10.48.020 Legislative findings.
A. General Findings. The city council finds that serious adverse effects in certain areas and neighborhoods of the city result from motor vehicle congestion, particularly long-term parking of motor vehicles on the streets of such areas and neighborhoods by nonresidents who do not visit or conduct business with residents. The permit program established by this chapter will relieve these serious adverse affects by:
1. Reducing potential hazardous traffic conditions resulting from the long-term parking of commuter vehicles in neighborhoods;
2. Protecting such areas and neighborhoods from polluted air, excessive noise, trash and refuse caused by the entry and exit of such motor vehicles;
3. Protecting the residents of such areas and neighborhoods from unreasonable burdens in obtaining parking near their residences and in gaining access to their residence;
4. Preserving the character of such areas and neighborhoods as residential; promoting the efficiency of the maintenance of the streets of such areas and neighborhoods in a clean and safe condition;
5. Preserving the value of property in such areas and neighborhoods;
6. Preserving the safety of children and other pedestrians;
7. Promoting traffic safety and the peace, good order, comfort, convenience and general welfare of the inhabitants of the city.
B. Specific Findings. The following specific legislative findings of the city council in support of preferential resident parking are set forth as illustrations of the need compelling the enactment of this chapter. These findings do not exhaust the subject of the factual basis supporting the enactment of this preferential resident parking program.
1. The safety, health, and welfare of the residents of the city can be greatly enhanced by maintenance of the attractiveness and livability of its neighborhoods and other residential areas;
2. A large number of Sacramento residents possess automobiles and, as a result, are daily faced with the need to store these automobiles at or near their residences;
3. Certain neighborhoods and areas of the city have marginally sufficient or insufficient on- or off-street space to accommodate the convenient parking of motor vehicles by residents in the vicinity of their homes;
4. Some neighborhoods and areas as described in subsection (B)(3) of this section are often burdened by the parking in such neighborhoods and areas of motor vehicles owned by nonresidents which compete for the available on-street parking spaces;
5. There exists certain parking "generators" within the city, i.e., hospital and university complexes, and large public office buildings, which attract nonresidents to residential areas to seek parking which increases the severity of the shortage of space for resident parking in such neighborhoods and residential areas;
6. Unnecessary vehicle miles, noise, pollution, and strain on interpersonal relationships caused by the conditions set forth herein create unacceptable hardships on residents of these neighborhoods and areas by causing the deterioration of air quality, safety, tranquility, and other values of the urban residential environment;
7. If allowed to continue, these adverse effects on the residents of the city will contribute to a decline of the living conditions therein, a reduction in the attractiveness of residing within the city, and consequent injury to the general public welfare; and, enacted in this chapter will serve to promote the safety, health and welfare of all the residents of the city by reducing unnecessary personal motor vehicle travel, noise and pollution, and by promoting improvement in air quality, the convenience and attractiveness of urban residential living, and the increased use of public mass transit facilities available now and in the future. The public welfare will also be served by preserving a more stable and valuable property tax base in order to generate the revenues required to provide essential public services. (Ord. 2012-007 § 1; prior code § 25.10.169)
