LTC 580-2018 Mechanical Parking - Planning Board RecommendationsOFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
NO. LTC#
TO: Mayor Dan Gelber and Members o the City Co
FROM: Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager
DATE: October 31, 2018
SUBJECT: Mechanical Parking -Planning B ard Recommendations
On October 23, 2018, after the review and approval of a Conditional Use Permit application for
mechanical parking in a new four unit multifamily apartment building in North Beach,
the Planning. Board recommended that the City Commission consider amendments to the -
mechanical parking ordinance to streamline the review process for similar types of mechanical
parking applications.
On July 26, 2017, as part of companion ordinance amending the regulations for RM-1 and RM-2
zoned properties, the City Commission approved an Ordinance amending the review process
for the use of mechanical lifts in small multi-family apartment buildings with 20 units or less,
allowing such review and approval by the Design Review Board (ORB) or Historic Preservation
Board (HPB), as applicable. Such applications are reviewed for compliance with the mechanical
parking review criteria of Section 138-38(5), which is the same criteria that is also used for
larger applications submitted to the Planning Board. Prior to this amendment, all mechanical
parking systems required review and approval by the Planning Board.
However, the review and approval of the ORB or HPB is currently only available to apartment
buildings with mechanical parking that is accessed from a rear alley, in accordance with Section
130-38(4):
(4) The following exceptions to the mechanical parking prohibition may be considered by the
design review board or historic preservation board, as applicable:
(a) Apartment buildings with 20 apartment units or less may utilize mechanical lists, in
accordance with the review criteria of section 138-38(5), provided the parking area is
accessed from a rear alley and secure storage for alternative transportation such as
scooters, bicycles, and motorcycles is provided on site.
(b) Single-family homes utilizing up to three mechanical lifts may be approved by the
design review board or historic preservation board, as applicable, in accordance with
the applicable review criteria of section 130-38(5).
The Planning Board recommended that the requirement for alley access of the mechanical
parking be removed, as there is no substantive reason why the lack of an alley alone should
LTC -Mechanical Parking-Planning Board Recommendations
Date: October 31, 2018
Page: 2 of 2
burden an applicant with a separate land use board review process. Removing this requirement
would allow small scale apartment buildings to be reviewed in their entirety by the ORB or HPB.
The Planning Board also recommended that the proposed amendment be referred to the Land
Use and Development Committee (LUDC), for consideration and recommendation.
The Administration supports these changes and recommends that the City Commission
consider the above noted recommendations of the Planning Board and provide appropriate
policy direction.
JLM/SMT/TRM/MAB
C: Raul Aguila, City Attorney
Rafael Granado, City Clerk
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