DGS seeks new parking near May Lee building as return-to-office debate intensifies

The Department of General Services told the Assembly Subcommittee 5 it proposes to add roughly 1,100 new parking spaces near the May Lee building and downtown Sacramento by leasing a surface lot and reactivating a downtown garage, while committee members and state employee representatives questioned whether the expansion would meet expected demand under the governor's return-to-office order.

Jennifer Osborne, chief deputy director at the Department of General Services, said the administration requests a one-time appropriation from the Motor Vehicle Parking Facility Account and ongoing resources to operate the sites. She said the May Lee complex has limited street parking and the combined existing garage and surface lot hold about 1,600 spaces; the DGS request would add about 470 nearby spaces for the May Lee site and about 690 downtown garage spaces, roughly a 1,100-space increase overall.

Committee members and public commenters said the request likely underestimates demand. Several state employees and union representatives said the downtown waiting list for state garage parking historically has been between 4,000 and 5,000 people and that adding ~1,100 spaces would not come close to filling that need. Employees said monthly parking passes are often no longer available and that daily rates and ticketing add new costs for workers who would face longer commute times and parking fees.

Osborne said parking operations are funded by monthly parker receipts (payroll-deducted passes), and DGS believes revenues will cover operating costs over time. DGS officials said they cannot precisely predict how many employees will choose to drive rather than use transit once the return-to-office order takes effect because departments are still assessing exemptions and workspace reconfigurations.

Public commenters from SEIU Local 1000 and CWAP grantees urged the committee to reject building out additional parking linked to a broader return-to-office order they oppose; employees raised affordability, health and space concerns. The committee did not take action on the request and members asked DGS to provide additional estimates on demand and fiscal impacts.

Ending: DGS will continue working with departments on workspace and parking needs; committee members requested more detailed demand estimates and cost projections before approving new parking appropriations.