The purpose of this article is to reduce traffic congestion on public streets by making provisions for minimum, off-street, parking and loading standards. It is intended to ensure safe and convenient-access, to and from each site; ensure safe and efficient traffic circulation; and, encourage aesthetic and functional design proposals.

1.01.

Off-street parking and loading terms defined. The following are applicable off-street parking and loading terms definitions:

Abandoned motor vehicle. A vehicle that is left in disuse for reasons of disrepair, incapable or capable of being moved under its own power.

Access boundary. That portion of the parking area that consists of a travel lane bounded on either side by an area that is not part of the parking area.

BR. Bedroom or guest accommodations.

DU. Dwelling unit.

Employee. The maximum number of persons employed at the facility regardless of the time period during which this occurs or whether the persons are full-time employees. The major shift may be particular day of the week; or, it may be a lunch or dinner period in the case of a restaurant.

GLA. Gross leasable area. The total floor area of a building designed for both tenant occupancy and exclusive use. The GLA includes both owned and leased areas but does not include shared or common areas among tenants. Where the total floor area of a building is occupied or where a building has no shared or common area, it is the gross floor area measured by taking the outside dimensions of the building at each floor level intended for occupancy or storage.

Inoperative motor vehicle. A motor vehicle which cannot be driven upon the public streets for reasons including, but not limited to: being unlicensed, wrecked, abandoned, in a state of disrepair or incapable of being moved under its own power.

Loading area. That area used to satisfy the requirements of this ordinance for truck loading and unloading.

Loading space. An off-street space or berth used for the unloading or loading of commercial vehicles.

Occupancy load. The maximum number of persons, which may be accommodated by the use determined by its design or by fire code standards.

Parking aisle. That portion of the parking area consisting of lanes providing access to parking spaces.

Parking area. An improved area on a lot exclusively used or designed for use as a temporary storage area for motor vehicles, containing access driveways, parking aisles and parking spaces.

Parking space. That portion of the parking area set aside for the parking of one vehicle.

SF. Square feet.

Stacking space. An off-street space for the temporary stacking of vehicles with an aisle intended to serve a drive-in teller window, takeout food window, dry cleaning/laundry pick-up or similar type activity station.

1.02.

Required off-street parking spaces.

A.

Unless otherwise provided for, all uses shall conform with the minimum parking space requirements outlined below. In situations where the required number of parking spaces is not readily determinable by the table shown below, the building inspector is authorized to determine the parking space requirements using the table as a guide.

Table IX.01

Table IX.02

Table IX.03

Table IX.04

Table IX.05

1.03.

Off-street parking design requirements.

A.

The following are minimum parking space dimensions:

1.

Each parking space, a rectangle, shall measure nine feet in width and 19 feet in length, except as provided in [subsections] 2 and 3 below.

2.

In large parking areas, 20 parking spaces or more, up to 20 percent of the parking spaces may be reserved for compact cars. Such rectangular spaces shall measure a minimum of eight feet in width and 16 feet in length and be conspicuously marked for compact cars only.

3.

All rectangular parking spaces, parallel to streets, shall measure nine feet in width and 22 feet in length.

4.

A stacking space shall contain a minimum rectangular area of ten feet in width and 20 feet in length and be separated from parking aisles and spaces.

5.

All handicapped parking spaces shall conform with the provisions of the Standard Building Code, 1994, chapter 11, and as such may be amended with regard to accessibility for the physically disabled and/or handicapped.

6.

All off-street parking spaces, at an angle of 45 degrees to the curb of the street, forming a rhomboid, shall measures 13 feet (sides parallel to the curb) by 24 feet (sides at an angle to the curb). The width of such spaces, the perpendicular distance between the sides at an angle to the curb, shall measure nine feet.

7.

All off-street parking spaces, at an angle of 60 degrees to the curb of the street, forming a rhomboid, shall measure ten feet(sides parallel to the curb) by 22 feet (sides at an angle to the curb). The width of such spaces, the perpendicular distance between the sides at an angle to the curb, shall measure nine feet.

B.

The parking areas shall be designed to discourage and prevent vehicles from backing onto public roads/streets. The parking areas that serve one or two dwelling units, that do not abut an arterial road or street, are exempt from this requirement.

C.

All parking areas, when adjoining a street right-of-way between adjoining lots, shall be physically separated from the right-of-way.

D.

The lighting fixtures used to illuminate parking areas shall not direct lights on adjoining streets or properties.

E.

The parking areas for all the subdivisions and developments shall have adequate provisions to allow sanitation, emergency and other public service vehicles to safely serve them. The construction standards for these parking areas must assure the support and maneuverability of all public service vehicles. Where necessary, fire lanes may be required by AFPA or City of Moody fire codes.

F.

All parking areas shall be paved with dust-free materials (asphalt or concrete).

G.

All parking spaces, except those serving one- or two-dwelling units, shall be demarcated with painted lines or other acceptable visual markings.

H.

All parking areas shall be maintained in good condition, free of potholes, weeds, trash, refuse, etc. the maintenance responsibilities shall be those of the owner/lesser or the renter/lessee, as may the case.

I.

The drainage in parking areas shall direct storm water back into the site from adjacent properties toward adequate drainage channels. All large parking areas 20 spaces or more shall provide on-site storm water detention to retard the sudden discharge of high volumes of storm water into the public drainage system. The quantity and rate of runoff after development shall not exceed the quantity and rate of runoff before development, based on a 25 year storm frequency. The drainage plans shall be subject to approval by both the planning commission and the city engineer.

1.04.

Location of required parking.

A.

All required parking spaces shall be located on the same lot as the use served by the parking, except as provided below:

1.

The required parking within planned residential developments may be provided in common parking areas.

2.

If the number of required parking spaces cannot reasonably be provided on the same lot as the served use, satellite parking may be provided on an adjacent lot. The satellite parking spaces shall be located within 400 feet of the nearest public entrance to the building housing the principal use. If the use is not housed within a building, satellite parking spaces shall be located within 400 feet of the lot. A satellite parking exception requires written legal documentation, that the user of such satellite spaces has the right to them.

3.

A joint parking area may contain required parking spaces for more than one use, provided the combined number of spaces complies with the parking for all uses. If, however, the concerned parties wish to make use of the same spaces at different times, these spaces may be credited to each separate use. The applicant for a combined use facility must present documentation of a combined parking agreement; and, if sharing the same spaces, a time schedule for allocation of such spaces must be documented.

1.05.

Parking prohibitions.

A.

The keeping of an inoperative motor vehicle in a residential district shall be within a fully enclosed building or structure or be completely screened or shielded from public view. No inoperative motor vehicle shall be parked on any public street.

B.

No vehicle exceeding 10,000 pounds gross weight and no boats, trailers, recreational vehicles, campers and similar vehicles or equipment, regardless of weight, shall be kept within a residential district, unless such vehicle is parked behind the front building line.

C.

The use of off-street parking in all residential districts for nonresidential purposes is prohibited, with exceptions to social gatherings, functions, etc. that do not last more than 24 hours.

D.

The use of any required parking space for the storage of any motor vehicle for sale or for any purpose other than the parking of a motor vehicle for employees or visitors is prohibited.

1.06.

Access controls.

A.

The proposed access points within the city shall be reviewed by the building inspector, street department superintendent and city engineer; and, it shall be approved by the planning commission. The proposed location, width, drainage structure, traffic conditions, site distances and resurfacing shall be addressed in the request for approval.

B.

The entrances shall be held to a minimum and be located at points affording maximum sight distances, minimum grades and maximum separation. For highway service uses along major streets, combined or shared driveways, entrances and marginal access streets may be needed.

C.

The maximum number of entrances shall be as follows:

D.

The property which has a frontage on two or more streets may be allowed entrances on each street in accordance with the above criteria.

E.

The distance between openings shall be 125 feet, except for single-family detached lots.

F.

The entrances shall be located so that the curb openings are a maximum of five feet from the nearest edge of a street drainage inlet and 50 feet from the corner radius.

G.

Turning lanes or the widening of pavement at entrances may be required in some cases, as deemed necessary by the city engineer.

H.

Each use with a gross leasable area (GLA) of 6,000 square feet or more which requires deliveries and shipments must provide off-street loading spaces in accordance with the following table. In those situations where the required number of loading spaces is not readily determinable by the table, the building inspector is authorized to determine the loading space requirement, using the table as a guide.

1.07.

Required off-street loading spaces.

A.

Any use with gross leasable area (GLA) of 6,000 square feet or more, which requires deliveries and shipments must provide off-street loading spaces in accordance with the following table. In those situations where the required number of loading spaces is not readily determinable by the table, the building inspector is authorized to determine the loading space requirement, using the table as a guide.

[B.]

Every public assembly use, auditorium, convention hall, exhibition hall, stadium, office building, funeral home, multifamily apartment buildings of 20 or more units, restaurants and hotels of 30,000 square feet or more shall provide off-street loading spaces, as follows:

1.08.

Off-street loading design standards.

A.

Each loading space shall have a minimum rectangular area of 12 feet in width and 55 feet in length, exclusive of driver and maneuvering space. Each space shall allow vertical clearance of 14 feet.

B.

No loading space shall be located within the front yard or within five feet of any property line.

C.

No loading space shall be used to meet the parking space requirement, interfere with the on-site circulation of traffic or allow a truck to extend into any right-of-way or over any property line.

D.

All lighting fixtures use to illuminate loading areas shall not direct light on adjacent streets or properties.

E.

All required loading spaces shall be located on the same lot as the principal use served by the spaces, unless a satellite or joint use loading facility is secured with equivalent satellite or joint parking facilities, as provided in subsection 1.04, location of required parking.

1.09.

Change in parking and loading requirements. Whenever there is an alteration of a structure, an expansion of a use or a change in use, which increases the parking and loading requirements, the use shall conform with the off-street parking and loading standards of this ordinance to the furthest practicable extent.