REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBMITTED TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
SUBMITTED BY: Travis Hopkins, Acting City Manager
VIA: Chau Vu, Director of Public Works
PREPARED BY: Bob Stachelski, Traffic and Transportation Manager
Subject:
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Approve and adopt Resolution No. 2025-02 establishing angled parking on Walnut Avenue between Main Street and 2nd Street and appropriation of funds
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Statement of Issue:
To support local businesses, enhance accessibility, and create additional revenue opportunities, staff recommends providing additional on-street, metered parking in the downtown. Walnut Avenue, between Main Street and 2nd Street, has been identified as a key area where extra parking spaces can be added by reconfiguring the current layout to accommodate angled parking. In accordance with the City’s Municipal Code, the establishment of approved parking zones must be authorized by the City Council through a resolution.
Financial Impact:
Implementation of the metered, angled parking is expected to generate approximately $95,000 of additional revenue annually. The initial installation of the angled parking and meters is expected to cost approximately $20,000. The cost of the full installation is being funded through the In-Lieu Parking Fee Program (as established by City Council Resolution No. 2010-49) with the appropriation to Business Unit 30880101.
Recommended Action:
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A) Approve and adopt Resolution No. 2025-02, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Huntington Beach Approving the Establishment of Angle Parking on Walnut Avenue Between Main Street and 2nd Street;” and,
B) Appropriate $20,000 from the downtown In-Lieu Parking account to Business Unit 30880101 for construction and equipment to establish the recommended parking configuration.
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Alternative Action(s):
Do not approve, and direct staff accordingly.
Analysis:
As part of the City’s annual budget activities, staff from the Community and Library Services Department collaborated with the City Manager’s Office to explore opportunities for increasing parking revenue, particularly in the downtown area. One of the key proposals was to convert parallel parking stalls to angled parking along Walnut Avenue, between Main Street and 2nd Street. This section of street is already approved for metered parking under the Municipal Code. By adding 13 parking spaces to the existing on-street inventory, staff anticipates that the additional spaces will generate an estimated $95,000 in revenue per year. Moreover, the redesigned street layout is expected to reduce vehicle travel speeds, as the narrowing of the travel lanes and the activity associated with entering and exiting angled parking will naturally slow traffic.
Huntington Beach Municipal Code Section 10.40.200 permits the installation of angled parking on City streets when authorized by resolution. Approval of the attached resolution will enable the parking reconfiguration to move forward and be enforced. This area is also within the designated Coastal Zone, which introduces additional regulations aimed at protecting parking spaces to ensure continued access to coastal resources. Staff from Community Development has reviewed this proposal with the California Coastal Commission, which confirmed that the parking reconfiguration and meter installation do not require additional permits. Furthermore, the 13 added spaces will be considered "banked" parking, which means they can be counted as parking in excess of current requirements. This provides the City with the flexibility to reverse the changes in the future, without needing to replace the lost spaces or offset potential future parking reductions in the area.
To ensure community input, staff reached out to the Downtown Business Improvement District (BID) and neighboring businesses to present the proposed redesign. The feedback received was positive, with no objections from local businesses or the BID.
Environmental Status:
This action is covered by the General Rule that the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment (Section 15061.b.3 of the State CEQA Guidelines). It can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that this activity will have a significant effect on the environment. Therefore, this activity is not subject to CEQA.
Strategic Plan Goal:
Goal 2 - Fiscal Stability, Strategy A - Consider new revenue sources and opportunities to support the City's priority initiatives and projects.
The revised parking and meters will provide additional General Fund revenues at minimal cost for installation and on-going maintenance and operations.
For details, visit www.huntingtonbeachca.gov/strategicplan.
Attachment(s):
1. Resolution No. 2025-02, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Huntington Beach Approving the Establishment of Angle Parking on Walnut Avenue Between Main Street and Second Street”
2. Diagram of Proposed Angled Parking on Walnut Avenue
3. PowerPoint Presentation