For the purpose of minimizing any adverse effects that an off-street parking facility may have on traffic and adjacent properties, the city has established certain procedures that must be followed in processing applications for such facilities. Each application will follow one of the basic procedures outlined below.

A.

Off-Street Parking Facilities Providing for Four or Less Vehicles. Proposals are reviewed by the city zoning administrator and upon approval the required building permits are issued. No fee is required.

B.

Accessory Off-Street Parking Facilities. All off-street parking facility proposals that are either required to support a specific principal use or are accessory to an existing principal use shall be reviewed for compliance with this section as part of the review of the overall development proposal. A separate plot plan shall be required for parking facilities to support existing uses. No permit fees shall be applicable for parking lots used to support principal uses.

C.

Off-Street Parking Facilities as a Special Use. All off-street parking facilities that are proposed as a special use shall be subject to the conditions and specifications that are determined through the special use process as outlined in Section 17.104.040. In addition, a building permit fee shall be payable at the time of application. A fee shall be charged for each of the first thirty (30) parking spaces, and for each space in excess of thirty (30). The fees will be set from time to time by resolution of the city council.

(Ord. 1999-7 (part); prior codes § 21.35)

A.

Parking Space Defined. For the purpose of processing the plans of all off-street parking facilities, an off-street parking space is defined as an area not located on a public street, highway, alley or other public thoroughfare of not less than one hundred eighty (180) square feet net, exclusive of access or maneuvering area, ramps or obstructions and not less than eight feet in width to be used as a temporary storage space for a motor vehicle.

B.

Reduction of Existing Off-Street Parking Space or Lot Area. Off-street parking spaces and loading spaces or parking lot area existing upon the effective date of this title (May 1980) shall not be reduced in number or size, unless the number or size exceeds the requirements set forth herein for similar new uses.

C.

Change of Use or Occupancy of Land. No change of use or occupancy of land already dedicated to a parking area, parking spaces or loading spaces shall be made, nor shall any sale of land, division or subdivision of land be made which reduces area necessary for parking, parking stalls or parking requirements below the minimum prescribed by this Title.

D.

Change of Use or Occupancy of Buildings. Any change of use or occupancy of any building or buildings, including additions thereto, requiring more parking area shall not be permitted until there is furnished such additional parking spaces as required by this Title.

E.

Design of Off-Street Parking and Loading Space. All off-street parking and loading spaces shall be designed as outlined in Section 17.80.050.

F.

Residential Off-Street Parking. It is recognized that uncontrolled residential off-street parking, specifically on unpaved surfaces in residential front yards, is a public nuisance. The purpose of this section is to provide for the regulation of residential off-street parking and to specify the requirements for residential off-street parking as they pertain to the appearance and the health, safety and welfare of the city.

1.

Driveway Standards. Driveway widths shall not exceed thirty (30) of the lot width or twenty-five (25) feet, whichever is less.

2.

Personal Vehicles. It is permissible to park a personal vehicle, including a passenger car, recreation vehicle, van, or pickup truck in the residential districts under the following conditions.

a.

Parking of operable Vehicles. For properties with alley access, parking of operable vehicles is permitted in the rear yard or in one interior side yard on an improved surface, as defined in subsection 3 of this section. Parking is permitted outside of a structure in the front yard or corner side yard on a driveway if there is no reasonable access to the rear yard or interior side yard or the property is not served by an alley or if the garage is accessed from the front or side yard. Reasonable access means any eight feet or wider area which can be graded to fifteen (15) percent slope or less to provide access to a parking area. The vehicle shall be parked a minimum of five feet from all property lines and shall not be located within a drainage and utility easement.

b.

Storage of operable vehicles. No parking pad used for storage of motor vehicles shall be allowed in the front yard of a residential district. Storage of operable vehicles is permitted in a side or rear yard if a ten (10) feet by twenty (20) feet area per vehicle is available with an improved surface, as defined in subsection 3 of this section, provided eight feet of access exists to the interior side or rear yard. Vehicle storage areas shall be no closer than five feet from the nearest side or rear lot line and shall not be located within a drainage and utility easement.

3.

Off-street Parking Setback and Surfacing Requirements. Any off-street parking area shall be no closer than five feet from the nearest side or rear lot line or within ten (10) feet from the front lot line to maintain an area for snow storage, landscape buffer, and stormwater capture. All parking and vehicle storage areas shall be surfaced with a dust free surface such as concrete, asphalt, paving stones greater than three inches thick. Crushed rock is not considered an approved dust-free surface. Pervious pavement materials are encouraged for off-street parking spaces. Parking is not permitted on any grass, dirt, gravel or landscaped area.

4.

Parking and Storage of Equipment and Recreational Vehicles. Boats, campers, trailers, trucks, construction equipment and seasonal vehicles left for more than thirty (30) consecutive days shall be considered as being stored and shall not be stored on any required off street parking area or on any required front yard. A recreational vehicle is not considered a dwelling and therefore shall not be lived in, heated or cooled in any manner or connected to utilities of any kind. A recreational vehicle may be connected to water and electricity for up to seventy-two (72) hours in preparation for off-site use. A recreational vehicle may be connected to electricity for no more than seventy-two (72) hours upon returning from the off-site use. All vehicles shall be operable and display current license tags. Placement of a tarp or vehicle cover shall not obscure the rear license plate.

(Prior code § 21.36)

(Ord. No. 2022-05, § 3, 8-23-2022)

The processing time for applications requiring council action normally is two months. Applications not requiring council action are normally processed within two weeks. After investigation and study, the applicant may be asked to revise or correct the plan, and such changes may increase the time needed for processing.

(Prior code § 21.37)

The following is a summary of city requirements and information which must be indicated on the proposed plan.

A.

Arrangement. Indicate location of parking spaces, maneuvering area and number of vehicles to be parked.

B.

Driveways. Maximum width of curb opening is thirty-five (35) feet. Minimum thickness of sidewalk at driveway opening shall be six inch three thousand (3,000) pound air entrained concrete, installed with No.10 gauge six by six mesh at the grade established by the city. The boulevard section of the driveway may be three inch bituminous material on a four inch stabilized gravel base.

C.

Street Curbing and Sidewalks. Required along all street frontages adjacent to a drive-in business. Also along street frontages of off-street parking facilities where determined necessary in the public interest. Established grades of sidewalks and gutters must be maintained.

D.

Setback Requirements. No part of a special purpose off-street parking facility shall extend closer to a street than one half of the setback which would be required for a building on the premises. No special off-street parking facility shall be located closer than eight feet to any adjoining property residentially zoned nor shall any part of the facility encroach on the minimum yard areas established under the zoning or building codes. Screen plantings, decorative fences, walls or a combination thereof shall be provided in these setback areas to protect adjacent residential properties.

E.

Barriers, Wheel Stops, Interior Curbing. All off-street parking facilities shall provide proper barriers, wheel stops or curbing to prevent encroachment onto adjacent public or private property and to protect existing or proposed structures. Monolithic curbing shall be a minimum of six inches high; precast concrete wheel stops shall be a minimum of eight inches high.

F.

Existing Facilities. Locate all driveways and buildings, noting those to remain or to be removed. Locate accurately and note all trees, poles, street lamps, stop signs, fire hydrants, drainage structures, curbs and other public facilities in the adjacent street or alley and show proposed location of anything that must be moved.

G.

Zoning and Land Use. The zoning and land use of the adjacent properties, as well as the zoning, existing land use and proposed land use of the subject property.

H.

Lot Surfacing. All driveways, off-street parking facilities and drive-in business lots shall be surfaced with Portland cement concrete, bituminous concrete or bituminous road mix, so as to provide a hard, durable, dustless surface. Unless impracticable and waived in writing by the city engineer, all such facilities shall be graded and drained to a point or points within the limits of the private lot such that no runoff shall exit the driveway into the public street, except that driveways for single-family and duplex dwelling units may drain to the public street. Further, such facilities shall be constructed with storm sewer catchment devices and pipes connecting to the city storm sewer system that are of sufficient size to accommodate the runoff from a ten (10) year design storm. French drain catch basins or vegetated retention basins may be permitted by the city engineer if city storm sewer is not reasonably available. All drain covers and grates installed for on-site storm sewer facilities shall be of a type that are nonhazardous to bicyclists and other two wheel vehicles. Surfacing shall be completed within one year of completion or occupancy of the principal structure unless a written extension is granted by the community development director.

I.

Regulations or Other Agencies. These requirements shall be held minimum and shall not annul or abrogate any more restrictive regulations imposed by other governmental agencies.

J.

Space and Aisle Requirements. The following indicates space and aisle requirements for parking at various angles:

TABLE A

(Prior code § 21.38)

A.

Amount Required. In any commercial or industrial district, sufficient space for the loading or unloading of vehicles shall be provided as follows on the lot in connection with any commercial or industrial use so that the public streets are free and unobstructed to the passage of vehicular and pedestrian traffic:

TABLE B

B.

All spaces shall be at least ten (10) feet by 50 (50) feet, or five hundred (500) square feet in area, with a clearance of at least fourteen (14) feet in height.

(Prior code § 21.39)

A.

To be Near Building Served. Off-street parking for other than residential uses which shall have off-street parking on the same lot with such use shall be either on the same lot or within three hundred (300) feet of the building it is intended to serve measured from the nearest point of the building to the nearest point of the off-street parking lot.

B.

Land Use Permit Required. No parking lot shall be constructed or reconstructed without a land use permit therefor. Applications for a permit shall be submitted with copies of plans in accordance with the ordinance requirements.

C.

Screening. All open off-street automobile parking areas, either newly constructed or redesigned and rebuilt subsequent to the effective date of this chapter containing two or more rows of parking stalls and an area of ten thousand (10,000) square feet or more shall provide and maintain canopy-type shade trees along with other forms of vegetation hardy in this region in tree islands and planting buffer strips totaling not less than three percent of the surfaced parking area. Each tree island or planting strip shall be not less than fifty (50) square feet in area. The size, type and location of the islands and planting strips and the plant material shall be indicated on the plans required by subsection B of this section.

D.

Parking Spaces Required. The parking requirements specified below shall apply to all new developments and allocation of such parking areas shall be indicated on the plans required by subsection B of this section.

(Prior code § 21.40)