Richmond Heights City Zoning Code
CHAPTER 1175
Off-Street Parking
1175.01 INTENT.
Off-street parking requirements and regulations are established in order to achieve, among others, the following purposes:
(a) To relieve congestion so streets can be utilized more fully for movement of vehicular traffic;
(b) To promote the safety and convenience of pedestrians and shoppers by locating parking areas so as to lessen vehicular movements in the vicinity of pedestrian traffic; and
(c) For such purposes to provide regulations and standards for accessory off-street parking and loading facilities in accordance with the objectives of the Master Plan of the City.
(Ord. 72-72. Passed 8-31-72.)
(Ord. 72-72. Passed 8-31-72.)
1175.02 ESTABLISHMENT OF REGULATIONS.
Accessory off-street parking and loading facilities and drives shall be provided for all residential, institutional, office, business and service uses in conformance with the provisions of this chapter prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy for such uses.
(a) Whenever a building or use requiring off-street parking is increased in floor area or any other determining unit of measure, and such building or use does exist on the effective date of this chapter. (Ordinance 72-72, passed August 31, 1972) the minimum number of parking spaces required shall be based upon the entire building or use including the addition.
(b) Whenever the use of an existing building is changed to a more intensive use which requires more off-street parking or loading facilities, the minimum number of parking spaces required shall be based upon the more intensive use.
(c) Off-street parking existing at the effective date of this chapter (Ordinance 72-72, passed August 31, 1972) in connection with the operation of an existing building or use shall not be reduced to an amount less than hereinafter required for a similar new building or new use.
(Ord. 72-72. Passed 8-31-72.)
(Ord. 72-72. Passed 8-31-72.)
1175.03 APPROVAL, PERMITS AND CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY.
(a) No building or structure shall be erected or used, or land used for off-street parking, loading or driveway purposes for more than three required parking spaces unless a site plan therefor has been approved by the Planning Commission.
(b) On all residential, commercial or industrial parcels, all parking surfaces, including access aisles and parking drives, shall be improved with either concrete or asphalt or with other materials that may be approved by the Planning Commission upon the recommendation of the City Engineer.
(c) No off-street parking or loading facilities shall be constructed without proper permit issued by the Building Inspector.
(d) All driveway and parking surfaces shall be constructed per specifications as follows:
(1) In commercial and industrial districts, all parking surfaces, including access aisles and parking drives, shall be improved with concrete or asphalt material or, if approved by the Planning Commission, another suitable material. Surfaces designed for automobiles, sport-utility vehicles and light trucks may be constructed of four inches (4") of 4,000 PSI concrete reinforced with 6 x 6, 10 / 10 welded wire fabric or with asphalt consisting of two and a half inches (2.5") of number 402 base coat and two inches (2") of number 404 finish coat installed over a four-inch (4") thick compacted layer of stone aggregate.
(2) In residentially-zoned districts, driveways and parking surfaces for one-, two- or three-family dwellings, or multi-family dwellings in areas where no heavy-truck traffic - e.g., garbage trucks, delivery vehicles, semi-trailer truck - is expected or permitted shall be paved with concrete or asphalt material, or, if approved by the Planning Commission, another suitable material. Concrete paving shall be a minimum thickness of four inches (4") of 4,000 PSI concrete reinforced with 6 x 6, 10/10 welded wire fabric or approved alternate. Asphalt shall consist of four-inch (4") thick compacted stone aggregate base layer, a minimum one and a half (1.4") thickness of number 402 base coat and a minimum of one-inch of number 404 finish coat. Paving on multi-family parcels in areas supporting heavy-truck traffic, such as access to dumpsters, shall be a minimum of eight inches (8") of reinforced concrete or an asphalt specification approved by the City Engineer.
(3) All paving in the public right-of-way, including any portion of a public sidewalk included within the driveway areas, shall be Portland Cement Concrete in accordance with Ohio Department of Transportation’s Specification No. 499, Class C, with a five percent to seven percent (5% - 7%) percent air entrainment, and a minimum thickness of seven inches (7") in all residentially-zoned districts, or a minimum thickness of nine inches (9") in all commercial or industrial districts. Concrete in the public right- of-way shall be reinforced using a minimum of 6 x 6, 8/8 rigid sheet welded wire fabric, or by a method and with material approved by the City Engineer.
(4) All driveway and parking surfaces shall be graded to drain and eliminate standing water, provide positive drainage away from buildings and to prevent runoff from going upon adjacent properties, streets and sidewalks.
(5) The stone aggregate base layer for concrete paving and asphalt paving shall be placed on an approved sub-grade.
(6) All poured-in-place concrete shall comply with the applicable requirements set forth in the latest editions of the American Concrete Institute (ACI) publications 318 entitled Building Code requirements for Structural Concrete, ACI 325 for the Construction of Concrete Paving, ACI 330 for the installation of unreinforced concrete parking lots and paving, ACI 302.1R entitled Guide to Concrete Floor and Slab Construction, ACI 332R entitled Guide to Residential Cast-in-Place Concrete Construction and/or ACI 360R entitled Guide to Design of Slabs-on-Ground.
(d) An application for a permit to construct, replace or to make major repairs or alterations to a building or parking or loading area, and for a certificate of occupancy for a change in use, shall be accompanied by two sets of site plans drawn to scale and dimensioned, showing that the provisions, schedules and standards for designing parking areas set forth in this chapter will be fully complied with.
(Ord. 77-2016. Passed 8-23-16.)
1175.04 MEASUREMENT UNITS.
Definitions and standards are hereby established for determining required parking and loading facilities, as follows:
(a) “Off-street parking space” means an open or enclosed area directly accessible from a public street, directly accessible from a drive or aisle, and not less than nine feet six inches wide by twenty feet long, exclusive of all drives, aisles, ramps and turning space.
(b) “Gross floor area” for determining the parking requirements, means the sum of the horizontal floor areas of all floors of the building or structure and of all accessory buildings, except buildings or structures used for parking, measured from the exterior face of the exterior walls of each building and/or structure.
(c) “Seats” for places of assembly, means the number of seating units indicated on approved plans or based on six square feet of floor area per seat, exclusive of all aisles.
(d) “Off-street loading space” means an open or enclosed part of a building, directly accessible to a public street or service drive, used for the loading or unloading of goods and products accessory to the main use and having dimensions not less than ten feet wide by forty feet long exclusive of all drives, aisles, ramps and turning space.
(e) “Floor area” for determining loading requirements, means the sum of the horizontal floor areas of all the floors of the main building or structure and of all accessory buildings measured from the exterior face of all enclosing walls.
(Ord. 19-97. Passed 3-25-97.)
1175.05 SCHEDULE OF PARKING REQUIREMENTS.
The minimum number of off-street spaces shall be determined in accordance with the following schedule:
Use | Number of Required Parking Spaces | Per Each Unit of Measure as Follows: | |
(a) | Residential | ||
Single-family, attached and detached | 2 enclosed | Dwelling unit. | |
Multi-family and two-family | 2 (1 enclosed) | Dwelling unit. | |
(b) | Public and Community Facilities | ||
Places of Worship | 1 | Four seats or eight feet of pew in the main unit of worship. | |
Convents, homes for the aged, convalescent homes | 1 | Two beds. | |
Elementary schools, junior high schools or auditoriums | 2 | Classroom or one per four seats in auditoriums or assembly area, whichever is greater. | |
High schools | 4 | Classroom or one per four seats in auditorium or assembly area, whichever is greater. | |
Nursery schools, day nurseries, child care centers | 1 | 350 square feet of gross floor area. | |
Hospitals | 1 | One bed. | |
Medical centers or clinics | 1 | 150 square feet of gross floor area. | |
(Ord. 18-97. Passed 3-25-97.) | |||
(c) | Business Uses. | ||
Banks, business offices or professional offices or lawyers, architects, engineers or similar or allied professions | 1 | 200 square feet of gross floor area. | |
Beauty parlor, barber shops | 1 | 200 square feet of gross floor area. | |
Bowling alleys | 6 | Per each alley. | |
Dance halls, exhibition halls and assembly halls without fixed seats | 1 | 100 square feet of gross floor area. | |
Establishments for sale and consumption on the premises of beverages, food or refreshment | 1 | Fifty square feet of customer service area or for each two seats, whichever requires the greater number of spaces. | |
Gasoline service station | 1 | 3,000 square feet of lot area. | |
Hotel or motel | 1 | Rental unit and resident unit. | |
Mortuary establishments | 1 | Thirty square feet of assembly room used for services, but not less than twenty spaces. | |
Private clubs, fraternities, dormitories | 1 | 100 square feet of gross floor area. | |
Professional offices of doctors and dentists | 1 | 200 square feet of gross floor area. | |
Retail store | 1 | 200 square feet of gross floor area. | |
Shopping center exceeding 600,000 square feet of gross leasable area (GLA) | 5.0spacesper1,000squarefeetf gross leasable area, providedthat: (1) theater use shall not exceed 10% of the total GLA; no additional parking shall be required for the first 750 theater seats; 3 parking spaces shall be provided for each additional 100 seats in excess of the first 750 seats; and (2) food service use shall not exceed 5% of the GLA without providing additional parking as approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals; and (3) office use shall not exceed 10% of the GLA without providing additional parking as approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals. | ||
Theaters and auditoriums | 1 | Three seats. | |
(Ord. 68-98. Passed 9-8-98.) | |||
(d) | Industrial. | ||
Industrial establishments including manufacturing, research and testing laboratories, creameries, bottling works, printing, plumbing or electrical workshops | 600 square feet of gross floor area excluding office area which shall be one space per 200 square feet of gross floor area. | ||
Storage and warehousing | 1 | 1,500 square feet of gross floor area, excluding office area which shall be one space per 200 square feet of gross floor area. | |
(e) Nonscheduled Buildings or Uses. For buildings or uses not specifically scheduled, the requirements for off-street parking facilities shall be in accordance with a use which the Planning Commission considers as being most similar in nature.
(f) Single and Mixed Uses.
(1) Two or more buildings or uses may collectively provide the required off- street parking in which case, the required number of parking spaces shall not be less than the sum of the requirements for each individual use, computed separately.
(2) In cases of dual functioning of off-street parking where operating hours do not overlap, upon appeal, the Board of Appeals may recommend to Council a modification of the requirements.
(Ord. 18-97. Passed 3-25-97.)
1175.06 LOCATION OF PARKING FACILITIES
(a) Required off-street parking for other than residential use shall be either on the same lot or within 200 feet of the building or use it is intended to serve, measured without crossing a major thoroughfare, from the nearest point of the building or use to the nearest point of the required off-street parking facility. The principal use shall be permitted to continue only so long as the off-street requirements of this chapter are complied with, as set forth in Section 1175.05.
(b) Any area once designated as required off-street parking shall not be changed to any other use unless and until equal facilities are provided elsewhere.
(c) Wherever parking facilities are permitted on land other than the lot occupied by the building or use to which it is accessory, such facilities shall be in the same ownership as the zoning lot occupied by the building or use to which the parking facilities are accessory. Such ownership shall be by deed or a long-term lease agreement, and recorded, requiring each such owner to maintain the required number of parking facilities for the duration of the use served as a condition precedent to the continuation of such use.
(d) Accessory parking facilities for residential uses shall be located on the same lot as the dwelling served. Driveways shall not be used for permanent overnight parking within the required front yard.
(e) All required off-street parking for other than residential use shall be located within the same classification of the zoning district as the principal use to which the parking is accessory.
(Ord. 59-74. Passed 6-25-74. )
(Ord. 59-74. Passed 6-25-74. )
1175.07 DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE OF FACILITIES.
Whenever the off-street parking requirements in Section 1175.05 require an off-street parking facility, such off-street parking facility shall be designed, constructed and maintained in accordance with the following standards and regulations:
(a) Design Standards.
(1) Parking facilities shall be designed and provided as illustrated in a document entitled "Standards for Designing Parking Areas", which is hereby made a part of this section by reference as if fully written out herein. Copies of this document are on file in the City Hall. (See Figure 1 below)
(2) Parallel parking spaces shall be twenty feet in length with a six foot maneuvering space for each two parking spaces.
(3) Where parking abuts a sidewalk or other pavement of seven foot minimum width, two feet may be credited toward the total required parking space length dimension (except for parallel parking); provided that no part of such two feet credit shall be part of any public right of way.
FIGURE 1
(b) Construction Requirements.
(1) All parking and loading areas and drives shall be provided with an adequate base and a three-inch asphalt or adequate concrete pavement as specified by the City Engineer. All parking and loading areas and drives shall provide adequate drainage so that all water is drained within the lot on which the parking area or drive is located in such manner that water shall not drain off the parking facility pavement except through the proper sewers.
(2) Bumper stops, curbing or wheel chocks shall be provided to prevent any vehicle from damaging or encroaching upon any required wall, fence or buffer strips or upon any building adjacent to the parking lot. Curbing shall be installed as specified by the City Engineer.
(3) Sidewalks within the parking facility area of not less than five feet in width shall be constructed at such line and grade as determined by the City Engineer.
(4) In order to insure pedestrian safety, sidewalks of not less than seven feet in width may be required by the Planning and Zoning Commission where any driveway or parking area abuts a building.
(c) Maintenance Requirements.
(1) Except for parallel parking all parking spaces shall be clearly striped with double lines twenty-four inches apart to facilitate movement and to help maintain an orderly parking arrangement. Striping shall be maintained and shall be clearly definable at all times, except when weather conditions obscure the visibility of the pavement.
(2) Off-street parking areas in all multi-family and nonresidential zoning districts shall be maintained and kept in good repair so as not to be a hazard to the health and safety of occupants, employees or the general public.
(d) Maintenance of Exterior Drives, Parking and Auto Maneuvering Areas. Upon inspection of off-street parking areas, multi-family apartments parking areas, nonresidential zoning district parking areas, driveways, parking and auto maneuvering areas or portions thereof within the City, if the following conditions exist, repair or replacement is required:
(1) Height differential between portions of driveway pavement of three-quarters of one inch.
(2) Multiple cracks within a control joint segmented block of pavement creating three or more pieces and causing the pieces to exhibit a shifting surface.
(3) An abrupt dip or raised area having two inches or more deviation from a straight-line grade within a five-foot distance.
(4) Loose, cracked, chipped, sealed or deteriorated surface over fifty percent (50%) or more of a surface area.
(5) Gaps or missing areas exceeding a one and one-half inch in width.
(6) Loose, rocking or missing pavement areas.
(7) Pavement blocks having cross slopes reverse from the intended slope and causing ponding of mud or water.
(8) A surface that is smooth, or slippery when wet and/or dry, so as to cause a danger to vehicles or pedestrians, such as a smooth steel plate or smooth steel troweled concrete.
(9) Water, gas or other valve boxes and cleanouts, etc. that are not within three-quarters of one inch of grade.
(10) As applicable, entire pavement blocks replacement is required with no saw cuts smaller than five feet by five feet. All edges that are butted to new concrete shall be saw cut or hand trowel cut. Additionally, all concrete must be installed to industry standards in accordance with ACI 302.1R entitled Guide to Concrete Floor and Slab Construction, ACI 332R, entitled Guide to Residential Cast-in-Place Concrete Construction, and/or ACI 360R entitled Guide to Design of Slabs-on-Ground.
(Ord. 37-2021. Passed 5-11-21.)
1175.08 DRIVEWAYS AND ACCESS.
(a) All parking facilities shall have access from a clearly limited and defined driveway to a public right of way and shall be planned to interfere as little as possible with the use of adjacent property and with pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Whenever possible, the center line of the access driveways on the frontage street shall be at least fifty feet from the right-of-way lines or extensions thereof, of intersecting streets; and two separate driveways, spaced at not less than 120 feet intervals, shall be provided of which one shall be limited to entrance and one limited to exit. Entrances and exits shall be limited to three lanes. The width of such entrances and exits, measured at the setback line, shall conform to the following schedule:
Width (in feet) | ||
Minimum | Maximum | |
One Lane | 10 | 12 |
Two Lanes | 18 | 24 |
Three Lanes | 27 | 33 |
In all cases the radius of the edge of the apron shall be at least twelve feet so that a car entering from the curb lane shall be perpendicular to the setback line at the driveway without obstructing vehicles in other traffic lanes.
(b) All parking spaces shall have access from an aisle on the site. Backing directly onto a street shall be prohibited.
(c) Vehicular access to a parking lot shall not be across any zoning district that would not permit the principal use or parking lot.
(d) All interior and abutting streets shall have rights of way of a sufficient width to accommodate the vehicular traffic generated by the uses permitted in the district, or adequate provision shall be made at the time of the approval of the traffic plan for such sufficient width of rights of way. The right of way provided to satisfy this condition shall conform with the right-of-way standards as provided in Chapter 1101.
(e) The Director of Public Safety may require the posting of such traffic control signs as he/she deems necessary to promote vehicular and pedestrian safety.
(Ord. 72-72. Passed 8-31-72.)
1175.09 ILLUMINATION OF PARKING FACILITIES.
(a) Parking areas shall be illuminated to protect the public safety; the lighting fixtures shall be designed and located so as not to reflect direct rays of light in adjoining residential districts and street; intensity shall not be of excessive brightness or cause a safety hazard to users of such parking spaces or occupants of adjoining premises. Expended or inoperative lighting bulbs or implements shall be replaced or repaired within ten days after proper notice has been given to the owner of the parking facility that such bulbs or implements have ceased to be operative.
(b) Outdoor areas of vacant buildings or structures with the exception of vacant 1, 2 or 3-family dwellings must be illuminated, including parking areas, as required by this section, and all common drives, walkways and sidewalks that such building and structures have with adjacent buildings or structures must be illuminated. A lighting plan for the exterior of vacant buildings or structures and the common drives, walkways, and sidewalks that such buildings or structures have with adjacent buildings or structures must be submitted to the Building Commissioner for approval at least ten (10) days prior to the building become vacant. The interior of the ground floor of any vacant buildings or structures must maintain egress lighting as required by the Ohio Building Code as if the building or structure was occupied.
(Ord. 12-2017. Passed 2-28-17.)
1175.10 USE RESTRICTIONS.
(a) The required off-street parking area shall be for occupants, employees, visitors and patrons and shall be limited in use to passenger vehicles not exceeding a net weight of three tons. The storage of merchandise, motor vehicles for sale or the repair of vehicles with or without the possibility of remuneration is prohibited in the area.
(b) No vehicle shall be parked or stored on any property in any zone within the City of Richmond Heights for more than fourteen (14) days unless the vehicle is currently licensed, completely assembled and fully operational.
Historical, off-road or other vehicles not complying with the requirements herein because of the extent of their damage, deterioration, missing or deflated tires or other parts, or which are rusted through or partly through in an area which covers one hundred fifty (150) square inches or more, shall be stored completely within a closed building or shall be removed from the site. No repairs of any vehicle shall be made in the driveway of any residence unless the repairs are minor in nature and the vehicle is owned by the property owner.
(c) No motor vehicle, camper, boat trailer or similar trailer or item shall be parked on any surface other than an approved, paved, parking surface when stored within any zone in the City of Richmond Heights. In residentially-zoned districts, boats, campers and other recreational vehicles shall be stored on the side or rear yard area behind the front corner of the dwelling unit. (Ord. 76-2016. Passed 10-11-16.)
1175.11 OFF-STREET LOADING AND UNLOADING FACILITIES.
On the same premises with every building, structure or part thereof, erected, altered and occupied for manufacturing, storage, warehouse goods, display, a department store, a wholesale store, a market, a hotel, a hospital, a mortuary, a laundry, a dry cleaning establishment, or other uses similarly involving the receipt or distribution of vehicles or materials or merchandise, there shall be provided prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy and maintained on the lot, adequate space for standing, loading and unloading services adjacent to the opening used for loading and unloading. The space shall be designed so that no part of a truck shall project into a public street or sidewalk during the loading and unloading process.
The minimum number of off-street loading and unloading spaces shall be determined in accordance with the following schedule:
Gross Floor Area in Square Feet | Loading and Unloading Spaces Required in Terms of Square Feet of Useable Floor Area |
0 to 3,000 | None |
3,000 to 20,000 | One space |
20,000 to 100,000 | One space plus one space for each 20,000 square feet of excess over 20,000 square feet |
100,000 to 500,000 | Five spaces plus one space for each 40,000 square feet of excess over 100,000 square feet |
Over 500,000 | Fifteen spaces plus one space for each 80,000 square feet of excess over 500,000 square feet |
Space required and allocated for any off-street loading shall not be used to satisfy the space requirements for off-street parking. No loading space may be on any street frontage and provisions for handling all freight shall be on those sides of any building which do not face on any street or proposed street, except where such areas are obscured, from such street, with a solid masonry wall, not less than six feet in height.
(Ord. 72-72. Passed 8-31-72.)
1175.12 IMPROVEMENTS TO LEGAL NONCONFORMING DRIVES AND PARKING AREAS.
(a) No improvements to a legal nonconforming stone or asphalt driveway, by the installation of a new asphalt or concrete surfacing material, shall be constructed without a proper building permit issued by the Division of Building, Zoning and Housing.
(b) The application for a building permit shall be accompanied by two sets of site plans, drawn to scale and dimensioned, showing that the provisions, schedules and standards for designing parking areas set forth in this chapter will be fully complied with. Sufficient topographical details shall be included on the site plans to indicate that the newly installed paved surfaces shall drain to a proper sewer, that storm water and melting ice will not be impounded on the surface, and that drainage shall not present a nuisance to adjacent properties.
(c) Construction details for asphalt or concrete surfacing materials, to be shown on the site plan, shall be as specified by the City Engineer. Copies of these specifications shall be made available by the Division of Building, Zoning and Housing.
(d) All pavement installed within the public right-of-way shall be concrete.
(e) The site plan shall be approved by the Commissioner of Building, Zoning and Housing, and if requested by the Commissioner, the plan shall also be approved by the City Engineer.
(Ord. 65-99. Passed 10-12-99.)
(Ord. 65-99. Passed 10-12-99.)
1175.13 RESIDENTIAL PARKING FACILITIES.
On a lot in the R-1, R-2, or R-3 District on which a one-family or two-family dwelling is the principal use, a driveway in the front yard and, on a corner lot, a driveway in the side yard abutting the right-of-way, shall only be permitted which complies with the following:
(a) The driveway shall be designed and constructed to provide a direct vehicular access from the right-of-way to the door(s) of the private garage in the shortest possible route.
(b) On an interior lot, the driveway shall only access the public right-of-way in one location on the front lot line. On a corner lot, the driveway may access the public right-of-way in one location on the front lot line and one location on the side street lot line. (Ord. 82-01. Passed 10-23-01.)
(c) The width of the driveway shall meet the following regulations:
(1) The width of the driveway for a one- or two-vehicle residential garage shall not exceed eighteen (18) feet in width;
(2) The width of the driveway may be increased to twenty-seven (27) feet when the driveway is for a three-vehicle garage in which the vehicles are to be parked side by side and the maximum twenty-seven (27) feet width shall not begin at a point greater than thirty (30) feet in front of the garage; or
(3) The width of the driveway may be increased to a maximum width of 27-feet if all of the following conditions are met:
A. The width of the driveway may be increased beginning at the front wall of the garage and extending to a point not exceeding thirty (30) feet in front of the garage. The radius or transition to the existing driveway shall not be included in the permitted thirty (30) feet in front of the garage;
B. The additional width of the driveway must be added on the side of the existing driveway opposite the non-garage portion of the front of the dwelling;
C. The materials of the additional width of the driveway must match the materials of the existing driveway;
D. Drawings and/or sketches must be drawn to scale, submitted to the Division of Building, Housing and Zoning for review and approval, and must show the drainage, materials and layout of both the existing and proposed driveway; and
E. Any portion of the driveway shall be set back a minimum of two (2) feet from the adjacent property line.
(Ord. 54-2017. Passed 7-25-17.)
(d) The driveway, and any additional paved area permitted by this section, shall be constructed of concrete, or of similar hard surface material, as approved by the City Engineer.
(e) All pavement shall be graded to direct storm water into a storm water drainage system as approved by the City Engineer.
(f) No other paved area designed for or having the potential for vehicular use shall be permitted.
(g) A building permit may be issued for any residential driveway, or for any additional paved area permitted by this section, only after a detailed site plan, to scale, has been approved by the City Engineer.
(Ord. 82-01. Passed 10-23-01.)