Off-Street Parking Requirements for the RP: Residential, Planned Unit Development District
In the City of Long Beach RP: Residential, Planned Unit Development district, residential projects must provide off-street parking based on the number of bedrooms per unit, including a mandatory requirement of one guest parking space for every four dwelling units. While the RP: Residential, Planned Unit Development district is intended primarily for residential use and generally prohibits stand-alone commercial developments, any mixed-use components allowed through a specific Planned Development ordinance must adhere to the standard parking ratios established in the City of Long Beach Municipal Code.
Residential Parking Requirements in the RP District
Off-street parking for residential uses within the RP: Residential, Planned Unit Development district is governed by the standard ratios found in Chapter 21.41, with additional specific mandates for guest parking and driveway configurations unique to the RP district [Section 21.31.340].
Unit Parking Ratios
The number of required spaces per dwelling unit is determined by the number of bedrooms. Note that in the City of Long Beach, any room containing a bathtub or shower that can be locked off from the remainder of the building is considered a separate dwelling unit for calculation purposes [Section 21.15.910].
| Number of Units/Bedrooms | Standard Requirement (Spaces per Unit) | Coastal Zone Requirement (Spaces per Unit) |
|---|---|---|
| 0 Bedrooms (Studio) | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| 1 Bedroom | 1.50 | 2.00 |
| 2 or more Bedrooms | 2.00 | 2.00 |
Source: [Table 41-1A]
Guest Parking Mandate
Unique to the RP: Residential, Planned Unit Development district, the City of Long Beach requires additional parking for visitors. One guest parking space must be provided for every four dwelling units, calculated based on the total number of units in the development as a whole [Section 21.31.340.G].
At the discretion of the City's approval body, these guest spaces may be provided as:
- Open parking on the project site.
- On-street parking located within the boundaries of the PUD [Section 21.31.340.G].
Commercial Parking Standards in the City of Long Beach
According to the City of Long Beach Use Table, the RP: Residential, Planned Unit Development district is restricted to residential uses, including single-family, duplex, and multi-family dwellings [Table 31-1]. Stand-alone commercial uses such as retail or restaurants are typically not permitted (marked "N") within the base RP zoning [Section 21.31.360].
However, if a project is part of a larger Planned Development (PD) that incorporates the RP zone and includes authorized commercial components, the following standard City of Long Beach parking ratios would apply:
| Use Type | Required Number of Spaces |
|---|---|
| General Retail / Personal Service | 4 per 1,000 sq. ft. of Gross Floor Area (GFA) |
| Restaurant (Ready to Eat) | 4 per 1,000 sq. ft. of GFA |
| Professional Office | 4 per 1,000 sq. ft. GFA (up to 20k GFA) |
| Banks / Financial Services | 5 per 1,000 sq. ft. GFA |
Source: [Table 41-1C]
Specific Layout and Design Standards for the RP District
The City of Long Beach enforces specific design standards for parking facilities within the RP: Residential, Planned Unit Development district to maintain the quality of the residential environment:
- Driveway Length: Each garage must be provided with a driveway that is either twenty (20) feet or more in length, or six (6) feet or less in length [Section 21.31.340.I].
- Detached Structures: Detached garages and other detached accessory structures are prohibited on individual ownership lots within the RP: Residential, Planned Unit Development district. They are only permitted in common areas if used for utilities, maintenance, or storage for the common interest of the PUD [Section 21.31.340.H].
- Rounding: In all calculations for the required number of spaces, any fractional numbers must be rounded up to the closest whole number [Section 21.41.216].
Potential Exemptions
The City of Long Beach may waive or reduce these requirements under specific circumstances:
- Parking Exempt Areas: If the lot or parcel is located within the "Parking Exempt Area," no minimum number of vehicular parking spaces is required for certain projects [Section 21.41.175].
- Administrative Use Permit (AUP): The Zoning Administrator may approve an adjustment to parking requirements for nonresidential components if a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) plan or shared parking agreement is provided [Section 21.41.223].
Sections Cited
- Section 21.15.910 (Dwelling unit)
- Section 21.31.020 (Districts established)
- Table 31-1 (Uses in Residential Zones)
- Section 21.31.340 (PUD Development Standards)
- Section 21.31.360 (Additional Land Use Restrictions)
- Section 21.41.175 (Exemption from parking minimums)
- Section 21.41.216 (Parking—Required number of spaces)
- Section 21.41.223 (Adjustment of parking requirements)
- Table 41-1A (Required Number of Parking Spaces for Residential Uses)
- Table 41-1C (Required Number of Parking Spaces for Commercial, Industrial/Manufacturing and All Other Uses)