Dalton City Zoning Code
ARTICLE VI
PARKING AND LOADING STANDARDS3
Editor's note— Ord. No. 24-13, § 1.3(Exh. A), adopted May 6, 2024, set out provisions intended for use as art. VI, §§ 6-1—6-7. For purposes of clarity, and at the editor's discretion, these provisions have been included as art. V, §§ 5-1—5-7.
Editor's note— Ord. No. 24-13, § 1.3(Exh. A), adopted May 6, 2024, repealed the former art. V, §§ 5-1—5-6, and enacted a new art. V as set out herein. The former art. V pertained to parking, loading, and driveway standards and derived from Ord. No. 23-12, § 1, adopted June 19, 2023.
Editor's note— Ord. No. 24-02, §§ 2(Att. 1), 5, adopted January 8, 2024, renumbered the former Art. V, §§ 5-1—5-7 as Art. VI, §§ 6-1—6-7. The historical notation has been retained with the amended provisions for reference purposes. See Code Comparative Table for full accounting.
6-1.- Intent.
The intent of this article is to provide regulations to foster safe and efficient circulation of vehicles and pedestrians, both upon private and public streets and roads.
(Ord. No. 24-02, § 5, 1-8-2024; Ord. No. 24-13, § 1.3(Exh. A), 5-6-2024)
6-2. - Off-street automobile parking.
Off-street automobile parking shall be provided upon every lot on which any of the uses referenced in this article are established, except within the C-3, central business district. Such automobile parking shall be provided with vehicular access to a public or private road, street, or alley and shall be equal in area to at least the minimum requirements for the specific uses, as set forth in Chart 6-7 below.
All off-street automobile parking, except for single-family residential uses, shall be arranged so that vehicles will not be required to back onto a public street, road, or highway when leaving the premises. Each required off-street parking space and/or loading berth shall open directly upon an aisle or driveway of such width and design as to provide safe and efficient access to a public or private street or road.
6-2-1
On same lot. Except as otherwise provided herein, all off-street parking shall be provided upon the same lot or parcel as the use or uses served.
6-2-2
Common off-street parking areas. Two or more principal uses may utilize a common parking area to comply with off-street requirements, provided that the total number of individual spaces available within such common area is not less than the sum of the spaces required for the individual uses. The owner of said lot or parcel shall forfeit all development rights therein until such time as adequate parking space is provided elsewhere.
6-2-3
Required off-street parking spaces on other property. If the required off-street parking spaces cannot reasonably be provided upon the same lot or parcel upon which the principal use is located, such spaces may be provided upon other off-street property lying not more than 300 feet from the principal use. In this circumstance, the applicant shall record a valid easement or similar legal instrument, duly executed and acknowledged, citing the permanent availability of such off-street parking spaces to serve the principal use.
6-2-4
Whenever there is a change in the principal use or occupancy, the resultant off-street parking required for the use or occupancy change shall comply with the minimum standards for such new use, as set forth in this article.
(Ord. No. 24-02, § 5, 1-8-2024; Ord. No. 24-13, § 1.3(Exh. A), 5-6-2024)
6-3. - Commercial parking.
All off-street parking areas intending to serve any use other than residential single family attached or detached dwellings, including ingress and egress, shall be graded to ensure proper drainage, surfaced with concrete, asphaltic material, or porous pavers, and maintained in a clean, orderly condition. All off-street commercial parking facilities, whether public or private, shall meet the following requirements:
6-3-1
Size. Off-street parking spaces shall be striped and shall provide a rectangular parking area at least eight and one-half feet in width and at least 18 feet in length (regardless of the angle of the space to the access aisle). Such spaces shall have a vertical clearance of not less than seven feet. See section 6-5-3 for the size of a compact car parking space.
6-3-2
Parking layout.
(a)
The layout of parking spaces may be arranged parallel, perpendicular, or diagonal to the aisles. Minimum standards for aisle widths shall be one-way, 12 feet; two-way, 24 feet.
(b)
If a development shall include a drive-in window or pick-up station, the stacking lane(s) shall be clearly delineated and such addition shall be at least ten feet wide. The number of automobiles allowed in the stacking lane(s) may be counted toward the overall minimum required number of parking spaces as set forth in Chart 6-7.
(c)
If a development shall include one or more fuel pumps, each pump location may be counted toward the overall minimum required number of parking spaces, as set forth in Chart 6-7.
(d)
Fire lanes. Where required by the local fire chief and/or fire code official, fire apparatus access roads shall be marked and/or posted in accordance with the regulations as set forth in the International Fire Code, currently adopted edition, with Georgia amendments.
6-3-3
Landscaping standards. The owners of commercial parking lots shall be required to landscape with trees and shrubs to reduce the visual impact of glare, headlights, and parking lot lights from the public right-of-way and from adjoining properties. See City of Dalton Landscaping Ordinance for additional requirements for parking lots within the City of Dalton.
(Ord. No. 24-02, § 5, 1-8-2024; Ord. No. 24-13, § 1.3(Exh. A), 5-6-2024)
6-4. - Residential parking.
All parking areas serving single-family detached or attached dwellings shall conform to the following additional requirements:
(a)
If garages or carports become converted to living area, then the off-street parking requirements shall be met elsewhere upon the lot or parcel.
(b)
At no time shall parked or stored camping or recreational vehicles be occupied or used for living, sleeping, or housekeeping purposes, with the following exception:
(i)
Under certain specific circumstances, as defined in Whitfield County Code section 5-128, the chief building official may issue a temporary RV permit for parcels within unincorporated Whitfield County.
(c)
No commercial vehicle, as licensed by the state with gross vehicle weight (GVW) exceeding 11,000 pounds or which shall have three or more axles, shall be allowed to park in the R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5, R-6, or R-7 residential zone districts.
(d)
Commercial vehicles, licensed by the state, buses, and/or recreational vehicles shall not be allowed to park overnight upon the street within a residential district, but shall be permitted to park temporarily to make delivery or pickup of goods or to perform work at the residence.
(Ord. No. 24-02, § 5, 1-8-2024; Ord. No. 24-13, § 1.3(Exh. A), 5-6-2024)
6-5. - Off-street parking requirements for uses.
The minimum number of required off-street parking spaces for each use is set forth in Chart 6-7. For uses not specifically listed, the off-street parking requirements shall be those of the most similar use. The zoning administrator and chief building official, in their sole discretion, shall determine the proper required maximum number of spaces by classifying the use among the uses specified.
6-5-1
Handicapped parking. Parking for the handicapped within a multi-family or nonresidential district shall be provided at a size, number, and location in accordance with the requirements of the Georgia Handicapped Accessibility Code and/or the Americans With Disabilities Act.
6-5-2
Parking reduction. In lieu of the specific standards set forth in Chart 6-7, up to a 25 percent reduction in the total required minimum number of parking spaces may be allowed, in the sole discretion of the chief building official, if presented with a detailed parking study prepared by a design professional that evaluates site-specific circumstances and demand or documented evidence relative to the uses or combination of uses that are proposed on-site. The board of zoning appeals shall determine all other variance requests related to any reduction.
6-5-3
Compact cars. In the sole discretion of the chief building official, up to ten percent of the total required minimum number of parking spaces may be sized for compact cars. The compact car parking space shall be striped and provide a rectangular parking area at least eight feet in width and at least 16 feet in length (regardless of the angle of the space to the access aisle).
(Ord. No. 24-02, § 5, 1-8-2024; Ord. No. 24-13, § 1.3(Exh. A), 5-6-2024)
6-6. - General regulations for off-street loading/unloading.
Areas proposed for loading and unloading motor vehicles in off-street locations shall be provided at the time of the initial construction of any building or structure used, or proposed to be used, for commercial, industrial, manufacturing, hospital, institutional, hotel/motel or multifamily residential purposes in any zoning district. Such off-street loading areas shall have adjacent access to a public road or street and shall be provided and maintained in accordance with the following requirements, the computation of which shall not be included in the off-street parking requirements.
(Ord. No. 24-02, § 5, 1-8-2024; Ord. No. 24-13, § 1.3(Exh. A), 5-6-2024)
6-7. - [Minimum parking spaces required by use.]
(Ord. No. 24-02, § 5, 1-8-2024; Ord. No. 24-13, § 1.3(Exh. A), 5-6-2024)