Saint John City Zoning Code

Art. XI

Parking and Loading Requirements, §§ 24-491—24-510

Sec. 24-491. Off-street parking requirements.

There shall be provided, in all districts at the time of erection or enlargement of any main building or structure, automobile off-street parking space with adequate access to all spaces. The number of off-street parking spaces, in conjunction with all land or building uses, shall be provided prior to the issuance of a building permit, as hereinafter set forth.

(1) For all nonresidential uses, off-street parking shall be either on the same lot or within three hundred (300) feet of the building it is intended to serve as measured from the nearest point of the building to the nearest point of the off-street parking space. Ownership shall be shown on all lots or parcels intended for use as parking by the applicant. The three-hundred-foot allowance shall not include properties on the opposite side of a main arterial road.

(2) Required residential off-street parking spaces shall consist of a driveway, garage, or combination thereof and shall be located on the premises they are intended to serve. None of the previously mentioned parking shall be located closer than three (3) feet from the property line in RC-1, RC-2, R-1 and R-2 districts.

(3) Minimum required off-street parking spaces shall not be replaced by any other use unless and until equal parking facilities are provided elsewhere.

(4) Off-street parking existing at the effective date of the ordinance from which this chapter derives, 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.

(5) Two (2) 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 the several individual uses computed separately. In all cases where two (2) or more uses collectively provide the required off-street parking, cross parking and access agreements from all such uses shall be submitted and approved by the Town and recorded with the office of the county recorder after town approval.

(6) In the instance of dual function of off-street parking spaces where operating hours of buildings do not overlap, the zoning administrator may grant in writing a zoning compliance certificate for the parking requirements only for the specified dual function uses as applied.

(7) The storage of merchandise, motor vehicles for sale, truck parking, or the repair of vehicles is prohibited.

(8) For those uses not specifically mentioned hereinafter, the petitioner shall submit to the Town a study analyzing projected traffic volumes and parking demand, based on comparable geographic locations with similar demographic characteristics. The Plan Commission will review the traffic study and shall approve the required parking based upon the traffic study.

(9) When units or measurements determining the number of required parking spaces result in the requirement of a fractional space, any fraction up to and including one-half (½) shall be disregarded and any fraction over one-half (½) shall require one parking space.

(10) For the purpose of computing the number of parking spaces required, the definition of "net floor area" in section 24-12 shall govern. However, notwithstanding the foregoing, the zoning administrator, with the concurrence of the Plan Commission, may also exclude from "net floor area" washrooms and storage closets and areas where the primary use of the building is not used substantially for storage purposes.

Sec. 24-492. Schedule of minimum parking spaces.

The minimum number of off-street parking spaces by type of use are required in accordance with the following schedule:

USE	NUMBER OF MINIMUM PARKING SPACES PER UNIT OF MEASURE
a) Residential:
Residential, one-family and two-family	Two (2) for each dwelling unit
Residential, multiple-family	Two (2) for each dwelling unit
Senior Housing - independent living	One for each dwelling unit
Senior housing - assisted living facility	One for each employee and one per ten beds for guest parking
Mobile home park	Two (2) for each mobile home site and one for each employee of the mobile home park
b) Institutional:
Churches or temples	One for each two (2) seats or four (4) feet of pews in the main worship room.
Cemeteries	One per acre
Colleges or universities	Ten (10) for each classroom
Hospitals	Two (2) for each bed
Outpatient services	Three (3) for each 1000 sq. ft. of net interior floor area
Convalescent or nursing homes	One for each four (4) beds
Elementary and junior high schools	One for each teacher, employee, and administrator, in addition to the requirements of the auditorium
Senior high schools	One for each one teacher, employee or administrator, and one for each ten (10) students, in addition to the requirements of the auditorium
Private clubs or lodge halls	One for each fifty (50) sq. ft. of net floor area
Private golf clubs, swimming pool clubs, tennis clubs or similar uses.	One for each two (2) members or individuals plus spaces required for each accessory use such as a restaurant or bar
Golf courses open to general public (excludes miniature or “par-3” courses)	Six (6) for each golf hole and one for each employee, plus spaces required for each accessory use, such as a restaurant or bar
Baseball fields	Twenty-five (25) for each baseball field
Basket ball courts	Five (5) for each basket ball court
Tennis courts	Two (2) for each tennis court
Playground area	Five (5) for playground area
General park space	One for each five thousand (5,000) sq. ft. of outdoor area
Interior public recreational uses	One for each three hundred (300) sq. ft. of net interior recreational floor area, plus one per employee
Soccer fields	Twenty (20) for each soccer field
Stadium, sports arena or similar place of outdoor assembly	One for each two (2) seats or four (4) feet of benches
Theaters and auditoriums	One for each two (2) seats plus one for each two (2) employees
Nursery school, day nurseries or childcare centers	One for each three hundred fifty (350) sq. ft. of net floor area
Museums	One per five hundred (500) sq. ft. of net floor area
c) Commercial:
Planned commercial or shopping center	One for every one hundred (100) sq. ft. of net floor area for the first 15,000 sq. ft.
	One for each two hundred (200) sq. ft. for the next fifteen thousand (15,000) to four hundred fifty thousand (450,000) sq. ft. of net floor area; and
	One for each two hundred fifty (250) sq. ft. for that area in excess of four hundred fifty thousand (450,000) sq. ft. of net floor area
Auto wash (automatic)	One for each employee. In addition, reservoir parking spaces equal in number to five (5) times the maximum capacity of the auto wash. Maximum capacity of the auto wash shall mean the greatest number of automobiles possible undergoing some phase of washing at the same time, which shall be determined by dividing the length in feet of each wash line by twenty (20) feet
Auto wash self-service or coin operated	Five (5) for each washing stall in addition to one for each employee.
Beauty parlor or barber shop	Three (3) spaces for each of the first two (2) beauty or barber chairs and one and one-half (1½) spaces for each additional chair
Boat sales	One for each five hundred (500) sq. ft. of net floor area
Bowling alleys	Five (5) for each bowling lane plus accessory uses
Business, commercial or trade schools	Ten (10) for each classroom
Drive-in restaurant facilities	One for each seventy-five (75) sq. ft. of net floor area.
Establishment for sale and consumption on the premises of beverages, food or refreshments	One for each seventy-five feet of net floor area or one for each two (2) persons allowed within the maximum occupancy load as established by governmental fire, building or health codes, whichever is greater.
Entertainment establishments, taverns, nightclubs	One for each seventy-five (75) sq. ft. of net floor area
Furniture and appliance, household equipment, repair shops, showroom of a plumber, decorator, electrician or similar trade, shoe repair and other similar uses.	One for each eight hundred (800) sq. ft. of net floor area. For floor area used in processing, one additional space shall be provided for each two (2) employees
Greenhouses, nurseries, garden stores	One for each three hundred (300) sq. ft. of net floor area, plus one for each five hundred (500) sq. ft. of outdoor sales area
Kennels	One for each employee, plus one for each one thousand (1,000) sq. ft. of net floor area
Automobile service stations	Two (2) for each lubrication stall, rack or pit and one for each gasoline pump
Laundromats and coin operated dry cleaners	One for each two (2) washing and dry-cleaning machines
Lumber and, building material sales; home improvement stores	One for each three hundred (300) sq. ft. of net floor area, plus one space for each twelve hundred (1,200) sq. ft. of outdoor or warehouse sales area
Miniature or “par3” golf courses	Three (3) for each golf hole plus one for each employee
Catering hall, dance hall	One for each fifty (50) sq. ft. of net floor area
Motel, hotel or other commercial lodging establishment	One for each occupancy unit plus one for each employee
Mortuary and funeral parlor	One for each 50 sq. ft. of net floor area
Motor vehicle sales and service establishments	One for each two hundred (200) sq. ft. of net floor area of sales room and one for each one auto service stall in the service area
Pool or billiard parlors, roller skating rinks, exhibition halls, and assembly halls without fixed seats	One for each two (2) persons allowed within the maximum occupancy load as established by local, county or state fire, building or health codes
Private dance, music and similar schools	One for every two hundred (200) sq. ft. of net floor area
Railroad passenger stations, bus depots or other passenger terminal facilities	To be determined by Plan Commission based upon submitted traffic study and parking plan
Recording studios, broadcasting studios	One for every three hundred (300) sq. ft. of net floor area
Recreational vehicle sales	One for each three hundred (300) sq. ft. of interior net floor area and one for each two thousand (2,000) sq. ft. of outdoor sales area
Retail stores except as otherwise specified herein	One for each two hundred fifty (250) sq. ft. of net floor area.
Stables	One for each two (2) animal stalls
Veterinary hospitals	One for each three hundred (300) sq. ft. of net floor area
d) Offices:
Banks	One for each three hundred (300) sq. ft. of net floor area
Business office or professional office	One for each three hundred (300) sq. ft. of net floor area
Governmental offices	One for each three hundred (300) sq. ft. of net floor area, plus one for each official vehicle
Post office, postal substation	One for each five hundred (500) sq. ft. of net floor area, plus one for each official vehicle and one for each employee
Professional office of doctors, dentists or similar medical professions	One for each fifty (50) sq. ft. of net floor area in waiting rooms, and one for each examining room, dental chair, laboratory, or similar use area to be occupied by patients or employees.
e) Industrial:
Industrial establishments and related accessory offices	One for every five hundred (500) sq. ft. of net floor area. Space on site shall also be provided for all construction workers during periods of plant construction
Research laboratories	One for each three hundred (300) sq. ft. of net floor area
Self storage establishments	One for each five hundred (500) sq. ft.
Warehouses and wholesale establishments and related accessory offices	One for every one thousand (1,000) sq. ft. of net floor area

Sec. 24-493. Parking layout, standards, construction, maintenance and shared spaces.

(a) Off-street parking space layout, standards, construction and maintenance. Whenever the off-street parking requirements in section 24-492 require the installation of an off-street parking facility, such off-street parking lots shall be laid out, constructed, and maintained in accordance with the following standards and regulations:

(1) No parking lot shall be constructed or altered unless and until a permit is issued by the building commissioner. Applications for a permit shall be submitted to the building department in such form as may be determined by the building commissioner and shall be accompanied with two (2) sets of development plans for the development and construction of the parking lot showing that the provisions of this section will be fully complied with.

(2) Plans for the layout of off-street parking facilities comply with the following minimum requirements:

Parking Pattern	Maneuvering Lane Width	Parking Space Width	Parking Space Length
°(Parallel parking)	12 ft.	8.5 ft.	23 ft.
30° to 53°	12 ft.	9 ft.	20 ft.
54° to 74°	24 ft.	10 ft.	20 ft.
75° to 90°	24 ft.	10 ft.	20 ft.

(3) All spaces shall be provided adequate access by means of maneuvering lanes. Backing directly onto a street or frontage road is prohibited.

(4) Adequate ingress and egress to the parking lot by means of clearly limited and defined drives shall be provided for all vehicles.

(5) All maneuvering lane widths shall permit one-way traffic movement, any 90° pattern may permit two-way traffic movement.

(6) Each entrance and exit to and from any off-street parking lot located in an area zoned for other than single-family residential use shall be at least twenty-five (25) feet from adjacent property located in any single-family residential zoning district. A landscaped area fifteen (15) feet in width shall be provided within the twenty-five (25) feet area.

(7) The off-street parking area shall be provided with a continuous and obscuring wall not less than five (5) feet in height measured from the surface of the parking area. This wall shall be provided on all sides where the adjacent zoning district is designated as a residential zoning district. The wall must adhere to allowable building facade materials. i) When a front yard setback is required, all land between the wall and the front property line or street right-of-way line shall be kept free from refuse and debris and shall be landscaped with deciduous shrubs, evergreen material and ornamental trees. The ground area shall be planted and kept in grass. All such landscaping and planting shall be maintained in a healthy, growing condition, neat and orderly in appearance.

(8) The off-street parking area shall have perimeter landscaping and interior landscaping as required by article XII.

(9) The parking area finish coat shall be surfaced within one year of the date the occupancy permit is issued.

(10) Off-street parking areas shall provide on-site retention or detention as necessary and be drained so as to dispose of all surface water accumulated in the parking area in such a way as to preclude drainage of water onto adjacent property or toward buildings.

(11) All lighting used to illuminate any off-street parking area shall be so installed as to be confined within and directed onto the parking area only.

(12) In all cases where a wall extends to an alley which is a means of ingress and egress to an off-street parking area, it shall be permissible to end the wall not more than ten (10) feet from such alley line in order to permit a wider means of access to the parking area.

(13) All open off-street automobile parking areas either created or redesigned or rebuilt subsequent to the adoption of this chapter shall be improved with a six and one-half (6½) inch stone base, a two (2) inch binder and a one and one-half (1½) inch paved surface, marked with appropriate strips and lines to indicate parking stalls and circulation ways.

Sec. 24-494. Handicapped parking.

Handicapped parking facilities in the Town shall be required to be provided in accordance with state and federal law, as amended, and any administrative rules and regulations passed pursuant to the authority thereof.

Sec. 24-495. Pedestrian paths.

Off-street parking areas shall provide landscaped sidewalks connecting the parking area to the buildings, pedestrian circulation within the parking lot and pedestrian connections to adjacent developments and to pedestrian routes and trails. Pedestrian paths will be reviewed and approved during the development plan review.

Sec. 24-496. Loading requirements, location, size.

(a) Loading requirements. In any nonresidential district, sufficient space for the loading or unloading of vehicles shall be provided on the lot in connection with any commercial or industrial use so that the public street shall at all times be free and un-obstructed to the passage of vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Such space shall be at least ten (10) feet by fifty (50) feet, or five hundred (500) square feet in area, with a clearance of at least fourteen (14) feet in height.

(b) Commercial and industrial facilities. Loading and unloading berths shall be required as follows:

(1) Three thousand (3,000) to fifteen thousand (15,000) square feet of gross floor area: One berth;

(2) Fifteen thousand one (15,001) to forty thousand (40,000) square feet of gross floor area: Two (2) berths; and

(3) Each additional forty thousand (40,000) square feet: One additional berth.

(1) One hundred thousand (100,000) or less square feet gross floor area: One berth;

(2) One hundred thousand one (100,001) to three hundred thousand (300,000) square feet gross floor area: Two (2) berths; and

(3) Each one hundred thousand (100,000) additional square feet: One additional berth.

Sec. 24-497. Supplemental parking regulations.

(a) Purpose. The purpose of this section is to regulate the parking and/or storage of any type of conveyance or vehicle, which is constructed on one (1) or more axles and wheels, whether such conveyance is used for transport of passengers, goods, or materials. This section shall control in the event of a conflict with any and all other parking regulations within the Town of St. John. The Town of St. John and contractors acting under the authority of the Town of St. John are exempt from this section.

(b) General provisions. For the purpose of this section, the terms "vehicle" and "vehicles" shall apply to any and all types of conveyance, including, but not limited to, automobiles, trucks, vans, campers, motorhomes, recreational vehicles, trailers, buses, boats, and other such conveyance designed to transport passengers, goods, or materials. Unless stated otherwise, the following provisions shall apply to all zoning districts:

(1) All vehicles shall only be parked on a solid, hard paved surface consisting of asphalt, concrete, paving blocks or similar materials. Gravel, stone, and other loose materials are not considered solid, hard paved surfaces.

(2) No vehicle may be parked in a manner to obstruct any part of a sidewalk, including that part of a sidewalk that intersects a driveway.

(3) No vehicle may be parked in the public right-of-way except on the paved street surface.

(4) A vehicle may be parked in a side yard provided a minimum setback of three (3) feet is maintained from any property line.

(5) No vehicle may be parked in the rear yard, except that a vehicle may be parked on a solid, hard paved driveway that extends into the rear yard and in a garage, or may be parked inside a detached garaged located in a rear yard.

(6) No vehicle may be parked within ten (10) feet of a mailbox during mail delivery times so as to impede or prevent mail delivery from a postal delivery vehicle.

(7) Unless a permit is issued, no vehicle, equipment or device designed for a purpose other than transport of passengers, goods, or materials may be parked or stored on a public street, open to public traffic, unless otherwise provided in this section. This includes bulk materials, crates, and construction equipment, unless that construction equipment is currently in use for construction purposes on the premises.

(8) Vehicles whose primary purpose is storage are prohibited from parking outside of an enclosed structure on property zoned residential.

(9) All vehicles, when parked on a street, must be parked in the direction with the flow of traffic.

(10) No vehicle may be parked in such a manner that would obstruct ingress/egress of a driveway.

(11) No vehicle may be parked on any part of a curb that rises above the level of the street surface. It is allowed to park on the horizontal portion of the curb that is immediately adjacent to the edge of the paved street surface.

(12) When parked on a public street, no part of a vehicle, including its load, may be wider than seven (7) feet into the street, or be longer than twenty-two (22) feet, unless otherwise provided in this section.

(1) Trailers are prohibited from parking on a public street except when loading and unloading goods or materials, and then for a period not to exceed four (4) hours in any day, unless a permit has been issued. When parked on a public street, trailers must be safely hitched to a towing vehicle with the trailer's wheels blocked on all sides to prevent rolling. For purposes of this subsection only, the maximum allowable length along a street, of the trailer and towing vehicle combined, shall not exceed thirty-three (33) feet.

(2) Trailers in use for moving into or out of the premises may be parked on a public street for a maximum of twelve (12) hours in any day, unless a permit has been issued.

(1) Unless a permit is issued, semi tractors, with or without their trailers, are prohibited from parking on any public street, except:

a. While loading or unloading goods or materials, for a period not to exceed four (4) hours in any day; and

b. While in use for construction or moving into or out of a premises, for a period not to exceed twelve (12) hours in any day.

(2) Overnight parking of semi tractors, with or without their trailers, is permitted only in industrial zoning districts and in commercial zoning districts designated as a truck stop. Overnight parking of such vehicles in other zoning districts, and under other circumstances, is allowable only with a permit.

(e) Buses. Buses or other vehicles designed to transport sixteen (16) or more passengers are prohibited:

(1) From parking on public streets except while loading and unloading passengers, and only then for a period not to exceed one (1) hour in any day; and

(2) From parking on driveways, side yards, and rear yards in residential zoning districts.

(1) Unless a permit has been issued, motorized and nonmotorized recreational vehicles may only be parked on driveways in residential zoning districts during calendar months April through September.

(2) Motorized and nonmotorized recreational vehicles and boats are prohibited from being parked on any public street except while loading and unloading, and then for a maximum of four (4) hours in any day, during the months of April through September.

(3) During calendar months October through March, all recreational vehicles and boats shall not be parked on driveways, and shall comply with all other provisions of this section.

(g) Commercial vehicles. This section applies to any vehicle used for commercial purposes, which is in excess of twenty-two (22) feet long, seven (7) feet wide, or seven (7) feet high. Unless a permit has been issued, the vehicles used for commercial purposes may park on any public street or paved driveway in a residential zoning district only:

(1) While loading and unloading deliveries or materials, for a period not to exceed four (4) hours in any day; or

(2) While in use for construction on the premises, for a period not to exceed twelve (12) hours in any day.

(3) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, a pick-up truck with an attached snow plow may park on a private driveway providing the vehicle does not exceed twenty-five (25) feet in overall length.

(4) Vehicles used for commercial purposes may be parked anywhere on a lot, except the unpaved public right-of-way or a sidewalk while construction of a new structure is in process if no prior occupancy permit has been issued for that lot.

(1) This section applies to any commercial or industrial equipment designed to store or transport trash.

(2) Roll-off/trash containers are permitted to be placed on public streets in any zoning district only when:

a. A driveway is being replaced;

b. Appropriate blocking under or below the dumpster is used to protect the surface of the public street from damage;

c. The container does not extend more than seven (7) feet into the street, nor extend longer than twenty-two (22) feet along the street;

d. The container is not parked on the curb, nor on any part of the right-of-way that is not paved; and

e. Appropriate reflective markings, markers, cones or barricades are present, as to not cause a traffic hazard.

(3) Roll-off/trash containers are permitted to be placed on a paved driveway in a residential zoning district while construction or remodeling is being performed on an existing structure, but may not be placed on any portion of a sidewalk or unpaved right-of-way.

(4) Roll-off/trash containers may be placed anywhere on a lot except on a sidewalk or unpaved right-of-way, while construction of a new structure is in process if no prior occupancy permit has been issued for that lot.

(i) Inoperable vehicles. Vehicles deemed inoperable or not road-worthy are prohibited from being parked on public streets or any lot in any zoning district, except when parked wholly within an enclosed garage.

(j) Permit issuance. Any permit issued pursuant to the terms and provisions of this section shall be issued through the Town of St. John Police Department. The Police Department shall evaluate the permit requests based upon the circumstances presented and issue permits in keeping with the spirit of this section and only for all long as is needed based upon the circumstances presented.