1. Where a use is similar in nature and off-street parking demand to the proposed use, the minimum parking spaces for that similar use may be used.

2. Where there is not any use that is similar in nature, the following minimum off-street parking requirements will be used:

1. A parking study for the proposed use(s) must be prepared by a professional with expertise in preparing traffic and parking analysis; and

2. Must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the planning director that a lesser standard is adequate.

3. A transportation demand management plan (see EMC 19.34.080) shall be required as a condition of any approved modification.

1. Parcels within one-quarter mile walking distance of a public transit stop that receives transit service at least four times per hour for twelve or more hours per day.

2. Parcels within one-half mile walking distance of a public transit stop with service by rail or bus rapid transit. (Ord. 4102-25 § 1 (Exh. 1), 2025; Ord. 3616-18 § 2 (Exh. 1), 2018.)

1. Residential. For mixed-use buildings with residential dwellings or sleeping units where fifty percent or more of the gross floor area is dedicated to daytime, weekday nonresidential uses, it is reasonable to expect that there would be a substantial amount of vehicle parking left vacant during the hours when it is needed by residents. The residential off-street vehicle parking requirement may be reduced by up to fifty percent.

2. Daytime and Nighttime Commercial Uses. Up to fifty percent of the off-street parking required by this chapter for primarily nighttime uses such as theaters, bowling alleys, bars and restaurants may be supplied by parking serving primarily daytime uses such as banks, offices, retail stores, personal service shops, and manufacturing and wholesale uses; alternatively, up to fifty percent of the off-street parking required by this chapter for primarily daytime uses may be supplied by parking serving primarily nighttime uses.

3. Mixed-Use Projects, General. If more than one type of land use (see Table 34-1) occupies a single structure or parcel of land, the total requirements for off-street vehicle parking may be reduced by five percent of the sum of the requirements for all uses. This option can be used in lieu of specifically calculating daytime, nighttime, and/or residential uses per subsections (D)(1) and (D)(2) of this section, and does not require a transportation demand management plan.

4. Churches and Schools. Up to one hundred percent of the off-street parking required by this chapter for a church or an auditorium incidental to a public or parochial school may be supplied by parking serving primarily nighttime uses, at the discretion of the planning director in consultation with the city engineer.

5. Other. A development may propose other shared vehicle parking proposals for approval of the planning director and city engineer. These other proposals may include provision for other forms of transport and mobility.

1. No Conflict. No substantial conflict between the operating hours of the uses for which joint use of vehicle parking is proposed is allowed.

2. Assigned Stalls. Vehicle parking stalls that have been assigned full time to individual tenants or occupants shall not be eligible for shared parking.

3. Distance.

4. Joint Use Agreement. The planning director may require formal joint use of shared off-street vehicle parking be demonstrated through a binding agreement that is tied to the land or similar written instrument establishing the joint use. The binding agreement may restrict future changes to use of the property. All agreements are subject to review and approval of the city.

1. A transportation demand management plan must be prepared for the following development projects:

2. A transportation demand management plan must be reviewed and approved, approved with modifications, or disapproved by the city engineer or designee. A preliminary transportation demand management plan shall be submitted before a building permit is approved. Transportation demand management plans may be written in two steps:

3. A building permit or land use approval shall not be granted until a final transportation demand management plan meeting the requirements outlined in sections (B), (C) and (D) of this section is approved by the city engineer or designee, and a covenant approved by the planning director requiring compliance with the approved plan is recorded by the applicant. The covenant shall include enforcement mechanism(s), which may include, but are not limited to, enforcement pursuant to Chapter 1.20 EMC, injunctive relief, monetary penalties, and loss of units available for rental.

1. A transportation demand management plan must be consistent with a transportation demand management guide established by the city engineer.

2. A transportation demand management plan must be prepared by a qualified professional with demonstrated experience in transportation planning, traffic engineering, or comparable field, unless otherwise allowed by the city engineer.

3. A transportation demand management plan must determine:

4. A transportation demand management plan must include ways to ensure ongoing compliance and enforcement of approved strategies.

5. Fees as required to review and approve the plan, and annual fees to monitor the implementation of the plan, as required by the city.

1. Walking, cycling, ridesharing, and transit promotion and education.

2. Parking cash-out programs or unbundled parking/market rate pricing.

3. Shared vehicle parking arrangements.

4. Enhanced bicycle facilities and services (above the minimum required).

5. Support for car share, bike share, and/or micromobility services and facilities.

6. Carpooling or vanpooling programs or benefits.

7. Free or subsidized transit passes, transit-to-work shuttles, or enhanced transit facilities (such as bus shelters).

8. Guaranteed ride home programs.

9. Provision for alternative work schedules (i.e., flextime, compressed work week, staggered shifts, telecommuting).

10. Promotion of “live near your work” programs.

11. Roadway improvements adjacent to the site that will help encourage transportation alternatives.

12. Designation of an on-site employee and/or resident transportation coordinator.

13. Membership in a transportation management association.

1. The project includes performance objectives to minimize single-occupancy vehicle trips and maximize the utilization of transportation alternatives to the extent practicable, taking into account the opportunities and constraints of the site and the nature of the development.

2. The project must meet the anticipated transportation demand without placing an unreasonable burden on public infrastructure, such as transit and on-street parking facilities, and the surrounding neighborhood.

3. The transportation demand management plan includes ways to ensure ongoing compliance to reduce transportation impacts. (Ord. 4102-25 § 1 (Exh. 1), 2025; Ord. 3774-20 § 8 (Exh. 6), 2020; Ord. 3672-19 § 9, 2019; Ord. 3616-18 § 2 (Exh. 1), 2018.)

1. Off-street auto parking spaces may include spaces in garages, carports, parking lots, and/or driveways if vehicles are not parked in a vehicle travel lane or a required front setback. Off-street parking for electric vehicles may be included in auto parking required by this chapter. Refer to the International Building Code for requirements on electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

2. Vehicle parking is only allowed within required setbacks in:

3. Private Access Drives. Vehicle parking on any private access drive shall be prohibited except when authorized through a land division or other land use permit. Off-street vehicle parking may be located adjacent to an approved access drive outside of the minimum required dimensions of the access drive. Where applicable, the homeowners’ association shall be responsible for enforcing this requirement.

4. Historic Overlay. Off-street parking in an historic overlay zone shall not be located closer to the public street than the building located closest to the street unless approved by the planning director due to street and site topography which precludes other placement.

1. Vehicle parking, except as otherwise allowed for automobile, light truck or RV sales or rental, shall not be located within a required building setback, required landscape area, or open space.

2. For nonresidential uses, required off-street vehicle parking shall be located on property within five hundred feet of the building or use which it is required to serve. This distance shall be measured along the access route. The property upon which the off-street parking is provided shall be located in the same zone as, or a zone which allows, the use for which the parking is required.

3. Separation of Surface Vehicle Parking Lots from Public Right-of-Way. Surface parking lots shall be set back either ten feet from the public sidewalk, or five feet from the property line, whichever is greater. The intent of this requirement is to provide a minimum ten-foot landscape separation between surface parking lots and public streets in accordance with Chapter 19.35 EMC. There shall be no setback required from a public alley.

4. Surface parking lots shall be set back from interior lot lines consistent to meet the landscaping and screening requirements of Chapter 19.35 EMC.

5. Marijuana retailers shall comply with the parking location requirements set forth in EMC 19.13.160.

1. Separation of Surface Parking from Public Right-of-Way. All surface parking lots within Metro Everett shall have a minimum front setback of forty feet. For corner lots, the minimum setback from a street side lot line shall be five feet. Exception: within the LI-MU zone, the minimum front setback for surface parking shall be fifteen feet. Where surface parking is provided, it shall be separated from any public sidewalk by a minimum of five feet to allow screening/landscaping in accordance with Chapter 19.35 EMC.

2. There shall be no setbacks required for rear and side interior lot lines unless otherwise necessary to accommodate landscaping/screening in accordance with Chapter 19.35 EMC.

1. Residential zones in driveways meeting the standards of EMC 19.34.110; or

2. When vehicle parking is located completely below grade and any required landscaping is provided on top of the parking structure.

1. Any motor vehicle having less than six wheels is the equivalent of a vehicle having a manufacturer’s gross vehicle weight rating of less than sixteen thousand pounds.

2. Any motor vehicle having six wheels or more is the equivalent of a vehicle having a manufacturer’s gross vehicle weight rating of sixteen thousand pounds or more. (Ord. 4102-25 § 1 (Exh. 1), 2025; Ord. 3616-18 § 2 (Exh. 1), 2018.)

1. Enhance the safety of parking areas;

2. Minimize potential conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians;

3. Efficiently manage traffic in off-street parking areas;

4. Reduce visual impacts on surrounding properties and improve streetscape appearance.

1. The topography of the site and/or adjacent alley makes use of the alley infeasible; or

2. The requirement for access from the alley would create a traffic or pedestrian safety hazard, such as sight distance problems or conflicts with other ingress/egress locations; or

3. There is an existing improvement that prevents use of the alley for vehicular access and the improvement cannot reasonably be relocated or removed; or

4. For nonresidential or mixed uses, driveway access from the street is necessary to provide access for commercial customer traffic; this exception may not be used to justify a street access point that primarily provides access to employee or resident parking areas; or

5. Providing access from the street will reduce or minimize adverse impacts on adjacent properties; or

6. Street access for multiple levels of off-street parking within a structure when access from an alley to all parking levels is not feasible due to topography or lot geometry.

1. For nonalley access lots, the maximum driveway width within twenty feet of the right-of-way abutting the front lot line shall not exceed thirty feet, or fifty percent of the lot frontage width, whichever is less. However, where a driveway is permitted, a minimum driveway width of ten feet will be allowed. (Ord. 4102-25 § 1 (Exh. 1), 2025; Ord. 3774-20 § 8 (Exh. 6), 2020; Ord. 3616-18 § 2 (Exh. 1), 2018.)

1. All parking areas shall consist of durable surface materials approved by the planning director and city engineer. Depending upon site and soil conditions, low impact development (LID) stormwater management facilities are encouraged, and may be required by the city’s stormwater management manual.

2. Residential Exception. For residential uses with six or fewer dwellings on a property, nonrequired vehicle parking that is located outside of the front and street side setbacks areas may use surface materials in accordance with city design standards including grass block pavers and reinforced grass paving systems; provided, however, that parking in the area between a street-facing facade and the street must be on a paved surface as allowed by EMC 19.34.110(C).

3. Dimensional Exception. Existing, legally established vehicle parking spaces established prior to June 6, 2024, are not required to be resized or modified to meet current parking requirements, except for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, per Chapter 36.70A RCW.

1. Parking area lighting fixtures shall be full cut-off (zero percent candlepower at ninety degrees horizontal and ten percent maximum candlepower at eighty degrees from vertical), dark sky rated, and mounted no more than thirty feet above the ground, with lower fixtures preferable so as to maintain a human scale.

2. All fixtures over fifteen feet in height shall be fitted with a full cut-off luminaire.

3. Figure 34-3. Acceptable and unacceptable parking area lighting.

4. Except within industrial zones, pedestrian-scaled lighting (light fixtures no taller than fifteen feet) is encouraged in areas of pedestrian activity.

5. Lighting must not trespass onto adjacent private parcels. All building-mounted lights shall be directed onto the building itself and/or the ground immediately adjacent to it. The light emissions shall not be visible above the roof line of the building.

1. All off-street parking spaces shall be maintained to the design standard as shown on approved permit documents. Such spaces shall not be used at any time or in any manner that precludes use for off-street parking of operable motor vehicles regularly used by occupants, employees, guests or customers.

2. Where parking is owned in common (e.g., by a homeowners’ association), the covenants shall clearly indicate which parties are responsible for parking facility maintenance. (Ord. 4102-25 § 1 (Exh. 1), 2025; Ord. 3774-20 § 8 (Exh. 6), 2020; Ord. 3672-19 § 11, 2019; Ord. 3616-18 § 2 (Exh. 1), 2018.)

1. Uses with a smaller floor area than the minimum listed in the city design standards;

2. Uses in mixed-use centers; or

3. Uses being reviewed using the hearing examiner review process as set forth in EMC Title 15, Local Project Review Procedures.

1. New Construction. The number of bicycle spaces and other facilities required by Table 34-3, Bicycle Facilities, Required Counts, shall be provided.

2. Expansion. Bicycle spaces and facilities shall be provided when increasing floor area or other measure of bicycle facility requirements by addition or alteration; and

3. Change of Use. Any change of use which requires more bicycle facilities than the previous use shall provide such bicycle facilities in accordance with the current requirements minus the bicycle facilities by which the previous use was deficient, taking into account any exception or reduction under this chapter.

4. How Fractions Are Addressed for Bicycle Spaces. If the formula for determining the number of bicycle spaces results in a fraction, the number shall be rounded up to the nearest whole number.

1. Bicycle rack dimensions shall be per Table 34-2, Minimum Dimensions for Bicycle Spaces, and Figure 34-6, Bicycle Spaces, Dimensions.

2. Bicycle racks designed to accommodate two bicycles, such as an inverted-u rack, are considered two bicycle spaces.

3. Short-term bicycle racks and spaces shall be placed on stable, firm, and slip-resistant surfaces consistent with ADA Standards for Accessible Design, and anchored with tamper-resistant hardware.

4. A bicycle rack must allow for the locking of both the bicycle frame and one wheel to the rack and shall support a bicycle in a stable position with a minimum of two points of contact to the bicycle frame and without damage to the wheels, frame, or components (see below for examples in Figure 34-4, Examples of Allowed and Not-Allowed Bike Racks, that meet and do not meet this requirement).

5. Oversize Bicycles.

6. Short-term bicycle racks notably differing than those shown below as allowed may be proposed. The planning director will review using the following specifications:

g. Meet ADA Standards for Accessible Design Section 307 (protruding objects) when placed in a pedestrian circulation path.

7. Short-term bicycle spaces must be located:

d. At the same grade as the sidewalk, or at a location that can be reached by an ADA accessible route from the sidewalk; and

1. Long-term bicycle spaces must be located on site or, when being provided cooperatively with other development(s), within three hundred feet of the subject site measured by path of travel.

2. Long-term bicycle spaces must be within a roofed structure or otherwise covered. The cover must be permanent, impervious, and must project out a minimum of two feet beyond the bicycle spaces, unless those spaces are also protected by an impervious wall. The shelter provided by bike lockers or bike hangers shall be considered sufficient cover.

3. For residential development, long-term bicycle spaces required under Table 34-3, Bicycle Facilities, Required Counts, and Figure 34-6, Bicycle Spaces, Dimensions, must be in one of the following configurations:

4. Long-term bicycle spaces for any use must be provided in racks (see subsection (F) of this section) within a bike cage or bike room, or within bike hangers or bike lockers.

5. Long-term bicycle spaces shall be placed on floor and/or ground surfaces that are stable, firm, and slip resistant consistent with ADA Standards for Accessible Design, and provide tamper-resistant qualities to the racks.

6. Long-term bicycle spaces shall prevent unauthorized access in one of the following configurations:

7. Property owners and businesses located on the same block may establish a grouped long-term bicycle facility area where long-term bicycle spaces may be situated; provided, that such facility area must be reached by ADA accessible route less than three hundred feet long.

8. Residential long-term bicycle spaces located within individual dwelling units, except under subsection (D)(3)(b) of this section, do not count towards required long-term bicycle spaces for a site.

1. The standard bicycle space (horizontal or vertical) is two feet wide, six feet long, and three feet four inches tall. See Figure 34-6, Bicycle Spaces, Dimensions, and Table 34-2, Minimum Dimensions for Bicycle Spaces. Bicycle spaces may exceed one or more dimensions.

2. The oversize bicycle space (horizontal only) is three feet wide, ten feet long, and three feet four inches tall. Bicycle spaces may exceed one or more dimensions.

3. If other types of micromobility are proposed different from an oversize bicycle, (e.g., bicycle trailers, pedalcab, etc.), an applicant may propose, and the planning director may allow, dimensions other than an oversize bicycle.

4. Oversized spaces may always substitute for standard spaces; standard spaces may not substitute for oversized spaces.

1. The rack must be designed so that the bicycle frame and one wheel can be locked to a rigid portion of the rack with a U-shaped shackle lock, when both wheels are left on the bicycle.

2. If the rack is a horizontal rack, it must support the bicycle at two points, including the frame; and

3. The rack must be securely anchored with tamper-resistant hardware.

4. Bicycle spaces, maneuvering areas, and clearance dimensions must meet the minimum standards contained in Table 34-3.

c. Where stacked (two-tier) racks are used, clear space from floor to ceiling shall be no less than nine feet.

		Bicycle Space Depth	Bicycle Space Width	Bicycle Space Height	Maneuvering Depth	Clearance to Rack From Walls

		Bicycle Space Depth	Bicycle Space Width	Bicycle Space Height	Maneuvering Depth	Clearance to Rack From Walls
Standard Spacing
	Standard Bicycle Spacing	6 ft.	2 ft.	3 ft. 4 in.	5 ft.	2 ft. 6 in.
Alternative Spacing
	Horizontal: Side by Side	6 ft.	1 ft. 6 in.	3 ft. 4 in.	5 ft.	2 ft. 6 in.
	Horizontal: Wall Attached	6 ft.	2 ft.	3 ft. 4 in.	5 ft.	1 ft.
	Horizontal: Diagonal (45 – 60 degree)	6 ft.	1 ft. 6 in.	3 ft. 4 in.	5 ft.	3 ft.
	Vertical Spaces [1]	3 ft. 4 in.	1 ft. 5 in.	6 ft.	5 ft.	--
	Stacked Spaces [2]	--	1 ft. 5 in.	--	8 ft.	--
	Larger Bicycle Space	10 ft.	3 ft.	3 ft. 4 in.	5 ft.	3 ft.

Notes:

[1]The alternative spacing allowed for vertical bicycle parking spaces requires a minimum vertical stagger of eight inches between each space.

[2]The alternative spacing allowed for stacked bicycle parking spaces requires a vertical stagger to be included in the manufacturer design.

Side-by-Side	Vertical
Wall Attached
Diagonal (45 – 60 degrees)
Stacked Spaces

1. Must have direct access from the public right-of-way (street or public sidewalk). The beginning of the path of travel from the public right-of-way should be prominent and obvious. A bicycle access point from an alley to meet this subsection (H)(1) may only be considered when located within thirty feet along a path of travel from a public street.

2. The path of travel from the public right-of-way to long-term bicycle spaces may not extend more than one hundred horizontal feet from the exterior of the building to the spaces and shall not require a rider to carry their bicycle.

3. If long-term bicycle spaces are not readily visible from main building entrance(s) and/or the public street, signs must be prominently posted along the route (including at building entrances) indicating the location of the bicycle facilities.

4. Long-term bicycle spaces may be located within structured parking, provided the following:

5. If a long-term bicycle facility is served by an elevator, the elevator shall be designed to accommodate the simultaneous loading and unloading of at least two bicycles.

1. Calculation for quantity of bicycle spaces required and proposed.

2. Bicycle space location, type, and dimensions.

3. Type of rack or fixture (hardware) and mounting proposed.

4. Vertical clearance dimensions.

5. Dimensions for clearance from wall or other vertical obstruction.

6. Dimensions for separation between racks.

7. Note or verification of lighting.

8. Dimensioned bicycle access route to spaces provided.

9. Manufacturer’s installation specifications for mounting, and where applicable, clearance and aisle width (if proposing alternate standards to director).

10. Where required, sign detail and sign location for wayfinding.