Park Falls City Zoning Code
ARTICLE VII
Traffic Visibility, Loading, Parking And Access
§ 480-50 Traffic visibility.
In each quadrant of every street intersection, there shall be designated a vision clearance triangle, bounded by the inner street lines and a line connecting them 35 feet from their intersection. Within this triangle no object shall be allowed above a height of 2 1/2 feet above the streets if it obstructs the view across the triangle. Posts or open fences are excluded from this provision. Tree trunks shall be exempt where they are unbranched to a height of 10 feet and located a minimum of 30 feet apart. Objects existing within the vision clearance triangle at the time of the adoption of this amendment shall be permitted to remain, but shall not be enlarged or expanded except by natural growth in the case of vegetation.
§ 480-51 Scope of parking and loading regulations.
The off-street parking and loading provisions of this article shall apply as follows:
A.
For all buildings and structures erected after the effective date of this chapter, accessory parking and loading shall be according to the provisions of this article.
B.
Where the intensity of the use of any building structure or premises shall be increased, additional parking to match the increased intensity of use shall be provided.
C.
Any existing parking and loading serving any type of use may not be reduced below the requirements of this article.
D.
Where a conforming or legally nonconforming building is destroyed or damaged by fire, explosion, flood, or any other man-made or natural catastrophe, no off-street parking or loading is required during the process of reconstruction.
E.
Any application for a zoning permit shall include therewith a plot plan accurately showing any parking or loading facilities to be provided in compliance with this article.
§ 480-52 Parking requirements.
In all districts, there shall be provided at the time any building or structure is erected off-street parking spaces in accordance with the requirements of this section. A site plan, including layout of parking spaces and water drainage, of any parking area for more than five vehicles shall be submitted to the Zoning Administrator for approval prior to commencement of construction. Requests for said parking lots shall be accompanied with detailed plans on landscaping, parking layout, drainage provisions and driveway locations. In all districts, there shall be provided at the time any use or building is erected off-street parking stalls for all vehicles in accordance with the following:
A.
Access. Adequate access to a public street shall be provided for each parking space.
B.
Size of stall. A required off-street parking stall shall be at least 8 1/2 feet of width and at least 19 feet in length, exclusive of access drives and aisles, ramps, or columns. A stall shall have a vertical clearance of at least seven feet.
C.
Parking yards. Parking may be allowed in the required yards except that no parking shall be allowed within the first 20 feet of the required front yard or three feet of the required side yard adjacent to the right-of-way line.
D.
Surfacing. An open off-street parking area, containing more than five parking spaces shall be improved with a bituminous or cement concrete pavement in accordance with the City of Park Falls standards and specifications. Any parking area for more than five vehicles shall have the aisles and spaces clearly marked for handicapped and customer/employee parking. Surfacing shall be completed before an occupancy permit is issued, except that between November 1 and April 1 the property owner and City may enter into an agreement that required surfacing be completed no later than June 1.
E.
Repair and service. No motor vehicle repair work or service of any kind shall be permitted in association with parking facilities provided in residence districts.
F.
Lighting. Any lighting used to illuminate off-street parking areas shall be directed away from residential properties and public streets in such a way as not to create a nuisance. However, in no case shall such lighting exceed three footcandles measured at the lot line.
G.
Storage and parking of recreational vehicles. No major recreational equipment shall be used for living or housekeeping purposes when parked or stored on a residential lot for more than 30 days in any calendar year.
H.
Curbs. Curbs or barriers shall be installed a minimum of four feet from a property line so as to prevent the parked vehicles from extending over any lot lines.
I.
Number of stalls. Number of parking stalls required are shown in the following table:
Use | Minimum Parking Required |
|---|---|
Single-family dwelling and mobile homes | 2 stalls per dwelling unit |
Multifamily dwellings: | |
Efficiency | 1.5 stalls per dwelling unit |
1 to 2 bedroom | 2 stalls per dwelling unit |
3 or more bedrooms | 2 stalls per dwelling unit |
Hotels, motels | 1 stall per 3 employees and 1 stall per guest room |
Clubs, lodges, sororities, fraternities, dormitories, lodging and boarding houses | 1 stall per 2 beds |
Service institutions: | |
Hospitals | 1 stall per 2 beds and 1 stall per 3 employees |
Sanitariums, institutions, rest and nursing homes | 1 stall per 4 beds and 1 stall per 3 employees |
Medical and dental clinics | 6 stalls per doctor |
Churches, theaters, auditoriums, community centers, vocational and night schools and other places of public assembly | 1 stall per 5 seats or 1 stall per 100 square feet, whichever is greater |
Schools: | |
Elementary schools | 1 stall per employee |
Colleges and secondary schools | 1 stall per employee and 1 stall per 5 students |
Retail sales and services: | |
Restaurant, bars, or lounges | 1 stall per 50 square feet of gross floor area or 1 stall per 6 seats, whichever is greater |
Financial institutions, businesses, governmental, and professional offices | 1 stall per 300 square feet |
Funeral homes | 1 stall per 4 seats or 1 stall per 100 square feet, exclusive of embalming facilities, whichever is greater |
Bowling alleys | 5 stalls per alley |
All other retail sales and services, including shopping centers | 1 stall per 250 square feet gross floor area |
Manufacturing and processing plants, laboratories, warehouses, and wholesale sales | 1 stall per 2 employees |
J.
Uses not listed. In the case of structures or uses not mentioned, the provision for a use which is similar shall apply. "Floor space" or "area" shall mean the gross floor area inside the exterior walls where floor space is indicated above as a basis for determining the amount of off-street parking required.
K.
Combined uses. Combinations of any of the above uses shall provide the total of the number of stalls required for each individual use. Two or more uses may provide required off-street parking spaces in a common parking facility less than the sum of the spaces required for each use individually, provided such uses are not operated during the same hours. The following conditions must be met for any joint use:
(1)
The proposed joint parking space is within 500 feet of the use it will serve.
(2)
The applicant shall show that there is no substantial conflict in the principal operating hours of the two buildings or uses for which joint use of off-street parking facilities is proposed.
(3)
A properly drawn legal instrument approved by the Common Council, executed by the parties concerned, for joint use of off-street parking facilities shall be filed with the City Clerk or Treasurer. Said instrument may be a three-party agreement, including the City and all private parties involved. Such instrument shall first be approved by the City Attorney.
L.
Handicapped parking requirements. In addition to any other requirements relating to parking spaces contained in this chapter, the provisions contained in §§ 101.13, 346.503 and 346.56, Wis. Stats., and any Wisconsin Administrative Code sections adopted pursuant thereto are hereby adopted by reference and made applicable to all parking facilities whenever constructed.
M.
Changes in buildings or use. Whenever a building or use is changed, structurally altered or enlarged to create a need for an increase of 25% or more in the number of existing parking spaces, such spaces shall be provided on the basis of the enlargement or change. Whenever a building or use is enlarged to the extent of 50% or more in the floor area, said building or use shall then comply with the parking requirements set forth in the district in which it is located.
N.
Off-lot parking.
(1)
Required off-street parking spaces shall be located on the same lot with the principal use, or when this requirement cannot be met, such parking spaces may be located off lot, provided the parking spaces are located in the same district and not over 200 feet from the principal use. In cases where off-street parking facilities are permitted on land other than the same lot as the principal use, such facilities shall be in the same possession as the lot occupied by the use to which the parking facilities are necessary or in the possession of the controller of the principal use to which the parking facilities are accessory. Such possession shall be by deed whereby the owner of the land on which the parking facilities are to be located shall be bound by a covenant filed and recorded in the office of the County Register of Deeds requiring such owner, his heirs or assigns to maintain the required facilities for the duration of the use served.
(2)
Off-lot parking spaces for residential uses shall be within 200 feet of the principal entrance or the entrance for the individual occupants for whom the spaces are reserved while the farthest portions of a parking lot for all other uses shall be within 400 feet of the entrance of the establishment.
(3)
Accessory parking may be located in residential districts, provided that said lots or property are immediately adjacent to a commercial, business or industrial zoning district.
(4)
All off-street parking lots adjoining lots zoned for residential use shall have a minimum setback of 10 feet from any interior lot line, except if the adjoining lot is used for legally conforming parking purposes.
O.
Signs. Signs located in parking areas necessary for orderly operation of traffic movement shall be permitted in addition to others permitted in this chapter.
P.
Lighting. Lighting used to illuminate off-street parking shall have no direct source of light visible from a street or adjacent land.
Q.
Reduction of parking areas. Off-street parking spaces shall not be reduced in number unless said number exceeds the requirement set forth herein.
§ 480-53 Highway access.
A.
Highway access. No direct private access shall be permitted to the existing or proposed rights-of-way of expressways, nor to any controlled-access arterial street without permission of the highway agency that has access control jurisdiction. No direct public or private access shall be permitted to the existing or proposed rights-of-way of freeways, interstate highways and their interchanges or turning lanes nor to intersecting or interchanging streets within 1,500 feet of the most remote end of the taper of the turning lanes (such as exit and entrance ramps). No driveway openings shall be permitted within 100 feet of the intersection of an arterial street right-of-way line.
B.
Access barriers, such as curbing, fencing, ditching, landscaping or other topographic barriers shall be erected to prevent unauthorized vehicular ingress or egress to the above specified streets or highways.
C.
Temporary access to the above rights-of-way may be granted by the Zoning Administrator after review and recommendation by the highway agencies having jurisdiction. Such access permit shall be temporary, revocable and subject to any conditions required and shall be issued for a period not to exceed 12 months.
§ 480-54 Truck loading areas and parking spaces.
Off-street spaces sufficient for all truck loading and truck storage and parking shall be provided in connection with all buildings and uses delivering and receiving goods, materials, and supplies by truck and those using trucks in their business or operation.