FORM GEN. 160 (Rev. 6·80) CITY OF LOS ANGELES INTER·DEPARTMENTAL CORRESPONDENCE

DATE:

TO:

FROM:

September 29, 2011

The Honorable City Council c/o City Clerk, Room 395, City Hall

Temp. PPD No. 164 CD10

Attention: Honorable Bill Rosendahl, Chair, Transportation Committee

Jaime de Ia Vega, General Manager Department of Transportation

SUBJECT: ESTABLISHMENT OF TEMPORARY EFERENTJAL PARKING DISTRICT N0.164 FOR SPAULDING AVENUE NORTH OF PICO BOULEVARD (CF 11 ~xxxx)

RECOMMENDATIONS for Council action:

1. FIND that the establishment of Temporary Preferential Parking District No. 164, pursuant to Los Angeles Municipal Code (L.A.M.C.) Section 80.58.d, is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) as a Class 1, Categorical Exemption (Article Ill, Section 1.a.3 of the 2002 Los Angeles City CEQA Guidelines).

2. FIND that an adverse parking impact affecting fewer than six blocks exists, from which the residents deserve immediate relief, in the Wilshire Vista neighborhood, North of Pica Boulevard, in Council District 10.

3. ADOPT the accompanying RESOLUTION establishing Temporary Preferential Parking District No. 164 pursuant to Section 80.58.d of the L.A.M.C. Temporary Preferential Parking District No. 164 will include the residential portions of the following street segments:

a. Spaulding Avenue between alley North of Pico Boulevard and Packard Street b. Genessee Avenue between alley North of Pica Boulevard and Packard Street c. Stanley Avenue between alley North of Pica Boulevard and Packard Street

4. AUTHORIZE the following parking restriction for use in all of Temporary Preferential Parking District No. 164:

"2 HOUR PARKING, 8 AM to 6 PM, MONDAY TO FRIDAY; DISTRICT NO. 164 PERMITS EXEMPT"

5. INSTRUCT the DOT to initiate the necessary procedures for the preparation and sale of parking permits to residents within Temporary Preferential Parking District No. 164 as specified in Section 80.58 of the LAM. C.

Temporary PPD" No. 164 - 2 ~ September 29, 2011

6. DIRECT the DOT to post the authorized parking restriction signs on the residential portions of Spaulding Avenue between Pica Boulevard and Packard Street, except for areas where parking is currently prohibited at all times in the interest of traffic flow or safety, or where parking meters with time limit parking restrictions are already in use, upon Council action establishing the District

7. DIRECT the DOT to post the authorized parking restriction signs on the residential portions of Genessee Avenue between Pico Boulevard and Packard Street and Stanley Avenue between Pica Boulevard and Packard Street, except for areas where parking is currently prohibited at all times in the interest of traffic flow or safety, or where parking meters with time limit parking are in operation, upon receipt and verification of petitions requesting the installation of the approved parking restrictions on any of these street segments and containing signatures of residents representing at least 67 percent of the dwelling units on that street segment, upon Council action establishing the District

8. DIRECT the DOT to prepare a Notice of Exemption reflecting Council's action under Recommendation No. 1 above and file such notice with the City and County Clerks within five working days of the City Council's action.

DISCUSSION:

On December 7, 2004, the Department of Transportation (DOT) received a written request for permit parking from the Wilshire Vista Neighborhood Association, for the 1300 block of Orange Grove Avenue. This included the use of public streets to store vehicles belonging to customers of auto repair facilities which is prohibited under Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 80.73.1. The activities of the businesses resulted in a shortage of available parking spaces for the residents of that block. An informal meeting with representatives of the neighborhood and staff from Council District 10 occurred on May 11, 2006, and with no viable alternatives identified to address the neighborhood's parking problem, a standard preferential parking district was discussed as an option and petitions were distributed. DOT received petitions signed by residents of nine street segments within the Wilshire Vista area requesting the creation of PPD No. 129. The Department determined that petitions for the following six street segments had sufficient signatures to meet the eligible criteria of the Council's PPD Rules:

o Orange Grove Avenue between San Vicente Boulevard and Whitworth Drive • Orange Grove Avenue between Whitworth Drive and Packard Street • Orange Grove Avenue between Packard Street and Pica Boulevard • Spaulding Avenue between Pico Boulevard and Packard Street * Whitworth Drive between Orange Grove Avenue and Ogden Drive * Packard Street between Orange Grove Avenue and Ogden Drive

The petitions received represent more than 67 percent of household units on both sides of the street and cover more than 50 percent of the developed frontage of six blocks of the residential neighborhood. A block is defined as a street segment between two street

Temporary PPD. No .. ~4 -· 3- September 29, 2011

intersections, or between an intersection and a dead-end, or where the "hundred block" of the house numbers changes for long street segments.

Exclusion from PPD 129

(For specific details, please refer to the attached PPD No. 129 Council Report)

A parking study was conducted on November 14, 2007; with the results showing 11 streets within the area being impacted by non-residents which warranted the process to proceed forward with a public hearing. The results of the 'field checks and the parking impact studies confirmed that parking problems exist on the specified streets. A Public Hearing for the proposed PPD No. 129 was conducted on December 17, 2007, at the Westside Jewish Community Center. Approximately, 100 persons attended the hearing and 17 persons spoke in support with 11 persons against the establishment of the district.

A 30-day open-comment period followed, and the Department of Transportation received 125 comments from residents with the majority of them supporting the establishment of PPD 129. However, a petition with 196 (unverified) signatures was submitted that opposed the establishment of PPD 129. This petition contained signatures from businesses, and addresses outside of the proposed boundaries, and was received by the DOT after the 30-day comment period had expired but was still taken into consideration despite claims of misinformation that had been circulated in the area. Many of the petitioners also submitted written comments to DOT either in support or opposition to PPD No. 129.

After careful consideration of the comments received at the public hearing, and the 30-day public comment period, DOT staff met with residents and with Council District 10 staff and concluded that the establishment of a PPD would create additional problems, since the original intent of the application was to address parking problems along Orange Grove Avenue, and to not progress further East past Genesee Avenue or south of Pica Boulevard. DOT Staff and Council District 10 agreed that the original proposal must be downsized in order to address objections that were received during the public comment period, and to avoid unnecessarily impacting businesses that were not initially causing parking problems in the neighborhood.

Rather than entirely deny the establishment of PPD No. 129 (which would not provide any relief to the residents) DOT requested a boundary change to a smaller district which included areas where the parking problems were verified. The revised boundaries proposed for PPD No. 129 is shown on the map at Appendix C, which omitted Spaulding Avenue between Pico Boulevard and Packard Street despite a petition signed by the residents experiencing similar parking issues. The final district was adopted by City Council with the new boundaries on May 19, 2009.

Request for a Tem[2orary PPD

On January 12, 2010, DOT received a written request from Councilmember Herb Wesson, 1oth Council District (see attached letter), requesting the establishment of a Temporary PPD for the Wilshire Vista Neighborhood, North of Pico Boulevard, on Spaulding Avenue between

Temporary PPD. No. 164 · -4 ~ September 29, 2011

Pico Boulevard and Packard Street, and supports the preferential parking restriction posting of "2 Hour Parking, 8 AM to 6 PM, Monday to Friday; with District### Exempt" signs. In his letter, Councilmember Wesson indicated that this proposal was essential to provide the residents of this block with parking relief from the non-resident vehicles associated with the nearby businesses along the Pico and Fairfax corridors, including several body shops along Pica Boulevard which have taken away much of the parking for the residents. After ruling out the option of regular time limit parking on these residential streets, the Councilmember concluded that a Temporary PPD was the best available parking solution.

Background:

The Wilshire Vista neighborhood, North of Pico Boulevard, is developed with single-family residential houses. There are several auto-related businesses on Pico that continually park vehicles on city streets and the residents have begun to experience difficulties finding parking spaces close to their homes. At Spaulding Avenue, the residents must also contend with a small mall, and an oil drilling operation at the corner of Pico Boulevard. In addition, the parking impact can also be attributed to the surrounding Preferential Parking Districts: No. 87 (Temp) to the East, No. 137 (Temp) to the South and No. 129 (Perm) to the West. This is adversely impacting the quality of life for the residents on Spaulding Avenue between alley North of Pico Boulevard and Packard Street, and they are seeking immediate relief from this parking problem. Due to the close proximity to 3 existing Parking Districts and the potential for the parking issues to spread to the adjoining streets, it is the recommendation of DOT to include both Genesee Avenue and Stanley Avenue (between alley North of Pico Boulevard and Packard Street).

Councilmember Wesson, Council District 1 0, and his staff have consulted with DOT regarding the parking problem on the affected blocks and have concluded that preferential parking is the best possible solution to increase the residents' chances of finding on-street parking close to where they live. In the judgment of Councilmember Wesson, the residents of these blocks deserVe some immediate relief from their present parking problems until a permanent solution can be found; therefore, he has requested the creation of Temporary PPD No. 164.

The City Council has the authority, pursuant to Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 80.58.d, to establish Temporary Preferential Parking Districts by resolution "to provide relief for residents who suffer an excessive parking impact ... as the result of any conditions which impact fewer than six blocks and which, in the judgment of the Council member of the District and after consultation with the Assistant General Manager, deserve immediate relief until a permanent solution can be found." Temporary Preferential Parking Districts are limited in duration to a maximum of 12 months from the date of approval of the resolution. Temporary districts may be renewed on an annual basis by resolution until either a permanent solution is found or the problem ceases to exist. The proposed Temporary Preferential Parking District would restrict parking in a three-block area for 12 months. Because of its limited size and duration, DOT has concluded that the proposed Temporary Preferential Parking District will not significantly impact the environment.

Temporary PPD. No .. _...J. - 5- September 29, 2011

Once Temporary PPD No. 164 is established by Council, the residents of any of the two adjacent blocks parallel to Spaulding Avenue within the district will be eligible to have the authorized parking restriction posted on their street segment, upon receipt and verification by DOT, of DOT-approved petitions requesting the installation of the authorized parking restriction, signed by residents representing at least 67 percent of the dwelling units on that street segment Valid petitions were submitted by the residents of Spaulding Avenue between Pica Boulevard and Packard Street during the establishment phase of Parking District No. 129.

ENVIRONMENTAL

On December 30, 2009, the State adopted new CEQA Guidelines, which became effective on March 18, 2010. The City of Los Angeles, under its 2002 CEQA Guidelines, adopted and incorporated the State CEQA Guidelines and all future amendments and additions as adopted by the State. See City CEQA Guidelines, Section 2, Article I.

The State CEQA Guidelines, contained in Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations, Division 6, Chapter 3, Sections 15300-15332, sets forth projects which "do not have a significant effect on the environment, and . . . are declared to be categorically exempt from the requirement for the preparation of environmental documents." Under Section 15301 for "existing facilities", "operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, ... or minor alteration existing public or private structures, [or] facilities. 0 • involving negligible or no expansion of use beyond that existing at the time of the lead agency's determination .. 0 • fall within Class 1 [Categorical Exemption]. The key consideration is whether the project involves negligible or no expansion of an existing use." Section 15301.c. specifies "Existing highways and streets, sidewalks." on the list of projects that fall under the Class 1 Categorical Exemption.

Furthermore, it has been determined that parking constitutes a social, not an environmental, impact The fact that residents of a posted block will get preferential parking is not an environmental effect · Inadequate parking is generally a social and not an environmental impact Under CEQA. See Appendix G, State CEQA Guidelines, Environmental Checklist Form, Section XVI and related December 2009 Final Statement of Reasons, which explicitly removed assessment of the parking impact criteria: http: ceres.ca.gov/ceqa/docs/Finai_Statement_of_Reasons.pdf

The Staff in the City's Department of Transportation, Parking Permit Division, has conducted an analysis and investigation of this establishment for this proposed permit parking district and has concluded that under the State CEQA guidelines the changes are subject to a Class I Categorical Exemption under § 15301 of the State CEQA Guidelines because changes in parking restrictions for this district are operational and will not expand the existing use of the streets or change parking demand. Further, displacement of other vehicles is expected to be minimal.

The LADOT staff also determined that the exceptions to the categorical exemption for cumulative impact, significant effect, scenic highway, hazardous waste site or historical resource do not apply to this district See 2002 City CEQA Guldellnes, Article Ill, 1.a.3.

Temporary PPD. No. 16, September 29, 2011

FISCAL IMPACT STATEMENT:

Revenue from the sale of permits will cover the additional cost of implementing, administering, and enforcing Temporary PPD No. 164. Furthermore, the City may gain additional General Fund revenue from the issuance of parking citations to violators of the District's parking restrictions.

COORDINATION

Councilmember Wesson, Council District 10, and his staff have consulted with DOT regarding the parking problem in the Wilshire Vista neighborhood, North of Pica Boulevard, and they have concluded that preferential parking is the best possible solution to address the residents' parking concerns at this time. In his letter submitted to DOT, Councilmember Wesson indicates that the residents of these blocks deserve some immediate relief from their present parking problems until a permanent solution can be found; therefore, he has requested the creation of Temporary PPD No.164.

AS:fzv S :\PrerP a rki ng\Tem pP PDS\PPD 164\ppd 164rep 11 . doc

Attachments

RESOLUTION

ESTABLISHING TEMPORARY PREFERENTIAL PARKING DISTRICT NO. 164 FOR THE WILSHIRE VISTA NEIGHBORHOOD NORTH OF PICO BOULEVARD AND SETTING THE BOUNDARIES THEREOF AND THE APPLICABLE PARKING RESTRICTIONS.

WHEREAS, the establishment of Preferential Parking Districts (PPDs) is a very effective tool in restricting excessive numbers of nonresident vehicles from parking in residential neighborhoods; and

WHEREAS, the residents of Wilshire Vista are bearing the intrusion of non­resident vehicles from customers and employees of nearby businesses on Pica Boulevard; which is adversely impacting the residents' ability to access their property or find parking in front of their own homes, and has resulted in excessive noise, blocked driveways, interference with trash pick-:up and littering, from which the residents are seeking relief; and

WHEREAS, Spaulding Avenue was to be originally included in Preferential Parking District No. 129 and had to be omitted due to resident opposition from streets North and West of Spaulding Avenue and outside the originally intended district; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Transportation (DOT) has received a written request from Councilmember Herb Wesson, asking DOT to prepare the necessary documents to establish a Temporary PPD for the following blocks within the Wilshire Vista neighborhood North of Pica Boulevard, with a "2 Hour Parking, 8 AM to 6 PM, Monday to Friday; District No. 164 Permits Exempt" preferential parking restriction:

• Spaulding Avenue between alley North of Pica Boulevard and Packard Street Genessee Avenue between alley North of Pico Boulevard and Packard Street Stanley Avenue between alley North of Pico Boulevard and Packard Street

WHEREAS, DOT has received valid petitions during the establishment phase of PPD No. 129 from the residents of Spaulding Avenue between alley North of Pica Boulevard and Packard Street, requesting the posting of a "2 HOUR PARKING, 8 AM TO 6 PM, MONDAY TO FRIDAY; DISTRICT NO. 164 PERMITS EXEMPT" parking restriction for their street segment; and

WHEREAS, the Los Angeles City Council, by Ordinance No. 152,722, effective September 2, 1979, as revised by Ordinance No. 157,425, effective March 18, 1983, ~J and amended again by Ordinance No. 161,414, effective July 26, 1986, and Ordinance No.171 ,029, effective June 1, 1996, provided for the establishment of PPDs by Resolution of the Council in each case, under Section 80.58 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code.

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council, pursuant to Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 80.58.d, hereby establishes Temporary PPD No.164 consisting of the residential portions of the following street segments:

• Spaulding Avenue between the alley North of Pica Boulevard and Packard Street Genessee Avenue between the alley North of Pica Boulevard and Packard Street Stanley Avenue between the alley North of Pica Boulevard and Packard Street

BE JT FURTHER RESOLVED, that upon approval of Temporary PPD No. 164 through the adoption of this Resolution, that the following preferential parking restriction be authorized for use on the residential portions of street segments anywhere within the district, except where stopping or parking are otherwise prohibited due to safety reasons or inadequate roadway width:

"2 HOUR PARKING, 8 AM TO 6 PM, MONDAY TO FRIDAY; DISTRICT NO. 164 PERMITS EXEMPT'

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that upon Council adoption of Temporary PPD No. 164 that the DOT be directed to post the authorized parking restriction signs on the residential portions of the following street segments with in Temporary PPD No. 164 that have already submitted valid petitions to DOT requesting these restrictions; except where parking or stopping are otherwise prohibited, or where parking meters with time limit parking restrictions are already in operation:

® Spaulding Avenue between alley North of Pico Boulevard and Packard Street

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the DOT be directed to post the authorized parking restriction signs on the residential portions of any of the street segments within Temporary PPD No. 164, upon receipt and verification of signatures from residents of any of those street segments requesting the installation of the approved parking restriction for their street segment, and representing at least 67 percent of the dwelling units on the street segment, except where parking or stopping are otherwise prohibited, or where parking meters with time limit parking restrictions are already in operation; and

BE JT FURTHER RESOLVED, that DOT be directed to take the appropriate steps to prepare, issue and require payments for permits from the residents of Temporary PPD No.164 in accordance with Section 80.58 of the LA.M.C. and the "Rules and Procedures for Preferential Parking Districts" adopted by the City Council; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that DOT shall collect payments derived from the sale of parking permits to residents of Temporary PPD No.164 and remlt these funds to the Treasury of the City of Los Angeles for deposit into the Permit Parking Revenue Fund in accordance with Division 5, Chapter 6, Article 3, Section 5.119.5 of the Los Angeles Administrative Code; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the authority for this District shall have a maximum duration of 12 months from the date of approval of this Resolution. The District may be renewed on an annual basis by Resolution until either a permanent solution is found for the parking problem· at this location or the problem ceases to exist.

HERB }.WESSON, }R. COUNCILMEivi6ER, 10TH DISTRICT

January 12,2010

Ms. Rita L. Robinson, General Manager City ofLos AngeiesDepartment of Transportation 100 S. Main Street, 1Oth Floor Los Angeles, CA 90012

Dear Ms. Robinson:

REQUEST FOR NEW TEMPORARY PREFERENTIAL PARKlNG DISTRICT- SPAULDING A VENUE

I write in support of the request for a preferential parking district submitted by the residents of the 1300 block of Spaulding A venue, a neighborhood which I represent. Since my election to LA City Council; my office has been working with the residents of the Wilshire Vistacommunity to address parking issues in the neighborhood. This residential community is bounded by Pica Boulevard, Fairfax Avenue, San Vicente Boulevard and Hauser Boulevard. ·

There are many commercial businesses along the Pica and Fairfax conidors of my district, including several auto body shops along Pica Boulevard. While I have been working with the community to reduce auto related businesses along Pica, I have found that they continue to park cars on the city streets including the Wilshire Vista Heights neighborhood; . Unfortunately we just do not have the resources to monitor this consistently as they encroach into the residential neighborhoods.

In this particular location on Spaulding, the residents of this single family block are being encroached upon by auto shops, a small mall and an oil drilling operation right on the Pi co corridor at Spaulding. There are auto uses at 5630, 5750 and 5608 W. Pico; an oil drilling operation at Stanley and Pica; and a mini mart with a very small parking lot across Spaulding A venue.

It is for this reason that lam supporting the request for a temporary preferential parking district for the 1300 block of Spaulding. I support posting of"2-hour parking 8am-6pm, M-F, Vehicles with distri~t #exempt" signs. I have attached a copy of the petitions that the 1300 block of Spaulding submitted to the Preferential Parking section in August 2007.

1 request that DOT proceed with the establishment of this Temporary Preferential Parking district. If you have any questions please contact, Liz Carlinofmy staff at (323) 733-8233.

Sincerely,

/1-Jd;f w~ ::t HERB J. WESSON, JR. Councilmember, lOth District

c: Yadi Hashemi, LADOT Parking Pem1its pi vision, MS #735·04

CITy HALl.. OFFICE: 200 NORTH SPi.UNG STREET, RooM 43.0 ~ Los ANGEL.ES, CALIFORNIA 90012 ~ PHONE: (213} 473~7010 ··FAX: (213) 485~9829

. DISTRICT OFFICE: 1819 SOUTH WESTERN AVENUE • Los ANGELES, CAUFORN.lA 90006 • PHONE: (323) 733-3233 • fAX: (323) 733·58~3

. E-MAIL: COUNClLM.EMBER. WESSON@LAC!TY.ORG

PREFE" :NTIAL PARKING DISTR' T NO. 164 COUNCIL DISTRICT 10

LEGEND:

- PPD BOUNDARY

C22Zj 2 HR PARKING 8AM-6PM; MON.-FRI.; VEH ICLES W/ DIST. # 164 PERMIT EXEMPT.

TEMPORARY

~"

PREFERt:NTIAL PARKING DISTRICI NO. 129 COUNCIL DISTRICT 10

WESTERN ENFORCEMENT

LEGEND: - PPD 129 Boundary

E'2Z;:) 2 Hr. Parking Sam - 6pm; No parking 6pm- Bam ; District No. 129 Permit Exempt.

~ 2 Hr. Parking Bam - 6pm Mon. - Fri. District No. 129 Permit Exempt.

• 2 Hr. Parking Bam- 6pm Mon.- Fri.; No Parking 6pm- Bam ; District No. 129 Permit Exempt.