Imperial Beach — Parking

Last reviewed: July 2, 2026

Overview

This page summarizes what the Imperial Beach Zoning Ordinance requires for parking (off‑street automobile parking), loading, and bicycle parking. It is focused only on the City zoning regulations (Title 19 — Zoning) that control the number, size, location, surfacing, and special rules for parking in each zone; building code, coastal permits, or state housing law topics are outside this page. Key rules live in Chapter 19.48 (Off‑Street Parking) and related zone chapters; see the Code citations below for the controlling text. Verify with the jurisdiction for parcel‑specific interpretations.

(Links: the first mention of “parking” below links to the city parking menu and other related topics are linked on first natural mention.)

• Imperial Beach zoning & planning overview: Imperial Beach zoning & planning overview
• Parking page used in this text: Imperial Beach Zoning

What the ordinance says (rules you will use)

High‑level rules are codified in Chapter 19.48:

• Purpose and scope are in § 19.48.010; the rules apply when a project is subject to site plan review or otherwise triggers the zoning review process.
• If a use is not listed, the Community Development Department determines the applicable requirement (subject to Council approval). See § 19.48.060.

Below are the decision‑relevant standards the City uses; each citation points to the ordinance text.

• Required residential parking by zone: § 19.48.030 — R‑1‑6000, R‑1‑3800, R‑3000, R‑3000‑D: two spaces per unit (100% enclosed); R‑2000 and R‑1500: two spaces per unit (50% enclosed).
• Required commercial / other use standards are listed in § 19.48.050 (varies by use; many uses specified by area or per‑employee rules).
• For mixed‑use commercial corridors (C/MU‑1, C/MU‑2, C/MU‑3) there is a table to set parking requirements and an allowance for shared parking or reductions subject to review and permits in § 19.48.035.
• Parking stall and aisle dimensions and special cases: § 19.48.090 (stall size, parallel spaces, alley access lengths). Minimum stall: 8.5 ft × 18 ft; parallel: 8 ft × 22 ft; alley perpendicular: 22 ft length; disabled parking per State law/Title 24.
• Surfacing, drainage and alternative pervious paving options: § 19.48.120 (concrete or approved alternatives; runoff to biofiltration). Parking on lawns/unpaved areas is not allowed.
• Location, tandem rules, and aisle widths: § 19.48.110 (same lot requirement; tandem generally prohibited unless modified by the Community Development Department; minimum two‑way aisle width 24 ft; angle parking aisle widths specified).
• Access, driveway widths and garage setbacks: § 19.48.100 (minimum driveway widths, turning radius, garage/carport setback to street—normally 20 ft but can be reduced to 15 ft with site plan/design review).
• Curb cut width limits for driveways appear in § 19.44.010 (limits vary by number of parking spaces).
• Marking, bumpers, fencing and landscaping requirements for parking areas are in § 19.48.130, § 19.48.140, § 19.48.150, and landscaping references to Chapter 19.50.
• Bicycle parking: the code requires bicycle parking per the CALGreen standard; the community code references bicycle parking compliance with Section 5.106.4 of the CALGreen Code in the design guidance for some commercial districts.
• Loading requirements: Not found in retrieved materials (no specific “off‑street loading” schedule located in the returned excerpts). Verify with the Community Development Department. (See "Information Gaps" below.)

District‑by‑district breakdown

Each subsection below summarizes the zone purpose, typical uses, and the parking rules that apply to projects in that zone. Bold the local district names and code cross‑references.

R‑zones (residential: R‑1‑6000, R‑1‑3800, R‑3000, R‑3000‑D, R‑2000, R‑1500)

• Purpose / typical uses: single‑ and two‑family dwellings, accessory structures; see the individual zone chapters (e.g., § 19.15.010 for R‑3000).
• Parking standard: two spaces per dwelling unit in R‑1‑6000, R‑1‑3800, R‑3000, R‑3000‑D (100% enclosed). R‑2000 and R‑1500 require two spaces per unit, with at least 50% enclosed. See § 19.48.030.
• Location & access: driveways and curb cuts in R zones must follow the access rules in § 19.48.100; when abutting alleys the code prefers alley access; garage/carport setback to street is normally 20 ft (can be reduced to 15 ft with site plan/design review).
• Modifications/exemptions: small additions under specified square‑foot thresholds may be exempt or permitted without additional parking under § 19.48.020(B–C) (with conditions and site plan/design review).

Multiple‑family / R‑3000‑D and similar multi‑unit contexts

• For multiple‑family residential in C/MU zones, the mixed‑use table sets 1.5 spaces per unit for multifamily in the mixed‑use table; see § 19.48.035. For standalone multifamily elsewhere, consult § 19.48.030 and related zone chapters.

Commercial Mixed‑Use: C/MU‑1, C/MU‑2, C/MU‑3

• Purpose / typical uses: neighborhood to corridor commercial and mixed‑use (shops, offices, restaurants, residential over retail). See each zone chapter cross‑references.
• Parking standards: mixed‑use parking table in § 19.48.035 sets standards by zone and use (e.g., 1 space per 500 gross SF for many C/MU‑1 and C/MU‑3 commercial uses; 1 space per 1,000 SF in C/MU‑2). Shared parking and reductions (up to 25% for vertical mixed‑use) may be approved through conditional use/site review.
• Special handling: projects may use shared or off‑site parking within 1,000 ft with a conditional use permit; mixed‑use reductions are possible with findings during review. See § 19.48.035 and § 19.48.050(J).

Public Facilities — PF

• Purpose / typical uses: public parking facilities are an explicit permitted use. See § 19.24.020. Parking standards for public facilities will be set through site plan review.

Seacoast Mixed‑Use/Residential Overlay (Seacoast Overlay)

• This overlay governs a narrow beach‑adjacent area and permits residential and certain C/MU‑2 uses. Parking and yard requirements in the overlay are modified by § 19.27.140 and the overlay’s yard rules; parking reductions in specific hotel plans can be approved if a site‑specific parking study shows lower demand. See § 19.27.140 and § 19.27.150 (specific plan allowances).

Quick reference table (decision‑relevant)

(Links for related procedures: see Imperial Beach Development Standards, Imperial Beach Design Review, Imperial Beach Overlay Districts, and the California Building Standards Code.)

Checklist

• Verify whether the project triggers site plan review or design review (zoning triggers govern whether § 19.48 applies) — see § 19.48.010.
• Calculate required parking from the correct table for the zone (§ 19.48.030, § 19.48.035, § 19.48.050).
• Plan vehicle stalls to meet 8.5′ × 18′ minimum (or parallel/alley exceptions) and aisle widths per § 19.48.090 and § 19.48.110.
• Show driveway geometry and curb cut widths consistent with § 19.48.100 and § 19.44.010; note garage setback to street (20′ or reduced to 15′ with design review).
• Specify surfacing and stormwater treatment (concrete or approved pervious options; biofiltration) per § 19.48.120.
• For commercial / mixed‑use projects, prepare a shared parking study or TDM justification if seeking reductions or off‑site/shared parking per § 19.48.035 and § 19.48.050(J).
• Provide bicycle parking per CALGreen where the code requires it (see design guidance reference).

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain‑English summary

Imperial Beach requires you to provide a set number of off‑street parking spaces depending on zone and use (residential zones mostly require two spaces per unit; mixed‑use and commercial have use‑based tables), with minimum stall sizes, aisle widths, surfacing, and driveway/cut limits. Reductions, shared parking, or alternate designs are possible but require site review, conditional use permits, or a parking study; bicycle parking generally follows CALGreen. See the cited code sections and consult Community Development for parcel‑specific questions.

Information Gaps

• Loading standards (off‑street loading dimensions, number of loading berths) — Not found in retrieved materials. Verify with City staff.
• Explicit ADU parking rules or exemptions — Not found in retrieved materials; check the local ADU chapter or ask CDD.
• A citywide numeric bicycle parking table — the code references CALGreen but does not provide a local numeric table in the excerpts retrieved.

Source References

• § 19.48.010 — Purpose of Off‑Street Parking chapter.
• § 19.48.020 — Requirements generally; exemptions for small additions.
• § 19.48.030 — Required spaces — Residential uses (zone by zone).
• § 19.48.035 — Required spaces — Mixed‑use/C/MU table and shared parking provisions.
• § 19.48.040–050 — Other residentially oriented uses; stand‑alone commercial uses schedule.
• § 19.48.060 — Uses not listed; City determination.
• § 19.48.070 — Fractional parking rules.
• § 19.48.090 — Size of parking spaces; accessible parking reference to State law / Title 24.
• § 19.48.100 — Access, driveway widths, turning radii.
• § 19.48.110 — Location, tandem, aisle widths and angle parking rules.
• § 19.48.120 — Surfacing, pervious options, urban runoff treatment.
• § 19.48.130–150 — Marking, bumpers, fences, landscaping cross‑references.
• § 19.44.010 — Curb cut width by number of spaces (curb cut standards).
• Design guidance / bicycle parking reference to CALGreen Section 5.106.4 (in design guidance language):

(For more context on zoning maps, zone definitions and development rules see Imperial Beach Zoning, Imperial Beach Development Standards, Imperial Beach Design Review, Imperial Beach Overlay Districts, Imperial Beach ADUs, and the California Building Standards Code.)

Retrieved passages

• CBC § 19.48.060 (§ 19.48.060.) High relevance show source text
• Imperial Beach Zoning Code (§ 1) High relevance show source text
• Imperial Beach Zoning Code (§ 1) High relevance show source text
• Imperial Beach Zoning Code (§ 1) High relevance show source text
• CBC § 1 (§ 1) High relevance show source text
• CBC § 1 (§ 1) High relevance show source text
• Imperial Beach Zoning Code (§ 1) High relevance show source text
• Imperial Beach Zoning Code (§ 19.46.040.) Medium relevance show source text

Cited sections

• **§ 19.48.010** — Purpose of Off‑Street Parking chapter. (§ 19.48.010)
• **§ 19.48.020** — Requirements generally; exemptions for small additions. (§ 19.48.020)
• **§ 19.48.030** — Required spaces — Residential uses (zone by zone). (§ 19.48.030)
• **§ 19.48.035** — Required spaces — Mixed‑use/C/MU table and shared parking provisions. (§ 19.48.035)
• **§ 19.48.040–050** — Other residentially oriented uses; stand‑alone commercial uses schedule. (§ 19.48.040)
• **§ 19.48.060** — Uses not listed; City determination. (§ 19.48.060)
• **§ 19.48.070** — Fractional parking rules. (§ 19.48.070)
• **§ 19.48.090** — Size of parking spaces; accessible parking reference to State law / Title 24. (§ 19.48.090)
• **§ 19.48.100** — Access, driveway widths, turning radii. (§ 19.48.100)
• **§ 19.48.110** — Location, tandem, aisle widths and angle parking rules. (§ 19.48.110)
• **§ 19.48.120** — Surfacing, pervious options, urban runoff treatment. (§ 19.48.120)
• **§ 19.48.130–150** — Marking, bumpers, fences, landscaping cross‑references. (§ 19.48.130)
• **§ 19.44.010** — Curb cut width by number of spaces (curb cut standards). (§ 19.44.010)
• Design guidance / bicycle parking reference to CALGreen **Section 5.106.4** (in design guidance language): (Section 5.106.4)
• ImperialBeach_ZoningCode.md

• Official Imperial Beach code library