Benton City Zoning Code
ARTICLE VI
Traffic Visibility, Loading, Parking and Access
§ 390-43 Traffic visibility.
A.
On a corner lot in all zoning districts, no fence, wall, hedge, planting or structure shall be erected, placed, planted or allowed to grow in such a manner as to obstruct vision between a height of 2 1/2 feet and 10 feet above the center-line grades of the intersecting streets in the area bounded by the street lines of such corner lots and a line joining the points along said street lines 25 feet from the point of intersection. (See Figure 5.[1])
[1]
Editor's Note: Figure 5 is included as an attachment to this chapter.
B.
In the case of arterial streets intersecting with other arterial streets or railways, the corner cutoff distances establishing the triangular vision clearance space shall be increased to 50 feet.
§ 390-44 Loading requirements.
A.
Loading space requirements. On every lot on which a new business, trade or industrial building is hereafter established, space with access to a public street or alley shall be provided as indicated below for the loading and unloading of vehicles off the public right-of-way:
Use | Floor Area (square feet) | Loading Space | |
|---|---|---|---|
Retail, wholesale, warehouse, service manufacturing, and industrial establishments | 2,000 to 20,000 20,000 to 40,000 40,000 to 60,000 Each additional 50,000 | 1 2 3 1 | |
Motels, schools, offices, hospitals, places of public assembly | 5,000 to 10,000 10,000 to 100,000 Each additional 25,000 | 1 2 1 | |
Funeral homes | 2,500 to 6,000 Each additional 10,000 | 1 1 |
B.
Multiple or mixed uses. Where a building is devoted to more than one use or for different uses and where the floor area for each use is below the minimum required for a loading space but the aggregate floor area of such uses is above such a minimum, then off-street loading space shall be provided as if the entire building were devoted to that use in the building for which the most loading spaces are required.
C.
Location. Required off-street loading spaces shall be located on the same lot with the principal use requiring such space. No loading space shall be located within 30 feet of the nearest point of intersection of two streets or require any vehicle to back into a public street.
D.
Design standards. Each off-street loading space shall have a width of at least 12 feet, a length of at least 40 feet, and a vertical clearance of at least 15 feet. Dimensions for loading spaces in connection with funeral homes shall be reduced to 10 feet in width, 25 feet in length, and eight feet in vertical clearance. All loading berths shall be completely screened from residential properties by building walls or a uniformly painted solid fence, wall or door, or any combination thereof, not less than eight feet in height.
E.
Surfacing. All open off-street loading berths shall be improved with a minimum of a compacted gravel base, not less than seven inches thick.
F.
Repair and service. No motor vehicle repair work or service of any kind shall be permitted in conjunction with loading facilities provided in any residence district.
G.
Utilization. Space allocated to any off-street loading berth shall not, while so allocated, be used to satisfy the space requirements for any off-street parking facilities or portions thereof.
H.
Central loading. Central loading facilities may be substituted for loading berths on the individual zoning lots, provided the following conditions are fulfilled:
(1)
Each zoning lot served shall have direct access to the central loading area without crossing streets or alleys at grade.
(2)
Total berths provided shall meet the requirements based on the sum of the several types of uses served. (Areas of types of uses may be totaled before computing number of loading berths.)
(3)
No zoning lot served shall be more than 300 feet removed from the central loading area.
(4)
The tunnel or ramp connecting the central loading area with the zoning lot served shall be not less than seven feet in width and have a clearance of not less than seven feet.
§ 390-45 Parking requirements.
All new residential parking areas and all alterations of existing residential parking areas shall be subject to the approval of the Plan Commission. All new semipublic parking areas and all alterations of existing semipublic parking areas shall be subject to the approval of the Village Board, after a recommendation from the Plan Commission. Requests for said parking lots shall be accompanied with detailed plans on landscaping, parking layout, drainage provisions and driveway locations. In all districts, except those areas which are located in a fire district as designated on the Official Map, there shall be provided at the time any use or building is erected, enlarged, extended, or increased off-street parking stalls for all vehicles in accordance with the following:
A.
Access. Adequate access to a public street shall be provided for each parking space.
B.
Design standards. Each required off-street parking space shall have a stall width of at least nine feet and a stall length of at least 18 feet. Such space shall have a vertical clearance of at least 6 1/2 feet. Minimum width of aisles providing access to stalls for one-way traffic shall be as follows: aisles shall be not less than 24 feet wide for 90° parking, 18 feet wide for 60° parking, 15 feet wide for 45° parking (angle shall be measured between center line of parking space and center line of aisle), and 12 feet wide for parallel parking. For parallel parking, the minimum length of the parking space shall be increased to 23 feet. No parking area of more than two spaces shall be designed as to require any vehicle to back into a public street. Any parking area of more than five spaces shall be sufficiently screened in the form of a solid fence or shrubbery to protect adjacent residential uses. Large expanses of unchanneled parking areas shall be avoided by interior landscaping and safety islands.
C.
Location.
(1)
Location to be on the same lot as the principal use or not over 400 feet from the principal use.
(2)
Off-street parking is permitted in all yards of all districts except in the front yards of single-family and two-family residence districts but shall not be closer than five feet to a side lot line, right-of-way line or rear lot line.
(3)
Off-street parking in the single-family residence and two-family residence districts is permitted in the front yard in the driveway, even though closer than five feet to a side lot line, providing the driveway conforms to the requirements in Chapter 154, Driveways, of the Code of the Village of Benton. Parking stalls for single- and two-family residences may be placed one behind the other.
D.
Surfacing. All open off-street parking areas, except a single parking space accessory to a single-family dwelling, shall be surfaced with a dustless all-weather material capable of carrying a wheel load of 4,000 pounds (normally, a two-inch blacktop on a four-inch base or five inches of portland cement will meet this requirement]. Any parking area for more than five vehicles shall have the aisles and spaces clearly marked.
E.
Landscaping requirements.
(1)
Landscaping. All public and private off-street parking areas which serve five vehicles or more and are created or redesigned and rebuilt subsequent to the adoption of this code shall be provided with accessory landscape areas totaling not less than 10% of the surfaced area. The minimum size of each landscape area shall not be less than 100 square feet.
(2)
Location. Location of landscape areas, plant materials, protection afforded the plantings, including curbing and provision for maintenance by the property owner, shall be subject to approval by the Plan Commission.
(3)
Plans. All plans for such proposed parking area shall include a topographic survey or grading plan which shows existing and proposed grades and location of improvements. The preservation of existing trees, shrubs, and other natural vegetation in the parking area may be included in the calculation of the required minimum landscape area.
(4)
Special residential requirements. Those parking areas for five or more vehicles if adjoining a residential use shall be screened from such use by a solid wall, fence, evergreen planting of equivalent visual density, or other effective means, built and maintained at a minimum height of five feet. Where a solidly constructed decorative fence is provided along the interior lot line, the minimum setback for the parking area shall be five feet from said lot line. Said fence shall be located a minimum of one foot from the said lot line.
(5)
Street setback area. No parking shall be permitted between the street right-of-way line and the minimum required building setback line prevailing in the zone in which the proposed parking area is to be located. The resulting open area shall be planted in grass or otherwise landscaped to create a permanent green area.
(6)
Repair and service. No motor vehicle repair work or service of any kind shall be permitted in association with unenclosed parking facilities provided in residence districts.
(7)
Lighting. Any lighting used to illuminate off-street parking areas shall be directed away from residential properties and public streets in such a way as not to create a nuisance. However, in no case shall such lighting exceed three footcandles measured at the lot line.
F.
Number of parking stalls. Number of parking stalls required for newly created parking lots are shown in the following table:[1]
Use | Minimum Parking Required | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Residential dwellings and mobile homes: | |||
Efficiency | 1 stall for each dwelling unit | ||
One bedroom | 1.5 stalls for each dwelling unit | ||
Two bedroom | 2 stalls for each dwelling unit | ||
3+ bedroom | 2.5 stalls for each dwelling unit | ||
Housing for the elderly | 0.75 space for each dwelling with 1/2 of these spaces to be built before occupancy and the balance of which spaces shall be reserved until such time as the Village Board may order them installed | ||
Hotels, motels | 1 stall for each guest room, plus 1 stall for each 3 employees | ||
Sororities, lodges, clubs, dormitories, rooming and boarding houses | 1 stall for each bed, plus 1 stall for each 3 employees | ||
Institutions, rest and nursing homes | 1 stall for each 5 beds, plus 1 stall for each 3 employees | ||
Medical and dental clinics | 3 stalls for each resident doctor | ||
Churches, theaters, community centers vocational and night schools, and other places of public assembly | 1 stall for each 5 seats | ||
Secondary and elementary schools | 1 stall for each 2 employees, plus 1 stall for each student auto permitted | ||
Restaurants, bars, places of entertainment, repair shops, retail and service stores | 1 stall for each 100 square feet of floor area | ||
Manufacturing and processing plants, laboratories and warehouses | 1 stall for every 3 employees; number of employees shall be construed to mean the maximum number on the premises at one time | ||
Financial institutions, business, government and professional offices | 1 stall for each 200 square feet of floor area and 1 stall for each 2 employees | ||
Motor vehicle sales (new and used) | 1 space for each 500 square feet of floor area used, plus one space for each 300 square feet of outdoor display area for each motor vehicle to be displayed (this requirement does not include service garages; see below) | ||
Repair shops, retail and service stores | 1 space for each 200 square feet of net floor space | ||
Automobile repair garages and service stations | 1 space for each employee, plus 1 space for each 250 square feet of floor area used for repair work | ||
Bowling alleys | 5 spaces for each alley | ||
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II).
G.
Uses not listed. In the case of structures or uses not mentioned, the provisions for a use which is similar shall apply. Floor space or area shall mean the gross floor area inside the exterior walls, where floor space is indicated above as a basis for determining the amount of off-street parking required.
H.
Handicapped parking requirements. In addition to any other requirements relating to parking spaces contained in this chapter, the provisions contained in §§ 101.13, 346.503 and 346.56, Wis. Stats., and any Wisconsin Administrative Code sections adopted pursuant thereto are hereby adopted by reference and made applicable to all parking facilities whenever constructed.
I.
Changes in buildings or use. Whenever a building or use is changed, structurally altered or enlarged to create a need for an increase of 50% or more in the number of existing parking spaces, such spaces shall be provided on the basis of the enlargement or change.
J.
Off-lot parking.
(1)
Required off-street parking spaces shall be located on the same lot with the principal use, or when this requirement cannot be met, such parking spaces may be located off-lot, provided the parking spaces are located in the same zoning district. Off-lot parking spaces shall also be held in fee simple ownership by the owner of the use requiring such parking or be leased or rented through a written agreement satisfactory to the Village Attorney.
(2)
Off-lot parking spaces for residential uses shall be within 400 feet of the principal entrance or the entrance for the individual occupants for whom the spaces are reserved while the farthest portions of a parking lot for all other uses shall be within 300 feet of the entrance of the establishment.
(3)
Accessory parking may be located in residential districts, provided that said lots or property are immediately adjacent to a commercial, business or industrial zoning district.
(4)
All off-street parking lots adjoining lots zoned for residential use shall have a minimum setback of 10 feet from any interior lot line, except if the adjoining lot is used for legally conforming parking purposes.
§ 390-46 Highway access.
A.
Private access restricted. No direct private access shall be permitted to the existing or proposed rights-of-way of expressways, nor to any controlled access arterial street without permission of the highway agency that has access control jurisdiction.
B.
Public or private access prohibited. No direct public or private access shall be permitted to the existing or proposed rights-of-way of the following:
(1)
Arterial streets intersecting another arterial street within 100 feet of the intersection of the right-of-way lines;
(2)
Streets intersecting an arterial street within 50 feet of the intersection of the right-of-way lines.
C.
Public access barriers. Access barriers, such as curbing, fencing, ditching, landscaping or other topographic barriers shall be erected to prevent unauthorized vehicular ingress or egress to the above specified streets or highways.
D.
Temporary access. Temporary access to the above rights-of-way may be granted by the Zoning Administrator after review and recommendation by the highway agencies having jurisdiction. Such access permit shall be temporary, revocable and subject to any conditions required and shall be issued for a period not to exceed 12 months.
§ 390-47 Storage and parking of recreational vehicles.
A.
Definitions for recreational vehicles. For purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:
BOAT
Every description of watercraft used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on water.
BOAT OR SNOWMOBILE TRAILER
A vehicle on which a boat or snowmobile may be transported and is towable by a motor vehicle. When removed from the trailer, a boat or snowmobile, for purposes of this section, is termed an "unmounted boat or snowmobile."
RECREATIONAL VEHICLE
Any of the following:
(1)
TRAVEL TRAILER
A vehicular, portable structure built on a chassis and on wheels; that is, between 10 and 36 feet long, including the hitch, and eight feet or less in width; designated to be used as a temporary dwelling for travel, recreation, vacation or other uses and towed by a car, station wagon or truck. It includes so-called fifth-wheel units.(2)
PICK-UP COACH
A structure designed to be mounted on a truck chassis for use as a temporary dwelling for travel, recreation, vacation or other uses.(3)
MOTOR HOME
A portable, temporary dwelling to be used for travel, recreation, vacation, or other uses, constructed as an integral part of a self-propelled vehicle.(4)
CAMPING TRAILER
A vehicle with a canvas, collapsible or folding structure, designed for human habitation for travel, recreation, vacation or other uses and is mounted on wheels and towed by a motor vehicle.(5)
CHASSIS MOUNTS, MOTOR HOMES AND MINI-MOTOR HOMES
Recreational structures constructed integrally with a truck or motor van chassis and incapable of being separated therefrom.(6)
CONVERTED AND CHOPPED VAN
Recreational structures which are created by altering or changing an existing auto van to make it a recreational vehicle.(7)
FIFTH-WHEEL MOBILE HOME
A vehicle designed to be towed by a vehicle upon a highway, as a single unit or in sections, with a flatbed frame so the trailer hitch of the mobile home is bolted to the flatbed frame of the towing vehicle. This mobile home is equipped and used or intended to be used primarily for human habitation, with walls of rigid uncollapsible construction.B.
Permitted parking or storage of recreational vehicles. In all residential and commercial districts provided for in this Zoning Code, it is permissible to park and store a recreational vehicle or boat and boat trailer on private property in the following manner:
(1)
Parking is permitted inside any enclosed structure, which structure otherwise conforms to the zoning requirements of the particular zoning district where located.
(2)
Parking is permitted outside in the side yard or rear yard, provided it is not nearer than five feet to the lot line.
(3)
Parking is permitted outside on a hard-surfaced or well-drained gravel driveway, provided:
(a)
Space is not available in the rear yard or side yard, or there is no reasonable access to either the side yard or rear yard.
(b)
A corner lot is always deemed to have reasonable access to the rear yard.
(c)
A fence is not necessarily deemed to prevent reasonable access.
(d)
Inside parking is not possible.
(e)
The unit is parked perpendicular to the front curb.
(4)
No part of the unit may extend over the public sidewalk or public right-of-way.
(5)
Parking is permitted only for storage purposes. Recreational vehicles or boats shall not be:
(a)
Used for dwelling purposes, except for overnight sleeping for a maximum of 14 days in any one calendar year. Cooking is not permitted at any time.
(b)
Permanently connected to sewer lines, water lines and/or electricity. The recreational vehicle may be connected to electricity temporarily for charging batteries and other purposes.
(c)
Used for storage of goods, materials, or equipment other than those items considered to be part of the unit or essential for its immediate use.
(6)
Notwithstanding the above, a unit may be parked anywhere on the premises during active loading or unloading, and the use of electricity or propane fuel is permitted when necessary to prepare a recreational vehicle for use.
(7)
The recreational vehicle or boat shall be owned by the resident on whose property the unit is parked for storage.
§ 390-48 Storage of tractors, trucks and road machinery.
No person, firm or corporation shall park, keep or maintain on properties zoned as residential or multiple residential dwellings construction equipment and road machinery unless they are stored in an enclosed building. Trucks and semitractors may be parked on the primary driveway of the residence.