a.    Generally. It is the intent of this code that all land uses shall be provided with sufficient space located off-street for the parking of vehicles to meet the needs of persons employed at or making use of such land uses. No application for a building permit for the erection of a new structure or for the enlargement of an existing structure, or for the development of a land use, shall be approved unless it includes off-street parking facilities as required by this code.

b.    Application to Existing Land Uses. Land uses in existence for which building permits have been approved, shall not be subject to the requirements of this chapter, provided that any off-street parking facilities now required or serving such land uses shall not, in the future, be reduced below these requirements.

c.    Fractional Parking Space. Where the computation of required off-street parking spaces results in a fractional number, only the fraction of one-half (½) or more shall be counted as one (1).

d.    Mixed Uses. Where property is occupied or intended to be occupied by two (2) or more establishments falling into different classes of uses, the off-street parking required shall be the sum of the requirements for the various individual establishments, computed separately; off-street parking provided for one (1) use shall not be considered as being provided for any other use.

e.    Location. Required off-street parking shall normally be provided on the same lot or premises as the main use it serves. Where this is impractical, the Planning Commission may, by a Conditional Use Permit, authorize provision for parking on any parcel in the same ownership located within two hundred feet (200’) of the lot containing the main use.

f.    Design and Layout. Off-street parking areas shall be designed in such a manner as to conform to the following regulations, subject to review and approval by the Community Development Director:

1.    Dimensions of the required off-street parking spaces and driveways shall have minimums as per the following tables:

All parking areas shall have "standard car spaces" unless irregularly shaped lots prohibit the provision of "standard car spaces." Compact spaces shall not exceed 30 percent of the total number of parking spaces provided.

2.    All off-street parking facilities shall be designed with appropriate maneuvering areas and means of vehicular access to the main and auxiliary streets. Where the parking area does not abut on a street, there shall be provided an access drive not less than twelve feet (12’) in width in the case of one-way traffic, and not less than twenty-four feet (24’) in width in all other cases, leading to the parking area in such a manner as to secure the most appropriate development of the property in question.

3.    Required off-street parking areas shall be surfaced with an asphaltic, concrete, or other permanent impervious surfacing material sufficient to prevent mud, dust, loose material, and other nuisances, and off-street parking areas shall be so graded and drained as to prevent the ponding of water.

4.    Parking areas shall not be used for automobile sales, storage, repair work, dismantling or servicing of any kind.

5.    A planter or landscaped strip at least six feet (6’) in width shall be provided adjacent to street rights-of-way. Dead corners and other waste areas shall be landscaped to provide a visual break in the paved area. Parking areas of more than five (5) parking spaces shall provide, in addition to the required parking area, an area equal to not less than five percent (5%) of the total parking area devoted to landscaping. Within this planter or landscaped strip, an irrigation system shall be installed. Such a landscaped strip or planter shall be provided to create the necessary visual and physical break between the pedestrian traffic utilizing the sidewalks along the streets and the vehicular traffic in the parking area, and by this means, substantially reduce the traffic hazard to the pedestrian.

6.    Parking spaces shall be marked or maintained on the pavement and any other directional marking or signs shall be installed as permitted or required by the Community Development Director, to insure the maximum utilization of space, sufficient traffic flow, and general safety.

7.    Lighting, if provided, shall be directed downward and away from residential areas and public streets so as not to produce a glare as seen from such areas, in order to insure the general safety of other vehicular traffic and the privacy and well-being of the residential areas, and the lighting intensity shall be no greater than reasonably required to light the parking area.

8.    Access to public parking areas and curb cuts for driveways shall be so located as to insure an efficient and safe traffic flow into the parking areas and along the public streets.

9.    Parking areas shall be designed so that vehicular parking does not overhang into the minimum required width of sidewalks, planters or landscaped strips.

10.    Within any of the commercial, industrial and multiple family residential zones, parking areas shall be designed so that vehicles are not permitted to back out of the parking areas onto streets.

11.    A six-foot-high (6’), solid fence, or masonry wall of acceptable design, shall be provided along the edge(s) of any public parking areas adjacent to residentially zoned property to protect these residential properties from the interruption and nuisances of the vehicles using the parking areas.

12.    A barrier curb or wheel stop at least six inches (6") in height shall be provided adjacent to landscaping, buildings, and other areas to prevent damage to these facilities by the vehicles utilizing the parking areas.

13.    Lines delineating each parking space shall be double-striped to ensure a safe distance between cars.

14.    Parking areas may require traffic calming measures as determined by the Community Development Director.

g.    Maintenance and Operation. All required parking facilities shall be provided and maintained so long as the use exists which the parking facilities were designed to serve, or any use. Off-street parking facilities shall not be reduced in total area, except when such reduction is in conformity with the requirements of this Code.

h.    Common Parking Facility. Nothing in this Code shall be construed to prevent the joint use of off-street parking for two (2) or more land uses if the total of such spaces when used together shall not be less than the sum of the requirements for the various individual uses computed separately in accordance with the requirements of this Code.

i.    Number of Required Spaces. Off-street parking spaces shall be provided for each land use on the basis of the following schedules:

j.    Commercial Downtown District: provision of spaces subject to the Oakley Redevelopment Area Planned Unit District.

k.    For a use not specified in this section, the same number of off-street parking spaces shall be provided as are required for the most similar specified use.

l.    Requirements in Non-business Areas. Wherever one (1) or more parcels of land adjoin land of a publicly owned transportation facility, or a street adjoining a publicly owned transportation facility, or adjoin a zoning district allowing business uses, off-street parking may be allowed on these parcels to serve the public transportation facility or authorized business uses, after the issuance of a conditional use permit, if:

i.    The parking areas are limited to an area within one thousand feet (1,000’) of the public transportation facility or the boundary of the zoning district allowing business uses. Areas beyond this distance may be used for landscaping.

ii.    The parking area is for private passenger vehicle parking, only.

iii.    No commercial repair work or sales of any kind are allowed.

iv.    No signs are permitted other than those to guide traffic, to identify the parking lot, and to state the condition of use.

v.    The parking area is designed and developed in the manner and with the conditions deemed proper and adequate to protect residences in the vicinity. These conditions include, among others, the following:

1.    Proper planting and screening shall be provided either with fencing or planting, or both, to protect nearby residences from noise, light, and other detrimental effects.

2.    The entrance/exits shall be designed and located to minimize conflict with both existing and reasonably foreseeable vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

3.    The area used for drives and parking shall be suitably paved to prevent dust and mud.

4.    Proper provisions shall be made, as deemed necessary, for adequate lighting of entrances, exits, and parking areas, with measures to shield adjacent residential areas from the lights.

5.    Establishment of the parking area shall be subject to the approval of a detailed plot plan depicting and delineating the above requirements and planning location of parking attendant’s shelter, together with other necessary elements to constitute a proper parking area.

m.    Loading Spaces. In any district, in connection with every building or part thereof, hereafter erected or enlarged which is to be used for manufacturing, storage, warehousing, goods display, retail sales, wholesaling, hotel, hospital, mortuary, laundry, dry cleaning, or other uses similarly requiring the receipt or distribution by vehicles of materials, there shall be provided and maintained on the same lot with such building, off-street loading spaces as per the following schedule:

1.    10,000 – 25,000 square feet of gross floor area, one (1) space,

2.    25,001 – 50,000 square feet of gross floor area, two (2) spaces,

3.    50,001 – 100,000 square feet of gross floor area, (3) spaces.

4.    Plus one (1) space for each additional seventy-five thousand (75,000) square feet of gross floor area. In addition, the following requirements shall be provided:

i.    No loading operation for any use required to provide off-street loading space, nor the parking of any vehicle incident to such loading operation shall be permitted within any street right-of-way.

ii.    Each off-street loading space shall have a minimum width of ten feet (10’), a minimum length of thirty-five feet (35’), and a minimum height of fifteen feet (15’).

iii.    Off-street loading spaces required by this section shall be separately and permanently maintained as such, and shall be used only for this purpose. No part of a required loading space shall be encroached upon by buildings, storage, or any other activity.

iv.    Each off-street loading space shall be accessible from a public street and shall not be located within the required front yard or side yard, nor cause trucks to encroach upon the front yard or side yard during the process of loading or unloading.

n.    Pedestrian Accessways. All new "big box" commercial developments having parking lots with 100 spaces or more shall provide on-site pedestrian circulation systems that provide safe and convenient pedestrian accessways, while minimizing out-of direction travel. The pedestrian accessways shall comply with the following design standards:

1.    Pedestrian connections shall connect main building entrances to the nearest sidewalk or other walkway leading to a sidewalk. Pedestrian connections also shall connect to outdoor activity areas such as parking lots and transit stops. Walkways shall be designed to minimize out-of-direction travel.

2.    On-site pedestrian walkways shall be well drained, hard surfaced and at least five feet (5’) in unobstructed width. Walkways shall be increased to seven feet (7’) in width when bordering parking spaces other than parallel parking spaces, and surface material shall contrast visually with adjoining surfaces. If a raised walkway is used, the ends of the raised portions shall be equipped with curb ramps. Within automobile parking areas, or when the pedestrian circulation system is parallel and adjacent to an auto travel lane, pedestrian safety shall be improved by raising the walkway or separating it from the auto travel lane by a raised curb, bollards, landscaping or other physical barrier. When crossing driveways and parking areas, pedestrian crossings and walkways may be built at the same elevation as the driveways and walkways if they are constructed of permanent materials, including paving or markings in a manner which contrasts and clearly delineates the crossing or walkway at any time of day or night.

3.    The on-site pedestrian circulation system shall be lighted to enhance pedestrian safety and allow its use at night.

4.    On-site vehicular circulation systems and required pedestrian walkways shall be designed to minimize vehicular/pedestrian conflicts through measures such as minimizing driveway crossings, creating separate pedestrian walkways through the site and parking areas, and designating areas for pedestrians by marking crossings with changes in textural material. Marked crossings shall have a continuous, detectable marking not less than 36 inches wide using textural material that is firm, stable, slip-resistant, and consistent with the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act.

(Sec. 3.3, Ordinance No. 12-25, adopted August 12, 2025)

a.    Obstructions Prohibited. No structure (including but not limited to fences and gateways) or vegetation which obstructs the visibility of and from vehicles approaching the intersection of a State highway, public road, or street with another State highway, public road, or street, shall be constructed, grown, maintained or permitted higher than two and one-half feet (2 1\2’) above the curb grade, or three feet (3’) above the edge of pavement, within a triangular area bounded by the right-of-way lines and a diagonal line joining points on the right-of-way lines twenty-five feet (25’) back from the point of their intersection; or in the case of rounded corners, the triangular area between the tangents to the curve of the right-of-way line and a diagonal line joining points on the tangents twenty-five feet (25’) back from the point of their intersection; or as justified by an engineering analysis approved by the City Engineer. The tangents referred to are those at the beginning and at the end of the curve of the right-of-way line at the corner.

b.    Exceptions. This chapter shall not apply to existing public utility poles, or existing permanent structures or existing supporting members of appurtenances thereof; official traffic signs or signals; or corners where the contour of the land itself prevents visibility.

c.    Railroad Crossings. The prohibitions and limitations of subsection (a) of this section shall apply in every setback or front yard of a lot within seventy-five feet (75’) of the point where a State highway, public road, or street crosses a railroad track.

d.    Violation – Notice. If the City Engineer determines that a violation of this chapter exists, he shall give written notice to the owner, tenant, or person having possession, charge or control of the premises on which the violation exists. The notice may be given by registered or certified mail. The notice shall designate the obstruction and shall direct that the obstruction be removed within ten (10) days after receipt of the notice. The notice shall also recite the right of appeal provided for in subsection (e) of this section. It is unlawful for the person to whom the notice is addressed to fail to remove the obstruction within the ten (10) day period unless within the period he appeals as provided for in subsection (e) of this section, in which case the removal must be accomplished within ten (10) days of an adverse ruling on the appeal or application or as ordered by the Planning Commission.

e.    Appeal. The owner, tenant, or person having possession, charge or control of premises may appeal the determination of the City Engineer made under subsection (d) of this section, or may seek a variance from the terms of this chapter by application to the Planning Commission. Upon such application the Planning Commission may review the determination of the City Engineer, if the application is an appeal therefrom, and in any case if it determines that a violation of this chapter exists or is proposed or planned, may grant, grant conditionally, or refuse to grant a variance from the terms of this chapter.

f.    Removal After Appeal. Within ten (10) days after the Planning Commission determines that the obstruction must be removed, the applicant shall remove the obstruction.

Article 15    LAND USE REQUIREMENTS