City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: June 9, 2026
Agenda Item: 4.F
1 of 6
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Anuj Gupta, Director of Transportation, Parking Operations (DOT) Subject: Introduction and First Reading of an Ordinance Amending Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 3.04.030 on Beach Parking Lot Parking Permits and Hours
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Adopt a finding of categorical exemption pursuant to Section 15301 (Existing Facilities) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines; and
2. Introduce for first reading the attached ordinance amending Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 3.04.030 on beach parking lot hours and parking permits.
Summary
The City-owned beach parking lots, administered by the Parking Division of the Department of Transportation, are currently open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. from November through March, and 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. from April through October, except for the Santa Monica Pier Deck Parking Lot, Parking Lot 1 North, and Anneberg Beach House Parking Lot. These times were established to provide only two closure times per year, while attempting to adhere to the opening and closure language specified in Santa Monica Municipal Code (SMMC) section 3.04.030, which uses the imprecise and variable closure and opening times of sunset and sunrise, respectively. The current closure times of 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. create scenarios in which the lots close on many days each year while there is still daylight. Residents and users of the lots have often highlighted their inability to use the lots to park and watch the sunset on those days.
For this reason, staff recommends amending SMMC section 3.04.030 to specify beach parking lot closing times for 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. (extended from the current 6 p.m. and 8 2 of 6
p.m., respectively), and adjusting the closure time seasonal changes to align with the Daylight Saving Time clock changes in the spring and fall. Staff also recommends adding Parking Lot 1 South to the exceptions list in section 3.04.030(a) to be able to set its closing time at 11 p.m. to align with Pier business hours.
Background
In 1978, the City Council adopted Ordinance 1078 (Exhibit A) establishing general closure times for City owned parking lots of 3 a.m. to 6 a.m., sunset to sunrise for one beach parking lot, and the establishment of a parking permit for use during closure times. Additional details of the infraction for the parking violation were included in this ordinance.
In 1993, Council adopted Ordinance 1680 (Exhibit B) which establishes SMMC section
3.04.030 which provides additional details for beach parking permits and clarifies that the permits are for all beach lots.
In 2003, Council adopted Ordinance 2084 (Exhibit C) which added details to SMMC
3.04.030 including that beach parking permits cannot be issued until parking citations are paid.
In 2010, Council adopted Ordinance 2305 (Exhibit D) which added details to SMMC
3.04.030 including that certain Council approved event parking would be allowed at beach lots.
In 2012, Council adopted Ordinance 2403 (Exhibit E) which altered SMMC 3.04.030 to memorialize the beach lot closure hours as sunset to sunrise. Exceptions were clarified for the Santa Monica Pier Deck Parking Lot (Pier Lot), Parking Lot 1N, and the Annenberg Beach House Parking Lot (Annenberg Lot). These lots have different hours.
In 2022, Council adopted Ordinance 2696 (Exhibit F) altering SMMC 3.04.030 establishing that the City Manager or designee shall establish hours of operation for the Pier Lot.
3 of 6
Discussion
The City’s Municipal Code and signage at beach lots provides a vague and variable closure time of “sunset to sunrise,” with the exception of the Annenberg Lot, Lot 1 North, and the Pier Lot. Lot 1N (immediately north of the Pier, often referred to as the 1550 Lot) is open 6 a.m. – 2 a.m., Annenberg is open from 7 a.m. – 8 p.m., November-March and 7 a.m. – 9 p.m. April-October, and the Pier Parking lot is open from 9 a.m. – 10 p.m. The remainder of the beach lots shown below are currently open from 6 a.m. – 6 p.m., November-March, and 6 a.m. – 8 p.m., April-October. These times were set years ago to roughly align with the “sunset to sunrise” language from the Municipal Code.
For years, Parking staff have received feedback from the public about the early closure times, often from people who want to use the beach lots to see the sunset. The current operating hours create several times of the year where people cannot park in the lots while they are open, see the sunset, and remain until it gets fully dark. A few times where this is particularly a problem are from the Daylight Saving Time change in March (which occurred on March 8 this year) until the end of March. The sun sets around 7 p.m. after the time change, resulting in roughly three weeks where the lots are fully closed during daylight. In June, July, and August, the sun sets close to or after 8 p.m., making people unable to park and see the sunset and remain until it gets dark. The beach lots are accessible either via paid parking or beach parking passes or senior beach parking passes in the beach lots. Many of these paid parkers and passholders are Santa Monica residents.
Parking Division staff discussed potential changes with the City Attorney’s Office and Police Department staff, and developed new proposed closure times, with some of changes administratively implemented on May 1, 2026, and some to be implemented after Council adoption of revisions to the beach parking ordinance. On May 1, the lots were changed to close at 9 p.m. instead of 8 p.m. for the summer months. Additional proposed changes are shown below.
Proposed changes for the summer hours will include the following:
4 of 6
Beach Lot Current Summer Hours Proposed Summer Hours
9N, 8N, 7N, 6N, 5AN,
5N, 4N, 3N, 2S, 3S,
4S, and 5S
6 a.m. – 8 p.m.
6 a.m. – 9 p.m. (as of May 1,
2026; going forward, as of
spring Daylight Saving change)
1 North 6 a.m. – 2 a.m. 6 a.m. – 2 a.m. (stays the same) 1 South 6 a.m. – 8 p.m.
6 a.m. – 9 p.m. (as of May 1,
2026)
6 a.m. – 11 p.m. (as of Council
adoption of amendments)
Annenberg Lot 7 a.m. – 9 p.m. 7 a.m. – 9 p.m. (stays the same) Pier Lot 9 a.m. – 10 p.m.
9 a.m. – 10 p.m. (stays the
same)
Proposed changes for the winter hours will include the following:
Beach Lot Current Winter Hours Proposed Winter Hours
9N, 8N, 7N, 6N, 5AN,
5N, 4N, 3N, 2S, 3S,
4S, and 5S
6 a.m. – 6 p.m.
6 a.m. – 7 p.m. (as of fall
Daylight Saving change)
1 North 6 a.m. – 2 a.m. 6 a.m. – 2 a.m. (stays the same) 1 South 6 a.m. – 6 p.m.
6 a.m. – 11 p.m. (as of Council
adoption of amendments)
Annenberg Lot 7 a.m. – 8 p.m.
7 a.m. – 9 p.m. (as of Council
adoption of amendments)
Pier Lot 9 a.m. – 10 p.m.
9 a.m. – 10 p.m. (stays the
same)
“Summer hours” will start the day of the Daylight Saving time change in spring and end at the Daylight Saving time change in the fall (instead of the current April 1 – October 31 period), with “winter hours” in place for the rest of the fall and winter until the spring Daylight Saving time change. A chart comparing daylight / darkness times compared 5 of 6
with seasonal closing times for the existing lot hours versus proposed lot hours is attached as Exhibit H.
As noted above, Lot 1 South will have the closure time changed to 11 p.m. to match the closure time of adjacent Pier businesses and be closer to the closure time of nearby Ocean Front Walk businesses. Also, the Annenberg Lot will be changed to close at 9 p.m. year round, instead of changing to 8 p.m. in the winter.
Environmental Review
The ordinance change to amend the operational hours of the beach parking lots is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under Sections 15301 and 15308. Section 15301 of the CEQA State Guidelines provides Class 1 (Existing Facilities) exemption for projects that consist of the operation, repair, maintenance, leasing, licensing, permitting, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of the existing or former use. The ordinance would only modify the operational hours of the existing parking lots, and would not expand or materially change existing lots. Therefore, the ordinance is categorically exempt as set forth in Section 15301 of the CEQA State Guidelines.
Past Council Actions
Meeting Date Description
2/14/1978 Ordinance 1078 establishing general closure times for City owned parking lots of 3am-6am, sunset to sunrise for one beach parking lot, and establishment of a parking permit for use during closure times. 3/30/1993 Ordinance 1680 establishes SMMC section 3.04.030 which provides detailed guidelines for parking permits for City lots including beach lots. 6/24/2003 Ordinance 2084 further refines details of SMMC 3.04.030. 2/9/2010 Ordinance 2305 further refines details of SMMC 3.04.030 7/24/2012 Ordinance 2403 further refines details of SMMC 3.04.030 making the prohibited parking hours for all beach parking lots as sunset to sunrise with the exception of the Santa Monica Pier Deck Parking Lot, Parking Lot 1N, and the Annenberg Beach House Parking Lot
6 of 6
3/8/2022 Ordinance 2306 further refines details of SMMC 3.04.030 establishing that the City Manager or designee shall establish hours of operation for the Santa Monica Pier Deck Parking Lot
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
There is no immediate financial impact or budget action necessary as a result of the recommended action. Staff anticipates nominal increases in beach parking, Pier parking and Annenberg parking revenue due to the extra parking lot operating hours and extension of the dates that summer hours would be in effect. Staff will return to Council if specific budget actions are required in the future.
Prepared By: Zach Pollard, Parking Manager
Approved Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Exhibit A -O1078
B. Exhibit B -O1680
C. Exhibit C -O2084
D. Exhibit D -O2305
E. Exhibit E -O2403
F. Exhibit F -O2696
G. Exhibit H -Beach Hours Sunlight Graph
H. DOT-ORD-Beach Parking Lot Hours Amendment 06.09.2026