Off-streetparkingCCmeeting 8-28-23(klk)
CITY OF SIMI VALLEY
MEMORANDUM
August 28, 2023
TO: City Council
FROM: Department of Environmental Services
SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR DIRECTION ON PROPOSED REVISIONS TO
RESIDENTIAL OFF-STREET PARKING STANDARDS, INCLUDING
RECREATIONAL VEHICLES, FRONT YARD LANDSCAPING, AND
RELATED PROVISIONS
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council provide further direction on amending portions of the Development Code for residential off-street parking standards and related provisions.
BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW
The County of Ventura’s off-street parking requirements (Ordinance 2130) were adopted by the City when the City incorporated in 1969 . Since then, the off -street parking requirements were amended in 1986, 2000 , and 2011, which expanded on -site parking and driveways options but still restricted the location of oversized vehicles, trailers or fifth wheels.
In 2018, the City’s Code Enforcement Staff received a significant number of complaints about Recreational Vehicles (RVs) being parked on residential properties on the opposite side of driveways in a particular neighborhood. Upon enforcement of those complaints, the City Council received concerns about the City’s parking standards. At the February 12, 2018, City Council meeting, the Council put enforcement on hold and requested that Staff review the City’s off-street parking requirements, including RV parking on residential properties. Since then, there have been several discussions and changes to the off-street residential parking standards, which are summarized below:
On February 11, 2019, the City Council directed Staff to prepare amendments to the Development Code to allow uncovered rear yard parking for both ‘typical’ (less than one acre ) and ‘larger sized’ lots (one acre or more ). At the time , rear yard parking was only allowed within an approved garage or carport, or on the paved driveway leading to the garage or carport in the rear yard. In addition, the Council advised Staff to maintain existing paving allowances for parking areas in the front and side yards.
On January 22, 2020, the Planning Commission heard Staff’s potential code updates to allow uncovered rear yard parking on an approved pad. The Planning
AGENDA ITEM NO.
8A
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Commission directed a subcommittee of two Commissioners to meet with Staff to discuss the proposal in greater detail. The Subcommittee recommended that no changes be made to the Development Code and enforcement of the existing rules should resume. The Subcommittee also considered options for additional parking in the front yards of homes opposite of the garage. The Subcommittee dismissed these as some configurations would require an additional driveway approach (curb-cuts) or non-permitted use of corner accessibility ramps. Additional driveway approaches would result in the loss of on-street parking for the general public.
The Planning Commission considered the recommendations of the Subcommittee on September 2, 2020, and by a 5:0 vot e, recommended to the City Council that the proposed changes to rear yard parking be rejected and enforcement of the existing standards resume . The Commission commented that the amendments would create enforcement issues and that the Neighborhood Council’s suggestion to allow the option to add a paved area on the opposite side of the front yard would result in curb jumping and damage to curbs at the taxpayer’s expense , and result in the loss of on-street parking with new driveway approaches.
On January 25, 2021, the City Council heard Staff’s updates. Around the same time, concerns from the community arose regarding the enforcement of residential off-street parking requirements in front yards. Due to the COVID -19 pandemic, some households were using their front yards to accommodate RVs for quarantine purposes. To avoid enforcing residential parking regulations that could affect these vehicles and to seek community feedback on the issue, the City Council postponed the public hearing to a date uncertain.
On N ovember 8, 2021, City Council resumed the public hearing and approved amendments to the Development Code to allow an additional rear yard parking pad of 400 square feet on properties of less than one acre and up to 800 square feet on properties of one acre or more with a Zoning Clearance . However, the community again expressed concerns about the existing standards for front yard parking being enforced, and the City Council paused enforcement in April 2022.
On March 20, 2023, the Council directed Staff to r esume enforcement on all parking violations that are not related to parking on the opposite side of the driveway. The Council also requested that Staff review existing standards and prepare potential Code updates to allow parking on the opposite side of the driveway and potential reductions in the 50 percent front yard landscaping requirement.
This report is in response to the Council's request from March 2023 . Staff is additionally recommending updates to the standards for residential rear yard parking access, gates, and screening.
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Current City Standards
Current Residential Parking Standards
In single-family residential areas, current standards allow uncovered parking beyond the required two-car garage in the following locations, see Figure 1 below:
On the driveway in front of the garage,
On the portion of the front yard between the driveway and the closest side property line (10-foot extension),
On a circular driveway in the front yard, or
Between the house and side yard property line (either side).
The City also allows rear yard parking in the following locations:
Within an approved garage/carport,
The driveway leading up to approved covered parking, or On an approved parking pad. Note that parking on the driveway leading to this parking pad is not allowed.
For properties less than one acre, the rear yard uncovered parking pad can be up to 400 square feet, while properties one acre or more can have a parking pad of up to 800 square feet.
Figure 1: Currently Allowed Off-Street Parking Areas on a 65-foot wide lot
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Current Front Yard Landscaping Requirements
The City currently requires that 50 percent of the space between the house and the street curb, the front yard, be covered with natural plants or approved artificial turf. Of that 50 percent, one-half may consist of decorative features such as boulders, river and lava rock, fountains, ponds, rock riverbeds, and pedestrian bridges, as approved by the Deputy Director/City Planner (SVMC Section 9 -33). Research from other jurisdictions in the County shows that most cities also have a minimum front yard landscape coverage requirement that restricts paving in the front yard , typically requiring 50 percent landscaping (Camarillo, Moorpark, Ojai, Santa Paula, Port Hueneme, Unincorporated Ventura County, and Fillmore).
Also, note that the City permits additional paving allowances in the front yard, even if the 50 percent landscape requirement is not met. These areas include driveways leading directly to required parking, a parking strip up to 10 feet wide that is adjacent to the driveway and located on the side of the nearest property line, and a pedestrian walkway up to 4 feet wide leading directly to the front door (see Figure 1). Therefore, the effective front yard landscaping (i.e. the actual area that is not paved) may already be reduced below 50 percent in these scenarios with these allowances.
ANALYSIS
Off-Street Parking Alternatives
During the City Council meeting on March 20 , 2023, the Council requested that Staff research alternative options for residential off -street parking. Staff has analyzed the two following alternatives:
Option A
Allow a 10-foot wide paved parking strip on the opposite side of the existing driveway for lots with less than 8 feet between the nearest side lot line and the existing driveway.
These lots would not have the space to accommodate the currently allowed 10 -foot paving extension on the same side as the driveway (Figure 2, Option A). The following standards would be required to allow this option:
- 50 percent of the front yard landscaping must be maintained , inclusive of paving allowances (driveway and pedestrian walkway).
- A Zoning Clearance would be required to obtain this additional paving. - An encroachment permit would need to be obtained from Public Works for an additional curb cut.
- Where an additional curb cut is not feasible, the parking area must be accessed via the existing driveway and approved paved surface . Driving over landscaping is not permitted.
Where lots have room for an 8 -foot wide paved extension on the same side as the driveway, the opposite paved strip would not be allowed (an 8-foot wide extension is the proposed minimum width after which the opposite paved strip would not be allowed).
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Figure 2: Proposed Off-Street Parking Option A - Where space on the same side of the driveway is less than 8 feet on a 65-foot wide lot.
Option B
Allow both the currently allowed 10 -foot paving extension on the same side as the driveway and the 10 -foot wide paved parking strip on the opposite side of the existing driveway (Figure 2 Option B ). The following standards would be required to allow this option:
- 50 percent of the front yard landscaping must be maintained , inclusive of paving allowances (driveway, 4-foot pedestrian walkway, 10-foot paved strip adjacent to driveway).
- A Zoning Clearance would be required for this additional paving. - An encroachment perm it would need to be obtained from Public Works for an additional curb cut.
- Where an additional curb cut is not feasible, the parking area must be accessed via the existing driveway and approved paved surface. Driving over landscaping is not permitted.
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Figure 2: Proposed Off-Street Parking Option B
Additional 10-foot allowance on opposite side of driveway
For a typical-sized lot of 8,000 square feet, 65-foot wide lot, option B may not be feasible because front yard landscaping may already be close to the required 50 percent due to the paving allowances. One solution would be for the City Coun cil to provide further guidance on allowing a reduction in required landscaping, as discussed below.
Traversing the front yard for access
An access option that can be available for either of the two scenarios described above includes traversing the front yard to provide access to a paved area opposite the driveway and/or the side yard for parking. It is recommended that this only be allowed in a scenario where 50 percent landscaping can be maintained.
Figure 3 shows a scenario for a typical 8,000 square-foot lot where allowing traversing the front yard to access a paved area opposite the driveway and/or the side yard leads to a lot where only 20 percent of the front yard is not paved. Maintaining 50 percent of effective landscaping on a typical-sized lot may not be feasible with this
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configuration as the additional paving would reduce the total landscaping to below 50 percent when combined with additional parking areas.
Figure 3: Traversing Front Yard
To maintain the appearance of single -family residential areas with sufficient landscaping, prevent damage to curbs and unauthorized use of accessibility ramps, and other parking issues, such as the loss of street parking due to new driveway approaches, Staff recommends keeping the current residential parking standards in place. The implications of reducing the required front yard landscaping and loss of street p arking in order to accommodate potentially allowing the 10 -foot parking strip on the opposite side of the driveway are discussed in the following sections.
Reduction of Front Yard Landscaping
The City Council requested that Staff research the implications of reducing the required front yard landscaping percent to between 30 and 40 percent in residential zones. Current standards require 50 percent of the front yard to be landscaped in line with the requirements of a number of cities in Ventura County. As discussed previously, current Code parking requirements allow additional paving allowances in the front yard, as shown in Figure 1. Therefore, the area of the front yard that is landscaped on many lots is often already reduced below 50 percent with these allowances. Staff is concerned that reducing front yard landscaping further may lead to a loss of green space (live plantings, drought tolerant materials, trees, etc.), and negatively impact the overall aesthetics of neighborhoods, e.g., fully paved front yards. However, the Public Works Director has the discretion to approve alternative paving materials in addition to concrete, such as pavers with grass/artificial turf growing through them, pavers with grass/aftificial turf growing among them, and strips of concrete for a vehicle tire path with grass/artificial turf growing between them.
Off-streetparkingCCmeeting 8-28-23(klk)
Additionally, the implementation of a one -size-fits-all solution to create more parking areas may not work for all properties. Larger, wider lots usually have more front yard area and landscaping compared to smaller , narrower lots or those with zero lot lines. This would make it difficult to maintain the requisite landscaping percentage.
As such, not all properties would qualify for the add itional paving. Table 1 shows effective front yard landscaping percentages on lots with various widths, taking into account the current paving allowances and proposed options applied. If the City Council wishes to qualify more properties for the additional paving allowance and reduced landscaping, Staff requests further direction. The narrower lots in the City would essentially have zero landscaping if the 50 percent requirement was further reduced. Even on the 80-foot wide lots, the effective landscaping is reduced below 50 percent with Option B.
Table 1- Effective front yard landscaping for lot widths Lot Size Percentage
Landscaping with
Current Paved
Allowances*
Percentage Landscaping
with Option A (10-foot
paved allowance can be
on opposite side of
driveway)s
Percentage
Landscaping with
Option B + current
allowances, plus
additional 10-foot strip
Narrow Lot
40 foot width
15% 15% -10%
Typical lot
65 foot width
48% 48% 32%
Larger lot
80 foot width
58% 58% 45%
*Allowances above include a driveway leading directly to required parking, a pedestrian walkway up to 4 feet wide leading directly to the front door, and in some cases, a parking strip up to 10 feet wide adjacent to the driveway.
Another issue to note is that due to recent changes in State law, the City can no longer , in most instances, limit ADUs up to 800 square feet within the front yard; as a result, front yard landscaped areas may be reduced even further, regardless of the 50 percent landscaping requirement.
To avoid over -paving on r esidential street frontages and maintain universal standards, Staff recommends keeping the current landscape standards unchanged.
Loss of Street Parking
During the City Council meeting on March 20, 2023, another topic of discussion was whether a driveway approach should be required to access additional parking areas that are on the opposite side of an existing driveway. Approval for a secondary driveway is subject to Public Works standards, including distance, traffic sight safety, and construction requi rements. If a homeowner does not have an approved secondary driveway approach and chooses to drive over the curb , they will be responsible for any damages to the existing curb/sidewalk. However, liability may also fall upon the City, if a pedestrian accident were to occur as a result of damaged City -owned property. To
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address unresolved curb damage, City resources (Staff time and administrative costs ) would need to be allocated toward collecting payment for the repairs.
Currently, the Public Works Department does not require a driveway to access additional parking areas. To help avoid any damage to City-owned property, Staff recommends that access to paved parking areas originate from a driveway approach or access way approved by the Public Works Department via an Encroachment Permit. This Encroachment Permit would also be required in order to obtain a Zoning Clearance from the Planning Division for any additional parking area s that cannot be accessed from the existing driveway.
Current Public Works Driveway Standards
The following are the current City’s driveway standards for residential properties:
a) Residential single-family driveways shall be no less than 10 feet and no greater than 27 feet in width.
b) The minimum distance between driveways on the same lot shall be 22 feet. c) The minimum distance between driveways on adjoining lots shall be 6 inches.
d) For multiple driveways on one lot, the sum of all driveways shall not exceed 40% of the property frontage or 27 feet max.
e) For lots with existing RV access, the maximum width of a driveway can be 37 feet, not to exceed 40% of lot frontage.
It is also important to note that new or widened driveway approaches, the development of SB9 units and ADUs, and the increasing number of veh icles parked in residential neighborhoods, may further impact the availability of street parking. Any modifications that require additional curb -cuts or additional parking spaces that cannot be accessed from the existing driveway will likely worsen the availability of such street parking and/or damage the public right-of-way.
Vehicle Setbacks
The City Council requested Staff to research the feasibility of implementing setbacks for vehicles parked in driveways . However, Staff has concerns about enforcing a vehicle setback as it would apply to all vehicles, not just RVs. Currently, a number of vehicles manufactured today are unable to meet a parking setback in existing driveways as vehicles have become larger an d older homes have shorter driveways. It would be challenging to enforce violations on vehicles since they move frequently and can be parked in various positions. Therefore, Staff advises against imposing vehicle setbacks. However, to avoid safety issues regarding traffic visibility on corner lots, Staff suggests adding language to the City Municipal Code to clarify that parking on the street-facing side of a corner lot should remain outside of the Traffic Sight Safety Area (TSSA).
The TSSA refers to the a rea, both public and private, located at any street corner. It is bounded by the curb line or the edge of the roadway where two streets intersect. To define
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the TSSA, a line is drawn between two points on the curb or roadway edge that are 45 feet from the intersection point of the extended curb lines or roadway edges, as illustrated in Figure 4.
Figure 4: Traffic Sight Safety Areas (TSSA)
Rear Yard Parking and Vehicular Access Gate Updates
Subsequent to the adoption of the rear yard parking modifications, Staff has identified minor revisions necessary to improve rear yard parking options:
a. Eliminate the required 20-foot side and rear yard vehicular gate setback for yards not abutting arterial or collector streets (SVMC Section 9 -30.050.E).
Typical side and rear yard fencing is located adjacent to the property line , and requiring the vehicular gate to be set in 20 feet poses efficiency concerns and potential hardships for typical lots.
b. Modify rear yard parking screening to only require screening within 50 feet of the designated parking area, make screening optional on the sides of the yard that abut a street, and not require screening of yard areas that are adjacent to a reverse corner lot, in order to maintain sight-line visibility.
With City Council concurrence, Staff will present these suggested Mun icipal Code modifications regarding gate and screening with detailed provisions for public hearings at upcoming Planning Commission and City Council meetings.
Off-streetparkingCCmeeting 8-28-23(klk)
RECOMMENDATIONS
The City Council directed Staff to prepare language for potential revisions to the Development Code. If the Council wishes to proceed with a Code amendment to residential off-street parking, Staff has identified the potential changes in Tables 2 and 3 below:
Table 2- Potential Changes to the Development Code for Off-Street Parking Existing Standards Proposed Changes Staff Recommendation Front Yard Parking Locations:
On the driveway in
front of the garage,
On the portion of the
front yard between the
driveway and the
closest side property
line (10-foot
extension),
On a circular driveway
in the front yard, or
Between the house
and side yard property
line (either side).
Option A
Allow a 10-foot wide paved
parking strip on the opposite
side of the existing driveway,
for lots that do not have the
space to accommodate the
currently allowed 10-foot
paving extension on the same
side as the driveway (Figure 2,
Option A).
Staff recommends no change
to the existing front yard
parking locations.
Option B
Allow both the currently
allowed 10-foot paving
extension on the same side as
the driveway and the 10-foot
wide paved parking strip on
the opposite side of the
existing driveway (Figure 2,
Option B).
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Table 2- Potential Changes to the Development Code for Off-Street Parking
Side Yard Parking Locations:
Between the house
and side yard property
line (either side).
No additional side yard parking
locations are proposed.
Staff recommends no change
to side yard parking locations.
Rear Yard Parking Locations:
Within an approved
garage/carport (either
side),
The driveway leading
up to approved
covered parking, or
On an approved
parking pad
400 sq. ft. on
properties < 1 acre
800 sq. ft. on
properties > 1 acre
(either side).
No additional rear yard parking
locations are proposed.
Staff recommends no change
to rear yard parking locations.
Front Yard Landscaping
Requirements:
50 percent of the
space between the
house and the street
curb must be covered
with natural plants or
approved artificial turf.
(Of that 50 percent,
one-half may consist
of decorative features
such as boulders,
river and lava rock,
fountains, ponds, rock
riverbeds, and
pedestrian bridges).
Additional paving allowed in
the front yard even if the 50
percent landscape
requirement is not met:
Reduce the front yard
landscaping requirement to
allow for an additional 10- foot
paved parking strip on the
opposite side of the existing
driveway (Figure 3).
Staff recommends no change
to the 50 percent front yard
landscaping requirement.
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Driveways leading
directly to required
parking,
A parking strip up to
10 feet wide that is
adjacent to the
driveway and located
on the side of the
nearest property line,
and
A pedestrian walkway
up to 4 feet wide
leading directly to the
front door.
Access to off-street parking
locations:
No on-site parking or
access shall be
allowed that would
necessitate the use of
an ADA sidewalk
ramp for vehicular
access.
Access to the rear
yard parking area
must originate from a
driveway approach or
access way approved
by the Public Works
Department.
Access to off-street parking
must originate from a driveway
approach or access way
approved by the Public Works
Department. This can include
traversing the front yard to
provide access to a paved
area opposite the driveway
and/or the side yard for
parking only where 50 percent
landscaping can be
maintained.
Staff recommends adding
language to the City’s Municipal
Code to clarify that access to
paved parking areas must
originate from a driveway
approach or access way
approved by the Public Works
Department.
Traffic Sight Safety Area
(TSSA)
Parking on the street-facing
side of a corner lot must
remain outside of the Traffic
Sight Safety Area (TSSA).
Staff recommends adding
language to the City’s Municipal
Code to clarify that front yard
parking on a corner lot must
remain outside of the Traffic
Sight Safety Area (TSSA).
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Table 3- Potential Changes to the Development Code for Vehicular Gate and Rear Yard Parking Screening
Existing Standards Proposed Changes Staff Recommendation All gates for vehicles on
driveways or roadways shall
be set back a minimum of 20
feet from the property line.
Eliminate the required 20-foot
side and rear yard vehicular
gate setback for yards not
abutting arterial or collector
streets.
Staff recommends eliminating the
setback requirement for side and
rear vehicle access gates for
yards not abutting arterial or
collector streets.
.
Rear yard parking areas must
be screened by a six-foot
property line or rear yard
fence.
Modify rear yard
parking screening to
only require screening
within 50 feet of the
designated parking
area.
Make screening
optional on the sides
of the yard that abut a
street.
Not require screening
of yard areas that are
adjacent to a reverse
corner lot.
Staff recommends modifying rear
yard parking screening
requirements.
Off-streetparkingCCmeeting 8-28-23(klk)
ALTERNATIVES
The following alternatives are available to the City Council:
1. Amend portions of the Development Code for vehicular gate and rear yard parking screening;
2. Make no change to the existing vehicular gate and rear yard parking screening;
3. Amend portions of the Development Code for off -street, front yard parking standards, and landscape percentage modification;
4. Make no change to the existing residential parking off -street, front yar d parking only standards and landscape percentages; and/or
5. Provide alternative direction to Staff.
Staff recommends Alternatives No. 1 and No. 4.
SUGGESTED CITY COUNCIL MOTION
There is no suggested motion.
SUMMARY
On March 20, 2023, the City Council directed Staff to resume parking enforcement on areas not under consideration for a code change (e.g., unpaved surfaces in the front yard) and prepare alternative options for off -street parking for single-family residences. Staff has proposed allowing a 10-foot paved parking strip on the opposite side of the existing driveway as the most feasible alternative for off -street parking. However, this change could result in a reduction of front yard landscaping, damage to City-owned property, and a loss of on-street parking. To avoid over -paving and worsening parking issues in residential areas, Staff recommends maintaining the current residential off-street parking standards. Staff also suggest updating the standards for side and rear yard vehicular access gates and rear yard parking screening to better facilitate and eliminate challenges in utilizing allowed rear yard parking provisions.
____________________________________
Stratis Perros
Environmental Services Director
Prepared by: Alexandra Clingman, Associate Planner