Shafter Zoning Code § 13.50 Adjustments to Off-Street

Modified Parking Requirements in the Downtown Commercial Zone District
- a. Modified parking requirements have been developed for use in the Downtown Commercial zone district as an incentive to preserve and maintain existing historic structures. The Planning Commission shall have the authority to approve a request for a parking adjustment, subject to the provisions of this Section.
- b. For land uses located in the Downtown Commercial zone district, offstreet parking requirements may be modified by the Planning Commission by utilizing the following techniques:
  - (1) A reduction of the required number of parking spaces by twenty (20) percent; or
  - (2) The crediting of on-street parking spaces which are adjacent to the frontage of the designated structure/site towards the total number of required off-street parking spaces required for the use, provided that a determination is made that such on-street parking spaces will remain available for public parking during all business hours in the future. No on-street parking spaces located within fifteen (15) feet of a “stop sign” or corner radius shall be counted. No on-street parking spaces located in front of a bus stop shall be counted; or
  - (3) A reduction in two-way aisle widths, as specified in Table 13.C. of this Chapter, from twenty-four (24) feet to twenty-two (22) feet; or

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(4) Allow the use of off-site parking in parking lots that are located within four hundred (400) feet of the structure, where the applicant has provided adequate incentives for the use of such parking lots; or
(5) Allow vehicles to back out onto alleys where it is determined that visibility is good and such backing out of vehicles can be done safely; or
(6) Allow 45 percent of a parking lot, located on the site of the structure/use, to be compact spaces, instead of 25 percent as permitted in Section 13.20 of this Chapter; or
(7) Allow tandem parking where it is determined that such parking would be effectively and safely used; or
(8) Allow for the deletion of the loading space requirements prescribed by Section 13.40 of this Chapter; or
(9) Provide for in-lieu fees where such fees are applied to an identified parking district or other similar mechanism that will contribute to the development of public parking within the general area.
c. The Planning Commission may approve a parking adjustment with conditions which are found to be necessary to effectuate the purpose of these adjustments within the Downtown Commercial zone district.
- (1) Notice

Notice of an application for a parking adjustment shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation not less than ten days prior to the date set for the Planning Commission hearing. Notices shall also be mailed not less than ten days prior to the date of the meeting to owners of property within a radius of three hundred feet of the external boundaries of the property proposed for the modification described on the application, using for this purpose the name and address of such owners as shown on the latest official tax role of the County.

(2) Findings for Approval

The Planning Commission, in approving a Parking Adjustment, shall find as follows:

(a) The proposed parking modification and use of the structure is necessary or desirable for the development of the community, is in harmony with the various elements and objectives of the General Plan, and is not detrimental to existing uses or to uses specifically permitted in the zone district;

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(b) That approving the proposed parking adjustment and use will significantly improve the possibility that the structure will be preserved and maintained;
(c) That the required parking cannot be provided without the approval of the requested adjustment;
(d) That the proposed parking scheme will function safely;
(e) That approval of the parking adjustment will not harm the integrity of the structure or the surrounding neighborhood.

Shared Parking
- a. A maximum reduction of thirty (30) percent of the minimum parking requirements for individual uses may be granted by the Planning Agency where joint use of parking facilities or other factors will mitigate peak parking demand.
- b. Requests for parking reductions resulting from joint usage shall be supported by information that generally follows the format described below.
  - (1) Initial project review involves documentation and quantification of proposed land uses and anticipated functional relationships between the parking needs of different land uses. The initial review will consist of data gathering regarding proximity to transit facilities, general location of parking facilities, surrounding land uses and mix, predicted pedestrian patterns, and similar variables which affect parking needs.
  - (2) Adjustments for Peak Parking Factor includes calculating the number of off-street parking spaces required for each land use within the area proposed for joint parking use based upon the requirements of Section 13.30 of this Chapter. Other elements to be considered include seasonal adjustment for parking demand and a determination of the mode of transit used in reaching or departing the area being considered.
  - (3) Analysis of Hourly Accumulation involves an estimation of hourly parking accumulations for each land use during a typical week day or weekend day.
  - (4) Estimate of Shared Parking merges the hourly parking demand estimate to calculate the overall parking required to be provided within the area being considered for shared parking facilities.

c. In granting parking reductions for shared use of parking facilities, the Planning Agency shall make one or more of the following findings:

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(1) The report justifies the requested parking reduction based upon the presence of two or more adjacent land uses which, because of their substantially different operating hours or difference peak parking characteristics, will allow joint use of the same parking facilities.
(2) The report indicates that there are public transportation facilities and/or pedestrian circulation opportunities which justify the requested reduction of parking facilities.
(3) The report finds that the use otherwise adheres to the parking standards in this Chapter.
(4) The report finds that the clustering of different land uses is such that a reduced number of parking spaces can serve multiple trip purposes to the area in question.

d. As a condition of approval to the granting of a reduction in required parking, the Planning Agency may require the granting of reciprocal access and parking agreements with surrounding properties; recordation of conditions, covenants, and restrictions; or creation of other legal instruments to assure the permanent continuation of the circumstances under which parking requirement reductions were granted.
e. Where parking spaces are provided for an individual development on a separate parcel, a joint access agreement will be required between affected property owners, in a form acceptable to the City.

Transportation Management Plans
- a. The number of parking spaces required for a project may be decreased up to twenty (20) percent, subject to Planning Commission approval of a transportation management plan supplied by the applicant for those applications requesting more than a ten (10) percent reduction. Said plan shall provide evidence that identifies the actual parking requirement and supports and justifies the parking reduction request. Such a plan may include, but is not limited to car pooling, van pools, and staggered work hours.
- b. Decreases in the required number of parking spaces, approved pursuant to this Subsection, may be in addition to any other reductions allowed by this Section.
- c. Before approving such a request, the Planning Commission shall consider, among other factors:
  - (1) Projected effectiveness of car pool, van pool, staggered work hours, or similar transportation management programs.

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(2) Proximity to public transportation facilities which could be reasonably expected to serve a significant portion of employees and/or customers.
(3) Evidence of the likelihood that employees and/or customers will utilize regular transportation alternatives rather than individual use of automobiles, including transportation management plans prepared pursuant to San Joaquin Unified Air Pollution Control District requirements and Chapter 12 of this Title.

Low Percentage of Usable Space

a. Where buildings contain extensive areas of employee facilities such as, but not limited to, cafeterias, racquetball courts, health facilities, covered patios, multiple stairways and elevator shafts, or atriums in multiple story buildings, gross leasable space may be significantly below the 85 percent average assumed in the parking schedules. In such cases, a proportionate reduction in parking requirements may be granted by the Planning Commission.
- b. To be eligible for reduction in parking requirements, due to low percentage of usable space, the applicant shall submit a detailed floor plan breaking down the proposed usage of all square footage within the building.
- c. As a condition of granting a reduction in parking requirements, due to low percentage of usable space, the applicant shall be required to sign an agreement stating that the percentage of leasable space will not be increased unless additional parking is provided pursuant to the requirements of this Chapter.

Off-Site Parking Facilities

Required parking for a development may be provided off-site under certain instances. Requests for off-site parking facilities shall meet the following requirements:

a. The off-site parking shall be located so that it will adequately serve the use for which it is intended. In making this determination, the following shall be considered:
- (1) Proximity of the off-site parking facilities;
- (2) Ease of pedestrian access to the off-site parking facility:
- (3) The type of use which the off-site parking is intended to serve, recognizing that such facilities are generally not appropriate for high-turnover uses;
- (4) The need for locating parking facilities off-site, and the resulting urban design benefits of off-site parking, if any.

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b. As a condition of granting approval to the development of off-site parking facilities, the applicant and other involved parties shall be required to sign an agreement ensuring the continued availability of the off-street parking facilities for the use they are intended to serve.