In all zoning districts, off-street parking facilities shall be provided in an amount not less than that hereinafter specified, for the parking of self-propelled motor vehicles, for the use of occupants, employees, patrons, members and clients of buildings and uses erected or established after the effective date of this Ordinance, and of existing buildings and uses which are extended, enlarged or changes thereafter.

601.1

Pre-Existing Buildings and Uses. Buildings and uses in existence at the effective date of this Ordinance shall be exempt from parking requirements hereinafter specified; provided however, that whenever the usable floor area of such an existing building is changed, or an existing use of premises is extended, off-street parking for the increased floor area or use shall be provided in the minimum amount hereinafter specified for that kind of use. Section 608.3 requiring landscaping in off-street parking lots with more than fifteen (15) parking spaces shall not apply to pre-existing buildings or uses unless changes in the amount of usable floor area of a pre-existing building or changed use of the premises requires more than twenty-five (25) percent increase in the number of off-street parking spaces required.

601.2

Replacement Space Required. The owner or occupant of any building or use subject to off-street parking requirements under this Ordinance shall no discontinue or reduce any existing required parking lot without first having established other parking space in replacement therefore, which replacement space meets all requirements of this Ordinance.

601.3

Prohibited Use of Parking Space. The use of Off-street parking space as required under this Code, for the storage of merchandise, vehicles for sale or rent, or repair of vehicle, shall be expressly prohibited.

In order to compensate off-street parking requirements, the following general rules shall apply:

602.1

Minimum Required Spaces a Sum of Individual Requirements. When a principal building or use includes several different types of activities, which generate different levels of parking need, according to the schedule set forth in Section 606, the minimum required number of off-street parking spaces shall be the sum of individual requirements for the several uses computed separately.

602.2

Computations Based on Employees. When used on computation of off-street parking requirements, the term "employees" shall include proprietors and administrative personnel, as well as, all other personnel engaged on the premises in the use of a building, structure or lot. The number of employees shall be the greatest number on duty on the premises at any one time, day or night.

602.3

Functional Requirement. When computation of parking requirements results in a fractional requirement, any fraction of one-half or less shall be disregarded, and any fraction over one-half shall be counted as one (1) space.

Every required off-street parking space shall have a minimum width of nine (9) feet and a minimum length of twenty (20) feet, exclusive of access drives and aisles. When used as a unit of measurement of unmarked parking lots, each required space shall constitute an area of not less than two hundred eighty (280) square feet, which shall include drives and aisles.

Required off-street parking shall be located as follows:

604.1

Location of Off-Street Parking—Residential Use. Required off-street parking shall be located on the same lot or parcel as the use it is intended to serve; provided however, that parking for cooperative or condominium-type multi-family residence may be provided in a parking lot not farther than two hundred (200) feet from the entrance to each dwelling unit it is intended to serve.

604.2

Location of Off-Street Parking—Nonresidential Use. Required off-street parking shall be located within three hundred (300) feet of the building or use it is intended to serve, the distance being measured from the nearest point of the building or use to the nearest point of the parking lot; provided however, that parking facilities for a stadium, auditorium, outdoor sports arena, or similar use may be located not farther than thirteen hundred (1,300) feet from the nearest point of such building or use.

Required off-street parking may be provided by any one, or a combination, or the following methods:

(a)

By providing the required parking space on the same lot as the building or use being served; or, where practical, and with the approval of the Board of Adjustment, an area in the public right-of-way abutting such building or use may be included as a portion of the parking requirements if said area is fully improved for parking in accordance with standards of the City of Douglas.

(b)

By the collective provision of required parking for two (2) or more buildings or uses, whereupon the total of such parking shall be not less than the sum of the requirements for the several buildings or uses have operating hours which do not overlap, the Board of Adjustment may grant a deduction of individual and collective requirements based upon the special circumstances involved. A written contract for joint use of such facilities shall be executed between the parties concerned and a copy filed with the Building Inspector.

(c)

By securing the consent to use off-street parking facilities under another's ownership which is not otherwise used during the principal operating hours of the building or use in question; provided however, that consent shall be in written form and a copy filed with the Building Inspector.

The minimum number of off-street parking spaces required for buildings, structures and uses shall be determined according to the schedule herein set forth. For a use not specifically listed, requirements shall be the same as those for the most similar use listed:

SCHEDULE OF REQUIRED OFF-STREET PARKING

The following regulations shall determine the placement of, and access to, parking lots.

607.1

Setback from a Street. Where a parking lot abuts a residential district across a street or streets, no part of the parking lot shall be closer than fifteen (15) feet to the street line. Where a parking lot abuts a residential district on the same side of a street and in the same block, no part of the parking lot shall be closer to the street line than the minimum required front setback for residential properties in the block. Regardless of the district in which it is located, every part of parking lot shall be set back from every lot line a sufficient distance to insure that no part of any parked vehicle will project over any lot line.

607.2

Setback from an Interior Lot Line. Where a parking lot abuts a residential district along its interior side lot line, and is not separated there from by an alley, no part of the parking lot shall be closer than three (3) feet to said lot line.

607.3

Rear Setback. Where a parking lot abuts a residential district along its rear lot line and is not separated there from by an alley, no part of the parking lot shall be closer than three (3) feet to said lot line. Where the rear lot line is contiguous to an alley, no setback is required.

607.4

Access to Parking from Alley. Any parking lot may use an abutting alley for direct access to parking spaces; provided that, the full width of the alley is dedicated to the public and fully improved with a hard, all-weather, dust-free surface, properly drained to prevent impoundment of surface water.

607.5

Access to Parking from a Street. Access to a parking lot from a street shall be limited to driveways and there shall be no direct access to any off-street parking space from a street.

607.6

Ingress and Egress. No entrance or exit to a parking lot shall be located closer than fifteen (15) feet to an abutting residential district.

Parking lots shall be developed and maintained in conformance with the following regulations.

608.1

Surfacing and Drainage. Every parking lot shall be constructed and maintained so as to provide a hard, all-weather, dust-free surface, properly drained to prevent impoundment of surface water.

608.2

Screening. Where the interior side lot line or rear lot line of a parking lot abuts a residential district and is not separated there from by an alley, a solid, unpierced, site-obscuring fence not less than six (6) feet in height above grade shall be erected abutting the lot line; provided however, that in no case shall a screen wall extend closer to a street line than the minimum required setback for residential properties in the same block.

608.3

Landscaping Requirements. All parking areas requiring more than fifteen (15) parking spaces shall be landscaped in accordance with Figure 1 below in accordance with alternative 1 or 2:

1.

Landscape islands shall be placed at each end of every parking row.

2.

Landscape islands shall have a minimum width of five (5) feet and a minimum length equal to the length of the adjacent parking space.

3.

If electing alternative 1, additional landscape islands shall be located at a minimum of every ten (10) parking spaces inside each parking row.

4.

If electing alternative 2, landscape islands shall be located between rows of parking or between individual parking spaces.

5.

Required trees shall be distributed throughout the parking area in an aesthetically pleasing manner with the intent to break up un-landscaped areas of the parking lot.

6.

Landscape islands and any other required landscape areas shall be irrigated with drip irrigation only.

608.4

Planting Requirements. Minimal acceptable planting requirements for landscape islands shall include:

1.

A minimal size of five (5) gallon evergreen or deciduous shade trees.

2.

When more than four (4) trees are required, a minimum of twenty-five percent (25%) of the trees shall be fifteen (15) gallon evergreen or deciduous shade trees.

3.

Spacing for trees shall be as shown on Figure 1.

4.

Each landscape island shall include a two-inch layer of ground cover or rock, and a minimum of four (4) evergreen shrubs of five-gallon minimum size for each tree required. Turf may be an option when the landscape island has a fourteen-foot minimum width and this option shall not require any evergreen shrubs.

5.

The front of a vehicle may encroach upon any interior landscaped area when said area is at least three and one-half (3½) feet in depth per abutting parking space and protected by wheel stops or curbing. Two (2) feet of said landscaped area may be part of the required depth of each abutting parking space.

608.5

Lighting. Parking lots used during hours of darkness shall be lighted. In the case of parking lots located in or abutting a residential district the overall height of lighting fixtures shall not exceed twelve (12) feet above grade. In every case, lighting fixtures shall be so constructed and arranged as to reflect light away from adjacent residential districts and conform to any and all light ordinances of the City of Douglas.

(Ord. 829, § 1, 2003)

In all zoning districts, for every building or part thereof, erected or enlarged after the effective date of this Ordinance, which is occupied or to be occupied by a manufacturing plant, retail establishment freight terminal, hospital, laundry, dry cleaning, mortuary or similar use requiring receipt or distribution of materials or merchandise by motor truck; there shall be provided and maintained on the same premises as the building or use, adequate off-street loading space meeting the minimum requirements hereinafter required, shall not be considered as satisfying requirements for off-street parking space.

609.1

Dimension of Loading Space. Every required off-street loading space shall have a minimum width of twelve (12) feet, a minimum length of forty-five (45) feet and a minimum height of fourteen (14) feet, exclusive of access aisles and maneuvering space.

609.2

Schedule of Loading Space Requirements. Loading space, where required, shall be determined according to the following schedule.

SCHEDULE OF LOADING SPACE REQUIREMENTS

609.3

Location of Loading Space. Required off-street loading space may occupy all or any part of a required rear yard except as provided elsewhere in this Ordinance, and may be partially or entirely enclosed within a building. Where a side yard abuts and alley in a nonresidential district, loading space may be located in that side yard.

609.4

Use of Alley for Maneuvering Space. Where a building or use in a nonresidential district requiring off-street loading space abuts an alley, such alley may be used for maneuvering space for loading and unloading spaces; provided however, that no alley abutting any residential district may be so used.

Plans shall be submitted to and approved by the Building Inspector showing how the required parking and loading spaces are to be arranged in the area provided for the purpose. Such plans shall show access streets, alleys and drives, locations of all points of ingress and egress, parking spaces, loading spaces, aisles and maneuvering space, and location and design of all screen walls, landscaping and lighting. Before issuance of a Zoning Compliance Certificate, the Building Inspector may obtain the approval of the Community Development Director or his duly authorized representative.

It is understood that many of the older business locations in the City do not meet the specifications set in this article. It is also understood that strict enforcement of this Code could jeopardize the vitality of many of these older areas of commerce. Where such is the case the City, through the design review board, may exempt current business locations from the requirements mandated in this article (grandfathered).