City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: September 8, 2026
Agenda Item: 12.A
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Jing Yeo, Director, Administration
Subject: Public Hearing and Introduction and Adoption of Emergency IZO to Extend Interim Zoning Regulations 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 Extending Interim Zoning Regulations Established by Emergency Interim Ordinance 2860 (CCS) to Establish Standards and Procedures for Approval for Light Fleet-Based Services for Autonomous Vehicles and Creation of a Use Classification for Light-Fleet Based Service for Autonomous Vehicles.
Summary
On July 14, 2026, Council adopted Emergency Interim Zoning Ordinance Number 2860 (CCS) (“EIZO”) establishing interim standards and procedures for the approval of Light Fleet-Based Services for Autonomous Vehicles and creating a use classification for Light Fleet-Based Service for Autonomous Vehicles. The EIZO was adopted in response to operational impacts associated with autonomous vehicle fleet operations that were not fully addressed by the City’s existing land use regulations, including vehicle queueing and staging in the public right-of-way and noise and lighting impacts on nearby residential neighborhoods.
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The EIZO became effective immediately upon adoption and is scheduled to expire on September 12, 2026, unless extended pursuant to SMMC Section 9.46.090(C).
The circumstances that supported adoption of the EIZO continue to exist. Autonomous vehicle fleet operations remain an emerging land use with operational characteristics that differ from conventional vehicle service, parking, charging, or fleet uses. The City continues to have an interest in ensuring that these operations do not result in off-site queuing, obstruction of public rights-of-way, or adverse noise and lighting impacts on adjacent residential neighborhoods.
Additional time is also necessary for staff to monitor implementation of the interim regulations, evaluate operational conditions associated with facilities that are approved under these interim regulations, garner additional feedback from industry operators and the community, coordinate among affected City departments and outside agencies, and determine whether permanent amendments to the Zoning Ordinance should be developed.
Allowing the EIZO to expire before that work is completed would eliminate the interim standards established by Council and could allow new or modified Light Fleet-Based Services for Autonomous Vehicles to proceed without the specific safeguards Council determined were necessary to address their potential impacts. The attached ordinance proposes to extend these interim regulations for two years while the City continues its evaluation of an appropriate permanent regulatory framework.
Background
Adoption of the Emergency Interim Zoning Ordinance
Recent development proposals involving autonomous vehicle fleet maintenance and operations identified an emerging land use that was not specifically contemplated by the City's existing zoning regulations.
Unlike conventional vehicle charging or parking facilities, Light Fleet-Based Services for Autonomous Vehicles may involve centralized staging, dispatch, maintenance, 3 of 8
charging, cleaning, monitoring, and continuous circulation of autonomous vehicles.
These operational characteristics can result in concentrated vehicle arrivals and departures, extended dwell times, on-site staffing requirements, and continuous nighttime activity.
The City's experience with existing autonomous vehicle fleet operations demonstrated that these characteristics can create land use and circulation impacts not adequately addressed through existing regulations.
Observed and potential impacts included:
• Vehicle queuing within alleys and adjacent circulation areas; • Vehicles pausing or staging within travel lanes;
• Reduced circulation capacity;
• Interference with access to adjacent properties;
• Potential obstruction of emergency vehicle access;
• Noise and lighting impacts associated with continuous 24-hour operations; and • The need for manual intervention when autonomous vehicles are unable to appropriately respond to congestion or other site conditions.
At existing facilities, vehicle queues were observed to reach approximately 15 vehicles.
Based on conservative vehicle storage assumptions, a queue of this size can occupy approximately 330 to 375 feet and potentially affect streets, alleys, driveways, intersections, and emergency access.
The City also identified particular concerns regarding facilities located near residential neighborhoods, where continuous operations may generate nighttime noise, lighting, vehicle movements, and other impacts during sensitive overnight hours.
Based on these conditions and pending and potential applications for additional facilities, the City Council determined that immediate interim regulations were necessary to protect public health, safety, and welfare while the City evaluated an appropriate longer-term regulatory framework.
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Interim Regulatory Framework
The EIZO established a new use classification for “Light Fleet-Based Service for Autonomous Vehicles” applicable 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 interim ordinance established objective operational standards for these uses within the General Commercial (GC), Industrial Conservation (IC), and Transit Adjacent (TA) zoning districts.
The regulatory framework generally allows qualifying projects to proceed through ministerial review when all objective operational requirements can be satisfied. A Minor Use Permit is required where the Director determines that a proposed operation cannot comply with specifically enumerated operational conditions, allowing a public hearing and consideration of appropriate site-specific operating conditions.
Key requirements established by the EIZO include:
• A Parking and Loading Operations Plan;
• Real-time management of vehicle arrivals and site capacity; • Coordination between vehicle dispatch systems and actual on-site conditions; • Prohibition of staging or idling within public streets and alleys; • A requirement that all vehicle queuing occur on-site; • Restrictions on vehicle circulation near a facility when the facility lacks capacity to accept additional vehicles;
• Limits on the number of vehicles on-site based on available parking capacity; • Maintenance of required emergency access clearances;
• Minimum on-site staffing requirements;
• Active monitoring of site operations and surrounding public rights-of-way; • Authority for on-site personnel to regulate or suspend dispatch activity; • Ongoing monitoring and coordination with the City; and • A designated site liaison responsible for responding to complaints. 5 of 8
For facilities within 100 feet of residentially zoned property, the EIZO also established additional noise and lighting standards, including overnight operational restrictions, sound attenuation requirements where applicable, lighting orientation and shielding requirements, and controls addressing headlights and glare.
Discussion
Continued Need for Interim Regulations
The conditions that led to adoption of the EIZO continue to be present. Light FleetBased Services for Autonomous Vehicles remain an emerging land use with operational characteristics that are not adequately addressed by the City's underlying zoning regulations absent the interim ordinance.
The primary concern is not autonomous vehicle technology itself or the installation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Rather, the concern addressed by the EIZO is the land use intensity associated with centralized fleet staging, dispatch, maintenance, circulation, and related operations.
These activities can generate concentrated vehicle movements and operational impacts that differ substantially from conventional parking or electric vehicle charging facilities.
The underlying zoning regulations do not contain the same comprehensive set of operational standards specifically tailored to autonomous vehicle fleet operations.
Accordingly, allowing the interim ordinance to expire could result in applications being reviewed without the operating standards Council previously determined were necessary to address the potential public health, safety, and welfare impacts associated with this emerging land use. The EIZO provides a regulatory framework specifically designed to address these impacts while allowing autonomous vehicle fleet operations to occur when appropriate objective operational standards can be met.
Without an extension, the EIZO will expire on September 12, 2026. Expiration would remove the specific interim standards applicable to Light Fleet-Based Services for 6 of 8
Autonomous Vehicles before the City has completed its evaluation of a permanent regulatory framework.
Extending the EIZO will provide staff additional time to evaluate the operation and effectiveness of the interim regulations and determine whether permanent zoning regulations are warranted.
During the extension period, staff anticipates continuing work in the following areas:
1. Monitor implementation. Evaluate how the objective operational standards function when applied to proposed autonomous vehicle fleet operations.
2. Evaluate operational impacts. Continue reviewing information concerning vehicle queuing, circulation, emergency access, noise, lighting, staffing, and fleet dispatch practices.
3. Interdepartmental coordination. Continue coordination among Community Development, Transportation, Fire, Police, Public Works, and other departments as appropriate regarding operational and public right-of-way impacts.
4. Industry and community engagement. Obtain additional information from fleet operators, property owners, neighboring residents and businesses, and other interested stakeholders regarding implementation of the interim standards. It should be noted that staff has received correspondence suggesting modifications to the ordinance that would place a heavy reliance on software and technology that does not yet exist in any other jurisdiction.
5. Permanent regulations. Evaluate whether the City's permanent Zoning Ordinance should be amended to establish a long-term regulatory framework for Light FleetBased Services for Autonomous Vehicles.
Environmental Review
The extension of the EIZO is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Sections 15308 and 15061(b)(3).
CEQA Guidelines Section 15308 applies to actions taken by regulatory agencies, as authorized by State law or local ordinance, to assure the maintenance, restoration, 7 of 8
enhancement, or protection of the environment where the regulatory process involves procedures for protection of the environment. The proposed extension of the EIZO extends land use and objective operational standards intended to protect the public and surrounding environment from potential impacts associated with Light Fleet-Based Services for Autonomous Vehicles, including vehicle queuing, circulation, emergency access, lighting, noise, and operational activity. Extending the ordinance continues those protective regulations without expanding or materially modifying the regulatory framework.
The extension is also exempt pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3), the common-sense exemption, because it can be seen with certainty that extending the existing interim regulatory standards, which are objective, operational standards for autonomous light-fleet based services that are designed to reduce impacts of such facilities, will not result in a significant effect on the environment. The extension does not approve a specific development project, authorize construction, or independently result in a physical change to the environment.
Past Council Actions
Meeting Date Description
07/14/26 (Attachment
B)
Council introduced and adopted an emergency IZO
establishing standards and procedures for the approval of light fleet-based vehicle services for autonomous vehicles and establishing new use classification for the same
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
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.
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Prepared By: Ross Fehrman, Planning Manager
Approved Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. CDD-ORD-Emergency IZO Extension re Light Fleet-Based Service for AV_09.08.26
B. City Council July 14, 2026 Meeting (Web Link)
C. PowerPoint Presentation