14.72.020 Legislative findings.
A. General Finding. The City Council finds as a result of public testimony, evidence generated by both professional urban planning studies and derived from other sources, that the continued vitality of Berkeley depends on the preservation of safe, healthy and attractive neighborhoods and other residential areas therein. The Council further finds that one factor that has detracted from the safety, health and attractiveness of neighborhoods and other residential areas of the City is the excessive and burdensome practice of nonresidents of certain areas and neighborhoods parking their motor vehicles for extended periods of time therein. Since there is in Berkeley at any one time a large surplus of motor vehicles over available on and off-street parking spaces, this condition detracts from a healthy and complete urban environment. A system of preferential resident parking will serve to reduce a number of strains on residents of the City and thus promote the general public welfare.
B. Specific Findings. The following specific legislative findings of the City Council in support of preferential resident parking are set forth as illustrations only and do not exhaust the subject of the factual basis supporting its adoption:
1. The safety, health and welfare of the residents of Berkeley can be greatly enhanced by maintenance of the attractiveness and livability of its neighborhoods and other residential areas.
2. A large portion of Berkeley residents possess automobiles and as a result are daily faced with the need to store these automobiles in or near their residences.
3. Certain neighborhoods and areas of Berkeley do not have sufficient on or off-street space to accommodate the convenient parking of motor vehicles by residents thereof in the vicinity of their homes. To the extent that such facilities do exist, the program set forth herein is designed to encourage the maximum feasible utilization of off-street parking facilities.
4. Such areas as described in 3 above are often further burdened by influxes of motor vehicles owned by nonresidents which compete for the inadequate available on-street parking spaces.
5. There further exist certain parking "attractors" within Berkeley, such as hospital and university complexes, employment centers, BART stations and locations convenient for commute parking, which further exacerbate resident parking problems.
6. Unnecessary vehicle miles, noise, pollution, and strains on interpersonal relationships caused by the conditions set forth herein work unacceptable hardships on residents of these neighborhoods and other residential areas by causing the deterioration of air quality, safety, tranquility and other values available in an urban residential environment.
7. If allowed to continue unchecked, these adverse effects on the residents of Berkeley will contribute to a further decline of the living conditions therein, a reduction in the attractiveness of residing within Berkeley, and consequent injury to the general public welfare.
8. The system of residential permit parking as enacted by this chapter will serve to promote the safety, health and welfare of all the residents of Berkeley by (a) reducing unnecessary personal motor vehicle travel, noise, and pollution, and (b) promoting improvements 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. (Ord. 5908-NS § 1, 1989: Ord. 5803-NS § 2 (part), 1987)