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David Loya’s Misunderstanding: Tenant Bicycle Storage doesn’t have to be Indoors

April 28, 2024

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In the Gateway code, tenant bicycle parking does not have to be indoors. It doesn’t even have to be behind a fence. The Gateway Code in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd drafts all say the same thing.

“Long-term bicycle parking” is bike parking for tenants, employees, longer visitors — anyone staying a few hours or longer. In discussing this with the Planning Commissioners at their April 23, 2024, meeting, the director repeatedly referred to this as inside parking — within the building.

That is not what the Gateway Code says. The Community Development Director apparently does not have a complete knowledge of the Gateway Code. Until the Planning Commission changes it — and I am certain that they will — long-term bicycle parking can be as non-secure as “In an area that is monitored by a security camera” — with no fence, no attendant, and out of sight of anyone. This is not what is generally considered “secured” bike parking or storage.

The Gateway Code that we have here is not a very well-written code. Secured bicycle storage may not be as big of a deal as where a building is sited on a parcel and whether adjacent parks or single-family homes will be shaded by a taller building. The safety and security of tenants’ bicycles is without doubt important, particularly as we push toward alternatives to 4-wheel vehicles for transportation.

For bicycle storage, what is in the draft Gateway Code?
What does the Planning Commission think they are getting?

Arcata’s Planning Commission, at their April 23, 2024 meeting, took up what was stated as their “final” review of the Gateway Code. It was set to be their only review of this all-important document. There was Planning Commission discussion after the 1st draft, but no discussion after the 2nd draft or after the almost-identical 3rd draft.

Among what the Planning Commissioners, City Councilmembers, and the public might have seen and learned from watching or participating in these meeting is that Arcata’s Community Development Director, David Loya, will say just about anything in order to move the process along with inadequate discussion, without proper consideration, and, essentially, to get his way.

Secured Bicycle Parking Standards

The Commissioners’ discussion was on secured bicycle parking. The Community Development Director told the Planning Commissioners that the secured bicycle parking for the Gateway area would be inside the building — within the building. In the space of two minutes he said this four times.

When Commissioner Peter Lehman describes the long-term bicycle storage as “It’s a locker. It’s a bike locker.” — Director Loya said nothing to correct Commissioner Lehman’s misunderstanding.

There is nothing in the Gateway Code that says that the secure bicycle storage space has to be inside the building — or even inside at all. This was pointed out in my comments and suggestions on the Gateway Code, here. And there is quite definitely no requirement for individual lockers. (It would be nice if this was a requirement, but it’s not.)

Some conscientious developers will include adequate interior, locked-room bike storage in their buildings. It would be a good amenity to have for rental apartments. Other developers, as we’ve seen in past projects, will do the absolute minimum. See below for photos of what a minimal bike storage area could look like.

The Gateway Code says that the that long-term (over two hours storage) bicycle storage should be “weather-protected” but it does not say what “weather-protected” means. I take that to mean a carport-type roof covering. It does not mean a sealed, interior room.

The Gateway Code says that the that long-term bicycle storage “may be located in garages or other limited access areas” — but it does not say that it has to be inside.

Under security for long-term bicycle storage, the Gateway Code offers four options for secured storage. This is on page 54 of the current draft Gateway Code.

b. Security. Long‐term bicycle parking spaces shall be secured. Spaces are
considered secured if they are:

c. In a locked room or area enclosed by a fence with a locked gate;

d. Within view or within one hundred feet of an attendant or security guard;

e. In an area that is monitored by a security camera; or

f. Visible from employee work areas.

(This is written as “c, d, e, f” and it should be “(i), (ii), (iii) and (iv).” This is another example of a typographical error in this document.)

Note the word “or” at the end of option #3. The developer can choose ‘c’ or ‘d’ or ‘e’ or ‘f’, or can make up a combination.

For options ‘d’, ‘e’, and ‘f’, the bike storage does not even have to be behind a locked gate.

The storage can be outside, in an area enclosed by a fence. On the previous page the Code says “weather-protected” and that intent is carried over. But that is not specified here under “Long‐Term Bicycle Parking Standards” — and it should be.

Of these four options, I propose that storing bicycles in a locked room provides security. “Visible from employee work area” does not provide security. An area that is monitored by a security camera does not provide security.

Providing parking within 100 feet of an attendant or guard – not sufficient security there either. And the Gateway Code’s expectation is that there will be an attendant present and alert for 24 hours a day, a not-very-likely scenario. The Code also does not specify anything other than “within one hundred feet.” The attendant might be an on-site manager in a closed-door office near the building’s entrance, and the bikes could be outside under a carport structure, behind the building, 100 feet away. This is worthless arrangement.

A security camera does not provide security against theft. It only shows what time the theft happened, what techniques the thieves used to cut the fence, and how the thieves were dressed.

The Golden Rule

We can turn to the Golden Rule here. (That is: Treat others as you would like others to treat you. What you wish upon others, you wish upon yourself.)

Would you want to have your $1,000 or $2,000 bicycle — or $5,000 e-bike — to be stored in something that looked like this?

The current Gateway Code does not even require that the bike area be locked, if there is a security camera, an attendant that is within 100 feet, or if it’s visible from an employee work area. Would you store your bike here? The building manager could be in an office on the 2nd floor, with no direct view bikes. They’d be within 100 feet, and that’s what the code requires.

Or would you take your bicycle up the elevator into your apartment and store in your studio apartment or in your bedroom or your living room? (Note: There is a requirement for a video security camera or the parking could be within 100 feet of an attendant or guard. The Code does not require that the bike storage be visible to the attendant or guart.)

Below are photos of other outside bicycle storage facilities.

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Transcription and Video

Two minutes 4 seconds. Starts with Planning Commission Chair Scott Davies at about 2:00:51 on the original video.

Scott Davies (Chair) 2:00:51
And when we say bicycle parking, do we just, what do we mean exactly? Do we mean covered locked secured storage? Or are we talking about just a metal rack that you put your front wheel in?

Peter Lehman, Planning Commissioner 2:01:05
Short-term spaces. That’s exactly it. It’s a bike rack.

David Loya – Community Development Director 2:01:11
Yeah, short-term spaces are typically a bike rack, it says in the next section down. (Spoken aside: “Make it so you can read it yourself.”) “Short-term bicycle parking shall be located within 100 feet of the primary entrance of the structure or use it is intended serve.” And those would be typically bike racks. And then: “Long-term bike parking may be located in garages or other limited access areas for exclusive use by tenants, residents, or employees. Long-term bike parking may not be located within an area of a dwelling unit primarily intended to serve a different function.” So this has to be dedicated bike parking that is accessible to those residents within the building. Secured space.

Scott Davies (Chair) 2:01:57
But we’re talking about a metal rack.

David Loya – Community Development Director 2:01:59
Metal rack? Maybe to hold the bike up but you’re talking inside a building with secure so long-term has access for exclusive use by tenants. So it’s going to be a structure that has a lock on it that tenants have a key for to get their bike once you get inside that space. Yeah, there may be racks that the bikes are sitting on, individually locked.

Scott Davies (Chair) 2:02:23
But it’s not like a rack on the sidewalk.

Peter Lehman, Planning Commissioner 2:02:26
It’s a locker. It’s a bike locker. [Note: An individual locker? No, it is not a locker. It could be, but unlikely.]

David Loya – Community Development Director 2:02:28
Yeah, I mean, this can be solved in any number of different ways. But the, you know, and we’ll leave that up to the developers themselves to figure out how to do that. But the key is that the public can’t access it, you can only access it if you’re a user of that building, whatever the building type is, and then it’s basically indoor and secure.

NOTE: What the Community Developer is saying here is patently untrue. It is false. Secured bicycle storage is not required to be inside, as he has said four times here. The Code includes that secured bicycle storage can be an “area enclosed by a fence with a locked gate” and that it can be “within one hundred feet of an attendant or security guard” or “In an area that is monitored by a security camera.” This is not inside. And I do not consider an outside area that is monitored by a security camera to be secure. This discussed in my comments and suggestions for the Code.

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Photos of outside “weather-protected” secured bicycle storage

These would all be okay for the Gateway area, per the Gateway Code.

Note: The current Gateway Code does not even require that the bike area be locked, if there is a security camera, an attendant that is within 100 feet, or if it’s visible from an employee work area. For an “attendant” the bike storage does not need to the visible at all.