West Point City Zoning Code

17.100 Off-Street

Parking and Loading

17.100.010 Purpose.

To reduce street congestion and traffic hazards in West Point City by incorporating adequate, attractively designed facilities for off-street parking and loading as an integral part of every use of land in the city. [Ord. 08-17-2021B § 2 (Exh. A)].

17.100.020 Off-street parking.

A. General. There shall be provided at the time of erection of any main building, or at the time any main building is enlarged or increased in capacity, minimum off-street parking space with adequate provision for ingress and egress by standard-size automobiles in accordance with the requirements herein. Parking for each use shall be provided within the same zone as the use. Only parking for permitted or conditional uses in the residential zone is allowed in residential zone; however, parking from a commercial use that functions as a buffer, may encroach on a residential zone, if it includes expanded landscaped areas with enhanced landscaping, walls, and dark sky compliant lighting with light poles no closer than 20 feet to the lot line.

B. Size. For the purpose of this section, one parking space shall be assumed to be 200 square feet, exclusive of adequate interior driveways.

C. Access. Adequate ingress and egress to all uses shall be provided as follows: For the purpose of this section, “driveway” or “access” shall mean the width of the curb cut or the driveway approach. Where curb does not exist, this shall mean width of the hard surface driveway.

1. Access for all uses except residential shall be by a maximum of one driveway for each 200 feet of frontage on a public street, such driveways to be not over 50 feet in width.

2. Accesses for residential uses shall not be regulated by a maximum driveway width.

3. No residential driveway shall be closer than 20 feet measured along the property lines to the point of intersection of two property lines at any corner.

4. In a commercial zone, no driveway shall be closer to an intersection of two streets than 40 feet.

5. Height, location, structural specifications, maximum and minimum curb radii permitted, and minimum roadway approach angles to the centerline of the street are subject to the American Public Works Association (APWA) standards.

1. Off Site. For any new use, structure, or building other than a dwelling, required off-street parking which due to the size or location cannot be provided on the premises may be provided on other property not more than 500 feet distant from the nearest point of the parcel, or for a use in a commercial zone, not more than 600 feet distant.

E. Parking Areas, Development and Maintenance. Every parcel of land hereafter used as a public or private parking area, including a commercial parking lot and also an automobile, farm equipment, or other open-air sales lot, shall be developed and maintained in accordance with the following requirements:

1. Public parking areas shall be separated from the property lines abutting streets by landscaped buffers of not less than 10 feet. Public parking areas shall be separated from property lines abutting residential uses by landscaped buffers of not less than 10 feet or a screening fence.

2. Public parking areas in the general commercial and light industrial zone shall be separated from property lines abutting residential zones by landscaped buffers of not less than 10 feet and be screened for noise and air pollution by landscaping and fencing. In addition, such parking lots shall be separated from street rights-of-way by a landscape buffer intended to partially screen the parked cars from view.

3. Parking areas shall be graded for proper drainage. Low impact development techniques shall be used in all parking lots to reduce impervious surface runoff and to retain storm water on site.

4. Every parcel of land hereafter used as a public parking area shall be paved with an asphalt concrete or concrete surface, shall have appropriate bumper guards where needed, and shall be so arranged and marked as to provide the orderly and safe loading or unloading and parking and storage of vehicles.

5. Lighting used to illuminate a parking area shall be downward directed and shielded as per Chapter 17.120 WPCC.

6. Curbed planters with two-inch or larger caliper shade trees and grass, shrubs or ground cover shall be installed at the ends of parking rows. Planters shall be at least five feet wide.

7. For every 20 parking stalls there shall be a planter area. This area shall have a minimum of two two-inch caliper trees planted along with grass, shrubs or ground cover. Said planter shall be at least five feet wide.

8. Minimum five-foot landscaped planters shall be provided around building foundations except at building entrances, drive-up windows and loading and utility areas.

9. All landscaped areas adjacent to parking areas shall be curbed.

F. Alternate – Parking Lot Landscaping. When total parking lot spaces exceed 30 stalls, for every 10 parking spaces delineated, one raised four-foot-wide landscaped parking island/diamond bounded with slotted high back curbs shall be provided and planted with one medium sized tree or light pole. Raised or curved circulation islands shall be constructed at the ends of the rows of parking spaces or at other locations where circulation drives intersect. Parking lots shall be bounded with slotted curbs to allow water to drain into landscaped areas. Paved areas and parking lots shall be separated from buildings with a minimum four-foot-wide landscape area bounded with slotted curbs and/or a five-foot raised sidewalk.

G. Pedestrian Access. In designing a parking lot, safety of pedestrian access to the use shall be integrated into the design.

H. Drive-Up Services. Drive-up windows and ordering stations shall not be located in the required front yard. Such facilities shall include off street stacking out of the front yard for a minimum of three vehicles per window/ordering station. If required, depending on business type, a waiting for a pickup order area shall be constructed, out of the front yard. [Ord. 08-17-2021B § 2 (Exh. A)].

17.100.030 Off-street loading.

A. For every building or part thereof having a gross floor area of 10,000 square feet or more, which is to be occupied by a commercial use, to or from which delivery of materials or merchandise is regularly made by motor vehicle, there shall be provided and maintained, on the same lot, with such building, at least one off-street loading space plus one for each additional 20,000 square feet or major fraction thereof.

B. Each loading space shall be not less than 14 feet in width, 25 feet in length, and 15 feet in height.

C. Such space may occupy any required yard, other than a front yard, or court except that if it is located closer than 50 feet to any lot in any R zone, it shall be enclosed by a brick or stone wall or landscaping not less than six feet in height. [Ord. 08-17-2021B § 2 (Exh. A)].

17.100.040 Number of parking spaces required.

A. Except as may be provided elsewhere in this title, there shall be provided at the time of erection of any building, or at the time any main building is enlarged or increased in capacity, minimum off-street parking space with adequate provisions for ingress and egress by standard-size automobiles. If any land, structure, or use is changed from one use to another which requires more off-street parking spaces, there shall be provided such additional off-street parking for the new use as is required by this chapter.

B. Specific Requirement for Each Land Use. Required off-street parking shall be provided for each use as listed below in Table 17.100.040-1. Requirements calculated on floor area shall be based upon gross floor area as defined in this title. Parking for uses not specifically listed below shall be provided in the same ratio as the use most nearly approximating the characteristics of the unlisted use, as determined by the Community Development Director or designee. Parking shall be provided as follows, with spaces based upon one or a combination of uses listed:

USE	PARKING REQUIREMENT
Residential:
Single-family dwelling	2 parking spaces
Townhouse dwelling	2.5 parking spaces per unit
Multifamily units
Studio units	1 space per unit
One-bedroom units	1.5 spaces per unit
Two-bedroom units	2 spaces per unit
Three-bedroom units	2.5 spaces per unit
Four-bedroom units	3 spaces per unit
Guest/visitor parking	0.33 spaces per unit
Golf courses, tennis courts and similar recreation areas	Determined by specific review by community development director or designee
Intensive retail commercial shops selling directly to the public	3.5 spaces for each 1,000 square feet of floor area
Less intensive commercial business, as furniture, appliance, and lumber sales	1.5 spaces for each 1,000 square feet of floor area
Offices:
Personal services, including medical and dental clinics	2 spaces for each 1,000 square feet of floor area plus 1 space for each employee per shift
Business	3.5 spaces for each 1,000 square feet of floor area
Restaurants, bars, dining rooms	1 space for every 4 seats
Religious places of worship, auditoriums, assembly halls	1 space for 5 seats
Bowling alleys, skating rinks	2 spaces for every 1,000 square feet of floor area
Industrial and wholesale establishments	1.2 spaces for each employee per shift
Private/quasi-public/charter schools, civic buildings	Determined by specific review by the community development director or designee
Shopping centers/commercial complexes, or rentable commercial space	At least 3.5 spaces per 1,000 square feet of floor area

C. Parking Space Reduction. If the community development director or designee finds that reducing the parking spaces per unit requirement is not detrimental to the traffic circulation in the surrounding area and will enhance the proposed development, they may reduce these parking standards, based on, but not limited to, a traffic/parking study by a traffic engineer (paid for by the applicant but managed by the city), and staff recommendations concerning existing and proposed road conditions and fire safety, subject to the provisions of this title.

D. Parking Lot Dimensions. The following regulations set standards for the minimum sizes of parking lot features:

PARKING ANGLE	45°	60°	90°
Stall Width	9'	9'	9"
Stall Depth	18'	19'	19'
Aisle Width	13'	17' 6"	25'

[Ord. 08-17-2021B § 2 (Exh. A)].