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Vallejo planning commission recommends city council approve downtown/waterfront parking plan
Summary
The Planning Commission voted 4-0 to recommend that City Council adopt a Downtown and Waterfront Parking Management Program to preserve Metropolitan Transportation Commission regional funding eligibility and support Vallejo's transit-oriented community designation; staff said the plan provides policy guidance and that any zoning changes would return for later review.
The Vallejo Planning Commission unanimously recommended that the City Council approve a downtown and waterfront parking management evaluation and action plan aimed at aligning parking policy with regional goals and supporting Vallejo's transit-oriented community designation.
"Adopting this plan is important for two reasons. First, it helps the city maintain eligibility for regional transportation funding administered by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. And second, it supports Vallejo's designation as a transit oriented community," Hector Rojas, the city's long-range planning manager, told commissioners during his presentation.
The plan, developed with consultant AECOM through MTC's OBAG-3 technical assistance, evaluates existing parking supply and demand within roughly a half-mile of the Vallejo and Mare Island ferry terminals and recommends a suite of policy updates. Key recommendations include encouraging unbundled parking (separating parking costs from housing leases or sales), considering parking maximums in transit areas rather than minimums, improving wayfinding and curb management, and developing a phased implementation framework with short-, medium- and long-term actions.
During commissioner questions, Rojas explained unbundled parking as an approach where parking is provided at the development level and residents may choose to purchase or rent a space separately: "When you rent an apartment or you buy a condo, you have the choice of purchasing a parking space, because you need it or not," he said. On parking maximums, Rojas said the city could keep minimums in suburban areas while capping parking in transit districts to avoid underused asphalt and free up land for housing or other uses.
The commission opened the public hearing for the item but no members of the public signed up to speak. A commissioner moved to adopt a resolution recommending City Council approval of the plan; the motion was seconded and carried with four ayes (two commissioners were absent). The plan does not immediately change zoning or parking regulations; any ordinance or code amendments would return to the Planning Commission for recommendation before City Council consideration.
Next steps: The commission's recommendation will be transmitted to the City Council for its consideration. Staff said implementation details, including any proposed parking ordinances, will be developed and come back to the Planning Commission and City Council for review.
