Watsonville Municipal Code Art. 10 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 by the provisions of 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 of the State or the laws of the City prohibiting or limiting the standing or parking of vehicles in specified places or at specified times.

(§ 1, Art. X, Ord. 486 N.C.S.)

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

(§ 2, Art. X, Ord. 486 N.C.S.)

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person who owns or has the possession, custody, or control of any vehicle to park such vehicle upon any public street or alley for more than a consecutive period of seventy-two (72) hours.

(b) In the event a vehicle is parked or left standing upon a public street in excess of a consecutive period of seventy-two (72) hours, any peace officer of the City is hereby empowered to remove such vehicle from the public street in the manner and subject to the requirements of the Vehicle Code of the State.

(§ 3, Art. X, Ord. 486 N.C.S., as amended by § 1, Ord. 589-83 C-M, eff. March 24, 1983)

(a) No person shall stop a vehicle upon any roadway for the principal purpose of:

(1) Washing, greasing, or repairing such vehicle, except for repairs necessitated by an emergency; or

(2) Selling any character of merchandise therefrom, provided that this section shall not prohibit a seller or merchandise from stopping temporarily to deliver any product or commodity from a vehicle parked on a roadway to the premises of the purchaser.

(b) No person shall park or place a motor vehicle upon any portion of Airport Boulevard, Freedom Boulevard, Green Valley Road, Harkins Slough Road, Main Street, West Beach Street, East Beach Street, West Lake Avenue, East Lake Avenue, Ohlone Parkway, Martinelli Street, Ford Street, Lee Road, Lincoln Street, Loma Prieta Avenue, Pennsylvania Drive, Rodriguez Street, Union Street, and Walker Street, for the principal purpose of displaying such vehicle for rent, lease, sublease, and/or sale:

(1) The parking or placing of any vehicle with a sign or other advertising device thereon or proximate thereto, indicating such vehicle is for rent, lease, sublease, and/or sale shall constitute prima facie evidence that such vehicle was parked or placed for the principal purpose of displaying the vehicle for rent, lease, sublease and/or sale.

(2) This section is intended to protect and preserve the public welfare by reducing visual distractions to operator of motor vehicle and reduce distortion likely to cause or contribute to traffic accidents or congestion and promote pedestrian safety on arterial roads.

(§ 1, Ord. 1234-08 (CM), eff. April 25, 2008)

(a) Subject to other and more restrictive limitations, a vehicle may be stopped or parked within eighteen (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 (2) 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 Engineer is hereby authorized to determine where standing or parking shall be prohibited upon the left-hand side of any one-way street or where standing or parking may be permitted upon the left-hand side of any one-way roadway of a highway having two (2) or more separate roadways and shall erect signs giving notice thereof.

(§ 5, Art. X, Ord. 486 N.C.S.)

(a) The operator of a vehicle shall not park such vehicle for longer than the time duration set by the Council by resolution within any business district between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. of any day except Sundays and holidays.

(b) Signs shall be erected and maintained not more than 150 feet apart in each block designating the provisions of this section.

(c) The operator of a vehicle shall not park such vehicle for longer than the time specified by signs erected under the direction of the City Engineer in any parking lot owned, operated, or controlled by the City.

(§ 6, Art. X, Ord. 486 N.C.S., as amended by Ord. 588 N.C.S., § 1, Ord. 1180-04 C-M, eff. November 26, 2004)

(§ 7, Art. X, Ord. 486 N.C.S., as amended by § 1, Ord. 529 N.C.S., and § 1, Ord. 410 C-M, eff. November 10, 1977: repealed by § 1, Ord. 809-89 C-M, eff. July 27, 1989)

The operator of a vehicle shall not stop, stand, or park such vehicle in a roadway other than parallel with the curb and with the two (2) right-hand wheels of the vehicle within eighteen (18") inches of the regularly established curb line, except on one-way streets and/or upon streets marked for angle parking as provided in this chapter.

(§ 8, Art. X, Ord. 486 N.C.S.)

(a) The City Engineer is hereby authorized to determine upon what streets angle parking shall be permitted and to indicate such places by the painting of white or yellow lines upon the surface of the roadway to indicate the proper angle for parking; provided, however, such lines shall not be placed upon, nor shall angle parking be permitted upon, any street where such parking would diminish the width of the roadway available for travel to less than fifteen (15') feet, nor upon any street where there are less than thirty (30') feet between the curb and the nearest rail of any street car track, nor upon any street which is a continuation of, or part of, a County trunk line highway or a State highway unless a clear width of twenty (20') feet is left for the movement of vehicles when angle parking is permitted.

(b) The City Engineer is hereby authorized to prohibit the parking of vehicles, provided appropriate signs are placed and maintained to give notice thereof, on one side of a street in any block where angle parking is permitted on the opposite side of the street in such block.

(§ 9, Art. X, Ord. 486 N.C.S.)

(a) Whenever any ordinance of the City designates and describes any street or portion thereof upon which angle parking shall be permitted, the City Engineer shall mark or sign such street indicating the angle at which vehicles shall be parked.

(b) When signs or markings are in place indicating angle parking as herein provided, no person shall park or stand a vehicle other than at the angle to the curb or edge of the roadway indicated by such signs or markings.

(c) Angle parking shall be permitted upon those streets and parts of streets described in Section 4-5.1605 of this chapter.

(§ 10, Art. X, Ord. 486 N.C.S.)

The City Engineer is hereby authorized to issue special permits to permit the backing of a vehicle to the curb for the purpose of loading or unloading merchandise or materials, subject to the terms and conditions of such permit. Such permits may be issued either to the owner or lessee of real property or to the owner of the vehicle and shall grant to such person the privilege as therein stated and authorized by the provisions of this section, and it shall be unlawful for any permittee or other person to violate any of the special terms or conditions of any such permit.

(§ 11, Art. X, Ord. 486 N.C.S.)

(a) The City 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 indicating no parking upon that side of a street adjacent to any school property, no person shall park a vehicle in any such designated place.

(§ 12, Art. X, Ord. 486 N.C.S.)

(a) The City Engineer is hereby authorized to place signs or markings indicating no parking upon any street where the width of the roadway does not exceed twenty (20') feet or upon one side of a street as indicated by such signs or markings where the width of the roadway does not exceed thirty (30') feet.

(b) When official signs or markings prohibiting parking are erected upon narrow streets as authorized by the provisions of this section, no person shall park a vehicle upon any such street in violation of any such sign or marking.

(§ 13, Art. X, Ord. 486 N.C.S.)

The City Engineer shall appropriately sign or mark the following places, and, when so signed or marked, no person shall stop, stand, or park a vehicle in any of such places:

(a) At any place within twenty (20') feet of a point on the curb immediately opposite the mid-block end of a safety zone;

(b) At any place within twenty-five (25') feet of an intersection in any business district, except that a bus may stop at a designated bus stop;

(c) Within twenty-five (25') feet of the approach to any traffic signal, boulevard stop sign, or official electric flashing device; or

(d) At any place where the City Engineer determines that it is necessary in order to eliminate unusual traffic hazards.

(§ 14, Art. X, Ord. 486 N.C.S.)

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to stand or park any vehicle, motorized or non-motorized, from which goods, wares, merchandise, fruits, vegetables, or foodstuffs are sold, displayed, solicited, offered for sale, bartered, or exchanged, or any lunch wagon, eating car, or vehicle on any portion of any private property or public street within the City, except that such vehicles may stand or park on private property or public streets in a noncommercial district, as established by Chapter 14-16 of Title 14 of this Code, only at the request of a bona fide purchaser for a period of time not to exceed ten (10) minutes at any one place.

(b) It shall be unlawful for any property owner or tenant of a property owner to permit or consent to any person standing or parking a vehicle in violation of this section.

(c) The provisions of this section 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, or to persons engaged in a delivery or courier service of documents or packages, or to persons who have obtained a special event permit for the use of public property from the City Council which specifically allows for the standing or parking of a vehicle otherwise in violation of this section, provided that such persons comply with the parking conditions imposed in such a permit.

(§ 15, Art. X, Ord. 486 N.C.S., as amended by § 1, Ord. 564-82 C-M, eff. September 23, 1982, and § 1, Ord. 840-90 C-M, eff. July 12, 1990)

(a) Whenever the City 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 Engineer shall have the 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 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 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.

(§ 16, Art. X, Ord. 486 N.C.S.)

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 the time specified in Section 618 of the Vehicle Code of the State shall be equipped with and carry at least two (2) flares, two (2) red lanterns, or two (2) warning lights or reflectors, which reflectors shall be of a type approved by the State Highway Patrol. When any such vehicle or any trailer or semitrailer is disabled upon streets or highways outside any business or residence district within the City, and upon which streets or highways there is insufficient street lighting to reveal a vehicle at a distance of 200 feet during any time mentioned in Section 618 of the Vehicle Code of the State, a warning signal of the character indicated by the provisions of this section shall be immediately placed at a distance approximately 100 feet in advance of and 100 feet to the rear of such disabled vehicle by the driver thereof. Such warning signals shall be displayed continuously during the time mentioned in said Section 618 while such vehicle remains disabled upon such street or highway.

(§ 17, Art. X, Ord. 486 N.C.S.)

The City Engineer is hereby authorized to determine the streets, or portions of streets, to be marked for parking spaces, and thereupon he shall have lines or markings painted or placed on the curb or street adjacent to such spaces designating the parking space in which each vehicle shall park, and vehicles shall park within the lines or markings so established. It shall be unlawful to park any vehicle across any such line or marking or to park a vehicle in such a position that the vehicle shall not be entirely within the space designated by such lines or markings.

(§ 8, Art. XI, Ord. 486 N.C.S., as added by Ord. 557 N.C.S.)

(a) No person shall park any vehicle in a space designated and marked pursuant to this section as reserved for handicapped persons’ vehicles unless such vehicle displays a valid license plate or placard issued for such vehicle by the Department of Motor Vehicles of the State pursuant to the provisions of Section 22511.5 or Section 9105 of the Vehicle Code of the State, or any other section of said Vehicle Code providing for the issuance of such plates or placards, whether such provision is now in effect or hereafter enacted.

(b) The Council, by resolution, shall designate the public and private parking spaces, in accordance with the appropriate State laws and at the property owner’s request, reserved for vehicles which are used by handicapped persons and which display the required license plate or placard. Such resolution shall generally describe the location of each parking space so designated.

(c) Parking spaces designated pursuant to this section shall be marked in either or both of the following ways:

(1) With blue paint along the curb or the edge of the pavement immediately adjacent to the parking space; or

(2) With a sign consisting of a profile view of a wheelchair with the occupant in white on a blue background.

(§ 1, Ord. 500 C-M, eff. May 22, 1980)

Any regularly employed and salaried officer of the Police Department may remove, or cause to be removed, from an on-street or off-street parking space designated and marked pursuant to subsection (2) of subsection (c) of Section 4-5.1019 of this article any vehicle not displaying one of the distinguishing placards or license plates specified in said section if there is posted immediately adjacent to, and visible from, such stall or space, or if there is posted in a conspicuous place at each entrance to the off-street parking facility in which such stall or space is located, not less than seventeen (17") inches by twenty-two (22") inches in size with lettering not less than one inch in height, a sign which clearly and conspicuously states the following: “Unauthorized vehicles not displaying distinguishing placards or license plates issued for physically handicapped persons will be towed away at the owner’s expense. Towed vehicles may be reclaimed at the Watsonville Police Department.

The Council shall designate by resolution those parking spaces from which the removal of illegally parked vehicles shall be authorized.

(§ 1, Ord. 500 C-M, eff. May 22, 1980, as amended by § 1, Ord. 1180-04 C-M, eff. November 26, 2004)

(a) Definitions.

(1) For purposes of this section, “electric vehicle” shall mean a vehicle that operates, either partially or exclusively, on electrical energy from the electrical grid, or an off-grid source, that is fueled via an electric plug-in port and stored on board for motive purposes. These include both one hundred (100%) percent battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles possessing charge ports for the purpose of fueling.

(2) For purposes of this section, “electric vehicle charging equipment” shall mean equipment that has as its primary purpose the transfer of electric energy to a battery or other energy storage device on an electric vehicle.

(3) For purposes of this section, “charging event” shall mean an electric vehicle is plugged into the electric vehicle charging equipment and in the process of charging.

(4) For purposes of this section, “electric vehicle charging station” shall mean a parking space dedicated to active charging events.

(b) Designation of Electric Vehicle Parking Spaces – Signs or Markings.

(1) The Director of Public Works, or designee, is authorized in accordance with the purposes of this chapter to designate spaces in off-street public parking facilities for the exclusive parking of electric vehicles that are connected to electric vehicle charging equipment at an electric vehicle charging station for the purpose of transfer of electricity to the battery or other energy storage device of an electric vehicle.

(2) Upon designation of a parking space or spaces for the exclusive use of electric vehicles pursuant to subsection (b)(1) of this section, the Public Works Department shall place signs or markings giving adequate notice that the parking space or spaces are restricted and to be used only for such electric vehicles. The signs or markings shall be in compliance with Section 22511 of the California Vehicle Code indicating that vehicles left standing in violation of the restriction may be removed. The parking restriction shall not apply to the designated parking spaces until the sign or markings have been placed.

(c) Electric Vehicle Parking Restriction.

(1) In parking stalls designated by the use of markings and/or posting as electric vehicle charging stations, only electric vehicles are allowed to park for charging events during designated hours.

(2) It is unlawful for the operator of any vehicle to allow a vehicle to park or stand in a designated electric vehicle charging station longer than the posted time limit.

(3) It is unlawful for the operator of an electric vehicle to allow that vehicle to park or stand in a designated electric vehicle charging station unless the vehicle is actively conducting a charging event.

(4) It is unlawful for a person to obstruct, block, or otherwise bar access to a designated electric vehicle charging station unless the vehicle is actively conducting a charging event.

(5) The Police Department is authorized to cite and/or remove or cause the removal of vehicles parked in violation of this section in accordance with Section 22511 of the California Vehicle Code.

(6) These regulations shall not apply to any vehicle that displays a valid permit issued by the Director of Public Works that identifies it as exempt from these regulations.

(§ 2, Ord. 1474-25 (CM), eff. June 26, 2025)