The purpose of these provisions is to ensure parking and loading areas are provided on the premises of uses generating such needs and thereby discouraging parking and loading activities off-premises that may disrupt travel on streets and detract from the character of residential neighborhoods. Further, these provisions promote safe and convenient access to and from each site, as well as safe and efficient on-site traffic circulation and encourage the design of attractive, efficient and harmonious facilities.

9.02.01. Provisions must be made by the owner or occupant of each residential premises to park all vehicles belonging to its residents within the confines of such property and not upon the public right-of-way.

9.02.02. At the time of the erection of any building or at the time any principal building is enlarged or increased in capacity by adding floor area, seats, dwelling units, guest rooms, or before conversion from one type of use or occupancy to another, permanent off-street parking in the amount specified in table 9-1 and as otherwise specified by this article must be provided. This also applies if an existing structure, which does not have the parking required, is proposed to be enlarged or increased in capacity.

A.

The parking requirement for a use not listed in table 9-1 is determined by the zoning official using the parking requirement for a listed use most similar in nature.

B.

When calculating the number of required spaces, any fraction is rounded up to the nearest whole number. Calculations used in determining the minimum and actual number of parking spaces for a proposed site must be included on the site plan.

C.

The zoning official may approve a reduction of no more than ten percent if such official determines that it is not practicable to meet the total requirements of an enlarged, expanded or changed use on a developed property. A reduction of more than ten percent requires special exception approval.

9.02.03. All required parking spaces must be provided on the same lot or development site for which they are required or may be supplemented by a written, fully executed and notarized document authorizing shared parking between the owner of a use for which parking is required and the owner of nearby property having parking spaces above those required for the use on the site, or when the hours of operation of the two uses allow peak use of the parking spaces at separate times of day. The parking agreement must be filed with the application for a building permit or business license.

A.

Up to 50 percent of the parking spaces required for theaters, restaurants, public auditoriums, and bowling alleys and up to 100 percent of the parking spaces required for the assembly space of a place of worship may be provided and used jointly by establishments not normally open, used or operated during the same hours; provided, however, that a shared parking agreement is executed and filed as specified herein.

9.02.04. Parking facilities provided in accordance with the terms of this ordinance may not subsequently be reduced to below the requirements of this ordinance. No off-street parking required for one use or structure may, during its life, be occupied by or counted as off-street parking for another use or structure except as provided for shared parking facilities in section 9.02.05, Shared parking.

9.02.05. Shared parking.

A.

A joint parking area may contain required parking spaces for more than one use, provided the combined number of spaces complies with the parking for all uses. However, if the uses have different parking demand periods, the total parking requirement is calculated using table 9-2. In such case, the time period with the highest total parking demand establishes the minimum parking requirement.

B.

Parking spaces may not be restricted for use by one tenant if the remaining parking is reduced below that required for the other tenant uses.

C.

Parking spaces included in calculation of shared parking reductions may not be restricted for residential use. However, the approving authority may authorize restriction of such spaces from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. if it determines that sufficient parking is available during that time period for other uses on the premises.

Table 9-1. Parking Requirements by Use.

Table 9-2. Typical Shared Parking Demand by Use and Time of Day. *

9.03.01. Parking lots, including adequate driveways and maneuvering areas, must be improved and maintained with a suitable paved bituminous or concrete surface. The board may approve a special exception authorizing the use of alternate paving in the A-1 district and for overflow parking that is only intermittently used for assembly, entertainment and other uses for which parking demand exceeds normal parking requirements during special events.

9.03.02. Required parking spaces must be a minimum of:

A.

Standard parking spaces: Nine feet wide and 20 feet long.

B.

Parallel parking spaces: Nine feet wide and 22 feet long.

C.

Stacking spaces: Ten feet wide, 20 feet long and separated from parking aisles and spaces.

D.

Handicapped parking spaces must be provided and designed in accordance with the applicable provisions of federal, state or local law.

9.03.03. No parking is permitted in the established front yard in any residential district except on a driveway providing access to a garage, carport, or parking area of a residential use.

9.03.04. Parking areas must be so designed that sanitation, emergency, and other public service vehicles can adequately and safely serve such developments without the necessity of backing unreasonable distances or making other dangerous maneuvers. Fire lanes may be required by the fire chief or fire marshal.

9.03.05. All parking areas must be maintained in safe, operating condition and free of pot holes, weeds, trash, and refuse.

9.03.06. Drainage in parking areas must direct stormwater back into the site, away from adjacent properties and toward adequate drainage facilities. Parking areas of 20 or more spaces must provide on-site stormwater detention in accordance with the stormwater ordinance. Drainage plans must be approved by the city engineer.

9.03.07. For parking areas containing more than two spaces, each parking space must be delineated by striping or similar means. This does not apply to parking areas on single-family and duplex dwelling lots.

9.03.08. All parking areas must be provided with safe entrance to and exit from an abutting public thoroughfare. The location of such entrances and exits, and design and construction thereof, are reviewed in the interest of safety, adequate drainage and other public concerns.

A.

All parking areas must be physically separated from any abutting street right-of-way by a curb, drainage swale, landscaped area or combination of these.

B.

Except for single-family and duplex dwellings, turning space must be provided so that no vehicle will be required to back into a public street to exit an off-street parking or loading area.

9.03.09. All parking areas utilized between dusk and dawn must be properly illuminated. This does not apply to parking for single-family, duplex and multiplex dwellings unless such are provided in common parking facilities of ten or more spaces. Lighting fixtures may not direct lights on abutting rights-of-way or properties.

9.03.10. Certification of minimum parking requirements. Each building permit application must include information on the location, number and dimensions of off-street parking spaces and the means of ingress and egress. The certificate of occupancy for the use of any structure or land where off-street parking space is required will be withheld until the provisions are fully met.

A.

The use of any required parking space for the storage of any motor vehicle for sale, repair, or any other purpose other than the temporary parking of motor vehicles while patronizing the use to which the parking is authorized, is prohibited. Overnight parking of vehicles that are not related to the use on the property is prohibited.

B.

Inoperative motor vehicles must be kept within a fully enclosed structure or completely screened from public view.

9.05.01. Refer to section 3.07.02, Access management, for regulations applicable to the location and number of driveways.

9.05.02. Installation of turn lanes, pavement widening, or other appropriate modifications may be required if deemed necessary by the city engineer.

9.05.03. Each parking area on a lot must be physically separated from an abutting street right-of-way by a curb or equivalent barrier to control vehicular access to and from the lot. Such barrier must be located at or along the front line, unless suitable barriers are located within the street right-of-way. Except for permitted accessways, such barriers must be continuous.

9.06.01. Required loading space.

A.

All nonresidential structures and uses must provide and maintain adequate off-street space for the loading and unloading of materials or goods as required in table 9-3. When calculating required loading spaces, a fraction is rounded up to the nearest whole number.

B.

If any structure or use is enlarged, expanded or changed to a use requiring more loading space, additional loading space must be provided to meet the total requirements of the enlarged, expanded or changed use. If it is not practicable to meet the full requirement, the zoning official may approve a reduction of no more than 20 percent. A reduction of more than 20 percent of the loading requirement may only be approved as a special exception.

C.

Each loading space must be a minimum of 14 feet wide and 40 feet long where vans are to be received, or a minimum of 14 feet wide and 60 feet long, where tractors and semi-trailers are to be received, all having a minimum clear height of 15 feet.

D.

No loading space may be used to meet parking space requirements.

E.

Lighting fixtures used to illuminate loading areas may not direct light on adjacent streets or properties and may not exceed a height of 25 feet above grade level.

F.

All required loading spaces must be located on the same lot as the principal use served by the spaces, unless a satellite or joint use loading facility is secured in an equivalent manner as provided by section 9.02, Parking requirements.

Table 9-3. Loading Space Requirements.

9.06.02. Loading Area Site Arrangement.

A.

All loading areas must be provided with safe entrance to and exit from the public thoroughfare.

B.

No loading space may be located within the front yard or within five feet of any property line.

C.

No loading space may interfere with on-site circulation or be arranged such that a delivery vehicle in such space would extend into any right-of-way or over any property line.