Pullman City Zoning Code
17.40 Off-Street
Parking and Loading
Except as otherwise provided in this Title, off-street parking and loading spaces will be provided in conformance with the provisions of this Chapter.
(1) New Structure or Use. At the time a new structure is erected or a new use is established, off-street parking will be provided.
17.40.010 Purpose.
This Chapter is to assure the provision of adequately sized and designed off-street parking and loading areas and, by so doing, to reduce traffic congestion, reduce the crowding of on-street parking spaces, enhance traffic and pedestrian safety, enhance the appearance of parking areas, and protect adjacent properties from the adverse impacts of uses with inadequate off-street parking. (Ord. 25-08 §1 (Att. A), 2025; Ord. 87-9 §1, 1987).
17.40.020 Applicability.
Except as otherwise provided in this Title, off-street parking and loading spaces will be provided in conformance with the provisions of this Chapter.
(1) New Structure or Use. At the time a new structure is erected or a new use is established, off-street parking will be provided.
(2) Change in Use. Where a change in the use of a structure results in an increased requirement for parking spaces, additional spaces must be provided.
(3) Expansion or Enlargement. Where the square footage of a structure is enlarged or the square footage of the use within a structure is expanded, parking spaces in addition to existing spaces will be required for the expansion or enlargement only.
(4) Other Parking Areas. All new parking areas or additions to existing parking areas will be constructed in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter.
(5) Alterations. Alterations to parking lots must be made in conformance with the provisions of this Title. Alterations may be made to nonconforming lots where there is no reduction in the number of parking spaces provided.
(6) Nonconformities. Any use which, on the effective date of the ordinance codified in this Title or any amendments hereto, is nonconforming in terms of required off-street parking and loading spaces and design may continue in the same manner as if it were conforming.
(7) C2 Central Business District. The C2 District will be exempt from the provisions of this Title as they relate to the number of off-street parking spaces or loading berths, but all other requirements of this Title will apply. (Ord. 25-08 §1 (Att. A), 2025; Ord. 03-33 §12, 2003; Ord. 87-9 §1, 1987).
17.40.030 Permit Review Requirements.
(1) When Review is Required. All applications for building permits, conditional use permits, zone changes, and site plan approvals will include a determination of the proposed use’s compliance or failure to comply with the parking provisions of this Title.
(2) Application Contents. All applications for any permit or plan approval made pursuant to this Title will indicate how applicable requirements of this Chapter will be met, including the location and dimensions of the following:
(a) individual parking and loading spaces;
(b) circulation area necessary to serve spaces;
(c) access to streets and property to be served;
(d) curb cuts;
(e) areas reserved for landscaping, types of plants, and any other materials or improvements;
(f) continuity and substance of fencing or other types of screening;
(g) grading, surfacing, drainage, and subgrading details;
(h) obstacles, if any, to parking and traffic circulation in the finished parking area;
(i) signs, wheel stops, and markings to identify individual spaces;
(j) lighting.
(3) Certificate of Occupancy. All required off-street parking and loading areas must be completed in accordance with the provisions of this Title before any Final Certificate of Occupancy is issued. (Ord. 25-08 §1 (Att. A), 2025; Ord. 87-9 §1, 1987).
17.40.040 Off-street Parking Area Design.
(1) Off-street Parking Space and Area Dimension. Except as otherwise provided in this Title, off-street parking spaces and areas will be designed and constructed in accordance with the standards of Figure 17.40.1. In commercial and industrial zones, up to 25% of the spaces provided in any parking area of more than five (5) spaces may be sized for compact cars. In residential zones, up to 50% of the spaces provided in any parking area of more than five (5) spaces may be sized for compact cars.
A | B | C | D | E | F | B' | C' |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PARKING ANGLE (DEGREE) | PARKING SECTION WIDTH | PARKING BANK WIDTH | TRAFFIC AISLE WIDTH | CURB LENGTH PER CAR | CAR STALL WIDTH | PARKING SECTION WIDTH | PARKING BANK WIDTH |
STANDARD VEHICLES | |||||||
0 | 36' | 8' | 20' | 23' | 8' | ||
45 | 58' | 19' | 20' | 12' | 8.5' | 51' | 15.5' |
60 | 60' | 20' | 20' | 9.8' | 8.5' | 55' | 17.5' |
90 | 64' | 20' | 24' | 9' | 9' | ||
COMPACT VEHICLES | |||||||
0 | 35' | 7.5' | 20' | 15' | 7.5' | ||
45 | 52' | 16' | 20' | 11.3' | 8' | 47' | 13.3' |
60 | 53.6' | 16.8' | 20' | 9.2' | 8' | 50' | 14.9' |
90 | 50' | 15' | 20' | 8' | 8' | ||
A | B | C | D | E | F | B' | C' |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PARKING ANGLE (DEGREE) | PARKING SECTION WIDTH | PARKING BANK WIDTH | TRAFFIC AISLE WIDTH | CURB LENGTH PER CAR | CAR STALL WIDTH | PARKING SECTION WIDTH | PARKING BANK WIDTH |
STANDARD VEHICLES | |||||||
0 | 28' | 8' | 12' | 23' | 8' | ||
45 | 58' | 19' | 12' | 12' | 8.5' | 43' | 15.5' |
60 | 55' | 20' | 12' | 9.8' | 8.5' | 50' | 17.5' |
COMPACT VEHICLES | |||||||
0 | 27' | 7.5' | 12' | 15' | 7.5' | ||
45 | 44' | 16' | 12' | 11.3' | 8' | 39' | 13.3' |
60 | 48.6' | 16.8' | 15' | 9.2' | 8' | 45' | 14.9' |
(2) Off-street Parking Area Surface. Except as otherwise provided in this Title, off-street parking areas which include five (5) or more spaces and their attendant driveways will be paved with a minimum of two (2) inches of asphalt over eight (8) inches of gravel base, or five and one half (5.5) inches of Portland cement concrete over four (4) inches of gravel base, or a similar impermeable or suitable permeable surface approved by the Director of Public Works. All gravel bases must be compacted to 95% maximum density as determined by a modified Proctor analysis (ASTM D1557). Parking areas of fewer than five (5) spaces and their attendant driveways must either be paved in the manner described above or be surfaced with four (4) or more inches of gravel compacted to 95% maximum density as determined by a modified Proctor analysis (ASTM D1557). Suitable substitutes for compacted gravel to control dust and erosion may be approved by the Director of Public Works.
(3) Wheel Stops. All parking spaces located along the outer boundary of any parking area must be equipped with wheel stops to prevent vehicles from extending over the property line. Wheel stops will also be installed wherever necessary to protect parking area landscaping and screening.
(4) Marking and Signs. In parking areas with five (5) or more spaces, each parking spot must be clearly marked with pavement lines. Signs or markings to help with traffic and pedestrian movement in and out of the area must also be provided. Special parking spaces, such as those for handicapped individuals, compact cars, RVs, and other large vehicles, must also be clearly marked.
(5) Drainage. All parking lots with five (5) or more spaces must be properly graded and drained to collect all surface water on site. They must also include systems to manage stormwater so that the amount of runoff does not increase, as required by the city’s design standards. The grading and drainage systems should be designed to prevent water from flowing across sidewalks as much as possible.
(6) Accessible Parking. Accessible parking must be provided in accordance with Chapter 51-50 WAC as it now exists or may be amended.
(7) Screening and Landscaping. Screening and landscaping of off-street parking areas are required as described in PCC 17.45.030.
(8) Lighting. Lighting must be deflected to not shine directly on any contiguous residentially zoned lot or residential use.
(9) Access and Circulation in Off-street Parking Areas.
(a) Access Points. All access points to off-street parking areas must be designed and built according to the City of Pullman Design Standards. The number, location, and design of these access points may be limited if needed to protect the safety of drivers and pedestrians on public roads. If the Director of Public works deems it is suitable, access to the parking area from a nearby alley is encouraged.
(b) Internal Circulation. The circulation pattern of off-street parking areas, except driveways serving single- or two-family dwellings, will not have backing or parking maneuvers on a public sidewalk, highway, road, or street.
(c) Driveways.
(i) Driveways serving loading areas and fire access lanes will have a minimum width of 20 feet, all of which must be paved.
(ii) A driveway may straddle the lot line of abutting lots in separate ownership if it leads to required parking spaces or loading berths on both lots.
(iii) Driveways serving drive-in windows such as for restaurants and banks will have a minimum of 80 feet of waiting space for each drive-in window.
(10) Tandem Parking. Tandem parking, where parking spaces are arranged one behind the other and one (1) car may block another, is allowed for single-family homes, manufactured homes, individual units in duplexes, and individual townhouse units to meet parking requirements. Tandem parking is not allowed for other uses unless the Director of Community Development decides it will not negatively affect the property or nearby properties. Tandem parking cannot exceed three (3) groups of two (2) cars end to end.
(11) Off-Street Parking Areas in Required Yards. Unless stated otherwise, any new or expanded off-street parking areas and driveways in residential zones can cover no more than 50% of the required front yard and required flanking side yard. However, if the required front or side yard along the street is less than 36 feet wide, the amount of the yard that can be covered by parking areas and driveways can increase by 3% for every foot the yard is narrower than 36 feet (e.g., a 25-foot lot dimension along the street would limit coverage of parking areas and driveways in the required yard to 83 percent). (Ord. 25-08 §1 (Att. A), 2025; Ord. 06-15 §4, 2006; Ord. 03-33 §13, 2003; Ord. 02-32 §4, 2002; Ord. 00-8 §2, 2000; Ord. 87-9 §1, 1987).
17.40.050 Off-street Parking Area Location.
(1) Maximum Distance to Use Served. The nearest parking space in the required off-street parking area will be located within the distance of the use served shown in Table 17.40.1.
Table 17.40.1. DISTANCE TO NEAREST REQUIRED OFF-STREET PARKING SPACE
Use Served | Maximum Distance to Parking |
|---|---|
Detached dwellings, including manufactured homes, townhouse dwellings, duplex units | On the same lot |
All other living quarters except membership lodging | Within 200 feet |
All other uses, including membership lodging and extra guest parking in residential developments | Within 500 feet |
(2) Access to Off-street Parking. Off-street parking will not be located across an arterial or collector street from the use it serves except where a pedestrian overpass or underpass or signal-controlled crosswalk is available or provided to allow pedestrians to cross safely from the parking area to the use.
(3) Garage Structure. In all zoning districts, if the required off-street parking spaces for a single-family dwelling or a duplex are not provided in a garage or carport, one (1) space will be located so that a future garage structure may be constructed in accordance with the provisions of this Title. (Ord. 25-08 §1 (Att. A), 2025; Ord. 03-33 §14, 2003; Ord. 02-32 §5, 2002; Ord. 87-9 §1, 1987).
17.40.060 Off-street Parking Space Requirements.
PCC 17.70.030, Use Chart, shows the required number of parking spaces per type of use. Any fractional space required will be rounded up to the next whole number. For uses not listed in the chart, the Director of Community Development will decide how many spaces are required by comparing the proposed use to similar uses that have space requirements. The Community Development Director’s decision can be appealed to the Hearing Examiner, as outlined in Chapter 17.185 PCC. (Ord. 25-08 §1 (Att. A), 2025; Ord. 22-2 §8, 2022; Ord. 87-9 §1, 1987).
17.40.070 Mixed Uses and Joint Use of Parking.
(1) Mixed Use. In cases of multiple types of uses, the number of required parking will be the total of all required parking per each use. Buildings containing multiple uses may qualify for joint use of parking area as specified below.
(2) Joint Use. Requests for joint use of parking areas will be processed by the Director of Community Development as provided in PCC 17.175.050. Upon application, the Director of Community Development may authorize joint use of parking areas, provided:
(a) the applicant shows that there is no substantial conflict in the operating hours of the buildings, structures, or uses;
(b) the property owners sharing in a joint use of an off-street parking area will submit a written agreement signed by both parties to be recorded in the office of the Whitman County Auditor and a copy thereof filed with the Community Development Director;
(c) if there is a change in the uses involved in the joint use of parking areas during the term of the written agreement cited in subsection (2)(b) of this section, a new application for joint use of parking areas will be submitted in the manner described in this subsection (2). (Ord. 25-08 §1 (Att. A), 2025; Ord. 03-33 §15, 2003; Ord. 00-8 §3, 2000; Ord. 87-9 §1, 1987).
17.40.080 Off-street Loading Requirements – Freight Vehicles.
(1) Applicability. All new buildings and uses must meet the berthing requirements for freight hauling vehicles herein specified except in the C2 Central Business District. All off-street loading berths and access, whether required by this Chapter or not, must be designed and constructed in accordance with its provisions.
(2) Minimum Number Required.
(a) Any building intended for retail, wholesale, warehouse, freight, hospital, industrial, or manufacturing uses must be provided with off-street loading berths as specified below:
(i) one (1) berth for each building containing 10,000 to 35,000 square feet of net floor area;
(ii) two (2) berths for each building containing more than 35,000 square feet of net floor area.
(b) Any building intended to be used for a hotel, food and beverage business, community center, convention hall, membership lodging, or other similar use must be provided with off-street loading berths according to this schedule:
(i) one (1) berth for each building containing 20,000 to 50,000 square feet of net floor area;
(ii) two (2) berths for each building containing more than 50,000 square feet of net floor area.
(3) Loading Design Standards. Off-street loading facilities must be designed and maintained in accordance with the following standards:
(a) Each loading berth will be at least 10 feet wide and 45 feet long.
(b) Loading berths must not be located within any required yard except in a required rear yard.
(c) Loading berths must be located entirely on the property they are intended to serve and designed in such a way that the street does not serve as a maneuvering area.
(d) Access to loading berths must be from an alley when possible and designed to minimize the potential for congestion and to ensure traffic and pedestrian safety.
(e) If desirable, two (2) or more buildings having a common wall may locate their required loading berths together in a single location; provided, that the number of berths must not be less than the sum of the required berths for all the buildings concerned, and that there be access from each building to the loading berth. (Ord. 25-08 §1 (Att. A), 2025; Ord. 87-9 §1, 1987).
17.40.090 Pedestrian Loading Areas.
Uses such as hospitals, schools, churches, government buildings and similar uses which serve many people and have their principal access on collector or arterial streets, must provide at least one (1) safe off-street pedestrian loading area. (Ord. 25-08 §1 (Att. A), 2025; Ord. 87-9 §1, 1987).