TO: HARBOR COMMISSION
FROM: KATHERINE BUCK, WATERFRONT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
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DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING AN UPDATE ON THE MARINA PARKING REQUIREMENT ADJUSTMENT STUDY
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BACKGROUND
The City’s Local Coastal Program (LCP) and Municipal Code (RBMC) require three-fourths of an off-street parking space per marina boat slip, and the four marinas in King Harbor have a total of 1,428 boat slips. The parking requirement is believed to be higher than the parking demand generated by boat slips and higher than most comparable marinas. As part of the City’s 2025-2026 Strategic Plan, the City Council directed staff to research the cost and process of studying whether this requirement remains appropriate. On November 4, 2025, staff presented the process and estimated cost to the City Council, which directed staff to proceed with retaining a transportation consultant.
Following a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process, Fehr & Peers, Inc. was selected to conduct the study, and on May 12, 2026, the City Council approved an agreement not to exceed $35,000. Fehr & Peers has completed data collection, including parking counts, analysis of data sources such as StreetLight and Replica, and surveys of parking occupancy and utilization. The firm has also analyzed the collected data, evaluated surrounding land uses, and reviewed boat slip parking requirements in comparable Southern California jurisdictions. Fehr & Peers is preparing a technical memorandum summarizing its findings, which will be presented to the City Council in early 2027.
If the study supports an adjustment to the parking requirement for marina slips, and the City Council directs staff to pursue one, then Staff will prepare amendments to the Zoning Ordinance and LCP. The LCP Amendment process includes at least one Planning Commission meeting, one Harbor Commission meeting, and two City Council meetings and would take an additional three to four months. Following local adoption, the LCP amendment would be submitted to the California Coastal Commission for certification, which would likely take an additional four to six months to process.
This item has been prepared to provide the Commission with an introduction to the study and an update on its current status.