Albany — Parking

Last reviewed: July 3, 2026

Overview

This page summarizes Albany’s local rules for off-street parking (vehicle parking, bicycle parking, and loading) as found in the City’s planning and zoning ordinance (Title 20). It explains citywide minima/maxima, dimensional and design standards, how the rules differ in the Waterfront (WF) and San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan areas, and the administrative pathways (adjustments, in-lieu, shared parking). The intent and citations below point you to the controlling code sections so you can verify parcel‑specific requirements. (For building-code or permit-level technical details see the California Building Standards Code.)

(Links: the first mention of each related topic is linked to the local menu pages: this page links parking, development standards, design review, overlay rules, ADUs, and the state building code.)

What the code requires (citywide / by topic)

• Citywide purpose and scope: Title 20’s off-street parking & loading chapter states the objectives (implement climate, transportation, housing goals; provide adequate but not excessive parking; design for safety and all travel modes) in § 20.28.010 and the citywide general rules in § 20.28.020 .

• Residential parking minimums: There are no minimum off-street parking requirements for residential uses citywide; maximums apply only inside the San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan area per § 20.28.030.A and Table 4 (San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan maximums) .

• Nonresidential parking schedule: Nonresidential parking minimums and maximums are set by tables (Table 5A for most districts; Table 5B for the Waterfront (WF) district) in § 20.28.030.B; see the code for use-specific ratios (e.g., restaurants, commercial, industrial) .

• Bicycle parking: Definitions, applicability (new construction, substantial renovation, temporary events), short‑term vs long‑term, design rules, and an administrative-regulation process for detailed bicycle standards are in § 20.28.030.C (and associated subsections and administrative regs) . The ordinance requires sufficient bicycle storage for new businesses, new multifamily and mixed‑use developments, and commercial mixed‑use projects under § 20.28.020.E .

• Parking area dimensional & design standards: Space sizes, aisle widths, compact-space limits, and driveway widths are specified in § 20.28.050 (residential dimensions in Table 6; standard and compact spaces in Tables 7–8) and allow Planning Commission adjustments in specific cases .

• Loading: Off‑street loading space counts and dimensional standards are in § 20.28.070 and § 20.28.080 (Table 9 for required loading spaces and Table 10 for loading space dimensions) .

• Exceptions, shared parking, in‑lieu options, and commission adjustments: Alternative compliance (off‑site parking, payment of in‑lieu fees, assessment districts), shared parking arrangements, and the Planning & Zoning Commission’s authority to adjust parking counts/designs are described in subsections of the ordinance (see the exception and alternative methods text and the Commission’s adjustment authority in § 20.28.020.N and related subsections) .

• Front‑yard parking and historical garage rules: Special findings allow front‑yard parking or rebuilding of pre‑1978 garages under specific dimension and sight‑obstruction rules in § 20.28.020.O and related subsections .

• Electric vehicle charging: An Electric Vehicle Charging Station (EVCS) with Level 1 or Level 2 equipment is permitted as an accessory use to any principal use per § 20.28.020.J; the code also encourages EV infrastructure and TDM measures for larger developments .

• Landscaping and screening of parking lots: Additional landscaping requirements (trees per spaces, curbed tree wells, screening) for nonresidential parking lots of five or more spaces are in § 20.24.110 (Design Review/landscaping link) and are applied through design review procedures .

(Note: for how parking requirements interact with Albany’s broader development standards see the Albany Development Standards page; design and landscaping matters typically go to Albany Design Review.)

District-by-district breakdown

Below are the Albany districts and subareas that the ordinance specifically calls out in the parking chapter. Each subsection gives the purpose/coverage and the key parking rules that differ from the citywide baseline.

Waterfront (WF)

• Purpose / where it applies: The Waterfront WF district (the Marina/waterfront area) has supplemental parking regulations that apply only to the WF zone per § 20.28.040 .
• Typical permitted uses: park/recreation, marinas, restaurants, waterfront‑oriented commercial activities (see § 20.16 use classifications; specific WF uses are listed in Table 5B) .
• Key parking rules: Use‑specific minimums in Table 5B (e.g., restaurants and some waterfront commercial uses have set ratios; other uses are UP/until determined). Administrative exceptions and tailored loading/parking arrangements are allowed under the same Waterfront subsection § 20.28.040 .
• Practical note: The Waterfront table uses “UP” (use permit) for many waterfront uses—expect Planning & Zoning Commission review and waterfront‑specific findings.

San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan area

• Purpose / where it applies: The ordinance identifies a San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan planning area (applies to San Pablo Avenue corridor parcels) with separate residential maximums and special rules referenced in § 20.28.030.A and Table 4 .
• Typical permitted uses: Mix of single‑family, two‑family, multifamily, live/work, shared housing and ground‑floor commercial as determined by the Specific Plan (see the Specific Plan for land‑use details).
• Key parking rules: Residential maximum parking caps are listed in Table 4 (e.g., single‑family: 2 spaces/unit; multifamily: 1 space/unit; ADU: 1 space/ADU in the Specific Plan area) per § 20.28.030.A and Table 4; these maximums may be modified through Commission review under the exception rules .
• Practical note: If your project is inside the Specific Plan area, the Specific Plan maxima control and Planning Commission adjustments are commonly used.

Solano Commercial (SC) and San Pablo Commercial (SPC)

• Purpose / where it applies: Commercial corridor zones like Solano Commercial (SC) and San Pablo Commercial (SPC) are specifically referenced when the ordinance discusses locating short‑term bike racks in the public right‑of‑way and in other context (see bicycle rules and public‑right‑of‑way provisions) .
• Typical permitted uses: Retail, services, restaurants (consult Chapter 20.16 use tables for exact permitted use lists).
• Key parking rules: Nonresidential parking minimums follow Table 5A (citywide non‑WF standards) in § 20.28.030.B; bike parking on‑street is expressly allowed in SC and SPC with Public Works approval per the bicycle parking administrative provisions .
• Practical note: Commercial projects should expect bike parking requirements plus potential limitations on vehicle parking minima (Table 5A) and landscape/screening requirements for lots ≥5 spaces (see § 20.24.110) .

Residential districts (citywide summary)

• Coverage: The code treats residential uses citywide with the notable rule that there are no minimum parking requirements for residential uses outside the San Pablo Specific Plan; front‑yard limitations and historic garage rules are in § 20.28.020 and § 20.28.050 .
• Key dimensional standards for dwelling parking: Garage/covered/open space dims and driveway widths are in § 20.28.050 (Tables 6 and related text) — examples include single enclosed space: 8'6" × 19'; driveway single: 7'; open space 8'6" × 18'; see the Table 6 dimensions in § 20.28.050 .

Quick reference table — most decision‑relevant standards

Checklist (what an applicant must satisfy)

• Confirm whether your site is inside the San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan or Waterfront (WF) zone; apply the Specific Plan/WF tables where applicable (§ 20.28.030.A, § 20.28.040) .
• Calculate required vehicle parking from Table 5A/5B and confirm bicycle parking requirements from § 20.28.030.C (round fractional spaces per § 20.28.020.F) .
• Design stalls, aisles, compact stalls, and driveways to the dimensions in § 20.28.050 (Tables 6–8) and plan required landscaping per § 20.24.110 .
• Provide required loading spaces (if any) per § 20.28.070 and meet loading area standards in § 20.28.080 .
• If proposing alternatives (shared parking, off‑site, in‑lieu), prepare a parking demand analysis and required agreements for Commission or Director review per § 20.28.020.N and related subsections .
• Include bicycle parking (short‑term and/or long‑term) as required and conform to the Administrative Regulations referenced in § 20.28.030.C.5; provide commuter amenities if business size thresholds apply .
• If proposing front‑yard parking or reuse/rebuild of an old garage, prepare the front‑yard findings and dimension compliance documentation required in § 20.28.020.O and § 20.28.050 .
• Coordinate any public right‑of‑way bike rack installations with Public Works and obtain encroachment permits per the bicycle parking administrative rules in § 20.28.030.C .

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain-English Summary

Albany’s zoning ordinance generally does not force homeowners to provide minimum off‑street vehicle parking (no residential minimums citywide), sets specific parking ratios for commercial and waterfront uses, requires bicycle parking for most new commercial and multifamily projects, and prescribes stall/aisle dimensions and lot landscaping; where needed the Planning & Zoning Commission can approve shared, off‑site, or adjusted parking arrangements (§ 20.28.030, § 20.28.050, § 20.28.070, § 20.28.020) .

Information Gaps

• Complete numeric detail for some Table cells (Table 5A/5B for many specific nonresidential uses, and some image‑based tables) were omitted or embedded as images in the retrieved files — verify exact ratios in the live code tables (not all numbers reproduced) .
• The code references Administrative Regulations for bicycle‑parking design (exact rack models, clearances, and accessible sidewalk clearance) — the full administrative standard text was not included in the files; obtain current Admin Regs from Community Development (§ 20.28.030.C.5) .
• Parcel‑specific mapping (Is a parcel inside the San Pablo Specific Plan or WF?) and how prior nonconforming garages were documented historically — verify with the City.

Source References

• § 20.28.010 Purpose (Off‑Street Parking and Loading) .
• § 20.28.020 Citywide General Regulations and Exceptions (front yard parking, exceptions, bicycle note, EVCS, TDM, rounding) .
• § 20.28.030 Citywide Parking Space Requirements (Residential no‑min, Tables 4/5A/5B, Bicycle Parking definitions and applicability) .
• § 20.28.040 Waterfront (WF) District Parking Regulations and Exceptions (supplemental rules) .
• § 20.28.050 Parking Area Standards (dimensional standards, compact stalls, aisle widths, residential dims) .
• § 20.28.070 Loading Space Requirements and § 20.28.080 Loading Area Standards (Table 9 and Table 10) .
• § 20.24.110 Landscaping for parking lots and applicable design review procedures .
• Administrative and exception text for shared/off‑site/in‑lieu/commission adjustments (various subsections, see § 20.28.020.N / O for adjustments and front‑yard exceptions) .

Retrieved passages

• Albany Zoning Code (section for) High relevance show source text
• Albany Zoning Code (§ 20.28.020) High relevance show source text
• Albany Zoning Code (§ 20.28.030.) High relevance show source text
• Albany Zoning Code (§ 20.28.040) High relevance show source text
• Albany Zoning Code (§ 20.28.020.) High relevance show source text
• Albany Zoning Code (§ 20.28.020) High relevance show source text
• Albany Zoning Code (Chapter 20) High relevance show source text
• Albany Zoning Code (Section 20.32.) High relevance show source text

Cited sections

• **§ 20.28.010** Purpose (Off‑Street Parking and Loading) . (§ 20.28.010)
• **§ 20.28.020** Citywide General Regulations and Exceptions (front yard parking, exceptions, bicycle note, EVCS, TDM, rounding) . (§ 20.28.020)
• **§ 20.28.030** Citywide Parking Space Requirements (Residential no‑min, Tables 4/5A/5B, Bicycle Parking definitions and applicability) . (§ 20.28.030)
• **§ 20.28.040** Waterfront (WF) District Parking Regulations and Exceptions (supplemental rules) . (§ 20.28.040)
• **§ 20.28.050** Parking Area Standards (dimensional standards, compact stalls, aisle widths, residential dims) . (§ 20.28.050)
• **§ 20.28.070** Loading Space Requirements and **§ 20.28.080** Loading Area Standards (Table 9 and Table 10) . (§ 20.28.070)
• **§ 20.24.110** Landscaping for parking lots and applicable design review procedures . (§ 20.24.110)
• Administrative and exception text for shared/off‑site/in‑lieu/commission adjustments (various subsections, see **§ 20.28.020.N / O** for adjustments and front‑yard exceptions) . (§ 20.28.020.N)
• Albany_ZoningCode.md

• Official Albany code library