Santa Monica City Council
July 14, 2026

Emergency IZO – Fleet Operations
for Autonomous Vehicles
City Council
July 14, 2026
Item 12-C
July 14, 2026
Item 12-C
July 14, 2026
Purpose
• Emergency Interim Zoning Ordinance regulating fleet operations for autonomous vehicles
• Create new land use classification
• Standardized Operating Conditions with ministerial process • Public hearing only if standard conditions cannot be met • Augmented operating conditions for sites within 100 feet of residentially zoned property
• Establish enforceable standards balancing innovation, neighborhood protection, and public safety
• DOES NOT regulate electric vehicle charging
Item 12-C
July 14, 2026
Item 12-C
July 14, 2026
Why Action Is Needed Now
• Autonomous fleet operations create impacts not addressed by current zoning
• Observed issues
• Public right-of-way queuing
• Potential for obstructing emergency access
• Noise/light impacts from maintenance activities near residential neighborhoods
• Pending applications create an immediate need for standards Item 12-C
July 14, 2026
Item 12-C
July 14, 2026
Proposed Regulatory Framework
• New use classification for Light Fleet- Based Service for Autonomous Vehicles
• Permitted in GC, IC, and TA districts
subject to standard conditions
• Santa Monica Boulevard “auto
row”
• Lincoln Boulevard south of I-10
• Olympic Boulevard
• Downtown freeway-adjacent
• Minor Use Permit required when
objective standards cannot be met
• Structured similar to Alcohol
Exemption/Conditional Use Permit
permitting process for alcohol sales
Item 12-C
July 14, 2026
Item 12-C
July 14, 2026
Proposed Regulatory Framework
• Why are fleet operations for autonomous vehicles different? • Volume of vehicles & Coordinated dispatch with 24/7 operations • Results in concentrated impacts with unique ability to affect public rightof-way in ways that typical fleet operations do not • Maintenance operations that are more similar to industrial worksites • Regulates fleet operations activities that are not integral to EV charging:
• Maintenance
• Cleaning
• Vehicle servicing
• Regulates fleet operations to mitigate impacts to public right-of-way • Does not regulate EV-charging
Item 12-C
July 14, 2026
Item 12-C
July 14, 2026
Standard Operational Conditions
Focus on mitigating potential impacts to public right-of-way • Dispatch coordination
• Required parking & loading operations plan
• No off-site queuing or staging
• Fleet limited to on-site parking capacity
• 11-foot emergency access maintained
• Minimum two trained staff on-site
• Ongoing monitoring and operator accountability including designating neighborhood liaison
Item 12-C
July 14, 2026
Item 12-C
July 14, 2026
Standard Conditions for Residential Protections
Focused on mitigating light and noise impacts
• Applicability
• Fleet operations within 100 feet of residential zoning • Noise controls and overnight restrictions on fleet operations (11 PM–6 AM) • No maintenance, cleaning, servicing of vehicles during overnight hours • EV charging-only is allowed during overnight hours per State law • Required compliance with Noise Ordinance
• Shielded lighting and glare controls
• Sound walls/site design where appropriate
• Maximum one autonomous fleet operation per block
Item 12-C
July 14, 2026
Item 12-C
July 14, 2026
Recommendation
• Adopt CEQA finding of no possibility of significant effect (CEQA Guidelines §15061(b)(3)) and §15308
• Introduce and adopt Emergency Interim Zoning Ordinance (EIZO) to create a new land use classification and standards for autonomous light fleet-based services
Item 12-C
July 14, 2026
Item 12-C
July 14, 2026