(A)   (1)   The purpose of these regulations is to ensure proper and uniform development of public and private parking and loading areas in the city and its extraterritorial areas; to relieve traffic congestion in the streets; and to minimize any detrimental effects of off-street parking areas on adjacent properties.

      (2)   The purpose of these regulations is also to improve the visual quality of parking areas by making them more pleasant, attractive, and compatible with the surrounding environment; to ensure safe and efficient operation of parking areas by clearly defining and delineating potential circulation movements of motorists and pedestrians; and to improve air quality and encourage energy conservation by moderating the microclimate of parking lots.

   (B)   The requirements contained in these regulations shall be considered as minimum standards.

   (C)   The owner, developer or operator of any existing or proposed use shall evaluate anticipated needs to determine if they are greater than the minimum requirements herein specified.

(Ord. No. 2337, § 1, passed 6-13-1991; Ord. No. 2539, § 1, passed 11-12-1992)

   No permit for new construction, expansion, development, occupancy or related activity shall be issued for any use unless the use is in accordance with the provisions of this article.

   The provisions of this article shall not apply to the following uses:

   (A)   Nonresidential land uses within the CD District; or

   (B)   Any proposed or existing principal use regardless of district which meets all of the following conditions:

      (1)   Existing structure(s) cover 75 or more of the lot on which the existing or proposed use is located;

      (2)   No expansion of any structure is proposed; and

      (3)   The maximum number of off-street parking spaces permitted by conforming site layout are provided on the same lot as the principal use.

(Ord. No. 2337, § 1, passed 6-13-1991; Ord. No. 94-156, § 13, passed 12-8-1994)

    (A)   A parking plan which conforms to the provisions of this article shall be submitted to the Director of Planning and Development Services or designee for site plan review in accordance with the specific submission standards of the Land Development Administration Manual which is incorporated herein by reference.

   (B)   Parking plan approval shall be required prior to the approval of any site plan, building permit, use permit, privilege license, change of use permit, zoning compliance permit, temporary use permit or occupancy permit.

   (C)   The Director of Engineering shall have final approval authority concerning the site design and construction standards of all off-street parking lots.

(Ord. No. 2337, § 1, passed 6-13-1991; Ord. No. 06-75, § 1, passed 8-10-2006; Ord. 19-045, § 1, passed 9-12-2019)

   (A)   Bufferyard setbacks shall be in accordance with Article G of this chapter.

   (B)   Vegetation requirements shall be in accordance with Article P of this chapter.

(Ord. No. 2337, § 1, passed 6-13-1991; Ord. No. 96-22, § 1, passed 2-8-1996)

   (A)   The required parking space for any number of separate uses may be combined in one lot, but the required space assigned to one use may not be assigned to another use, except that one-half of the parking space required for churches, theaters, stadiums, assembly halls or any other use whose peak attendance will be at night or on Sundays may be combined with a use which will be closed or which will generate significantly less parking demands at night and on Sundays than during normal business hours with prior approval by the Director of Planning and Development Services.

   (B)   A use which is deficient in required parking spaces shall not designate existing parking to any other use.

   (C)   When more than one use is included within any one lot or building, the minimum number of required spaces shall be the sum total of all the individual uses.

(Ord. No. 2337, § 1, passed 6-13-1991; Ord. No. 06-75, § 1, passed 8-10-2006; Ord. 19-045, § 1, passed 9-12-2019)

   When a building or use deficient in off-street parking spaces by virtue of these regulations is increased in floor area, number of dwelling units, seating capacity, number of participants or employees, addition of secondary principal or accessory use or any other unit of measurement used to calculate required parking, one of the following shall apply:

   (A)   Where the increase is 50% or less of the original measurement, additional parking spaces shall be provided to meet the requirements of this article as if the increase or addition were a new and separate use;

   (B)   Where the increase is more than 50% of the original measurement, additional parking spaces shall be provided to make all combined existing and proposed uses conform to the requirements of this article.

(Ord. No. 2337, § 1, passed 6-13-1991)

   (A)   All parking areas, except as provided herein, shall be constructed with a hard surfaced all-weather material such as asphalt, concrete, brick, CABC or any other approved materials. The parking area shall be maintained in a safe, sanitary and neat condition. All spaces shall be marked clearly to be recognizable to the general public. For purposes of these requirements, the following surfaces and areas shall not qualify as an approved parking surface or parking area:

      (1)   Grass and bare earth areas; or

      (2)   Porches, stoops, stairs and landings, roofs, access ramps, fire escapes, decks, balconies, building ledges, improved walkways, sidewalks, greenway easements and exterior mechanical equipment.

   (B)   Parking areas serving individual single-family dwellings shall meet the surface material requirement of subsection (A) above; provided, however, the City Engineer shall be authorized to exempt the parking area(s) for specific dwellings from the surface material and front yard coverage requirement of this section when in his or her opinion all of the following conditions are found to exist:

      (1)   The parking area(s) are clearly defined and/or marked;

      (2)   The parking area(s) are maintained in a safe, sanitary and neat condition;

      (3)   The parking area(s) do not contribute to or increase soil erosion; and

      (4)   The location and dimension of the parking area(s) are traditionally and customarily associated with the subject dwelling.

   (C)   Temporary uses shall be exempt from the surface material requirement.

   (D)   Except as further provided, parking areas for single-family dwellings shall not cover more than 30% of any front yard area. Residential cluster development approved pursuant to Article M of this chapter, shall be exempt from the maximum parking area coverage requirement of this subsection.

   (E)   Parking areas for two-family attached development or conversion shall not cover more than 40% of any front yard area. When a two-family attached dwelling structure is subdivided into two separate parcels the original development lot total front yard area shall be utilized to calculate parking area coverage.

   (F)   Parking, storage and/or maneuvering of vehicles, boats, trailers, campers and the like shall not be permitted within any front and/or side yard area except as provided by this section.

   (G)   Notwithstanding the provisions related to nonconforming situations contained in Article C of this chapter, the requirements contained herein shall be applicable to all existing and future required or proposed parking areas.

(Ord. No. 2337, § 1, passed 6-13-1991; Ord. No. 2423, § 3, passed 2-13-1992; Ord. No. 2539, § 2, passed 11-12-1992; Ord. No. 99-6, § 1, passed 1-14-1999; Ord. No. 10-67, § 1, passed 8-12-2010)

   Pursuant to section 9-4-250(A), any parking area(s) and/or driveway(s) utilized in conjunction with any use, whether required or otherwise, which is located wholly or partly within a zoning district which is different than the zoning district in which the principal use is located, may be permitted in accordance with the following.

   (A)   Parking and driveways for residential uses and nonresidential uses permitted in residential zoning districts shall be permitted in residential zoning districts which allow the specific use and in all nonresidential zoning districts.

   (B)   Parking and driveways for nonresidential uses shall be permitted in all nonresidential zoning districts and prohibited in all residential zoning districts, except as provided in subsection (A) above.

   (C)   Parking within the MCG District shall be subject to the additional requirements set out under section 9-4-254.

(Ord. No. 2337, § 1, passed 6-13-1991; Ord. No. 94-77, § 2, passed 5-12-1994; Ord. No. 97-85, §§ 1, 2, passed 8-14-1997)

   (A)   All uses, except as provided in subsections (B) and (C) below, shall provide off-street parking on the same parcel of land as the use it is intended to serve. For purposes of this section, “common areas” within townhouse, condominium or planned center projects shall be construed as meaning the same parcel of land. Parking permitted within the right-of-way of a public street shall not be considered to fulfill or partially fulfill the minimum parking requirements.

   (B)   Remote parking may be allowed for any use which cannot provide parking on the same parcel of land as the principal use, provided the use complies with all of the following requirements:

      (1)   The use does not comply with the current on-site parking requirement;

      (2)   No new construction, expansion or enlargement of the existing or proposed use is requested which would intensify or create an on-site nonconforming parking situation;

      (3)   The existing on-site parking facility cannot be improved to conform with current requirements; and

      (4)   The remote parking facility shall comply with subsection (D) below.

   (C)   Exemptions.

      (1)   Churches are exempt from subsection (B)(2) above, provided that 50% of the required parking spaces shall be located on the same parcel of land as the principal use.

      (2)   City municipal government building or use and county government building or use are exempt from subsection (B)(2) above.

   (D)   Remote parking facilities shall conform to the following standards.

      (1)   Except as further provided, no portion of the remote parking facility shall be located more than 400 feet from the associated principal use site. Dormitory development in the CD District and multi-family development in the CD District shall be subject to section 9-4-86(MM)(6) of this chapter.

      (2)   The remote parking facility shall not be utilized or occupied by any other use or for any purpose other than as parking for the associated principal use.

      (3)   The remote parking facility shall be located within a district which permits the associated principal use or within a district which allows principal use parking lots.

      (4)   Where the associated principal use is listed as being subject to special use permit approval of the Board of Adjustment, Planning and Zoning Commission or City Council, the proposed remote parking facility for the principal use shall be considered an expansion of the principal use and the expansion shall be subject to such approval.

      (5)   The person, firm or corporation which controls, owns or operates the principal use shall have recorded in the Pitt County Register of Deeds an estate in real property sufficient to guarantee exclusive use of the remote parking site for the life of the principal use. The instrument shall be prepared prior to approval of any permit and no occupancy shall be allowed until the instrument has been duly recorded.

      (6)   If the parcel which contains the remote parking facility is disposed of, or committed to some other use which displaces the parking required by this article, then the certificate of occupancy for the principal use shall be revoked.

(Ord. No. 2337, § 1, passed 6-13-1991; Ord. No. 97-26, § 1, passed 3-13-1997; Ord. No. 09-59, § 2, passed 8-13-2009)

   (A)   All off-street parking areas designed for two or less spaces shall meet the following requirements:

      (1)   Shall be surfaced in accordance with section 9-4-248;

      (2)   Shall conform to the minimum standards in accordance with the Manual of Standards, Designs and Details;

      (3)   Shall have adequate ingress and egress. All uses, excluding single-family detached, two-family attached (duplex) and multi-family unit ownership lots where the lots obtain individual driveway access from an approved private street, shall be subject to subsection (B) family unit ownership lots” shall include only residential townhouse divisions approved and recorded pursuant to the subdivision regulations;

      (4)   All entrances and exits shall conform to the driveway regulations of the city or the state, whichever is more restrictive;

      (5)   Shall be in accordance with the provisions of Article G and Article L;

      (6)   Driveways shall be considered as providing off-street parking for residential development in accordance with subsection (A)(3) above and subject to the following standards.

         (a)   The area to which the driveway approach provides access shall be designed to store any vehicles using the driveway completely off the right-of-way and must be of sufficient dimension to allow the necessary functions to be carried out completely on private property within the designated parking area. Parking and/or maneuvering of vehicles shall not be permitted within any greenway, pedestrian access or bikeway easement, sidewalk and the like.

         (b)   Minimum length of any two-family attached (duplex) or multi-family unit ownership lot driveway shall not be less than 36 feet, as measured on center, from the street right-of-way or easement line to the end of pavement or curb stop of the longest section. The depth of an associated and qualified garage parking surface or approved carport shall count toward this requirement. Minimum length of any driveway located within a residential cluster development, approved pursuant to Article M of this chapter, shall not be less than 18-1/2 feet in the case of a driveway arranged to provide side-by-side or off-set (separated) parking, or 36 feet in the case of a driveway designed for stacked parking only.

         (c)   Single vehicle garages shall be considered as one parking space for purposes of this article, provided the garage has an inside parking surface dimension of not less than 12 feet wide by 18 feet deep.

         (d)   Double or greater vehicle garages shall be considered as one and one-half parking space for purposes of this article, provided the garage has an inside parking surface dimension of not less than 22 feet wide by 18 feet deep.

         (e)   Spaces for two-family attached (duplex) or multi-family unit ownership lots shall be arranged to accommodate side-by-side or off-set (separated) parking, and stacked parking shall not be considered as fulfilling the minimum parking space requirements. Nothing shall prohibit stacked parking in excess of the minimum, provided there is compliance with all other requirements.

      (7)   All off-street parking areas shall be separated from walkways, sidewalks, bikeways, streets or any dedicated right-of-way. To prevent vehicles from driving across these areas, except at an approved driveway approach, and to prevent parking or maneuvering vehicles from overhanging upon such areas, there shall be a six-inch raised curb or stop bar constructed between such areas and the parking area; and

      (8)   All off-street parking areas located upon property developed for residential uses and providing access to residents or the general public located in the area of special flood hazard as defined in section 9-6-2 shall be required to be elevated such that the lowest point in the parking area is no less than one foot below the 100- year flood elevation or no lower than the highest accessible point on the adjacent public street providing access to the site which shall be the point of entry between the development and the public street unless access is required to be provided internally. If access is provided internally through an adjacent site no point in the parking lot shall be below the lowest point along the access route to the public street.

   (B)   All off-street parking areas designed from three or more spaces shall meet the following requirements:

      (1)   Shall be surfaced in accordance with section 9-4-248;

      (2)   Shall conform to the minimum standards in accordance with the Manual of Standards, Design and Details;

      (3)   Shall be in accordance with the provisions of Article G and Article L;

      (4)   Sight distance requirements as set forth in Title 6, Chapter 2 of the Greenville City Code shall be observed;

      (5)   All entrances and exits shall conform to the driveway regulations of the city or the state, whichever is more restrictive;

      (6)   All parking areas will be adequately drained in accordance with the storm drainage regulations set forth by the city;

      (7)   All parking areas shall be so arranged that ingress and egress is by forward motion of the vehicle only. Parking bays shall be exempt from this provision;

      (8)   Each off-street parking space for each use shall be within 150 feet of the use it is intended to serve, except as provided by the remote parking facility standards’ listed under section 9-4-250(D), above;

      (9)   No parking space shall be located closer than 15 feet to a dwelling structure;

      (10)   Parking areas shall be designed with careful regard to orderly arrangement and topography, and shall, to the greatest extent possible, be integrated naturally into its physical setting;

      (11)   All uses shall provide off-street parking on the same parcel of land as the use it is intended to serve, provided however, parking may be allowed within parking bays located on private streets;

      (12)   One-third of the required spaces may be in parking bays within the easements of private streets, except on the turnaround portion of a cul-de-sac, provided that:

         (a)   Any bay shall contain no more than ten spaces;

         (b)   Each bay shall be separated from any other bay by a distance of at least ten feet;

         (c)   No more than one-fourth of the total frontage on any private street shall be devoted to parking bays; and

         (d)   Parking bays directly adjoining private streets will be permitted one side of the street at a time only. The parking areas may be alternated from one side of the street to the other.

      (13)   No parking space shall be utilized for dead storage, repair work or other similar activity;

      (14)   All off-street parking areas shall be separated from walkways, sidewalks, bikeways, streets or any dedicated right-of-way, to prevent vehicles from driving across these areas, except at an approved driveway approach, and to prevent parked or maneuvering vehicles from overhanging upon such areas. There shall be a six-inch raised curb or stop bar constructed between such areas and the parking area;

      (15)   Parking areas so designed to serve ten or more vehicles may designate a maximum of 25% of the spaces for use by compact cars only. These spaces shall conform to the requirements as set forth in the Manual of Standards, Designs and Details under “Minimum Parking Standards (Compacts Only).” These spaces shall be identified in a manner which will prohibit its occupancy by any larger vehicle;

      (16)   Parking areas so designed to serve ten or more vehicles, may reduce the required number of spaces by 10%, to a maximum reduction of three spaces, where off-street parking or storage of nonmotorized vehicles is provided at a rate of ten nonmotorized spaces per motorized space reduced. Nonmotorized spaces shall be conveniently located in relation to the assigned use;

      (17)   Where two rows or more of parking spaces are designated within the interior of any parking area, curb or elevated wheel stops shall be provided at every second bay or every fourth row of stalls extending the length or depth of the bay or stall. The wheel stop shall be at least four inches in height, six inches in depth (average) and six feet in length. The wheel stops shall be anchored in place by a method approved by the City Engineer. Each curb or elevated wheel stop separating one row of parking stalls from another shall be separated by an open space area at least five feet in width. The open spaces shall not contain asphalt, concrete or any other impervious surface except as further provided. General (public/customer) pedestrian cross walkways shall be allowed to cross the open space areas within a six-foot strip as measured perpendicular to the parking surface. Any two walkways shall be separated by not less than 50 feet as measured from center of walkway to center of walkway. General (public/customer) pedestrian sidewalks and the like shall be allowed within the open space area provided the total width of the required open space is increased in direct proportion to the width of any impervious encroachment(s);

      (18)   All internal and external traffic signs, markings and devices shall conform to the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices or to North Carolina Department of Transportation standards;

      (19)   All off-street parking areas for buildings that are subject to the North Carolina State Building Code, Volume I, General Construction, shall comply with all of the requirements set forth therein including those for parking spaces for the physically handicapped; and

      (20)   All off-street parking areas located upon property developed for residential uses and providing access to residents or the general public located in the area of special flood hazard as defined in section 9-6-2 shall be required to be elevated such that the lowest point in the parking area is no less than one foot below the 100- year flood elevation or no lower than the highest accessible point on the adjacent public street providing access to the site which shall be the point of entry between the development and the public street, unless access is required to be provided internally. If access is provided internally through an adjacent site, no point in the parking lot shall be below the lowest point along the access route to the public street.

   (C)   Off-street loading areas shall be provided as follows:

      (1)   Every commercial and industrial use, except those located in the CD District, shall provide space for off-street loading and unloading of delivery, shipment or transport vehicles.

      (2)   Space designated for compliance with off-street parking requirements shall not be used to comply with these requirements and vice-versa.

      (3)   Off-street loading area dimensions shall be at minimum, 12 feet by 30 with a vertical clearance of 16 feet above the finished grade of the space.

      (4)   Space(s) shall be designed and located such that a delivery, shipment or transport vehicle can safely maneuver by means of not more than two continuous movements. All movements shall be made completely on private property outside any public street right-of-way.

      (5)   The required number of off-street loading spaces shall be as follows:

         (a)   Retail use: one space for each 5,000 square feet of floor space or major fraction thereof, not to exceed two spaces.

         (b)   Wholesale and industrial uses: one space for each 10,000 square feet of floor space or major fraction thereof, not to exceed three spaces.

      (6)   For purposes of this section, “major fraction” shall constitute 51%.

(Ord. No. 2337, § 1, passed 6-13-1991; Ord. No. 2539, § 5, passed 11-12-1992; Ord. No. 2724, §§ 1, 2, passed 10-14-1993; Ord. No. 94-156, § 14, passed 12-8-1994; Ord. No. 95-78, § 2, passed 8-10-1995; Ord. No. 95-114, § 1, passed 11-9-1995; Ord. No. 95-115, § 1, passed 11-9-1995; Ord. No. 00-19, § 13, passed 2-10-2000)

   Off-street parking spaces shall be provided for all land uses in the following proportions:

 

(Ord. No. 2337, § 1, passed 6-13-1991; Ord. No. 96-75, § 1, passed 8-8-1996; Ord. No. 97-132, § 1, passed 12-11-1997; Ord. No. 09-27, §§ 11, 12, passed 4-9-2009; Ord. No. 09-99, § 2, 12-10-2009; Ord. No. 14-074, 1, passed 11-13-2014)

   (A)   Where a particular use or class of use is not listed under the schedule of required parking spaces in section 9-4-252, the Director of Planning and Development Services shall determine the minimum number of spaces to be required in each individual case. In reaching this determination, the Director of Planning and Development Services shall be guided by the requirements for similar uses, the number and type of vehicles and/or persons likely to be attracted to the proposed use and studies of the parking requirements in other jurisdictions.

   (B)   Appeal from this decision shall be made to the Board of Adjustment in the nature of an interpretation.

(Ord. No. 2337, § 1, passed 6-13-1991; Ord. No. 06-75, § 1, passed 8-10-2006; Ord. 19-045, § 1, passed 9-12-2019)

   Within any MCG District all required parking spaces for all permitted or special uses shall be located within the MCG District; provided, however, additional accessory parking spaces in excess of required minimums and all driveways shall be permitted in all nonresidential zoning districts.

(Ord. No. 2337, § 1, passed 6-13-1991; Ord. No. 2423, § 4, passed 2-13-1992; Ord. No. 2539, §§ 3, 4, passed 11-12-1992; Ord. No. 94-77, § 3, passed 5-12-1994; Ord. No. 97-85, §§ 1, 2, passed 8-14-1997; Ord. No. 99-6, § 2 and 3, passed 1-14-1999)

   Within a University Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative Overlay District, in addition to the other requirements of this article, the following provisions shall be applicable:

   (A)   Single family dwellings and two family attached dwelling units shall be limited to the parking and/or storage of four vehicles, boats, trailers, campers and the like total per dwelling unit on the subject lot. This requirement is not intended to limit the occasional parking of guests.

   (B)   Screening of the rear yard shall be required when more than one vehicle, boat, trailer, camper and the like total are parked and/or stored in the rear yard and are visible from adjoining properties on the side and rear of the subject lot.

   (C)   Screening requirements can be satisfied by either a fence at least six feet in height that creates a complete visual barrier from adjoining properties or with evergreen vegetative materials that are three feet in height at the time of planting and will reach a height of six feet and create a complete visual barrier from adjoining properties within two years of planting. Vegetation materials listed in § 9-4-267(C)(3),(5) and (7) shall be utilized to satisfy screening requirements of this section. The property owner shall be responsible for maintaining all vegetation required by this section in a healthy condition. Any dead, unhealthy or missing vegetation shall be replaced. Replacement shall occur at the earliest suitable planting season.

   (D)   Rear yard parking and/or storage areas shall be constructed of an all-weather material such as asphalt, concrete, brick, CABC or other materials approved by the City Engineer and rear yard parking and/or storage areas shall be connected to the front and/or side yard parking and/or storage areas by a driveway constructed of an all-weather material such as asphalt, concrete, brick, CABC or other materials approved by the City Engineer.

   (E)   Rear yard parking and/or storage areas shall be contained and delineated by a barrier at least six inches in height.

   (F)   Notwithstanding the provisions related to nonconforming situations contained in Article C of this chapter, the requirements contained herein shall be applicable to all existing and future required or proposed parking areas.

   (G)   The exemption provided in § 9-4-243 (B) shall not apply to the University Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative Overlay District.

   (H)   The exemption provided in § 9-4-248 (B) shall not apply to rear yard parking areas in the University Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative Overlay District.

(Ord. No. 13-037, § 1, passed 9-12-2013)