City of Hermosa Beach --- 07-28-98

SUBJECT: REVIEW OF MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL PARKING SPACE REQUIREMENT AND OPEN SPACE REQUIREMENT



Recommendation:

That the City Council direct staff as deemed appropriate.


Background:

At the July 14, 1998 meeting, the City Council directed staff to provide an overview of multi-family residential parking space and open space requirements.


Analysis:

Parking Requirements

Section 17.44.020 provides parking standards for single, two family and multi-family development as follows:

Min. Typically

Use Parking Requirement Req'd. Provided

  • Single family dwelling Two spaces plus one guest space 3 4*
  • Duplex / two family dwelling Two off-street spaces for each unit plus one 5 8* guest space. One additional space for each space lost due to curbcuts or driveways.
  • Multiple dwellings (three +) Two off-street spaces for each dwelling unit 8 9 * ** plus one guest space for each two dwelling units. One additional space for each space lost due to curbcuts or driveways. __________________________________________________________________________________
  • * Assumes 17' garage setback to accommodate 2 cars per du.. All parking calculations are rounded up.
  • ** Assumes three units with one unit providing 17' garage setback. All parking calculations are rounded up.

  • Section 17.44.090 (c) provides that in residential zones, garages or parking stalls fronting on a public street shall be set back a minimum of seventeen (17) feet from the exterior edge of the nearest public improvement (sidewalk or street improvement). Garages or parking stalls fronting on an alley shall provide one of the following setbacks from the property line: seventeen (17) feet, nine feet or three feet, except garages or parking stalls fronting on an alley of fifteen feet in width or less need only comply with the turning radius requirements of Section 17.44.130.

  • The number of parking spaces provided for two family or multi-family dwellings varies relative to whether a project is located on a thru lot (street to street, street to alley ) or only has one street directly accessible. For example, if two streets are accessible, a two family project may provide up to 8 spaces (2 per unit and 2 per unit 17' garage setback). A street to alley project may provide up to 7 spaces (2 per unit, 2 per unit 17' setback and 1 per alley side). A project with only 1 street accessible may provide 5 spaces (2 per unit and 1 adjacent a common driveway) or 7 with a 17' garage setback per one of the units fronting the street. (Please see attached sketch.)
  • Other sections of Chapter 17.44 - Off -Street Parking, provide for residential multi-family parking requirements related to the size of spaces, location, tandem parking, requirements for existing construction, underground facilities, parking requirement calculation and assignment of spaces.
  • The required number of parking spaces per dwelling unit in Hermosa Beach is similar to most of the adjacent beach cities. (See List of Parking Space Requirements by City.)

  • Open Space Requirements
  • Open space is defined as "areas which are from ground to sky free and clear of any obstructions or obstacles unless otherwise specified within each zone classification." Open space does not include required yards or driveways. The Zone Code distinguishes between open space and recreation space . Recreation space is defined as open space provided for recreation, "sufficiently large and so located to permit normal recreational activities such outdoor dining, court games, swimming and grass lawns." Both open space and recreational space may be provided on the ground or on decks in single and multi-family development, except that recreational space must be directly accessible through the interior of the dwelling unit and over only the dwelling unit for which there is interior access . Condominium development requires an additional 100 sq. ft. of private recreational space per dwelling unit and 100 sq. ft. of additional common recreational open space for five or more units. Lot coverage requirements (maximum 65% single to multi-family uses) is calculated independently from open space requirements
  • The overall amount of open space is both a function of use and the zone in which the project is located.

  • Chapters 17.08, 17.12, 17.14, 17.16 and 17.22 provide open space requirements by zone for R-1, R-2, R-3 and condominium residential development respectively as summarized below:
  • Min.
  • Zone Open Space Requirement Req'd.
  • R-1 (Single family) 400 sq. ft. (min. dimension 10') 4001
  • R-2 (Single, Two or 3+) 200 sq. ft. per d.u. (min. dimension 7') 4002 R-2B
  • R-3 (Single, Two or 3+) 200 sq. ft. per d.u. (min. dimension 7') 6003 4
  • Condominiums (two) 200 sq. ft. per d.u. (min. dimension 7') and 100 sq. ft. private open space 6004
  • Condominiums (three +) 200 sq. ft. per d.u. (min. dimension 7') and 100 sq. ft. private open space 9004

______________________________________________________________________________

Other current open space provisions include restrictions on the computation of open space in conjunction with yard areas5 and minimum sizes for unusually shaped recreations space6. The open space standards are intended to be most restrictive in the R-1 zone to protect the character of single family neighborhoods


Parking Space Standard Alternative

If the City Council believes that parking standards for multi-family development are not sufficient, the Council may want to consider requiring that the number of required parking spaces be consistent with a thru lot condition (total 8 spaces), regardless of lot orientation, for two family development and require that multi-family development continue to be parked at the guest parking and curb cut ratios currently in effect.


The potential outcome of more required parking will be to reduce some on-street parking demand but increase the amount of paved area per lot, particularly along street frontage.

Open Space Standard Alternative
The Council can consider a variety alternative open space standards from increased front yards at ground level and the floor level above (simplest to implement) to Floor Area Ratio (more difficult to understand/implement, but more flexible for project design). Both alternatives potentially reduce building volume, but providing increased building setback along front yards at all floor levels will have the added benefit of being observable from adjacent property and the street. (Please see attached sketch.)


It is also possible to decrease the amount of lot coverage (currently lot coverage is 65%) which also reduces building volume, but is not necessarily observable from adjacent properties or the street.


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Notes

1. Single Family Dwelling - Up to 25% may be provided in balconies or decks with a min. dimension of 10'.

Small lots (less than 2100 sq. ft.) may provide 300 sq. ft. of open space, min. dimension 7' and all required open space may be provided on decks.

2. Assumes two units.

3. Assumes three units.

4. 50% or more directly accessible to each du. (Five or more units -- 100 sq. ft. per/du additional common recreation space) Open Space may be provided in directly accessible balconies or decks

5. Only an area exceeding the minimum yard area may be counted toward recreation space and only if the overall dimension of the required setback and the exceeding area together have a dimension of at least seven feet in R-2 and R-3 zone and 10' in the R-1 zone.

6. Circular, triangular, odd and/or unusual shaped recreations space shall have a minimum of fourty- nine (49) square feet in area, minimum dimension of 7' in R-2, R-3 and 10' in the R-1 zone.