Sebastopol Municipal Code Ch. 10.36 Stopping, Standing and Parking for Certain Purposes or in Certain Places

A. The provisions of this chapter prohibiting the stopping, standing or parking of a vehicle shall apply at all times or at those times herein specified, except when it is necessary to stop a vehicle to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the directions of a police officer or official traffic control device.

B. The provisions of this chapter imposing a time limit on standing or parking shall not relieve any person from the duty to observe other and more restrictive provisions of the Vehicle Code or the ordinances of this City, including the recreational vehicle parking ordinance contained in Chapter 10.76 SMC, prohibiting or limiting the standing or parking of vehicles in specified places or at specified times. (Ord. 1142, 2022; Ord. 1136 § 2, 2022)

No person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle within any parkway.

The City Traffic Engineer is hereby authorized to maintain, by appropriate signs or by paint upon the curb surface, all no stopping zones, no parking areas, and restricted parking areas, as defined and described in this chapter.

No operator of any vehicle shall stop, stand, park, or leave standing such vehicle in any of the following places, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the direction of a police officer or other authorized officer, or traffic sign or signal:

A. Within any divisional island unless authorized and clearly indicated with appropriate signs or markings.

B. On either side of any street between the projected property lines of any public work, public steps, street or thoroughfare terminating at such street, when such area is indicated by appropriate signs or by red paint upon the curb surface.

C. In any area where the City Traffic Engineer determines that the parking or stopping of a vehicle would constitute a traffic hazard or would endanger life or property, when such area is indicated by appropriate signs or by red paint upon the curb surface.

D. In any area established by resolution of the Council as a no parking area, when such area is indicated by appropriate signs or by red paint upon the curb surface.

E. Upon, along or across any railway track in such manner as to hinder, delay, or obstruct the movement of any car traveling upon such track.

F. In any area where the parking or stopping of any vehicle would constitute a traffic hazard or would endanger life or property.

G. On any street or highway where the use of such street or highway or a portion thereof is necessary for the cleaning, repair or construction of the street or highway or the installation of underground utilities or where the use of the street or highway or any portion thereof is authorized for a purpose other than the normal flow of traffic or where the use of the street or highway or any portion thereof is necessary for the movement of equipment, articles, or structures of unusual size, and the parking of such vehicle would prohibit or interfere with such use or movement; provided, that signs giving notice of such no parking are erected or placed at least 24 hours prior to the effective time of such no parking.

H. At any place within 20 feet of a point on the curb immediately opposite the mid-block end of a safety zone, when such place is indicated by appropriate signs or by red paint upon the curb surface.

I. At any place within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection in the Central Traffic District or in any business district when such place is indicated by appropriate signs or by red paint upon the curb surface except that a bus may stop at a designated bus stop.

J. Within 20 feet of the approach to any traffic signal, boulevard stop sign, or official electric flashing device.

A. No person who owns or has possession, custody or control of any vehicle shall park such vehicle upon any street, alley, or City-owned parking lot for more than a consecutive period of 72 hours. For purposes of this section, a vehicle shall be considered to have been parked or left standing for 72 or more consecutive hours if it has remained inoperable or has not been moved at least one mile during said period. Obstruction of the odometer of a vehicle shall give rise to a presumption that the vehicle has not been moved as required by this section and the odometer reading shall be presumptively correct.

B. In the event a vehicle is left parked or standing upon a street, alley, or City-owned parking lot in violation of this section, it may be removed or towed; provided, that a warning notice has been placed on the windshield or other conspicuous place on the vehicle (if it has no windshield) advising that such removal or towing will occur without any further notice or warning 72 hours after the posting of the notice. Any member of the Police Department authorized by the Police Chief may remove the vehicle from the street in the manner and subject to the requirements of the Vehicle Code or issue a citation in lieu of towing removal.

C. A vehicle shall not be re-parked or returned to any location within one-half mile of the location where such vehicle was first parked sooner than 72 hours following the time that the vehicle was first moved. (Ord. 1142, 2022)

No operator of any vehicle shall park said vehicle upon any street in this City for the principal purpose of advertising or displaying it for sale, unless authorized by resolution of the Council.

No person shall construct or cause to be constructed, repair or cause to be repaired, grease or cause to be greased, any vehicle or any part thereof upon any public street in this City. Temporary emergency repairs may be made upon a public street.

No person shall wash or cause to be washed, polish or cause to be polished any vehicle or any part thereof upon any public street in this City, when a charge is made for such service.

A. The City Traffic Engineer is hereby authorized to erect signs indicating no parking upon that side of any street adjacent to any school property when such parking would, in his opinion, interfere with traffic or create a hazardous situation.

B. When official signs are erected prohibiting parking upon that side of a street adjacent to any school property, no person shall park a vehicle in any such designated place.

A. The City Traffic Engineer is hereby authorized to place signs or markings indicating no parking upon any street when the width of the roadway does not exceed 20 feet, or upon one side of a street as indicated by such signs or markings when the width of the roadway does not exceed 30 feet.

B. When official signs or markings prohibiting parking are erected upon narrow streets as authorized herein, no person shall park a vehicle upon any such street in violation of any such sign or marking.

No person shall park or leave standing any vehicle unattended on a highway when upon any grade exceeding three percent (within any business or residence district) without blocking the wheels of said vehicle by turning them against the curb, or by other means.

A. Except as otherwise provided in this section, no person shall stand or park any vehicle, wagon or pushcart from which goods, wares, merchandise, fruits, vegetables or foodstuffs are sold, displayed, solicited or offered for sale or bartered or exchanged, or any lunch wagon or eating car or vehicle, on any portion of any street within this City except that such vehicles, wagons or pushcarts may stand or park only at the request of a bona fide purchaser for a period of time not to exceed 10 minutes at any one place. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to persons delivering such articles upon order of, or by agreement with, a customer from a store or other fixed place of business or distribution.

B. No person shall park or stand on any street, any lunch wagon, eating cart or vehicle, or pushcart from which tamales, peanuts, popcorn, candy or other articles of food are sold or offered for sale without first obtaining a written permit to do so from the City Traffic Engineer which shall designate the specific location in which such cart shall stand.

C. No person shall park or stand any vehicle or wagon used or intended to be used in the transportation of property for hire on any street while awaiting patronage for such vehicle or wagon without first obtaining a written permit to do so from the City Traffic Engineer which shall designate the specific location where such vehicle may stand.

D. Whenever any permit is granted under the provisions of this section and a particular location to park or stand is specified therein, no person shall park or stand any vehicle, wagon or pushcart on any location other than as designated in such permit. In the event that the holder of any such permit is convicted in any court of competent jurisdiction for violating any of the provisions of this section, such permit shall be forthwith revoked by the City Traffic Engineer upon the filing of the record of such conviction with such officer and no permit shall thereafter be issued to such person until six months have elapsed from the date of such revocation.

A. Whenever the City Traffic Engineer shall determine that an emergency traffic congestion is likely to result from the holding of public or private assemblages, gatherings, or functions, or for other reasons, the City Traffic Engineer shall have power and authority to order temporary signs to be erected or posted indicating that the operation, parking or standing of vehicles is prohibited on such streets and alleys as the City Traffic Engineer shall direct during the time such temporary signs are in place. Such signs shall remain in place only during the existence of such emergency and the City Traffic Engineer shall cause such signs to be removed promptly thereafter.

B. When signs authorized by the provisions of this section are in place giving notice thereof, no person shall operate, park or stand any vehicle contrary to the directions and provisions of such signs.

Every motor truck having an unladen weight of 4,000 pounds or more, and every truck tractor irrespective of weight when operated upon any street or highway during darkness, shall be equipped with and carry at least three pot torches or three red electric lanterns or three red emergency reflectors, which reflectors shall be of a type approved by the California Highway Patrol. When any vehicle above mentioned or any trailer or semi-trailer is disabled upon streets or highways within this City and upon which street or highway there is insufficient street lighting to reveal a vehicle at a distance of 200 feet during darkness, a warning signal of the character indicated above shall be immediately placed as follows: one at the traffic site of the disabled vehicle not more than 10 feet to the front or rear thereof, one at a distance of approximately 100 feet to the rear of the disabled vehicle in the center of the traffic lane occupied by said vehicle, and one at a distance of approximately 100 feet to the front of the disabled vehicle in the center of the traffic lane occupied by such vehicle by the driver thereof. The continuous flashing of at least four approved Class A – Type I turn signal lamps, at least two toward the front and at least two toward the rear of the vehicle, shall be considered to meet the requirements of this section until the devices mentioned above can be placed in the required locations. The warning signals herein mentioned shall be displayed continuously during darkness while such vehicle remains disabled upon such street or highway.