HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem No. 3- Discussion of the Minimum Parking Stall Dimensions Required in MF Zones & Mimimum Parking Space Requirement in New SF Homes
DATE: February 26, 2019
TO: Honorable Chairman and Planning Commission
FROM: Lisa L. Flores, Planning & Community Development Administrator
By: Vanessa Quiroz, Associate Planner
SUBJECT: DISCUSS THE MINIMUM PARKING STALL DIMENSIONS REQUIRED
IN MULTIFAMILY ZONES AND THE MINIMUM PARKING SPACE
REQUIREMENT FOR A NEW HOUSE IN SINGLE-FAMILY
RESIDENTIAL ZONES
Recommendation: Provide Direction
BACKGROUND
At the November 27, 2018 Planning Commission meeting, the Planning Commission
initiated a request to discuss the required parking stall dimensions in multifamily zoned
properties and whether a new single-family house with six or more bedrooms should
have at least a four (4) car garage.
DISCUSSION
Parking Requirements in Multi-family Zones
Currently, the Development Code requires that each parking stall must be at least 9’(W)
x 19’(L) in multifamily zoned properties (i.e. R-2, R-3, and R-3-R). A total of two (2)
covered parking spaces are required for each unit, plus one (1) guest parking space for
every two (2) units, and the required parking must be either located in a garage or within
a parking area on the subject site. These parking standards have not changed since
2010 – refer to Attachment No. 1 – Parking Requirements for Multifamily zones.
Of the 60 multifamily projects that were approved since 2010, the majority of the
multifamily developments were designed at the minimum requirement of 18’ x 19’, i.e.
two parking spaces for every unit. A majority of them were located in an enclosed
garage either above ground or in a subterranean parking structure. There were a few
developments that exceeded the minimum requirement and provided a larger two-car
garage, but that was because they were located on larger lot size that had ample room.
Discussion of Parking Requirements
February 26, 2019 – Page 2 of 5
In researching what other cities requires, more than half of the cities requires a parking
stall dimension of 10’(W) x 20’(L) for each parking space (or 20’ x 20’ for a two parking
spaces). The table below list the surrounding cities, their parking requirements, and the
required parking stall dimensions.
Table 1.1
City Multifamily –
Parking Stall Dimensions
Parking Requirements
Arcadia 9’(W) x 19’(L) Two covered parking spaces per
unit.
El Monte 10’(W) x 20’(L)
Enclosed garage per unit. Total
parking spaces required based on
square footage.
Monrovia 9’(W) x 20’(L)
Enclosed two-car garage per unit.
Carport permitted only after two-car
garage is provided.
Pasadena
8’-6”(W) x 18’(L)
*Must add an additional foot to the width, if
adjacent to a wall or post.
Two covered spaces for units 650
sq. ft. or larger and one covered
space for units less than 650 sq. ft.
in size.
Sierra Madre 10’(W) x 20’(L) Two spaces per unit. One parking
space must be covered.
South Pasadena 10’(W) x 20’(L)
Enclosed or covered parking
spaces. One parking space
required for a one-bedroom unit.
Two or more bedrooms within a
unit required two spaces.
Temple City 10’(W) x 20’(L)
Enclosed two-car garage. Except
for condos with three or more
bedrooms, three parking spaces
are required.
Although other cities require larger parking spaces, there are many multifamily lots in
Arcadia that have a lot width of approximately 50 feet, and it might be difficult to
accommodate a parking stall length of 20’-0”, while still complying with the minimum
back-out clearance of 25’-0”. Below is an example of a project that was approved by the
Planning Commission last year that met all the minimum requirements on a lot width of
50’-0”. If the length of the parking stall was one foot longer at 20’-0”, this development
would most likely need a modification to deviate from the development standards. The
distance is measured from the exterior finish of the outside wall to the property line.
Discussion of Parking Requirements
February 26, 2019 – Page 3 of 5
The diagram below shows this
Although this is not the case on all multifamily lots, it is something to be mindful of if the
Commission proposes to modify the regulations. The Development Code currently has
exceptions on lot widths that are less than 65 in the R-2 and R-3 zones - refer to
Attachment No. 1. The Commission could propose different parking stall dimensions
since there are lots that have limitations.
Single-Family Residential Zones
Through the Development Code Update, the parking regulations were revised to require
more parking spaces based on the number of bedrooms and size of the home – refer to
Attachment No. 2 – Parking Requirements for Single-Family Zones. But prior to the
Development Code Update, only two (2) parking spaces were required in an enclosed
garage, regardless the number of bedrooms. The Code current ly requires that:
For houses less than 5,000 square feet in size with up four (4) bedrooms,
two enclosed parking spaces are required. For a house with five (5) or
more bedrooms and/or a size greater than 5,000 square feet, three (3)
enclosed parking spaces are required.
If an owner proposed an extra parking space (s) beyond what is required, then it would
be counted toward the overall Floor Area Ratio (FAR), as stated below. This was to help
mitigate the mass and scale of the building.
For houses less than 5,000 square feet in size, floor area shall exclude
required parking spaces (450 square feet for a two-car garage and 650
square feet for a three-car garage). For houses 5,000 square feet or
larger, floor area shall exclude up to four parking spaces (850 square feet
maximum).
Since the Code has been updated, a total of four (4) new homes have been approved
with 6 bedrooms (none had more than 6 bedrooms) – see Table 2.1.
* Site Plan of 121 Bonita Ave for a 3-unit Condominium Development.
Discussion of Parking Requirements
February 26, 2019 – Page 4 of 5
Table 2.1
Application Address # of Bdrs # of Parking
spaces
SQ to FAR Total size of
Home
2016
SFADR 16-02 476 W. Palm Dr. 6 3 1 6,570
2017
SFADR 17-17 1104 S. 1st Ave 6 4 145 7,002
SFADR 17-21 145 W. Norman Ave 6 4 140 6,852
2018
SFARD 18-12 300 W. Las Flores Ave 6 3 Below 8,008
Staff also conducted a survey of seven surrounding cities, and most cities only require
three (3) parking spaces for a home with five (5) or more bedrooms – refer to Table 2.2.
This was the reason for the change during the Development Code Update and the
Zoning Code Committee and the City Council discussed it at length during the FAR
discussion.
Table 2.2
City Parking Requirements
Arcadia Three parking spaces required for homes with 5 or more bedrooms or homes
greater than 5,000 square feet in size.
El Monte
Zone R-1A: A 3-car garage is required for a dwelling unit with an
area of 1,200—1,500 square feet. For units greater than 1,500
square feet additional parking spaces are required at a rate of one
(1) space per each additional 300 square feet.
Zones R-1B & R-1C: A 3-car garage is required for a dwelling unit
with a floor area greater than 2,000 square feet or have more than
four bedrooms, one (1) open parking space shall be required for
each additional bedroom
Monrovia Two enclosed parking spaces. No additional parking stalls required based on
the number of bedrooms or size of home.
Pasadena Two enclosed parking spaces. No additional parking stalls required based on
the number of bedrooms or size of home.
San Marino Three enclosed parking spaces for homes with 5-6 bedrooms. For homes
with 7 or more bedrooms, four parking spaces are required plus one
additional parking space for every 2 additional bedrooms.
Sierra Madre Three parking spaces required for homes with 5 or more bedrooms
South Pasadena Two enclosed parking spaces. No additional parking stalls required based on
the number of bedrooms or size of home.
Temple City Three parking spaces required for homes with 5 or more bedrooms.
Staff has not identified any potential problems with the parking requirements since the
regulations have changed. The two homes that were approved with more than a three -
Discussion of Parking Requirements
February 26, 2019 – Page 5 of 5
car garage were counted toward the FAR, which helped controlled the overall mass,
scale, and design to ensure the new homes were compatible with other homes in the
surrounding area.
NEXT STEP
Based on the discussion, the Planning Commission may direct Staff to receive and file
this information, continue the discussion, or initiate a potential text amendment to the
Development Code.
If any Planning Commissioner has any questions or comments regarding this matter
prior to the February 26, 2019, Planning Commission Meeting, please contact Associate
Planner, Vanessa Quiroz at (626) 574-5422, or VQuiroz@ArcadiaCA.gov.
Approved:
Lisa L. Flores
Planning & Community Development Administrator
Attachment No. 1: Parking Requirements in the Multifamily Zones
Attachment No. 2: Parking Requirements in the Single-Family Zones
Attachment No. 1
Parking Requirements for Multifamily zones
Attachment No. 1
Multi-Family Development Standards December 2016
Multifamily Development Standards
9103.07.050 Off-Street Parking for Residential Uses
Table 3-3:
Table 3-3
Off-Street Parking Requiremen ts: Residential Uses
Land Use Minimum Parking Spaces Required
Multifamily Dwellings
For the R-2, R-3 and R-3-R Zones:
2 covered spaces per unit, plus guest parking as follows:
1 guest parking space per each 2 units
2. Residential Use: When Required Covered or Garage Parking Cannot Be Provided. Apart from the requirements for
parking in a garage contained in Table 3-3 (Off-Street Parking Requirements: Residential Uses) for residential uses, wherever
required covered or garage parking cannot be provided due to physical limitations on a property, an alternative parking
arrangement for the remaining required parking can be arranged by the approval of an Administrative Modification
subject to the requirements of Section 9107.05 (Administrative Modifications).
Development Code Section 9103.07.050.F
F. Standard Residential Parking Stall Dimensions. Required parking stalls, including guest parking spaces, within all
residential zones shall meet the dimension requirements set forth in Table 3-4 (Parking Space Dimensions-Residential Zones).
Dimensions shall be measured from interior building wall.
Table 3-4
Parking Space Dimensions-Residential Zones
Zone
Size of Parking Stall (minimum)
Width (General) When Adjacent to Wall
or Structure Length
R-2, R-3, and R-3-R 9 ft 11 ft, 6 in 19 ft
Development Code Section 9103.07.080.A.7b.General Requirements
b. Each parking space shall have a minimum 25-foot turning radius and/or a minimum of 25 feet of clear back-out
space.
9102.01.100 Additional Residential Development Standards in Multifamily Zones
C. Exception to Side Setback in R-2, R-3, and R-3-R. On lots that are less than 65 feet in width, the enclosed single-story garage
portion of a dwelling unit may encroach a maximum of five feet into the required interior side setback, provided that no living
space is included in the encroachment.
Attachment No. 2
Parking Requirements for Single-Family
Zones
Attachment No. 2
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Single Family Development Standards 1 December 2016
Single Family Development Standards
Residential Zones
9103.01.030.A.1.a Measuring Floor Area and Floor Area Ratio
A. Floor Area
1. Residential Floor Area. The following shall be excluded from floor area for the purposes of calculating floor area ratio:
a. For houses less than 5,000 square feet in size, floor area shall exclude required parking spaces (450 square feet for a two-
car garage and 650 square feet for a three-car garage). For houses 5,000 square feet or larger, floor area shall exclude up
to four parking spaces (850 square feet maximum).
9103.07.050 Off-Street Parking for Residential Uses
Table 3-3:
Table 3-3
Off-Street Parking Requiremen ts:
Residential Uses
Land Use Minimum Parking Spaces Required
Single-Family Dwellings (Attached and Detached) and
Two-Family Dwellings
2 spaces per dwelling unit in a garage for units less than 5,000
square feet in size with up to 4 bedrooms
3 spaces per dwelling unit in a garage for units 5,001 square
feet or more in size and/or with 5 or more bedrooms (1)
Development Code Section 9103.07.050.F
F. Standard Residential Parking Stall Dimensions. Required parking stalls, including guest parking spaces, within all
residential zones shall meet the dimension requirements set forth in Table 3-4 (Parking Space Dimensions-Residential Zones).
Dimensions shall be measured from interior building wall.
Table 3-4
Parking Space Dimension s-Residential Zones
Zone
Size of Parking Stall (minimum)
Length Width (General)
When Adjacent to Wall
or Structure
R-M, R-O, and R-1 10 ft 11 ft, 6 in 20 ft