City and State beaches, which operate at a daily maximum of $20.00 during the peak summer months and $15.00 in the off-season.
Increasing the parking rates in the three (3) beach lots will provide additional revenue to the City, which maintains the beaches and parking lots. Like all services, the City has experienced increased costs related to maintenance of the lots over the last several years, however, parking rates have remained static.
Increased rates will also incentivize turnover among beachgoers, providing greater coastal access to more residents and visitors, in alignment with the Coastal Act.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT:
There is no environmental impact related to this item.
LEGAL ANALYSIS:
The City Attorney has reviewed and approved the resolution to form.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with the submittal of the Coastal Development Permit; if rate increases are approved by the City Council and Coastal Commission, the City would likely see an increase in parking revenue from the beach lots.
STRATEGIC PLAN:
This item is not applicable to the Strategic Plan.
RECOMMENDATION:
That City Council adopt Resolution 7458:
1. Authorizing the submittal of the Coastal Development Permit application to increase beach parking lot rates by 50 percent; and,
2. Directing staff to take all necessary actions to obtain approval from California Coastal Commission and implement the new rates upon receiving a Coastal Development Permit.
SUBMITTED BY: NOTED AND APPROVED:
Michael Henderson Jill R. Ingram
Michael Henderson, Chief of
Police
Jill R. Ingram, City Manager
Prepared by: Nick Nicholas, Support Services Bureau Captain ATTACHMENTS:
A. Resolution 7458
B. Coastal Development Permit Cover Letter
RESOLUTION 7458
A RESOLUTION OF THE SEAL BEACH CITY COUNCIL
APPROVING AN INCREASE TO BEACH LOT PARKING RATES
AND AUTHORIZING THE SUBMITTAL OF A COASTAL
DEVELOPMENT PERMIT APPLICATION TO INCREASE BEACH
PARKING LOT RATES BY 50 PERCENT AND DIRECTING
STAFF TO TAKE ACTIONS NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT
INCREASES ONCE APPROVED BY THE CALIFORNIA
COASTAL COMMISSION
WHEREAS, the City of Seal Beach maintains three public parking lots to provide convenient access to the beach; and,
WHEREAS, costs to maintain the parking lots continue to rise but beach parking lot rates have not increased since Fiscal Year 2015-2016; and, WHEREAS, beach parking rates in nearby communities are higher than those in Seal Beach; and,
WHEREAS, the City requires California Coastal Commission approval to raise beach parking lot rates; and,
WHEREAS, the proposed rate increase is in compliance with the 1993 Memorandum from the Coastal Commission Executive Director.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Seal Beach City Council does resolve, declare, determine, and order as follows:
Section 1. The City Council hereby approves an increase to beach parking rates by 50 percent at the three public beach parking lots within the City and directs staff to submit a Coastal Development Permit Application to the California Coastal Commission for a parking rate increase of 50 percent at the three public beach parking lots.
Section 2. The City Council hereby directs staff to take all reasonable actions to obtain a Coastal Development Permit and implement the approved parking rate increases upon approval by the Coastal Commission.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED by the Seal Beach City Council at a regular meeting held on the 9th day of October, 2023 by the following vote:
AYES: Council Members
NOES: Council Members
ABSENT: Council Members
ABSTAIN: Council Members
Thomas Moore, Mayor
ATTEST:
Gloria D. Harper, City Clerk
STATE OF CALIFORNIA }
COUNTY OF ORANGE } SS
CITY OF SEAL BEACH }
I, Gloria D. Harper, City Clerk of the City of Seal Beach, do hereby certify that the foregoing resolution is the original copy of Resolution 7458 on file in the office of the City Clerk, passed, approved, and adopted by the City Council at a regular meeting held on the 9th day of October, 2023.
Gloria D. Harper, City Clerk
August 30, 2023 1
Coastal Development Permit Cover Letter
Introduction
The City of Seal Beach (City) is proposing a parking rate increase in the City's three beach lots within the Coastal zone: 1st Street Beach Lot, 8th Street Beach Lot, and 10th Street Beach Lot. The current hourly rate for each of these lots is $2.00, and the daily maximum for each of these lots is $10.00 between the hours of 6:00am and 10:00pm. As per the 1993 memorandum issued by the Executive Director of the Coastal Commission, the City is moving to increase these hourly and daily maximums by 50% to new totals of $3.00 per hour and $15.00 per day.
Seal Beach recognizes the importance of submitting a Coastal Development Permit that adheres to the California Coastal Act, as raising the parking rates in the three beach lots is considered a potential impact to coastal access. Maintaining equitable access to the coast for both residents and visitors from all economic backgrounds is a top priority for the City. Affordable and alternative transit-oriented solutions such as ride-share, public transit, or a shuttle service continue to be a priority for the City. By increasing the current parking rates in the three beach parking lots, greater turnover will be encouraged which will provide additional access to more coastal visitors.
The City will have the opportunity to generate greater revenue through maximizing the beach lots and allocating these monies towards their general fund that aims to sustain the parking program and create a pleasant parking experience for all coastal visitors. All revenues and expenses connected to the City's beach and Tidelands activities are directed into the Tidelands fund. The City's Tidelands Beach Fund, mandated by the State of California, functions as the designated financial repository for all income generated from beach and pier operations within the City. Predominantly, revenue in this Fund is derived from the beach parking lots and beach parking has not been updated or increased since 2016.
However, the revenues generated from these operations consistently fall short of covering the associated costs, resulting in a deficit that is subsidized by the City's General Fund.
Beach parking revenue supports critical areas such as the Marine Safety Department which provides the highest quality safety services in the coastal and aquatic environment for the public through prevention, education, rescue, medical aid, outreach, beach management, and enforcement. Furthermore, additional expenditures include Public Safety Beach Operations, including two beach patrol officers, and Public Works Beach and Facility Maintenance encompassing tasks such as beach cleaning, facility repairs, upgrades to beach lot restrooms, and overall upkeep, ensuring the beach area remains clean, safe, and well-maintained.
As the expenses continue to rise, coupled with an increasing demand for these services, the challenges posed by this deficit are further compounded. Consequently, the City must explore strategies to update beach lot revenue in order to address these ongoing financial challenges.
One element of fostering a parking experience that is easy, convenient, and accessible to all visitors is the flexibility of submitting payment at the beach lots. Visitors have the ability to physically submit payment at the pay-station, or conveniently pay from their mobile device. The City takes into account that many visitors will be local to Seal Beach, and offers beach lot parking permits at a discounted rate August 30, 2023 2
for residents at $117.00 per year and resident seniors for $70.00 per year. The cost of these beach lot permits for non-residents is $180.00 per year, and all permits can be purchased and managed online.
Initiatives
In March 2023, the City of Seal Beach submitted a grant application to the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC) for the implementation of a micro-transit service. The City’s application described the ways in which it would partner with Circuit Transit, an experienced microtransit operator, to provide a cost-effective and equitable alternative for Seal Beach visitors. This solution aims to create an on-demand, community-centric, eco-friendly, affordable, and accessible mobility service that would simultaneously reduce single occupancy, greenhouse gas emissions, and alleviate traffic congestion. The micro-transit vehicles also provide last-mile connectivity, connecting to bus transit routes from Orange County Transit Authority as well as Long Beach Transit. Furthermore, the City of Long Beach has also implemented a Circuit route, which would have a connection point to a new Seal Beach Circuit route at the border on Marina Drive. The grant was awarded to the City in June 2023, and the MSRC contract should be executed by the end of the year with an anticipated project launch beginning in Spring 2024.
In coordination with the micro-transit launch, the City is preparing to implement an active passenger pick-up and drop-off zone on Ocean Avenue, adjacent to the Municipal Pier. By designating this location as an active passenger loading zone, it would maximize access to the beach by providing visitors with the option to utilize rideshare or carpool services. This active passenger zone would create and incentivize turnover, reduce traffic congestion, and provide more visitors with the opportunity to conveniently access the beach areas.
History of Seal Beach Rates
Daily parking rates in the subject lots have been $10.00 per day since Fiscal Year (FY) 2015-2016, when the daily maximum was raised from $6.00 per day to $10.00 per day. Prior to this rate increase, comprehensive fee schedules from FY 2013-2014 and FY 2014-2015 indicate that the daily maximum in the three beach lots was only $6.00 per day. The City of Seal Beach proposed an increase of the rates at the three beach parking lots from $10.00 to $18.00 in 2017, but was denied by the Coastal Commission as the 80% increase did not abide by the parameters set forth by the 1993 memorandum. Commission staff advised the City to submit a Coastal Development Permit before increasing the rates in the beach parking lots could be considered. Understanding that the City must adhere to the 50% threshold, a Coastal Development Permit is now being submitted for consideration of increasing the three beach parking lot maximum rates from $10.00 daily to $15.00 daily.
Comparative Analysis with Local Cities
At its current rate, Seal Beach is charging a lower daily maximum than the majority of Southern California neighboring cities for beach parking. The table below provides a breakdown of beach parking rates of the Coastal cities in Southern California and how they compare to the City of Seal Beach.
August 30, 2023 3
Year-round Rates
City Location Operating
Hours Hourly Daily Max Peak Hours/Days
of Week/Season
City of Seal
Beach Beach Lots 6:00am10:00pm $2.00/hr $10.00/day $10.00/day Pier Plaza Lots,
Beach Lots
5:00am12:00am $3.00/hr $15.00/day $3.50-$4.00/hr,
$20.00/day City of
Huntington
Beach
Main
Promenade
Structure
24/7
$1.00/hr (first
two hours, then
$1.00/20
minutes)
$15.00/day $20.00/day
Huntington
Beach State
Park
Beach Lots 6:00am10:00pm N/A $15.00/day $20.00/day
Bolsa Chica
State Beach Beach Lots 6:00am10:00pm N/A $10.00/day $15.00/day Lot 9 24/7 $2.75/hr (3hr
max)
$8.25/day (3hr
max) -
Lot 7, 8 8:00am-7:00pm $2.75/hr (3hr
max)
$8.25/day (3hr
max) -
Lot 3, 4, 5, 6, 21 24/7 $4.95/hr (3hr
max)
$14.85/day
(3hr max) -
Lot 1 24/7 $4.95/hr (3hr
max)
$14.85/day
(3hr max) -
City of
Laguna
Beach
Aliso Beach 8:00am10:00pm
$3.00/hr (8hr
max)
$24.00/day
(8hr max) -
Orange
County Salt Creek Beach 5:00am12:00am $1.00/hr $19.00/day - Balboa Pier Lot 24/7 $2.30/hr $35.05/day $3.40/hr, $34.10/day Corona Del Mar
Beach Lot
6:00am10:00pm $2.65-$7.05/hr $26.55/day $4.40-$7.05/hr, $26.55/day
Bay Ave Lot,
26th St Lot,
Seashore Lots,
West Ocean
Front Lot
8:00am-6:00pm $3.40/hr (6
hour max)
$20.40/day
(6hr max) -
City of
Newport
Beach
East Ocean Front
Lot, A St Lot, B St
Lot
8:00am-6:00pm $1.15/hr (6hr
max)
$6.90/day (6hr
max)
$3.40/hr (6hr max),
$20.40/day (6hr max)
Queensway Bay
Garage, Pike
Garage
24/ 7 $3.00/hr $16.00/day -
Queen Mary Lot 24/ 7 $3.00/hr $18.00/day
Mon-Thurs City of Long $22.00/day Fri-Sun
Beach Belmont Pier
Lot, La Verne
Lot, Granada
Beach Lot
8:00am-6:00pm $2.00/hr $20.00/day -
August 30, 2023 4
Mother's Beach
Lot, Claremont
Lot
8:00am-8:00pm $2.00/hr $24.00/day -
Pier Point Lot,
Marina Green
8:00am12:00am$3.00/hr (2hr
max)
$6.00/day (2hr
max) -
Nicholas Canyon,
White Point 6:00am-8:30pm -
$6.00/day
Mon-Fri,
$8.00/day SatSun
$8.00/day Mon-Fri,
$10.00/day Sat-Sun
Topanga, Point
Dume, Malibu
Surfrider, Zuma
Lot
6:00am-8:30pm -
$6.00/day
Mon-Fri,
$8.00/day SatSun
$8.00/day Mon-Fri,
$15.00/day Sat-Sun
Will Rogers Lot 5 6:00am-8:30pm -
$6.00/day
Mon-Fri,
$8.00/day SatSun
$8.00/day Mon-Fri,
$13.00/day Sat-Sun
Will Rogers Lot
1, 2, 3 6:00am-8:30pm -
$7.00/day
Mon-Fri,
$9.00/day SatSun
$9.00/day Mon-Fri,
$15.00/day Sat-Sun
Venice Beach
Lots 6:00am-8:30pm -
$7.00/day
Mon-Fri,
$9.00/day SatSun
$9.00/day Mon-Fri,
$18.00/day Sat-Sun
Dockweiler
Beach
6:00am10:00pm -
$7.00/day
Mon-Fri,
$9.00/day SatSun
$9.00/day Mon-Fri,
$13.00/day Sat-Sun
Dockweiler
Grand Ave Lots 6:00am-8:30pm -
$6.00/day
Mon-Fri,
$8.00/day SatSun
$8.00/day Mon-Fri,
$13.00/day Sat-Sun
Torrance 6:00am-8:30pm -
$2.00/day
Mon-Fri,
$6.00/day SatSun
$3.00/day Mon-Fri,
$7.00/day Sat-Sun
Marina Lot 13,
10 24/7 $0.50/15 mins
$6.00/day
Mon-Fri,
$8.00/day SatSun
$10.00/day Mon-Fri,
$15.00/day Sat-Sun
Marina Lot 11, 9,
7 24/7 $0.50/15 mins $6.00/day $10.00/day
Marina Lot 4, 77 24/7 $0.50/15 mins
$6.00/day
Mon-Fri,
$8.00/day SatSun
$8.00/day Mon-Fri,
$10.00/day Sat-Sun
Marina Lot 8, 5 24/7 $0.50/15 mins $5.00/day $7.00/day
Los Angeles
County
Marina Lot 1 24/7 $2.00/hr $8.00/day -
City of
Hermosa Lot A, B, C 24/7 $2.00-$2.50/hr (3hr max)
$6.00-
$7.50/day -
August 30, 2023 5
Beach
Lot D 24/7 $2.00-$2.50/hr
(2hr-24hr max)
$4.00-
$5.00/day -
Pier & Plaza
Structures City of 24/7 $2.00/hr $48.00/day -
Redondo
Beach Lot 5, Lot 13 24/7 $1.50/hr (4hr
max) $6.00/day -
Lot 14 8:00am-9:00pm $2.00/hr (2hr
max)
$4.00/day (2hr
max) -
City of
Manhattan
Beach
26th and Ocean
Lot, El Porto Lot,
Lot 10, Lot 11
8:00am-9:00pm $2.00/hr (5hr
max)
$10.00/day
(5hr max) -
City of Los
Angeles
Cabrillo Beach
Lot
5:30am10:30pm $1.00/hr $9.00/day -
Santa Monica
Pier 6:00am-8:00pm $2.50-$3.50/hr $12.00-$15.00/day $3.75/hr, $18.00/day Annenberg
Beach House 6:00am-8:00pm $3.00/hr $8.00/day $12.00/day Northern Beach
Lots 6:00am-8:00pm -
$7.00-
$10.00/day $10.00-$12.00/day
Central Beach
Lots 6:00am-8:00pm $1.00/hr $7.00-$10.00/day $15.00/day City of Santa
Monica
Southern Beach
Lots 6:00am-8:00pm $1.00/hr $7.00-$10.00/day $10.00-$12.00/day Incentivizing Turnover
Increasing the parking rates in the three beach lots will incentivize turnover among beachgoers, which will provide greater coastal access to more residents and visitors. This directly coincides with Article 2, Section 30211 of the California Coastal Act, which requires that development does not interfere with the public's access to the coast, but rather encourages it.
The City of Seal Beach welcomes nearly 1.5 million visitors per year, which makes parking a desirable commodity. Increasing the rates of the beach lots to $3.00 per hour and a new daily maximum of $15.00 would be an effective parking demand management tool as it would provide more opportunities to visitors, as well as generate revenue for existing and future parking programs. The monies collected from the increased rates will allow more people to visit the coast, and will grant the City greater economic freedom to reinvest in alternative and affordable transit-oriented solutions.
Seal Beach
City Council Meeting
Coastal Development Permit Application
October 9, 2023
Overview
• Beach lot rates increase from $6 to $10 / daily max (2016) • Proposing a parking rate increase in the three beach lots:
o 1
st St Beach Lot
o 8
th St Beach Lot
o 10th St Beach Lot
• 1993 Coastal Commission Memorandum
• Maximum 25% in one year
• Maximum 50% in three years
Hourly Rates
$2.00/hour to $3.00/hour
Daily Maximum
$10.00/day to $15.00/day
Coastal Development Permit
• Nearly all development in
the Coastal Zone requires a
CDP
• Development under the
Coastal Act is defined as a
change in the intensity of use
• Increasing parking rates is
considered potential impact
to coastal access
Filling out a CDP Application
• Answer all questions to extent
known, provide detailed
description of proposed
development
• Application provides a checklist
of necessary documents
• Coastal Commission wants a
robust idea of everything the
project entails
o The more information, the better
Cover Letter
• Opportunities for the City by generating greater revenue through maximizing the beach lots
o Tidelands Fund (mandated by the State)
o Financial repository for all beach & pier income
o Subsidized by the General Fund
o Consistent shortfall for associated expenses
• Beach parking revenue supports critical areas like:
o Marine Safety Department
o Public Safety Beach Operations
o Public Works Beach & Facility Maintenance
Cover Letter
• Prioritizing equitability and beach access
o Micro-shuttle initiative
▪ Circuit Transit (estimated Spring 2024)
o Active passenger pick-up and drop-off zone
▪ Proposed Ocean Ave (pier adjacent – Main to 10th St Lot) Cover Letter
• Comparable Cities Analysis
o Seal Beach is charging a
lower daily maximum than
its neighboring Southern
California beach cities
Action Requested
• Seeking approval to proceed with the beach lot rate
increase submission to the CA Coastal Commission
Seal Beach Parking Contact Email:
[email protected]