Wheeling City Zoning Code
ARTICLE 1355
Off-Street Parking and Loading
1355.01 PURPOSE.
It is the intent of the off-street parking and loading regulations to provide for adequate off- street parking spaces to serve residential, commercial, industrial, institutional and other land uses, and thus help to prevent congestion of City streets. Proper design of and access to parking facilities shall be required in order to protect the public health, safety and welfare, and to bring about the most appropriate and aesthetic use of land. Furthermore, it is the intent of these regulations to promote the functional efficiency of all land uses by requiring off-street parking and loading facilities consistent with modern standards.
1355.02 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS.
(a) No structure shall hereafter be built or moved, unless the sufficient off-street parking spaces required by this section are provided.
(b) Expansion. Whenever a building or use, constructed or established after the effective date of this ordinance, is changed or enlarged in floor area, number of employees, number of dwelling units, seating capacity, or otherwise to create a need for an increase of ten percent or more in the number of existing parking spaces, such spaces shall be provided based on the degree of enlargement or change. Whenever a building or use existing prior to the effective date of this ordinance is enlarged to the extent of fifty percent or more in floor area or in the area used, such building or use shall then comply with the parking requirements set forth herein.
(c) Except in the case of dwellings, no parking area provided hereunder shall be established for less than three spaces.
(d) The number of off-street parking spaces required for each use is set forth in Table 9-A of this section or by occupancy as determined by the Wheeling Fire Department based on the NFPA Life Safety Code. For uses not expressly set forth in Table 9-A of this section, parking spaces shall be provided on the same basis as required for the most similar listed use as determined by the Zoning Administrator. When determinations of the number of accessory off-street parking spaces required by these regulations result in a requirement of a fractional space, the fraction of ½ (0.5) or less may be disregarded, and a fraction in excess of ½ (0.5) shall be counted as one parking space.
(e) All permitted and required accessory off-street parking spaces, open or enclosed, shall be located on the same lot as the use to which such spaces are accessory, except that such spaces may be provided within a radius of 250 feet from the lot lines. Such spaces shall be in the same ownership as the use to which they are accessory and shall be subject to deed restrictions filed with the County, binding the owner and his heirs, successors and assigns to maintain the required number of spaces available throughout the life of such use.
(f) The parking requirements of this section do not apply to the downtown zones of D- 1, D-2, and D-3. Parking requirements within the D-1, D-2, and D-3 districts shall be reviewed and approved on a case by case basis with the Planning Administrator and the Planning Commission, pursuant to Section 1355.09, Joint or Shared Parking, and subsection (k) hereof, Modifications.
(g) Each short-term parking space shall measure nine feet by eighteen feet. Each long- term parking space shall measure seven and one-half feet by eighteen feet. In parking areas containing ten or more parking spaces, up to twenty percent of the parking spaces may contain long-term parking spaces. If such spaces are provided, they shall be conspicuously designated as reserved for long-term parking. Short-term parking shall be used by shoppers and visitors. Long- term parking shall be used for commuters and employees. In parking areas containing five or more parking spaces, handicapped accessible spaces shall be provided in accordance with "Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards."
(h) Required accessory off-street parking facilities provided for the uses hereinafter listed shall be solely for the parking of motor vehicles that are registered and in operating condition (i.e., drivable), of patrons, occupants, or employees of such uses.
(i) No motor vehicle repair, work or service of any kind shall be permitted in connection with any non-residential accessory off-street parking facilities.
(j) The Planning Administrator may allow an applicant for new construction to reserve an unbuilt area for future required parking, if the applicant can satisfactorily demonstrate that the full amount of required parking will not be needed until a later phase of the build-out and occupancy program.
(k) Modifications. The Planning Commission may authorize a modification, reduction, or waiver of parking requirements if it should find that the peculiar nature of the residential, business, trade, industrial, other use, exceptional situation, or condition would justify such action.
1355.03 LOCATION REQUIREMENTS IN ALL DISTRICTS.
(a) No parking stalls or aisles serving such stalls are permitted in required front yards or within required buffer areas, other than in a legal driveway used to gain access to a garage, legal carport, underground garage or identified parking structure.
(Ord. 14387. Passed 11-7-12.)
(b) Driveways must intersect rights-of-way at right angles, or as closely as practicable, and may traverse the required front yard.
(c) All parking areas shall be set back five feet from side and rear property lines.
(d) There shall be adequate provision for ingress and egress to all parking spaces. No access drive or driveway shall be located in any residential zone to provide access to uses other than those permitted in such zone.
(e) Off-street parking spaces and structures for multi-family structures containing four or more dwelling units shall not be located between the required setback line and right-of-way line. On corner lots, no parking area or parking structure for such structures shall be located between the side street right-of-way line and the required front yard setback line for structures on the side street.
(f) No off-street loading area or parking area or part thereof shall be closer than ten feet to any dwelling, school, hospital or institution for human care located on an adjoining or adjacent lot.
(g) Parking shall be permitted on the roof of any structure, provided a four-foot wall is constructed around the perimeter of the roof.
(Ord. 12225. Passed 4-17-01; Ord. 14387. Passed 11-7-12.)
1355.04 DESIGN REQUIREMENTS IN ALL DISTRICTS.
(a) Entrances and exits to parking areas shall be in a safe and convenient location with minimal impact on traffic movement on adjacent streets. Adequate reservoir space for queuing of cars shall be provided. Uses with drive–through facilities shall provide a minimum of 100 feet in a stacking or queuing lane in the side or rear yards. Entrances and exits shall not be located within the required line-of-sight triangle of an intersection or less than 50 feet from the projected intersecting curb lines. All entrances and exits to parking areas shall be clearly marked with appropriate directional arrows and traffic signs as required for traffic control. All parking stalls shall be marked with four-inch wide lines.
(Ord. 12225. Passed 4-17-01.)
(b) All off-street parking and vehicular areas shall be curbed with full depth concrete or granite block and paved or otherwise improved with an all-weather dustless material, such as a bituminous or Portland cement concrete pavement or similar surface material approved by the City Engineer. (Ord. 14387. Passed 11-7-12.)
(c) All parking areas shall be properly screened and landscaped in accordance with Section 1355.05.
(d) All off-street parking areas shall be adequately and properly lit as set forth in Section 1355.08.
(e) Aisles must be of adequate width for the driver to maneuver a vehicle into a parking space in one continuous movement. Parking spaces that back-out directly into a street are prohibited, except for one and two-family dwellings.
(f) A two-foot landscaped overhang area for any parking stall type may be provided. The overhang area shall be landscaped and shall have full depth curbing. The overhang area shall not reduce the clear width of an accessible route for parking spaces or for walking. Wheelstops shall be provided so that vehicles are prevented from driving or moving off the paved area or damaging surrounding fences, walls, or landscaping.
(g) All parking areas for more than five vehicles shall be marked with paint lines, curb stones, or in some manner approved by the City Engineer and shall be maintained in a clearly visible fashion.
(h) All parking areas shall be arranged and designed to prevent damage to adjacent fences, walls, plantings and lighting fixtures.
(i) All driveway or access drive permits and parking area plans shall be reviewed and approved by the City Engineer.
(Ord. 12225. Passed 4-17-01; Ord. 14387. Passed 11-7-12.)
1355.05 REQUIRED LANDSCAPING IN ALL DISTRICTS EXCEPT R-1A, R-1B, R-1C, AND R-2.
(a) At least one major deciduous shade tree, not less than two and one-half inches caliper measured three feet above the ground at the time of planting, shall be provided within each parking area for every 3,000 square feet of paved area or every ten parking spaces, whichever is greater. The trees shall be spaced evenly throughout the lot interior to provide shade and reduce glare. In all off-street parking areas containing twenty-five or more parking spaces, at least ten percent of the interior of the parking area shall be curbed and landscaped with trees, shrubs, and other plants.
(b) Raised planting islands at least eight feet in width for double loaded islands or six feet for single loaded islands shall be provided to guide vehicle movement and to separate opposing rows of parking spaces so as to provide adequate space for plant growth, pedestrian circulation, and vehicle overhang. Such raised planting islands and the landscaping within them shall be designed and arranged in such a way as to define major circulation aisles, entrances, and exits, to channel internal traffic flow, to prevent indiscriminate diagonal movement of vehicles, and to provide relief from the visual monotony and shadeless expanse of a large parking area.
(c) Curbs of such islands shall be designed to facilitate surface drainage and prevent vehicles from overlapping sidewalks and damaging the plants.
(d) All islands and screens (see Section 1355.06) shall be landscaped with trees, shrubs, grasses, and/or ground covers. The materials selected for the landscaped overhang area must be of suitable height and hardiness for the size and use of the area. Species selected shall be tolerant of urban conditions and deicing agents. All new plant materials shall be consistent and compatible with the existing vegetation of the site and the surrounding area. Plant materials judged to be inappropriate by the Planning Administrator or Planning Commission will not be approved.
(e) Maintenance and responsibility. All planting shown on an approved site development plan or special permit plan shall be maintained by the property owner in a vigorous growing condition throughout the duration of the use. Plants not so maintained shall be replaced with new plants at the beginning of the next immediately following growing season.
1355.06 REQUIRED SCREENING IN ALL DISTRICTS EXCEPT R-1A, R-1B, R-1C, AND R-2.
(a) All off street parking areas, off street loading areas, outdoor storage areas, refuse and recycling areas, and utility improvements such as transformer(s), external heating and cooling equipment shall be effectively screened.
(b) Such screening shall be a permanently maintained landscape of trees and shrubs. The landscaping shall be designed to minimize erosion and stormwater runoff, and to protect neighboring residential properties from the view of uses and parking areas on the site. For landscaping requirements, see Section 1355.05.
(c) The screening shall be along the lot lines that adjoin, abut, or are adjacent to or face premises situated in any residential zone or institutional buildings. It shall be of evergreen planting of such type, height, and spacing, as in the judgment of the Planning Administrator or Planning Commission, will effectively screen the activities on the lot from the view of persons standing on adjoining properties. The plan and specifications for such planting shall be filed with the approved plan for the use of the lot.
(d) A wall or fence, of location, height, and design approved by the Planning Administrator or Planning Commission, may be substituted for the required planting.
(e) Modifications. Where the existing topography and/or landscaping provides adequate screening or would render the normally required screening inadequate, the Planning Administrator or Planning Commission may modify the planting and/or buffer requirements by, respectively, decreasing or increasing the requirements.
1355.07 LANDSCAPING PLAN SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS.
Landscaping plans shall be included with the preliminary site plan and final site plan submissions and shall consist of the following:
(a) Preliminary site plan.
(1) A general concept of the landscaping, both in written and graphic form.
(2) A list of existing vegetation, with the location, type, and size of existing trees.
(3) Proposals to preserve and protect existing vegetation during and after construction.
(4) The location of existing natural features, such as streams, wetlands, and rock outcroppings.
(b) Final landscaping plan.
(1) All proposed physical improvements, such as buildings, walls, parking areas, sidewalks, etc.
(2) Proposed landscaping materials, including vegetation to remain, types of new plant materials, identified by common name and botanical name, sizes of all new plant materials by height and/or diameter, quantities of each of the planting materials, and treatment of the ground surface (paving, seeding, or groundcover).
(c) Methods for controlling erosion and protecting landscaped areas.
(d) A drainage and grading plan. Any off-street parking area and off-street loading area shall be graded and drained so as to dispose of all surface water without detriment to surrounding uses. Such plan shall provide for stormwater and surface water collection, and oil separators within the drainage basins.
(e) An irrigation plan or location of water outlets.
1355.08 EXTERIOR LIGHTING.
(a) All exterior lighting in all districts except for R-1A, R-1B, R-1C, and R-2 and in connection with all nonresidential uses and multi-family uses in all other residential districts shall be of such a type and location and shall have such shielding as will direct the light downward and will prevent the source of light from being visible from any adjacent residential property or street. “Source of light” shall be deemed to include any transparent or translucent lighting which is an integral part of the lighting fixture(s). Site illumination for uncovered areas shall be evenly distributed.
(b) Light sources shall comply with the following:
(1) The number and spacing of required light pole standards in a parking lot shall be determined based on the type of fixture, height of pole, number of fixtures on the pole, and the desired lighting level. Unless the applicant can demonstrate a reasonable alternative, lighting shall be considered evenly distributed if the light fixtures are placed at intervals that equal four times the mounting height.
(2) Pole placement, mounting height, and fixture design shall serve to minimize lighting from becoming a nuisance. All light sources shall be arranged so as to reflect away from adjacent properties. All light sources shall be shielded or positioned so as to prevent glare from becoming a hazard or a nuisance, or having a negative impact on site users, adjacent properties, or the traveling public. Excessive spillover of light to nearby properties shall be avoided. Glare shall be minimized to drivers on adjacent streets.
(3) Poles shall be rustproof metal, cast iron, fiberglass, finished wood or similar structural material, with a decorative surface or finish.
(4) Poles in pedestrian areas shall not be greater than 15 feet in height and shall utilize underground wiring.
(5) Poles in all other areas shall not exceed 25 feet in height, and shall utilize underground wiring.
(6) Light sources on structures shall not exceed 25 feet, or the height of the structure, whichever is less.
(7) Safe pole locations: Breakaway poles shall not be used in parking lots. Poles shall not be erected along the outside of roadway and ramp curves or where vehicles must make sharp turns. Poles shall not be located where they might be susceptible to collision strikes. Poles located behind longitudinal traffic barriers shall be offset sufficiently to allow for barrier deflection under impact.
(8) Pole location in parking lots: Pole locations shall be coordinated with stall and aisle layouts. Where practical, poles shall be near the end of parking rows or around the perimeter of the lot. When located at parking stall boundaries, light poles shall be mounted on concrete pedestals. Where raised medians or islands are used to separate adjacent stalls, light poles shall be placed in these areas unless pedestrian traffic will be inconvenienced. Where light poles are placed between parking rows in the interior of the lot, the poles shall be located on the center line of double rows of parking stalls and on the center line of two opposing stalls and shall not be placed on the stall line between cars where fender damage might occur.
1355.09 JOINT OR SHARED PARKING.
(a) The number of required off-street parking spaces may be eliminated or reduced if there exists within 500 feet of the church, synagogue or house of worship, public or private parking lots containing a sufficient number of off-street parking spaces to satisfy the requirements of this section. The church, synagogue or house of worship shall provide the difference if the number of parking spaces in the private or public lots is below the number required. Any spaces provided in public or private lots shall be shown to be available for worshippers on the day or days of greatest use. A written agreement between the owner of the parking lot and the church, synagogue or house of worship shall be provided to the Planning Commission.
(b) Recognizing that land uses can have different principal operating hours, the Planning Administrator may approve joint or shared parking when the nature of the parking demands of two types of uses warrants consideration. Up to fifty percent of the off-street parking spaces required by this section may be supplied in connection with another permitted use in close proximity that is not normally open, used or operated during the principal operating hours of the second use. A letter to the Planning Administrator is required establishing the rights of each use in question to the use of such joint parking area so long as such use exists and is filed with the certificate of Zoning Compliance.
1355.10 MINIMUM NUMBER OF REQUIRED PARKING SPACES PER USE.
(a) Off-street parking spaces for principal and accessory uses shall be provided as per Table 9-A below.
(b) Where there is more than one use on a site, the number of required off-street parking spaces shall be the sum of required parking spaces for each use.
OFF-STREET PARKING REQUIREMENTS | |
Use | Recommended Requirements |
RESIDENTIAL | |
Single family | 2 spaces per d.u. |
Two family | 1.5 spaces per d.u. |
Multi-family residential, including dormitories | 1.5 spaces per d/u or dormitory room |
Senior Citizen Housing | Assisted living: 0.33 per bed Congregate care: 0.5 per d.u. |
Accessory dwelling unit | 1 space per d.u. |
COMMERCIAL | |
Retail sales and service establishment; Personal service establishment | 1 space/250 ft. gfa |
Wholesale establishments or warehouses | 1 space/400 ft. gfa |
Offices and office buildings (includes medical, dental, and non- medical and non-dental) | 1 space/250 ft. gfa |
Industrial uses: manufacturing, processing, creating, repairing, cleaning, painting, and assembling of goods | 1 space/400 ft. gfa |
Motor vehicle sales, service, repair, body work | 1 space/400 ft. gfa |
Eating and drinking establishments | 1 space/100 ft. gfa |
Funeral home | 1 space/250 ft. gfa |
Hotel, motel | 1 space per guest room plus 1 space for every 3 seats in non-sleeping areas, based on allowed maximum occupancy. |
Bed and breakfast | 1 space per bedroom |
Use | Recommended Requirements |
INSTITUTIONAL | |
Schools – elementary and junior high | 2 spaces for each classroom and administrative office |
High schools | 2 spaces for each classroom and administrative office plus 1 space for every 10 students |
Trade or vocational | 5 spaces per classroom schools other than high schools |
Colleges, universities, including associated facilities, but not dormitories | 4 spaces per 1000 gfa |
Preschool, nursery, day care centers | 2 per classroom |
Places of assembly, including places of worship, libraries, museums, membership organization halls, and community centers. | 4 spaces per 1000 gfa or 1 space per .30 persons based on maximum occupancy, whichever is greater. |
Hospitals, clinics, other medical treatment facilities | 2 spaces per bed |
Skilled nursing facility | 0.66 spaces per bed |
RECREATION, AMUSEMENT, ENTERTAINMENT | |
Bowling alleys | 2 spaces per lane |
Indoor recreation, amusement, or entertainment uses, such as skating rinks, indoor racquet courts, billiard/ pool halls, and indoor athletic facilities | 1 space per 0.3 persons of maximum occupancy |
Theaters (movie and live) | 4 spaces per 1000 gfa |
Outdoor recreation, amusement or entertainment such as coliseums or stadia. | 1 space per 0.25 persons of maximum occupancy |
1355.11 OFF-STREET LOADING AND UNLOADING.
(a) General Standards. Adequate space for off-street loading, unloading, and receiving (known hereinafter as loading) area or facility shall be provided for any building or land used for commercial, industrial, or high-density residential purposes.
(1) The area provided shall be consistent with the size and proposed use of the facility.
(2) The area shall be designed in consideration of the nature and location of adjacent uses.
(3) Loading facilities shall be designed as part of an overall site plan.
(4) The facilities shall be safe and convenient for intended users and efficient in layout and design.
(5) The area shall be designed so as not to impede normal vehicular and pedestrian circulation.
(6) Space allocated for loading shall not be used to satisfy any portion of the site's off-street parking requirement.
(7) Major truck repair work and/or service of any kind are not allowed in loading areas.
(8) Multi-tenanted structures shall be designed so as to allow access to all tenants to a common loading area.
(b) Location Requirements
(1) Loading areas, including accessory trailer parking areas, shall be allowed only in rear yards. Where this is not possible due to site layout reasons, such as unsafe or inadequate manueverability, such areas may be located in the side yard(s).
(2) All loading areas or facilities shall be located on the same lot as the use served.
(3) There shall be no loading in a yard abutting a public street.
(4) All loading areas shall be located so as to minimize danger of access to the loading area. No loading area shall be located near an open ditch.
(5) All entrances and exits to loading areas shall be located in a safe and convenient pattern with minimal impact on traffic movement on adjacent streets. Entrances and exits shall not be located within the required line-of- sight triangle of an intersection, nor may they be located within forty feet of the nearest point of intersection of any two streets or highways.
(c) Design Requirements
(1) The design of loading areas shall comply with current American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) templates.
(2) Loading areas may be open to the sky, if located in a rear yard, or enclosed within a building.
(3) All loading areas and their aisles shall be curbed and shall be fully paved or improved with a compacted select gravel base, not less than seven inches thick, and surfaced with an all-weather dustless material.
(4) Loading areas and their aisles shall be graded, surfaced, drained, and suitably maintained as required by BOCA/UCC.
(6) All loading areas shall be properly lit in accordance with Section 1355.08.
(7) General circulation and maneuvering: The circulation and maneuvering of trucks on site shall comply with established AASHTO turning point templates or with such other design requirements as may be established from time to time by the City Engineer.
(8) Each loading berth shall be not less than twelve [ten] feet in width, forty feet in length, and have a minimum clearance of fourteen feet, and may occupy all or any part of any required yard. Where necessary, a loading berth of twelve feet by 60 feet may be required.
(9) Loading Berth Requirements. The minimum requirements for the number and size of loading berths are given below in Table 9-B. The requirements are based on the gross floor area of the building(s). Where a use is required to have off-street loading but is located in a building with less gross floor area than the required minimum, the Zoning Administrator or the Planning Commission shall nevertheless require adequate off-street loading on the same lot.
1355.12 MINIMUM NUMBER OF OFF-STREET LOADING BERTHS PER USE.
The minimum requirements for the number and size of loading berths are given below in Table 9-B. The requirements are based on the gross floor area of the building(s).
OFF-STREET LOADING BERTHS PER USE | ||
A | B | C |
Use | Gross Square Footage | Required Off-Street Loading Berths |
School | 10,000 to 100,000 Larger than 100,000 | 1 berth 1 berth plus 1 additional for each 50,000 sf |
Clinic, Hospital, Skilled Nursing Facility | 10,000 to 100,000 Larger than 100,001 | 1 berth 1 berth plus 1 additional for each 50,000 sf (exclusive of ambulance spaces) |
Office, hotel and motel, and other business or commercial use | 10,000 to 100,000 Larger than 100,001 | 1 berth 1 berth plus 1 additional for each 50,000 sf |
Place of assembly, meeting hall, auditorium, stadium, coliseum, theater, gymnasium, museum, convention center, and indoor recreation facility | 10,000 to 150,000 Larger than 150,000 | 1 berth 1 berth plus 1 additional for each 150,000 sf |
Industrial use | 1,000 to 10,000 10,001 to 50,000 50,001 to 100,000 Larger than 100,000 | 1 berth 2 berths 3 berths 3 berths and 1 additional berth for each 50,000 sf or fraction over 100,000 sf |
. | ||
Funeral homes and mortuaries | Up to 5,000 | 1 berth |
Larger than 5,001 | 1 berth and 1 additional for each 5,000 sf or fraction over 5,000 sf | |
Non-Listed Uses: | ||
Each loading space shall be sufficient in size and arrangement to accommodate trucks of the type servicing the establishment. Loading spaces shall be furnished according to the schedules in columns B and C. | Up to 15,000 15,001 to 30,000 Larger than 30,001 | 1 berth 2 berths 2 berths and 1 additional for each 30,000 sf over 30,000 sf |