The intent and purpose of this article is to require a specified number of adequately sized and located off-street parking and loading spaces for new and/or expanded buildings or uses to prevent congestion and hazards in the public streets.

(Code 1977, § 17.40.010; Ord. No. 06-04, 2006)

(a)

Definitions. The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this subsection, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

Floor area, in the case of office, merchandising, or service types of use, means the gross floor area of a building or structure used or intended to be used for service to the public as customer, patrons, clients, patients, or tenants including areas occupied by fixtures and equipment used for display or sale of merchandise. The term "floor area," for the purpose of this section, shall not include any area used for:

(1)

Storage accessory to the principal use of a building;

(2)

Incidental repairs;

(3)

Show windows or offices incidental to the management or maintenance of a store or building;

(4)

Restrooms;

(5)

Utilities;

(6)

Dressing, fitting, or alteration rooms.

Ground area means that area of a building site or lot actually occupied by all buildings or structures on the site except for the following:

(1)

Parking garages;

(2)

Carports;

(3)

Covered or enclosed parking or loading areas;

(4)

Parking structures.

(b)

Procedure for application. An application for a building permit for a new or enlarged building, structure, or use shall include a plat plan, drawn to accurate dimensions and fully dimensioned, showing any parking or loading facilities to be provided in compliance with the requirements of this chapter.

(c)

Parking and loading facilities required.

(1)

All buildings and structures erected or enlarged and uses of land initiated after the effective date of the ordinance from which this chapter is derived shall provide accessory off-street parking or loading facilities as required. Parking or loading facilities shall be required for a building or structure for which a building permit has been issued prior to the effective date of the ordinance from which this chapter is derived if construction is begun thereon within six months of the effective date of the ordinance from which this chapter is derived and diligently pursued to completion.

(2)

A specific number of parking and loading facilities shall not be required for the remodeling, rehabilitations, or putting to use of an existing building or structure provided that the ground area covered by the existing building or structure shall not be increased; any existing parking and/or loading facilities shall be continued and maintained; and any area of the lot suitable for the development of approved off-street parking facilities shall be so developed. Remodeling, rehabilitation, or a use which does increase the ground area covered by such existing structure shall be subject to the same requirements as new construction.

(d)

Decrease in parking and loading facilities permitted. When a building or structure erected or enlarged prior to or after the effective date of the ordinance from which this chapter is derived shall undergo a decrease in number of dwelling units, gross floor area, seating capacity, number of employees, or other unit of measurement specified hereinafter for required parking or loading facilities; and further, when the decrease would result in requirement for fewer total parking or loading spaces through application of the provisions of this chapter thereto, parking and loading facilities may be reduced accordingly provided that existing parking or loading facilities shall be so decreased only when the facilities remaining would at least equal or exceed the parking or loading requirements resulting from application of the provisions of this chapter to the entire building or structure as modified.

(e)

Increase in parking and loading facilities required. When the ground area covered by an existing building or structure shall be increased; and further, when the increase would result in a requirement for additional total parking or loading spaces through application of the provisions of this chapter thereto, parking and loading facilities shall be increased accordingly, provided that existing parking or loading facilities shall be so increased that the total facilities would at least equal or exceed the parking or loading requirements resulting from application of the provisions of this chapter to the entire building or structure as modified.

(f)

Excess parking and loading facilities. Nothing in this section shall prevent the establishment of off-street parking or loading facilities to serve any existing use of land or buildings or to prevent the establishment of facilities in excess of those required.

(g)

Damage or destruction. Any building, structure, or use which is in existence on the effective date of the ordinance from which this chapter is derived and which subsequently shall be damaged or destroyed by fire, collapse, explosion, or other cause may be reconstructed, re-established, or repaired if the parking and loading facilities meet or exceed the requirements established in this section. However, it shall not be necessary to restore or maintain parking or loading facilities in excess of those required by this chapter for equivalent new construction.

(Code 1977, § 17.40.020; Ord. No. 06-04, 2006)

(a)

Joint parking facilities. Off-street parking facilities for different buildings, structures, or uses, or for mixed uses may be provided collectively in any zoning district, and in accordance with subsection (b) of this section, in which separate parking facilities for each constituent use would be permitted provided that the total number of spaces so located together shall not be less than the sum of the separate requirements for each use. The number of off-street parking spaces could be reduced by 15 percent per property if shared parking lots are used. The reduction would only be applied if the peak hours of operation for each use do not overlap.

(b)

Control and location of off-site facilities. All off-street parking facilities shall be located on the same lot or on a lot adjacent to or across a public street or alley from the building, structure, or use which they are required to serve. When such facilities are provided elsewhere than on the lot on which the principal use served is located, they shall be in the same possession, either by deed or long-term lease, as the property occupied by such principal use. The required number of parking spaces must be maintained during the existence of the principal use. Off-street parking spaces may be located on surface lots, underground, under a building, or in parking structures.

(c)

Design and maintenance. Standards for the design and maintenance of off-street parking facilities shall be as follows:

(1)

Parking space description. A required off-street parking space shall be an area of not less than ten feet in width by 19 feet in length exclusive of access drives or aisles, ramps, columns, or office and work areas; accessible from streets or alleys or from private driveways or aisles leading to streets or alleys; and to be used for the storage or parking of passenger automobiles or commercial vehicles under 1½-ton capacity. All parallel parking spaces shall have a stall length of not less than 20 feet and a stall width of not less than ten feet. Each space shall have a vertical clearance of not less than seven feet.

Parking Space Dimensions

*No two-way aisle shall be less than 24 feet in length.

(2)

Accessible parking space description. A required off-street parking space shall be an area of not less than 16 feet in width by 19 feet in length. Each accessible parking space shall be located in close proximity to the most accessible entrance to the principal building.

(3)

Calculation of space. When determination of the number of required off-street parking spaces results in a requirement of a fractional space, any fraction up to and including one-half shall be disregarded and fraction over one-half shall be interpreted as one parking space.

(4)

Access. Parking facilities shall be designed with appropriate means of vehicular access to a street or alley in such a manner as will least interfere with the movement of traffic. No driveway or curb cut in any district shall exceed 30 feet in width.

(5)

Signs. Signs may be displayed in any nonresidential district if they are not larger than two feet by two feet and located not more than ten feet from any driveway or alley which leads to the parking area. No signs shall be displayed in any parking area within any residential district except such as may be necessary for the orderly use of the parking facilities.

(6)

Required setbacks. No off-street parking lot or area, other than a residential driveway, established on the same lot with a building shall be located within a required front yard. No parking lot or area nor portion thereof, established on a lot without a building, shall be located closer to any street line than the established building line on adjacent properties nor closer than the front yard setback required for the district in which the parking lot is located.

(7)

Surfacing and striping. All open off-street parking areas and driveways, except those accessory to single-family dwellings, shall be improved by constructing with either:

a.

Six inches of compacted gravel base surfaced with two inches of asphaltic concrete; or

b.

Six inches of concrete laid over a firm base;

c.

Striping of the surface to define the parking space shall be provided and visible at all times.

(8)

Screening. Within any district, a five-foot landscaped divider strip shall be placed between all parking areas and sidewalks. Within or adjacent to a residential district, all open off-street parking areas for six or more cars shall be effectively screened by a wall, a solid fence, or a densely planted compact hedge along any side which is adjacent to property in residential use unless that use is across a public street or alley from such parking area. The screening shall be at least ten feet from any driveway opening and shall not interfere with the visibility of vehicles or pedestrians.

(9)

Landscaping. In addition to the perimeter screening, within any lot containing at least 25 parking spaces, one ornamental or evergreen tree and four shrubs shall be planted for every 100 square feet of all parking spaces to be located on an interior strip of private property at a width of at least ten feet. At least five percent of the interior parking lot shall be landscaped. Trees shall be evenly spaces whenever possible.

(10)

Lighting. The level of illumination at any point in the parking lot shall not be less than one footcandle or more than three footcandles measured at the pavement. Any lighting used to illuminate an off-street parking area shall be so arranged as to reflect the light away from adjoining property.

(11)

Drainage. Proper drainage and grading shall be provided to dispose of all runoff water. For any parking area in excess of five parking spaces, all runoff water shall be disposed of in an approved stormwater sewer or other maintenance system. Any drainage shall conform to the provisions specified in article IV of this chapter.

(12)

Maintenance. All parking lots shall be maintained and kept free of weeds, litter, and snow, whenever possible.

(d)

Special use public parking areas. Any automobile parking area developed for transient trade, and not accessory to specific main uses or groups to uses for which parking is required by this chapter, shall be treated as a "special use," as approved by the city council.

(e)

Schedule of minimum off-street parking requirements. In any district, except as otherwise noted, off-street parking shall be provided as follows:

(f)

Mobility-impaired accessible parking. All developments which serve the public shall allocate parking spaces which are accessible to people with disabilities. Accessible parking shall be provided for any building or use initiated after the effective date of the ordinance from which this chapter is derived. Appropriate signage shall accompany the mobility-impaired accessible parking spaces. The following minimum requirements shall be provided according to the following table:

(Code 1977, § 17.40.030; Ord. No. 06-04, 2006)

(a)

Design and maintenance.

(1)

Loading berth description. An off-street loading berth shall be a hard-surfaced area of land, either open or enclosed, other than a street or public way, used principally for the standing, loading, or unloading of motor trucks, tractors, and trailers so as to avoid undue interference with the public use of streets and alleys. A required loading space shall be not less than 15 feet in width, 55 feet in length, and 14 feet in height, exclusive of access aisles and maneuvering space, except as otherwise specifically dimensioned hereafter.

(2)

Location of berth. No permitted or required loading berth shall be closer than 50 feet to any property in a residential district unless completely enclosed by building walls or a solid fence or wall or any combination thereof not less than six feet in height. No permitted or required loading berth shall be located within 25 feet of the nearest point of intersection of any two streets. Loading berths open to the sky may be located in any required yards.

(3)

Calculation of berths. When determination of the number of required off-street loading berths results in a requirement of a fractional berth, any fraction up to and including one-half shall be disregarded and fractions over one-half shall be interpreted as one loading berth.

(4)

Surfacing. All open off-street loading berths shall be improved by construction with a weather and dust proof surface equal to the paving material of the street on to which it opens. If a berth opens into two or more streets, the more substantial paving material shall be used.

(b)

Schedule of minimum off-street loading and unloading facilities. In all districts where property uses include the loading and unloading of materials or merchandise from vehicles, off-street loading and unloading facilities shall be provided in accordance with the following requirements:

(1)

Hotels or apartments. For hotel building containing more than 10,000 square feet of floor area within which are operated restaurants, office facilities, or retail shops, there shall be provided one off-street loading and unloading space.

(2)

For hospitals containing more than 4,000 square feet of floor area, there shall be provided one off-street loading and unloading space.

(3)

For banks, business, professional offices, or public administration buildings containing more than 10,000 square feet of floor area, there shall be provided one off-street loading and unloading space.

(4)

For buildings containing furniture and appliance stores, motor vehicle sales, wholesale stores, household equipment, or machinery sales and having more than 6,000 square feet of floor area, there shall be provided one off-street loading and unloading space.

(5)

For buildings containing manufacturing uses; research and testing laboratories; laundry and dry cleaning establishments; printing, binding, publishing, and issuing of newspapers, periodicals, books, and other reading matter; warehouse and storage facilities; assembly of materials and products; processing and distribution of materials and products; and other similar uses having more than 10,000 square feet of gross floor area, exclusive of basement area, and less than 40,000 square feet of gross floor area; there shall be provided one off-street loading and unloading space plus one additional such space for each additional 60,000 square feet of gross floor area in excess of 40,000 square feet.

(Code 1977, § 17.40.040; Ord. No. 06-04, 2006)