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Residents lost a portion of parking on Calle Del Mundo due to construction of Parkside Apartments. Photo by Maryanne Casas-Perez.<\/p>\nSanta Clara\u00a0residents living along Calle Del Mundo and Calle De Luna say finding a place to park has become one of the neighborhood\u2019s biggest challenges as development continues to reshape the city\u2019s Clara District.<\/p>\n
After finishing late-night Uber shifts, 69-year-old Saiprakash Thirunagari often parks his car streets away from St. Anton Apartments because he can\u2019t find a closer parking space near his affordable housing complex. He said parking wasn\u2019t nearly as difficult when he moved into the neighborhood more than three years ago, before thousands of new apartments were built nearby.<\/p>\n
\u201cI park my car about 18 minutes away and I walk home late in the night because there is no space,\u201d Thirunagari told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight.<\/p>\n
Thirunagari is one of several residents who told this news outlet\u00a0they struggle to find parking near their homes. Some pay between $150 to $300 a month for garage parking, while others end up circling neighborhood streets in search of open spaces and worrying about tickets or being towed. The complaints have raised questions about whether Santa Clara\u2019s parking requirements for new housing developments are keeping pace with the city\u2019s growth.<\/p>\n
Jorge Gonzales, another resident living in St. Anton, said he has received multiple parking tickets since moving in \u2014 and eventually lost his car. He said it was towed while he was out of town and he couldn\u2019t afford the $3,000 impound fees.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was gone for like a week,\u201d Gonzales told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cMy car was towed and it wasn\u2019t worth more than $1,000. So I just left it in there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Residents lost a portion of parking on Calle Del Mundo due to construction of Parkside Apartments. Photo by Maryanne Casas-Perez.<\/p>\n
Parking requirements<\/p>\n
The Clara District, a former industrial area near Levi\u2019s Stadium, has become one of Santa Clara\u2019s fastest-growing neighborhoods as the city transforms warehouses and office space into thousands of new homes. The area has been the focus of the city\u2019s long-term housing plans, with several apartment developments recently completed, under construction<\/a> or awaiting residents.<\/p>\n District 1 Councilmember Albert Gonzalez said residents have repeatedly brought parking concerns to City Council meetings. He said the city is working to balance adding more housing with the reality that many residents still rely on their cars despite the neighborhood\u2019s proximity to public transit.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s something that the city manager and I are actively working on because we know it\u2019s affecting residents,\u201d Gonzalez told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cDo we want to build housing for cars or housing for people? But at the same time, people sometimes come with cars, and people need their cars for their livelihoods.\u201d<\/p>\n Many apartment projects in the Clara District are within a half-mile of public transit options, including being within walking distance of the Lick Mill\u00a0and Great America VTA light rail stations.\u00a0Even so, residents told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight they rely on their vehicles to commute to work and run daily errands. Cars line both sides of Calle Del Mundo, with several vehicles parked in or along the bike lane adjacent to the Parkside construction site.<\/p>\n City spokesperson Janine De la Vega said Santa Clara\u2019s zoning code<\/a> generally requires one parking space for studio and one-bedroom apartments and two spaces for two or more bedrooms. But projects near major transit, including those in the Clara District,\u00a0abide by state law which takes precedence over local parking requirements.<\/p>\n Assembly Bill 2097<\/a>, which took effect in 2023, generally prohibits cities from requiring minimum parking for many new developments within a half-mile of a major transit stop. State lawmakers approved the measure to reduce housing construction costs, encourage development near transit<\/a>\u00a0and make it easier to build new homes.<\/p>\n \u201cThe parking provided in new development meets all requirements under the city\u2019s zoning code and state regulations,\u201d De la Vega said.<\/p>\n Finding a solution<\/p>\n Laurel Harrison is a dog walker who frequents Calle Del Mundo Park and has lived in the area for more than two decades. She said parking in the area is now \u201cnonexistent\u201d and worries the new Parkside development will only make the shortage worse.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just a matter of what are they gonna do? Once this building comes up, there\u2019s gonna be even less places to park,\u201d Harrison told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cThey have to come up with a solution at some point.\u201d<\/p>\n City planning documents show parking space varies across major developments in the Clara District. City planning documents show the 347-apartment Parkside development includes 396 parking spaces, while another nearby 371-apartment development at 2225 Calle De Luna and 2232 Calle Del Mundo\u00a0has 306 parking spaces after\u00a0officials approved a reduction from 331 spaces.<\/p>\n
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