REPORT TO PLANNING COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Title
Action on an Amendment of Zoning Code Chapter 18.74 - Parking Regulations
Report
BACKGROUND
The City allows for privately initiated and funded Zoning Code Amendment requests. The applicant, Extra Space Storage, submitted a request to amend the City’s Zoning Code to create a new codified parking ratio for self-storage facilities based on a recognition that such facilities may generate parking demand levels different from other uses. Separately, City staff identified the need to study the parking ratio for data centers. Neither land use currently has a parking ratio specifically identified in the parking standards chapter of the Zoning Code (Chapter 18.74) (see Attachment 1). Because the Code does not identify specific parking standards for these uses, the City’s practice has been to apply the parking standard for general warehousing use for both. Therefore, the applicant and the City contracted with HMH, a consulting firm, to study the parking ratios for self-storage facilities and data centers.
DISCUSSION
In September 2017 the project applicant, a private party, submitted a technical report by the consultant (Attachment 2) that analyzed parking usage rates at three self-storage facilities and five data centers in the City of Santa Clara. Actual parking demand data was collected for the peak usage times at each site. The conclusions of the technical report were reviewed and confirmed by the City’s traffic consultant.
Data was collected for each of the three self-storage sites on four weekend days in July 2017 because the manager of each facility indicated that the peak use demand is on weekends. The parking demand for self-storage facilities, expressed as a weighted average, was determined to be 0.088 parking spaces per 1,000 gross square feet of floor area (or 0.88 spaces per 10,000 gross square feet). The proposed ordinance change would establish a slightly higher ratio of 1 parking space per 10,000 gross square feet of floor area. While the analysis suggests a lower parking ratio could be feasible, the proposed ratio would provide an allowance for facilities that might have a higher parking demand than average. The project applicant agrees with this proposed requirement.
One of the primary findings of the technical report was that self-storage users do not generally use all of the designated parking spaces that were provided to meet the Zoning Code requirement; instead, users typically park in the drive aisle area nearest to their storage units. Because self-storage facilities are being proposed in a variety of configurations, with units both directly accessible from a driveway, and with units completely within an enclosed building, it is difficult to codify where the required parking is best located on a particular site. This information will be used as a part of the project review process to better locate the required parking within future proposed self-storage facilities and also incorporated into the next revision to the City’s Industrial Design Guidelines.
As described in the HMH report, for data center sites, parking usage was studied on three consecutive weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The parking demand for data centers, expressed as a weighted average, was found to be 0.22 parking spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area. Staff is proposing a slightly higher parking ratio of 0.25 spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area, or 1 space per 4,000 square feet, to provide some buffer to account for peak demand on data center sites.
Both proposed parking ratios would represent a significant reduction in the amount of required parking spaces from the warehousing standard, which is 1 parking space per 2,000 square feet of gross floor area, and would thus allow intensification of future self-storage and data center sites as more site area becomes available for buildings rather than to meet the parking requirement. This potential for additional intensification on existing sites would avoid dedication of land to create unnecessary parking, allow for better utilization of industrial land when it is developed for either use, and enable a wider variety of uses to remain viable on other parcels in industrial districts. This in turn would better support the needs of the community and support the City’s ongoing economic development.
General Plan Conformance: The following General Plan Goals are applicable to the proposed code revisions:
5.8.6‐G1 Parking provided for new development and along public streets that does not exceed average demands.
5.8.6‐G2 A parking supply that encourages the use of alternate transportation modes.
5.8.6‐G3 Flexible parking standards that address unique development types and locations within the City.
In addition, the following General Plan Policy also applies:
5.8.6‐P2 Identify parking supply standards that promote economic development, neighborhood compatibility, environmental quality and public safety, while reducing dependence on the automobile.
The proposed parking standards meet these objectives in that they would establish parking standards for self-storage and data center uses that more accurately correlate to the actual parking demand, thereby allowing for more efficient use of the City’s industrial land supply.
FISCAL IMPACT
This proposed ordinance amendment would create parking standards for two industrial uses that are not currently enumerated, and would not have a direct fiscal impact on the City. Facilitating more intensive use of industrial lands can have a positive long-term fiscal benefit.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The potential environmental impacts of the project were addressed in the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) prepared for the General Plan Update, adopted November 16, 2010. In and of itself, provision of parking is not an identified CEQA impact. However, the General Plan EIR recognizes the following General Plan parking policies as being positive factors in the City’s efforts to reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions:
5.8.6-P2 Identify parking supply standards that promote economic development, neighborhood compatibility, environmental quality and public safety, while reducing dependence on the automobile.
5.8.6-P3 Encourage flexible parking standards that meet business and resident needs as well as avoid an oversupply in order to promote transit ridership, bicycling and walking.
The General Plan EIR describes the potential uses of the EIR, and states, “This EIR may be used to provide the environmental review for actions which are consistent with
the proposed Draft 2010-2035 General Plan goals and policies, as appropriate. These actions may include the following: adoption of ordinances and policies which implement the General Plan; zoning changes and General Plan amendments that are consistent with the General Plan; and special studies required by or related to implementation of the General Plan policies.”
COORDINATION
This report was coordinated with the City Attorney’s Office.
PUBLIC CONTACT
A City-wide notice was published in the Santa Clara Weekly on April 25, 2018.
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 or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Adopt the proposed Zoning Code Amendment to add definitions and parking ratios for data centers and self-storage facilities to chapter 18.74, parking regulations.
2. Defer adoption of new Zoning Code parking standards to the comprehensive Zoning Code Update now underway and scheduled for completion by March 2019.
3. Other Action taken by the Planning Commission.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Adopt the proposed Zoning Code Amendment to add definitions and parking ratios for data centers and self-storage facilities to chapter 18.74, parking regulations.
Staff
Reviewed by: Andrew Crabtree, Director of Community Development
Approved by: Deanna J. Santana, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Ordinance
2. Parking study for self-storage and data center uses