City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: July 14, 2026
Agenda Item: 12.C
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Jing Yeo, Director, Administration
Subject: Introduction and Adoption of Emergency Interim Zoning Ordinance Establishing Standards and Procedures for Light Fleet-Based Service for Autonomous Vehicles
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Adopt a finding of no possibility of significant effect pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) (Common Sense Exemption) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines; and
2. Introduce and Adopt an Emergency Interim Zoning Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Santa Monica to Establish Standards and Procedures of Approval for Light Fleet-Based Service For Autonomous Vehicles and Creation of a Use Classification for Light-Fleet Based Service For Autonomous Vehicles.
Summary
Recent development proposals have introduced fleet maintenance operations for autonomous vehicles. Based on the City’s experience with existing facilities, it has become clear that uses introduce land use impacts not fully addressed by existing regulations.
This report presents a regulatory framework, to be adopted by an Emergency Interim Zoning Ordinance (EIZO) to address the growing light fleet-based services (e.g., delivery, ride-hailing) for autonomous vehicle fleets within the City. Emerging operational patterns—particularly autonomous vehicle fleet staging, maintenance, and dispatch—have raised concerns. Key concerns identified include:
• Queuing and staging in the public right-of-way
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• Obstruction of emergency access routes
• Noise and lighting impacts on nearby residential areas • Lack of operational accountability for fleet dispatch systems The proposed framework introduces a new use classification for autonomous light fleetbased services and objective operational standards to mitigate impacts from fleet operations.
On May 26, 2026, GoBiz, which is the State agency that provides guidance to local jurisdictions regarding EV charging, raised concerns about a previously-proposed EIZO designed to regulate light fleet-based services co-located with EV charging infrastructure. Staff has completed consultation with GoBiz, including the correspondence included as Attachment B to this report, and made adjustments to the regulatory framework consistent with that consultation. The attached EIZO reflects those adjustments by maintaining sufficient separation between the State’s regulatory framework for permitting EV charging stations and light-fleet based operations for autonomous vehicles that may, or may not, use EV charging infrastructure as part of those operations.
The proposed EIZO establishes a limited discretionary review process through a Minor Use Permit, retained for proposed operations that cannot meet the enumerated objective operational conditions. This framework reflects several policy priorities:
• Mobility Innovation: Establishes objective standards for fleet operations for autonomous vehicles, including maintenance
• Neighborhood Protection: Establishes enforceable safeguards for adjacent residential areas
• Operational Accountability: Places responsibility on operators to actively manage impacts
At least one application for a light fleet-based service for autonomous vehicles located in close proximity to residential neighborhoods is pending. Based on documented operational patterns at comparable facilities that have demonstrated recurring traffic obstructions, queuing spillback into public rights-of-way, and emergency access 3 of 9
blockages that the proposed facility, without operating conditions, the proposed autonomous fleet-based services pose a current and immediate threat to the public health, safety and welfare. These impacts arise from concentrated arrival surges, limited driveway capacity, and how long autonomous vehicles spend time on a site that present foreseeable risks. Continuous 24-hour operations further exacerbate these risks by introducing nighttime queuing, noise, and light intrusion during sensitive hours, as evidenced by over 140 complaints associated with similar facilities. Additional inquiries for similar facilities have been received.
Ministerial review, without specific operating conditions attached, does not provide sufficient ability to regulate autonomous fleet dispatch practices or impose enforceable operational controls necessary to prevent these impacts. As a result, given the pending applications and inquiries for these uses, there is an urgent need to establish objective operational standards through the proposed Emergency Interim Zoning Ordinance. The emergency interim ordinance would become effective immediately upon adoption and remain in effect for 60 days (September 12, 2026) unless extended pursuant to SMMC Section 9.46.090(C).
Background
Potential Impacts from Light Fleet-Based Vehicle Services for Autonomous Vehicles
Light fleet-based vehicle service operations for autonomous vehicles are a distinct land use separate from other light fleet-based uses due to their centralized operational characteristics. Fleet operations for autonomous vehicles involve higher traffic volumes due to coordinated vehicle returns, continuous nighttime activity, simultaneous charging demand, extended dwell times, and the requirement for on-site staff to maintain and monitor the vehicles, making the facility function more like an industrial worksite. These operational characteristics can create concentrated queuing conditions that exceed available on-site storage capacity and affect adjacent public rights-of-way. The City’s experience with fleet operations for autonomous vehicles indicate that operational impacts are associated with the fleet-based nature of the use itself, particularly where there are autonomous vehicles.
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Queuing and Right-of-Way Obstruction
Existing autonomous fleet operations in the city have shown recurring vehicle queues extending into adjacent alleys and circulation areas. Observed conditions included:
• Queuing within alleys
• Vehicles pausing within travel lanes
• Reduced circulation capacity
• Manual intervention by on-site personnel, and
• Interference with access and circulation
Queue lengths at existing facilities have been observed to reach approximately 15 vehicles. Applying conservative vehicle storage assumptions, a queue of this size would occupy approximately 330 to 375 feet. If not managed appropriately, vehicle queuing could potentially obstruct the public right-of-way and depending on site specific conditions, could interfere with:
• Turning movements
• Sight distance
• Transit operations
• Access to adjacent driveways
• Curbside parking
• Traffic signal operations and
• Vehicle merging activity near intersections
This potential spillover into the public right-of-way could obstruct adjacent streets and alleys. In the case of autonomous vehicles, this may result in longer obstruction duration due to delays in manual intervention to reposition vehicles during congestion events. This extended obstruction could potentially interfere with:
• Emergency vehicle access
• Fire apparatus maneuverability
• Refuse collection, and
• Service vehicle circulation
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Noise & Light Impacts From Continuous 24-hour Operation Existing autonomous fleet operations facilities operate continuously on a 24-hour basis and have resulted in noise and light impacts, particularly during sensitive overnight periods adjacent to residentially-zoned properties.
Discussion
Based on the City’s observations of existing facilities, the potential impacts from light fleet-based vehicles services for autonomous vehicles include a potential public right-ofway obstruction due to a higher-volume traffic environment and light and noise impacts due to continuous operational intensity adjacent to residential neighborhoods particularly during overnight hours. These potential impacts warrant creating a framework to establish objective standards that would clarify locational restrictions for light fleet-based vehicle services for autonomous vehicles and create enforceable operational conditions to mitigate the potential impacts of future uses on adjacent residential neighborhoods.
1. New Use Classification
The proposed interim ordinance includes a new use classification called “Light FleetBased Service for Autonomous Vehicles”. The classification applies to autonomous passenger transportation services, delivery services, medical transport services, autonomous vehicle fleets, and similar operations involving fleets of three or more vehicles under 10,000 pounds. The proposed use classification distinguishes fleet operations for autonomous vehicles from other light fleet-based services and traditional EV charging-only facilities due to the unique characteristics of fleet operations for autonomous vehicles.
The proposed EIZO establishes new objective operational standards for light fleetbased vehicle services for autonomous vehicles within the General Commercial (GC), Industrial Conservation (IC), and Transit Adjacent (TA) zoning districts. For facilities within 100 feet of residentially-zoned property, the proposed interim ordinance establishes additional noise and light restrictions related to:
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• Noise mitigation
• Overnight operational restrictions
• Sound walls
• Lighting orientation and shielding and
• Headlight and glare controls.
The proposed ordinance also prohibits more than one fleet-based services for autonomous vehicles per block.
2. Permitting Framework
Qualifying projects would generally be processed ministerially through permit review and compliance based on objective conditions. However, the ordinance retains a Minor Use Permit process if the Director determines the proposed project cannot meet the specifically enumerated operational conditions.
The purpose of the MUP is to hold a public hearing to gather information that would inform the development of site-specific operational conditions. This structure allows for targeted oversight for situations where the potential for site-specific adverse health and safety impacts may occur.
3. Objective Operational Standards
The ordinance establishes objective operational standards designed to mitigate impacts associated with autonomous fleet operations, including:
A. Dispatch Coordination
• Required Parking and Loading Operations Plan
• Real-time management of vehicle arrivals and site capacity • Integration of dispatch systems with on-site conditions B. Prohibition on Off-Site Queuing
• No staging or idling in public streets or alleys
• All queuing must occur on-site
• If vehicles are enroute to the site and they must delay or circulate, such circulation shall not occur within one-half mile of the site. 7 of 9
C. Limits on total vehicles based on on-site capacity
• The number vehicles on site cannot exceed the number of available parking spaces
D. Minimum Emergency Access Clearances
• Maintain a mandatory 11-foot emergency access on streets and alleys E. On-Site Staffing
• Minimum of two trained personnel at all times
• Active monitoring of site operations and surrounding right-of-way • Authority to regulate or suspend dispatch activity
F. Monitoring and Compliance
• Ongoing City oversight
• Mandatory coordination meetings and updated plans as needed • Required operational adjustments if impacts occur
G. Additional Requirements
• Site liaison contact with requirement that operator respond to complaints in a timely manner
• Targeted zoning exemptions recognizing the unique nature of light fleet-based vehicle service associated with EV charging
For sites within 100 feet of residentially-zoned property, the following additional noise and light restrictions would apply:
A. Noise Controls
• Compliance with City noise standards
• Restrictions on noise levels for overnight operations (11 PM – 6 AM) • Sound wall and site design requirements where applicable B. Lighting Controls
• Shielded lighting to prevent glare
• Illumination limited to minimum safety requirements
• Restrictions on overnight lighting levels (11pm – 6am) Environmental Review
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The proposed EIZO is exempt from CEQA pursuant to Sections 15308 and Section 15061(b)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines.
Section 15308 (Actions by Regulatory Agencies for Protection of the Environment) exempts "actions taken by regulatory agencies as authorized by state law or local ordinance to assure the maintenance, restoration, enhancement, or protection of the environment where the regulatory process involves procedures for protection of the environment”. The proposed EIZO establishes a new land use classification and objective operational standards for light fleet-based services associated with autonomous vehicles. The ordinance is intended to protect the public and surrounding environment by establishing enforceable operational requirements that address potential operational impacts, including vehicle queuing, circulation, emergency access, lighting, noise, and staffing, particularly in locations adjacent to residential neighborhoods. The ordinance also establishes monitoring, compliance, and enforcement provisions designed to ensure continued protection of the public right-ofway and surrounding land uses. Because the ordinance imposes regulatory requirements intended to reduce potential environmental impacts, it is exempt under CEQA Guidelines Section 15308.
The proposed EIZO is also exempt under Section 15061(b)(3), which state that CEQA does not apply “where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment.” The proposed EIZO would create new objective, operational standards for autonomous light-fleet based services that are designed to reduce impacts of such facilities and does not approve any specific project, authorize construction, or permit any alteration of the environment for such services. Since the ordinance itself establishes operational restrictions intended to minimize potential impacts and does not directly result in a physical change to the environment, it can be seen with certainty that adoption of the EIZO will not have a significant effect on the environment.
Accordingly, the proposed EIZO is exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Sections 15308 and 15061(b)(3).
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Financial Impacts
There is no immediate financial impact or budget action necessary as a result of the recommended action. Staff will return to Council if specific budget actions are required in the future.
Prepared By: Jing Yeo, Director
Approved Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. CDD-ORD Emergency IZO re Light Fleet-Based Services for AV B. RE_ GO-Biz Concerns Re_ Emergency Interim Zoning Ordinance - City Council Meeting Item 12.A.
C. Written Comments (May 26, 2026)
D. Written Comments
E. ADD TO: REVISED CDD-ORD-Emergency IZO re Light Fleet-Based Service for AV_07.14.26_Updated - REDLINE VERSION
F. ADD TO_REVISED CDD-ORD-Emergency IZO re Light Fleet-Based Service for AV_07.14.26_Updated - CLEAN COPY VERSION
G. PowerPoint Presentation