The purpose of this section is to ensure the adequate provision of off-street parking and loading facilities in proportion to the parking, loading, and transportation demands of the land uses allowed by this ordinance. The standards in this section are intended to provide for adequate off-street parking while avoiding excessive paved areas that may be unattractive and contribute to greater stormwater runoff and environmental pollution.

1.

The off-street parking and loading requirements of this section shall apply to all zoning districts within the city, with the exception of the C-UB (Uptown Business District) where it is generally recognized that on-street parking and public lots will provide parking access to existing establishments. New development and redevelopment uses in the C-UB District may still require off-street parking, or be required to contribute to public parking facilities, as may be determined during the site plan process.

2.

No portion of these regulations shall be interpreted to apply these parking requirements retroactively to uses lawfully established prior to the effective date of this ordinance.

3.

Parking information shall be required in connection with every proposed development, for every proposed change in use of land, buildings or structures, and for every proposed alteration of a building or structure. The parking plan shall accurately designate the required parking spaces, access aisles, and driveways, and the relation of the off-street parking facilities to the development the facilities are designed to serve. The parking plan shall provide calculations for parking requirements.

1.

Every use or building instituted, constructed, erected, enlarged or structurally altered after the effective date of this ordinance shall provide off-street parking and loading facilities in accordance with the provisions of this section.

2.

Off-street parking and loading facilities shall be maintained as approved and continued as long as the main use is continued.

3.

No owner or operator of any structure affected by this section shall discontinue, change or dispense with the required parking and loading facilities without establishing alternative vehicular parking and loading facilities which meet the requirements of this section.

4.

No person shall utilize any building or use any parcel of land without providing the off-street parking and loading facilities as required by this section, except when a building or use is legally nonconforming as to required parking.

5.

When a permitted use is legally nonconforming as to required parking, and said use is enlarged, additional parking shall be required only on the basis of the enlargement of the permitted use. The additional parking shall meet all applicable requirements of this section.

6.

For commercial, industrial, and all attached and multifamily residential dwelling parking and loading areas, all parking areas, as well as all vehicular entrances, travel aisles and private streets leading into or connecting parking areas, shall be constructed of an all-weather, stabilized, dust free surface (such as asphalt, concrete, or pavers) with curb, guttering and drainage improvements.

For industrial uses for storage and limited vehicular movements, paved surfacing may be waived by the planning commission only for areas used for the parking and/or loading of heavy equipment. Curb and guttering must conform to VDOT standards CG-2, CG-6, MC-3, MC-3B or their equivalent. The zoning administrator may permit alternative paving materials or designs for curb and guttering if substantial compliance with the VDOT standards can be shown.

7.

Access by a vehicle to required parking spaces (other than single family detached dwellings) shall be afforded without requiring another vehicle to be moved.

1.

Parallel, on-street parking spaces shall have minimum dimensions of seven (7) feet by twenty-two (22) feet.

2.

All other parking spaces shall have minimum dimensions of nine (9) feet by eighteen (18) feet, except as follows:

a.

Spaces in a parking garage shall have minimum dimensions of not less than eight and one-half (8.5) feet by eighteen (18) feet.

b.

The zoning administrator, as a part of the site plan review process, may approve spaces with minimum dimensions of eight and one-half (8.5) feet by eighteen (18) feet for:

1.

Dedicated spaces for small cars;

2.

Vehicle storage lots for automobile dealers;

3.

Overflow parking areas; and

4.

Other limited use parking facilities.

c.

Angled and other forms of parking spaces. In cases where parking space and adjoining travelway dimensions vary from those above due to the nature of the parking areas and circulation patterns, the applicant shall be required to submit a detailed parking study prepared by a qualified design professional to justify such parking space size variations. Documentation shall be provided addressing parking space geometry, travelway access and turning movements, and other elements related to parking space layout and design criteria.

3.

Overhang over landscape areas shall not be counted toward the minimum dimensions stated above.

4.

Handicapped spaces shall be provided according to the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and accepted site planning practices.

In calculating the number of required parking spaces, the following rules shall govern:

1.

The floor area or square footage of a residential or non-residential unit or building shall refer to the square footage of the gross floor area (SF GFA) of the specific use, measured in square feet from the exterior faces of exterior walls or from the centerline of walls separating two (2) attached buildings. Unless otherwise specified, the square footage of gross floor area shall include associated corridors, utility rooms and storage space.

2.

When the units of measurements determining the number of required parking spaces results in the requirement of a fractional space, any fraction less than one-half shall be disregarded, and fractions of one-half or over one-half shall require one additional parking space.

3.

The parking space requirement for a use not specifically mentioned shall be the same as required for a use of similar nature, as determined by the zoning administrator.

4.

In the case of mixed uses, the parking spaces required shall equal the sum of the requirements of the various uses computed separately.

The minimum number of parking spaces required for land uses within the city of Martinsville is found in Table 23.1 of section XXIII of this ordinance.

Commercial and institutional uses identified in Table 23.1, shall be limited in the maximum number of parking spaces that can be provided, in accordance with the following standards:

1.

Except as otherwise allowed by this ordinance, commercial and industrial listed in Table 23.1 shall not exceed one and one-quarter (1.25) times (or one hundred twenty-five (125) percent of) the minimum number of parking spaces required in the table.

2.

For any commercial or industrial use listed in Table 23.1 to exceed one hundred twenty-five (125) percent of the minimum number of parking spaces required in the table shall require the approval of an alternative parking plan as provided in this ordinance.

(Ord. No. 2019-Z-1, 1-22-2019)

1.

Parking spaces and driveways may be constructed of a dust-less surface, including concrete, asphalt, brick or paving stones. Gravel or compacted stone may be approved for single family detached.

2.

Parking spaces and driveways shall not occupy more than thirty (30) percent of a front or rear yard area.

3.

Parking spaces and driveways shall not occupy more than fifteen (15) percent of the total lot area for lots having a lot area of twenty thousand (20,000) square feet or less.

4.

Parking spaces and driveways shall not occupy more than ten (10) percent of the total lot area for lots having a lot area of more than twenty thousand (20,000) square feet.

5.

Parking shall be allowed only in driveways or parking spaces meeting these requirements, and shall be prohibited elsewhere on the lot.

The zoning administrator is authorized to approve a plan for alternative parking arrangements for permitted and special permit uses in any zoning district. The applicant may elect to submit a parking plan, supported by a parking impact study, that modifies the parking requirements of this section in instances where it can be shown that parking, circulation, aesthetic, environmental, and other goals of both the property, and the city as a whole, can be fully met through an alternative parking arrangement.

An alternative parking plan may propose to provide: (1) fewer spaces than are otherwise required by this section; (2) more spaces than are otherwise allowed by this section; (3) a reduction in required off-street parking spaces when available on-street parking is located in close proximity within a public right-of-way or public parking lot; and (4) a shared parking arrangement allowing two (2) or more independent uses or establishments to work together to meet their parking needs while reducing the total number of spaces required.

1.

The zoning administrator may approve, disapprove, or modify the parking plan and parking impact study that provides for an alternative parking plan arrangement that includes waiver of the minimum parking requirements expressed in Table 23.1. An applicant may submit a request to waive the construction of up to thirty (30) percent of the parking spaces otherwise required. The applicant shall demonstrate through submission of relevant and appropriate data and information that, because of the location, nature, availability of public or on-street parking, or the unique character of the intended mix of uses, there is a reasonable probability the number of parking spaces actually needed to serve the development is less than the minimum required by this ordinance. The parking impact study shall be accompanied by a plan showing the location and number of parking spaces that will be provided, prepared by a professional engineer or a practicing professional traffic planner with demonstrated technical expertise in preparing such a study.

2.

The zoning administrator may approve, disapprove, or modify the parking plan and parking impact study that provides for a number of off-street parking spaces in excess of the maximum number allowed by this ordinance. Requests to exceed the maximum number of required off-street parking spaces shall be accompanied by a proposed parking plan, including a parking demand study performed by a professional engineer or professional traffic planner with demonstrated technical expertise in preparing such a study. The purpose of the parking demand study is to provide data and supporting analysis in support of the applicant's contention that the maximum number of parking spaces required by this ordinance will be insufficient to serve the needs of the proposed development. In addition to the parking demand study, the requesting party may provide other relevant and appropriate data supporting his request.

3.

Shared parking arrangements may be allowed between certain compatible uses (for example, office buildings with primarily weekday parking needs and churches with primarily weekend needs). In such cases, the zoning administrator may approve an alternative parking plan that reduces the individual parking requirements for two (2) or more uses, through use of shared parking facilities. Shared parking analysis shall be based on ULI guidelines or other commonly accepted methods and, further, shall be guided by the following:

a.

Shared parking spaces shall be located within three hundred (300) feet of the primary entrance of all uses served, and shall not be separated from such uses by an arterial or collector street, unless the shared parking area is served by an improved and signed pedestrian crossing. The shared parking and intended use such location serves shall be connected to such use by a continuous pedestrian walkway. Such pedestrian access shall be accessible to the handicapped and shall meet ADA requirements where feasible in the determination of the zoning administrator.

b.

The right to use such property for parking shall be established by deed, easement, lease or similar recorded covenant or agreement, shall be approved as to form and content by the city attorney and shall be recorded in the clerk's office.

c.

The maximum reduction in the total number of parking spaces required for all uses, in the aggregate, sharing the parking area shall be fifty (50) percent.

d.

Should such off-street parking spaces become unavailable for use, an equal number of parking spaces shall be constructed and provided on either the primary site or by another off-site arrangement meeting the requirements of this section. Failure to provide these parking spaces within ninety (90) days from the date on which the use of the previously available spaces was terminated shall be a violation of this ordinance.

4.

Applicants requesting to use shared parking as a means of satisfying the off-street parking standards must submit a proposed parking plan, including a parking demand study prepared by a professional traffic planner who is experienced in the preparation of such studies. The purpose of the study shall be to provide data and supporting analysis demonstrating the feasibility of the proposed shared parking facilities. The parking demand study shall include information on the size and type of the proposed development, the composition of tenants, the anticipated rate of parking turnover, and the anticipated peak parking and traffic loads for all uses that will be sharing off-street parking spaces. Additionally the requesting party may submit other relevant and appropriate data supporting the request.

5.

If approved, a shared parking arrangement shall be described and made binding upon the all owners of record of the subject properties, within a written agreement prepared in a form suitable for recording among the city's land records. Recordation of the agreement shall occur prior to the issuance of any occupancy permit for any premises to be served by the shared parking. A shared parking agreement may be revoked only if all required off-street parking spaces are provided in accordance with the requirements of this ordinance.

6.

Design requirements and construction standards for on-street or other forms of alternative parking, where approved, shall be coordinated with the requirements of the subdivision ordinance. Subdivision ordinance waivers or modifications to related parking requirements may be considered at the time of project application and as otherwise provided in the subdivision ordinance.

Off-street loading spaces are subject to the requirements of the zoning administrator in conjunction with the review of a land use application subject to this ordinance, provided that off-street loading spaces must meet the following requirements:

1.

All off-street loading spaces shall be located on the same lot as the use served.

2.

Off-street loading spaces may be provided cooperatively for two (2) or more uses, as long as the contractual arrangements for the permanent availability of such spaces meet the standards set by the zoning administrator.

3.

All off-street loading space shall be provided with safe and convenient access to a street. If such space is located contiguous to a street, the street side thereof shall be curbed, and ingress and egress shall only be provided through such a curbed driveway.

4.

No off-street loading area shall be used to satisfy the space requirement for any off-street parking facilities, and no loading area shall be so located as to interfere with the free circulation of vehicles in any off-street parking area.

5.

No motor vehicle repair work, with the exception of emergency service, shall be permitted in any space designated as off-street loading area.

6.

All off-street loading areas, including aisles and driveways, shall be constructed and maintained with a dustless (concrete or bituminous concrete) surface, except as otherwise permitted for heavy equipment storage for industrial uses.

7.

Signage design and placement for loading spaces shall be depicted on the site plan.

8.

Off-street loading space dimensions and layout:

a.

No commercial or industrial loading space shall be less than fifteen (15) feet wide and twenty-five (25) feet long, provided that the depth shall be sufficient to accommodate the largest delivery trucks supplying the establishment and that loading space lengths for semi-trailer vehicles shall be not less than fifty (50) feet. Where more than one loading space has been provided and located parallel to the first, each additional space may be reduced to twelve (12) feet in width.

b.

No off-street loading area shall necessitate maneuvering from a public right-of-way. No loading space shall be located in a front yard, except for industrial uses.

c.

Off-street loading spaces shall not be located closer than forty (40) feet from the nearest point of intersection of the loading approach travelway with the public street right-of-way, provided that if such space is to access semi-trailer vehicles, then such distance be not closer than sixty (60) feet. In cases where an innovative site design application is employed in such a way as the impacts associated with the loading area may be properly mitigated with less loading area, a waiver of this requirement may be granted upon application to the zoning administrator.

1.

Stacking spaces shall be required for any use having approved drive-through or drive-in-facilities.

2.

Stacking spaces shall be a minimum of ten (10) feet in width and eighteen (18) feet in length, and shall be designed so as not to impede on- and off-site traffic movements.

3.

Stacking lanes and spaces shall be separate from other circulation aisles and parking spaces.

4.

Stacking lanes shall be separated from other on-site parking and circulation lanes by a raised median or other acceptable method to ensure the adequate channeling and safety of traffic movements.

5.

Computation of required stacking spaces. The following minimum stacking space requirements shall be provided in accordance with the following schedule:

a.

Eating and fast food establishments: Ten (10) stacking spaces, with distance as measured from the closest drive-through window.

b.

Car washes: Three (3) stacking spaces per car wash bay.

c.

Financial institutions: Eight (8) stacking spaces for the first drive-through window and four (4) stacking spaces for each additional window.

d.

Other uses: For uses not specifically provided for herein, the zoning administrator shall make the final determination regarding the number of required stacking spaces.

1.

Handicap parking spaces for the physically disabled or elderly shall be required at the rate of three (3) percent of the first two hundred (200) parking spaces required for any use.

2.

For uses which provide parking for more than two hundred (200) spaces, six (6) handicap spaces shall be provided for the first two hundred (200) parking spaces, plus one percent of the required spaces in excess of two hundred (200) parking spaces.

3.

All off-street parking spaces and related accessibility requirements for handicapped persons shall conform with the most recent Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations and as otherwise provided in this section. Where ADA regulations are in conflict with or are more stringent than the regulations in this section, ADA regulations shall govern. A copy of these ADA regulations is available through the office of the zoning administrator.

4.

The planning commission, upon recommendation by the zoning administrator may modify handicap space requirements where the applicant can demonstrate fewer spaces are required and that ADA requirements are fully satisfied.

5.

Perpendicular handicap parking spaces shall be thirteen (13) feet wide and eighteen (18) feet long, including a five-foot width for the delineation of aisles for access to vehicle, provided that two (2) handicap spaces may share the same five-foot access aisle. Spaces shall be located as close as possible to the primary building entrance(s).

6.

No more than four (4) handicap spaces shall be grouped together within a parking lot of shopping center or a land use where building entrance configurations dictate dispersed handicap space locations, as determined by the zoning administrator.

7.

Inclined access ramps shall be provided and designed to promote safe access from both sides of a vehicle directly to a sidewalk. Ramps shall have a minimum width of five (5) feet and a maximum slope of one unit vertical in twelve (12) units horizontal (1:12), provided that if current ADA requirements for handicap space access are more restrictive, then ADA standards and criteria shall apply. These ramps should also provide suitable accessibility to vans.

8.

All handicapped parking spaces shall be clearly identified by the placement of signs, with minimum height of four (4) feet and a maximum height of six (6) feet. Signs and parking spaces shall be marked with the standard handicap logo.