For purposes of calculating off-street parking requirements for dwelling units, dens, studios, bonus rooms, studies and similar rooms as well as rooms ordinarily used for sleeping, shall be considered as "bedrooms."

Gross floor area shall be used to determine the number of nonresidential spaces required by this chapter for the provision of off-street parking and loading spaces and bicycle facilities.

All outdoor patios, decks, balconies, terraces and other areas that will accommodate a permanent activity that can contribute toward the need for parking facilities in addition to that which is provided for principal activities and uses within the building or structure shall be included in calculating the gross floor area.

All parking, loading and bicycle facilities required by this chapter shall be maintained for the duration of the use requiring such facilities.

Required parking, loading and bicycle facilities shall not be used for the storage or display of merchandise, or for the storage or repair of vehicles or equipment. The sale of merchandise may be conducted within these areas on a temporary basis, subject to the issuance of a temporary use permit and pursuant to the provisions of Section 9.02.150 of this title.

It shall be the responsibility of the owner or operator of a specific use to ensure that required parking facilities are maintained in good operating condition, and to ensure that the parking facilities are periodically swept and cleaned, and are properly striped.

Accessible parking for residential uses shall be provided at a rate of one space for each dwelling unit that is designed for accessibility and occupancy by the disabled, unless an adjustment is allowed, based on a parking study approved by the community development director.

Accessible parking for outpatient units and facilities providing medical care and other services for persons with mobility impairments shall be provided at a rate of 10% of the total number of parking spaces provided serving such outpatient unit or facility. Accessible parking for units and facilities that specialize in treatment or services for persons with mobility impairments shall be provided at a rate of 20% of the total number of parking spaces provided serving each such unit or facility.

Accessible parking spaces for other uses shall be provided at the following rates:

Each accessible parking space shall be 14 feet wide, striped to provide a nine-foot wide parking area and a five-foot wide loading area (access aisle) and shall be a minimum of 18 feet in length. If two accessible spaces are located adjacent to each other, they may share the five-foot wide loading area, resulting in a width of 23 feet for the two spaces. One in every eight handicapped spaces, but not less than one, shall be van accessible; served by a loading area not less than eight feet wide. If two van accessible parking spaces are located adjacent to each other, they may share a common eight-foot wide loading area.

When less than five parking spaces are provided, at least one shall be 14 feet wide, striped to provide a nine-foot parking area and a five-foot loading area. Such space shall not be required to be reserved or identified exclusively for use by persons with disabilities.

Accessible parking spaces serving a particular building shall be located on the shortest accessible route of travel from adjacent parking to an accessible entrance. In parking facilities that do not serve a particular building, accessible parking shall be located on the shortest accessible route of travel to an accessible pedestrian entrance of the parking facility. In buildings with multiple accessible entrances with adjacent parking, accessible parking spaces shall be dispersed and located closest to the accessible entrances.

In each parking area, a bumper or curb shall be provided and located to prevent encroachment of cars over the required width of walkways. The space shall be so located that persons with disabilities are not compelled to wheel or walk behind cars other than their own. Pedestrian ways that are accessible to people with disabilities shall be provided from each such parking space to the related facilities, including curb cuts or ramps as needed. Ramps shall not encroach into any parking space, with the exception that ramps located at the front of accessible parking spaces may encroach into the length of such spaces when such encroachment does not limit the capability of a person with a disability to leave or enter their vehicle, thus providing equivalent facilitation. Where the building official determines that compliance with any regulation of this subsection would create an unreasonable hardship, a waiver may be granted when equivalent facilitation is provided.

The slope of an accessible parking stall shall be the minimum possible and shall not exceed one-quarter inch per foot (2.083% gradient) in any direction.

Notwithstanding the off-street parking requirements of subsection A of this section, the number of parking spaces that are not accessible may be reduced to the extent necessary for modification of an existing facility to comply with the requirements described in this subsection.

Where provided, one passenger drop-off and loading zone shall provide an access aisle at least five feet wide and 20 feet long adjacent and parallel to the vehicle pull up space. Such zones shall be located on a surface with a slope not exceeding one vertical in 50 horizontal and shall be located on an accessible route of travel to the entrance of the facility. If there are curbs between the access aisle and the vehicle pull-up space, then a curb ramp shall be provided. Valet parking facilities shall provide a passenger loading zone, as described herein.

Notwithstanding any provisions of this title or any adopted specific plan to the contrary, the parking requirements for a religious institution affiliated housing development project are subject to the provisions of Government Code Section 65913.6, as amended.

"Religious institution affiliated housing development project" (RIAHD) is defined as a housing development project that meets all of the following requirements:

Allows up to 50% elimination of total religious-use parking spaces available for a religious institution affiliated housing development project.

No replacement requirement of religious-use parking spaces for a religious institution affiliated housing development project proposes to eliminate, provided the reduction does not exceed 50%.

Allows the remaining religious-use parking spaces to count toward number of parking spaces required for the religious institution affiliated housing development project.

Prohibits the reduction in parking spaces from reducing the minimum parking standards below one space per unit unless the religious institution affiliated housing development project is within one-half mile of a high-quality transit corridor or a major transit stop, or a car share vehicle within one block of parcel.

Class 1 Facilities. Class 1 bicycle facilities required pursuant to the provisions of this chapter are intended for long-term parking, and shall be protected against theft of the entire bicycle and of its components and accessories.

Class 2 Facilities. Class 2 facilities are intended for short-term parking, and shall include a stationary object to which the owner or operator can lock the frame and both wheels with a user-provided lock. The facility shall be designed so as to protect the lock from physical assault.

Class 3 Facilities. Class 3 facilities are also intended for short-term parking, and shall include a stationary object to which the user can lock the frame and both wheels with a user-provided six-foot cable (or chain) and lock.

Bicycle parking spaces shall be provided in all commercial, office and industrial districts equal to five percent of the required automobile parking spaces, with a minimum of two bicycle parking stalls required for any one use.

Single-family and multiple-family residences are exempt from this section.

All bicycle spaces shall be located as close as possible to the entrance(s) of the use that they are intended to serve, but situated as not to obstruct primary pedestrian circulation. If this is not possible, signs should be posted to direct bicyclists to the bike parking.

All bicycle facilities shall be located in highly visible areas to minimize theft and vandalism.

All bicycle parking and storage areas shall be surfaced so as to keep the area in a dust-free condition. Pervious pavement is recommended.

A minimum aisle width of five feet shall be provided between and adjacent to rows of bicycle racks or spaces for access and pedestrian pathways.

Bicycle parking areas shall be separated from automobile parking areas by a physical barrier of sufficient identification and distance to protect parked bicycles from damage by cars.

Signage should be posted to direct bicyclists to the locations of bicycle racks that may not be readily apparent. Similarly, signs indicating the location of bicycle parking should be posted wherever a NO BICYCLE PARKING sign is posted.

Shared parking is encouraged to avoid the creation of unused parking spaces and their potential harmful effects such as increased construction and maintenance costs, heat and glare, and water runoff requiring treatment of pollutants. A reduction in minimum parking requirements for individual uses may be granted by the community development director where joint use of parking facilities or other factors will mitigate peak parking demand.

Requests for parking reductions resulting from joint usage shall be supported by information prepared by a qualified parking study consultant. The investigation used to generate the required information shall generally follow the format described below.

Shared parking requests shall be analyzed as follows:

Up to 50% of the parking facilities required by this chapter may be utilized as shared parking facilities subject to the requirements of this section. Except that, a church or an auditorium which is part of a public or private school may adjust the required parking by up to 100% of the parking facilities required by this chapter.

In granting parking reductions for shared use of parking facilities, the approval authority shall make one or more of the following findings:

As a condition of approval to the granting of a reduction in required parking, the city may require the granting of reciprocal access and parking agreements with surrounding properties.

The number of required parking spaces may be decreased subject to the approval of a transportation management plan supplied by the applicant. Such a plan may include, but is not limited to, car pooling, van pools, and staggered work hours.

In evaluating the request, the approval authority shall consider, among other factors:

The off-site parking shall be located so that it will adequately serve the use for which it is intended. In making this determination, the approval authority shall consider the following:

As a condition of granting approval to the development of off-site parking facilities, the applicant and other involved parties shall be required to sign and record a reciprocal parking agreement ensuring the continued availability of the off-street parking facilities for the use they are intended to serve.

Parking lot design shall take into consideration the appropriate integration of commercial uses. Parking facilities shall be designed to eliminate obstacles to pedestrian movement, consider spatial relationships between commercial uses and associated parking, and where appropriate, parking design will dictate the types of uses that may feasibly be established to ensure that adequate parking is available within a reasonable distance to the use it serves.

Special plazas, motor courts or turnarounds are encouraged to identify entrance areas.

Project access and circulation shall allow for both vehicles and pedestrians by separating autos and foot traffic, by creating pedestrian entrances to projects and by using enhanced paving treatments, bollards or pergolas to identify pedestrian pathways through parking areas and along buildings.

Projects shall minimize impacts on adjacent streets by consolidating access points. Access points should be consolidated to take advantage of planned or existing median breaks.

The city may require reciprocal parking and access agreements between individual and adjacent commercial parcels.

To discourage excessive speeds within parking areas, the maximum length of straight aisles shall not exceed 300 feet unless otherwise approved by the community development director.

Parking rows shall not be longer than 180 feet, allowing for easier movement within the parking lot and preventing long queues within aisles unless otherwise approved by the community development director.

Drive aisles should make a loop around the structures and avoid dead end parking. In the case of straight drive aisles, provide at least 10 feet of setback between the last parking stall and the property line.

Parking areas shall be screened from streets through a combination of mounded landscaping, low profile walls and/or grading separations.

Parking areas shall not be used for loading or unloading.

Internal roadways should be designed so that direct access is available to all structures visible from a particular parking area.

Parking areas should use sound walls, screen walls and landscaping to minimize auto noise, glare and increased ambient temperature.

Landscaping, signs and walls shall be limited to 36 inches in height, measured from top of curb within 25 feet of any driveway entrance to protect visibility. Any trees located in these areas shall have trunks not exceeding eight inches in diameter and shall have a minimum branching height of six feet.

Trash enclosures shall not impair visibility.

Auto headlights in parking areas shall be screened so that they do not shine into adjacent properties or public rights-of-way.

All illumination of streets, parking areas and other project areas shall provide a variety of light quality and intensity, emphasizing areas of high vehicular and pedestrian activity with increased light intensity.

Driveways shall be designed so entering vehicles do not interfere with the existing vehicles. Main driveways shall employ entry medians whenever possible.

The first parking stall perpendicular to a driveway or first aisle juncture shall be at least 60 feet back from the property line, providing sufficient queuing for exiting vehicles unless otherwise approved by the city engineer.

In commercial developments, parking aisles should be oriented perpendicular to the major tenant's front entrance, to facilitate pedestrian movement.

Dead-end parking aisles which exceed eight standard parking stalls in length, and serving greater than 16 standard stalls for dual lanes, shall provide turnaround facilities (i.e., hammerhead, cul-de-sac, etc.) adequate to accommodate emergency vehicles.

Consideration shall be given to service vehicles (i.e., tractor trailers) when designing landscape and hardscape areas.

Bicycle and motorcycle parking shall be provided as required by this code.

All projects generating vehicular traffic shall participate in the traffic signal mitigation program as adopted by the city of Moreno Valley.

Transportation management programs may be requested of projects generating significant vehicular traffic. These programs may include transportation system strategies or transportation demand strategies targeted to reduce the project's impact on roads, air quality, and energy consumption. System strategies deal with physical improvements to the road or facility network, such as street widening, restriping, bus turnout improvements or consolidation of driveways. Demand strategies deal with the behavior of those using the road system and include carpooling, subsidized transit passes, bicycle racks, showers for employee use located within the facility, transit centers, and flexible work shifts.

Parking lot design shall include openings in curbs to convey water run off into landscape areas for water quality, retention and absorption. Pervious surfaces are recommended where feasible and required for parking areas provided in excess of city requirements.

Covered Spaces. Parking spaces within an enclosed garage shall have an unobstructed, clear area dimension of 10 feet by 20 feet for each required parking space provided. All other covered spaces shall each be nine feet in width and 18 feet in depth. The parking area shall be clear of any obstructions and the measurements shall not include the exterior walls or structural supports.

Parallel Space. Each parallel parking space shall have a minimum dimension of eight feet wide by 22 feet long. However, if a parallel space does not abut another parallel space, and access is adequate to that space, the length may be reduced to 20 feet (see Figure 9.11.080-4).

Uncovered Spaces, Full-Size. Each full-size uncovered space shall be nine feet in width and 16 feet in depth of paved area and two feet of landscaped depth in excess of the adjacent landscape requirement. Spaces may be 18 feet of paved depth with no additional landscape depth subject to approval by the planning official. (The two feet of additional landscape may not be included in the required landscape setback.) (See Figure 9.11.080-5.)

Trailer parking stalls shall have a minimum dimension of 14 feet wide by 50 feet in depth.

Tandem Space. Each tandem space shall be a minimum of nine feet in width and 22 feet in depth.

Drainage. Parking lots shall be designed to drain into landscape planters using openings in curbs and site grading. All parking facilities, except those serving two or fewer dwelling units, shall be graded and provided with drainage facilities so as to provide for the disposal of water without surface flow over sidewalks within public rights-of-way.

Safety Features.

Striping and Identification.

All accessible parking spaces shall be striped and marked according to applicable state regulations.

Each parking space reserved for persons with disabilities shall be identified by a permanently affixed reflectorized sign, of a construction and material approved by the building official, displaying the international symbol of accessibility. The sign shall have a minimum size of 70 square inches, and shall be centered at the interior end of the parking space at a maximum height of 80 inches from the bottom of the sign to the finished grade of the parking space.

At each entrance to a parking facility containing one or more parking spaces for the handicapped, a sign with a minimum size of 17 inches by 22 inches shall be posted, stating clearly and conspicuously in letters with a minimum height of one inch the following:

Unauthorized vehicles parked in designated accessible spaces not displaying distinguishing placards or license plates issued for physically handicapped persons may be towed away at owner's expense. Towed vehicles may be reclaimed at _____ or by telephoning _____.

Parking spaces reserved for persons with disabilities shall have, in addition to the requirements of subsections (D)(1), (2) and (3) of this section, a surface identification in blue paint of at least three square feet in size, duplicating the international symbol of accessibility.

Each accessible parking space shall be 14 feet wide, striped to provide a nine-foot wide parking area and a five-foot wide loading area (access aisle) and shall be a minimum 18 feet in length. If two accessible spaces are located adjacent to each other, they may share the five-foot wide loading area, resulting in a width of 23 feet for the two spaces. One in every eight handicapped spaces, but not less than one, shall be van accessible; served by a loading area not less than eight feet wide. If two van accessible parking spaces are located adjacent to each other, they may share a common eight-foot wide loading area.

When less than five parking spaces are provided, at least one shall be 14 feet wide, striped to provide a nine-foot parking area and a five-foot loading area. Said space shall not be required to be reserved or identified exclusively for use by persons with disabilities.

Accessible parking spaces serving a particular building shall be located on the shortest accessible route of travel from adjacent parking to an accessible entrance. In parking facilities that do not serve a particular building, accessible parking shall be located on the shortest accessible route of travel to an accessible pedestrian entrance of the parking facility. In buildings with multiple accessible entrances with adjacent parking, accessible parking spaces shall be dispersed and located closest to the accessible entrances.

In each parking area, a bumper or curb shall be provided and located to prevent encroachment of cars over the required width of walkways. The space shall be so located that persons with disabilities are not compelled to wheel or walk behind cars other than their own. Pedestrian ways that are accessible to people with disabilities shall be provided from each such parking space to the related facilities, including curb cuts or ramps as needed. Ramps shall not encroach into any parking space, with the exception that ramps located at the front of accessible parking spaces may encroach into the length of such spaces when such encroachment does not limit the capability of a person with a disability to leave or enter their vehicle, thus providing equivalent facilitation. Where the building official determines that compliance with any regulation of this paragraph would create an unreasonable hardship, a waiver may be granted when equivalent facilitation is provided.

The slope of an accessible parking stall shall be the minimum possible and shall not exceed one-quarter inch per foot (2.083 percent gradient) in any direction.

Notwithstanding the off-street parking requirements of Section 9.11.040(A) of this chapter, the number of parking spaces that are not accessible may be reduced to the extent necessary for modification of an existing facility to comply with the requirements described in this subsection.

Where provided, one passenger drop-off and loading zone shall provide an access aisle at least five feet wide and 20 feet long adjacent and parallel to the vehicle pull up space. Such zones shall be located on a surface with a slope not exceeding one vertical in 50 horizontal and shall be located on an accessible route of travel to the entrance of the facility. If there are curbs between the access aisle and the vehicle pull-up space, then a curb ramp shall be provided. Valet parking facilities shall provide a passenger loading zone as described herein.

All disabled spaces shall be located as close as possible to the entrance(s) of the use they are intended to serve and oriented so that the user of the disabled parking space need not go past the rear of automotive parking spaces in order to reach the building's main entrance.

All permanent automobile and disabled parking spaces, loading and maneuvering areas shall be paved and permanently maintained with asphalt, concrete, or other all-weather surfacing, as approved by the city engineer. Every effort should be made to use pervious surfaces to reduce water run off. All parking areas in excess of the requirements of the municipal code shall use pervious pavement and/or increased landscape water retention and absorption areas.

Temporary parking facilities shall be provided with surfaces which prevent dust, as approved by the city engineer.

All parking spaces required by this chapter shall be provided on the same site as the use requiring the parking spaces, except as authorized in Section 9.11.070, Adjustments to off-street parking requirements, of this chapter.

All automobile spaces required for residential uses shall be located a maximum of 250 feet from the units they are serving. Distances shall be measured from the nearest point of the building to the parking space(s) serving that building.

All car pool parking spaces shall be located as close as possible to the entrance(s) of the use they are intended to serve.

Parking Access from Streets.

Driveway and Aisle Widths and Clearances. For purposes of this section, a driveway shall be defined as an access leading from a public street or right-of-way or a private street to a parking area, or from one parking area to another, but shall not be defined to include any ramp, aisle, or maneuvering area. A ramp is defined as an access driveway from one parking level to another. All driveways and ramps shall comply with the following standards:

The following criteria and dimensions may be modified by the city engineer:

Ramps.

Gated Entries. Requests for gated entries shall be submitted to the city traffic engineer and shall be subject to review and approval by the city traffic engineer and planning official, based on an analysis of the following issues:

The development of parking structures shall be subject to the major development review process.

No interior parking lot landscaping shall be required for parking spaces located within parking structures.

Stair wells within parking structures shall be open so as to facilitate casual observation.

Ramps within parking structures shall not have a slope greater than 20%; provided, however, that the first and last 10 feet of a ramp shall have a transitional slope no greater than 10%.

Facilities with controlled entries shall provide a minimum off-street three-car queuing length of 60 feet.

All openings for ingress and egress facing a public street shall be situated behind the street setback line.

A subterranean parking structure may be constructed and maintained in any required setback area.

Exits from any subterranean parking structure shall provide adequate sight distance in compliance with applicable standards established by the city traffic engineer.

All openings for ingress and egress facing a public street shall be situated behind the street setback line established by the district within which the facility is located.

Semi-subterranean parking structures shall meet the setback requirements.

Exits from any semi-subterranean parking structure shall provide adequate sight distance in compliance with applicable standards established by the city traffic engineer.

Aboveground parking facilities shall meet the height and setback requirements established for the district in which it is to be located.

The exterior elevations of aboveground parking structures shall be designed so as to minimize the use of blank concrete façades as determined by the approval authority.

The perimeter of the parking structure shall be landscaped at ground level with a minimum of one tree for every 20 feet of linear distance of façade in addition to any required streetscape landscaping.