MHS on-street parking is not consistent with county parking ordinances

From: charlessands@aol.com
Date: July 14, 2010 9:06:59 AM PDT
To: sschneider@co.marin.ca.us
Cc: bbeaumont@co.marin.ca.us, BCrawford@co.marin.ca.us, jtejirian@co.marin.ca.us, skinsey@co.marin.ca.us, mmoheb@co.marin.ca.us
Subject: MHS on-street parking is not consistent with county parking ordinances

Last year Mr. Jeremy Tejirian informed me that MHS was in compliance with Resolution 2005-105 Condition of Approval # 50 and only required to provide Special Event temporary parking after normal school hours.

I found this to be inexplicable as MHS’ E.I.S. Section 6. Traffic/Circulation Special Events Parking page 28 specially states “Special Events that occur during the school day would have 55 spaces available for parent parking etc.

It is inexplicable why the person (s) that drafted Resolution 2005-105 Condition of Approval (COA) # 50 omitted to include the following (5) MHS’ E.I.S. Special Event parking recommended mitigating actions. The mitigating MHS’ parking actins described in E.I.S. Section 6. Traffic/Circulation actions on page 28: omitted to be included in COA # 50 include.
· Temporary parking for day time events;
· Day and evening shuttle bus;
· Satellite lot parking space for day and evening events and;
· Require all Special MHS vehicles that can not be parked on site to park elsewhere. .

It is inexplicable that MHS’ E.I.S finding that “adequate parking is proposed for the project”. See MHS’ E.I.S. d) page 28. MHS’ proposed parking for visiting parents, day special events, other visitors and vendors is proposed to be on-street in total non-conformance with the mandatory requirements of Title 24 Sections 24.04.330 , 24.04.35 and 24.04.340 (p) and 24.04.340 (p) mandatory requirements that requires that all MHS’ project’s parking be on-site.

It is inexplicable why DAI and DPW Land Use, Water Resources and Traffic person (s) responsible for preparing and reviewing MHS’ E.I.S. Section 6. Traffic/Circulation failed: To include the following Title 24 mandatory requirements in MHS’ E.I.S. Section 6.; Paraphrased 24.04.340 (p) to eliminate mandatory on-site passenger drop off loading and requirement that MHS’ parking demand be determined actual MHS’ parking requirements; To evaluate MHS’ proposed expansion program and plans for conformance to the following Title 24 mandated parking requirements and; To include in MHS’ E.I.S. Section 6. Traffic/Circulation MHS’ non-conformance to the following Title 24 mandatory requirements and recommend mitigating actions. All in violation of C.E.Q.A requirements.

24.04.330 General intent.
(a) Every main building or use hereafter created or established shall be provided with minimum off-street parking and loading spaces as specified in this chapter.
(b) If particular circumstances justify an exception, the amount and dimensions of required parking and loading spaces may be increased or decreased by the agency through design review or other appropriate process of the community development agency. Such approvals shall include a finding citing the particular circumstances and reasons why the exception was made and may also include provisions for periodic review to establish actual parking needs and to allow for revision of the parking requirements.

24.04.335 General conditions.
(a) All parking and loading spaces shall be provided on the same site as the use to which they relate.

24.04.340 Minimum required parking spaces.
Minimum off-street parking spaces shall be provided for buildings or uses according to the following schedule. Where a parcel includes two or more uses, the parking requirements shall be the aggregate of the requirement for each individual use. Parking studies may be required for unique uses or where the following guidelines may not be appropriate to the specific project proposed.

(p) Schools. As general guidelines, nursery schools should provide four spaces per classroom and elementary schools (K-8) should provide three spaces per classroom. Parking studies may be required for these and other schools as necessary to determine actual parking requirements. In addition to required parking, schools shall have an off-street passenger loading area of an appropriate size as determined by the agency. (MHS actual parking space requirements for approximately 132 spaces were pojected but not required)

One wonders why the county consistently fails to require Marin Horizon School to comply with the same parking ordinances that Homestead Valley residents are required to conform to.

Maybe it’s because Marin Horizon School’s landlord and owner of the land is Marin County

Marin Horizon School's approved Revised Traffic Management Plan requests special event atendees not to park in the neighborhood but to park at designated satelite parking areas and to use MHS provided shuttle buses. Has anyone seen a "MHS "special event shuttle bus in service during special events?

Regards,

Charles D. Sands, Architect an Urban Designer
Sandsconsult Architects
12 Madrone Park Circle
Mill Valley, CA 94941