Yep, I have to preserve at least two parking spaces as defined by the code. For a garage like mine, the code wants two to see two 9' wide by 20' deep spaces. And the city keeps insisting that those spaces be side by each, although it says this nowhere in the code. But they are the ones who will be issuing the permit so...
Here's the really fun part. I measured my garage again so that I could make new plans and found that it is short of the code by 6" wide and up to 2' deep in some places. Apparently, the city of Lake Forest isn't so interested in preserving their precious code when a giant developer wants to crap out new houses.
Your idea for making "garage within a garage" is one of the two big ideas we've been looking at this week. Bottom line: if I can park two cars in it, then it's not an obstruction any more. I'll just have what looks like a very nice "inner" garage, and that truly is nobody's business (even if they want it to be). That idea is really involved and requires movable portions of a sound proof grade wall, but I believe that the general concept would work well against the city's demands.
For now, I'm spending all day in Maya working on new 3D plans. I'll follow up with a post next week, showing whatever plan we settle on, permits and cover all of the crazy ideas we came up with to get around the city's BS.
If we're to build this thing over, then it has to be better. We're on a mission now... and it looks like you all will get to see how we approach two very different rooms.