These standards are intended to ensure that the parking associated with new development is provided in a reasonable and balanced manner (neither an undersupply nor an oversupply); complements surrounding land uses; and promotes growth patterns in a manner consistent with the Comprehensive Plan and the City's Design Guidelines and Standards.

(Ord. 22-02 Art. 4)

Off-street parking areas shall be allowed in all districts as an accessory use to buildings and uses newly constructed, restored, changed or substantially expanded. Except as provided in other sections of this Chapter, approved Development Plans, Site Improvement Plans (SIP) or Sub-Area Plans, off-street parking areas shall be in accordance with this Article.

(Ord. 22-02 Art. 4)

(a)

Parking on undeveloped land. Undeveloped land shall not be used for parking unless approved by the Director.

(b)

Additional parking for expansion of use. Nothing in this Section shall prevent the extension of or addition to a building, structure or use into an existing parking area, provided that:

(1)

The number of parking spaces provided already exceeds the minimum parking spaces provided herein and the minimum parking spaces required will be met after the addition; or

(2)

The same amount of parking spaces taken by the extension or addition is provided by an enlargement of the existing parking area, or if additional parking is found elsewhere in accordance with these regulations herein; and

(3)

The total number of spaces required for all uses on the lot is met.

(c)

Phasing of parking. Required off-street parking areas may be phased along with proposed phased development. Areas required for parking, but not immediately improved, shall be reserved for this purpose.

(d)

Location of parking area.

(1)

Off-street parking facilities for any use shall be provided and located on the same lot as the use(s) they are intended to serve, except as provided for herein.

(2)

If sufficient parking spaces cannot be accommodated on the lot, for any use, parking on another site may be used, provided that said parking area is within five hundred (500) feet of the nearest point of the specific use and a shared-parking agreement is submitted per Paragraph (e)(5) below, or as otherwise approved by the Director.

(3)

Each off-street parking area accessory to a principal use shall be located in the same zone district as the principal use, except as may be approved by the Director when adequate evidence is provided that meets the intent of these regulations.

(4)

Accessible parking spaces shall be located as near to the entrance of the use as practical and shall be designed, whenever possible, to prevent the crossing of any drive aisle.

(5)

Parking lots shall be located to the rear or side of buildings or in the interior of a block whenever possible.

(6)

Parking requirements, except for single-family detached, may be satisfied using on-street parking located adjacent to the property.

(e)

Shared parking. No off-street parking required for any use for the purpose of complying with the provisions of this Chapter shall be included as part of an off-street parking area similarly required for another use without an approved shared-parking agreement.

(1)

Where it is desirable to share the use of parking spaces between two (2) or more uses, the total spaces, not including accessible parking, shall be calculated based upon the formula in Paragraph (e)(2) below, or as otherwise determined by a study of local conditions as may be approved by the City. This formula is intended to provide guidance to the City to minimize the potential that parking will not be undersupplied or oversupplied. Where land use classifications do not conform to the table in Paragraph (e)(2) below, the Director may determine the appropriate shared-parking amount based upon sufficient data submitted by the applicant, which may include the principal operating hours of the uses, the number of employees, the nature of the uses and other information requested by the Director.

(2)

For two (2) or more uses, see the formula in the table below. Multiply the minimum parking for each individual use, as set forth in Section 16-28-90 of this Article, by the appropriate percentage indicated in the table for each of the six (6) designated time periods. Add the resulting sums for each of the six (6) columns. The minimum parking requirement shall be the greatest sum among the six (6) columns.

Shared-Parking Calculations

a.

Example: The following example is based upon the above standards, using the City's parking requirements for the use listed. Assuming in this example that:

Example of Using Shared-Parking Calculations

In the preceding example, the total parking (not including accessible spaces) would be 328 spaces (all numbers are rounded up); had a straight calculation been applied, 364 spaces would have been required, resulting in a difference of 36 spaces.

(3)

In situations where shared parking is desired, the general category of use and required parking spaces shall be noted on the SIP. A note referencing the shared-parking agreement shall be included on the SIP and shall include the reception number pertaining to the recorded parking agreement. No change to the shared-parking calculation shall be made without an amendment to the SIP.

(4)

Any subsequent change in land use requiring a building or sign permit shall be evaluated against the approved SIP to ensure that adequate parking is maintained. Where insufficient parking may result by a change of use as determined by the Director, the Director may require increased parking, a reduction in the intensity of the use or may deny the use.

(5)

In order to satisfy minimum parking requirements, in situations where shared parking is proposed a draft shared-parking agreement shall be submitted to the Community Development Department for review that shall specify the number and location of the shared-parking spaces. The final agreement shall be recorded with the Douglas County Clerk and Recorder and shall run with the land. Any amendment to the shared-parking agreement that impacts the number of shared spaces must first be reviewed by the Director, who shall review the parking impacts and determine whether an SIP amendment is necessary.

(f)

Prohibited use.

(1)

Unless otherwise permitted as part of an approved SIP or a permit issued by the Director, no parking area shall be used for the sale, display, storage, repair, dismantling or servicing of any vehicles, equipment, materials or supplies. Emergency repair is permitted.

(2)

Overnight parking of campers, trailers, recreation vehicles, buses and other similar vehicles in parking areas is prohibited except as may be allowed on the approved SIP, or as approved by the Director.

(Ord. 22-02 Art. 4)

Parking shall be detailed on the SIP per Article XXVII of this Chapter for all parking lots, structures and on-street parking. The plan must contain the following minimum information:

(1)

Number, location and dimension of parking stalls, to include identification of any compact parking spaces;

(2)

Widths of aisles, islands, walkways and landscaped medians;

(3)

Type of surfacing;

(4)

Location of parking landscaping in conformance with the Design Guidelines and Standards for Landscaping;

(5)

Location of traffic directional arrows, signage and markings;

(6)

Number, location and dimension of loading and delivery areas;

(7)

Accessible parking spaces (per ADA requirements);

(8)

Preferred parking spaces, if applicable; and

(9)

Designated commercial vehicle parking spaces, if applicable.

(Ord. 22-02 Art. 4)

(a)

Minimum Parking Space and Parking Lot Aisle Dimensions. The following table establishes the minimum parking lot space and aisle dimensions for full-size and compact automobiles.

Parking Space and Aisle Dimensions

(b)

Unusable parking spaces. Any parking space that is determined by the City to be unusable due to maneuverability difficulties, or which does not have clear access, shall not be considered in the total number of available parking spaces on the property.

(c)

Back-out parking. Except for one- and two-family dwellings, or where back-out parking already exists, all parking areas shall be designed so that vehicles exiting from the parking area will not be required to back out across any sidewalk or public right-of-way.

(d)

Overhang allowances. Overhang allowances for spaces adjacent to the site perimeter or adjacent to islands is two (2) feet for full-sized car parking and one (1) foot for compact car parking.

(e)

Semi-tractor trailer parking. For those uses which cater to the parking of semi-tractor trailers, designated off-street parking spaces shall be required for each such vehicle located on any parcel. The use of regular automobile parking spaces or automobile circulation aisles for semi-tractor trailer parking is prohibited. All parking spaces for semi-tractor trailers shall be at least twelve (12) feet in width and sixty (60) feet in length. All aisles shall be at least thirty (30) feet in width. The Community Development Department may require special design provisions based upon the overall site layout and parking area design. No backing maneuvers shall be allowed in the right-of-way.

(f)

Marking of parking spaces.

(1)

General. Parking spaces shall be marked and maintained on the pavement, and any other directional markings/signs shall be installed and maintained as required by the approved parking plan.

(2)

Compact car parking. Compact car parking area or spaces shall be marked with a freestanding sign or otherwise distinguished from full-sized parking areas or spaces.

(3)

Accessible parking. Each accessible parking space shall be marked with a freestanding sign and the accessible parking symbol shall be painted on the pavement of the parking space. All accessible parking signs and symbols shall be in adherence with the requirements identified by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

(4)

Carpool, car share and electric vehicle charging stations and/or parking spaces shall be marked with a freestanding sign or otherwise distinguished from standard parking areas or spaces.

(Ord. 22-02 Art. 4)

(a)

Access. Each required off-street parking area shall have adequate access to a public street or other thoroughfare. Alleys, where they are utilized, shall only be used as secondary means of access to a lot or parcel.

(b)

Off-street loading area. Loading areas shall be provided as required and shall not be used to supply off-street parking spaces. The loading area shall not occupy or intrude into any fire lane and shall not be located in setback areas.

(c)

Marking traffic flow. Parking which is designed for one-way traffic should be clearly indicated as such by the use of a sign and/or arrow designating the direction of traffic flow.

(d)

Grading. All off-street parking areas shall be properly graded. The Director of Public Works or their designee must approve the drainage and stormwater detention design.

(e)

Surfacing. Each off-street parking area shall be surfaced with asphalt, Portland cement concrete or some other material approved by the Director of Public Works or their designee.

(f)

Wheel stops. Wheel stops may be required in parking lots to prevent cars from impacting adjacent landscaping, fencing or walkways.

(g)

Landscaping. Consult the Design Guidelines and Standards for Landscaping for landscape requirements for parking lots.

(Ord. 22-02 Art. 4)

Parking lots may contain up to ten percent (10%) more spaces than the minimum requirement only with the approval of the Director, upon evidence presented that the additional parking requested is deemed necessary and consistent with the intent of these regulations. Requests for parking exceeding ten percent (10%) of the minimum shall be processed as a variance to the parking standards as part of an SIP review requiring City Council approval.

(Ord. 22-02 Art. 4)

(a)

Uses not specified. In the case of a use not specifically mentioned, the requirements for off-street parking facilities for a similar use shall apply. In the case of any discrepancies, the Director's decision shall rule. The Director's decision may be appealed to the Planning Commission.

(b)

Parking space calculation. In calculating the required number of parking spaces, any fraction of a space shall require one (1) parking space.

(c)

Reduction for transit. In all zone districts, the number of off-street parking spaces for uses and structures located within one-quarter (¼) mile of the transit stop may be reduced up to twenty percent (20%) with the approval of the Director.

(d)

Accessible parking. Parking shall be provided for persons with disabilities according to the requirements of the International Building Code, the Colorado Revised Statutes , and the Department of Justice published revised regulations for Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as may be amended. Required accessible parking spaces shall be applied per Section 16-28-70, prior to any applicable parking reductions. The applicant is responsible for compliance with current ADA standards.

(e)

Floor area calculation. Required off-street parking for nonresidential land use shall be based on the total floor area of all floors in the principal structure, excluding atriums, restrooms, mechanical areas, stairwells, elevator shafts and other similar spaces not intended for human occupancy. The applicant shall provide calculation of the floor area upon request.

(f)

Compact car parking. Parking spaces designated for small or compact cars may only be used when requirements for parking have already been met with full-sized spaces, or as otherwise approved by the City.

(g)

Public assembly parking. In places of public assembly in which patrons or spectators occupy benches, pews or other seating facilities, each twenty (20) inches of seating facilities shall be counted as one (1) seat for the purpose of determining requirements for off-street parking facilities.

(h)

Minimum vehicle queuing (i.e. stacking) space requirements shall be as identified in Section 16-28-90. Each vehicle queuing space shall be equivalent to the width and length measurements for a parking space for a full-sized car, as identified in Section 16-28-50. The Public Works Director may require additional queuing spaces beyond the minimum requirements identified in Section 16-28-90 and/or may impose a queuing requirement for a use that does not have a queuing requirement identified. Such determinations shall be based on an analysis of site access and circulation patterns, potential impacts to traffic within public rights-of-way and traffic studies provided with the application.

(Ord. 22-02 Art. 4)

The minimum off-street parking spaces for specific uses shall be as provided below, except where the Director may recommend an increase or decrease in the standard based upon documented comparisons, information from similar jurisdictions or evidence from qualified professionals:

___________

(Ord. 22-02 Art. 4)

___________

(a)

Where bicycle parking racks/facilities are required. Commercial, industrial, civic, employment, multi-family, schools and recreational uses shall provide bike racks or other facilities approved by the Director.

(b)

Number of bicycle parking spaces required. Unless otherwise determined by the Director, a minimum number of bicycle parking spaces shall be provided equal in number to two percent (2%) of the total number of automobile parking spaces provided by the development, but not less than one (1) space.

(c)

Location of bicycle parking. For convenience and security, bicycle parking facilities shall be located near building entrances.

(d)

Clearance. Provide a minimum one-foot clearance between parked bicycles and adjacent walls, poles, landscaping, street furniture, drive aisles and pedestrian clearways and at least a four-foot clearance from vehicle parking spaces.

(e)

Bicycle parking design standards. Bicycle parking facilities shall be designed consistent with the City's adopted Design Guidelines and Standards for Architecture and Site Planning.

(Ord. 22-02 Art. 4)

Per the Site Improvement Plan submittal requirements identified in Section 16-27-100, all multi-family and mixed-use development applications shall be required to submit a loading and delivery plan. The City will review the loading and delivery plan and identify the minimum required loading and delivery spaces for the development. Such determination shall be based on the volume and frequency of loading and delivery proposed to occur on the site; the estimated number of residents, employees and/or customers; site location relative to street network and roadway designation; the availability of on-street parking; and other site constraint and/or use determinations that may impact off-street loading and delivery requirements for the site.

(1)

Off-street loading and delivery space minimum size requirements shall be as follows:

a.

Residential loading and delivery space: twelve (12) feet wide, eighteen (18) feet long, eight (8) feet high, and a six (6) foot access aisle.

b.

Standard loading and delivery space: twelve (12) feet wide, twenty-five (25) feet long, fourteen (14) feet high, and a six (6) foot access aisle.

c.

Over-sized loading and delivery space: twelve (12) feet wide, sixty (60) feet long, fourteen (14) feet high, and a ten (10) foot access aisle.

(2)

Off-street loading and delivery spaces shall be located on the same lot or parcel as the structure or use for which it is provided and shall be located behind, or on the non-street side, of buildings to the maximum extent practicable.

(3)

Loading and delivery spaces shall be independently accessible and shall be designed to ensure delivery vehicles can maneuver on-site and shall be located to prevent delivery vehicles from:

a.

Backing from, or into, public rights-of-way or emergency access lanes;

b.

Interrupting the continuous flow of safe, efficient traffic;

c.

Conflicting with pedestrian, bicycle or transit connectivity;

d.

Obstructing sight triangles, public rights-of-way, emergency access lanes, fire exits, or evacuation routes;

e.

Impeding movement to and from accessible parking spaces;

f.

Utilizing any minimum required parking spaces or snow storage areas; or

g.

Impacting landscaped areas.

(4)

Exceptions to the above listed requirements of Section 16-28-110 may be provided by the Director for good cause shown, and when supported by documented comparisons, information from similar jurisdictions, or evidence from qualified professionals.

(Ord. 22-02 Art. 4; Ord. 23-06, Art. 4)

The minimum off-street loading and delivery spaces for multi-family developments shall be as provided below, except where the Director may recommend an increase or decrease in the standard based upon documented comparisons, information from similar jurisdictions or evidence from qualified professionals.

(Ord. 22-02 Art. 4)

All development and proposed land uses that are planned with off-street parking and circulation areas not covered by a roof, except single-family dwellings and accessory dwelling units, shall be designed and constructed to provide snow storage areas in compliance with the minimum standards of this Section, or as otherwise approved by the Director.

(1)

Snow storage areas shall be:

a.

Located near the sides or rear of parking areas, away from the primary street frontage.

b.

Located to maximize solar exposure to the greatest extent feasible. Areas shaded by structures or vegetation shall be avoided.

c.

Located so that snow removal equipment is not required to enter the public streets to move snow to the storage area.

d.

Located in areas that are substantially free and clear of obstructions (e.g. utility infrastructure, drainage detention basins, trees, trash enclosures).

e.

Designed to provide adequate drainage to prevent ponding and the formation of ice, especially when adjacent to pedestrian areas. Drainage from snow storage areas shall be directed towards on-site drainage detention facilities and/or shall be located to allow for infiltration into the ground through a vegetated buffer.

f.

Located in areas that do not conflict with pedestrian or bicycle connectivity, pedestrian plazas, or communal or public spaces.

(2)

Snow storage areas shall not be:

a.

Located adjacent to accessible parking spaces or accessible access ramps.

b.

Located within parking or loading and delivery spaces required to meet the minimum parking or loading and delivery space obligations for the site.

c.

Located within required landscaping areas that contain trees; any snow storage areas located in landscaped areas shall be planted with plants tolerant to snow storage and road salts.

d.

Located within emergency access lanes, fire exits, evacuation routes, or in any way that may impede emergency response and/or evacuation functions.

(3)

As part of their development application, developers are responsible for providing the calculations utilized to assess and justify the snow storage capacity proposed for their development site. The City Engineer will review the calculations and may amend the calculation and/or require additional storage capacity depending on the individual site characteristics and average snowfall for the area.

(Ord. 22-02 Art. 4; Ord. 23-06, Art. 4)