The off-street vehicle parking, bicycle parking and loading regulations of this Ordinance are intended to provide accessible, attractive, secure and well-maintained off-street parking and loading areas, provide the appropriate number of spaces in proportion to the demands of the proposed use, increase public safety by reducing congestions of public streets, and encourage the use of alternative modes of transportation.

A.

Off-street parking and loading facilities shall be provided in compliance with this Section whenever any building or use is erected, altered, enlarged, converted or otherwise increased in size or capacity. Enlargement of the building shall include increases in floor area, number of dwelling units, seating capacity, or otherwise to create a need for an increase in the number of existing parking or loading spaces. Such additional spaces shall be provided on the basis of the enlargement or change

B.

The provision and maintenance of the off-street parking and loading facilities herein required shall be the joint responsibility of the operator and/or owner of the use and the owner of the property or structure on which the use requiring off-street parking and loading facilities are located.

C.

The provisions of this Article, except where there is a change of use, shall not apply to any existing building or structure.

D.

The provisions of this Article shall not apply to any use that is located in the downtown area bounded by Canal Boulevard from LA Hwy. 1 to West 5th Street and Jackson Street from West 5th Street to LA Hwy. 1.

A.

Where multiple uses with different parking requirements occupy the same structure or lot, the required vehicle and bicycle parking and loading spaces is the sum of the requirements for each use computed separately, unless otherwise permitted by this Ordinance.

B.

A fraction of less than one-half (½) is disregarded, and a fraction of one-half (½) or more is considered one (1) parking or loading space.

C.

For uses where patrons or spectators occupy benched, pews or open floor areas used for service, each twenty-four (24) linear inches of benches, pews or permanent seating is counted as one (1) seat for the purpose of determining the requirement for the required number of parking and loading spaces.

A.

The off-street parking spaces required for each use permitted by this Ordinance shall not be less than that found in Table 7.1. For uses not mentioned in this Section, the Zoning Administrator or his/her designee shall determine the requirements for off-street parking. The determination shall be based upon the most comparable use listed, AASHTO or ITE standards, and/or the specific needs of the development as determined by the City.

GFA = Gross Floor Area.

B.

Parking space dimensions. The following minimum design standards, in Table 7.4 shall be observed in laying out off-street parking facilities:

C.

Location of parking spaces.

1.

Off-street parking spaces for single- and two-family detached dwellings shall be located on the same lot as the building to be served.

2.

As per Section 608.D.3 of this Ordinance, no part of any parking area for more than ten (10) vehicles shall be closer than twenty (20) feet to any dwelling unit, school, or hospital located on an adjacent lot, unless separated by an opaque wall or fence

3.

When off-street parking for other uses is located on a lot other than the lot occupied by the use that required it, then the provisions of Section 704.C of this Ordinance shall apply.

D.

Provision of additional vehicle spaces.

1.

Nothing in this Section prevents the voluntary provision of additional off-street vehicle and bicycle parking spaces above that required by this Ordinance. There is no limit on the number of bicycle parking spaces that may be provided.

2.

In an effort to limit the amount of impervious surface associated with development, the maximum number of vehicle parking spaces shall be one hundred twenty-five percent (125%) of the number of required parking spaces. Structured parking facilities are exempt from this maximum.

3.

Where a use exceeds the required number of vehicle spaces required by in Table 7.1 (Off-Street Vehicle Parking Requirements), the area used for additional spaces must be paved with semi-pervious material, such as permeable pavers, porous asphalt, porous concrete, grass-crete, reinforced grass, or an equivalent.

E.

Joint use of required parking spaces. Two (2) or more nonresidential uses may jointly provide and use off-street parking facilities as long as the following specifications are met:

1.

a.

None of the uses require the parking facilities at the same time.

b.

The shared parking facility is located within three hundred feet (300') of each use.

c.

All other location and design requirements of this Section are met.

2.

Shared parking agreement.

a.

The users of the shared parking must submit a written, notarized agreement to share parking facilities to the Lafourche Parish Clerk of Court with documentation provided to the Zoning Commission.

b.

Shared parking agreements are binding upon applicants and their successors. Shared parking privileges remain in effect only as long as the agreement, binding on all parties, remains in force. If a shared parking agreement lapses or is no longer valid, then parking must be provided as otherwise required by this Section.

c.

Pursuant to the same procedure and subject to the same limitations and requirements by which the parking plans was approved and recorded, any parking plan may be amended or withdrawn, either partially or completely, if all land and structures remaining under the parking plan comply with all requirements of this Section.

F.

Combined parking facilities. Parking requirements for two (2) or more uses of the same or different type may be satisfied by the allocation of a common or collective parking facility. Such facility shall be adequate in area to provide the sum total of spaces required of all uses.

(Ord. No. 2773, 4-7-15; Ord. No. 3000, 9-18-18)

Off-street parking facilities, and when applicable loading areas, shall be constructed, maintained and operated in accordance with the following specifications:

A.

Drainage.

1.

Off-street parking facilities and loading areas must be drained to eliminate standing water and prevent damage to abutting property and/or public streets and alleys, and surfaced with erosion resistant material in accordance with applicable City standards.

2.

Any new surface parking lot with twenty-five (25) or more parking spaces or additions to existing parking lots of twenty-five (25) or more vehicle parking space must be designed to filter or store the first inch of rainwater during each rain event. This can be accomplished through the use of permeable paving, rain gardens, bioswales, detention areas, constructed wetlands, and other methods deemed appropriate by the City Engineer. Where installed, detention areas should be appropriately designed and located to filter, store and convey the expected stormwater flows from surrounding paved areas.

3.

Off-street parking areas must be maintained in a clean, orderly and dust-free condition at the expense of the owner or lessee. A minimum of one (1) litter receptacle must be included in any parking lot.

B.

Surfacing.

1.

All surface parking lots and loading areas must be paved with a durable, all-weather material such as concrete or asphalt, or a semi-pervious material such as permeable pavers, porous asphalt, porous concrete, grass-crete or gravel-crete, or a similar surface.

2.

All single-family and two-family dwellings are permitted to construct driveways that consist of two (2) concrete wheel strips, each of which is at least eighteen inches (18") wide and at least twenty feet (20') long. A permeable surface, such as turf, must be maintained between such wheel strips.

3.

Shells, gravel, crushed stone, and bare earth paving are permitted paving materials only in the Industrial and Open Space districts.

C.

Wheel guards and curbs. Wheel stops and curbing must be provided to prevent vehicles from damaging or encroaching upon and adjacent parking or loading space, sidewalk, landscaped area or parking lot island, fence, wall or building. Within non-residential or mixed-use development parking lots, box curbs at least six inches (6") in height are required. In some cases, where deemed appropriate by the Director of Planning and Zoning or his/her designee, earth mounds not exceeding two feet (2') in height may be used.

D.

Striping. Off-street parking areas must be marked by painted or paved lines maintained in clearly visible condition, curbs or other means to indicate individual spaces. Signs or markers should be used as necessary to insure efficient and safe circulations within the lot. Vehicle parking spaces for handicapped persons must be clearly identified with the appropriate signage and striping, regardless of plant growth or other conditions.

E.

Lighting. Parking lot lighting must be provided for off-street parking spaces that are to be used at night. All lighting must be arranged to eliminate glare on residential property by location of light fixtures or use of fixtures designed to eliminate direct view of luminaries in fixtures from residential property.

F.

Landscaping requirement. All parking lots shall be landscaped in accordance with Chapter 8.5, Article II of the Thibodaux Code of Ordinances.

A.

General.

1.

Except in the RB and B-1 district, whenever a non-residential building is erected, altered, enlarged, converted or otherwise increased in size or capacity, the off-street loading facilities herein required shall be provided for uses that distribute or receive materials or merchandise by trucks or other commercial vehicles in accordance with Table 7.2.

2.

In the case of multi-tenant developments, required loading spaces are calculated on the basis of each individual tenant. For example, if only one (1) commercial tenant of a multi-tenant development is over five thousand (5,000) square feet only one (1) loading space is required; if all tenants are less than five thousand (5,000) square feet, no loading is required.

B.

Computation of off-street loading requirements. The off-street loading requirements for each use permitted by this Ordinance shall not be less than that found in Table 7.2. For uses not mentioned in this Section, the Zoning Administrator shall determine the requirements for off-street loading facilities. The determination shall be based upon the most comparable use listed, AASHTO or ITE standards, and/or the specific needs of the development as determined by the City.

C.

Combined off-street loading facilities. Requirements for the provision of off-street loading facilities for two (2) or more structures may be satisfied by the permanent allocation of the requisite number of spaces for each use in a common loading facility, provided that the total number of spaces designated is not less than the sum of the individual requirements.

D.

Off-street loading dimensions. A loading space shall have minimum dimensions of not less than twelve (12) feet in width, fifty (50) feet in length, exclusive of driveways and other circulation areas, and a height of not less than fifteen (15) feet.