All uses of land, buildings, or structures shall provide for adequate off-street parking and loading spaces to meet at least the minimum standards in accordance with the provisions of this article.

(1)

Plan approval. Each application for a zoning permit, special use permit, or site plan approval shall include information as to the location and dimensions of off-street parking and loading spaces and the means of ingress and egress to such space. This information shall be in sufficient detail to enable the administrative officer to determine whether or not the requirements of this article are met.

(2)

Certificate of occupancy. The certificate of occupancy for the use of any building, structure or land where off-street parking spaces or loading spaces are required shall be withheld by the administrative officer until the provisions of this article are fully complied with. If at any time such compliance ceases, any certificate of occupancy previously issued for the use of the property shall immediately become void, and further use of the premises shall cease until the property is brought into compliance with this article.

(3)

Permanency. The off-street parking and loading spaces required by this article shall be permanent spaces and shall not be used for any other purposes unless other spaces are provided which will fully meet the requirements of this article.

(4)

Permissive parking and loading facilities. Off-street parking or loading facilities, which serve any existing nonresidential use of land or buildings, are permitted in any commercial or industrial district provided that all regulations herein governing the location, design, and operation of such facilities are adhered to and provided further that whenever a parking facility serving a nonresidential use abuts a residential district, a vegetative buffer at least six feet in height shall be established between the parking facility and the residential district.

(5)

Increased intensity of existing use. When the intensity of use of any building or premises shall be increased through addition of dwelling units, gross floor area, seating capacity, or other units specified herein for the computation of required parking and loading facilities, parking and loading facilities shall be provided for such increase in intensity of use.

(6)

Change of existing use. Whenever the existing use of a structure shall hereafter be changed to a new use, parking and loading facilities shall be provided as required for such new use. However, if the structure was erected prior to the effective date of this chapter, additional parking or loading facilities are mandatory only in the amount by which the requirements for the new use shall exceed those for the existing use.

(7)

Maintenance of off-street parking, loading spaces/berths and vehicular surface areas. The property owner shall be fully responsible for the routine maintenance of off-street parking, loading spaces and vehicular surface areas, to include driveways. Proper routine maintenance shall ensure that the original driveway width and profile are retained, operational speed and safety is not reduced by rough or unkempt surfaces, and no damage or deterioration to the public roadway pavement is incurred as a result of driveway conditions, including drainage provisions. The level of maintenance shall also be adequate to ensure that deviation from the intended circulation pattern is not necessary because of surface irregularities. This maintenance responsibility includes the removal of snow and ice and keeping the portion of the driveway within the public right-of-way in a safe condition.

(Code 1978, § 12.103; Code 1995, § 156.100; Ord. of 1-10-1972; Ord. No. 2012-2, § 2, 2-13-2012; Ord. No. (2021)1, 6-28-2021)

(a)

Minimum off-street parking requirements. Off-street parking spaces shall be provided and permanently maintained by the owners or occupants of the following types of property uses on the basis indicated:

(b)

Computation. When determination of the number of off-street parking spaces required by this article results in a requirement of a fractional space, any fraction of one-half or less may be disregarded, while a fraction in excess of one-half shall be counted as one parking space.

(c)

Size. All required off-street parking spaces shall be at least nine feet in width and at least 20 feet in length measured at right angles to the axis of the vehicle exclusive of access drives, aisles, or ramps. Such spaces shall have a vertical clearance of at least six feet, six inches. For parallel parking the length of the parking space shall be increased to 23 feet. Compact parking spaces, measuring seven and one-half feet wide and 16 feet in length, are permitted provided that the compact spaces do not exceed more than 25 percent of the total required parking.

(d)

Design. All off-street parking areas requiring four or more spaces based on the use of the property shall be surfaced with a permanent material such as asphalt or concrete up to and including the required paved driveway or entrance to the property, and the individual parking spaces shall be clearly marked or striped. This permanent surfacing provision does not apply to single-family residential group developments. Regardless of any other provision of this chapter, off-street parking spaces, drive areas and entrances to any structure shall be designed and constructed to the standards of the N.C. Building Code, or other applicable federal, state or local regulations.

Nonresidential uses that will result in an increase in vehicular surface area of one acre or more or those nonresidential uses with seasonal maximum capacities, such as shopping centers, and with a structure or structures exceeding 10,000 square feet of net floor area shall only permanently surface a maximum of 80 percent of the required vehicular surface area, including the off-street parking area. The remaining 20 percent of parking area shall consist of pervious surfacing material and shall be maintained in such manner as to alleviate stormwater runoff. Regardless of the aforementioned permanent surfacing restriction, the provisions of the N.C. Fire Code, Appendix D shall control if in conflict with this subsection.

(e)

Access. Each required off-street parking space shall open directly upon an aisle or driveway of such width and design as to provide safe and efficient means of vehicular access to such parking space. All off-street parking facilities shall be designed with appropriate means of vehicular access to a street or alley in a manner which will least interfere with traffic movement. All commercial and industrial off-street parking areas and all off-street parking lots for residential use where three or more spaces are required shall be so arranged that egress from the parking space is by forward motion of the vehicle.

(f)

Lighting. Any lighting used to illuminate off-street parking areas shall be directed away from residential districts and public streets.

(g)

Public area. No portion of any street right-of-way or public parking facility shall be considered as fulfilling or partially fulfilling area requirements for off-street parking space required by the provisions of this article.

(h)

Combination and shared parking. The required parking space for any number of separate uses may be combined on one lot as long as the minimum number of spaces for each separate use is provided, except that the required space assigned to one use within a shopping center may be assigned to another use provided that the hours of operation for each use do not coincide or overlap and one-half of the parking spaces required for religious worship facilities, theaters, or assembly halls whose peak attendance will be at night or on Sundays may be assigned to a use which will be closed at night and on Sundays.

(i)

Remote parking spaces. If the off-street parking space required by this article for nonresidential uses cannot be reasonably provided on the same lot on which the principal use is located, such space may be provided on any land within 400 feet of the main pedestrian entrance to such principal use, provided such land is in the same ownership, by deed or long term recorded lease, and that such land is zoned to allow the nonresidential use for which the remote parking is to serve. In such cases, the applicant for a permit for the principal use shall submit with the permit application an instrument duly executed, acknowledged and recorded with the County Register of Deeds that subjects said land to parking use in connection with the principal use. Remote parking spaces in the Central Business District shall observe the front yard setback required in section 42-192.

(j)

Existing parking facilities. Accessory off-street parking facilities in existence on the effective date of this chapter or upon being made subject to the provisions of this chapter and located on the same lot as the use served shall not hereafter be reduced below the minimum requirements of this article.

(k)

Residential parking limitation. Where parking for motor vehicles is permitted or required in residential districts, the lot may be used only for parking and not for any type of loading, sales, repair work, dismantling, servicing or long-term storage, either of merchandise or vehicles.

(l)

Handicap parking. Handicap parking shall be provided in accordance with the standards of the N.C. Building Code and any other applicable federal and/or state regulation. Handicap spaces must be clearly marked and maintained at all times.

(Code 1978, § 12.104; Code 1995, § 156.101; Ord. of 1-10-1972; Ord. of 7-28-2003, § 1; Ord. No. 2012-2, § 2, 2-13-2012)

(a)

Generally. Off-street loading spaces accessory to uses permitted in any district shall be provided in accordance with the following regulations. The administrative officer shall determine the sufficiency of loading berths and/or loading spaces permitted or required by this article. Off-street loading berths and/or loading spaces shall be provided and permanently maintained by the owners or occupants of the following types of land uses on the basis indicated:

(b)

Location. One or more loading berths or other space shall be provided for standing, loading and unloading operations either inside or outside a building and on the same or adjoining premises with every structure erected after the enactment of this chapter or upon being made subject to the provisions of this chapter.

(c)

Screening. All motor vehicle loading spaces abutting any residential district shall be completely screened from view of the residential property.

(d)

Size. A loading berth shall have minimum plan dimensions of 12 feet by 25 feet and 14 feet overhead clearance. A loading berth shall be sufficient in size and design to allow normal loading operations of a kind and magnitude appropriate to the use served thereby.

(e)

Access. Each required off-street loading space shall be designed with appropriate means of vehicular access to a street or alley, without hindering the movement of vehicles over a street or alley, and of pedestrians over a sidewalk.

(f)

Utilization. Space allocated to any off-street loading space shall not, while so allocated, be used to satisfy the space requirements for any off-street parking spaces or access drives or aisles.

(Code 1978, § 12.105; Code 1995, § 156.102; Ord. of 1-10-1972; Ord. of 7-28-2003, § 1; Ord. No. 2012-2, § 2, 2-13-2012; Ord. No. (2021)1, 6-28-2021)