Agenda Item #16.1
For Council Meeting of: May 13, 2025
CITY OF SANTA ROSA
CITY COUNCIL
TO: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
FROM: ALAN ALTON, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
SUBJECT: PETITION TO EXPAND THE TALBOT/MEMORIAL RESIDENTIAL PERMIT PARKING ZONE TO INCLUDE THE 100 BLOCK OF SOTOYOME STREET AGENDA ACTION: PUBLIC HEARING
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended by the Finance Department that the Council, by resolution, approve the petition to expand the Talbot/Memorial Residential Permit Parking Zone to include the 100 block of Sotoyome Street.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Finance Department has received a petition from residents of the 100 block of Sotoyome Street. Residents from this block are requesting to be included in the Talbot/Memorial Residential Permit Parking Zone. Current restrictions include limiting on-street parking to two (2) hours, Monday through Saturday, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Adding this street to the Talbot/Memorial Residential Permit Parking Zone would exempt residents from the current parking restrictions.
BACKGROUND
Santa Rosa City Code 11-44.050 establishes that neighborhoods impacted by non-resident parking may submit a petition to the City Council to have their area added to the Residential Permit Parking Program (“Program”). Current restrictions on Sotoyome Street limit on street parking to two (2) hours, Monday through Saturday, between the hours of 9:00 and 6:00pm. The residents of the 100 block of Sotoyome Street have submitted a petition to be included in the Program. The Program was established to provide on-street parking relief in the form of time limited parking in neighborhoods being impacted by a high volume of non-resident parkers who are attracted to that area, such as Santa Rosa Junior College, the Fairgrounds, Memorial Hospital, and the periphery of downtown Santa Rosa. Residential units within the designated permit area are eligible for permits which exempt them from the posted on-street time limits.
PRIOR CITY COUNCIL REVIEW
Not applicable.
ANALYSIS
The petition for application to the Program exceeds the City’s requirement of 60% support from residential units in the proposed area. Ninety-four percent (94%) of residential units on the 100 block of Sotoyome Street (17 of 18) are in support. Exhibit A shows the proposed area to be included into the Talbot/Memorial Residential Permit Parking Zone.
The area requested for inclusion in the Program is near Memorial Hospital and is experiencing spill over parking impacts, which make it difficult for residents to park near their homes.
Current restrictions on Sotoyome Street limit on street parking to two (2) hours, Monday through Saturday, between the hours of 9:00 and 6:00pm. These time limits were added to reduce parking congestion and turnover from nearby Memorial Hospital. Memorial Hospital recently built a garage at the corner of Sotoyome and Montgomery Streets to address parking for their visitors. However, removal of the time limits would encourage visitors to use street parking rather than use the garage. Residents of the Sotoyome Apartments and 194 Sotoyome Street have limited parking available for their units and the restrictions require them to move their cars frequently or to park on other streets to avoid citations.
A neighborhood meeting was held on March 12, 2025, to discuss the parking concerns of residents on this block, describe the pros and cons of inclusion in the program, and assess neighborhood support for the request.
Since the neighborhood is in an area currently patrolled by parking enforcement personnel, additional staffing is not expected to be required. There is an annual administration fee of $20 for the issuance of residential permits. The fee is per transaction and residents of the multi-unit apartment buildings would be eligible for one permit per eligible residential unit.
FISCAL IMPACT
This action has no impact on the General Fund, the revenue generated is to the Parking Fund. It is estimated approximately 18 permits will be issued in this expanded area which will generate $360 per year in revenue. The Parking Fund is reimbursed from the General Fund for expenditures related to Parking Enforcement, including Residential Permit Zone expenditures.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378, the proposed action is not a “project” subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it does not have a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. In the alternative, the proposed action is exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3) because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the project may have a significant effect on the environment.
BOARD/COMMISSION/COMMITTEE REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Not applicable.
NOTIFICATION
As per City Code Section 11-44.050 (C), notice of the public hearing was posted 10 days prior to the hearing on all blocks proposed to be included in the residential permit parking zone. Additionally, notice was published in the Press Democrat.
ATTACHMENTS
Resolution/Exhibit A – Sotoyome Street Expansion Map
PRESENTERS
Chad Hedge, Parking Manager, Finance Department
Tania Cordova, Administrative Analyst, Finance Department PETITION TO EXPAND THE TALBOT/MEMORIAL RESIDENTIAL PERMIT PARKING ZONE TO INCLUDE THE 100 BLOCK OF SOTOYOME STREET PAGE 3 OF 3