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Off-Street Parking Requirements for the City of Long Beach CCA District

Jurisdiction: Long BeachCode Version: April 2026

In the City of Long Beach, the CCA: Community Commercial Automobile-Oriented district requires commercial projects to provide off-street parking based on specific use ratios, such as 5 spaces per 1,000 square feet for shopping centers, while maintaining a minimum 10-foot front street setback for parking areas [Section 21.32.220]. Residential developments within the City of Long Beach CCA: Community Commercial Automobile-Oriented district must provide between 1.00 and 2.00 spaces per unit depending on the number of bedrooms, plus an additional guest parking requirement of 1 space per every 4 units [Section 21.41.229].

Commercial Parking Ratios and Standards

In the CCA: Community Commercial Automobile-Oriented district, the City of Long Beach mandates that the number of parking spaces be calculated based on the specific type of commercial activity. For large-scale projects, such as shopping centers exceeding 150,000 square feet, the City of Long Beach may approve a lower parking ratio [Table 41-1C].

Common Commercial Parking Ratios

The following ratios apply to common uses found within the City of Long Beach CCA: Community Commercial Automobile-Oriented district:

Use Type Required Number of Spaces
Community Shopping Centers 5 per 1,000 SF-GFA
Merchandise Mall 10 per 1,000 SF-GFA
Ready to Eat Restaurant 4 per 1,000 GFA
Bank, Savings and Loan 5 per 1,000 GFA
Medical or Dental Office 4 per 1,000 GFA
General Professional Office 4 per 1,000 GFA (up to 20,000 GFA)

[Source: Table 41-1C]

Parking Area Setbacks for the CCA District

Parking facilities within the City of Long Beach CCA: Community Commercial Automobile-Oriented district must adhere to specific "Required Yard Areas Between Parking and Property Lines" to ensure adequate landscaping and buffering:

Boundary Location Required Minimum Setback
Front Street 10 feet
Side Street 6 feet
Alley 14 feet
Adjacent to Residential District 5 feet
Adjacent to Nonresidential District 5 feet

[Source: Table 32-2]

Residential Parking Requirements

Residential projects located in the City of Long Beach CCA: Community Commercial Automobile-Oriented district are governed by the same standards as the city's residential zones [Section 21.32.235]. These requirements vary depending on whether the project is located within the designated Coastal Zone.

Number of Units/Bedrooms General Requirement (Spaces/Unit) Coastal Zone Only (Spaces/Unit)
0 Bedrooms (≤ 450 sq. ft.) 1.00 1.00
-1 or More Bedrooms 1.50 2.00
-2 or More Bedrooms 2.00 2.00
Guest Parking 1 space / 4 units 1 space / 4 units

[Source: Table 41-1A]

Design and Location Standards

The City of Long Beach enforces specific design and locational criteria for all parking in the CCA: Community Commercial Automobile-Oriented district to ensure safety and accessibility.

Off-Site Parking

For commercial and institutional uses in the City of Long Beach, required parking may be provided off-site if it is located within six hundred feet (600') of the use it serves, measured from the parking facility to the main entrance of the building [Section 21.41.222].

Tandem Parking

In the City of Long Beach, tandem parking is generally prohibited for required residential parking except for valet parking approved through site plan review or for specific low-income housing projects [Section 21.41.233].

Parking Space Dimensions

The City of Long Beach requires standard parking spaces to be 8 feet 6 inches wide by 18 feet long. Compact spaces (8' x 15') are permitted for up to 50% of residential requirements but are generally not permitted for nonresidential uses in the City of Long Beach [Table 41-2].

Sections Cited

  • Section 21.32.220 - Yards
  • Section 21.32.235 - Residential uses in commercial districts
  • Section 21.41.110 - Purpose
  • Section 21.41.120 - Applicability
  • Section 21.41.216 - Parking—Required number of spaces
  • Section 21.41.222 - Off-site parking
  • Section 21.41.229 - Parking—Residential uses in commercial zones
  • Section 21.41.231 - Parking—Size of spaces
  • Section 21.41.233 - Tandem parking—Residential uses

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