A.

Purpose. The purpose of this Article is to ensure that:

1.

Adequate off-street parking is provided for uses that are permitted by these regulations.

2.

Sufficient parking is provided in nonresidential areas that are near residential neighborhoods so that the character and quality of life in the residential neighborhoods are protected from overflow parking.

3.

Off-street loading areas are designed so that loading-related circulation and activities do not interfere with the function of other vehicular use areas.

(Ord. No. 18-037, § 2, 6-21-18)

A.

Applicability.

1.

New Development. All new development shall provide all of the parking spaces required by a zoning district and shall comply with all other provisions of this Article.

2.

Additional Parking Demand. Expansions to existing development and changes in use that require additional parking shall provide parking only to the extent of the new demand created by the expansion or change in use.

3.

Reduced Parking Demand. Upon a change in use of an existing building, the new use shall not be prevented from eliminating existing parking spaces that exceed the number required for the new use.

4.

Exemptions by District. Except as may be required for particular uses by Article 2, Uses and Supplemental Standards, no off-street parking is required for uses in the CB District. In the HI District, the off-street parking exemption is only for residential uses.

5.

Exemptions by Property.

A.

In all zoning districts that require off-street parking, such parking shall not be required on a property that meets all of the following criteria:

1.

The building was constructed prior to January 1, 1968;

2.

The parking requirement for the applicable land use does not exceed five parking spaces;

3.

The total floor area of the land use does not exceed 2,000 square feet; and

4.

The applicant has exhausted all options provided in this Article for reducing the off-street parking requirement including shared parking, off-site parking, and credit for on-street and public parking.

B.

No Parking Requirement for properties located on the 2700 block of Market (Avenue D), lots north on Market (Avenue D) between 27 ^th Street and 26 ^th Street and lots on the 2600 block of Mechanic (Avenue C). (Ord. 16-037)

6.

Timing of Compliance. No certificate of zoning compliance or certificate of occupancy shall be issued unless and until off-street vehicular parking is provided in accordance with this Article.

(Ord. No. 18-037, § 2, 6-21-18)

A.

Generally. Required Parking Spaces for a particulate zoning district are identified in zoning district tables in Article 3, District Yard Setback and Setback Standards. The number of required spaces is based on one or more independent variables, which are measured as provided in this Section.

1.

Fractional Spaces. When the number of required parking spaces results in a fractional space, the fractional space shall be rounded up to the next highest whole number.

2.

Residential Driveways. For a single-family or two-family residential use in any zoning district to satisfy its associated off-street parking requirement, a driveway on the same lot, whether unenclosed or enclosed by a garage or other structure, must provide a minimum area of 9 feet wide x 20 feet long per vehicle not extending over the public sidewalk or street rights-of-way and on a paved surface in accordance with Sec. 8.301, below.

B.

Unlisted and Functionally Similar Uses. A proposed use that is not listed in Table 2.201, Uses by District, shall be required to meet the parking standards of the use category or functionally similar use it is determined to be most similar.

C.

Maximum Parking. In addition to the minimum parking standards set out in this Section, the quantity of off-street surface parking shall also be limited to avoid excessive provision of vehicular parking, encourage shared parking arrangements, reduce the proportion of developable land devoted to parking, reduce impervious surfaces, assist with storm water management, offset the urban "heat island" effect, and encourage alternative travel. This subsection shall not apply to commercial parking lots or structures.

1.

Cap on Off-Street Parking. For any use that must provide 50 or more off-street surface parking spaces to comply with this Article, the total number of off-street surface parking spaces provided for the use shall not exceed the applicable maximum parking limit in Table 8.201 below. The maximum parking limit shall be applied to the use before applying any available parking reductions or credits provided in this Article. Any reduced-size spaces provided for motorcycles, scooters, golf carts or bicycles as provided in this Article shall not count toward the maximum parking calculation.

2.

Parking Study Option. A development applicant may propose a site-specific study in accordance with Section 8.202, Special Parking Studies, to demonstrate that unique characteristics of a proposed use, or mix of uses, justifies an amount of off-street parking that exceeds the established cap. Potential mitigating factors may include:

a.

The proposed use of rooftop parking, garage parking or unenclosed parking below an elevated building to reduce the extent of parking coverage on the site;

b.

The proposed dedication of some proportion of the off-street parking for free public parking; or

c.

A shared parking arrangement with one or more other properties that will cause the subject property to accommodate additional parking beyond the needs of its own use(s) so as to yield a net reduction in the overall parking provided across all the participating properties.

D.

Off-Site Parking. Spaces needed to meet parking requirements for a use may be located off-site on a separate property provided that the most distant parking space that is located off-site is no more than 600 feet from the site, measured as a radius from property lines. Additionally, the off-site parking shall not be separated from the use by an arterial street other than Seawall Boulevard, by a limited-access highway, or by any other impediment to pedestrian circulation.

1.

Extent of Off-Site Parking. Up to 100 percent of the total required off-street parking spaces may be located off site. None of the required parking spaces for disabled persons shall be located off site. None of the off-site parking shall involve or displace the off-street parking required of another use except through a shared parking arrangement under this Article.

2.

Required Pedestrian Link. An identifiable and publicly available pedestrian connection shall exist between the off-site parking area and the use.

3.

Agreement for Off-Site Parking. Any proposed off-site parking arrangement and the continued availability of the dedicated parking shall be documented through a written legal agreement executed by the involved property owners. An agreement shall be reviewed by and be satisfactory to the City Attorney as to form; sufficiency and manner of execution; and shall bind all heirs, successors, and assigns. Off-site parking privileges shall continue in effect only as long as the agreement, binding on all parties, remains in force.

a.

If there is a change in circumstances regarding the off-site parking area that displaces, reduces, or terminates the required parking, the owner of the use served by the off-site parking shall promptly notify the Development Services Director about the changed circumstances and their plans for maintaining full compliance with this Article.

b.

Failure to notify the Development Services Director of changed circumstances or to provide the required parking within 90 days of the loss of required parking, shall be cause for initiating revocation of the certificate of zoning compliance or certificate of occupancy for the use.

E.

Parking Spaces for Disabled Persons. The number of parking spaces that are designed and designated for disabled persons shall comply with the requirements of the Texas Accessibility Standards.

F.

Uses that Involve Fleets or Vehicle Inventory. Uses that involve fleets of vehicles and uses that involve vehicle inventories shall provide parking for the fleet or inventory. Such parking shall not count toward the off-street parking requirements of this Section.

(Ord. No. 18-037, § 2, 6-21-18)

Generally. Some land uses have nonlinear or widely varying parking demand characteristics. This section authorizes the preparation of a parking study to identify site specific parking requirements.

A.

Requirements. The special study shall provide:

1.

If enough comparable cases are not available within the City, a peak parking analysis of at least five functionally comparable uses within the City or in other communities in the region as approved by the Development Services Director.

2.

Documentation regarding the comparability of the referenced uses including name, function, location, floor area, parking availability, access to transportation network, use restrictions, hours of operation, and other factors that could affect the parking demand.

3.

Evaluation of the implications if the applicant intends to pursue this option.

B.

Conduct of Study. The special study shall be conducted by a professional engineer or by a transportation planner or architect with experience in parking analysis and planning.

1.

The City may:

a.

Retain a qualified specialist, at the applicant's expense, to prepare the special study; or

b.

Approve the applicant's proposed specialist to prepare the special study.

2.

The City Manager or designee, in consultation with the City Engineer, shall review the study findings and recommendations and either:

a.

Accept the recommended off-street parking supply for the use, or mix of uses, and approve this amount as the site-specific requirement in satisfaction of this Article.

b.

Request further study or clarification in case of uncertainty or disagreement with the study findings or recommendations, which may lead to the conclusion in subsection 8.202.B.2.a, above, or in subsection 8.202.B.2.c, below.

c.

Reject the recommended off-street parking supply for the use or mix of uses and require conformance to the standard requirements of this Article, in which case the applicant may appeal the decision as provided in Section 13.900, Administrative Appeals, of these regulations.

C.

Future Parking Reserve.

1.

As a condition of approving a site-specific off-street parking requirement recommended by a special study, a use shall be required to reserve an open area on the site for additional parking if the Development Services Director finds that:

a.

There is a demonstrably high probability the use could change, resulting in a higher demand for parking;

b.

The case involves a phased development with the potential for a change in the nature or mix of uses in later phases resulting in a higher demand for parking; or

c.

The variability in the special study justifies the reservation of additional land to mitigate a material risk that the use may be insufficiently parked.

2.

If a case is not already subject to Planning Commission review, the Planning Commission shall review and approve the applicant's plan for a future parking reserve that is required under this Section. Areas that are reserved shall be appropriately located, be of sufficient dimension to provide for the additional parking, and connect to existing parking areas. Once the development is occupied and well established, if there is a surplus of parking, the property owner or development representative may request approval for additional development capacity and parking using the reserved area.

3.

An applicant may appeal the administrative findings to the Planning Commission.

(Ord. No. 18-037, § 2, 6-21-18)

A.

Generally. Uses with drive-through facilities shall provide vehicle-stacking spaces as set out in this Section and in Table 8.201, Required Stacking Spaces. Stacking spaces include the spaces at menu boards, service windows, and ATMs.

1.

Size of stacking space: 8 feet wide x 18 feet long (exclusive of access drives and parking aisles).

(Ord. No. 18-037, § 2, 6-21-18)

A.

Mixed-Use Developments. A use may provide fewer off-street parking spaces than the number of spaces required by this Article when the use is part of a mixed-use development that includes shared parking arrangements. Shared parking arrangements are encouraged by this Section as this tends to enhance the efficiency of land use and decrease impervious surfaces by capitalizing on the synergy between varied uses in close proximity that have different peak parking demand periods.

1.

Shared Parking Table. Shared parking allows a reduction in the total number of required parking spaces when a parcel is occupied by two or more uses that typically do not experience peak parking demands at the same time. When any land or building is used for two or more use types that are listed in Table 8.204, Shared Parking Table, the minimum total number of required parking spaces may be determined by the following procedure:

a.

Multiply the minimum required parking for each individual use type by the appropriate percentage listed in Table 8.204 for each of the designated time periods. Do not include parking spaces that are reserved for use by specified individuals or classes of individuals. Round up all fractions to the nearest whole number.

b.

Calculate a sum for all uses for each of the five time periods. The minimum parking requirement is the highest of these sums, plus the reserved spaces, if any, that were not included in the multiplication in the first step.

c.

The maximum reduction pursuant to Table 8.204 shall be 25 percent.

d.

If an applicant proposes to reduce required parking through the provisions of Section 8.204, these reductions must be applied to one use within the proposed mixed-use development prior to calculating the shared parking reduction.

2.

Special Shared Parking Study. As an alternative to the Shared Parking Table methodology, above in Table 8.204, an applicant may propose a special study to document the parking required for mixed uses. This shall involve review of the peak parking demand periods for the proposed uses during a 24-hour weekday and each weekend day, and shall result in a proposed number of parking spaces to accommodate the combined peak hour parking demand. The study shall be conducted as provided in Section 8.201, Special Parking Studies. The study shall provide data on:

a.

The sensitivity of the proposed uses to change. For example, a center with no restaurant could have significant changes in parking if a restaurant was added.

b.

Similar mixes of uses in other areas of the community or surrounding region.

c.

Degree of variability of parking for individual uses including the average, range and standard deviation.

B.

Site Under Different Ownership. Adjoining developments with separate property ownership may propose shared parking arrangements in accordance with the purposes and procedure of subsection a., above, with the following conditions:

1.

Table 8.204 shall be used to calculate the reduction in required parking to be achieved through a shared parking arrangement.

2.

A plan for interconnected parking areas shall be provided.

3.

Perpetual easements shall be recorded that provide for, at a minimum:

a.

Cross-access among the parking areas and connections to enable parking by the different uses anywhere in the connected properties;

b.

A pedestrian circulation system that connects uses and parking areas, making it easy and convenient to move between uses; and

c.

Allocation of maintenance responsibilities.

C.

Shared Alternative Parking. The alternative parking proposed for one use may be consolidated with the alternative parking of an adjacent use if the parking location is within 150 feet of the entrance of the principal building associated with the use that would benefit from the off-site alternative parking. Such shared provision of alternative parking shall be evidenced by a written agreement executed by both property owners.

(Ord. No. 18-037, § 2, 6-21-18)

A.

Parking lot design and construction must comply with the Institute of Transportation Engineers, Traffic Engineering Handbook, current edition, and meet all applicable state and federal laws.

B.

Parking on private property shall be paved with asphalt, concrete, or brick except for paving in beachfront areas (200' from LOV) which shall be in accordance with Galveston City Code, Section 29-2. Alternative pavement method may be used when designed by a registered professional engineer and approved by the Development Services Director and City Engineer.

C.

When concrete or asphalt is used, one of the following standards at a minimum is required. Additional plans and specifications may be required as deemed necessary by the office of the City Engineer.

1.

One and one half inches (1½") of Type D Hot Mix Asphalt Concrete with a six inch (6") Grade I crushed stone or stabilized shell or three inches (3") Grade I Asphalt Stabilized Base (Plant Mix) or equivalent materials. The sub grade shall be compacted to 95 percent modified proctor.

2.

Four inches (4") of reinforced concrete pavement or equivalent material with #4 rebar at 16 inches on center each way. The sub grade shall be compacted to 95 percent modified proctor.

D.

Parking spaces shall be legibly marked and striped in conformance with the Institute of Transportation Engineers, Traffic Engineering Handbook, current edition.

A.

Parking in the Commercial (C) district shall be located in the rear of the building. When parking in the rear cannot be accommodated, the Director of Development Services may, on a case-by-case basis, approve an alternate parking design.

(Ord. No. 18-037, § 2, 6-21-18)

A.

Generally. Nonconforming parking and loading areas are subject to the regulations of this Section.

B.

Number of Parking Spaces.

1.

Building Expansions and Expansions of Existing Uses. If an existing building or use is expanded, additional parking shall be required only in proportion to the new area of the building or use.

2.

Change of Use. If the use of a building changes, resulting in a net additional demand for parking, then the number of parking spaces provided shall be brought into conformance with the requirements of Article 8, Parking and Loading.

3.

Redevelopment. If an existing building is demolished or otherwise removed entirely from a property and a new building is constructed or another building moved to the property, parking shall be provided for the use of the new or relocated building as required by Article 8, Parking and Loading.

C.

Size of Parking Spaces and Drive Aisles; Surfacing. Parking spaces and drive aisles shall be sized and surfaced according to the requirements of Section 8.300.

D.

Time Period for Compliance. Non-paved parking areas for required parking in existence on the effective date of these regulations (March 5, 2015) shall fully comply with Division 8.300, Parking and Loading Design, on or before December 31, 2019.

(Ord. No. 18-037, § 2, 6-21-18)