Folsom City Zoning Code

Application. This chapter shall apply to all land uses, to any building or structure, any enlargement or increase in capacity of any main building or structure or change of occupancy or use.

General Provisions. Accessible off-street parking areas shall be provided and maintained as set forth in this chapter. The parking access area shall provide parking and maneuvering room for motor vehicles and for pedestrian safety, based on the anticipated occupancy of a given building, structure, or area of land or water. Where there is a combination of principal uses in any one facility, the sum of the parking requirements of these uses shall be provided unless otherwise indicated. If the calculation of parking needs results in the requirement for a fraction of a parking space, such a parking space need not be provided unless the fraction exceeds fifty percent. This chapter shall not be construed to prohibit the installation and maintenance of more parking spaces than the minimums required.

Change of Occupancy or Use. For a change of occupancy and/or use where the parking demand is increased and where no new construction requiring a building permit is anticipated but a new business license is required, the planning director or his designee shall review the parking requirements of the proposed use. No new business license shall be issued until the planning department has approved the parking plan. Two copies of such plan, drawn to scale, shall be submitted to the planning director or his designee for approval. The plan shall show the whole property in question and shall show the means of ingress and egress, location of the building, parking spaces, landscaping, barrier curbs, irrigation system, lights, and any other proposed facilities. If the plan conforms to the intent and provisions of this chapter, the planning director or his designee shall approve both copies, keeping one copy on file and returning the other copy to the finance department for issuance of any business license.

Subsequent Development. No building or use shall be enlarged, expanded, or changed without having the parking plan reviewed and approved by the planning director or his designee.

Existing Facilities. Any building or use for which parking facilities become substandard by the adoption of this chapter shall be considered a nonconforming use. Such nonconforming use may continue for nonresidential buildings, but no enlargement, expansion, change of occupancy or use shall be made in such use or building unless the required number of parking spaces and other improvements, including landscaping, required by this chapter are provided. Furthermore, such nonconforming use may continue for residential buildings, but no garage conversion to nonvehicular use and no remodeling that involves enlarging or expanding over five hundred square feet of the measurable living area of existing residential building shall be made in such use or building unless the required number of covered parking spaces and other improvements, including landscaping, required by this chapter are provided.

Change of Parking Requirements. When parking requirements as set forth in this chapter are amended, such amendment shall not invalidate a previously approved development plan or building permit.

Parking of Nonregistered Vehicles. Automotive vehicles or trailers of any kind or type without current registration, excluding farm equipment, shall not be parked or stored in the required front yard or required street side yard of any lot in any residential district.

Single-family and two-family dwellings: two covered parking spaces per unit. Spaces must be provided outside the required front yard and street side yard setbacks and must be directly accessible along a paved surface or similar hardscape.

Residential condominiums, townhouses, and planned developments with private streets: three spaces per unit, one of which shall be available for guest parking (unassigned).

Multiple-family structures and complexes: one and five-tenths spaces per unit.

Mobilehomes in mobilehome parks: two spaces per unit plus at least one guest parking space for each four mobilehome spaces in the park. Spaces for units may be end-to-end.

Commercial.

Offices: one space per two hundred square feet of gross floor area. A minimum of five spaces shall be provided. Interior hallways used for access to office suites need not be counted in determining gross floor area.

Retail commercial uses, banks, financial institutions, and office/service-type commercial uses: one space per two hundred square feet of gross floor area; minimum of five spaces.

Eating establishments and bars: one space per three seats, based on the capacity of fixed and movable seating area as determined under the Uniform Building Code. If located within a shopping center or other mixed-use development which is predominantly retail commercial, the retail commercial parking requirement applies, provided that there are mutual parking agreements and the total cumulative gross floor area of the eating establishment(s) do(es) not exceed ten percent of the gross floor area of the shopping center.

Retail furniture, major appliance, floor covering retail sales: one space per two hundred square feet for the first three thousand square feet of gross floor area; one space per one thousand square feet or fraction thereof for floor area in excess of three thousand square feet.

Uncovered sales areas including new and used automobile, boat, or trailer sales; lumber and building material yards; plant nurseries; and similar uses: one space per one thousand square feet of sales display area.

Automobile repair and service shops and service stations: one space per two hundred square feet of gross floor area. Spaces need not be striped.

Motels, hotels, guesthouses, and lodges: one space per sleeping room or unit, plus parking as required in this chapter for other uses.

Boardinghouses, fraternity and sorority houses, group care facilities, and similar uses: one space per two occupants, based upon the maximum occupant load of the sleeping or dining area, whichever is greater, as determined from the Uniform Building Code.

Historical district: Refer to parking requirements of Section 17.57.090.

Recreational Uses.

Dancehalls, ballrooms, discos, and incidental dancing areas: One space per two seats, based on the capacity of fixed and movable seating area as determined by the Uniform Building Code, or one space per thirty square feet of dance floor area, whichever is greater. When a dance area is incidental to another use, parking for the dance area shall be provided according to the above standards, based on the area of that portion of the premises oriented to the dance floor, in addition to the parking required for other uses.

Bowling centers: six spaces per lane. Other principal uses within the bowling center shall provide parking as required for those uses by this chapter.

Skating rinks: one space per one hundred square feet of skating area, plus parking for other uses in the facility as required by this chapter.

Tennis and other court games: two spaces per court.

Swimming pools: one space per one hundred square feet of pool area, plus parking for other uses at the facility as required by this chapter. This requirement does not apply to swimming pools which are accessory to residential uses.

Swimming and tennis clubs and similar uses: The full parking requirement shall be provided for the part of the use requiring the greatest number of spaces, plus fifty percent of the parking required for other uses as established in this chapter.

Golf courses: ten spaces per hole. Additional spaces are not required for the following accessory uses: driving ranges, putting greens, shower and locker rooms, maintenance shops and buildings.

Driving and shooting ranges: one and five-tenths spaces per tee or shooting station.

Commercial stables: one space per employee plus one space per five stalls or portion thereof.

Parks: Parking area equal to five percent of the total park area for parks over ten acres in size.

Stadiums and similar uses with fixed seating: one space per four seats.

Theaters, auditoriums, and similar places of public assembly: one space per three seats in fixed seating facilities. One space per thirty square feet of net floor area in assembly halls.

Travel trailer and recreational vehicle parks: one and five-tenths spaces per trailer or RV site, one of which shall be provided at each site.

Educational Facilities.

Schools: Elementary schools shall provide at least one parking space for each employee or one parking space for every three seats in the auditorium or multi-purpose room, whichever is greater, plus off-street loading space for at least two school buses. Junior high schools shall provide at least one parking space for every three seats in the main auditorium or assembly hall. High schools shall provide the greater of the following:

Colleges: Colleges, including universities and junior colleges, shall provide the greater of the following:

Hospitals: two spaces per bed. Any outpatient facility shall provide additional parking as required for offices.

Convalescent hospitals: one space per four beds.

Residential carehomes: one space per three persons receiving care in the home, in addition to the spaces required for the residence.

Family day care homes, foster homes, and similar uses: one space per ten children in addition to the spaces required for the residence.

Child day care centers and similar uses: one space per employee plus one loading space for every eight children licensed by the county or state.

Industrial.

Manufacturing plants, machine shops, and contractors and industrial facilities: The greater of the following:

Warehouses and storage buildings: The greater of the following:

Industrial-office parks: One space per five hundred square feet of floor area for manufacturing areas, one space per two thousand square feet of floor area for storage areas, and one space per two hundred fifty square feet of gross floor area for offices and accessory retail sales area. In the event that the structure is constructed on speculation, parking shall be provided at the ratio of one space per two hundred seventy-five square feet based on gross floor area.

Industrial uses maintaining more than one shift shall provide the greater of the following:

Churches and other places of worship, mortuaries and funeral homes: one space per four seats in the main assembly area.

Other uses for which parking requirements are not specified elsewhere in this chapter: Parking spaces shall be provided at the ratio determined by the planning director.

Compact car space: Uses requiring five or more parking spaces may have up to thirty percent of such spaces designated for compact cars. A compact space shall have a width of nine feet and a length of not less than fourteen feet. Compact spaces shall be clearly marked, “Compact Car.”

Parking spaces for the handicapped: Parking spaces shall be provided for the handicapped in accordance with the following provisions:

Parking reductions: A proponent of an office, commercial, or industrial project may provide alternative facilities or programs which serve to reduce parking demand in return for a reduction in vehicle parking requirements. Vehicle parking requirements may be reduced in accordance with the following provisions:

Quantity receivers, shippers: All retail and wholesale stores, warehouses, supply houses, building devoted to manufacturing trade, hotels, hospitals or other buildings where large amounts of goods are received or shipped shall provide loading and unloading space adequate to handle the volume and frequency of truck traffic to the building or shopping center. The minimum number of spaces shall be determined in accordance with the estimated volume of truck traffic and loading requirements. Each required loading space shall be not less than ten feet wide, thirty-five feet long, and fourteen feet high.

Table of spaces required: In any case, the minimum number of truck loading and unloading spaces indicated in the following table shall be provided:

New and used car agencies: New and used car agencies shall provide one truck loading and unloading space fifteen feet wide and fifty feet long for each ten thousand square feet of uncovered sales area up to a maximum of four spaces for delivery rigs.

Drainage facilities: Drainage facilities shall be provided in all public parking areas adequate to handle the drainage requirements of the subject property, to alleviate the creation of flooding and drainage problems for the subject property or any surrounding properties.

Paving requirements:

Fences: An approved solid fence six feet high shall be provided and maintained along the edge(s) of any public parking areas adjacent to properties for residential or agricultural uses to protect these properties from the interruption and nuisance of the automobiles using the parking area. On that portion of any parking area located between the building line and the street where such a fence would interfere with visibility, the fence shall not exceed thirty inches within ten feet of the right-of-way line and shall not exceed forty-two inches within twenty feet of the right-of-way line. The height of the fence shall be measured from the paved surface of the parking lot and may be modified by the director of public works or his designee when he finds that due to a significant difference in elevation between parcels, different screening requirements are necessary.

Bumper curbs, wheel stops: To insure the proper maintenance and utilization of these facilities, public parking areas shall be designed so that a parked vehicle does not overhang required sidewalks, planters or landscaped areas. A permanent curb, bumper, wheel stop, or similar device shall be installed which shall be adequate to protect the required sidewalks, planters, and landscaped areas from vehicular overhang and to protect any structure from vehicular damage. If such protection is provided by means of a method designed to stop the wheel rather than the bumper of the vehicle, the stopping edge shall be placed no closer than two feet from the edge of the required sidewalks, planter or landscaped areas and from any building. The innermost two feet of each parking space (between the curb and any planter or sidewalk) may remain unpaved if planted with low ground cover and added to any required or proposed landscaping, to allow for bumper overhang; this additional planting area is considered to be part of the parking space and may not count toward satisfying any landscaping requirement. The director of public works or his designee may require other barrier curbs or wheel stops as deemed necessary to protect areas within or adjacent to the parking area from vehicular encroachment.

Marking of parking spaces: Parking spaces shall be marked or maintained on the pavement, and any other directional markings or signs shall be installed as permitted or required by the director of public works or his designee to insure the proper utilization of space, adequate traffic flow, and general safety.

Lighting: Lighting, if provided, shall be directed away from residential areas and public streets so that the light source is not visible from such areas in order to insure the general safety of other vehicular traffic and the privacy and well-being of the residential areas.

Planters, landscaping:

Sight Distance/cross-visibility area:

Maintenance: All landscape areas shall be maintained in a healthy and attractive condition. Maintenance shall include but not be limited to watering, fertilizing, weeding, cleaning, pruning, trimming, spraying, and cultivating. Plant materials showing physical damage or injury arising from lack of water, chemical damage, insects, or disease shall be replaced by the same or similar species.

Vehicular Access Requirements.

Off-Street Parking Spaces. Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, every use shall provide the required parking spaces in a paved public parking area or building on the same property. The owners of adjoining buildings or lots may provide parking space in common if the total parking space provided is equal to the sum of the individual parking needs. All parking areas shall be designed so that the parking spaces are permanently maintained and have suitable maneuvering space and access to and from a public street or alley. The dimensions of each parking space shall be determined from the following charts. Other angles or dimensions may be considered only upon the approval of the director of public work or his designee.

Refer to Section 17.57.050 for parking provisions for compact cars and handicapped parking provisions for compact cars and handicapped parking requirements. Plates I, II, and III, on subsequent pages, are intended to serve as a guide in the design of parking areas. All major/primary driveway aisles, as determined and designated by the fire marshal, shall provide a minimum width of 27 feet. Dead-end aisles are discouraged. When used, ninety-degree angle stalls are required, and extra backing area shall be provided for spaces at the end of the aisle.

Bicycle Parking Requirement.

Design Standards. Bicycle parking facilities shall be installed in a manner which allows adequate spacing for access to the bicycle and the locking device when the facilities are occupied. General space allowances shall include a 2-foot width and a 6-foot length per bicycle and a 5-foot maneuvering space behind the bicycle. The facilities shall be located on a hard, dust-free surface, preferably asphalt or concrete slab.

Bicycle parking facilities shall consist of at least a stationary bicycle rack, typically a concrete slab or vertical metal bar, where the bicyclist supplies a padlock and chain or cable to secure the bicycle to a stationary object.