Alvarado City Zoning Code

A maximum of 50 percent of the required parking for a general office or light manufacturing plant may be permitted as small car spaces upon approval of a site plan but only when both of the following conditions are met:

Each parking space (on-street or off-street) designed for parallel parking shall have a minimum dimension of eight feet by 22 feet.

Each standard parking space located in a parking garage shall measure not less than nine feet by 18 feet, exclusive of access drives or aisles.

To prevent nuisance situations, all parking area lighting shall be designed and operated so as not to reflect or shine on adjacent properties. For safety and firefighting purposes, free access through to adjacent parking areas shall be provided, where practical.

Except for single-family and duplex uses, parking spaces shall be permanently and clearly identified by stripes, buttons, tiles, curbs, barriers, or other approved methods. Nonpermanent-type marking, such as paint, shall be regularly maintained to ensure continuous clear identification of the space.

Except for single-family residences, parking areas must be constructed of asphalt paving or concrete and built to the same specification as streets further described in the design and construction guidelines as adopted by the city.

Bank, savings and loan or similar financial establishment: One space for each 200 square feet of total floor area.

Business or professional office, studio, medical or dental clinic: Three parking spaces, plus one additional parking space for each 200 square feet of floor area over 500 feet.

Church or other place of worship: One parking space for each four seats in the main auditorium.

Clinic of doctor's or dentist's office: One space for each 200 square feet of total floor area.

Community center, library, museum or art gallery: Ten parking spaces plus one additional space for each 300 square feet of floor area in excess of 2,000 square feet. If an auditorium is included as a part of the building, its floor area shall be deducted from the total and additional parking provided on the basis of one space for each four seats that it contains.

College or university: One space for each two students, plus one space for each classroom, laboratory or instruction area.

Commercial amusement (indoor):

Dance hall, assembly or exhibition hall (without fixed seats): one parking space for each 100 square feet of floor area used thereof.

Day nursery, day care, kindergarten school: one space per ten pupils/clients (design capacity).

Dwellings.

Flea market: 1.5 spaces for each 200 square feet of floor area or market area.

Fraternity, sorority or dormitory: one parking space for each two beds.

Furniture or appliance store, hardware store, wholesale establishments, machinery or equipment sales and service, clothing or shoe repair or service: two parking spaces plus one additional parking space for each 500 square feet of floor area over 1,000 square feet.

Gasoline service station: Minimum of five spaces.

Golf course: minimum of 30 spaces.

Health care facility: one space for each four rooms or beds, whichever is greater.

Hospital: one space for each two beds.

Hotel or motel: one parking space for each sleeping room, unit, or guest accommodation, plus one space for each 300 square feet of commercial floor area contained therein.

Lodge, or fraternal organization: 1.25 spaces per 200 square feet.

Manufacturing, processing or repairing: one parking space for each two employees on the maximum working shift, plus space to accommodate all vehicles used in connection therewith, but not less than one parking space for each 1,000 square feet of floor area, whichever is greater.

Massage establishment: one space for each 200 square feet of floor area.

Mini-warehouse: four spaces per complex plus one space per 5,000 square feet of storage area.

Mortuary or funeral home: one parking space for each 50 square feet of floorspace in slumber rooms, parlors, or individual funeral service rooms.

Motor vehicle salesrooms and used car lots: one parking space for each 500 square feet of sales floor for indoor uses, or one parking space for each 1,000 square feet of lot area for outdoor uses.

Office, general: one space for each 300 square feet of total floor area.

Office, medical: one space for each 175 square feet of floor area.

Office-showroom or office-warehouse: One space for each 1,000 square feet of floor area for storage and warehousing, plus one space for each 100 square feet of office, sales or display area.

Private club:

Private country club or golf club: one parking space for each 250 square feet of floor area or for every five members, whichever is greater.

Recreational area or building (other than listed): one space for each two persons to be normally accommodated in the establishment.

Restaurant, cafeteria, cafe, or similar establishment: one parking space for every 100 square feet of floor area.

Retail store or personal service establishment, except as otherwise specified herein: one parking space for each 200 square feet of floor area.

Sanitarium, convalescent home, home for the aged or similar institutions: one parking space for each six beds.

School, elementary and middle: one parking space for each five seats in the auditorium or main assembly room, or one space for each classroom, plus ten spaces, whichever is greater.

School, secondary (grades nine through 12): one parking space for each four seats in the main auditorium, or one space for each classroom, plus one space for each two students accommodated in the institution, whichever is greater.

Shopping center: one space for each 200 square feet of floor area. The total floor area used for restaurants and cafeterias (but not including private clubs) which exceeds ten percent of the shopping center floor area, shall require additional parking to be provided in accordance with the requirements for restaurants.

Storage or warehousing: one space for each two employees, or one space for each 1,000 square feet of total floor area, whichever is greater.

Theater, auditorium (except school), meeting room, sports arena, stadium, gymnasium, or other places of public assembly: one parking space for each four seats or bench seating spaces.

Vehicle repair garage: three spaces per service bay, plus one space per employee (maximum shift), plus one space per tow truck or other service vehicle.

The term "floor area" shall mean the gross floor area of the specific use.

Where fractional spaces result, the parking spaces required shall be rounded to the nearest whole number.

The parking space requirement for a use not specifically mentioned herein shall be the same as required for a use of similar nature.

In the case of mixed uses, the parking spaces required shall equal the sum of the requirements of the various uses computed separately.

Where an increase in the number of spaces is required by a change or enlargement of use or where such spaces are provided collectively or used jointly by two or more buildings or establishments, the required spaces may be located not more than 300 feet from an institutional building served and not more than 300 feet from any other nonresidential building served.

Not more than 50 percent of the parking spaces required for theaters, bowling alleys, cafes, or similar uses and not more than 80 percent of the parking spaces required for a church or school auditorium or similar uses may be provided and used jointly by similar uses not normally open, used or operated during the same hours as those listed; provided, however, that written agreement thereto is properly executed and filed as specified in subsection (i)(3) of this section.

In any case where the required parking spaces are not located on the same lot with the building or use served, or where such spaces are collectively or jointly provided and used, a written agreement thereby ensuring retention for such purposes shall be properly drawn and executed by the parties concerned, approved as to form by the city and executed by the parties concerned, and shall be filed with the application for a building permit.

In computing the parking requirements for any development, the total parking requirements shall be the sum of the specific parking space requirements for each use included in the development. Where multiple uses are proposed for a building, the parking requirements shall be calculated on the basis of the most restrictive requirements, unless specific areas of different uses are delineated by floor or building segment.

Wherever a parking lot is located across the street from or adjacent to residentially zoned property and is designed so that headlight beams will shine into residences (whether or not such residences have been built at the time the parking lot is constructed), an irrigated earthen berm or a solid masonry wall or reinforced concrete fence having a minimum height of six feet above the finished grade of the off-street parking area and tapering to a height of three feet at the front building setback shall be erected and maintained so as to provide a headlight screen for the residential district. Fencing located exclusively along the front building setback shall be three feet in height and must be an irrigated earthen berm, hedge, or decorative fencing only.

The off-street parking spaces designated for each apartment (multifamily) dwelling unit shall be located within 100 feet of the dwelling unit served by such spaces.

In all residential districts, no heavy load vehicle, motor home, camper, trailer, or boat (collectively called "equipment") shall be parked or left standing for more than two days out of any consecutive seven-day period within the public street or alley.

Parking spaces in nonresidential districts shall be provided with sufficient space for entering and exiting without backing onto a public street. Parking spaces on the perimeter of the parking lot and abutting a property line shall have a wheel stop barrier two feet from the end of the parking space.

Off-street parking requirements for uses in the CBDX zone are not subject to the provisions of this section. The Zoning Administrator shall be responsible for periodically (not less than annually) reporting to the Planning and Zoning Commission regarding the availability of parking in the CBDX and the possible need for changes in this provision.

In all districts, above grade parking structures shall conform to height restrictions for zoning districts in which they are located.

The distance from parking structure entry and exit points to a corner of a street intersection shall conform to standards contained in the subdivision chapter.

Ramps shall not be constructed with slopes exceeding 15 percent and single lane entrances shall not be less than 12 feet wide at the street.

A minimum of one car length shall be provided between an exit control gate and the inside edge of a sidewalk to minimize conflicts between exiting cars and pedestrians.

Parking structure facades shall be left 50 percent open and interior light levels shall be maintained at ten footcandles to enhance security and safety. All parking structure lighting shall be designed so as not to reflect or shine on adjacent properties.

Full enclosure of any level of a parking structure may be permitted only if such structure is fully sprinklered and mechanically ventilated.

All retail, commercial, and industrial structures shall provide and maintain off-street facilities for the loading and unloading of merchandise and goods within the building or on the lot adjacent to a private service drive.

Kindergartens, day schools, and similar child training and care establishments shall provide loading and unloading space on a private drive, off-street, to accommodate one motor vehicle for each ten students or children cared for by the establishment.

Loading docks for any establishment which customarily receives goods between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m., and is adjacent to a residential use or district, shall be designed and constructed so as to fully enclose the loading operation in order to reduce the effects of the noise of the operation on adjacent residences.

Where adjacent to residential uses or districts, off-street loading areas shall be screened from view of the residential use or district.

A stacking space shall be an area on a site measuring eight feet by 20 feet with direct forward access to a service window or station of a drive-through facility which does not constitute space for any other circulation driveway, parking space, or maneuvering area.

For financial institutions with drive-through facilities, each teller window or station, human or mechanical, shall be provided with a minimum of five stacking spaces (from the right-of-way line).

For each service window of a drive-through restaurant, a minimum of seven stacking spaces (from the right-of-way line) shall be provided.

For kiosks, a minimum of two stacking spaces (from the right-of-way line) for each service window shall be provided.