Tazewell County Unincorporated
City Zoning Code

OFF-STREET PARKING

AND LOADING REQUIREMENTS

§ 157.315 PURPOSE.

The purpose of these off-street parking regulations is to alleviate or prevent congestion of the public streets and so promote the safety and convenience of the public by establishing minimum requirements for off-street parking in accordance with the use of the property. The regulations and requirements set forth herein shall apply to all off-street parking facilities in all zoning districts unless otherwise specifically stated.

(Prior Code, 7 TCC 1-19(a))

§ 157.316 GENERAL PROVISIONS.

The off-street parking and off-street loading provisions of this chapter shall apply as follows.

(A) Accessory off-street parking and off-street loading facilities shall be provided as required by the regulations of this section for all buildings and structures erected and all uses of land established in each district after the effective date of this chapter.

(B) When the intensity of use of any building, structure, or premises shall be increased through the addition of dwelling units, gross floor area, seating capacity, or other units or measurement in the amounts specified herein requiring parking or loading facilities, such additional parking and loading facilities as required herein shall be provided.

(C) Whenever the existing use of a building or structure shall hereafter be changed to a new use, parking or loading facilities shall be provided as required for such new use. However, if the said building or structure was erected prior to the effective date of this chapter, additional parking or loading facilities are mandatory only to the extent by which the requirements for the new use would exceed those for the existing use if the latter was in compliance with the parking and loading provisions of this chapter.

(D) Accessory off-street parking and loading facilities in existence on the effective date of this chapter and located on the same lot as the building or use served shall not hereafter be reduced below, or if already less than, shall not be further reduced below the requirements for a similar new building or use under the provisions of this chapter.

(E) For any conforming or legally non-conforming building or use which is in existence on the effective date of this chapter, which subsequently thereto is damaged or destroyed by fire, collapse, explosion, or other cause, and which is reconstructed, re-established, or repaired, off-street parking or loading facilities need not be provided, except that such parking or loading facilities equivalent to any maintained at the time of such damage or destruction shall be restored or continued in operation. However, in no case shall it be necessary to restore or maintain parking or loading facilities in excess of those required by this chapter for equivalent new uses or construction.

(F) Control of off-site parking facilities. In cases where parking facilities are permitted on a lot other than the lot on which the structure or use served is located, a written agreement shall be submitted to the Community Development Administrator indicating that portion of the lot which shall be designated for the off-street parking.

(G) Handicapped parking requirements.

Total Number of Required Off-Street Parking Spaces	Total Number of Spaces Required for Handicapped
1–20	1
21–50	2
51–75	3
76–100	4
101–150	5
151–200	6
201–300	7
301–400	8
401–500	9
501-1,000	2% of total number
1,000+	20 + 1 for each 100 over 1,000

(H) Off-street parking spaces for the handicapped shall be designed as follows.

(1) All spaces for the handicapped shall have access to a curb ramp or curb cut when necessary to allow access to the building served, shall be located so that users will not be compelled to wheel behind parked vehicles, and shall be located the shortest possible distance between the parking area and the entrance to the principal building it serves.

(2) The total number of accessible parking spaces may be distributed among parking lots, if greater accessibility is achieved in consideration of such factors as anticipated usage, number, and location of entrances and level of parking areas.

(3) Each parking space for the handicapped shall be at least 16 feet wide, including an eight- foot wide access aisle, and adjacent parking spaces shall not share a common access aisle. All access aisles shall blend to a common level with an accessible route and shall be diagonally striped.

(4) Parallel parking spaces for the handicapped shall be located either at the beginning or end of a block, or adjacent to alley entrances. Curbs adjacent to such spaces shall be of a height which will not interfere with the opening and closing of motor vehicle doors.

(5) No accessible parking spaces shall be required if only attendant or valet parking is provided and is available at all times that the facility is open for public use. If accessible at-grade parking is available, at least one space for self parking of a vehicle with sensitive specialized control devices shall be provided.

(6) Each parking space for the handicapped shall be equipped with a sign which complies with 625 ILCS 5/11-301 et seq., as amended, and shall meet the requirements of Sign R 7-8, U.S. Department of Transportation standard and the state’s Department of Transportation. Signs shall bear the internationally accepted wheelchair symbol and shall be vertically mounted on a post or a wall at the front-center of the parking space, no more than five feet horizontally from the front of the parking space, and set a minimum of four feet from finished grade to the bottom of the sign.

(7) A plan shall be submitted with every application for a building permit for any building or use that is required to provide off-street parking. The plan shall accurately designate the required parking spaces, access aisles, and driveways, and the relation of the off-street parking facilities to the uses or structures such facilities are designed to serve. The proposed landscaping to comply with the requirements of these regulations shall also be depicted on the plan, where applicable.

(Prior Code, 7 TCC 1-19(b))

§ 157.317 OFF-STREET PARKING.

Off-street parking facilities for motor vehicles shall be provided in accordance with the following.

(A) Use. Off-street parking facilities required herein as accessory to uses subject to this chapter shall be solely for the parking of passenger automobiles of patrons, occupants, or employees.

(B) Exemptions. When the application of the off-street parking regulations specified hereinafter results in a requirement of not more than three spaces on a single lot in the commercial districts, such parking spaces need not be provided, unless two or more uses are located on such lot in which case only one of the uses shall be eligible for the above.

(C) Computation. When determination of the number of off-street parking spaces required by this chapter 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.

(D) Collective provisions. Off-street parking facilities for separate uses may be provided collectively if the total number of spaces so provided is not less than the sum of the separate requirements for each such use and provided that all regulations governing location of accessory parking spaces, in relation to the use served, are adhered to. Further, no parking spaces or portion thereof shall serve as a required space for more than one use unless otherwise authorized by the Zoning Board of Appeals in accordance with procedures set forth herein.

(E) Size. Except for parallel parking spaces, a required off-street parking space shall be at least nine feet in width and at least 20 feet in length, exclusive of access drives or aisles, ramps, columns, or office or work areas. Enclosed parking spaces shall have a vertical clearance of at least seven feet. For parallel parking, the length of the parking space shall be increased to 22 feet. All other requirements as to size shall be listed herein. Handicapped parking spaces will meet the size requirements as described in this chapter.

(F) 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 an manner which will least interfere with traffic movement. No driveway across public property at the right-of-way line shall exceed a width of 25 feet.

(G) Design and maintenance.

(1) Open and enclosed parking spaces. Accessory parking spaces may be open to the sky or enclosed in an building.

(2) Surfacing. All open off-street parking areas containing more than three parking spaces shall be improved with a compacted base and a dust-free surface as approved by the County Highway Engineer.

(3) Screening and landscaping. All open automobile parking areas containing more than three parking spaces, located less than 40 feet from the nearest property line of a lot in a residence district, shall be effectively screened on each side adjoining or fronting on such property line by a solid fence or densely planted hedge, not less than five feet nor more than eight feet in height.

(4) Lighting. Any lighting used to illuminate off-street parking areas shall be directed away from residential properties. The Zoning Board of Appeals may, on petition of neighboring residential property owners or tenants, and after hearing, require that such lighting be reduced in intensity, height, changed in duration, or turned off after certain hours. In making this decision on any such petition, the Zoning Board of Appeals shall take into consideration the reasonable requirements of the user of the parking area involved.

(5) Repair and service. No regular motor vehicle repair work or service of any kind shall be permitted in conjunction with any parking facilities.

(H) Location. All parking spaces required to serve buildings or uses erected or established after the effective date of this chapter shall be located on the same or adjoining lot as the building or use served. Buildings or uses existing on the effective date of this chapter which are subsequently altered or enlarged so as to require the provision of parking spaces under this chapter, or new uses established in any commercial or industrial district, may be served by parking facilities located on land other than the lot on which the building or use served is located, provided such facilities are within 400 feet walking distance of a main entrance to the use served.

(I) Employee parking. Parking spaces required on an employee basis shall be based on the maximum number of employees on duty or residing, or both, on the premises at any one time.

(J) Required spaces. The minimum number of off-street parking spaces accessory to designated uses shall be provided as follows.

(1) Dwelling and lodging uses.

(a) Boarding or rooming houses: two parking spaces plus an additional one parking space for each three lodging units.

(b) Hotels and motels: one parking space per room, plus two parking spaces per three employees.

(d) Single-family dwellings: two parking spaces for each dwelling.

(e) Two-family dwellings: two parking spaces for each unit.

(2) Colleges, junior colleges, university, institutions, auditoriums, schools, or other places of assembly uses.

(a) Colleges, junior colleges, and universities. One parking space for each six students, based upon the maximum number of students that can be accommodated in accordance with design capacity, and one space for each employee.

(b) Nursing homes, rest homes, institutions for the care of the aged and for children, and sanitariums. One parking space for each two beds.

(d) Hospitals. One parking space per bed for 100 bed hospitals; one and one-tenth parking spaces per bed for 101 to 300 beds, one and one-fifth parking spaces per bed for 301 to 500 beds; and one and three-tenths parking spaces per bed for over 500 beds.

(e) Libraries and museums. One parking space for each 800 square feet of floor area.

(f) Medical and dental clinics. One parking space for each 250 square feet of floor area.

(g) Meeting halls, convention halls, and exhibition halls. The number of parking spaces equal to 30% of the maximum number of people that can be accommodated in accordance with such design capacity.

(h) Private clubs and lodges. One parking space for each lodging room and one parking space for each six seats in accordance with design seating capacity of the main meeting room.

(i) Schools. Schools shall have parking spaces as follows.

1. Elementary and junior high schools shall have one parking space for each teacher and other employee.

2. Senior high schools shall have one parking space for each teacher and other employee, plus one parking space per five students.

3. Nursery schools shall have one parking space for each teacher and other employee, plus one off-street loading space per eight pupils.

4. If a school has an auditorium or assembly hall which may be used by persons other than students of the school, the parking requirements set forth under division (J)(2)(g) above shall be used to fulfill the parking requirements of the school.

5. Commercial and trade schools shall have two parking spaces per five students, plus two parking spaces per three employees.

(K) Recreational uses, commercial or non-commercial.

(1) Bowling alleys. Seven parking spaces for each lane plus such additional spaces as may be required herein for affiliated uses such as restaurants and the like.

(2) Golf courses. Six parking spaces per green and one parking space per employee.

(3) Golf driving range. One parking space per tee and one parking space per employee.

(4) Gymnasiums, health salons, swimming pools, skating rinks, and dance halls, commercial. One parking space for each three persons, based upon the maximum number of persons that can be accommodated at the same time in accordance with such design capacity, and one parking space for each two employees.

(L) Business, commercial, and manufacturing uses.

(1) All business and commercial establishments, except those specified hereafter. One parking space for each 300 square feet of floor area.

(2) Automobile carwash. One parking space for each two employees, plus one space for the owner or manager, and in addition, reservoir parking spaces to accommodate automobiles awaiting entrance to the automobile carwash equal in number to five times the maximum capacity of the automobile laundry. MAXIMUM CAPACITY, in this instance, shall mean the greatest number of automobiles which can be laundered at the same time.

(3) Automobile service stations. One parking space for each employee, plus two for each service stall.

(4) Banks. One parking space for each 400 square feet of floor area.

(5) Business, professional or service office buildings. One parking space for each 200 square feet of floor area used or intended to be used for service to the public as customers, patrons, or clients, whichever requires the greater number parking spaces, with a minimum of five spaces.

(6) Cannabis businesses.

(a) Cannabis dispensing organizations. One parking space per 200 square feet.

(b) Other cannabis business establishments. One parking space per 5,000 square feet for grow and process floor area, and one parking space per 300 square feet for office space.

(7) Cartage, express, parcel delivery, and freight terminal establishments. One parking space for each person engaged or employed on the premises and one parking space for each vehicle maintained on the premises.

(8) Drive-in business and commercial establishments. Extra (reservoir) parking spaces equal in number to 15% of the number of vehicle spaces used for serving customers.

(9) Establishments handling the sale and consumption on the premises of food and refreshment. One parking space for each three persons based upon the maximum number of persons that can be accommodated at the same time in accordance with such design capacity.

(10) Furniture and appliance stores, motor vehicle sales, wholesale stores, stores for repair of household equipment or furniture. One parking space for each 400 square feet of floor area.

(11) Production, processing, assembly, disassembly, cleaning, servicing, testing, or repairing of materials, goods, or products. One parking space for each two employees, as related to the working period when the maximum number of persons are employed on the premises.

(12) Theaters. One parking space for each six seats up to 400 seats, plus one parking space for each four seats over 400.

(13) Theaters (automobile drive-in). Extra (reservoir) parking spaces equal in number to 10% of the vehicle capacity of such theaters.

(14) Undertaking establishments and funeral parlors. Eight parking spaces for each chapel or parlor, plus one parking space for each funeral vehicle maintained on the premises.

(15) Warehouse, storage, wholesale, and mail order establishments. One parking space for each employee employed on the premises and one parking space for each vehicle maintained on the premises.

(M) Miscellaneous uses.

(1) Planned developments. The total number of parking spaces needed to meet the requirements herein for each use located in the development.

(2) Public utility and public service uses. One parking space for each two employees.

(N) Other uses. Parking spaces for other permitted or special uses not listed above shall be provided in accordance with requirements recommended by the Community Development Administrator and approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals, Land Use Committee, or County Board.

(Prior Code, 7 TCC 1-19(c)) (Ord. LU-20-03, passed 2-26-2020)

§ 157.318 OFF-STREET LOADING.

Off-street loading spaces accessory to designated uses shall be provided as follows.

(A) Location.

(1) All required loading spaces shall be located on the same lot as the use served. All motor vehicle loading spaces which abut a residential district or an intervening alley separating a residential district from a commercial or industrial district shall be completely screened therefrom by building walls, or a uniformly painted solid fence, wall, or door, or any combination thereof, not less than eight feet nor more than ten feet in height.

(2) No permitted or required loading space shall be located within 40 feet of the nearest point of intersection of any two streets.

(3) No loading space shall be located in a required front or side yard adjoining a street, and any loading space located in a required rear yard shall be open to the sky.

(B) Area. Unless otherwise specified, a required off-street loading space shall be at least 12 feet in width by at least 35 feet in length, exclusive of aisle and maneuvering space, and shall have a vertical clearance of at least 14 feet.

(C) Access. Each required off-street loading space shall be designed with appropriate means of vehicular access to a street or alley in a manner which will least interfere with traffic movement.

(D) Surfacing. All open off-street loading spaces shall be improved with a compacted base and a permanent wearing surface as approved by the County Engineer.

(E) Repair and service. No motor vehicle regular work or service of any kind shall be permitted in conjunction with loading facilities.

(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 facilities or portions thereof.

(G) Off-street loading space requirements.

(1) The minimum number of off-street loading spaces accessory to non-residential uses in agriculture, residence, and commercial districts shall be one loading space for buildings containing 10,000 square feet of gross floor area, plus one additional loading space for each additional 100,000 square feet of gross floor area or major fraction thereof.

(2) (a) The minimum number of off-street loading spaces accessory to uses in industrial districts shall be in accordance with the following schedule.

Floor Area of Establishments	Required Number	Required Size	Minimum Clearance
5,000 to 10,000	1	10 feet x 35 feet	12 feet
10,000 to 25,000	2	10 feet x 35 feet each	12 feet
25,000 to 40,000	2	12 feet x 50 feet each	14 feet
40,000 to 100,000	3	12 feet x 50 feet each	14 feet

(b) For each additional 100,000 square feet of gross floor area, or major fraction thereof, over 100,000 square feet of gross floor area, one additional loading space, such additional loading space shall be at least 12 feet in width by 50 feet in length.

(Prior Code, 7 TCC 1-19(d))