AB 2097

Assembly Bill 2097

Assembly Bill (AB) 2097 prohibits public agencies or cities from imposing a minimum automobile parking requirement on most development projects located within a half-mile radius of a major transit stop.  The determination as to whether a location qualifies as either a Major Transit Stop or High-Quality Transit Corridor shall be determined by the City of Oxnard. Please contact the Oxnard Planning Division at Planning@Oxnard.org or 805-385-7858.

 

Key Components

Projects located within a half-mile of a major transit stop are generally eligible for the automobile parking reduction provided by AB 2097. This includes residential, commercial, and industrial projects, but does not include hotels, motels, bed and breakfast inns, or other transient lodgings. The State does give local agencies the option to impose minimum parking requirements in limited instances, provided that one of the following three findings can be substantiated in the affirmative to necessitate minimum parking requirements:

• The project furthers the City’s ability to meet its share of the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) for low and very low income households,
• The project directly supports the City’s ability to meet any special housing needs for the elderly or persons with disabilities; or,
• The project is located within one-half mile of existing residential or commercial parking.

The following findings must demonstrate that the project would have a substantially negative impact, should the City not impose or enforce minimum parking requirements.

The State law offers a 30-day timeline to formally invoke such findings. However, these findings may not be made for projects that meet the following criteria: 

• Projects that reserve 20% or more of the total dwelling units for very low, low, or moderate income households, students, the elderly, or persons with disabilities,
• Projects that contain fewer than 20 dwelling units; or,
• Projects that are subject to other parking reductions of any other applicable law (by satisfying the applicable eligibility requirements).

Helpful links:

California Legislative Information AB 2097:  https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB2097