To: PUBLIC WORKS, SAFETY, AND SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION
From: DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS
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DISCUSSION OF COMMERCIAL DRIVEWAY WIDTHS
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Artesia and Aviation Corridor Area Plan (AACAP) was adopted by the City in 2020 and includes a set of strategies and development standards intended to help incentivize the revitalization of the Artesia and Aviation corridors to make them more pedestrian friendly. On August 5, 2025, the City Council discussed the AACAP and directed staff to move forward as a priority item, changes to the City's Municipal Code (RBMC) eliminating required minimum off-street parking for non-residential uses within the AACAP.
On September 18, 2025, staff presented a draft zoning amendment to the Planning Commission, inclusive of the City Council's direction to eliminate parking requirements for all new non-residential development within the AACAP area. The Planning Commission supported the elimination of parking requirements and recommended a reduction in mandated driveway widths for new developments that may choose to provide on-site parking. The intent of the recommendation was to reduce driveway widths and potential conflicts between pedestrians and drivers.
The Planning Commission recommendation was presented to the City Council on October 14, 2025. The Council was supportive of the concept of reducing the driveway width and directed staff to study it and schedule a discussion with the Public Works and Sustainability Commission (PWSC) to receive input.
BACKGROUND
Off-street parking requirements for new developments have been a mainstay of the built environment since the end of World War II when car ownership proliferated. These minimum requirements have largely stayed static over the years and typically only consider the peak usage period of each independent land use. Parking requirements generally result in implicit subsidies to driving and an oversupply of parking during most hours and day...
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