Unless otherwise specifically provided or unless clearly required by the context, the words and phrases defined below shall have the meaning indicated when used in this section.

Circulation area means that portion of the vehicle accommodation area used for access to parking or loading areas or other facilities on the lot. Essentially, driveways and other maneuvering areas (other than parking aisles) comprise the circulation area.

Driveway means that portion of the vehicle accommodation area that consists of a travel lane bounded on either side by an area that is not part of the vehicle accommodation area.

Gross floor area means the total area of a building measured by taking the outside dimension of the building at each floor level intended for occupancy or storage.

Vehicle accommodation area means that portion of a lot that is used by vehicles for access, circulation, parking and loading and unloading. It comprises the total of circulation areas and parking areas (spaces and aisles).

Parking area aisles means that portion of the vehicle accommodation area consisting of lanes providing access to parking spaces.

Parking spaces means a portion of the vehicle accommodation area set for the parking of one vehicle.

(a)

All developments in all zoning districts shall provide a sufficient number of parking spaces to accommodate the number of vehicles that ordinarily are likely to be attracted to the development in question. Handicapped spaces shall be provided in accordance with the standard building code.

(b)

The presumptions established by this article are that:

(1)

A development must comply with the parking standards set forth in subsection (e) to satisfy the requirement stated in subsection (a); and

(2)

Any development that does meet these standards is in compliance. However, the Table of Parking Requirements is only intended to establish a presumption and should be flexibly administered, as provided in Section 17-194.

(c)

Uses in the Table of Parking Requirements (subsection (e)) are indicated by a numerical reference keyed to the Table of Permissible Uses, Section 17-109. When determination of the number of parking spaces required by this table results in a requirement of a fractional space, any fraction of one-half or less may be disregarded, while a fraction in excess of one-half shall be counted as one parking space.

(d)

The council recognized that the Table of Parking Requirements set forth in subsection (e) cannot and does not cover every possible situation that may arise. Therefore, in cases not specifically covered, the permit issuing authority is authorized to determine the parking requirements using this table as a guide.

(e)

The Table of Parking Requirements.

(a)

The council recognizes that, due to the particularities of any given development, the inflexible application of the parking standards set forth in Section 17-193(e) may result in a development either with inadequate parking space or parking space far in excess of its needs. The former situation may lead to traffic congestion or parking violations in adjacent streets as well as unauthorized parking in nearby private lots. The latter situation wastes space that could more desirably be used for valuable development or environmentally useful open space. Therefore, as suggested in Section 17-193, the city council may permit deviations from the presumptive requirements of Section 17-193(e) and may require more parking or allow less parking whenever it finds that such deviations are more likely to satisfy the standard set forth in Section 17-193(a).

(b)

Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the permit-issuing authority may allow deviations from the parking requirements set forth in Section 17-193(e) when it finds that:

(1)

A residential development is irrevocably oriented toward the elderly.

(2)

A business is primarily oriented to walk-in trade.

(3)

There are unique circumstances such as environmental concerns, provisions for compact cars, or special uses.

(c)

Whenever the city council allows or requires a deviation from the presumptive parking requirements set forth in Subsection 193(E), it shall enter on the face of the permit the parking requirement that it imposes and the reasons for allowing or requiring the deviation.

(d)

If the city council concludes, based upon information it receives in the consideration of a specific development proposal, that the presumption established by Subsection 193(E) for a particular use classification is erroneous, it shall initiate a request for an amendment to the Table of Parking Requirements in accordance with the procedures set forth in Article XXIII.

(a)

Subject to subsections (b) and (c), each parking space shall contain a rectangular area at least 20 feet long and 9 feet wide. Lines demarcating parking spaces may be drawn at various angles in relation to curbs or aisles, so long as the parking spaces so created contain within them the rectangular area required by this section.

(b)

See also Section 17-198 (e).

(c)

Handicapped spaces shall be provided and sized in accordance with the standard building code.

All uses with drive-in windows, tellers or services shall provide vehicle stacking area based on the following criteria, unless otherwise approved by the permit-issuing authority:

(1)

Size of space. Stacking area shall be designed based on a ten foot by 22 foot space per required vehicle.

(2)

Design of stacking area. The stacking area recommended below shall be designed so as to operate independently of other required parking and circulation areas.

(3)

Recommended stacking area (includes vehicle(s) being serviced).

a.

Financial institutions: five vehicles per service lane.

b.

Restaurants: six vehicles per service lane, minimum three spaces behind order station.

c.

Utility business office: eight vehicles per service lane.

d.

Car Wash (self-service): three vehicles per service lane.

e.

Car Wash (attendant service), or drive-through auto service: eight vehicles per service lane.

f.

Service Stations: four vehicles per service lane.

g.

All other drive-through facilities: three vehicles per service lane.

Adequate interior driveways shall connect parking spaces with public rights-of-way. Design layouts and interior driveway widths are included in Appendix A-M.

(a)

Unless no other practicable alternative is available, vehicle accommodation areas shall be designed so that, without resorting to extraordinary movements, vehicles may exit such areas without backing onto a public street. This requirement does not apply to parking areas consisting of driveways that serve one or two dwelling units, although backing onto arterial streets is discouraged.

(b)

Vehicle accommodation areas of all developments shall be designed so that sanitation, emergency and other public service vehicles can serve such developments without the necessity of backing unreasonable distances or making other dangerous or hazardous turning movements.

(c)

Every vehicle accommodation area shall be designed so that vehicles cannot extend beyond the perimeter of such area onto adjacent properties or public rights-of-way. Such areas shall also be designed so that vehicles do not extend over sidewalks or tend to bump against or damage any wall, vegetation or other obstruction.

(d)

Circulation areas shall be designed so that vehicles can proceed safely without posing a danger to pedestrians or other vehicles and without interfering with parking areas.

(e)

Designers are encouraged to reduce paved areas by shortening standard parking spaces to 18 feet of pavement with two feet of grassed overhang area. Continuous curbing or wheel-stops must be used at the end of the eighteen foot dimension. Where wheel-stops are used, one shall be provided for each space.

(f)

Designers are also encouraged to provide grassed overflow parking areas where the number of spaces desired is greater than the condominiums. Additionally, those uses that anticipate less parking demand than the code minimum requires may utilize grassed overflow parking areas for up to 25 percent of requirements for general office, commercial and industrial uses, and up to 50 percent for recreational or institutional uses with weekly or less frequent peak demand. However, if overflow areas under the code minimum number of spaces are regularly used so as to become unmaintained and unsightly, the city may require that those spaces be paved as specified in this section.

(a)

Vehicle accommodation areas that:

(1)

Include lanes for drive-in windows; or

(2)

Contain parking areas that are required to have more than five parking spaces and that are used regularly at least five days per week shall be graded and surfaced in accordance with the specifications set forth in Appendix A-N.

(b)

Vehicle accommodation areas that are not provided with the type of surface specified in subsection (a) shall be graded and surfaced with crushed stone, gravel or other suitable material to provide a surface that is stable and will help to reduce dust and erosion. The perimeter of such parking areas shall be defined by bricks, stones, railroad ties or other similar devices. In addition, whenever such a vehicle accommodation area abuts a paved street, the driveway leading from such street to such area (or, if there is no driveway, the portion of the vehicle accommodation area that opens onto such street) shall be paved as provided in subsection (a) for a distance of 15 feet from the edge of the paved street. This subsection shall not apply to single-family or two-family residences.

(c)

Parking spaces in areas surfaced in accordance with subsection (a) shall be appropriately demarcated with painted lines or other markings. Parking spaces in areas surfaced in accordance with subsection (b) shall be demarcated whenever practicable.

(d)

Vehicle accommodation areas shall be properly maintained in all respects. In particular, and without limiting the foregoing, vehicle accommodation area surfaces shall be kept in good condition (free from potholes, and the like) and parking space lines or markings shall be kept clearly visible and distinct.

(Am. Ord. 2006-421, passed 7-11-06)

(a)

One parking area may contain required spaces for several different uses, but except as otherwise provided in this section, the required space assigned to one use may not be credited to any other use.

(b)

To the extent that developments that operate at different times wish to make joint use of the same parking spaces, the same spaces may be credited to both uses. For example, if a parking lot is used in connection with an office building on Monday through Friday but is generally 90 percent vacant on weekends, another development that operates only on weekends could be credited with 90 percent of the spaces on that lot. Or, if a church parking lot is generally occupied only to 50 percent of capacity on days other than Sunday, another development could make use of 50 percent of the church lot's spaces on other days.

(c)

If the joint use of the same parking spaces by two or more principal uses involves satellite parking spaces, then the provisions of Section 17-201 are also applicable.

(a)

If the number of off-street parking spaces required by this chapter cannot reasonably be provided on the same lot where the principal use associated with these parking spaces is located, then spaces may be provided on adjacent or nearby lots in accordance with the provisions of this section upon approval of the permit-issuing authority. These off-site spaces are referred to in this section as satellite parking spaces.

(b)

All such satellite parking spaces (except spaces intended for employee use) must be located within 400 feet of a public entrance of a principal building housing the use associated with such parking, or within 400 feet of the lot on which the use associated with such parking is located if the use is not housed within any principal building. Satellite parking spaces intended for employee use may be located within any reasonable distance.

(c)

A developer wishing to take advantage of the provisions of this section must present satisfactory written evidence that he has the permission of the owner or other person in charge of the satellite parking spaces to use such spaces. The developer must also sign an acknowledgement that the continuing validity of his permit depends upon his continuing ability to provide the requisite number of parking spaces.

(a)

Subject to subsection (e), whenever the normal operation of any development requires that goods, merchandise, or equipment be routinely delivered to or shipped from that development, sufficient on-street loading and unloading areas must be provided in accordance with this section to accommodate the delivery or shipment operations in a safe and convenient manner.

(b)

The loading and unloading area must be of sufficient size to accommodate the numbers and types of vehicles that are likely to use this area; given the nature of the development in question. The following table indicates the number and size of spaces that, presumptively, satisfy the standard set forth in this subsection. However, the permit-issuing authority may require more or less loading and unloading area if reasonably necessary to satisfy the foregoing standard.

(c)

Loading and unloading areas shall be so located and designed that the vehicles intended to use them can (i) maneuver safely and conveniently to and from a public right-of-way, and (ii) complete the loading and unloading operations without obstructing or interfering with any public right-of-way or any parking space or parking lot aisle.

(d)

No area allocated to loading and unloading facilities may be used to satisfy the area requirements for off-street parking, nor shall any portion of any on-street parking area be used to satisfy the area requirements for loading and unloading facilities.