In connection with any building or structure which is to be erected or substantially altered and which requires the receipt or distribution of materials or merchandise by trucks or other similar vehicles, there shall be provided off-street loading berths not less than the minimum requirements specified in this Section.

A.

Location. All required loading berths shall be located on the same lot as the use to be served and no portion of the vehicles shall project into a street or public alley. No permitted or required loading berth shall be located within 25 feet of the nearest point of intersection of any two streets, nor shall it be located in a required rear or side yard.

B.

Size. A required off-street loading berth shall be at least ten feet in width and 35 feet in length, exclusive of aisle and maneuvering space. It shall have vertical clearance of at least 12 feet. Enclosed loading spaces shall have a vertical clearance of at least 15 feet.

C.

Access. Each required off-street loading berth shall be designed with appropriate means of vehicular access to a street or alley in a manner which will least interfere with traffic movements.

D.

Surfacing. All open off-street loading berths shall be improved with a compacted macadam base not less than seven inches thick, or equal, surfaced with not less than two inches of asphaltic-concrete or some comparable all-weather dustless material.

E.

Repair and Service. No storage of any kind or motor vehicle repair work or service of any kind shall be permitted within any required loading berth.

F.

Space Allowed. Space allowed 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.

G.

Required Loading Berths.

1.

The minimum number of off-street loading spaces accessory to nonresidential uses in residence districts shall be one loading space for buildings containing 10,000 to 100,000 square feet of gross floor area, plus one additional loading space for each additional 100,000 square feet of gross floor area or fraction thereof.

2.

The minimum number of off-street loading spaces accessory to uses in the commercial/business and industrial districts shall be, as follows:

For each additional 100,000 square feet or fraction thereof of gross floor area over 100,000 square feet of gross floor area, one additional loading space is required. Such additional loading space shall be at least 12 feet in width by 50 feet in length.

Any off-street parking space in connection with buildings or structures existing on the effective date of this Zoning Code shall not be removed or altered, except in conformance with the requirements of this Zoning Code. In connection with any building or structure which is to be erected or substantially altered and which requires off-street parking space, there shall be provided off-street parking space in accordance with regulations set forth hereinafter.

A.

Use. Except as may otherwise be provided for the parking of trucks or for Conditional Uses, required accessory off-street parking facilities shall be solely for the parking of vehicles of patrons, occupants, or employees of a specific establishment.

B.

Computation. When determination of the number of off-street parking spaces required by results in a requirement of a fractional space, any fraction of one-half or less may be disregarded, while a fraction in excess of one-half shall be counted as one parking space.

When more than one use exists on a lot, the number of off-street parking spaces required shall be the sum of the number required for each use. "Floor area" means gross floor area, unless otherwise designated.

C.

Collective Provisions for Nonresidential Uses. Off-street parking facilities for separate uses may be provided collectively if the total number of spaces so provided is not less than the sum of the separate requirements of each such use and if all regulations governing the location of accessory parking spaces in relation to the use served are observed. But no parking space, or portion thereof, shall serve as the required space for more than one use unless otherwise authorized in accordance with this Zoning Code.

D.

Repair and Service. No motor vehicle repair work of any kind shall be permitted in parking lots. No gasoline or motor oil shall be sold in conjunction with any accessory parking facilities.

E.

Parking Stall Dimensions.

1.

Stall width: A minimum with of nine feet shall be provided for each parking stall.

2.

Stall length: A minimum length of 18 feet shall be provided for each parking stall.

3.

Parallel parking stalls shall be permitted to be 8 feet wide and no less than 22 feet long.

4.

Compact Auto Spaces: Notwithstanding the above, when more than 50 parking spaces are required for a commercial use(s), up to 20 percent of the spaces may be smaller than the stall length and width set forth above so long as they are not less than eight feet wide and 17 feet long and are clearly marked for "Compact Auto Only."

F.

Access. Each required off-street parking space shall open directly upon an aisle or a driveway of such width and design as to provide safe and efficient means of vehicular access to such parking space.

1.

All off-street parking facilities shall be provided with appropriate means of vehicular access to a street, alley or driveway in a manner which will least interfere with traffic movements.

2.

All parking areas shall have vehicular access to it over a street, alley, or driveway containing all-weather, hard-surfaced pavement and the location and route of access to such a parking area shall be identified.

3.

Every parking facility shall be provided with one or more access driveways, the width of which shall be at least nine feet for private driveways, twelve feet for one-way and 24 feet for two-way entrances to commercial uses.

G.

In Yards. Off-street parking spaces may be located in yards, except required front yards and required side yards adjoining a street unless otherwise provided herein.

H.

Limitations.

1.

No public parking lot or structure may be used for the servicing, repair, or washing of motor vehicles unless legally permitted to do so by the City.

2.

Parking of unoccupied travel, utility, or boat trailers on residential lot areas is permitted provided they do not constitute a hazard to safe visibility of drivers on adjacent streets and are parked a minimum of 30 feet from the edge of the nearest vehicular travel lane or in a garage, carport, or rear yard.

3.

The following restrictions shall apply to the parking or storage of commercial vehicles on property zoned for residential use:

a.

No commercial vehicle shall be parked on any public right-of-way in a residential district, except for vehicles engaged in loading or unloading, or vehicles in connection with current work being done to the adjacent premises;

b.

No stored or parked commercial vehicle shall be occupied or used for human habitation.

4.

Heavy equipment shall be defined as any vehicle whose weight is in excess of five tons, including but not limited to equipment commonly used in site clearing, road building, or construction. Heavy Equipment includes but is not limited to: cranes, pan-scrapers, bulldozers, steamrollers, backhoes, graders, water-drilling rigs, paving machines, loaders, trenching machines and dump trucks.

5.

Parking and storage of heavy equipment is neither incidental to nor customary in a residential area. Parking and storage of heavy equipment is only allowed:

a.

in the Commercial/Business and Office, Research & Development districts;

b.

where such parking or storage of heavy equipment is incidental to an existing commercial or industrial use; and

c.

when such equipment is actively being used for the purpose intended.

6.

Recreational Vehicles.

a.

No recreational vehicle or trailer licensed to transport recreational vehicles or equipment shall be parked in the public right-of-way or in the first 30 feet of the front yard driveway of a residential district.

b.

Recreational vehicles may be stored in a residential district within a fully enclosed structure or within the rear or side yard on a paved surface. If stored in the rear or side yard, it must be located at least three feet from any lot line.

c.

No recreational vehicle shall be used for living, sleeping, or housekeeping purposes in any zoning district, unless within a regulated recreational vehicle park.

d.

All recreational vehicles shall be maintained in mobile condition. No recreational vehicle shall be parked or stored in such a manner as to create a dangerous or unsafe condition on the lot where parked or stored.

e.

This Section does not apply to recreational vehicles offered for sale in the approved outdoor sales and display area of a recreational vehicle dealership.

I.

Design and Maintenance.

1.

Open and Enclosed Parking Spaces. Accessory parking spaces, located on the same lot as occupied by the use served, may be open to the sky or enclosed in a building. Accessory parking spaces, located elsewhere than on the same lot occupied by the use, shall be open to the sky.

2.

Surfacing. All open off-street parking areas shall be improved with a compacted macadam base, or equal, not less than four inches thick surfaced with asphaltic concrete or comparable hard-surfaced, all-weather, dustless material as approved by the City. Alternatively, a porous pavement parking surface may be substituted when:

a.

The parking spaces are used seasonally or less than two times per week;

b.

The parking spaces are within 20 feet of an existing or proposed tree; and

c.

The entire parking area will have not less than 100 parking spaces and no more than 50 percent of the spaces use porous pavement.

While parking spaces may be porous pavement, all access and drive isles shall be constructed of hard-surfaced, all-weather, dustless materials as described above.

3.

Screening and Landscaping. All open automobile parking areas containing more than four parking spaces shall be effectively screened on each side adjoining or fronting on any residential property by a wall or fence not less than five feet high or a densely-planted compact hedge not less than five feet in height. A landscape buffer with plantings at least three feet high across the property on the public street side(s) shall be provided for all parking areas containing more than four parking spaces. Wheel stops of masonry, steel, or heavy timber, shall be placed not nearer than five feet from the street line in districts where a front yard is not required or from side lot lines.

4.

Lighting. Illumination of an off-street parking area shall be arranged so as not to reflect rays of light into adjacent residential districts and streets.

J.

Required Spaces. Off-street parking spaces accessory to designated uses shall be provided as follows:

In cases where parking facilities are permitted on land other than the lot on which the building or use served is located, such parking facilities shall be within 300 feet of the lot occupied by the building or use to which the parking facilities are accessory measured along the nearest pedestrian walkway. A covenant running with the land must be recorded in the East Baton Rouge Parish Clerk's office on the lot upon which the accessory off-street parking is located which prohibits any other uses on that portion of the lot needed for accessory parking until such time as either one of the following conditions occurs:

A.

The use on the lot containing the principal use is terminated or replaced with a use where there is enough parking on the lot containing that use; or

B.

Another lot of the required size within the required distance is properly developed and used for the required accessory off-street parking in place of and in lieu of the initial lot used for accessory off-street parking with the same requirements, covenants and conditions attaching to such substitute accessory lot as required for the approval of such initial use lot.

Handicap parking spaces shall be provided in the size, location and number required by the any applicable State or federal statute or regulation.