Newcastle City Zoning Code

Setting minimum off-street parking standards for different land uses that assure safe, convenient and adequately sized parking facilities within activity centers;

Providing incentives to rideshare through preferred parking arrangements;

Providing for parking and storage of bicycles;

Providing safe direct pedestrian access from public rights-of-way to structures and between developments; and

Requiring uses which attract large numbers of employees or customers to provide transit stops.

Before an occupancy permit may be granted for any new or enlarged building or for a change of use in any existing building, the use shall be required to meet the provisions of this chapter.

If this chapter does not specify a parking requirement for a land use, the director shall establish the minimum requirement based on a study of anticipated parking demand. In the study the applicant shall provide sufficient information to demonstrate that the parking demand for a specific land use will be satisfied. Parking studies shall be prepared by a professional engineer with expertise in traffic and parking analyses, unless an equally qualified individual is authorized by the director.

If the required amount of off-street parking has been proposed to be provided off-site, the applicant shall provide written contracts with affected landowners showing that required off-street parking shall be provided in a manner consistent with the provisions of this chapter. The contracts shall be reviewed by the director for compliance with this chapter and, if approved, the contracts shall be recorded with the county records and elections division as a deed restriction on the title to all applicable properties. These deed restrictions may not be revoked or modified without authorization by the director.

Except as modified by subsections (B) through (D) of this section, off-street parking areas shall contain at a minimum the number of parking spaces as stipulated in subsection (F) of this section. The director shall have authority to require additional off-street parking spaces if warranted by a traffic study or by recommended guidelines of the Institute of Transportation Engineers. Off-street parking ratios expressed as number of spaces per square feet means the usable or net square footage of floor area, exclusive of nonpublic areas. Nonpublic areas include but are not limited to building maintenance areas, storage areas, closets, or restrooms. If the formula for determining the number of off-street parking spaces results in a fraction, the number of off-street parking spaces shall be rounded to the nearest whole number with fractions of 0.50 or greater rounding up and fractions below 0.50 rounding down.

Where other provisions of this code stipulate maximum parking allowed or reduced minimum parking requirements, those provisions shall apply.

An applicant may request a modification of the minimum required number of parking spaces by providing a study that substantiates parking demand can be met with a reduced parking requirement. In such cases, the director may approve a reduction of up to 50 percent of the minimum required number of spaces. Said study shall be prepared by a qualified professional approved by the director.

When the city has received a shell building permit application, off-street parking requirements shall be based on the possible tenant improvements or uses authorized by the zone designation and compatible with the limitations of the shell permit. When the range of possible uses results in different parking requirements, the director will establish the amount of parking based on a likely range of uses.

In any development required to provide six or more parking spaces, bicycle parking shall be provided. Bicycle parking shall be bike rack or locker-type parking facilities unless otherwise specified.

Minimum Off-Street Parking Space Requirements.

Parking Conditions.

These standards apply to all housing meeting the definition of middle housing in NMC § 18.06.130 except as noted in subsection (C) of this section.

Off-street parking for middle housing shall be subject to the following:

The provisions of subsection (A) of this section do not apply to:

Portions of the city for which the Department of Commerce has certified a parking study in accordance with RCW 36.70A.635(7)(a), in which case off-street parking requirements shall be as provided in the certification from the Department of Commerce.

Except as modified by subsections (C) through (E) of this section, off-street parking areas shall contain no more than the maximum number of parking spaces as stipulated in subsection (B) of this section.

Parking for a specific use shall be limited to no more than two times (or 200 percent of) the minimum parking required by NMC § 18.18.030 through § 18.18.080, unless otherwise specified.

Restaurants and other prepared food uses may have up to three times (or 300 percent of) the minimum parking required by NMC § 18.08.070.

LID BMPs shall be employed for parking proposals that exceed the minimum parking standard by more than 20 percent, where site and soil conditions make LID feasible and where approved by the city based on review of material prepared and submitted by the applicant. The use of the LID BMPs shall be for the entire parking facility and not just the area that exceeds 120 percent of the minimum parking required under NMC § 18.18.030 through § 18.18.080.

The director shall have the authority to allow additional off-street parking spaces above the maximum amounts stated above if warranted by a traffic study or by recommended guidelines of the Institute of Transportation Engineers. In making such decision, the director shall also consider whether the proposal is consistent with the Community Business Center/Lake Boren Corridor Master Plan. The director shall also have the authority to restrict parking for a specific use to an amount that is less than the maximum amount allowed in this section if the proposal would substantially conflict with the stated purposes, objectives, goals or policies contained in the Community Business Center/Lake Boren Corridor Master Plan.

Parking spaces provided above/below grade shall be exempt from all maximum parking requirements.

The total parking area exceeds 5,000 square feet;

The parking facilities are designed and developed as a single on-site common parking facility, or as a system of on-site and off-site facilities, if all facilities are connected with improved pedestrian facilities and no building or use involved is more than 800 feet from the most remote shared facility;

The amount of the reduction shall not exceed 20 percent for each use, unless:

The total number of parking spaces in the common parking facility is not less than the minimum required spaces for any single use;

A covenant or other contract for shared parking between the cooperating property owners is approved by the director. This covenant or contract must be recorded with the county records and elections division as a deed restriction on both properties and cannot be modified or revoked without the consent of the director; and

If any requirements for shared parking are violated, the affected property owners must provide a remedy satisfactory to the director or provide the full amount of required off-street parking for each use, in accordance with the requirements of this chapter, unless a satisfactory alternative remedy is approved by the director.

The requirement of one off-street parking space per two bedrooms may be reduced to no less than one space for every four bedrooms, as determined by the director based on the following considerations:

If a CRF facility is no longer used for such purposes, additional off-street parking spaces shall be required in compliance with this chapter prior to the issuance of a new certificate of occupancy.

Every nonresidential building engaged in retail, wholesale, manufacturing or storage activities, excluding self-service storage facilities, shall provide loading spaces in accordance with the standards listed below.

Every building engaged in hotel, office building, restaurant, hospital, auditorium, convention hall, exhibition hall, sports arena/stadium, or other similar use shall provide loading spaces in accordance with the standards listed below.

Each loading space required by this section shall be a minimum of 10 feet wide, 30 feet long, and have an unobstructed vertical clearance of 14 feet six inches, and shall be surfaced, improved and maintained as required by this chapter. Loading spaces shall be located so that trucks shall not obstruct pedestrian or vehicle traffic movement or project into any public right-of-way. All loading space areas shall be separated from required parking areas and shall be designated as truck loading spaces.

Any loading space located within 100 feet of areas zoned for residential use shall be screened and operated as necessary to reduce noise and visual impacts. Noise mitigation measures may include architectural or structural barriers, beams, walls, or restrictions on the hours of operation.

Multi-story self-service storage facilities shall provide two loading spaces, and single-story facilities one loading space, adjacent to each building entrance that provides common access to interior storage units. Each loading berth shall measure not less than 25 feet by 12 feet with an unobstructed vertical clearance of 14 feet six inches, and shall be surfaced, improved and maintained as required by this chapter. Any floor area additions or structural alterations to a building shall be required to provide loading space or spaces as set forth in this chapter.

A stacking space shall be an area measuring eight feet by 20 feet with direct forward access to a service window of a drive-through facility. A stacking space shall be located to prevent any vehicles from extending onto the public right-of-way, or interfering with any pedestrian circulation, traffic maneuvering, or other parking space areas. Stacking spaces for drive-through or drive-in uses may not be counted as required parking spaces.

Uses providing drive-up or drive-through services shall provide vehicle stacking spaces as follows:

Land uses reserving rideshare parking per Chapter 14.20 NMC shall do so as follows:

The director may reduce the number of required off-street parking spaces when one or more scheduled transit routes provide service within 660 feet of the site. The amount of reduction shall be based on the number of scheduled transit runs between 7:00 – 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. each business day up to a maximum reduction as follows:

All uses which are located on an existing transit route and are required under the computation for required off-street parking spaces in NMC § 18.18.030(A) to provide more than 200 parking spaces may be required to provide transit shelters, bus turnout lanes or other transit improvements as a condition of permit approval. Uses which reduce required parking under subsection (B) of this section shall provide transit shelters if transit routes adjoin the site.

Purpose. For all parking lots or garages, except those that include restricted electric vehicle charging stations.

Number. No minimum number of charging station spaces is required.

Minimum Parking Requirements. An electric vehicle charging station space may be included in the calculation for minimum required parking spaces that are required pursuant to other provisions of this code.

Location and Design Criteria. The provision of electric vehicle parking will vary based on the design and use of the primary parking lot. The following required and additional locational and design criteria are provided in recognition of the various parking lot layout options.

Data Collection. To allow for maintenance and notification, the location, date of installation, equipment type and model, and owner contact information will be provided to the Newcastle department of community development. The information above will be updated with the department of community development if any changes occur.

Accessible EV Charging Stations. Where charging station equipment is provided within an adjacent pedestrian circulation area, such as a sidewalk or accessible route to the building entrance, the charging equipment shall be located so as not to interfere with accessibility requirements of WAC 51-50-005. Where electric vehicle charging stations are provided in parking lots or parking garages, accessible electric vehicle charging stations shall be provided in the ratios shown in the following table:

Accessible electric vehicle charging stations should be located in close proximity to the building or facility entrance and shall be connected to a barrier-free accessible route of travel. It is not necessary to designate the accessible electric vehicle charging station exclusively for the use of people with disabilities.

All uses, except single detached building permits, shall provide pedestrian access onto the site. Pedestrian access points shall be provided at all pedestrian arrival points to the development including the property edges, adjacent lots, abutting street intersections, crosswalks, and at transit stops. Pedestrian access shall be located as follows:

Pedestrian walkways shall form an on-site circulation system that minimizes the conflict between pedestrians and traffic at all points of pedestrian access to on-site parking and building entrances. Pedestrian walkways shall be provided when the pedestrian access point or any parking space is more than 75 feet from the building entrance or principal on-site destination and as follows:

Pedestrian access and walkways shall meet the following minimum design standards:

Blocks in excess of 900 feet shall be provided with a crosswalk at the approximate midpoint of the block.

Off-street parking areas shall not be located more than 500 feet from the building they are required to serve for all uses except those specified below; where the off-street parking areas do not abut the buildings they serve, the required maximum distance shall be measured from the nearest building entrance that the parking area serves:

The minimum parking space and aisle dimensions for the most common parking angles are shown on the chart below. For parking angles other than those shown on the chart, the minimum parking space and aisle dimensions shall be determined by the director. Regardless of the parking angle, one-way aisles shall be at least 10 feet wide, and two-way aisles shall be at least 20 feet wide. Parking plans for angle parking shall use space widths no less than nine feet for a standard car parking space design. The director may modify minimum parking stall and aisle dimensional standards for structured parking if the applicant demonstrates that the proposed design is adequate to safely accommodate typical motor vehicle dimensions, maneuverability and demand.

Compact Parking. Up to 25 percent of the minimum required parking may be in the form of compact parking spaces. Compact parking spaces shall be striped to a minimum width of seven and one-half feet and a minimum depth of 16 feet. An increase in the maximum number of compact parking spaces may be authorized by the director if a need is demonstrated through submittal of a parking analysis.

Maximum Bumper Overhang. Parking areas may be designed so that the car bumper overhangs the curb into the landscape areas. If overhangs are provided, then the stall length may be reduced by the same distance as the bumper overhang up to the following:

Any parking spaces abutting a landscaped area on the driver or passenger side of the vehicle shall provide an additional 18 inches above the minimum space width requirement to provide a place to step other than in the landscaped area. The additional width shall be separated from the adjacent parking space by a parking space division stripe. The parking space depth may be reduced when vehicles overhang a walkway under the following conditions:

Reserved.

Driveways providing ingress and egress between off-street parking areas and abutting streets shall be designed, located and constructed in accordance with the provisions of city of Newcastle street standards. Driveways for single detached dwellings, accessory dwelling units, and non-cottage middle housing, no more than 20 feet in width, may cross required setbacks or landscaped areas in order to provide access between the off-street parking areas and the street, provided no more than 15 percent of the required landscaping or setback area is displaced by the driveway. Driveways for all other developments may cross required setbacks or landscaped areas in order to provide access between the off-street parking areas and the street, provided no more than 10 percent of the required landscaping or setback area is displaced by the driveway.

Lighting shall be provided for safety of traffic and pedestrian circulation on the site, as required by the Washington State Energy Code. It shall be designed to minimize direct illumination of abutting properties and adjacent streets. The director shall have the authority to waive the requirement to provide lighting.

Tandem or end-to-end parking is allowed in single detached residential developments. Driveways crossing required setback areas may be used for parking when serving single detached dwellings but shall not be considered for purposes of calculating required parking. Apartment, townhome, accessory dwelling units, and middle housing developments may have tandem parking areas for each dwelling unit but shall not combine parking for separate dwelling units in tandem parking areas.

All vehicle parking and storage for all dwellings must be in a garage, carport or on an approved impervious surface. Any impervious surface used for vehicle parking or storage must have direct and unobstructed driveway access.

Vanpool/carpool parking areas shall meet the following minimum design standards:

Direct access from the street right-of-way to off-street parking areas shall be subject to the requirements of NMC § 18.28.120.

No dead-end alley may provide access to more than eight required off-street parking spaces.

Any parking stalls located in enclosed buildings must be totally within the enclosed building.

Off-street parking areas shall have dust-free, all-weather surfacing. Permeable pavement is an acceptable all-weather surface and is encouraged where site and soil conditions make it feasible and where approved by the city based on review of material prepared and submitted by the applicant. Typical approved sections are illustrated below. Frequently used (at least five days a week) off-street parking areas shall conform to the standards shown in (A) below or an approved equivalent. If the parking area is to be used more than 30 days per year but less than five days a week, then the standards to be used shall conform to the standards shown in (B) below or an approved equivalent. An exception to these surfacing requirements may be made for certain uses that require intermittent use of their parking facilities less than 30 days per year. Any surface treatment other than those graphically illustrated below must be approved by the director.

Grading work for parking areas shall meet the requirements of the International Building Code. Drainage and erosion/sedimentation control facilities shall be provided in accordance with the city's grading ordinance.

Asphalt, concrete, or permeable surfaced parking areas shall have parking spaces marked by surface paint lines or suitable substitute traffic marking material in accordance with the Washington State Department of Transportation standards. Wheel stops are required where a parked vehicle would encroach on adjacent property, pedestrian access or circulation areas, right-of-way or landscaped areas. Typically approved markings and wheel stop locations are illustrated below.