(1)   Construction of any new building or structure.

      (2)   Commencement of any special land use.

      (3)   Any addition or alteration to a building or structure which requires additional parking.

      (4)   Construction of a lot for outdoor storage and/or an off-site parking lot (ex: religious institution parking accessory parking lot).

   (c)   Uses Meeting More Than One Category. Where more than one use is present in a building or on a site, the various components of the use must comply with the parking requirements applicable to each component. The applicant must provide information regarding the floor area, employees, or other relevant information about each use to allow the City to determine the minimum parking requirements for the building or site. The shared parking provisions of Section 1220.06 may be applied if applicable.

   (d)   Permit Required. No parking lot may be constructed until a permit is issued by the Department of Building and Engineering. Applications for a permit must be accompanied with two sets of site plans upon final approval for the development and construction of the parking lot, showing that the provisions of this chapter will be fully complied with.

(Ord. 2023-01. Passed 2-7-23.)

   The following standards apply to all off-street parking areas, unless otherwise provided for:

   (a)   Parking must be located on the same lot of the building it serves, unless certain circumstances are met, as follows:

      (2)   Residential. Parking facilities accessory to dwelling units must be on the same zoning lot as the use served. Spaces accessory to uses other than dwellings (such as religious institutions) may be located on a lot adjacent to or directly across a street or alley from the lot occupied by the use served, but in no case greater than 300-feet radius from such lot (measured from property line to property line).

      (3)   Non-residential. Parking facilities accessory to non-residential uses may be located on other than the same zoning lot as the use served (off-site). All required parking spaces must be within 500-feet of such lot. No parking spaces accessory to a use in a business or industrial district may be located in a residential district, unless authorized by the Planning Commission.

      (4)   Agreement. A written agreement must be drawn to the satisfaction of the City Attorney and executed by all parties concerned, assuring the continued availability of the off-site parking facilities for the use they are intended to serve.

   (b)   Parking must be located within a rear yard or within a non-required side yard and is prohibited within a front yard.

   (c)   Off-street parking existing at the effective date of this Zoning Code, in connection with the operation of an existing building/use, does not need to be reduced to an amount less than required for a similar new building/use.

   (d)   Parking must be for the use of occupants, employees, visitors, and patrons and is limited in use to motor vehicles. The storage of merchandise or motor vehicles for sale and the repair of vehicles is prohibited.

   (e)   Where a parking lot is contiguous to or across the street from a residential district, a ten-foot landscaped yard is required.

   (f)   Where permitted, any outdoor display areas for ancillary sales of products such as, vehicles or merchandise, must be provided in a specific area designated on the site plan and may not block parking spaces or interfere with site circulation of automobiles or pedestrians.

      (1)   Parking may consist of a parking bay, driveway, garage, or combination thereof that consists of asphalt or concrete. Driveways cannot be wider than three-feet on either side of the opening of the garage door(s).

      (2)   Driveways must be setback a minimum of two-feet off any side or rear property line.

      (3)   Parking is prohibited on lawn areas.

      (4)   The parking or storage of commercially licensed motor vehicles is not permitted in the following cases if such parking or storage exceeds a one-hour period of time. This subsection does not apply to the lawful and expeditious loading, unloading, delivery or pick-up of materials, goods, merchandise, or persons.

         A.   The parking or storage of commercially licensed motor vehicles, including, but not limited to: semi-trailers, semi-trucks, and tow trucks.

         B.   The parking or storage of commercially licensed motor vehicles used to transport persons for hire, including, but not limited to, taxicabs, limousines, hearses, and buses.

         C.   The parking or storage of commercially licensed motor vehicles which weigh over 6,000 pounds when empty but fully equipped for service.

(Ord. 2023-01. Passed 2-7-23.)

   (a)   The minimum number of off-street parking spaces is determined in accordance with the following table in subsection (d) hereof.

   (b)   To compute the number of parking spaces required, the definition of usable floor area (UFA) governs: that area used for, or intended to be used for, the sale of merchandise or service or to serve patrons, clients, or customers. Such floor area which is used or intended to be used principally for the storage or processing of merchandise or for hallways, utilities, or sanitary facilities, is excluded from this computation. Measurement of usable floor area is the sum of the horizontal areas of the several floors of the building, measured from the interior faces of the exterior walls.

   (c)   Any fraction up to and including one-half is rounded down; any fraction greater than one-half is rounded up.

 

(Ord. 2023-01. Passed 2-7-23.)

   (a)   Each parking lot that serves a building, except one- and two-family dwelling units, must provide parking that meets the requirements for barrier-free access. A barrier-free route of travel from accessible parking spaces to the nearest barrier-free building approach must be provided.

   (b)   A minimum number of barrier-free spaces is required, as described in the table below:

 

   (C)   The minimum dimensions for barrier-free spaces are:

(Ord. 2023-01. Passed 2-7-23.)

   (a)   To minimize excessive areas of pavement which negatively impact aesthetic standards and contribute to high volumes of stormwater runoff, the maximum amount of required off-street parking permitted for any use cannot exceed 130 percent of the minimum parking requirements of Section 1220.03. This does not apply to one- or two-family dwelling units or for the approved storage of vehicles for auto repair, sales, and storage and distribution.

   (b)   The Planning Commission may permit additional parking over and above the maximum parking limit based on documented evidence indicating that the maximum parking permitted will not be sufficient to accommodate the use on a typical day.

(Ord. 2023-01. Passed 2-7-23.)

   Private parking facilities may be shared by multiple uses whose activities are not normally conducted during the same hours, or when hours of peak use vary. The applicant has the burden of proof in requesting a reduction in the total number of required off-street parking spaces.

      (1)   Evidence must be submitted that demonstrates the shared parking will not result in inadequate parking. Applicants must submit a parking study that provides an analysis of available and used parking spaces based on parking counts taken at certain time intervals and days to verify parking usage patterns. No reduction in the number of spaces reserved for persons with disabilities is permitted. The parking study must include, but is not limited to:

         A.   The type and hours of operation and parking demand for each land use.

         B.   A site plan displaying shared use spaces in the lot and walking distance to the uses sharing the lot.

         C.   A description of the character of land use and parking patterns of adjacent land uses.

         D.   An estimate of anticipated turnover in parking space use over the course of twelve- to twenty-four-hours at the site.

      (2)   Distance and access from the use/structure:

         A.   Shared parking facilities cannot be located further than 300-feet from any structure or use served. In the case of the SF or MU Districts, this distance may be increased to 500-feet. The distance between the use and the parking facility is measured following a reasonable and safe walking route from the main entrance of the use to the nearest parking lot.

         B.   Users sharing a parking facility must provide for safe, convenient walking between land uses and parking, including safe, well-marked pedestrian crossings, signage, and adequate lighting. Pedestrian paths must be as direct and short as possible, without compromising safety. A pedestrian circulation plan that shows connections and walkways between the parking facilities and subject uses must be provided.

         C.   Shared parking areas must be paved and properly striped. Details regarding the maintenance of the shared parking areas, including snow removal, must be provided within the shared parking agreement.

         D.   Signage to direct drivers to the most convenient parking areas for each use must be provided, if found necessary by the Planning Commission to improve safety.

   (c)   Written Agreement. Prior to the use being initiated, a written agreement must be reviewed by the City Attorney and executed by the property owner to assure the continued availability of the shared parking spaces for the life of the development. The agreement must include, at a minimum:

      (1)   List the names and ownership interest of all parties to the agreement and contain the signatures of those parties.

      (2)   Provide a legal description of the land upon which the parking area(s) and building(s) appurtenant to the parking areas are located.

(Ord. 2023-01. Passed 2-7-23.)

   Off-street parking lots must be laid out, constructed, and maintained as follows:

   (a)   Parking facilities must be in accord with the following dimensions:

 

 

   (b)   All maneuvering lane widths permit one-way traffic movement, except that the 90° pattern may permit two-way movement.

   (c)   All spaces must be provided adequate access by means of maneuvering lanes; backing directly onto a street is prohibited.

   (d)   Parking aisles cannot exceed 300-feet without a break in circulation.

   (e)   Appropriate signage and striping must be included within all parking lots. Designating the traffic flow at all entrances and exits (i.e., directional arrows) may be required by the Planning Commission if traffic safety is a concern.

   (f)   Bumper stops, wheel chocks or curbs must be provided and so located as to prevent a vehicle from projecting into any required front yard space, and to prevent a vehicle from touching any required wall or fence, extending beyond the property line or extending into landscaped areas and/or pedestrian ways.

   (g)   A wall must be provided on all sides of an off-street parking area abutting or adjacent to a residential district. Where a wall extends to an alley which is a means of ingress and egress to an off-street parking area, the wall may end not more than ten-feet from such alley line in order to permit a wider means of access to the parking area.

      (1)   The masonry wall cannot be less than six-feet in height (measured from the surface of the parking lot) and must consist of either stone, brick, stamped concrete, or split-faced concrete block.

      (2)   The Planning Commission, upon application by the property owner of the off-street parking area, may waive or modify the wall requirement by approving either an earth berm or evergreen screen (minimum six-feet in height) in its place. The Planning Commission may waive the wall requirement in specific cases where cause can be shown that no good purpose is served by compliance.

   (h)   The parking lot must be graded and adequately 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 building.

   (i)   The entire parking area, storage area and non-landscaped portion of the lot, including parking spaces and maneuvering lanes, must be provided with asphalt or concrete surfacing.

      (1)   Concrete surfacing consists of four-inches of stone aggregate base (MDOT, 21aa), six-inches of nonreinforced concrete, six sacks, air entrained, twenty- eight-day compressive strength of 3,500 psi minimum.

      (2)   Asphalt surfacing consists of six-inches of aggregate base (MDOT, 21aa), two-inches of bituminous base (MDOT, 1,300l), and one and one-half-inches of wearing course (MDOT, 1,100t minimum).

(Ord. 2023-01. Passed 2-7-23.)

   (a)   In connection with every building, structure, or use hereafter erected (except one- and two-family dwelling units) an off-street loading zone must be provided. A dedicated alley may satisfy the requirement for off-street loading and unload.

   (b)   Loading zones must be a minimum of ten-feet by forty-feet, with a fourteen-foot height clearance.

   (c)   Loading zones cannot back out directly onto a public road.

   (d)   In the case of a mix of uses or a mixed-use building on one developed lot, the total requirements for loading zones is the sum of the various uses computed separately.

   (e)   All loading zones in the IB, Industrial Business, the I1, Light Industrial, and the I2, Heavy Industrial Districts must be located in the rear or interior side yard.

 

 

   (g)   The Planning Commission may modify or waive the requirement for a loading zone, upon determination that adequate loading space is available to serve the building/use, or that provision of such a loading zone is unnecessary for the use.

(Ord. 2023-01. Passed 2-7-23.)

 

 

   (d)   Modification of Standards. During the site plan review, the Planning Commission has the authority to modify the standards of this section upon consideration of the following:

      (1)   The standards would prevent reasonable access to the site.

      (2)   Access via a shared driveway or service/frontage road is not possible due to the presence of existing buildings or topographic conditions.

      (3)   Roadway improvements (such as the addition of a traffic signal, center turn lane, or bypass lane) will be made to improve overall traffic operations prior to project completion, or occupancy of the building.

      (4)   The use involves the redesign of an existing development or a new use which will generate less traffic than the previous use.

      (5)   The proposed location and design are supported by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) or Wayne County as an acceptable design under the existing site conditions. The Planning Commission may also request the applicant provide a traffic impact study to support the requested access design.

      (6)   Where there is a change in use or expansion at a site that does not comply with standards of this Zoning Code, the Planning Commission may determine the amount of upgrade needed in consideration of the existing and expected traffic pattern and the capability to meet the standards of this Zoning Code to the extent practical.

(Ord. 2023-01. Passed 2-7-23.)

   All parking lots and loading zones must be maintained in accordance with this chapter, an approved site plan, and the following:

   (a)   Alterations to an approved parking lot or loading zone that are not in accordance with an approved site plan are a violation of this Zoning Code.

   (b)   All parking lots, perimeter landscaped areas, and required screening must be kept clean and free from tall grass, weeds, trash, and debris. Surfacing, curbing, lighting fixtures, signage, and related improvements must be kept in good repair.

   (c)   Parking lots and loading zones must be diligently kept clear of snow; up to ten percent of the parking lot may be used for snow deposit.

(Ord. 2023-01. Passed 2-7-23.)

   Flexibility in the requirements and recommendations is included in recognition that overly large parking lots are a drain on economic vitality, present safety hazards to pedestrians and motorists, and create environmental hazards such as heat islands, stormwater runoff, loss of habitat, and flood hazard.

   (a)   The Planning Commission may modify the numerical requirements for off-street parking if an applicant demonstrates that the required amount of parking spaces is excessive based on the needs of the proposed use, or that the site cannot physically accommodate the required number of parking spaces while also meeting the other standards of this Zoning Code.

   (b)   The Planning Commission may attach conditions to the approval of a modification to the minimum required parking that bind such approval to the specific use in question, including required banked parking for waived parking spaces.

   (c)   Where banked parking is required by the Planning Commission, the following must be met:

      (1)   The site plan must show all required spaces, including waived spaces and note the area where parking is being deferred, including dimensions and parking lot layout and landscaping, and must be set as open space.

      (2)   The property owner must agree in writing to construct some or all of the deferred spaces upon written order of the City.

      (3)   Stormwater calculations must be provided to verify adequate capacity if an expansion is necessary.

(Ord. 2023-01. Passed 2-7-23.)

   Whoever violates this chapter is responsible for a municipal civil infraction for a first offense and fined five hundred dollars ($500.00). Whoever violates this chapter within 180 days of a prior plea, or an adjudicated or defaulted violation of this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to the penalty provided in Section 202.99.

(Ord. 2023-01. Passed 2-7-23.)