The purpose of this section is to ensure that all land use and development in the City of Beaumont have sufficient parking in order to prevent or alleviate congestion. Parking and loading areas shall be provided in accordance with this section when a building or structure is constructed, or a new use is established. Additional off-street parking shall be provided in accordance with this section if an existing building is altered, or dwelling units, apartments or guest rooms are added, or a use is intensified by the addition of floor space or seating capacity, or there is a change of use, at the time of such alteration, addition, intensification or change of use. The number of parking spaces and loading berths shall be in proportion to the need for such facilities created by the particular type of use. Off-street parking and loading areas shall be laid out in a manner that will protect the public safety and ensure their usefulness. Provide adequate off-street parking facilities, loading areas, and vehicle movement area associated with a use.

(Ord. No. 1128, § 2(Exh. B), 12-1-2020)

The minimum standards of this Chapter 17.05 shall apply to all new construction, expansion, renovation, conversion, and alteration of existing uses or structures in all zone districts. Off-street parking spaces shall be provided at the time of commencement of the use of the land or construction of the building, or at the time of renovation, conversion, alteration, or expansion by adding floor area, dwelling units, rooms, beds, or seats to a structure or to changes in occupancy or the enlargement of a commercial or industrial building.

(Ord. No. 1128, § 2(Exh. B), 12-1-2020)

This Section outlines the general requirements for parking in the City of Beaumont. The following parking regulations will be applicable to all development in the City.

A.

Maintenance of Parking Areas. All covered or uncovered off-street parking and loading facilities required by Chapter 17.05 shall be permanently reserved for parking and loading purposes. All parking facilities, including but not limited to curbs, directional markings, handicapped symbols, landscaping, pavement, signs, striping and wheel stops, etc., shall be permanently maintained by the property owner/tenant in good repair, free of litter and debris, potholes, obstructions and stored material.

B.

Restrictions Regarding Use of Parking Areas. Required parking spaces and areas shall not be used for the sale or display of goods and services, nor for the sale, display, repair or dismantling of motor vehicles, nor for the storage of inoperable or unlicensed vehicles, unless otherwise permitted by subsection C below.

C.

Truck Parking Prohibited in Residential Zones. The parking of commercial vehicles weighing 6,000 pounds or more shall be prohibited in all residential zones . This restriction shall apply to both on-street and off-street parking.

D.

Temporary Parking. Parking areas in any zone may be used for temporary, special events with authorization from the owner or operator of the parking area and the Community Development Director. The Community Development Director may impose conditions to mitigate any adverse effect on surrounding properties. Provisions outlined in 17.03 (Temporary Use Permits and Special Events) shall govern the procedures and conditions for the application and approval of a temporary use/special event permit.

(Ord. No. 1128, § 2(Exh. B), 12-1-2020)

Each land use shall provide the minimum number of off-street parking spaces required by this section, except where a greater number of spaces are required through conditional use permit conditions of approval.

A.

Off-street Parking Requirements. Off-street parking and loading spaces with adequate ingress and egress must be provided for any new structure and for any new use established; for any addition to or enlargement of an existing structure or use; or for any change in the occupancy of any structure or the manner in which any use is conducted that would result in additional parking or loading spaces to be required. For any addition or any enlargement of an existing structure or use, or for any change of occupancy or manner of operation that would increase the number of parking or loading spaces required, the additional parking or loading shall be required only for such addition, enlargement, or change and not for the entire structure or use. Table 17.05-1 specifies the number of off-street parking spaces required for permitted land uses.

¹  Minimum standard vehicle stacking capacity in a drive-through lane is eight vehicles.

²  No compact spaces allowed.

Fractional Spaces. All fractional spaces shall be rounded up to the next highest whole number.

Combined Uses. When two or more uses are combined on a given site, the required parking shall be calculated as the combined total required for each individual use. Where two or more uses exist within a single building, parking shall be calculated based on the percentage of floor area devoted to each use.

Compact and Handicap Parking. The calculation of the number of compact and handicap parking spaces to be provided shall be based on the total number of spaces required. Handicapped (accessible) parking shall comply with standards set forth in Chapter 11 of the Uniform Building Code.

B.

Unspecified Land Use. If a land use is not specifically listed in Table 17.05-1, the Community Development Director shall decide which standard most closely reflects the demand for parking that will be generated by the proposed project. For uses not specifically mentioned, the requirements for off-street parking spaces shall be the same as for similar mentioned uses and the Planning Director shall determine in writing the parking requirements for the proposed project. In the event the determination of the Community Development Director shall be deemed unsatisfactory or unreasonable, the applicant may present the matter to the Planning Commission in writing for posting on the agenda of a regularly scheduled Commission meeting, for determination.

C.

Reduction of Spaces. No reduction of required parking spaces shall be allowed, except through approval of a variance in accordance with the provisions of this Title 17.05.

(Ord. No. 1128, § 2(Exh. B), 12-1-2020; Ord. No. 1150, § 4(Exh. A), 10-4-2022)

Driveways providing ingress and egress to off-street parking spaces shall be designed, constructed and maintained as follows.

A.

General Requirements. All lots shall have adequate vehicular access from a dedicated and improved street or service road to permit unimpeded movement of goods and people. Visibility on streets and intersections shall not be blocked by signs, trees, hedges, fences, walls, or structures. Directional signs and graphics may be used to promote public safety and convenience.

B.

Driveways. The following requirements are applicable to driveways:

1.

Driveways shall not be located where they would impede traffic on streets or through intersections.

2.

Driveways and aisles shall be maintained unobstructed at all times.

3.

The minimum driveway width shall be 12 feet per lane for a one-way driveway and 25 feet for a two-way driveway.

C.

Aprons. Each garage shall have an adequate paved area in front of the garage (apron) for maneuvering. The minimum paved apron width shall be 24 feet.

(Ord. No. 1128, § 2(Exh. B), 12-1-2020)

Off-street parking areas shall be provided on the subject site, outside of any public right-of-way, in compliance with this section.

A.

Parking Stall Design. Parking facilities shall be designed to conform to the following minimum guidelines and standards:

1.

Parking spaces shall be located on the same lot as the use to which they serve, unless remote parking is permitted by the Community Development Director pursuant to the provisions of Section 17.05.080 (Remote Parking).

2.

Access to parking stalls shall not be taken directly from a public or private street or alley.

3.

The entrance to a private garage or carport shall be located a minimum of 24 feet from the street which the garage or driveway faces.

4.

A 15-foot vertical clearance shall be maintained over all parking areas, driveways, and access points.

5.

Driveways serving a parking area with 20 or more spaces shall be designed with either one-way circulation or a double driveway system.

6.

No parking area shall be designed so that vehicles back into a street, except for single-family dwelling units.

7.

No parking space shall be located within 20 feet of the access driveway, except within the R-SF zone.

8.

All carpooling parking spaces and bicycle racks shall be located near the main entrance of the facility they are intended to serve.

B.

Parking Space Dimensions. Table 17.05-2 identifies the minimum required dimensions for parking stalls and aisles for standard, compact, and truck parking spaces. No more than a six-inch vehicle overhang into a landscaped area is permitted only when curb stops are not provided.

Notes:

^(a) 15'-10" for overlapped or herringbone layout.

^(b) 45'-9" for overlapped or herringbone layout.

C.

Emergency Access. Dedicated fire lanes to serve as access for fire vehicles and emergency apparatus from a public street shall be provided as set forth below and shall be posted as a fire lane:

1.

If any structure is 50 feet from a right-of-way and more than 30 feet high; or

2.

If any structure is 150 feet from a right-of-way and 30 feet high or less; or

3.

If the structure or use is commonly associated with a fire or explosion hazard; or

4.

If the structure or use attracts a large congregation of people, as determined by the Fire Department.

5.

Fire lanes must be at least 25 feet wide. An alley can serve as a fire lane if it meets the requirements. Likewise, an appropriately designed buffer strip unobstructed by landscaping or structures, can serve as a fire lane.

6.

Projects with other characteristics, such as distance from the nearest fire hydrant, site design, etc., which inhibit fire control may require provision of a fire lane at the discretion of the Planning Director.

7.

Alternative means of fire control may be provided, subject to the approval of the Fire Department.

(Ord. No. 1128, § 2(Exh. B), 12-1-2020)

Off-street parking areas shall be improved in compliance with this section.

A.

Covering Materials. All parking spaces, maneuvering areas, turnarounds, and driveways shall be paved with asphaltic concrete or Portland cement in accordance with standards set by the City Engineer/Director of Public Works.

B.

Parking Stall Designations. All parking spaces except those in garages or carports shall be marked with paint or other distinguishable material. Compact and handicap parking spaces shall be identified to preclude use by other vehicles.

C.

Directional Signage. Directional signs shall mark one-way entrances and aisles and shall be visible to drivers of vehicles using the facility.

D.

Wheel Stops. Bumper guards and wheel stops shall be provided as needed to protect buildings, structures, landscaping, and other vehicles.

E.

Parking Area Lighting. The lighting of parking areas shall be designed in accordance with the standards for light and glare in Section 17.05.080 of this Title.

F.

Buffers. Parking areas provided for commercial and industrial uses shall be separated from any adjoining residential zone, church, school, or park by a six-foot-high masonry wall.

G.

Headlight Glare. Where parking for any non-residential use is provided on any area of a lot whereby parking spaces or vehicle maneuvering areas will result in vehicle lights shining onto a public street, a wall or dense planting of shrubs or similar landscape material shall be provided as a buffer between the parking/maneuvering area and the street. The height of the wall or landscaping shall not be lower than three feet.

(Ord. No. 1128, § 2(Exh. B), 12-1-2020)

Certain types of developments or combinations of land use within a specific development may be eligible for a parking reduction if it can be demonstrated that such development may benefit from shared parking. This section indicates the procedures applicable to development applications requesting either shared-parking or remote parking.

A.

Special Study Required for Shared Parking. Two or more uses may share parking facilities, subject to the approval of the Community Development Director and the provisions of this section. A parking demand analysis for the uses proposed to share parking facilities shall be prepared. The parking demand analysis shall be prepared by a registered traffic engineer or other professional with expertise in the field. When such analysis demonstrates, to the satisfaction of the Director, that the uses have different peak parking requirements, then the parking space requirement may be reduced by the Director. In no event, however, shall the parking requirement be reduced below the highest peak parking requirement of the use demanding the most parking.

B.

Conditions and Requirements for Shared Parking. The following conditions must apply for shared parking to be permitted.

1.

The uses sharing the parking facilities shall be located on the same lot or contiguous lots.

2.

A legal agreement shall be signed by all parties sharing parking facilities. Such agreement shall be approved by the City Attorney and Community Development Director, shall be recorded with the County Recorder's Office, and shall continue to be valid upon change of ownership of any property subject to the agreement or any lawfully existing building or structure on said properties.

3.

Shared parking arrangements must be authorized by any discretionary permit issued for the use for which the parking is provided. Where no discretionary permit is required, such shared parking arrangements shall meet all other requirements of this Subsection B.

C.

Remote Parking. The following conditions must apply for remote parking.

1.

Remote parking may be permitted for multi-family structures and commercial and industrial uses, provided such parking facilities are located no more than 300 feet from the use they are intended to serve.

2.

A covenant for use of the lot for parking shall be required between the owner of the lot supporting the proposed use and the owner of the lot to be used for remote parking. The covenant for remote parking shall be prepared by the City and recorded with the County Recorder of the County. The covenant may not be revoked, modified, or canceled without the consent of the City.

3.

Such agreements for remote parking shall be authorized by any required discretionary permit issued for the proposed multi-family structure or commercial or industrial use.

4.

Where no other application is involved, a conditional use permit shall be required to authorize remote parking.

D.

Downtown In Lieu Parking Fee. Upon the City's adoption of an in-lieu parking program, required parking for any development in the Downtown may be reduced or eliminated through the payment of an in-lieu parking fee.

(Ord. No. 1128, § 2(Exh. B), 12-1-2020; Ord. No. 1150, § 4(Exh. A), 10-4-2022)