REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Discussion and Follow Up on a Written Petition (Council Policy 030) Submitted by Kirk Vartan Related to Permit Parking Zones
Report
COUNCIL PILLAR
Deliver and Enhance High Quality Efficient Services and Infrastructure
BACKGROUND
On October 11, 2022, the City Clerk's Office received a Written Petition (Attachment 1) from Kirk Vartan requesting to place an item on a future council meeting agenda to discuss “the new parking permit ordinance and rules.” On November 1, 2022, the Council considered the Written Petition and directed staff to return at a future Council meeting with a staff report on the Written Petition. On January 10, 2023, an informational report (Attachment 2) was provided to the Council related to the existing parking zones referenced by the original petition. The existing parking zones include time-limited parking (i.e. 1- and 2-hour parking allowed) and restricted parking zones (i.e. no parking). Additionally, these parking zones were established over the course of time based on resident or property owner requests.
This report will provide additional information about the City’s program for establishing the various parking zones within the City and the corresponding permit parking programs available for these zones.
1. Parking Zone Establishment: The Department of Public Works (DPW), Traffic Engineering Division is responsible for the creation and modification of parking zones within the City. There are various types of parking zones in Santa Clara and they can be characterized by two main types: A) Time-Limited and Restricted Parking Zones and B) Residential Permit Parking Zones.
A. Time-Limited and Restricted Parking Zones: Time-limited and restricted parking zones are established to provide specific restrictions related to parking on specific streets and are accompanied by relevant street signage. Time-limited parking zones will typically specify that on certain streets, parking will be allowed for limited amounts of time such as 1-hour and or 2 hours for certain durations of the day (i.e. 8am to 6pm) and will be effective on certain days of the week (i.e. Monday through Saturday, Sundays and Holidays excepted). Restricted parking zones can take the form of signage and/or curb painting; white curb zones (passenger loading zones), yellow curb zones (commercial loading zones), green curb zones (short-term parking zones), blue curb zones (disabled/handicap parking), and red curb zones (i.e. no parking or no stopping).
Time-limited and restricted parking zones are typically implemented based on resident, business, or property requests and most often are requested to alleviate a particular parking concern on a given street. Staff receives these requests and evaluates them to determine if they can be granted. Staff coordinates directly with adjacent property owners to assure that public outreach is conducted. A neighborhood vote or petition is not required to implement a time-limited or restricted parking zone, but staff strives to obtain consent from property owners directly adjacent to the restricted areas.
B. Residential Permit Parking Program: On July 9, 2003, the City Council established a Residential Permit Parking Program (RPPP) (Attachment 3) by approving Ordinance No. 1781 which added Chapter 10.40 Residential Permit Parking to Title 10 Vehicles and Traffic of the City Code. In addition, Guidelines for Designation of Residential Permit Parking Areas were also established by the City Manager.
The RPPP allows the City to establish parking zones that only allow users with valid Residential Parking Permits (RPP) to park in those areas (i.e. parking allowed by permit only). Residential permit parking is common amongst local cities and is often created to deter non-residential parking intrusion into residential areas.
Per the established RPPP guidelines, the creation of Residential Permit Parking Areas (or Zones) follows a detailed process that includes the following steps as listed in Attachment 4, 1) property owner RPP request, 2) initial City coordination, 3) initial property owner ballot, 4) permit parking needs analysis, 5) final property owner ballot, and 6) City Council final review/approval. It is important to note that per the RPPP guidelines if a RPP request does not achieve a simple majority approval during step 3 or step 5, the RPP process does not continue.
2. Permit Parking Programs: The Santa Clara Police Department administers and manages permit parking programs in the City. There are two types of permitted parking that relate to the parking zones established by the City’s Traffic Engineering Division: A) Preferential On-Street Parking Permits and B) Residential Parking Permits.
A. Preferential On-Street Parking Permits: On August 21, 1990, the City Council adopted Resolution 5544 related to Preferential On-Street Parking Permits (Attachment 5). This resolution authorizes the Police Department to issue parking permits to residents who reside on Preferential Parking Streets which are residential streets with time limited parking zones. The parking permit allows residents to park outside of the specified time allotments on their streets.
B. Residential Parking Permits: These parking permits are allowed under the City’s RPPP (item 1B above) and allow users to park in Residential Permit Parking zones (i.e. parking zones that allow parking by permit only). These parking permits relate to the Residential Parking Permit Program mentioned above.
It is important to note that as both permit parking programs are related to residential uses, the Police Department has combined the public information and outreach related to both programs into one program titled, Residential Permit Parking. For example, on the Police Department’s website, there is information such as “RPP area involves the posting of parking time limits or parking restrictions from which local residents are exempt if a valid permit is authorized…”
DISCUSSION
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Police Department’s enforcement of the Permit Parking Programs was dormant due to stay at home orders and staffing issues. Beginning in October 2022, the Police Department utilized a variety of tools (e.g. City publications, Police Department website, Facebook, Instagram, Nextdoor, Nixle, Twitter, and A-frame signs with messaging on the affected streets) to inform the public about the return of enforcing the program. (Attachment 6). In preparation to begin enforcing the program again, the Police Department posted informational stickers on street signage for the relevant streets subject to Permit Parking Programs in an effort to inform users that a parking permit may be available to them after coordination with the City. Additionally, the Police Department worked with DPW to temporarily installed A-frame signs on relevant streets discussing the program. Between October 2022 and December 2022, the Police Department also distributed warnings to vehicles in violation of Permit Parking Program guidelines.
With the re-implementation of the program, the Police Department secured a third-party vendor to provide virtual, contactless application, for payment and permit management activities at the residents’ convenience, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. In addition, a vehicle’s license plate is registered in the system and now replaces a parking permit sticker or hang tag. All other aspects of the program remain in place as designated pre-pandemic.
Based on coordination with Mr. Vartan, staff understands that his concerns are related to questions about the return of enforcing the Permit Parking Programs and if employees of his business are eligible for parking permits to allow them to exceed the time allowance in the time limited parking zones. The Police Department has been in contact with Mr. Vartan and let him know that employees at his business along Stevens Creek Boulevard would not be eligible for this type of parking permit to exceed the time limited zones in the adjacent residential neighborhood.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a “project" within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(5) in that it is an administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes to the environment.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this informational report except for staff time.
COORDINATION
This report has been coordinated with the Police Department and the City Attorney’s Office.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email clerk@santaclaraca.gov <mailto:clerk@santaclaraca.gov> or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Note and file the staff report.
2. Provide other direction to staff.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Note and file the staff report.
Staff
Reviewed by: Craig Mobeck, Director of Public Works
Approved by: Office of the City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Written Petition submitted by Kirk Vartan dated October 11, 2022
2. January 10, 2023 Informational Report on Existing Parking Zones related to a Written Petition (Council Policy 030), submitted by Kirk Vartan, Related to the New Parking Permit Ordinance and Rules (RTC 23-1420)
3. 2003 Residential Permit Parking Program City Council Approval Report and Guidelines
4. Steps to Establishing a Residential Permit Parking Area
5. August 21, 1990 Resolution 5544 related to Preferential On-Street Parking Permits
6. Examples of Police Department outreach related to the Return of Residential Permit Parking Program Effective January 2, 2023