Earlier editions: 2026-09
Zoning›Article 4 — SITE DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS
Fowler Municipal Code Ch. 9.175 Parking and Loading Standards
Fowler Municipal Code · 2026-10 edition · updated 2026-10-04 · Fowler
Cite as: Fowler Municipal Code Chapter 9.175 · Text as of 2026-10-04
9.175.010 - Purpose.¶
The purpose of this Chapter is to provide sufficient off-street parking and loading spaces for all land uses in Fowler and to ensure the provision and maintenance of safe, adequate, and well-designed off-street parking facilities. It is the intent of this Chapter that the number of required parking and loading spaces will meet the needs created by the particular uses. The standards for parking facilities are also intended to reduce street congestion and traffic hazards and to promote vehicular and pedestrian safety and efficient land use.
9.175.020 - Applicability.¶
The standards contained in this Chapter shall apply to the following:
A. New Uses and Buildings. All buildings approved and all uses of land established after the effective date of this Title shall comply with the requirements of this Chapter.
B. Modification to Existing Structures and Uses. Where an existing structure or use is expanded, the parking requirements of this Chapter shall apply only to the addition. No existing use shall be deemed to be nonconforming solely because of the lack of off-street parking or loading facilities, provided, however, that facilities being used for off-street parking and loading at the time of the adoption of this Title shall not be reduced to less than the number of spaces or reduced to less than the minimum standards prescribed in this Chapter. The following expansions are exempt from providing additional parking:
Non-residential expansions of less than five hundred (500) square feet of usable floor space to a building or buildings in the aggregate.
Church expansions, provided that no addition is made to the auditorium seating capacity.
C. Change of Use. Whenever a change of use is proposed within an existing building and such use is a change in building classification, parking shall be provided as required by this Chapter. This provision shall not apply to properties within the Form Based Code district.
D. Maintenance. Maintenance requirements shall apply to all parking areas regardless of when they were installed.
9.175.030 - Permit Requirements.¶
A. Consistency with the regulations contained in this Chapter shall be reviewed concurrent with any required building permit or land use permit for applicable projects.
B. In the absence of a previously approved permit for the primary use or when parking improvements or modifications are proposed separate from a primary use, a Zone Clearance shall be required for review and approval in accordance with Chapter 9.105 (Zone Clearance).
9.175.040 - Parking Requirements.¶
A. Number of Vehicle Parking Spaces Required. The number of parking spaces for a use shall be as required as specified in Table 9.180.040-1: Parking Requirements.
B. Number of Bicycle Parking Spaces Required. A minimum of one (1) bicycle parking space shall be required for every ten (10) vehicle parking spaces, or as required by the CBC, whichever is more.
C. Calculation of Parking Spaces Required.
Where there are mixed-use or multiple-tenant developments, the total number of parking spaces required shall be calculated as the sum of the requirement for each use unless shared parking is approved by the designated approval authority in accordance with Subsection (E) (Shared Parking) of this Section.
Where there is an integrated shopping center, the total number of parking spaces required shall be calculated using the rate specified for such centers in Table 9.175.040-1: Parking Requirements in addition to the calculation as specified in Subsection (C)(1) of this Section. The calculation resulting in the lesser amount of required parking spaces shall apply.
D. Location of Parking. Required parking shall be provided on the same site as the use being served, except that required parking, or portion thereof, may be provided off-site as follows:
On a contiguous site or sites located within three hundred fifty (350) feet of the building or use being served. A written agreement shall be drawn by the applicant to the satisfaction of the Community Development Director, and approved as to form by the City attorney, and executed by all parties concerned assuring the continued availability of the number of stalls necessary to meet the required parking.
By membership in an assessment district established for the purpose of providing off-street parking for the uses in said district.
E. Shared Parking. Parking facilities may be shared with parking facilities for other uses when operations are not normally conducted during the same hours, or when hours of peak use vary. Requests for shared parking are subject to the following conditions:
A parking analysis shall be presented demonstrating that substantial conflict will not exist in the principal hours or periods of peak demand between the proposed use and the other uses.
Parking facilities designated for shared use shall not be located further than three hundred fifty (350) feet from any building or use being served.
A written agreement shall be drawn by the applicant to the satisfaction of the City and executed by all parties concerned assuring the continued availability of the number of stalls designated for shared use.
F. Reduction of Off-Street Parking and Off-Street Loading Facilities. No existing off-street parking or loading space required for compliance with this Chapter shall be reduced in capacity or area without sufficient additional capacity or area being provided to comply with the regulations of this Chapter.
G. Unspecified Uses. For a use not specified in Table 9.180.040-1, the same number of parking spaces shall be provided as are required for the most similar specified use, as determined by the Community Development Director.
Table 9.180.040-1: Parking Requirements
| Use | Spaces Required 1,2 |
|---|---|
| Commercial and Retail | Commercial and Retail |
| Integrated Shopping Center | 10,000 square feet or less — 1 space for every 200 sq ft Over 10,000 sq ft — 50 spaces, plus 1 for every 350 sq ft over 10,000 sq ft |
| Bank | 1 space for every 500 sq ft |
| Retail Food Store | 1 space for every 300 sq ft |
| Convenience Store | 1 space for every 300 sq ft |
| Retail Store Does not include retail food store or personal services | 1 space for every 300 sq ft |
| Hotel and Motel | 1 space for every guest room |
| Sit Down Restaurants, Sit Down and Other Establishments for the Consumption of Food and Beverages | 1 space for every 300 sq ft |
| Drive-through Restaurant Includes Sit Down Restaurant if the restaurant has a drive-through | 1 space for every 300 sq ft |
| Bulk Retail Store | 1 space for every 600 sq ft |
| Repair Shops | 1 space for every 600 sq ft |
| Auto Sales and Rental | 1 space for every 350 sq ft |
| General Commercial and Retail | 1 space for every 350 sq ft |
| Industrial | Industrial |
| General Industrial or Manufacturing Use | 1 space for every 600 sq ft |
| Institutional | Institutional |
| Elementary and Junior High School Public or private | 1 space for each employee, including teachers, administrators, and custodians, plus sufficient space for safe and convenient bus loading and unloading of students |
| High School Public or private | 1 space for each employee, including teachers, administrators, and custodians, plus 1 space for every 10 students enrolled, plus sufficient space for safe and convenient bus loading and unloading of students |
| College or Trade School Public or private | 1 space for each employee, including teachers, administrators, and custodians, plus 1 space for every 5 students enrolled |
| Day Care Center Public or private | 1 space for every employee, plus sufficient space for safe and convenient loading and unloading of students. |
| Rest Home, Nursing Home, Convalescent Home, Home for the Aged | 1 space for every employee on the daytime shift, plus 1 space for every 4 beds |
| Charitable or Religious Institution When providing sleeping accommodations | 1 space for every employee, plus 1 space for every bed |
| Hospital | 1 space for every 4 beds, plus one space for every 2 employees on the maximum shift, plus one space for each staff doctor |
| Office and Professional | Office and Professional |
| Medical Office or Clinic Includes dental, chiropractic, doctor, physical therapist, optometrist, psychiatrist, and similar offices or clinics | 1 space for every 250 sq ft |
| General Office and Professional | 1 space for every 350 sq ft |
| Public Assembly | Public Assembly |
| Auditorium, Church, Mortuary, Sports Arena, Stadium, Dance Hall, Social Hall, Private Club, and Lodge Does not include on-site school public assembly facilities | 1 space for every 50 sq ft of assembly area if seats are not fixed 1 space for every 5 seats within the assembly area if seats are fixed |
| Theater | 1 space for every 50 sq ft of assembly area if seats are not fixed 1 space for every 5 seats within the assembly area if seats are fixed |
| Bowling Alley | 4 spaces per lane, plus 1 space for each 4 seats dedicated to restaurant and/ |
| General Public Assembly | 1 space for every 50 sq ft of assembly area if seats are not fixed 1 space for every 5 seats within the assembly area if seats are fixed |
| Public Facilities and Utilities | Public Facilities and Utilities |
| Emergency Shelters and Low Barrier Navigation Centers | 1 space for every 350 sq ft |
| Government Office Includes city, county, special district, state and federal government | 1 space for every 350 sq ft |
| Public or Quasi-Public Utility Facility Includes electric distribution or transmission substations, gas regulator stations, public utility pumping stations, reservoirs or basins, water or gas storage tank farms, sewage treatment plants and other public utility buildings and uses | No parking required on-site |
| Parks | Over 2 acres — 1 space for every 10,000 sq ft |
| Residential | Residential |
| Single-family Dwelling | 2 spaces for each dwelling unit, both of which shall be covered 3 |
| Multi-family Dwelling 4 Not located within the Downtown Area | 1.5 spaces per unit Plus 1 space per every 5 dwelling units, clearly marked for guest parking 50% of parking spaces provided for the unit requirement shall be covered |
| Multi-family Dwelling 4 Located within the Downtown Area | 1 space per unit 1 space per every 5 dwelling units for guest parking 5 |
| Housing for the Elderly | 1 space for each dwelling unit, provided that sufficient space is located on site to increase the required parking to 1.5 spaces per dwelling unit if the site is converted to non-elderly housing |
| Fraternity Houses, Sorority Houses, Lodging Houses and Rooming Houses | 1 space for every 2 beds |
Notes:
1 Square feet shall mean that area used for service to the public, including areas used for display or sale of merchandise and areas occupied by fixtures and equipment. It shall not include areas used for storage or administrative offices incidental to a commercial use.
2 A minimum of four hundred (400) square feet of covered parking area shall be provided.
3 Any parking standard contained herein may be reduced upon approval of a Variance, in accordance with Chapter 9.195 (Variances). Such application request shall require submittal of a parking analysis.
4 For purposes of calculating required parking spaces, multi-family residential standards shall apply to two (2) or more units.
5 Up to one hundred percent (100%) of the required guest parking may be accommodated through on-street parking, if located within the limits of the property boundaries.
(Ord. No. 2024-06, § 7, 1-7-2025)
9.175.050 - General Parking Design Standards.¶
Off-street parking facilities shall conform to the following standards:
A. All parking areas, which shall include the parking space and drive aisles, shall have adequate ingress and egress to and from a street or alley. Sufficient room for turning and maneuvering vehicles shall be provided on the site. Bollards or other barriers shall be provided where needed for safety or to protect property, as determined by the City Engineer.
B. Entrances and exits to parking areas shall be provided only at locations approved by the City Engineer.
C. Each parking space shall be not less than twenty (20) feet in length and nine (9) feet in width, exclusive of aisles and access drives consistent with adopted City standards, except that for single-family dwellings, each parking space shall be not less than ten (10) feet in width.
D. The number and design of accessible parking spaces shall meet State standards.
E. No commercial repair work or servicing of vehicles shall be conducted in parking spaces or areas, unless specifically permitted.
F. All parking areas, inclusive of spaces, aisles, and access drives, shall be paved and shall be so graded and drained as to dispose of surface water, subject to City standards and the approval of the City Engineer.
G. All required parking shall be made permanently available and be permanently maintained for parking purposes, unless otherwise approved by the Community Development Director.
H. All landscaped areas shall be maintained in accordance with Section 5-21.101 (Neighborhood Preservation).
9.175.060 - Parking Lot Design Standards.¶
The following standards shall apply to all parking lots, which for the purposes of this Section shall include parking areas providing five (5) or more parking spaces.
A. Parking Dimensions. Parking stall, drive aisle, and access drive dimensions shall comply with the adopted City standards.
B. Lighting. Lighting provided shall comply with the standards of Chapter 9.170 (Outdoor Lighting Standards).
C. Landscaping. Landscaping shall be provided within all parking lots as follows, in addition to all applicable standards within Chapter 9.165 (Landscaping).
Trees Required. A minimum of one (1) tree shall be provided for every five parking spaces. Trees shall be distributed relatively evenly throughout the parking area and adjacent landscaped areas on-site and shall be located to provide a minimum of fifty percent (50%) of the shading requirement specified under Subsection (C)(2) of this Section.
Shading. A minimum of fifty percent (50%) of the parking lot shall be shaded. Shading may be achieved by planting trees of a sufficient size and type so as to achieve the fifty percent (50%) shading requirement within fifteen (15) years of planting or by providing shade structures, such as carports. Compliance shall be demonstrated through submittal of landscape plans as required under Subsection 9.165.030, Subsection (A) (Preliminary Landscape Plan Required), except that the total area in square feet of the paved parking lot, the area shaded by tree canopies at fifteen (15) years and/or shade structures, and the percentage of parking area shaded shall be included. Trees planted within five (5) feet of the perimeter of a parking lot may be counted as providing shade for the full area of their canopy. Truck parking areas in industrial zones and motor vehicle display areas are not subject to the shading requirement.
Planters. Trees shall be located within planters throughout the parking lot when such planters are not located under a shade structure. A minimum of one planter shall be provided for each row of parking of at least ten (10) contiguous spaces. The minimum dimension of the planter shall be twenty (20) square feet.
End Row Planter. A planter measuring a minimum of four (4) feet in width and extending the full length of the adjacent parking space shall be provided at the end of each row of parking spaces. Such planter shall include a minimum 12-inch-wide concrete pour along the side closest to the vehicle parking space.
Clearance from Vehicles. All required landscaped areas shall be designed so that plant materials, at maturity, are protected from vehicle damage by providing a minimum two-foot clearance.
Curbing. A continuous concrete curb measuring six (6) inches in height shall be provided between all landscaped areas and adjacent sidewalks and paved parking areas. Curbs separating landscaped areas from parking areas shall be designed to allow storm-water runoff to pass through. Alternative approaches may be approved by the City Engineer that facilitate low impact development design solutions.
D. Parking Lot Marking.
All paved parking stalls shall be clearly marked by painted (or other easily distinguished and durable material) pavement striping.
Entrances, exits, and aisles shall be clearly marked with arrows painted on the parking lot surface and/or with appropriate signage.
E. Pedestrian Access. Dedicated pedestrian pathways shall be integrated into the parking lot design and shall provide, at a minimum, a four-foot path of travel from the parking lot to each entrance of the building or use served and at least one (1) pedestrian path to each adjacent street or alley. The pedestrian path shall be located proximal to any existing or proposed pedestrian and public transit facilities located within the public right-of-way, such as a crosswalk or bus stop location.
9.175.070 - Loading Facilities.¶
A. Loading Spaces Required. In connection with every building or part thereof, off-street loading spaces shall be provided and maintained on the same site with such building, as follows:
Having a gross floor area of four thousand (4,000) square feet or less: no requirement.
Having a gross floor area greater than four thousand (4,000) and less than forty thousand (40,000) square feet: At least one (1) off-street loading space.
For uses having a gross floor area greater than forty thousand (40,000) square feet: One (1) additional off-street loading space for each thirty thousand (30,000) square feet or major fraction thereof of gross floor area over forty thousand (40,000) square feet, to a maximum of five (5) off-street loading spaces.
B. Development Standards. Loading spaces shall meet the following development standards, where applicable:
Every required loading space shall have a minimum length of forty (40) feet, a minimum width of twelve (12) feet, and a minimum vertical clearance of fourteen (14) feet.
Loading spaces shall be clearly marked with striping and signage.
Required loading spaces may be located within a building.
No loading space shall be required where buildings are served by a public alley.
A loading space may occupy a rear or side yard, except such portion required to be landscaped. Loading spaces shall not be located in a front or street side yard.
Where a loading area is adjacent to a residential zoning district, loading shall be done only between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., unless the loading area is located more than one hundred (100) feet from the nearest residential building or is separated by a wall or fence or within an enclosed building.
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