- PARKING AND LOADING REQUIREMENTS
Article 6 sets out the requirements and restrictions on the provision of automobile parking spaces for each development to accommodate its residents, employees, customers, and visitors, and for adequate truck parking to serve businesses and industry. The provisions of this Article apply equally to each designated use without regard to the zoning district in which it is located.
(a)
Parking Required. Off-street automobile parking, loading and unloading spaces shall be provided, as specified in this Article, for uses and structures hereafter established.
(b)
In all zoning districts there shall be provided at the time any permitted use is established, enlarged or increased in capacity, off-street parking spaces for automobiles in accordance with the standards set forth herein.
(c)
Applicability.
(1)
This Article shall apply to any new building constructed; for new uses or conversions of existing, conforming buildings; and for enlargements of existing structures.
(2)
This Article shall not be construed to require additional parking spaces to be furnished for an existing building which is repaired, altered, maintained, or modernized, where the size of the building is not in-creased; provided, however that when occupancy of any building is changed to another use, parking shall be provided to meet the requirements of this Article for the new use.
Wherever off-street parking is required for the development of a lot, it shall be established and maintained as follows:
(a)
Each off-street parking space shall consist of a designated and defined area of at least 10 feet in width and 20 feet in length exclusive of access drives and aisles.
(b)
No off-street parking space shall extend beyond any lot line; and where an off-street parking space abuts a residential lot line, a setback line of five feet shall be established.
(a)
Except for lots devoted to single and two dwelling units per structure uses, all areas established for off-street parking shall be designed and be of such size that no vehicle is required to back into a public street to obtain egress.
(b)
All areas devoted to off-street parking shall have clearly defined access drives of ingress and egress not to exceed 25 feet, to include curbs.
(c)
All areas devoted to ingress or egress in a commercial, industrial or multifamily zone shall be denoted by curbing.
(a)
All permanent off-street parking areas shall be property drained and surfaced. A proper permanent parking area shall be of a hard surface or finished in such manner that no dust will result from continuous use. Gravel or plant mix is also acceptable.
(b)
Each off-street parking space shall be clearly marked or otherwise defined.
(a)
Lighting in parking areas shall be provided in accordance with outdoor lighting standards set forth in Article 3 of this Development Code.
(a)
Joint off-street parking facilities for two or more uses will be established so long as the required number of off-street parking spaces shall not be equal to less than the sum of the requirements for the individual uses computed separately, except as follows:
(1)
Shared parking between day and night users. One-half of the off-street parking spaces required by a use whose peak attendance will be at night may be shared with a use that will be closed at night or on Sunday.
(2)
Planned developments. Parking spaces may be shared by more than one use if the Community Development Director finds that the total number of spaces will be adequate at the peak hours of the uses they serve.
Interparcel access shall be required as follows:
(a)
Internal access easements required. For any office or retail sales or services use, the property owner shall grant a "cross" or internal access easement as described in this subsection to each adjoining property that is zoned or used for an office or retail sales or services use. The purpose of the easement is to facilitate movement of customers from business to business without generating additional turning movements on the public street, thus increasing public safety.
(b)
Access easement provisions. The internal access easement shall permit automobile access from the adjoining property to driveways and parking areas intended for employee, customer, or visitor use on each property; but parking spaces may be restricted to use by each owner's employees, customers, and visitors only.
(1)
Interparcel vehicle access shall be required between contiguous properties only when the parking areas are or will be in reasonable proximity to one another.
(2)
All internal access easements shall be no less than 28 feet in width and shall be improved to a minimum paved width of 24 feet in order to accommodate two-way vehicular traffic to and from the adjoining properties.
(3)
The granting of an internal access easement on a property shall be effective only upon the granting of a reciprocal easement by the adjoining property owner.
(4)
Upon the availability of access to driveways and parking areas of the adjoining lot, the pavement or other surfacing of each owner's driveways and parking areas shall be extended by each owner to the point of access on the property line.
(c)
Relief. Where the proposed land use is such that adverse impact of the required easement on use of the property would outweigh the reduced impact on the public street provided by the reciprocal easements, the Community Development Director may waive the requirement for the access easements, in whole or in part, in accordance with Article 11 (Procedures and Permits) of this Development Code.
(a)
Off-street parking areas shall not be considered as loading or unloading areas.
(b)
No off-street parking facility in existence at the effective date of these regulations shall be reduced to an amount less than required for a similar use.
This section shall establish the minimum number of off-street parking spaces based on use.
(a)
See Table 6-1 for the required minimum number of off-street parking spaces.
(b)
For the purpose of applying the off-street parking requirements set forth in Table 6-1, the following definitions shall apply:
(1)
"Floor area" is defined as the gross floor area used or intended to be used by the public for the purchase of goods and services and shall include areas occupied by fixtures and equipment for display or sale of merchandise.
(2)
"Lot area" is defined as the area or portion of a lot actually used for display or sale of goods and services to the public.
(c)
Fractional off-street parking space requirements shall be counted as a whole space if the fraction is greater than one-half.
(d)
For uses not specifically mentioned in Table 6-1, the requirements for off-street parking and loading facilities shall be determined by the Community Development Director.
(e)
See Article 5 of this Development Code for additional off-street parking requirements in the MHU-1, MHU-2, CORD, PUD, and CUPD Districts, if applicable.
Table 6-1: Minimum Required Parking Spaces by Use
(a)
Handicap accessible spaces are to be provided as required by the federal Americans with Disabilities Act for all multi-family and nonresidential uses. Handicap accessible spaces shall be provided in each parking lot in relation to the total number of spaces otherwise provided for the use as shown on Table 6-2.
(b)
Handicap accessible parking spaces shall be counted as part of the total number of parking spaces required under this Article.
(c)
Handicap accessible parking spaces shall have an adjacent aisle five feet wide, and one in every eight handicapped spaces shall be adjacent to an aisle eight feet wide and the space shall be adjacent to an aisle eight feet wide and the space shall be clearly signed "van accessible." Handicapped parking space aisles shall be clearly demarcated by lines painted on or otherwise applied to the parking lot surface.
(d)
Handicap accessible parking spaces shall be located on a surface with a slope not exceeding one vertical foot in 50 horizontal feet (1:50).
(e)
Wheelchair ramps shall be provided at locations appropriate to normal travel routes from the parking lot to the principal use.
(f)
In addition to the requirements of this subsection, all handicapped parking shall comply with the requirements of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act and the Georgia Accessibility Code.
Table 6-2: Handicap Accessible Spaces Required
Source: Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines.
(a)
In all zoning districts where permitted uses require the receipt or distribution of materials or merchandise by truck or similar vehicle, off-street loading and unloading space shall be provided.
(b)
Such requirements will apply to new structures or that portion of existing structures which are altered or expanded after the effective date of this Development Code.
(a)
One space shall be required for the first 20,000 square feet of floor area plus one additional space for each 20,000 square feet of floor area up to 100,000 square feet and one space for each additional 40,000 square feet thereafter.
(b)
The minimum size of an off-street loading and unloading space shall be ten feet by 50 feet, exclusive of driveway and maneuvering space.
(c)
No street or alley shall be considered as part of the off-street loading or unloading area.
(d)
All areas for loading and unloading shall be so designed and located to permit traffic to exit facing a street or alley.
(e)
Off-street loading and unloading spaces may occupy all or any part of any required yard area.
On-street parking may be used on Harris County maintained public streets if approved as a part of a planned development and shall be limited to local streets internal to townhouse developments or master planned developments that provide pedestrian walkability within the project.
(a)
On-street parking shall be shown on the development application and the conceptual master plan and is subject to Community Development Director review and prior to submission to the Board of Commissioners.
(b)
On-street parking shall not be permitted for a single building on an individual parcel, but rather shall be permitted to serve multiple buildings or parcels within in a townhouse development or master planned development. In addition, individual businesses shall not designate any one on-street parking space for exclusive use by their patrons.
(c)
On-street parking shall comply with regulations in Article 5 (Subdivisions and Planned Developments) and other applicable regulations in this Development Code.
(a)
Each on-street parking space shall be nine feet wide by 22 feet long as measured from the face of curb.
(b)
On-street parking calculations shall be provided on the development application and conceptual master plan.
(c)
Handicap parking shall comply with the ADA Standards, the Georgia State Law for Accessible Design and the Georgia Accessibility Code for Buildings and Facilities for all multi-family and non-residential uses and the standards in Section 603.02 of this Article.
(d)
The roads shall be accepted by the County in accordance with the requirements and procedures in Section 1118 of Article 11 (Procedures and Permits).
(e)
On-street parking shall be constructed to the street standards as established in this Development Code and maintained in accordance with County Standards and further maintained so as not to create any hazards with traffic flow on the adjacent street.
(1)
No on-street parking shall be permitted in residential or commercial development areas without adequate parking space provided between curbs (i.e., width of paved surface would increase from 20 feet to 34 feet).
(f)
A mandatory property owners association shall be established for any development that provides on-street parking. The property owners association shall be responsible for the maintenance of any on-street parking in the development. A maintenance responsibility statement for on-street parking shall be placed on the approved plans and the covenants shall include a section that specifically states who is responsible for maintenance and what the maintenance standards are for on-street parking.
(a)
Up to 100 percent of the on-street parking spaces available within 700 feet of a use may be counted towards the minimum off-street parking requirements for commercial uses as shown on the development application and conceptual master plan.
(b)
No more than 25 percent of the number of required off-street parking spaces may be provided by on-street parking.
- PARKING AND LOADING REQUIREMENTS
Article 6 sets out the requirements and restrictions on the provision of automobile parking spaces for each development to accommodate its residents, employees, customers, and visitors, and for adequate truck parking to serve businesses and industry. The provisions of this Article apply equally to each designated use without regard to the zoning district in which it is located.
(a)
Parking Required. Off-street automobile parking, loading and unloading spaces shall be provided, as specified in this Article, for uses and structures hereafter established.
(b)
In all zoning districts there shall be provided at the time any permitted use is established, enlarged or increased in capacity, off-street parking spaces for automobiles in accordance with the standards set forth herein.
(c)
Applicability.
(1)
This Article shall apply to any new building constructed; for new uses or conversions of existing, conforming buildings; and for enlargements of existing structures.
(2)
This Article shall not be construed to require additional parking spaces to be furnished for an existing building which is repaired, altered, maintained, or modernized, where the size of the building is not in-creased; provided, however that when occupancy of any building is changed to another use, parking shall be provided to meet the requirements of this Article for the new use.
Wherever off-street parking is required for the development of a lot, it shall be established and maintained as follows:
(a)
Each off-street parking space shall consist of a designated and defined area of at least 10 feet in width and 20 feet in length exclusive of access drives and aisles.
(b)
No off-street parking space shall extend beyond any lot line; and where an off-street parking space abuts a residential lot line, a setback line of five feet shall be established.
(a)
Except for lots devoted to single and two dwelling units per structure uses, all areas established for off-street parking shall be designed and be of such size that no vehicle is required to back into a public street to obtain egress.
(b)
All areas devoted to off-street parking shall have clearly defined access drives of ingress and egress not to exceed 25 feet, to include curbs.
(c)
All areas devoted to ingress or egress in a commercial, industrial or multifamily zone shall be denoted by curbing.
(a)
All permanent off-street parking areas shall be property drained and surfaced. A proper permanent parking area shall be of a hard surface or finished in such manner that no dust will result from continuous use. Gravel or plant mix is also acceptable.
(b)
Each off-street parking space shall be clearly marked or otherwise defined.
(a)
Lighting in parking areas shall be provided in accordance with outdoor lighting standards set forth in Article 3 of this Development Code.
(a)
Joint off-street parking facilities for two or more uses will be established so long as the required number of off-street parking spaces shall not be equal to less than the sum of the requirements for the individual uses computed separately, except as follows:
(1)
Shared parking between day and night users. One-half of the off-street parking spaces required by a use whose peak attendance will be at night may be shared with a use that will be closed at night or on Sunday.
(2)
Planned developments. Parking spaces may be shared by more than one use if the Community Development Director finds that the total number of spaces will be adequate at the peak hours of the uses they serve.
Interparcel access shall be required as follows:
(a)
Internal access easements required. For any office or retail sales or services use, the property owner shall grant a "cross" or internal access easement as described in this subsection to each adjoining property that is zoned or used for an office or retail sales or services use. The purpose of the easement is to facilitate movement of customers from business to business without generating additional turning movements on the public street, thus increasing public safety.
(b)
Access easement provisions. The internal access easement shall permit automobile access from the adjoining property to driveways and parking areas intended for employee, customer, or visitor use on each property; but parking spaces may be restricted to use by each owner's employees, customers, and visitors only.
(1)
Interparcel vehicle access shall be required between contiguous properties only when the parking areas are or will be in reasonable proximity to one another.
(2)
All internal access easements shall be no less than 28 feet in width and shall be improved to a minimum paved width of 24 feet in order to accommodate two-way vehicular traffic to and from the adjoining properties.
(3)
The granting of an internal access easement on a property shall be effective only upon the granting of a reciprocal easement by the adjoining property owner.
(4)
Upon the availability of access to driveways and parking areas of the adjoining lot, the pavement or other surfacing of each owner's driveways and parking areas shall be extended by each owner to the point of access on the property line.
(c)
Relief. Where the proposed land use is such that adverse impact of the required easement on use of the property would outweigh the reduced impact on the public street provided by the reciprocal easements, the Community Development Director may waive the requirement for the access easements, in whole or in part, in accordance with Article 11 (Procedures and Permits) of this Development Code.
(a)
Off-street parking areas shall not be considered as loading or unloading areas.
(b)
No off-street parking facility in existence at the effective date of these regulations shall be reduced to an amount less than required for a similar use.
This section shall establish the minimum number of off-street parking spaces based on use.
(a)
See Table 6-1 for the required minimum number of off-street parking spaces.
(b)
For the purpose of applying the off-street parking requirements set forth in Table 6-1, the following definitions shall apply:
(1)
"Floor area" is defined as the gross floor area used or intended to be used by the public for the purchase of goods and services and shall include areas occupied by fixtures and equipment for display or sale of merchandise.
(2)
"Lot area" is defined as the area or portion of a lot actually used for display or sale of goods and services to the public.
(c)
Fractional off-street parking space requirements shall be counted as a whole space if the fraction is greater than one-half.
(d)
For uses not specifically mentioned in Table 6-1, the requirements for off-street parking and loading facilities shall be determined by the Community Development Director.
(e)
See Article 5 of this Development Code for additional off-street parking requirements in the MHU-1, MHU-2, CORD, PUD, and CUPD Districts, if applicable.
Table 6-1: Minimum Required Parking Spaces by Use
(a)
Handicap accessible spaces are to be provided as required by the federal Americans with Disabilities Act for all multi-family and nonresidential uses. Handicap accessible spaces shall be provided in each parking lot in relation to the total number of spaces otherwise provided for the use as shown on Table 6-2.
(b)
Handicap accessible parking spaces shall be counted as part of the total number of parking spaces required under this Article.
(c)
Handicap accessible parking spaces shall have an adjacent aisle five feet wide, and one in every eight handicapped spaces shall be adjacent to an aisle eight feet wide and the space shall be adjacent to an aisle eight feet wide and the space shall be clearly signed "van accessible." Handicapped parking space aisles shall be clearly demarcated by lines painted on or otherwise applied to the parking lot surface.
(d)
Handicap accessible parking spaces shall be located on a surface with a slope not exceeding one vertical foot in 50 horizontal feet (1:50).
(e)
Wheelchair ramps shall be provided at locations appropriate to normal travel routes from the parking lot to the principal use.
(f)
In addition to the requirements of this subsection, all handicapped parking shall comply with the requirements of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act and the Georgia Accessibility Code.
Table 6-2: Handicap Accessible Spaces Required
Source: Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines.
(a)
In all zoning districts where permitted uses require the receipt or distribution of materials or merchandise by truck or similar vehicle, off-street loading and unloading space shall be provided.
(b)
Such requirements will apply to new structures or that portion of existing structures which are altered or expanded after the effective date of this Development Code.
(a)
One space shall be required for the first 20,000 square feet of floor area plus one additional space for each 20,000 square feet of floor area up to 100,000 square feet and one space for each additional 40,000 square feet thereafter.
(b)
The minimum size of an off-street loading and unloading space shall be ten feet by 50 feet, exclusive of driveway and maneuvering space.
(c)
No street or alley shall be considered as part of the off-street loading or unloading area.
(d)
All areas for loading and unloading shall be so designed and located to permit traffic to exit facing a street or alley.
(e)
Off-street loading and unloading spaces may occupy all or any part of any required yard area.
On-street parking may be used on Harris County maintained public streets if approved as a part of a planned development and shall be limited to local streets internal to townhouse developments or master planned developments that provide pedestrian walkability within the project.
(a)
On-street parking shall be shown on the development application and the conceptual master plan and is subject to Community Development Director review and prior to submission to the Board of Commissioners.
(b)
On-street parking shall not be permitted for a single building on an individual parcel, but rather shall be permitted to serve multiple buildings or parcels within in a townhouse development or master planned development. In addition, individual businesses shall not designate any one on-street parking space for exclusive use by their patrons.
(c)
On-street parking shall comply with regulations in Article 5 (Subdivisions and Planned Developments) and other applicable regulations in this Development Code.
(a)
Each on-street parking space shall be nine feet wide by 22 feet long as measured from the face of curb.
(b)
On-street parking calculations shall be provided on the development application and conceptual master plan.
(c)
Handicap parking shall comply with the ADA Standards, the Georgia State Law for Accessible Design and the Georgia Accessibility Code for Buildings and Facilities for all multi-family and non-residential uses and the standards in Section 603.02 of this Article.
(d)
The roads shall be accepted by the County in accordance with the requirements and procedures in Section 1118 of Article 11 (Procedures and Permits).
(e)
On-street parking shall be constructed to the street standards as established in this Development Code and maintained in accordance with County Standards and further maintained so as not to create any hazards with traffic flow on the adjacent street.
(1)
No on-street parking shall be permitted in residential or commercial development areas without adequate parking space provided between curbs (i.e., width of paved surface would increase from 20 feet to 34 feet).
(f)
A mandatory property owners association shall be established for any development that provides on-street parking. The property owners association shall be responsible for the maintenance of any on-street parking in the development. A maintenance responsibility statement for on-street parking shall be placed on the approved plans and the covenants shall include a section that specifically states who is responsible for maintenance and what the maintenance standards are for on-street parking.
(a)
Up to 100 percent of the on-street parking spaces available within 700 feet of a use may be counted towards the minimum off-street parking requirements for commercial uses as shown on the development application and conceptual master plan.
(b)
No more than 25 percent of the number of required off-street parking spaces may be provided by on-street parking.