Irvine Municipal Code Ch. 4-4 Design Standards

The dimension of parking spaces are regulated by the City's Zoning Code. The information on Standard Plan 411 in the standard and design manual is provided as a convenience to the reader. In cases of difference, the Zoning Code shall prevail.

A. Automobile.

1. Covered space (residential only). Each covered parking space shall be in a garage or carport. For carports, such a space shall be a minimum of nine feet in width, 20 feet in depth, and seven feet in height. For one-car garages, such a space shall be a minimum of 10 feet in width, 20 feet in depth, and seven feet in height. For two-car garages, the space shall be a minimum of 20 feet in width, 20 feet in depth, and seven feet in height. No affixed obstructions, such as but not limited to, water heaters, washers and dryers, sinks, and furnaces/air conditioning units shall intrude on these designated parking areas. The measurements shall be from the face of interior walls, not including structure supports.

2. Uncovered space (residential driveway only). See Section 3-27-10.B.

3. Covered, nonresidential; non-office. See "Uncovered space, full-size."

4. Uncovered space, full-size. Each uncovered full-sized space shall be a minimum of nine feet in width and 19 feet in depth. Within all sectors (except Sector 6) of Planning Area 4 (Lower Peters Canyon) each space shall have a minimum dimension of 8.5 feet wide by 18 feet long.

5. Uncovered space, long-term. Each uncovered long-term space shall be a minimum of 8.5 feet in width and 19 feet in depth.

6. Parallel space. Each parallel parking space shall have a minimum dimension of eight feet wide by 22 feet long. End parallel parking spaces shall have a minimum length of 20 feet (see the City's standard plans for dimensions). Within all sectors (except Sector 6) of Planning Area 4 (Lower Peters Canyon), each parallel parking space shall have a minimum dimension of eight feet wide by 18 feet long.

7. Tandem space. Each tandem parking space shall be 10 feet in width by 20 feet in depth.

B. Automobiles in parking structures for office uses in nonresidential planning areas.

1. Full size. Each full-sized space shall be a minimum of nine feet in width and 18 feet in depth. A minimum of 10 percent full size spaces are required.

2. Long-term. Each long-term space shall be a minimum of 8.5 feet in width and 18 feet in depth. Long-term spaces may not be designated as visitor parking spaces.

3. Compact space. Each compact space shall be a minimum of eight feet in width and 16 feet in depth. A maximum of 35 percent compact spaces may be provided. Compact spaces may not be designated as visitor parking spaces.

C. Automobile in parking structures for residential uses.

1. All spaces. Each parking space shall have a minimum dimension of nine feet in width by 19 feet in depth.

D. Motorcycle.

1. All applicable uses. Each motorcycle space shall consist of a minimum usable area of 56 square feet.

E. Handicap.

1. All applicable uses. Refer to Title 24 for handicap parking stall dimensions.

(Code 1976, § V.E-404.1; Ord. No. 92-3, 4-14-92; Ord. No. 92-21, 11-24-92; Ord. No. 94-7, § 3, 6-14-94; Ord. No. 97-06, § 3, 5-13-97; Ord. No. 00-04, § 4, 4-25-00; Ord. No. 01-02, § 4, 2-27-01; Ord. No. 03-02, § 4, 1-14-03; Ord. No. 03-15, § 5, 5-13-03; Ord. No. 05-16, § 2, 7-12-05)

A. Vehicular. The minimum dimensions of parking bays and maneuvering aisles for a range of parking angles for full-sized and long-term spaces is provided in the City's standard plans.

B. Bicycle. A minimum aisle width of 42 inches shall be provided between rows of bicycle spaces.

(Code 1976, § V.E-404.2; Ord. No. 92-3, 4-14-92; Ord. No. 92-21, 11-24-92; Ord. No. 94-7, § 3, 6-14-94; Ord. No. 00-04, § 4, 4-25-00; Ord. No. 01-02, § 4, 2-27-01)

A. Surfacing.

1. Automobile and handicapped. All parking stalls and maneuvering areas shall be paved and permanently maintained with asphalt, concrete or any other all weather surfacing approved by the Director of Community Development.

2. Motorcycle. All motorcycle parking areas shall be paved with concrete or equivalent surfacing approved by the Director of Community Development. The intent of the concrete surfacing is to prevent motorcycle kickstands from damaging the pavement.

3. Bicycle. All bicycle parking areas shall be surfaced so as to keep the area in a dust free condition.

B. Striping and identification.

1. Automobile. All parking stalls shall be clearly outlined with double lines on the surface of the parking facility per the City of Irvine street design manual and standard plans. All carpool spaces shall be clearly identified for "carpool" usage.

2. Motorcycle. All motorcycle spaces shall have bollards installed and appropriately spaced to prevent automobile usage of the motorcycle area. Motorcycle spaces shall be marked so that they can be clearly identified for motorcycle usage.

C. Wheel stops.

1. Automobile and handicapped. Automobile and handicapped spaces shall have wheel stops not less than six inches in height in situations where the Director of Community Development determines wheel stops are necessary to prevent encroachment into landscaped or pedestrian areas.

D. Directional arrows and signage.

1. For parking facilities containing 21 or more parking spaces, all aisles, approach lanes, and maneuvering areas shall be clearly marked with directional arrows and lines to expedite traffic movement.

2. The Director of Community Development may require a developer to install on-site signage in addition to directional arrows to ensure the safe and efficient flow of vehicles in a parking facility.

E. Lighting.

1. All parking facilities shall have lighting in accordance with the requirements of the City of Irvine Security Code. The lighting shall be designed and installed so as to confine direct rays to the site.

F. Drainage.

1. All parking facilities, except those serving two or fewer dwelling units on a single lot, shall be graded and drained so as to provide the disposal of all surface water on the site.

G. Shopping cart storage.

1. Parking facilities shall contain shopping cart storage areas for appropriate uses, such as supermarkets and drugstores. The dimensions and locations of these storage areas shall be determined by the approval body for the proposed use. Shopping cart storage areas shall not take the place of required parking spaces.

(Code 1976, § V.E-404.3; Ord. No. 92-3, 4-14-92; Ord. No. 92-21, 11-24-92; Ord. No. 94-7, § 3, 6-14-94; Ord. No. 00-04, § 4, 4-25-00; Ord. No. 01-02, § 4, 2-27-01)

A parking lot restriping permit is required when one or more of the following are proposed for any developed sites within the City:

A. Resurfacing of an existing parking lot with no changes to the configuration of drive aisles and parking spaces.

B. Restriping of an existing parking lot with changes to the configuration of drive aisles and/or the number of parking spaces.

C. Re-grading of an existing parking lot that requires parking lot restriping.

D. Modifying, adding and/or altering the existing on-site parking lot landscaping, e.g., landscapes planters.

The property owner or an authorized representative shall obtain a permit from the Director of Community Development. The parking lot restriping permit application form and plans identifying the proposed changes to the parking area shall be submitted to the Community Development Department. The issuance of a permit shall be based on verification of compliance with parking standards in effect at the time the original permit to develop the site was granted. However, in the instance when square footage is added to an existing building, the approval of a restriping permit shall be based on verification that the new parking spaces comply with the current parking standards.

(Code 1976, § V.E-404.4; Ord. No. 92-3, 4-14-92; Ord. No. 92-21, 11-24-92; Ord. No. 94-7, § 3, 6-14-94; Ord. No. 00-04, § 4, 4-25-00; Ord. No. 01-02, § 4, 2-27-01)

The purpose of the requirements in this section is to ensure that parking facilities are situated so that they can conveniently access the uses they are intended to serve.

A. All parking spaces required by this ordinance shall be located on the same site they are intended to serve, except as authorized by administrative relief (see Chapter 4-6).

B. Uncovered full-sized parking spaces required for nonresidential uses shall be located as close as is practical to the entrance(s) of the use they are intended to serve.

C. All automobile spaces required for residential uses shall be located, at a maximum, the following distances from the units they are serving:

1. Single-family detached residential.

a) All parking located on-site.

2. All other residential.

a) Resident parking: 200 feet. 1

b) Visitor parking: 250 feet. 2

c) Distances shall be measured along designated pedestrian routes from a dwelling unit's entry to the parking space(s) serving that unit. For developments where a stairway or elevator provides access to dwelling unit(s), that stairway or elevator shall be considered to be the entrance to the dwelling unit(s) for the purpose of computing distances.

d) Due to the design considerations, it may not be possible to meet the maximum distances identified. Variations from these distances may be requested through administrative relief. See Section 4-6-3.

1 Resident parking for multifamily projects containing a residential parking structure shall be located such that a minimum of one assigned resident parking space is provided for each dwelling unit on the parking structure floor level that corresponds to the building floor level on which the dwelling unit is located. Additional parking spaces for units that require more than one assigned parking space shall be located as near as possible to the dwelling unit that they serve.

2 Visitor parking for multifamily projects containing a residential parking structure shall be conveniently located adjacent to assigned resident parking areas, leasing areas and/or recreation areas.

D. All carpool parking spaces required shall be located as close as is practical to the entrance(s) of the use they are intended to serve. The purpose of this is to encourage carpooling by providing carpool users with the most convenient parking spaces.

E. Location of handicap parking areas shall comply with State of California Title 24, effective April 4, 1994, as revised to conform to Federal Americans with Disabilities Act.

F. All handicapped spaces shall be located as close as is practical to the entrance(s) to the use they are intended to serve, and oriented so that a user of the handicapped space does not have to go past the rear of automotive parking spaces in order to reach the building's main entrance.

G. Valet parking.

1. The valet parking operation shall not adversely impact the parking and internal circulation of the commercial or retail center.

2. The valet drop-off lane(s) will be located to allow for the safe and efficient function of the valet operation in that it will not adversely impact the parking and internal circulation of the commercial or retail center. The valet parking spaces shall not encroach into any required fire lane access area.

3. If striping modifications are necessary to meet these requirements, the applicant shall seek a striping permit per Section 4-4-4.

(Code 1976, § V.E-404.5; Ord. No. 92-3, 4-14-92; Ord. No. 92-21, 11-24-92; Ord. No. 94-7, § 3, 6-14-94; Ord. No. 00-04, § 4, 4-25-00; Ord. No. 01-02, § 4, 2-27-01; Ord. No. 03-15, § 5, 5-13-03; Ord. No. 24-07, § 3(Exh. A), 5-28-24)

A. Issues addressed during parking structure review include the following: parking dimensions, aisle widths and floor heights, vehicles accessibility, grades, illumination, visual screening, and pedestrian access. The design shall be based on accepted engineering standards, and approved by the appropriate approval authority.

B. See Section 4-4-1.B for special parking dimensions and standards for parking structures for office uses in nonresidential areas of the City.

(Code 1976, § V.E-404.6; Ord. No. 92-3, 4-14-92; Ord. No. 92-21, 11-24-92; Ord. No. 94-7, § 3, 6-14-94; Ord. No. 00-04, § 4, 4-25-00; Ord. No. 01-02, § 4, 2-27-01)

Note— Former § 4-4-7.

The requirements outlined below shall apply to applications requesting initial installation, modifications or additional drive-thru facilities:

A. Each drive-thru lane shall be separated from the vehicular and pedestrian routes.

B. Each drive-thru land shall be striped, marked or otherwise distinctly delineated.

C. The stacking capacity of the drive-thru lane, and the design and location of the ordering and pickup facilities shall be reviewed and approved by the appropriate approval authority based on appropriate traffic engineering and planning data. Thus the applicant shall submit a stacking study reviewed and signed by a registered professional traffic or civil engineer. The study shall address the following issues:

1. Nature of the product or service being offered.

2. Method by which the order is processed.

3. Time required to serve a typical customer.

4. Arrival rate of customers.

5. Peak demand hour.

6. Anticipated vehicular stacking required.

(Code 1976, § V.E-404.7; Ord. No. 92-3, 4-14-92; Ord. No. 92-21, 11-24-92; Ord. No. 94-7, § 3, 6-14-94; Ord. No. 00-04, § 4, 4-25-00)

Note— Former § 4-4-8.

Gates which limit or control access to nonresidential and residential uses and residential units require special consideration as their design can significantly impact the parking demand and usage and the vehicular circulation on a site and adjacent streets.

A. Residential uses—Privacy gates. Gates which control vehicular and pedestrian access to a residential site are considered privacy gates, and shall be subject to review and approval of the Director of Community Development. A request for privacy gates shall be submitted in a form as prescribed by the Director of Community Development, and shall include a stacking study, which provides the information outlined below in Subsection C. The Fire Authority and the Public Safety Department shall approve provisions for emergency access. No public park shall be located within a residential gated community. Private parks greater than one acre in size within a residential gated community must remain accessible to pedestrians. Access may be restricted to private parks less than one acre in size. When privacy gates enclose multiple projects, a conditional use permit is required.

B. Nonresidential uses. Gates that control vehicular access to a nonresidential site shall be subject to the approval of the Director of Community Development. Gates for nonresidential sites are considered either security gates or controlled access gates, as described below:

1. Security gates. If the gates are closed to provide site security after regular business hours with no restriction to vehicular traffic during the conduct of business, they are considered security gates. The applicant shall submit a form as prescribed by the Director of Community Development that includes a letter of request, with a site plan showing the gates. The letter must contain information about hours of business operation, location and width of the gate(s), hours gates are open/closed and specific provision for emergency access by Police and Fire Authority Personnel when gates are closed. The Fire Authority and the Public Safety Department shall approve provisions for emergency access. No stacking analysis is required for security gates, unless required by the Director of Community Development.

2. Controlled access gates. If the gates are used to control vehicular access during business hours, the gates are considered controlled access gates. The applicant shall also provide the above information required for security gates and a study as described in Subsection C. The Fire Authority and Public Safety Department shall approve provisions for emergency access.

C. In conjunction with application for either privacy gates or controlled access gates, the applicant shall submit a stacking study. The study shall identify:

1. The nonresidential square footage, or the number of residential units to be served by the proposed gates as appropriate.

2. Type and operation of the gate.

3. Projected inbound and outbound peak trips at the project entries intended for gated access.

4. Adequacy of vehicle stacking area at the proposed gate(s).

5. Effect of gated entries on parking usage and distribution and on-site circulation behind the gates.

6. Effect of gated entries on parking and circulation in surrounding or adjacent areas.

D. The Director of Community Development has the discretion to require applications for privacy gates and controlled access gates to be reviewed by the Planning Commission.

E. If the actual stacking of vehicles at approved gates differs from the projected stacking as identified in this study and results in impacts to the public right-of-way, the Director of Community Development shall require the applicant to correct the problem to the satisfaction of the City. The applicant shall bear all costs associated with correcting the situation.

(Code 1976, § V.E-404.8; Ord. No. 92-3, 4-14-92; Ord. No. 92-21, 11-24-92; Ord. No. 94-7, § 3, 6-14-94; Ord. No. 98-08, § 4, 7-14-98; Ord. No. 00-04, § 4, 4-25-00; Ord. No. 01-02, § 4, 2-27-01)

Note— Former § 4-4-9.