Sonoma Municipal Code Ch. 10.48 Stopping, Standing and Parking

A. The provisions of this chapter prohibiting the stopping, standing or parking of a vehicle shall apply at all times or at those times specified in this chapter, 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 prohibiting or limiting the standing or parking of vehicles in specified places or at specified times.

C. Notwithstanding the provisions of this chapter or any other city ordinance regulating the standing, stopping and parking of vehicles on city street rights-of-way, the city engineer is authorized to grant encroachment permits pursuant to the authority delegated to him by other provisions of city ordinance, for the purpose of allowing the placement of debris boxes, trucks, trailers or other receptacles or devices used in connection with the construction or demolition of buildings, or for street construction or repair, in such manner as to occupy portions of public streets otherwise set aside for standing, stopping or parking of motor vehicles. Permits issued pursuant to this section shall be temporary, however, for purpose of facilitating construction and demolition of structures (Ord. 99-9 § 1, 1999).

The city public works superintendent is 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. (Ord. 99-9 § 1, 1999).

No operator of any vehicle shall stop, stand, park, or leave standing such vehicle where the city engineer has determined that the parking or stopping of a vehicle would constitute a traffic hazard or would endanger life or property, or 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, 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. (Ord. 99-9 § 1, 1999).

A. The parking of motor vehicles, including motorcycles and motor-driven cycles, within the Sonoma Plaza is limited to parking for business purposes within City Hall. The parking areas on the east, west and north sides of the City Hall building shall be reserved for parking by employees of the city except those parking spaces reserved for the handicapped as evidenced by appropriate signs. No public parking is allowed within the Sonoma Plaza area on the days and during the time that the City Hall is closed to the public.

B. The city clerk, or his/her designee, shall have the authority to approve variances to the parking restrictions contained in this section during periods when the Sonoma Plaza is being used for special activities or events in accordance with an approved permit.

C. Except for authorized maintenance and construction vehicles and equipment, no person shall operate motor vehicles, including motorcycles and motor-driven cycles, upon the sidewalks, lawns or other park areas of the Sonoma Plaza.

D. For the purpose of this section, the Sonoma Plaza is defined as that area bounded on the north by Spain Street, on the south by Napa Street, on the east by First Street East and on the west by First Street West. (Ord. 99-9 § 1, 1999).

No person shall park or stand any motor vehicle any part of which, including any load thereon, exceeds six feet in height at any time during day or night at any location on State Sign Route 12 within the limits of the city (including but not limited to Broadway and West Napa Street) within 100 feet of any intersecting street or alley. The ordinance codified in this section is enacted under Section 22507 of the Vehicle Code. (Ord. 99-9 § 1, 1999).

No person who owns or has possession, custody or control of any vehicle shall park such vehicle upon any street or alley for more than a consecutive period of 72 hours. (Ord. 99-9 § 1, 1999).

No operator of any vehicle shall park the 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. (Ord. 99-9 § 1, 1999).

No person shall construct or cause to be constructed, repair or cause to be repaired, grease or cause to be greased, dismantle or cause to be dismantled any vehicle or any part thereof upon any public street in this city. Temporary emergency repairs may be made upon a public street. (Ord. 99-9 § 1, 1999).

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. (Ord. 99-9 § 1, 1999).

A. The city traffic engineer is 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. (Ord. 99-9 § 1, 1999).

A. The city traffic engineer is 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. (Ord. 99-9 § 1, 1999).

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 the vehicle by turning them against the curb or by other means. (Ord. 99-9 § 1, 1999).

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. 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, no pushcart from which tamales, peanuts, popcorn, candy, ice cream 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. (Ord. 99-9 § 1, 1999).

A. Whenever the city traffic engineer determines 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 directs 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. (Ord. 99-9 § 1, 1999).

Repealed by Ord. 05-2025. (Ord. 99-9 § 1, 1999).

The city council may, by resolution, regulate parking upon any street or highway of the city, or any off-street parking facility which the city owns or operates, including the determination and designation of parking time limits, and is authorized and directed, in the event of the adoption of any such resolution pursuant hereto, to place, paint and maintain or cause to be placed, painted or maintained the necessary signs, markers or painted curbs that may be required by the provisions of the Vehicle Code of the state.

It is unlawful for any person to stop, stand, or park any vehicle upon any street or highway of the city, or any off-street parking facility which the city own or operates, in violation of any regulation, including the designation of parking time limits, that has been established by resolution of the city council, and posted, painted or marked in accordance with this section. (Ord. 02-2013 § 1, 2013; Ord. 01-2013 § 1, 2013; Ord. 99-9 § 1, 1999).

Repealed by Ord. 01-2013. (Ord. 99-9 § 1, 1999).

A. Subject to other and more restrictive limitations, a vehicle may be stopped or parked within 18 inches of the left-hand curb facing in the direction of traffic movement upon any one-way street unless signs are in place prohibiting such stopping or standing.

B. In the event a highway includes two or more separate roadways and traffic is restricted to one direction upon any such roadway, no person shall stand or park a vehicle upon the left-hand side of such one-way roadway unless signs are in place permitting such standing or parking.

C. The city traffic engineer is authorized to determine when standing or parking is prohibited upon the left-hand side of any one-way street or when standing or parking may be permitted upon the left-hand side of any one-way roadway of a highway having two or more separate roadways and shall erect signs giving notice thereof.

D. The requirement of parallel parking imposed by this section shall not apply in the event any commercial vehicle is actually engaged in the process of loading or unloading freight or goods, in which case such vehicle may be backed up to the curb; provided, that such vehicle does not extend beyond the centerline of the street and does not block traffic thereby. (Ord. 99-9 § 1, 1999).

It is unlawful for the operator of any vehicle to park the vehicle except at the angle to the curb indicated by signs or pavement markings allotting space to parked vehicles and entirely within the limits of the allotted space. The provisions of this section shall not apply when such vehicle is actually engaged in the process of loading or unloading passengers, freight or goods. (Ord. 99-9 § 1, 1999).

The city public works superintendent is authorized to install and maintain parking space markings to indicate parking spaces adjacent to curbings where authorized parking is permitted. (Ord. 99-9 § 1, 1999).

The city public works superintendent shall designate established no stopping zones by placing and maintaining appropriate signs indicating that stopping of vehicles is prohibited and indicating the hours and day(s) when stopping is prohibited. (Ord. 99-9 § 1, 1999).

Repealed by Ord. 01-2013. (Ord. 99-9 § 1, 1999).

It is the policy of the city that the provisions of Section 22507.8(a) of the California Vehicle Code apply to privately owned and maintained off-street parking facilities, and it is unlawful for any person to park or leave standing any vehicle not designated as being operated by a handicapped person in a stall or space designated for physically handicapped persons. Unlawfully parked vehicles may be removed from such spaces pursuant to Section 22511.8 of the Vehicle Code. (Ord. 99-9 § 1, 1999).

Pursuant to the authority granted under Section 22507 of the California Vehicle Code, a parking permit program is established which grants preferential parking privileges to residents and merchants adjacent to certain streets. Permits shall be issued and the program administered by the chief of police. Permits shall be for the benefit of adjacent residents and merchants and their guests and shall be effective only upon the street or street segment stated on the permit. The number of permits to be issued shall be determined by the chief of police. Permit holders shall be exempt from the restrictions of SMC 10.48.190 and 10.48.240. (Ord. 99-9 § 1, 1999).