Council forms subcommittee, seeks refinements to draft permit‑parking ordinance after public testimony

The City Council agreed Tuesday to form a publicly noticed two‑member subcommittee to refine proposed updates to the residential permit‑parking program and treatment of existing zones after a long public hearing on proposed changes to municipal code sections that govern permit parking.

What was before council: Staff and consultant Dixon Resources Unlimited presented draft changes to Encinitas Municipal Code pertaining to how permit‑parking zones are created, minimum zone sizes, occupancy thresholds, permit allocation by dwelling size and proposed transition to a virtual license‑plate based permit system. The drafts proposed requirements such as a 50% on‑street occupancy threshold (half of which the draft said should be non‑residents) and a 1,500‑foot minimum zone footprint.

Public concerns and recommended edits: Dozens of residents spoke, many from the city’s existing Zone D, asking a range of changes. They urged removal of the requirement that half the occupied on‑street spaces be non‑resident (saying that is infeasible to measure and unfair), asked that occupancy surveys be taken during peak periods, requested stronger rules for how additions to an existing zone are processed and asked that key numeric decisions (daily guest permits, zone‑specific permit counts and fees) be set by resolution rather than codified in the ordinance.

Consultant and staff response: Dixon’s Ben Verdugo said the draft incorporates community feedback and best practices and recommended an automated enforcement and permit management platform to reduce staff time and to move to a plate‑based virtual permit. City traffic engineer Abe Bondigan described survey methods used to measure non‑resident parking and noted the existing four zones would be transitioned into the new program.

Council action: Council Member Jim O’Hara moved — and Council Member Luke Schafer seconded — forming a publicly noticed two‑member subcommittee to refine the draft ordinance language and resolve the questions raised by residents. The subcommittee will meet publicly and work with staff and Dixon on specific changes to definitions, survey methodology, guest‑permit policies and transition rules. The motion carried unanimously.

Background and timeline: Staff said it plans to bring zone‑specific resolutions and final ordinance language back to council once the subcommittee and staff have refined code language and determined implementation timing. Council also discussed the planned vendor selection for the permit‑system automation and asked staff to coordinate the vendor rollout with any ordinance adoption so enrollment can proceed smoothly.

Why residents care: Speakers from Zone D and other neighborhoods said current conditions — including underutilized private parking at nearby developments and 24‑hour occupant turnover — have produced neighborhood traffic, noise and trash problems. They asked the city to ensure any new code respects existing residents and sets reliable survey and petition procedures.