Zoneomics Logo
search icon

Meridian City Zoning Code

154 OFF-STREET

PARKING AND LOADING REQUIREMENTS

154.110 Purpose

To secure safety from fire, panic and other dangers; to lessen congestion in the streets; to facilitate the adequate provisions of transportation; to conserve the value of buildings; and to encourage the most appropriate use of land, minimum off-street parking and loading shall be provided as set forth in the following schedules and provisions.

154.111 Special Off-Street Parking Provisions - Residential Districts

  1. Required off-street parking shall be provided on the same site as the use it serves.
  2. No parking shall be allowed except on a paved concrete or bituminous parking space surface.
  3. No parking structure, including garages, carports, or similar structures, shall be located within the required front, side, or rear yards of a lot or tract (Exception: Ten (10) feet from your property line where paved alleys are provided by developer).

154.112 Size Of Space

  1. Each standard off-street surface parking space shall measure not less than nine (9) feet by twenty (20) feet, exclusive of access drives and aisles, and shall be of usable shape and condition. Where it is possible for a vehicle to overhang the front of a parking space above a paved, stoned, mulched, or grassed area other than a sidewalk, street, right-of-way, or adjacent property, the length of the standard space may be reduced to eighteen (18) feet.
  2. Each small car off-street parking space shall measure not less than eight and one-half (8.5) feet by sixteen (16) feet, exclusive of access drives and aisles, and shall be of usable shape and condition. Where it is possible for a vehicle to overhang the front of a parking space above a paved, stoned, mulched, or grassed area other than a sidewalk, street right-of-way or adjacent property, the length of the small car space may be reduced to fifteen (15) feet. All small car parking spaces shall be grouped and located in specific areas so as not to be scattered throughout a parking lot.
  3. A maximum of fifty percent (50%) of the required parking for a general office or light manufacturing plant may be permitted as small car spaces upon approval of a site plan but only when both of the following conditions are met:
    1. Signage will identify the small car spaces; and
    2. The entire grounds and building served by the small car spaces are occupied and controlled by one tenant who shall be responsible for policing the use of the small car spaces.
  4. Each parking space (on-street or off-street) designed for parallel parking shall have a minimum dimension of eight (8) feet by twenty-two (22) feet.
  5. Each standard parking space located in a parking garage shall measure not less than nine (9) feet by twenty (20) feet, exclusive of access drives or aisles.

154.113 Parking Area Standards

  1. To prevent nuisance situations, all parking area lighting shall be designed and operated so as not to reflect or shine on adjacent properties. For safety and fire-fighting purposes, free access through to adjacent parking areas shall be provided where practical.
  2. Except for single family and duplex uses, parking spaces shall be permanently and clearly identified by stripes, buttons, tiles, curbs, barriers, or other approved methods. Nonpermanent type marking, such as paint, shall be regularly maintained to ensure continuous clear identification of the space.

154.114 Off-Street Parking Incidental To Main Use

Off -street parking shall be provided in accordance with the requirements specified by this ordinance and located on the lot or tract occupied by the main use or in accordance with Section 154.118 and located within the same zoning district as the main use.

154.115 Schedule Of Parking Requirements Based On Use

Off-street parking shall be provided in sufficient quantities to provide the following ration of vehicle spaces for the uses specified in the districts designated. [Where a calculation results in requiring a fractional space, one additional space shall be required.]

  1. Bank, savings and loan or similar financial establishment. One (1) space for each two hundred (200) square feet of total floor area.
  2. Business or professional office, studio, medical or dental clinic. Three (3) parking spaces plus one (1) additional parking space for each two hundred (200) square feet of floor area over five hundred (500) feet.
  3. Church or other place of worship. One (1) parking space for each (4) seats in the main auditorium.
  4. Clinic of doctor's or dentist's office. One (1) space for each two hundred (200) square feet of total floor area.
  5. Community center, library, museum or art gallery. Ten (10) parking spaces plus one (1) additional space for each three hundred (300) square feet of floor area in excess of two thousand (2,000) square feet. If an auditorium is included as a part of the building, its floor area shall be deducted from the total and additional parking provided as the basis of one (1) space for each four (4) seats that it contains.
  6. College or university. One (1) space for each two (2) students, plus one (1) space for each classroom, laboratory or instruction area.
  7. Commercial Amusement (indoor).
    1. Bowling Alley. 6 spaces for each lane;
    2. Racquetball or handball courts. 4 spaces for each court;
    3. Indoor tennis courts. 6 spaces for each court;
    4. Gymnasium, skating rinks, and martial arts schools or areas. 1 space for each 3 seats at maximum seating capacity, plus 1 space for each two hundred (200) square feet;
    5. Swimming Pool. 1 space for each one hundred (100) square feet of gross water surface and deck area;
    6. Weight lifting or exercise areas. 1 space for each one hundred (100) square feet;
    7. Bingo Parlors. 1 space for 3 seats (design capacity) or 1 per one hundred (100) square feet of total floor area, whichever is greater;
    8. Indoor jogging or running tracks. 1 space for each one hundred (100) linear feet;
    9. All areas for subsidiary uses not listed above or in other parts of Section 154.77 (those uses such as restaurants, offices, etc., shall be calculated with the minimum specified for those individual uses). 1 space for each one thousand (1,000) square feet.
    10. Other. 1 space for each three (3) persons accommodated (design capacity).
  8. Dance hall, assembly or exhibition hall (without fixed seats). One (1) parking space for each sixty (60) square feet of floor area used thereof.
  9. Day nursery, day care, kindergarten school. One (1) space per ten (10) pupils/clients (design capacity).
  10. Dwellings, single-family attached or detached. Two (2) parking spaces for each dwelling unit
  11. Dwellings, multifamily. Two and one-half (2.5) off-street parking spaces shall be provided per unit. Required parking may not be provided within the required front yard.
  12. Flea market. One and one-half (1.5) spaces for each two hundred (200) square feet of floor area or market area.
  13. Fraternity, sorority or dormitory. One (1) parking space for each two (2) beds.
  14. Furniture or appliance store, hardware store, wholesale establishments, machinery or equipment sales and service, clothing or shoe repair or service. Two (2) parking spaces plus one (1) additional parking space for each five hundred (500) square feet of floor area over one thousand (1,000) square feet.
  15. Gasoline service station. Minimum of 4 (4) spaces plus 1 space for every two hundred (200) square feet of floor space including incidental car washes.
  16. Golf course. Minimum of thirty (30) spaces per nine (9) holes
  17. Health care facility. One (1) space for each four (4) rooms or beds, whichever is greater.
  18. Hospital. One (1) space for each two (2) beds.
  19. Hotel or motel. One (1) parking space for each sleeping room, unit, or guest accommodation plus one (1) space for each three hundred (300) square feet of commercial floor area contained therein.
  20. Lodge, or fraternal organization. One and one-fourth (1.25) spaces per two hundred (200) square feet.
  21. Manufacturing, processing or repairing. One (1) parking space for each two (2) employees on the maximum working shift, plus space to accommodate all vehicles used in connection therewith, but not less than one (1) parking space for each 1,000 square feet of floor area, whichever is greater.
  22. Massage establishment. One (1) space for each two hundred (200) square feet of floor area.
  23. Mini-warehouse. Four (4) spaces per complex plus one (1) space per five thousand (5,000) square feet of storage area.
  24. Mortuary or funeral home. One (1) parking space for each fifty (50) square feet of floor space in slumber rooms, parlors, or individual funeral service rooms.
  25. Motor vehicle salesrooms and used car lots. One (1) parking space for each five hundred (500) square feet of sales floor for indoor uses, or one (1) parking space for each one thousand (1,000) square feet of lot area for outdoor uses.
  26. Office, general. One (1) space for each two hundred and fifty (250) square feet of total floor area.
  27. Office, medical. One (1) space for each one hundred seventy-five (175) square feet of floor area.
  28. Office-showroom or office - warehouse. One (1) space for each one thousand (1,000) square feet of floor area for storage and warehousing, plus one (1) space for each one hundred (100) square feet of office, sales or display area.
  29. Private club. If free standing or located in a shopping center of 150,000 square feet or less, one (1) space for each ten (10) square feet of bar, lounge and waiting areas, plus one (1) space for each one hundred (100) square feet of remaining floor area.
    1. If located in a shopping center of greater than 150,000 square feet, one (1) space for each one hundred (100) square feet of gross floor area.
  30. Private country club or golf club. One (1) parking space for each two hundred fifty (250) square feet of floor area or for every five (5) members, whichever is greater.
  31. Recreational area or building (other than listed). One (1) space for each two (2) persons to be normally accommodated in the establishment.
  32. Restaurant, cafeteria, café or similar establishment. One (1) parking space for every one hundred (100) square feet of floor area plus six (6) additional stacking spaces if drive-through windows are provided.
  33. Retail store or personal service establishment, except as otherwise specified herein. One (1) parking space for each two hundred (200) square feet of floor area.
  34. Sanitarium, convalescent home, home for the aged or similar institutions. One (1) parking space for each six (6) beds.
  35. School, elementary and middle. One (1) parking space for each five (5) seats in the auditorium or main assembly room, or one (1) space for each classroom plus ten (10) spaces, whichever is greater.
  36. School, secondary (grades 9 - 12). One (1) parking space for each four (4) seats in the main auditorium, or one (1) space for each classroom plus one (1) space for each two (2) students accommodated in the institution, whichever is greater.
  37. Shopping center. One (1) space for each two hundred (200) square feet of floor area. The total floor area used for restaurants and cafeterias (but not including private clubs) which exceeds ten percent (10%) of the shopping center floor area, shall require additional parking to be provided in accordance with the requirements for restaurants.
  38. Storage or warehousing. One (1) space for each two (2) employees, or one (1) space for each one thousand (1,000) square feet of total floor area, whichever is greater.
  39. Theater, auditorium (except school), meeting room, sports arena, stadium, gymnasium, or other places of public assembly. One (1) parking space for each four (4) seats or bench seating spaces.
  40. Vehicle repair garage. Three (3) spaces per service bay, plus one (1) space per employee (maximum shift), plus one (1) space per tow truck or other service vehicle.

154.116 Off-Street Parking Requirements For Uses Not Listed

For those uses which are not matched with a parking requirement in 29.6, the following standards shall apply:

General Use Category
Parking Space Requirements
Educational & Institutional
One space per employee
Transportation, Utility & Communications Uses
One space per employee plus one space per stored vehicle
Accessory & Incidental Uses
One space per employee
Office & Professional Uses
One space per 300 square feet of gross floor area
Automobile & Related Uses
One space per employee plus one space per stored vehicle
Retail Uses
One space per 200 square feet of gross floor area
Service Uses
One space per 200 square feet of gross floor area
Wholesale Uses
Same as for "Storage or warehousing"
Contract Construction Uses
One space per employee
Commercial, Manufacturing, & Industrial Uses
Same as for "Manufacturing, processing, or repairing

154.117 Rules For Computing Number Of Parking Spaces

In computing the number of parking spaces required for each of the uses in Sections 154.110 - 154.117), the following rules shall govern:

  1. FLOOR AREA shall mean the gross floor area of the specific use.
  2. Where fractional spaces result, the parking spaces required shall be rounded to the nearest whole number.
  3. The parking space requirement for a use not specifically mentioned herein shall be the same as required for a use of similar nature.
  4. In the case of mixed uses, the parking spaces required shall equal the sum of the requirements of the various uses computed separately.

154.118 Location Of Parking Spaces

All parking spaces required herein shall be located on the same lot with the building or use served, except as follows:

  1. Where an increase in the number of spaces is required by a change or enlargement of use or where such spaces are provided collectively or used jointly by two (2) or more buildings or establishments, the required spaces may be located not more than three hundred (300) feet from an institutional building served and not more than three hundred (300) feet from any other non-residential building served.
  2. Not more than fifty percent (50%) of the parking spaces required for theaters, bowling alleys, cafes, or similar uses and not more than eighty percent (80%) of the parking spaces required for a church or school auditorium or similar uses may be provided and used jointly by similar uses not normally open, used or operated during the same hours as those listed; provided, however, that written agreement thereto is properly executed and filed as specified below.
  3. In any case where the required parking spaces are not located on the same lot with the building or use served, or where such spaces are collectively or jointly provided and used, a written agreement thereby assuring their retention for such purposes shall be properly drawn and executed by the parties concerned, approved as to form by the city and executed by the parties concerned, and shall be filed with the application for a building permit.

154.119 Use Of Parking Spaces - All Districts

Required off-street parking and loading spaces shall be used only for these respective purposes and shall not be used for storage or display of boats, trailers, campers, motor vehicles or other goods, materials, products for sale.

154.120 Special Off-Street Parking Regulations

  1. In computing the parking requirements for any development, the total parking requirements shall be the sum of the specific parking space requirements for each use included in the development. Where multiple uses are proposed for a building, the parking requirements shall be calculated on the basis of the most restrictive requirements unless specific areas of different uses are delineated by floor or building segment.
  2. Wherever a parking lot is located across the street from or adjacent or residentially zoned property, and is designed so that headlight beams will shine into residences (whether or not such residences have been built at the time the parking lot is constructed), and irrigated earthen berm or a solid masonry wall or reinforced concrete fence of not less than three (3) nor more than four (4) feet in height above the finished grade of the off-street parking area shall be erected and maintained so as to provide a headlight screen for the residential district.
  3. The off-street parking spaces designated for each apartment (multifamily) dwelling unit shall be located within one hundred (100) feet of the dwelling unit served by such spaces.
  4. In all residential district, no heavy load vehicle, truck trailer, truck tractor, mobile home, motor home, camper, trailer, boat, machinery, farm equipment or machinery or any other similar equipment or machinery (called collectively "equipment") shall be parked or left standing for more than two (2) days out of any consecutive seven (7) day period within the required front yard or within the side yard of a corner lot between the side building line and side property line on the side of the lot abutting a street or public right-of-way.

    In no event shall equipment, including motor vehicles, trucks, and vans be parked or left standing at any time on a surface other than a paved or gravel driveway or paved parking lot. The driveway shall be located either:
    1. between the street or alley on the one hand, and on the other a garage or carport;
    2. in the side yard adjacent to the mail building; or
    3. as a circular driveway serving the main entrance of the premises;

      The driveway shall be no wider than the width of the garage, carport (or 20 feet whichever is greater) or parking space which it serves. No more than fifty percent (50%) of the front yard shall be a driveway. In no event shall vehicles or equipment be parked or left standing closer than five (5) feet from the front property line.
  5. All uses except single-family residential uses shall be provided with sufficient space for entering and exiting without backing into a public street. Along highly traveled roadways of a collector designation or larger, single-family lots shall also provide on-site maneuvering areas so that exiting vehicles do not have to back into the roadway.

154.121 Design Standards For Parking Structures

  1. In all districts, above grade parking structures shall conform to height restrictions for zoning districts in which they are located.
  2. The distance from parking structure entry and exit points to a corner of a street intersection shall conform to standards contained in the Subdivision Ordinance.
  3. Ramps shall not be constructed with slopes exceeding eleven percent (11%) and single lane entrances shall not be less than twelve (12) feet wide at the street.
  4. A minimum of one (1) car length shall be provided between an exit control gate and the inside edge of a sidewalk to minimize conflicts between exiting cars and pedestrians.
  5. Parking structure facades shall be left fifty percent (50%) open and interior light levels shall be maintained at ten (10) foot candles to enhance security and safety. All parking structure lighting shall be designed so as not to reflect or shine on adjacent properties.
  6. Full enclosure of any level of a parking structure may be permitted only if such structure is fully sprinklered and mechanically ventilated.

154.122 Off-Street Loading

  1. All retail, commercial, and industrial structures shall provide and maintain off-street facilities for the loading and unloading of merchandise and goods within the building or on the lot adjacent to a private service drive.

    At least one-half of such loading spaces shall have a minimum dimension of ten (10) feet by forty (40) feet, and the remaining spaces shall have a minimum dimension of ten (10) feet by twenty (20) feet.

    Where such loading spaces is located adjacent to a residential district, the space shall be enclosed on three (3) sides.

    Loading spaces shall be provided in accordance with the following schedule:

    FOR ALL RETAIL, COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL USES

    Square Feet of Gross Floor Area in Structure
    Minimum Required Spaces or Berths
    0 to 10,000
    None
    10,000 to 50,000
    1
    50,000 to 100,000
    2
    100,000 to 200,000
    3
    Each additional 100,000
    1 additional

    FOR ALL HOTELS, OFFICE BUILDINGS, RESTAURANTS, SIMILAR ESTABLISHMENT

    Square Feet of Gross Floor Area in Structure
    Minimum Required Spaces or Berths
    0 to 50,000
    None
    50,000 to 150,000
    1
    150,000 to 300,000
    2
    300,000 to 500,000
    3
    500,000 to 1,000,000
    4
    Each additional 500,0001 additional
  2. Kindergartens, day schools, and similar child training and care establishments shall provide loading and unloading space on a private drive, off-street, to accommodate one (1) motor vehicle for each ten (10) students or children cared for by the establishment.
  3. Loading docks for any establishment which customarily receives goods between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m., and is adjacent to a residential use or district, shall be designed and constructed so as to fully enclose the loading operation in order to reduce the effects of the noise of the operation on adjacent residences.
  4. Where adjacent to residential uses or district, off-street loading areas shall be screened from view of the residential use or district.

154.123 Stacking Requirements For Drive-Through Facilities

  1. A stacking space shall be an area on a site measuring eight (8) feet by twenty (20) feet with direct forward access to a service window or station of a drive-through facility which does not constitute space for any other circulation driveway, parking space, or maneuvering area.
  2. For financial institutions with drive-through facilities, each teller window or station, human or mechanical, shall be provided with a minimum of five (5) stacking spaces (from the right-of-way line).
  3. For each service window of a drive-through restaurant, a minimum of seven (7) stacking spaces (from the right-of-way line) shall be provided.
  4. For kiosks, a minimum of two (2) stacking spaces (from the right-of-way) for each service window shall be provided.

154.124 Parking For The Disabled

  1. Required parking spaces for the disabled shall be provided for all uses in accordance with 29.15.3 and 29.15.4, "Required Parking for the Disabled". Such spaces must be not less than 96" wide with an adjacent aisle or clear space of at least 60" wide. One in every eight wheelchair accessible spaces, not less than one, shall be served by an access aisle a minimum 96 inches wide and shall be designated "van accessible". A common aisle between two spaces may be shared. All such spaces shall be striped and designated by signs legibly stating that such parking space or spaces are restricted to use only by the disabled. Each such sign must display a profile of a wheelchair with occupant and be placed so that it will not be obscured by parked vehicles. The signs shall conform to the standard size, weight, and length as set forth in the Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. Such parking spaces shall be located as near as possible to an access ramp, and such spaces shall not include any fire lane or other area necessary for aisles or maneuvering of vehicles.
  2. The owner of private property open to the public for parking purposes shall designate specific parking spaces for the disabled in conformance with the rules promulgated by the State Purchasing and General Services Commission as modified and/or supplemented by the provisions, if any, of this City Zoning Ordinance.
  3. RESIDENTIAL USES


    Required Number of Disabled Parking Spaces
    Required For Each*
    Residential Uses (Apartment complexes)
    01-20 required parking spaces

    121-99 required parking spaces

    2100-199 required parking spaces

    1Additional 100 required parking spaces, with a maximum of 15 disabled spaces being required
  4. ALL NONRESIDENTIAL USES

    Total Parking in Lot
    Required Number of Accessible Spaces*
    1 to 251
    26 to 502
    51 to 753
    76 to 1004
    101 to 1505
    151 to 2006
    201 to 3007
    301 to 4008
    401 to 5009
    500 to 1,0002 percent of total
    1,001 and over20 plus 1 for each 100 over 1,000
    *Accessible parking spaces may be used to meet the required number of parking spaces.