Report Prepared by: Francisco Mendoza-Gonzalez, Associate Planner, Development Services Department
Title
SUBJECT: Process for Installation of Bicycle Racks
REPORT IN BRIEF
Staff will provide a report and answer questions regarding the process for installing bicycle racks for private and public projects.
Body
DISCUSSION
During the BPAC Meeting of June 27th, 2023, commissioners requested additional information regarding the process for installing bicycle racks within the City. The commission asked how bicycle racks are reviewed for private and public projects before installation. Public projects, such as installation of facilities within sidewalks, streets, or parks are facilitated through the Engineering Department who uses their Engineering Standards to determine the appropriate size, design, and dimensions of these facilities. Engineering staff (or their consultants) also review the location and placement of facilities to comply with Federal, State, and local requirements for ingress/egress clearance, accessibility, and path-of-travel requirements. In some situations, the Engineering Department will reach-out to the BPAC for their suggestions, but they are not required to refer all projects to the BPAC for their review.
For projects on private property, there are several factors to consider. If a project is considered principally permitted per the City’s Zoning Ordinance, then a developer may proceed directly to the building permit stage without obtaining a land use permit from the Planning Division, but they are still required to comply with bicycle requirements from the City’s Zoning Ordinance and California Green Building Code. If a project requires discretionary approval from the Planning Division then a committee, commission, or City Council will review the proposal at a conceptual level with a site plan showing vehicle access, parking lot layout, and building placement. These proposals are not necessarily expected to be finalized or drawn in full compliance with Federal, State, or local codes, but are intended to provide a general idea of how a project would be developed. Bicycle racks are generally not shown on the site plan at this stage. If a project is approved, a resolution is granted with conditions requiring compliance with Merced Municipal Code Section - 20.38.080 - Bicycle Parking (Attachment 1). This section has standards for short-term and long-term bicycle parking, specifications for location of facilities in proximity to entrance of buildings, dimension requirements, and design requirements. The developer is required to comply with these standards and submit a refined site plan during the building permit stage prior to construction. In addition, the applicant is required to comply with the California Green Building Code which may have some overlapping bicycle facility requirements. Building staff review these proposals for technical compliance with ingress/egress clearance, accessibility, and path-of-travel requirements. After a new project receives final inspection approval from the Building Division, a Certificate of Occupancy is issued.
Even if a project is not discretionary, it is still required to comply with these requirements which are part of the City’s Zoning Ordinance and California Building Code. These steps are part of the City’s Development Review Process and are intended to keep projects moving forward to allow developers to obtain land use approvals at a conceptual level to then obtain financing (if needed) for their development. Requiring BPAC or other commissions to have discretion over bicycle facilities would delay these proposals and impact their development timeline. Rather, the system in place is structured to have a set of bicycle parking requirements and standards that act as the guiding parameters during the land use approval stage to be executed in detail during the building permit stage.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Merced Municipal Code Section 20.38.080 - Bicycle Parking