Chico Municipal Code Ch. 10.30 Preferential Parking Areas

This chapter is adopted pursuant to the provisions of Section 22507 of the California Vehicle Code. Its purpose is to enhance the quality of life of those persons residing or employed in any area of the city which is zoned for and predominantly devoted to residential or residential/professional office uses, and which contains streets congested with vehicles parked by persons who do not reside or who are not employed in such area, by providing a means to limit the parking of vehicles along the streets within such area only to those persons who do reside or who are employed in the area, as well as a resident's guest. However, this chapter shall not be construed to allow parking within a preferential parking area in violation of any other provision of this title.

(Ord. 2119)

A. The city council may, by resolution, designate an area of the city as a preferential parking area if the council finds that such area is zoned for and predominantly devoted to residential or residential/professional office uses; that the area contains streets which are congested with vehicles parked by persons who do not reside or who are not employed in the area; and that limiting the parking of vehicles along the streets in the area to those persons who do reside or who are employed in the area is necessary in order to enhance the quality of life of such persons.

B. In determining whether limiting the parking of vehicles along the streets within such an area to those persons who reside or who are employed in the area is necessary to enhance the quality of life of such persons, the city council shall consider the effect of vehicles parked by persons who do not reside or who are not employed in the area on ambient noise levels, air pollution levels and other environmental characteristics of the area; pedestrian and vehicular traffic safety in the area; and the burden on persons who reside or who are employed in the area in gaining access to their residences or places of employment.

C. In its resolution designating an area of the city as a preferential parking area, the city council shall specifically describe such area and shall set forth the days and hours when the parking restrictions applicable to the area hereinafter provided for by this chapter will be in effect.

(Ord. 2119)

No person shall stop, stand, or park a vehicle on any street within an area designated by resolution of the city council as a preferential parking area on the days and during the hours when preferential parking restrictions are in effect, except:

A. A vehicle registered to or controlled and exclusively used by a person residing or employed in the designated preferential parking area when such vehicle properly displays a valid preferential parking permit issued in the manner hereinafter provided by this chapter;

B. A vehicle being used by the guest of a person residing in the designated preferential parking area when such vehicle properly displays a valid preferential parking guest pass issued in the manner hereinafter provided by this chapter, and is parked on the street in front of the parcel of real property for which the guest pass was issued between the next street intersections on either side of such parcel;

C. The following additional vehicles, which shall be exempt from the parking restrictions applicable to preferential parking areas:

1. An emergency vehicle, including but not limited to an ambulance, fire engine, or police vehicle;

2. A vehicle which is under the control of a person providing services to a parcel of real property located in a designated preferential parking area, including but not limited to a delivery vehicle; and

3. A vehicle registered to or used by disabled persons when such vehicle displays a distinguishing license plate or placard issued by the California Department of Motor Vehicles.

(Ord. 2119)

A. Preferential Parking Permits. A preferential parking permit may be issued by the administrative services director for any vehicle which is registered to or under the control of and exclusively used by a person residing or employed on a parcel of real property located within the boundaries of a designated preferential parking area.

B. Guest Passes. Preferential parking guest passes may be issued by the administrative services director to persons residing or employed on any parcel of real property located within a designated preferential parking area.

C. The cumulative number of preferential parking permits and guest passes which may be issued in relation to a parcel of real property with a single dwelling unit or place of employment shall not exceed a total of five. The cumulative number of permits and passes which may be issued for a parcel having two or more dwelling units or two or more places of employment shall not exceed a total of seven.

(Ord. 2119, Ord. 2395 §3, Ord. 2439 §81)

Preferential parking permits and guest passes shall be issued based on a permit year running from July 1 through the following June 30th. Preferential parking permits and guest passes may be issued for a term of one, two or three years. Permits and passes issued to lessees of residential property shall not be issued for a term that would result in the permit or pass being issued for any permit year commencing after the expiration date of the lease.

(Ord. 2119, Ord. 2395 §4)

Each preferential parking permit issued pursuant to the provisions of this chapter shall identify the vehicle for which it is issued as one registered to or under the control of and exclusively used by a person residing or employed in the particular preferential parking area to which it applies; shall set forth the license number of such vehicle; and shall include instructions describing the manner in which the permit is to be displayed in such vehicle.

(Ord. 2119)

A. Applications for preferential parking permits and guest passes shall be filed with and be in a form approved by the administrative services director, and shall be accompanied by the following documents and fees:

1. Documentary proof, satisfactory to the finance director, that the person making the application resides or is employed in the preferential parking area for which the permit is to be issued;

2. For a preferential parking permit, a copy of the certificate of registration for the vehicle for which the permit is to be issued and, where the vehicle is not registered to the person making the application, documentary proof, satisfactory to the finance director, that such person is entitled to the exclusive use and control of such vehicle; and

3. A preferential parking permit or guest pass application fee in an amount established by resolution of the city council.

B. Where the number of preferential parking permit or guest pass applications filed with the administrative services director for a particular dwelling unit and/or parcel of real property exceeds the number which may be issued for such dwelling unit and/or parcel pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, the director shall issue the number authorized by this chapter to the persons having filed an application for same in the order in which such applications were received.

(Ord. 2119, Ord. 2395 §5, Ord. 2439 §82)

A person having been issued a preferential parking permit pursuant to the provisions of this chapter shall not:

A. Cause or permit such permit to be displayed on a vehicle other than the vehicle for which it was issued; or

B. Continue to display such permit on the vehicle for which it was issued after such person no longer resides or is employed within the preferential parking area for which the permit was issued.

(Ord. 2119)

A preferential parking guest pass issued pursuant to the provisions of this chapter shall identify the vehicle in which it is displayed as one being used by a guest of a person residing within the preferential parking area for which the guest pass was issued; shall set forth the address of the particular parcel of real property within such preferential parking area for which the guest pass was issued, as well as the days and hours during which a vehicle displaying the guest pass may lawfully park within the preferential parking area; and shall include instructions describing the manner in which the permit is to be displayed in such vehicle.

(Ord. 2119)

A person who resides or is employed on a parcel of real property within a designated preferential parking area for which a guest pass has been issued pursuant to the provisions of this chapter shall not:

A. Use such guest pass in any vehicle which is registered to or under the control of such person; or

B. Provide such guest pass to any person other than a person visiting such resident as a guest or a person on the property for the purpose of providing services to that resident.

(Ord. 2119, Ord. 2268, Ord. 2395 §9)

A preferential parking service pass may be issued by the administrative services director to any business which is licensed to do business in the City of Chico and which provides services, on a regular or repeated basis, to the owner or resident of any parcel of real property located within a designated preferential parking area.

(Ord. 2119, Ord. 2439 §83)

The term of a preferential parking service pass issued pursuant to the provisions of this chapter shall be for the one-year period commencing on July 1 of the year for which such pass was issued and terminating on June 30 of the next succeeding year; provided that, where a service pass is issued subsequent to July 1, then the term of such service pass shall commence on the date of issuance.

(Ord. 2119)

A preferential parking service pass issued pursuant to the provisions of this chapter shall identify the vehicle in which it is displayed as one being used by a service provider for a person residing within a preferential parking area; the days and hours during which a vehicle displaying the service pass may lawfully park within a preferential parking area; and shall include instructions describing the manner in which the pass is to be displayed in such vehicle.

(Ord. 2119)

Applications for a preferential parking service pass shall be filed with and be in a form approved by the administrative services director and shall be accompanied by the following documents and fees:

A. Documentary proof, satisfactory to the administrative services director, that the business applying for the service pass is a provider of services, on a regular or repeated basis, to the owner or resident of a parcel of real property within a designated preferential parking area. A business which provides services to more than one property located within designated preferential parking areas may be issued a preferential parking service pass which applies to each of those properties.

B. A preferential parking service pass application fee in an amount established by resolution of the city council.

(Ord. 2119, Ord. 2439 §84)

A business provided with a preferential parking service pass shall not use that pass for the purpose of parking in any designated preferential parking area except when actually providing services to a parcel of property for which the pass has been issued.

(Ord. 2119)

Any violation of the parking restrictions within a preferential parking area adopted by this chapter which continues for a discrete period of two hours in duration shall be deemed to be a separate violation and punishable by a separate civil penalty in an amount hereinafter required by this title.

(Ord. 2119)