Lexington City Zoning Code
ARTICLE VIII
Parking and Loading
§ 300-32 Scope; existing facilities; permissive facilities; control.
A.
Scope of regulations. The off-street parking and loading provisions of this chapter shall apply as follows:
(1)
For all buildings and structures built and all uses of land established after the effective date of this chapter.
(2)
When the intensity of use of any building, structure, or premises shall be increased through additional dwelling units, gross floor area, seating capacity, or other units of measurement specified herein for required parking or loading facilities, parking and loading facilities as required herein shall be provided for such increase in intensity of use.
(3)
Whenever the existing use of a building or structure shall hereafter be changed to a new use, parking or loading facilities shall be provided as required for such new use. However, if the building or structure was erected prior to the effective date of this chapter, additional parking or loading facilities are mandatory only in the amount by which the requirements for the new use would exceed those for the existing use if the latter were subject to the parking and loading provisions of this chapter.
B.
Existing parking and loading facilities. Accessory off-street parking or loading facilities which were in existence on the effective date of this chapter or were provided voluntarily after such effective date shall not hereafter be reduced below, or if already less than shall not further be reduced below, the requirements of this chapter for a similar new building or use.
C.
Permissive parking and loading facilities. Nothing in this chapter shall be deemed to prevent the voluntary establishment of contiguous off-street parking or loading facilities to serve any existing use of land or buildings, provided that all regulations herein governing the location, design, improvement, and operation of such facilities are adhered to.
D.
Control of off-site parking facilities. Where required parking facilities are provided on land other than the zoning lot on which the building or use served by such facilities is located, they shall be and shall remain in the same possession or ownership as the zoning lot occupied by the building or use to which the parking facilities are accessory. No such off-site parking facilities shall be authorized and no certificate of occupancy shall be issued where the plans call for parking facilities other than on the same zoning lot, until and unless the Zoning Board of Appeals has reviewed the plans and heard the applicant and made findings that the common ownership or possession of the zoning lot and the site of the parking facilities is reasonably certain to continue and that the off-site parking facilities will be maintained at all times during the life of the proposed use or building.[1]
§ 300-33 Use; size; access; design and maintenance; location.
A.
Except as otherwise indicated, required accessory off-street parking facilities provided for uses listed hereinafter shall be solely for the parking of passenger automobiles of patrons, occupants (or their guests), or employees of such uses.
B.
Collective provision. Off-street parking facilities for separate uses may be provided collectively if the total number of spaces so provided collectively is not less than the sum of the separate requirements for each such use, and provided that all regulations governing location of accessory parking spaces in relation to the use served are followed. Further, no parking space or portion thereof shall serve as a required space for more than one use unless otherwise authorized by the Zoning Board of Appeals in accordance with Article XIII.
D.
Access. Each required off-street parking space shall open directly upon an aisle or driveway of such width and design as to provide safe and efficient means of vehicular access to such parking space. All off-street parking facilities shall be designed with appropriate means of vehicular access to a street or alley in a manner which will least interfere with traffic movements. No driveway across public property or requiring a curb cut shall exceed a width of 25 feet.
E.
Design and maintenance.
(1)
Surfacing. All open off-street parking areas constructed after this chapter is adopted shall be improved with a compacted aggregate base with surface treatment (seal-coat), an asphaltic concrete surface, concrete, or some comparable all-weather dustless material. The all-weather dustless surface must be completed within one year of completion of the base or subbase material.
(2)
Lighting. Any lighting used to illuminate off-street parking areas shall be directed away from residential properties in such a way as not to create a nuisance.
F.
Mixed uses. When two or more uses are located in the same zoning lot or within the same building, parking spaces equal in number to the sum of the separate requirements for each such use shall be provided. No parking space or portion thereof shall serve as a required space for more than one use unless otherwise authorized by the Zoning Board of Appeals in accordance with Article XIII.
H.
Location of accessory off-street parking facilities. The location of off-street parking spaces in relation to the use served shall be at the following walking distances:
§ 300-34 Off-street loading.
A.
Location. All required loading berths shall be located on the same zoning lot as the use served. No loading berth for vehicles over two tons capacity shall be closer than 50 feet to any property in a residence district unless completely enclosed by a building wall, or uniformly painted solid fence or wall, or any combination thereof, not less than six feet in height.
C.
Access. Each required off-street loading berth shall be designed with appropriate means of vehicular access to a street or alley in a manner which will least interfere with traffic movements and subject to approval of the Code Compliance Officer.[2]
D.
Surfacing. All open off-street loading berths shall be improved with a compacted macadam base, not less than seven inches thick, surfaced with not less than two inches of asphaltic concrete or some comparable all-weather, dustless material.
E.
Space allocated to any off-street loading berth shall not, while so allocated, be used to satisfy the space requirements for any off-street parking facilities or portions thereof.
F.
For conditional uses other than prescribed hereinafter, loading berths adequate in number and size to serve such use, as determined by the Zoning Board of Appeals, shall be provided.
§ 300-35 Schedule of off-street parking, loading and unloading requirements; handicapped parking.
A.
Off-street parking and off-street loading and unloading facilities shall be provided in accordance with the following schedule:
Use | Required Number of Parking Spaces | Required Number of Off-Street Loading and Unloading Spaces |
|---|---|---|
Single-family, multifamily | Two per dwelling unit | None required |
Motels, hotels, lodging houses | One per lodging unit | One for each structure of 20,000 square feet of gross floor area |
Commercial (except as specifically provided below) | One per 300 square feet of gross floor area | One for each shop over 10,000 square feet of gross floor area plus one for each additional 100,000 square feet of gross floor area |
Furniture, appliance stores, motor vehicle sales, machinery sales, wholesale | One per 600 square feet of gross floor area | One plus one additional for each 25,000 square feet of gross floor area |
Offices, banks or public administration | One per 600 square feet of gross floor area | One for each structure over 40,000 square feet of gross floor area plus one for each additional 100,000 square feet of gross floor area |
Manufacturing, warehousing | One per three employees, plus one for each vehicle used in the conduct of the enterprise | One for each structure plus one for each 60,000 square feet of gross floor area over 40,000 square feet |
Churches, theaters, auditoriums and other places of assembly | One per five seating spaces but not less than 20% of the capacity | One for each structure over 100,000 square feet of gross floor area |
Hospitals, rest homes, nursing homes, etc. | One per three employees plus one per three beds | One plus one additional for each 100,000 square feet of gross floor area |
B.
Handicapped parking shall be required for all uses except single-family. Number, size and location shall be in accordance with the latest applicable state and federal regulations. Handicapped parking spaces shall be counted in the total number of spaces required by this chapter.
§ 300-36 Concentrated business district area exception.
When uses of new buildings or structures or an enlargement or increase in the capacity of any existing principal building or structure is proposed within the following described area, the regulations outlined in this article shall not be applicable. The areas of exemption are described as follows: properties within the area bounded on the east by the alley between Pine Street and Center Street, bounded on the south by a line approximately 120 feet south of the south line of Main Street and bounded on the west and north by an irregular line along Benson Street, Main Street, the alley between West Street and Vine Street and Walnut Street.
§ 300-37 Parking of commercial vehicles or junkers in residence districts.
No commercial vehicle over 1 1/2 tons' rated capacity or junker shall be parked or stored on any residential premises unless the vehicle or junker is parked or stored within a completely enclosed structure. Commercial vehicles making a delivery or rendering a service to such premises shall be exempt from these requirements. However, the storage of a commercial vehicle over 1 1/2 tons' rated capacity by the operator of said vehicle at his/her place of residence shall not constitute the making of a delivery or the rendering of a service and shall be prohibited.
§ 300-38 Parking of travel trailers in residence districts.
No travel trailers may be parked in required front yards in residence districts for more than 72 hours.