DATE: January 28, 2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: Public Works Department
TITLE: INTRODUCTION OF AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND ARTICLE X OF THE CITY OF OCEANSIDE MUNICIPAL TRAFFIC CODE AND ADOPTION OF A RESOLUTION TO ESTABLISH A FEE FOR AN OVERNIGHT OVERSIZED VEHICLE PARKING PERMIT PROGRAM
RECOMMENDATION
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Staff recommends that the City Council introduce an ordinance to amend Article X of the City of Oceanside Municipal Traffic Code and adopt a resolution to establish a fee for an overnight oversize vehicle parking permit in the City of Oceanside at one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00) per year.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
In 2020, the City of Oceanside completed the Downtown Parking Action Plan (DPAP), which was developed to provide a strategic framework for guiding parking policies, regulations, and operations within Downtown Oceanside. The plan included comprehensive data collection on existing parking conditions, robust community engagement, and the formulation of an actionable implementation strategy. DPAP recommendations were structured into a phased implementation plan consisting of updates to the City’s Municipal Traffic Code, development of a mobile payment system, procurement of implementation support services, and the transition to a virtual parking permit system.
In 2021, the City Council adopted a comprehensive update to the Municipal Traffic Code. Most of the revisions were administrative in nature, including reformatting, reorganization, and updated definitions to improve clarity and consistency. Additional amendments addressed emerging technologies, established restrictions on overnight parking of oversized vehicles, and introduced provisions for parking permits and electric vehicle (EV) parking. Later that same year, the City Council adopted a resolution establishing fee structures for the various parking permit programs authorized under the updated code.
Ordinance Amendment
As noted above, in 2021, the City Council adopted regulations restricting the overnight parking of oversized vehicles, prohibiting such vehicles from being parked on public streets and within the public right-of-way between the hours of 2:00 am and 6:00 am. Following implementation, staff have identified that the current definition of “oversized vehicle” can inadvertently encompass certain personal and work-related vehicles that were not intended to be regulated under the original policy.
The proposed amendment is intended to clarify and refine the existing oversized vehicle parking regulations to better align with the Council’s original intent, while continuing to address the impacts associated with the parking and storage of oversized vehicles. The revised language provides greater clarity regarding the types of vehicles subject to the restrictions and improves the overall consistency and enforceability of the ordinance.
To better address these community concerns and enhance the City’s ability to manage on-street parking, staff is proposing targeted amendments to the Municipal Traffic Code. These updates will improve the City’s enforcement capabilities by providing clearer definitions and classifications for oversized vehicles and vehicle combinations observed in the field. In addition, the proposed changes establish a new "Overnight Oversized Vehicle Daily Driver Permit" program. This program is designed to accommodate residents who own vehicles that exceed only the maximum height requirement (but not length or width), up to a maximum height of 9.5 feet and who are unable to park their vehicles on private property due to site constraints. Vehicles that would fall under this category would be larger pick-up trucks with camper shells and Sprinter-type vans.
Under the proposed program, eligible residents must submit documentation demonstrating that no on-premises parking is available for their oversized vehicle. Consistent with existing City permit procedures, the applicant must also obtain community support by circulating a petition within the proposed permit zone. The petition must be signed by at least 80% of the residents in the designated area. Once issued, the daily driver permit will allow the oversized vehicle to park overnight only within the designated area and will prohibit parking outside of that area between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m.
To ensure the proposed program aligns with regional best practices, staff surveyed comparable coastal cities regarding overnight parking permit programs for daily-use oversized vehicles. Based on this review, staff believes that the City's proposed daily driver permit program is consistent with similar policies in peer jurisdictions, balancing community livability with the parking needs of residents.
Notable amendments to the Municipal Traffic Code include:
• In section 10.28.1, staff has proposed changes to oversized vehicle definitions and to include combination vehicles;
• Delete subsection (e) of section 10.28.2 relating to exceptions of oversized vehicle parking enforcement;
• Addition of a new annual permit program to section 10.28.3 for vehicles used on a daily basis and qualify as an oversize vehicle based on height only
Resolution
Residents owning an oversized vehicle used on a daily basis, and for whom on-premises parking is not available, may apply for the Daily Driver Permit. The permit will be assigned to the specific vehicle's license plate number, enabling Parking Enforcement Officers to verify compliance when the vehicle is parked on a City street during restricted overnight hours (2:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m.).
Permits will be issued at an annual cost of one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00), with renewal required each year. This fee supports the administrative costs associated with application processing, enforcement, and program oversight. The permit is non-transferable and valid only for the vehicle and designated area approved through the permit and petition process. Continued eligibility is contingent upon adherence to program conditions, including maintaining the vehicle in operable condition, compliance with all applicable parking regulations, and no substantiated violations related to vehicle use or permit misuse.
Staff will evaluate the permit program on an ongoing basis and may return to City Council with future recommendations to adjust the program parameters, fee structure, or eligibility criteria based on community input, enforcement data, and overall program performance.
FISCAL IMPACT
The revenue to be generated is unknown at this time and will depend on the use of the program and is expected to offset operating expenses. The fees should recover costs consisting of administrative and enforcement functions. The revenue will be deposited in the Parking Permit Annual revenue account 1101.4186.
COMMISSION OR COMMITTEE REPORT
Does not apply.
CITY ATTORNEY’S ANALYSIS
The referenced documents have been reviewed by the City Attorney and approved as to form.
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Prepared by: Nathan Mertz, Public Works Division Manager
Reviewed by: Hamid Bahadori, Public Works Director
Submitted by: Jonathan Borrego, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Staff Report
2. Ordinance
3. Resolution
4. Traffic Code Update