Littleton City Zoning Code

PARKING AND

LOADING REQUIREMENTS

§ 153.110 OFF-STREET PARKING REQUIREMENTS.

(A) There shall be provided at the time of the erection of any building or the establishment of any use or at the time any principal building or use is enlarged or increased in capacity by adding dwelling units, guest rooms, seats, floor, storage or sales area, or before conversion from one type of use or occupancy to another, permanent off-street parking in the amount specified by this section. The parking space may be provided in a parking garage or properly graded open space.

(B) The following regulations concerning required parking shall apply.

(1) Each zoning permit application filed with the Zoning Administrator shall include information as to the location and dimensions of off-street parking space and the means of ingress and egress to the space. This information shall be in sufficient detail to enable the Zoning Administrator to determine whether or not the requirements of this section are met. No certificate of occupancy shall be issued until the parking requirements and regulations are fully met.

(2) 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 or assembly halls whose peak attendance will be at night or on Sundays may be assigned to a use which will be closed at night and on Sundays.

(3) If the off-street parking space required by this chapter cannot be reasonably provided on the same lot which the principal use is located, the space may be provided on any land within 400 feet of the main entrance to the principal use.

(4) Parking space sizes shall be governed by the following dimensions:

(a) Parallel stall: 20 feet by nine feet;

(b) Angle stall: 19 feet by eight and one-half feet; and

(5) Minimum aisle widths shall be:

Aisle Width in Feet
Parking Angle	One-Way Traffic	Two-Way Traffic
0 to 15 degrees	12	24 (0 degrees only)
16 to 37 degrees	11	-
38 to 57 degrees	13	-
58 to 74 degrees	18	-
75 to 90 degrees	24	24

(6) A safe means of ingress and egress shall be provided for all parking spaces and driveways for uses other than single-family and two-family residential and shall be at least 24 feet wide.

(7) When off-street parking for more than 20 vehicles is provided, the following regulations shall apply, excluding churches, in addition to all other regulations in this subchapter.

(a) Surfacing. All parking lots shall be graded and surfaced with six inches of crushed stone, blacktop or concrete to ensure a dustless surface condition.

(b) Markings. Each parking stall shall be marked off and maintained so as to be distinguishable.

(c) Lighting. Any lighting shall be so arranged as to direct the light and glare away from streets and adjacent property.

(d) Yards. All parking lots shall observe a minimum front yard of not less than five feet and a side yard or a corner lot of not less than five feet. Parking lots in residential-agricultural and residential districts shall have front yards of not less than 15 feet and side and rear yards of not less than five feet. Yards surrounding parking lots shall be planted and maintained in lawn or other appropriate planting or shall be improved otherwise keeping with the character of adjacent property. When a parking lot is adjacent to residential-agricultural or residential zoned or used property, and buffer as defined in § 153.012 of this code is not required, natural planting, hedge or a decorative fence to a height of at least six feet shall screen the residential property.

(e) Curbs or bumpers. The required yards shall be set off from parking areas by either continuous curb or one noncontinuous stationary bumper for each parking space abutting on a yard, which curb or bumper shall not be less than five inches or more than two feet high.

(f) Drainage. Parking lots shall not drain onto or across public sidewalk, or into adjacent property except into a natural watercourse or a drainage easement. In already developed areas where this condition would be impossible to meet, the Zoning Administrator may exempt the developer from this requirement provided that adequate provision is made for drainage.

(g) Separation of bumper and walkways. If any parking stall abuts upon a walkway, there shall be a space of three and one-half feet between the wheel bumper or curb and the edge of the walkway.

(h) Entrances and exits. On all corner lots, all vehicular openings shall be located at least 20 feet from the point of intersection of the established street right-of-way lines. No entrance or exit, whether on a corner lot or not, shall exceed 30 feet in width at the property line or 40 feet at the curbline. There shall be a minimum distance between driveways of 25 feet measured along the curbline unless the driveways are less than five feet apart.

(i) Internal circulation. Sufficient area shall be provided within the property lines of the parking lot, exclusive of required yards, so that all vehicles may enter and leave the lot in forward motion.

(8) (a) The Zoning Administrator may withhold a permit or certificate of occupancy if a parking layout not specifically prohibited by this section would be likely to cause safety or traffic congestion problems until modification is made. The applicant may appeal the Zoning Administrator’s decision to the Board of Adjustment under the normal procedure for an appeal.

(b) If a peculiar characteristic of an establishment makes the requirements in this section clearly unrealistic, the Board of Adjustment may grant the applicant a parking modification.

(c) In the central business district, the Zoning Administrator may allow a new use to be established in an existing building even if all parking requirements of this subchapter cannot be met for the new use, provided that as much off-street parking as can reasonably be provided is provided by the use, and no foreseeable traffic congestion problems will be created.

(9) (a) The minimum number of required off-street parking spaces shall be calculated as provided in division (B)(10) below. In the case of a building or use not expressly provided for, the number of off-street spaces shall be the same as for a similar use or inclusive category which is provided for.

(b) Where there is more than one use in a single structure, or on a single tract, or two or more instances of the same use, the minimum number of required off-street parking spaces shall be equal to the sum of the requirements of the various uses, except for shopping centers which are expressly provided for. Where there is more than one use in a single structure, or on a single tract, or two or more instances of the same use, the minimum number of required off-street parking spaces shall be equal to the sum of the requirements of the various uses, except for shopping centers which are expressly provided for.

(10) The following shall be the minimum number of off-street parking spaces which shall be provided:

Use	Number of Required Off-Street Parking Spaces
Commercial Uses:
All other commercial uses such as retail stores, wholesale outlet stores, department stores, discount stores, drug stores, coin-operated laundries, variety stores, convenience stores	One for each 200 square feet of gross floor area or fraction thereof, including outdoor sales area
Bowling alley	Five per lane
Car wash	Five per wash lane
Golf course (not including putting greens accessory to multi-family dwelling or hotels or motels)	Four per hole
Low generator retail and service establishments such as furniture, appliance, household equipment, carpet and hardware stores, repair shops including shoe repair, contractors’ showrooms, drapery, paint and wallpaper, upholstery, interior decorator, motor vehicle sales, plant nurseries	One for each 500 square feet of gross floor area or fraction thereof, including any outdoor sales area
Restaurants	Drive-in or take-out: Minimum of 15 spaces plus one additional for each 50 square feet of gross floor area or fraction thereof Other: One and two-tenths for each 100 square feet of gross floor area or fraction thereof
Service stations	Two for each gas pump, plus three for each grease rack or similar facility
Shopping centers (in lieu of individual store parking requirements)	Five and one-half per 1,000 square feet of gross leasable area or fraction thereof
Industrial Uses:
Industrial and research uses, warehousing and very low customer volume wholesaling operations	One for each employee on premises at any one time
Office and Institutional Uses:
Doctor or dentist office	Six for each doctor or dentist plus one for each other employee
Financial institutions	One for each 150 square feet of gross floor area or fraction thereof, plus safe facilities to accommodate passengers waiting in line for drive-in windows and banking machines, if any
Hospitals	One space for each 150 square feet of gross floor area or fraction thereof
Libraries	One space for each 200 square feet for use by the public or fraction thereof
Museums and art galleries	One space for each 800 square feet of gross floor area or fraction thereof
Nursing homes, family care homes and similar institutions	Four times the maximum lawful number of occupants
Other office	One for each 300 square feet or gross floor area or fraction thereof
Places of assembly, including clubs, lodges, churches, funeral parlors, auditoriums, gymnasiums, amusement parks and similar places	One for each three seats, plus one for each 100 square feet of floor area used for assembly, but not containing fixed seats, or fraction thereof
Residential Uses:
Dwellings, multi-family	Two spaces for each dwelling unit plus one visitor space for each four dwelling units
Dwellings, single-family and two-family	Two per dwelling unit
Group housing, such as boarding houses, dormitories and similar establishments	One and two-tenths for each bedroom houses, dormitories and similar establishments
Mobile homes on individual lots	Two per mobile home
Mobile home parks	Two spaces for each mobile home plus one visitor parking space for each four mobile homes
Townhouses	Two spaces for each dwelling unit plus one visitor space for each four dwelling units
Schools and Colleges:
Colleges, trade, vocational without dormitories	Ten for each 750 square feet of classroom area or fraction thereof, plus auditorium/gymnasium parking requirement, if applicable
Day nurseries, kindergartens, elementary and junior highs	Two for each 750 square feet of classroom floor area or floor area or fraction thereof, plus one for each administrative office, plus auditorium/gymnasium parking, if applicable
Senior highs, and colleges, trade, with dormitories	Five for each 750 square feet of classroom vocational with floor area or fraction thereof, plus one for each administrative office, plus auditorium/gymnasium/dormitory parking requirement, if applicable

(Ord. 21- , passed - -2021) Penalty, see § 153.999

§ 153.111 OFF-STREET LOADING REQUIREMENTS.

(A) Every building or structure used for business, trade, industry or office and institutional purposes, shall provide loading space as indicated in this section. Each loading space shall be no less than 15 feet in width, and 30 feet in depth. Each space shall also be no less than 15 feet in height if the space is covered. It shall have access driveways to public streets or alleys which driveways shall be at least 24 feet wide and with adequate turning radii for the delivery vehicles customarily associated with the particular use. If there is not more than one delivery and pickup during the hours when a retail trade, office or institutional establishment is open to patrons, the space may be combined with the existing parking space on the premises. Loading space shall be provided in accordance with the following schedule:

(1) Retail business. One space for each 20,000 square feet of gross floor area or fraction thereof;

(2) Wholesale trade and industry. One space for each 10,000 square feet of gross floor space or fraction thereof;

(3) Office and institutional uses including hotels and motels. One space for each 50,000 square feet of gross floor area or fraction thereof; and

(4) Additional requirements. As well as meeting the requirements of division (A)(3) above, elementary, junior high, high schools, kindergartens, nurseries and day care centers shall also provide a safe place off the street for the loading and unloading of children from automobiles and buses.

(B) (1) If a peculiar characteristic of an establishment makes the requirements in this section clearly unrealistic, the Board of Adjustment may grant the modification of the loading requirements in regard to that particular establishment.

(2) In the central business district, the Zoning Administrator may allow a new use to be established in an existing building even if all loading requirements of this section cannot be met for the new use provided that as much loading space as can reasonably be provided is provided by the use and traffic or safety hazards will not be created.

(Ord. 21- , passed - -2021)