Gardner City Zoning Code

Emphasize the importance of site access for a variety of modes of transportation.

Preserve streetscapes and street functions by coordinating access along and internal to blocks.

Create access and parking standards appropriate to the context of the project, considering street designs and surrounding development patterns.

Provide the optimal amount of vehicle parking for individual sites, recognizing that too much and too little parking each have negative impacts.

Ensure appropriate site and design features that mitigate the impact of parking on surrounding sites.

Support the urban design goals for the surrounding area and limit the visual impact of parking and access on streetscapes and adjacent lots.

Promote parking designs that minimize runoff and infiltrate stormwater into the ground.

Reduce the need to dedicate areas of individual, adjacent sites to underutilized or redundant surface parking.

A change of use for an existing site or building, but only where the new use would require 120 percent or more parking than exists.

An expansion of a building or use of a site by more than 20 percent.

All new development of a site.

Where additional parking is required for an existing site or building, the landscape and design standards shall only apply to the newly constructed parking, except when more than 50 percent of a parking area is added to, resurfaced or otherwise impacted, then all new parking and access shall comply with this section.

Location and Spacing. Driveway location and spacing shall be limited based on the functional class of streets in Table 9-1. Spacing distance between accesses shall be measured from the perpendicular curb face of the access points, and from the perpendicular curb face of intersecting streets to the closest access point for intersections.

Width. Driveway widths shall be limited based on the Frontage Types in GMC § 17.07.050, Frontage Design. Where application of the width limits or these spacing standards appears to constrain access, different driveway configurations identified in Chapter 17.07 GMC shall be used.

Setbacks. Except for where shared or common access is permitted and executed through easements, driveways shall be set back from all lot lines as follows:

Sight Distances. All driveways and parking entrances to public streets or internal access streets shall meet sight distance requirements as measured by GMC § 17.04.010(D).

Shall be laid out to organize the site into smaller internal blocks between one and four acres;

Shall be designed to mimic public street cross sections in Chapter 17.04 GMC, including sidewalks, landscape amenities, on-street parking and travel lanes;

May be treated as public streets for determining the proper location, orientation and design of sites and buildings within the project.

Generally. Development sites shall include direct sidewalk connections and circulation at the same or greater frequency as provided for vehicles. Sidewalks connect public entrances and sites, in the most direct manner possible, with the following:

Sidewalk Width. Internal sidewalks shall meet the following requirements:

Pedestrian Amenities. Sidewalks and internal circulation shall be separated from moving vehicles to the extent feasible with curbs, landscape buffers, or curbside parking, except for crosswalks in limited locations.

Crossings. All driveways and alleys shall generally intersect with sidewalks on the perimeter of the block at the sidewalk grade, and the material and construction of the sidewalk shall continue across the drive. For drive aisles and internal access streets, the vehicle grade may interrupt the sidewalk. Where the pedestrian crossing exceeds 24 feet, crosswalks or other features to identify pedestrian crossings may be required. Design features such as bump outs, raised crossings, medians or other landscape and urban design amenities that emphasize the pedestrian crossing and shorten the distance pedestrians cross dedicated vehicle ways may be considered.

A rate based on employees shall consider maximum number of employees likely to be on-site at one time.

A rate based on square footage shall consider the service area open to the public or patrons, or leasable floor area. Where this number is not easily or readily determined, 85 percent of gross floor area may be used.

A rate based on seating shall consider total number of seats based on industry standards for typical layouts of buildings.

A rate based on capacity shall be the maximum permitted under public safety and building codes.

Where uses or sites have components of different uses (i.e., hotel with a restaurant), each component shall be calculated under most applicable rate.

Provide shared parking for other uses on the block or adjacent blocks according to subsection (D) of this section.

Design all parking areas over the minimum as dual purpose space, such as plazas, playgrounds, or event areas for regular use of the space during nonpeak times (see civic space design standards).

Use alternative surface areas designed to infiltrate stormwater.

Provide additional buffers and site open spaces to screen parking and provide more active usable outdoor spaces for people in relation to the streetscape, of at least a 10 percent increase in the open space or buffers and at least a 20 percent increase in the amount of landscape material required for the parking.

Downtown. In the C-1 district, any use under 2,000 square feet is exempt from any on-site parking. All other uses in the C-1 district may reduce the required on-site parking by 40 percent, in addition to all other applicable credits and shared parking reductions.

On-Street Parking Credit. All on-street parking within 600 feet of any lot frontage shall count towards the parking requirement at a rate of one space for every three on-street spaces.

Bicycle Parking Credit. All on-site bicycle parking designed and located according to subsection (E) of this section may reduce the required vehicle parking at a rate of one space for every four bicycle parking spaces up to a maximum of 15 percent of the required vehicle parking.

Public Parking Credit. Any site within 600 feet of a public parking area may reduce the required vehicle parking at a rate of one space for every two public parking spaces.

Deferral of Parking Space Requirements. A portion of the required parking may remain unimproved until it is necessary to adequately serve parking demand. The Planning Commission or Governing Body, whichever is charged with granting final approval, shall determine that the initial occupancy of the premises will be adequately served by the lesser number of spaces and a site plan shall indicate the location, pattern and circulation to and from the deferred parking spaces. Any approved deferral shall specifically indicate what event will trigger the construction of the deferred parking. The area reserved for future parking shall be brought to finished grade and shall be landscaped, and it shall not be used for any permanent purpose or structure unless a revised site plan and parking plan is approved.

All minimum required parking shall be reserved and used for that purpose except for what may be permitted through a Conditional Use Permit or Temporary Use Permit.

All required parking shall be on-site except as specifically provided in Credits or Shared Parking sections. Additionally, the Planning Commission may allow for a portion of required parking to be located off-site through a site plan review, provided it is within 300 feet of the subject site, it is in a comparable zoning district, and an agreement demonstrating rights and control of the off-site property is provided.

All on-site parking lots shall provide a sufficient amount of barrier free accessible spaces, meeting the Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines for quantity, design and location.

All parking and access areas shall be designed to adequately address drainage and runoff, including curb, gutters and inlets, or any other drainage strategy approved by the City Engineer to support best management practices to minimize runoff and encourage infiltration of stormwater.

All parking and access lighting shall meet the standards in GMC § 17.08.050.

All parking areas and driveways shall be surfaced with a permanent bituminous or Portland cement concrete pavement meeting the standards and specifications of the City of Gardner, except that the City Engineer may approve alternate surfaces that demonstrate superior stormwater management performance and sufficient durability and long-term maintenance.

Parking pods of no more than 40 spaces without Landscape Islands either through end caps or center strips.

No Landscape Island shall be less than eight feet in any dimension and no smaller than 150 square feet.

The maximum distance in any direction between landscape areas and surrounding parking block edges or buffers shall be 180 feet.

All buffers and islands shall have the proper allocation of landscape materials required by Chapter 17.08 GMC, and be arranged to provide shade, infiltrate runoff, soften large expanses of pavement and screen parking from adjacent streets and property.

Any parking otherwise permitted within 15 feet of any right-of-way or district shall be screened with a continuous hedge, or decorative wall or fence compatible with the design of buildings, or a combination of both. The hedge, wall, or fence shall provide a continuous screen between two and one-half and four feet high, except at access points or pedestrian entrances.

Any nonresidential parking permitted within 30 feet of a lot zoned R-2 or a lesser district, or any parking area greater than 10 spaces adjacent to property zoned or used for residential purposes, shall be screened with a combination of a landscape buffer and: