ordinance. The City Council of the City of Fort Bragg hereby declares that it would have passed this Ordinance and each section, subsection, sentence, clause, and phrase thereof irrespective of the fact that one or more sections, subsections, sentences, clauses, or phrases may be held invalid or unconstitutional.
SECTION 8. Effective Date and Publication. This ordinance shall be and the same is hereby declared to be in full force and effect from and after thirty (30) days after the date of its passage. Within fifteen (15) days after the passage of this Ordinance, the City Clerk shall cause a summary of said Ordinance to be published as provided in Government Code §36933, in a newspaper of general circulation published and circulated in the City of Fort Bragg, along with the names of the City Council voting for and against its passage.
SECTION 9. Fort Bragg City Council does hereby recommend that the Coastal Commission approve Zoning Amendment 1-25 (ILUDC 1-25) to Amend Chapter 18.36 “Parking And Loading” to: 1) Eliminate Minimum Parking Requirements for Multifamily Housing; and 2) Amend Chapter 18.35 “Landscaping Standards” of Division 18 to Address Inconsistencies in Landscaping Requirements for Parking Lots.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Ordinance shall become effective immediately upon its passage and adoption.
The foregoing Ordinance was introduced by Councilmember ________ at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Fort Bragg held ______________, and adopted at a regular meeting of the City of Fort Bragg held on _________, by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
RECUSE:
Jason Godeke, Mayor
ATTEST:
Diana Paoli, City Clerk
PUBLISH: Date, 2025 and Date, 2025 (by summary).
EFFECTIVE DATE: Date, 2025.
5 ILUDC Parking Standards Zoning Amendment