Fircrest City Zoning Code

Purpose. The purpose of this chapter is to provide for adequate, convenient and safe off-street parking, loading and circulation areas for the permitted land uses described in this title; to protect neighborhoods from the effects of vehicular noise, traffic, and light and glare associated with parking and loading facilities; to reduce the amount of impervious surfaces associated with parking facilities; to reduce demand for parking by encouraging alternative means of transportation including public transit, rideshare and bicycles; and to increase pedestrian mobility within the community.

Intent. The demand for parking responds to changing market forces, technology, and societal preferences. Minimum parking standards have resulted in development patterns dominated by expanses of parking perceived as visual blight, damaging to the environment, and low value in terms of tax base. The amount of parking provided on a site frequently exceeds parking demand – at considerable cost to property and business owners – and the community. In response, municipalities have adopted parking standards that restrict the amount of off-street parking provided for certain uses or locations. These constraints, however, may limit the viability of retail and other uses in some markets. Other municipalities have eliminated minimum parking space requirements and relied on the market to provide an appropriate number.

This chapter supports a transition toward relying on the market to determine parking supply but also reflects community concern that neighborhoods may be impacted by individual market-based decisions that collectively result in an undersupply of off-street parking. The intent of this chapter, therefore, is to balance market considerations with minimum and maximum numerical standards to ensure a sufficient, but not excessive, supply of parking – and authorize the city to approve an increase, or decrease, in the amount of parking being provided relative to a specified standard when a proposal can meet criteria.

New Construction. Parking, loading and circulation shall be provided in accordance with this chapter for all new construction and lot development.

Existing Development or Use. Parking, loading and circulation area requirements for alteration or expansion of existing developments or for a change or increase in intensity of use, shall be in accordance with the following:

Residential and Lodging Activities.

Commercial Activities.

Educational Activities.

Industrial Activities.

Recreational, Amusement and Assembly Activities.

Public, Institutional, Medical and Religious Activities.

Other Uses. For uses not specifically identified in this chapter, the amount of parking required shall be based on the requirements for similar uses as determined by the director or hearing examiner, as appropriate.

Speculative Use. When the city has received an application for a site plan approval or other permits for a building shell without tenant uses being specified, off-street parking requirements shall be based on the possible tenant improvements or uses authorized by the zone designation and compatible with the limitations of the site plan or other permit. When the range of possible uses results in different parking requirements, the director or hearing examiner, as appropriate, will establish the amount of parking based on a likely range of uses.

Joint Use. In the case of two or more uses in the same building or on the same lot, for example within a mixed-use development that includes retail, residential and other uses, the total requirements for off-street parking facilities shall be the sum of the requirements for the various uses computed separately. Off-street parking facilities for one use shall not be considered as providing required parking facilities for any other use. However, an applicant may request a parking demand reduction credit per FMC § 22.60.004 and/or a shared parking facilities credit per FMC § 22.60.005 to reduce the overall parking requirement. The director or hearing examiner, as appropriate, shall be responsible for determining the various uses within a building or on a lot and the resulting parking requirements for each use.

Because of the unique nature of the use, the characteristics of the site and surrounding neighborhood, the availability of alternative means of transportation, proximity to regional transit facilities, the provision of car share, rideshare or micromobility facilities, or other relevant local factors, parking demand can be met with a reduced number of spaces; or

A shared parking facility designed in accordance with FMC § 22.60.005 will effectively reduce parking demand to a level below the minimum required parking; or

A combined parking facility for two or more complementary uses which have similar hours of operation will reduce parking demand to a level below the minimum required parking. The hearing examiner may authorize a 5% reduction for two complementary uses, a 10% reduction for three uses, and a 15% reduction for four or more uses; or

An employee-sponsored commute trip reduction program designed in accordance with state law will effectively reduce parking demand below the minimum required parking; or

Additional public on-street parking will be provided as part of the project.

The total parking area exceeds 5,000 square feet;

The parking facilities are designed and developed as a single on-site common parking facility, or as a system of on-site and off-site facilities, if all parking facilities are connected with improved pedestrian walkways, and no building or use involved is more than 600 feet from the most remote shared facility unless transportation is provided between the parking generator and parking facility;

The amount of the reduction shall not exceed 10% for each use, unless:

The total number of parking spaces in the common parking facility is not less than the minimum required spaces for any single use;

A covenant or other contract for shared parking between the cooperating property owners is approved by the hearing examiner and city attorney. This covenant or other contract must be recorded with the Pierce County auditor as a deed restriction on both properties and cannot be modified or revoked without the consent of the hearing examiner and city attorney; and

If any requirements for shared parking are violated, the affected property owners must provide a remedy satisfactory to the hearing examiner and city attorney or provide the full amount of required off-street parking for each use, in accordance with the requirements of this chapter.

A parking demand study prepared by a professional traffic engineer (see Urban Land Institute – Shared Parking: Second Edition for a recommended parking demand analysis methodology) supports the need for increased parking and demonstrates that:

The project has been designed to include the following design elements, facilities, and programs to the satisfaction of the hearing examiner. In those instances where site constraints impede compliance with the design requirements, written findings of fact shall be made identifying site and project constraints and included in the final notice of decision. In its findings, the hearing examiner shall determine if a good faith effort has been made in building and site design to accommodate the following design elements, facilities, and programs:

For single-family and duplex dwellings, the parking spaces shall be located on the same lot as the associated dwelling unit.

For multifamily dwellings, the parking spaces shall be located on the same lot as associated dwelling units. The spaces may also be located on a contiguous lot if within 600 feet of the dwelling units and if the lot is legally encumbered by an easement or other appropriate means approved by the director and city attorney to ensure continuous use of the parking facilities.

For nonresidential uses, the parking spaces shall be located on the same lot as the associated use. The spaces may also be located on a contiguous or noncontiguous lot if within 600 feet of the associated use and authorized as a shared parking facility in accordance with FMC § 22.60.005.

Parking Space and Driveway/Aisle Dimensions. The parking space and aisle dimensions for the most common parking angles are shown in the accompanying table. For parking angles other than those shown on the table, the parking space and aisle dimensions shall be determined by the director or hearing examiner, as appropriate. Regardless of the parking angle, one-way aisles shall be at least 12 feet wide, and two-way aisles shall be at least 19 feet wide.

Compact Car Space Requirements. The installation of compact spaces is required so that impervious surface coverage associated with parking facilities is minimized and the appearance of sites is enhanced by increasing the proportion of landscaping relative to pavement. No less than 40% and no more than 50% of the total number of spaces provided for a multifamily residential, mixed-use, or nonresidential development shall be sized to accommodate compact cars. Each space shall be clearly identified as a compact car space by painting the word "COMPACT" in capital letters, a minimum of eight inches high, on the pavement at the base of the parking space and centered between the striping. Aisle widths shall conform to the standards set for standard size cars.

Extra Width Adjoining Landscaped Areas. Parking spaces abutting a landscaped area or raised walkway on the drive or passenger side of the vehicle shall provide an additional 18 inches above the minimum space width requirement. This additional space will provide a place to step other than in the landscaped area or allow for easier ingress and egress next to a vehicle. The additional width shall be separated from the adjacent landscaped area by a parking space division stripe.

Parking Space Depth Reduction.

Driveway Widths and Locations. Driveways for single-family detached dwellings shall not exceed 20 feet in width unless the director approves an alternative design that uses enhanced paving materials such as permeable interlocking pavers, pervious concrete, or porous asphalt that support stormwater infiltration and/or achieve a superior appearance. In no case shall the driveway exceed 20 feet within the public right-of-way or exceed the minimum width necessary to provide reasonable access to the dwelling. No more than one driveway is permitted to provide access to a single-family detached dwelling. Driveways for all other developments may cross required setbacks or landscaped areas to provide access between the off-street parking areas and the street; provided, that driveway width does not exceed the minimum necessary to provide safe vehicular and pedestrian circulation. Driveways oriented parallel to a street shall not be located within the minimum and maximum yard setback areas adjoining the street unless there is no other practicable alternative to provide access to the interior of a site.

Lighting. Lighting shall be provided in accordance with FMC § 22.58.018.

Tandem Parking. Tandem or end-to-end parking is allowed in single-family detached residential developments. Duplex and multifamily developments may have tandem parking areas for each dwelling unit but shall not combine parking for separate dwelling units in tandem parking areas.

Parking Surface. All required vehicle parking and storage must be in a garage, carport or on an approved, dust-free, all-weather surface. Use of enhanced paving materials such as permeable interlocking pavers, pervious concrete, or porous asphalt that support stormwater infiltration and/or achieve a superior appearance are encouraged for spaces which are used infrequently. Any surface used for vehicle parking or storage must have direct and unobstructed driveway access.

Accessible Parking Required. Accessible parking spaces shall be provided per the following table:

One of every eight accessible spaces or fraction thereof shall be designed to be accessible to wheelchair side loading vans.

Exceptions:

Design and Construction.

In any development required to provide 12 or more parking spaces, bicycle parking shall be provided. Bicycle parking shall be bike rack or locker-type parking facilities unless otherwise specified.

Off-street parking areas shall contain at least one bicycle parking space for every 12 spaces required for motor vehicles except as follows:

Bicycle facilities for patrons shall be located on site, designed to allow either a bicycle frame or wheels to be locked to a structure attached to the pavement, or allow for the entire bicycle to be enclosed within a locker.

All bicycle parking and storage shall be located in safe, visible areas that do not impede pedestrian or vehicle traffic flow, well lighted for nighttime use, and located in covered areas or otherwise be protected from the elements where practicable.

Applicability. For all new development or uses, adequate permanent off-street loading space and associated maneuvering area shall be provided if the use requires deliveries or shipment of people, materials, and/or merchandise. Structures and uses which require loading space and associated maneuvering area include but are not limited to the following: warehouses, supermarkets, department stores, office buildings greater than or equal to 20,000 square feet, industrial or manufacturing uses, mortuary and other commercial and industrial buildings or uses which, in the judgement of the director or the hearing examiner as specified in this chapter, are similar in nature in regard to loading space and maneuvering area requirements.

Quantity. One loading space shall be provided for each 12,000 square feet of floor area or fraction thereof within a building intended to be used for merchandising, manufacturing, warehousing, or processing purposes. If the building contains more than 24,000 square feet of floor area used for these purposes, then one additional space shall be provided for each additional 24,000 square feet of floor area so used. The hearing examiner may authorize a reduction or waiver based on the quantity of pick-up and delivery vehicles associated with the given structure or use.

Dimensions and Location. Each loading space required by this section shall be a minimum of 10 feet wide and 30 feet long, shall have an unobstructed vertical clearance of 14 feet, six inches, and shall be surfaced, improved, and maintained as required by this chapter. Loading spaces shall be located so that trucks will not obstruct pedestrian or vehicle traffic movement or project into any public right-of-way. All loading space and maneuvering areas shall be separated from required parking areas and shall be designated as truck loading spaces. For developments with buffer yards, the loading space and maneuvering area shall be:

Impact Mitigations. Any loading space located within 100 feet of areas zoned for residential use shall be screened and operated as necessary to reduce noise and visual impacts. Noise mitigation measures may include architectural or structural barriers, berms, walls, or restrictions on the hours of operation.

Self-Service Storage Facilities. Multi-story self-service storage facilities shall provide two loading spaces, and single-story facilities, one loading space, adjacent to each building entrance that provides common access to interior storage units.

A stacking space shall be an area measuring eight feet by 20 feet with direct forward access to a service window of a drive-through facility. A stacking space shall be located to prevent any vehicle from extending onto the public right-of-way, or interfering with any pedestrian circulation, traffic maneuvering, or other parking space areas. Stacking spaces for drive-through or drive-in uses may not be counted as required parking spaces.

Uses providing drive-up or drive-through services shall provide vehicle stacking spaces as follows:

Generally, to reduce congestion and turning lane conflicts, drive-through facilities shall not take access from a principal arterial street. Drive-through facilities must be provided access from a secondary street or road unless a traffic and circulation study, which includes a vehicle stacking analysis, clearly demonstrates that the proposed use and site design will not result in vehicles encroaching onto the public right-of-way, or interfering with any pedestrian circulation, traffic maneuvering, or other parking space areas.

All uses, except detached single-family dwellings, shall provide pedestrian access onto the site. Pedestrian access points shall be provided at all pedestrian arrival points to the development including the property edges, adjacent lots, abutting street intersections, crosswalks, and at transit stops. Pedestrian access shall be located as follows:

Pedestrian walkways shall form an on-site circulation system that minimizes the conflict between pedestrians and vehicular traffic at all points of pedestrian access to on-site parking and building entrances. Pedestrian walkways shall be provided when the pedestrian access point or any parking space is more than 75 feet from the building entrance or principal on-site destination and as follows:

Pedestrian access and walkways shall meet the following minimum design standards:

Blocks in excess of 900 feet in length shall be provided with a crosswalk at the approximate midpoint of the block, or as the hearing examiner determines to be appropriate.

Transit shelters and related facilities shall be provided for transit stops which are located adjacent to or within 600 feet of the development site on each side of the street which has a transit route. This requirement may be waived by Pierce Transit or the city when it has been determined by either agency that there is insufficient space for the installation of a transit shelter at the appropriate location. This requirement may also be waived when Pierce Transit has determined that current and projected transit ridership do not warrant the installation of a shelter within the 600-foot distance.

When a transit shelter is required to be installed, seating, garbage receptacles, and lighting shall be provided. Sidewalks next to transit stops shall be at least 10 feet wide and extend to the curb. A transit shelter may be constructed on up to five feet of the sidewalk.

When a transit shelter is not required to be installed, transit stops shall include design features or changes in materials that demarcate the stop. These features may include pavement changes, lighting fixtures, unique designs for nearby walls, or graphics.

Transit pullouts shall be provided if Pierce Transit and the city determine that a pullout is necessary to provide a safe refuge for transit vehicles or to minimize conflicts with other vehicles.

A property owner or business owner may submit a request for a temporary reduction in the number of off-street parking spaces provided on a commercial site when a proposed outdoor sales event will be located within the off-street parking facility associated with the business and the number of parking spaces will be reduced below the minimum required in FMC § 22.60.003.

The request shall be processed in accordance with the administrative use permit procedures in Chapter 22.70 FMC. The director shall consider the potential impacts of the sales event on adjoining uses and may limit the number of sales events or their duration, or impose other restrictions, in order to mitigate these impacts.

The director may authorize a parking reduction for one or more temporary sales events if the following standards are met:

Temporary outdoor sales events authorized prior to the effective date of this section shall comply with the 50% parking threshold and directional signage requirement to the extent possible.

Micromobility refers to small, manually or electrically powered vehicles used to travel short distances. Also known as little vehicles, micromobility examples include electric pedal assisted (pedelec) bicycles, scooters, velomobiles, motorized skateboards, and other small, human- or battery-powered low-speed alternatives to the automobile.

Battery-powered electric motors make micromobility a viable mode of transportation for more people, whether this is for fun or utility. These vehicles may be used for the "first mile" and "last mile" of longer trips that include transit; for example, the connection between a person's home or place of employment and a transit facility.

The provision of micromobility facilities can support increased usage of smaller vehicles that require less space for parking and storage compared to larger motor vehicles. The provision of little vehicle parking and storage corrals and dedicated travel lanes within new development can be used to reduce automobile parking demand, if residents, employees, or visitors to an area are successfully encouraged to rely less on private auto ownership and use.

New development within higher density and intensity neighborhoods, especially within the city's mixed-use districts, is encouraged to provide facilities that support micromobility. Their provision may justify a reduction in the amount of off-street parking provided for autos and other motor vehicles.

No off-street parking shall be required within one-half mile walking distance of a major transit stop as defined in RCW 36.70A.535.

No more than one off-street parking space per four sleeping units shall be required.