(1)

Areas suitable for parking or storing shall be required at the time of initial construction or conversion in use of any principal building which produces or proposes to produce an increase in dwelling units, guest rooms, floor area, seating or bed capacity.

(2)

The land to provide parking must be on the same site as the use it is intended to serve; however street separation is permissible.

(3)

All off-street parking facilities including, but not limited to surfacing, drainage, markings, lighting and landscaping, shall be maintained in a safe, clean and orderly condition at all times.

(4)

Reserved.

(5)

The number of off-street parking spaces for uses requiring one hundred (100) or more spaces may be reduced by the planning and development director up to twenty (20) percent on the basis of such data as shared parking, ride-sharing programs, provision of public transit, or other acceptable provisions or standards, provided the following requirements are met:

a.

The applicant shall enter into a written agreement with the county to provide the additional parking spaces in the future should it be determined that the total required parking spaces are necessary to satisfy the needs of the particular use pursuant to the standards imposed by this chapter; and

b.

The applicant shall be required to reserve sufficient area to ensure the provision of the additional parking spaces as may be required in the future. The reserved parking area shall not include areas that would otherwise be unsuitable for parking spaces due to the physical characteristics of the land or other requirements of this chapter.

(6)

If there is more than one (1) principal use in the same building or on the same premises, off-street parking may be provided collectively for such uses provided the total number of spaces shall equal the sum of the required spaces for each use calculated separately. The parking spaces provided for one (1) use shall not be used to satisfy the required number of spaces for another.

(7)

Any change in the use of an existing building or premises shall require compliance with the minimum parking requirements applicable to the new use. Any expansion of an existing use shall be required to provide additional off-street parking related to the expansion area only, and shall not be required to provide additional off-street parking related to the existing use.

(8)

Up to fifty (50) percent of the parking spaces required for a proposed nonresidential use may be provided and used jointly with an adjoining nonresidential use not normally open, used, or operated during the same hours as the proposed use. However, a written agreement assuring retention of such parking spaces for parking shall be properly drawn and executed by the parties concerned, approved as to form and content by the county attorney, filed with the application for a development permit, and recorded by county staff in the office of the county registrar of mesne conveyance upon issuance of said permit.

(Ord. No. 07-6-12, § 5, 6-5-07; Ord. No. 14-12-18, § 1, 12-9-14)

Parking dimensions.

(1)

Parking spaces. Required parking spaces shall be not less than ten (10) feet in width and nineteen (19) feet in length, exclusive of any access drives, aisles or columns and shall have a vertical clearance of not less than six (6) feet, six (6) inches, with the exception of the following:

a.

Compact spaces. Not more than twenty (20) percent of the total number of required parking spaces may be designated as spaces for compact vehicles. Such spaces shall be not less than eight (8) feet, six (6) inches in width and eighteen (18) feet in length, and must be clearly marked as compact spaces by way of signs and/or surface markings.

b.

Parallel parking spaces. Parallel parking spaces shall be not less than nine (9) feet in width and twenty-four (24) feet in length.

(2)

Aisles. The width of all driving aisles shall be determined as follows. The angle shall be measured between the centerline of the parking space and the centerline of the aisle.

(Ord. No. 07-6-12, § 5, 6-5-07)

Required parking facilities containing ten (10) or more parking spaces shall be paved with concrete or asphalt, which shall be marked by way of painted lines, curbs or other means to delineate individual parking spaces; except that in the RUD and RUC zoning districts, required parking facilities containing twenty (20) or more parking spaces shall be paved with concrete or asphalt, which shall have surfaces marked by way of painted lines, curbs or other means to delineate individual parking spaces. However, such requirements may be waived by the Aiken County Board of Appeals for rural places of worship. If parking facilities which contain fewer than ten (10) parking spaces are not paved with concrete or asphalt, the parking spaces reserved for handicapped parking and the pathway leading from the handicapped parking spaces to the entrance to the building shall be paved with concrete or asphalt.

(Ord. No. 07-6-12, § 5, 6-5-07; Ord. No. 08-04-17, § 1, 4-1-08; Ord. No. 14-12-18, § 1, 12-9-14)

(a)

Entrances and exits to off-street parking areas shall be designed so as not to obstruct or hinder the free flow of traffic or pedestrian movement on adjacent streets or walkways. Parking facilities (for other than single-family dwellings) which access local streets shall be designed so that all movement of vehicles from the parking area onto the street is in a forward motion.

(b)

Any property with more than fifty (50) feet of frontage on an adjoining street shall have one (1) point of access from that adjoining street.

(c)

Where a property has frontage on two (2) streets, one (1) point of access may be permitted from each, provided that safe and adequate vision clearance can be maintained.

(d)

The maximum access-point width shall be thirty (30) feet for a two-lane access point and fifteen (15) feet for a one-lane access point.

(e)

Where a property has frontage on two streets and the owner agrees to provide access from the secondary street only, the number of parking spaces required may be reduced by not more than twenty (20) percent.

(f)

Where a property has frontage of five hundred (500) feet or more on an arterial or collector street, a second point of access may be permitted, provided that the distance between the points of access, and between any adjacent points of access, can be established as follows. On arterial or collector streets, the distance between the centerlines of the access points shall be as follows:

(g)

Where adjoining property owners agree to provide access to their respective properties through a single mutual point of access, the number of parking spaces required for each property may be reduced by not more than twenty (20) percent.

(Ord. No. 07-6-12, § 5, 6-5-07)

To mitigate the impacts of noise, glare, pollution and other nuisances, and to enhance the appearance and ecology of the site and surrounding area, parking areas consisting of ten (10) or more parking spaces (twenty (20) or more parking spaces in RUD and RUC Districts) shall be landscaped in accord with the applicable provisions of section 24-5.4.

(Ord. No. 07-6-12, § 5, 6-5-07)

Off-street parking facilities shall be adequately illuminated. All light sources shall be white or off-white in color and shall be concealed or shielded so that no light is directed toward adjacent streets or properties.

(Ord. No. 07-6-12, § 5, 6-5-07)

All off-street parking facilities shall be designed so as to ensure the adequate drainage of stormwater and to minimize run off from the site. Parking lots shall not drain onto or across streets or sidewalks or adjacent property except where there exists a natural watercourse or drainage easement. The stormwater detention system for parking facilities must be designed to accept runoff based on the facility's being impervious regardless of whether they are paved at the time of construction. The stormwater detention system of a parking facility must be built with the assumption that the driveways, streets, and parking areas will be paved so as to be impervious.

(Ord. No. 07-6-12, § 5, 6-5-07)

Where off-street parking is required for any use, with the exception of residential dwellings with fewer than twenty (20) units, parking for handicapped persons shall be included in the overall parking requirements as follows.

(1)

Location. Handicapped parking shall be located as close as possible to ramps, walkways and entrances. The spaces shall be positioned so that a handicapped person need not wheel or walk behind parked vehicles in order to reach the ramp, walkway or entrance.

(2)

Dimensions. Parking spaces reserved for handicapped parking shall be not less than twelve (12) feet in width and twenty (20) feet in length, and shall be clearly marked by way of signs and/or surface markings.

(Ord. No. 07-6-12, § 5, 6-5-07)

Whenever the normal operation of any building or premises requires goods, merchandise or equipment to be delivered to the building or premises, off-street loading areas shall be provided as follows. Off-street loading areas shall not be used to satisfy parking area requirements, nor shall any parking areas be used to satisfy loading area requirements.

(1)

Location. Off-street loading areas shall be located and designed so that vehicles may safely maneuver from the adjoining street and complete all loading and unloading operations without obstructing traffic.

(2)

Dimensions. Required loading spaces shall be not less than twelve (12) feet in width and thirty (30) feet in length and shall have a vertical clearance of not less than fourteen (14) feet.

(Ord. No. 07-6-12, § 5, 6-5-07)

Not more than one (1) recreational vehicle or boat shall be parked or stored in any required front or side setback area or within five (5) feet of the rear lot line in residential districts RC, RM, RD, and OR. However, such recreational vehicle or boat may be parked anywhere on residential premises for a period not to exceed twenty-four (24) hours during loading or unloading, and recreational vehicles may be used for temporary lodging, up to seven (7) days per year in all zoning districts.

Recreational vehicles may also be used for temporary lodging on vacant lots during the construction of a primary residence or for temporary lodging during extensive home renovation in all zoning districts. The temporary use cannot exceed twelve (12) months in duration and must be accompanied by a current, valid building permit. Water and a septic/sewer connection must be available on the parcel, and the recreational vehicle must be set up within the buildable area.

(Ord. No. 07-6-12, § 5, 6-5-07; Ord. No. 12-04-08, § 1, 4-17-12; Ord. No. 18-05-05, § 1, 2-6-18)

(1)

No automobiles, trucks, tractor-trailers or other trailers of any kind or type without required current license plates may be parked or stored on any lot zoned for residential use in RC, RM, RD, and OR Districts other than in completely enclosed buildings.

(2)

Within any of said residential districts, the owner or occupant of a dwelling unit may park one commercial motor vehicle with required current license plates and with a carrying capacity of not more than two (2) tons, but no commercial utility trailers or larger trailers such as tractor-trailers may be parked within any of said residential districts.

Specifically prohibited from parking in any of said residential districts, including the street right-of-way, when not actively involved in commerce which is specifically related to the needs of said residential districts, are flat-bed trucks, tow trucks, buses, dump trucks, tanker trucks and/or other trucks containing hazardous and/or toxic materials, tractor cabs and/or trailers or combinations thereof.

(3)

Trailers, implements and equipment for commercial use also may be parked or stored on the same lot as a dwelling in any of said residential districts provided such trailers, implements, and equipment for commercial uses shall be parked or stored in completely enclosed buildings if such buildings are allowed by the provisions of this chapter.

(Ord. No. 07-6-12, § 5, 6-5-07)

Off-street parking and loading areas shall be maintained in a clean, orderly, dust free, and weed-free condition at the expense of the owner or lessee, and shall not be used for the sale, repair or dismantling or servicing of any vehicles or equipment, except for service and auto-repair stations.

(Ord. No. 07-6-12, § 5, 6-5-07)