Parking and zoning: bicycle and car-share parking credits.

Existing law, known as the Density Bonus Law, requires a city or county to provide a developer that proposes a housing development within the jurisdictional boundaries of that city or county with a density bonus and other incentives or concessions for the production of lower income housing units, or for the donation of land within the development, if the developer agrees to construct a specified percentage of units for very low income, low-income, or moderate-income households or qualifying residents and meets other requirements. Existing law provides for the calculation of the amount of density bonus for each type of housing development that qualifies under these provisions. Existing law also permits variances to be granted from the parking requirments of a zoning ordinance under certain circumstances. This bill would require a local agency, as defined, to allow an applicant for a housing development project to reduce the number of motor vehicle parking spaces that they would otherwise be required to provide based on the number of long-term bicycle parking spaces and car-sharing spaces provided subject to certain limitations, as specified. The bill would provide that a parking reduction allowed pursuant to these provisions does not reduce or increase the number of incentives or concessions to which the applicant is otherwise entitled under a specified provision of the Density Bonus Law. The bill would include findings that this act addresses a matter of statewide concern and shall apply equally to all cities and counties in this state, including charter cities. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.