La Habra Heights Municipal Code Ch. 7.13 Parking and Access Standards

The purpose of this Chapter is to establish performance standards, development standards and the findings required for the modification of any applicable development standard for parking and site access.

This Chapter applies to all development in the City of La Habra Heights regardless of the Zone District.

All new development and modifications to existing structures must adhere to the City’s parking and access performance standards designed to maintain community character, privacy, views and public health and safety.

A. Off-street Parking. Sufficient off-street parking must be provided to accommodate the
demand generated by the use. Areas providing off-street parking must be readily accessible,
well designed, secure, maintained, and screened from adjacent properties.

B. Safety. Off-street parking, and the access to such areas, must be designed so as to prevent
queuing, traffic congestion, and other roadway hazards. Access for emergency vehicles
must also be considered in the design of off-street parking areas.

C. Environmental Effects. Off-street parking areas must be designed and located so as to
protect neighboring residential uses from the effects of vehicular noise and traffic as well
as any secondary impacts related to the use of the parking areas.

D. Community and Neighborhood Character. The existing driveways in La Habra Heights
generally reflect the local topography. New driveways should be similarly constructed.
(Ord. 2015-01 § 23)

The following sections implement the City of La Habra Heights General Plan goals and policies related to parking and access as a means to protect views, privacy, and community and neighborhood character. Emergency vehicle access and turn around space must be designed for all development regardless of Zone District.

A. Off-Street Parking Required for Residential Development. New residential
development must provide on-site (off-street) parking sufficient to serve the development.
In addition, the application for any modification to an existing structure requiring
discretionary review must include a review of the adequacy of existing off-street parking.
The parking requirements indicated in this section and summarized in Table 7-9, shall
apply to residential uses including homecare (for twelve (12) or fewer persons):

1. Every residential unit shall provide a minimum of six (6) parking spaces of which at
least two (2) parking spaces must be in an enclosed garage.

2. For any residential development having more than four (4) bedrooms, one (1)
additional parking space will be required for each additional bedroom beyond the first
four bedrooms.

3. For residences that have a living area in excess of 6,000 square feet, one additional
parking space will be required for each additional 1,000 square feet of floor area or
fraction thereof.

4. Residential driveways must provide a minimum paved width of twelve (12) feet and
graded width of fifteen (15) feet unless lesser widths are approved by the City
Engineer and the Fire Chief.

5. Residential driveways and parking areas must provide sufficient area on-site to
accommodate vehicle turn around.

6. Residential access must be limited to a single driveway with no more than two access
points on a single road.

B. Off-Street Parking Required for Nonresidential Development. All nonresidential land
uses and development within the City are required to provide on-site parking sufficient to
serve the patrons and/or employees as summarized in Table 7-9. The following minimum
parking requirements are applicable to non-residential uses:

1. Any elementary school or pre-school, public or private, must provide a minimum of
one (1) parking space per classroom and one additional space for every three hundred
(300) square feet of office and/or administrative use. The design of the parking and
on-site circulation must prevent the queuing of traffic within a public right-of-way.

2. The parking requirements for institutions are one of the following, whichever is
greater:

a. One (1) parking space for every three (3) fixed seats within the sanctuary.

b. One (1) parking space for every fifty (50) square feet of floor area devoted to
the primary assembly use.

c. One (1) parking space per every three (3) persons where the maximum
occupancy load has been determined by the City of La Habra Heights Fire
Department.

3. The parking requirements for recreational uses will include the following where
applicable:

a. One (1) parking space for every three (3) fixed seats of assembly areas.

b. One (1) parking space per every three (3) persons where the maximum
occupancy load has been determined by the City of La Habra Heights Fire
Department.

c. One (1) parking space for every three-hundred (300) square feet of office and/or
administrative areas.

d. Six (6) spaces for each hole of a golf course.

e. Any field recreational activity must provide one (1) square foot of parking area
for every one (1) square foot of field area.

4. All resource production uses shall meet all of the following requirements where
applicable.

a. One (1) parking space for every seven thousand five hundred (7,500) square feet
of land area.

b. One (1) parking space for every two-hundred (200) square feet of office or
administrative areas.

c. Separate parking must be provided for special equipment and vehicles routinely
parked at the facility.

5. Overnight parking is prohibited at Institutions.

6. Parking areas for nonresidential uses shall include parking spaces accessible to the
handicapped in compliance with the parking requirements established by the State.
The Planning Division maintains information on current requirements and space
design.

7. Driveways for nonresidential uses must provide separate ingress and egress lanes.

C. Parking Space Design Standards. The following requirements are applicable to the design of all parking spaces regardless of Zone district.

1. All parking spaces shall have a maximum grade of five (5%) percent, measured in
any direction.

2. Parking spaces shall have a minimum dimension of ten (10) feet in width by twenty
(20) feet in length.

3. Covered or garage parking spaces shall have interior clear dimensions of ten (10) feet
in width by twenty (20) feet in length with a minimum height clearance of seven (7)
feet.

4. All parking areas shall be constructed with an all-weather surface. The parking areas
shall be completed and maintained to the satisfaction of the City Engineer.

Table 7-9
Parking Standards

Land Use Minimum Standards Additional Standards

Residential •Minimum of 6 spaces (inc. 2 •1 additional space for every
enclosed spaces) additional bedroom more than 4
•1 space for each 1,000 sq. ft. of
living area in excess of 6,000 sq. ft.
•Sufficient turn-around area must be
provided.

Institutional Uses •1 space for every 3 fixed seats, or •No overnight parking permitted.
•1 space for each 50 sq. ft. of floor •Separate ingress and egress lanes.
area devoted to assembly uses, or
•1 space for every 3 persons based on
the occupancy load

Recreational Uses •6 spaces for every 1 golf course hole, •1 space for each 300 sq. ft. of office
or •1 space for every 3 fixed seats, or
•1 sq. ft. of parking for every 1 sq. ft. •1 space for every 3 persons based on
of field area the occupancy load,
•No overnight parking permitted.
•Separate ingress and egress lanes.

Resource Production •1 space for every 7,500 sq. ft. of land •Separate off-street parking must
area. beprovided to meet the parking
•1 space for each 200 sq. ft. of office demand of special vehicles.
•Separate ingress and egress lanes.

D. Landscaping for Parking Area Screening. All parking areas must be screened by
landscaping so that the vehicles do not dominate the views from the public right-of-way or
from the ground-level view from an adjacent property. View of the parking areas,
driveways, garage doors, and parked vehicles must not dominate any view from the public
right-of-way. The provision of parking must not be permitted to adversely impact the
community character, privacy, and views from adjacent properties.

E. Parking of Large Vehicles. Large vehicles including, but not limited to, motor homes and
boats, must be parked on an approved parking surface and screened from view.

F. Commercial Vehicle Parking. The parking and/or storage of commercial vehicles is
prohibited in all areas except for: vehicles used for agricultural purposes; vehicles of less
than one (1) ton used by a resident in connection with an off-site business; and equipment
that is permitted pursuant to Chapter 7.3.20.

G. Construction Equipment Parking. The parking, storage, or staging of construction
equipment is permitted only during the construction of the improvements on the lot on
which the equipment is located.
(Ord. 2015-01 § 24)

In addition to the General Findings required by Section 7.19.80, the following additional findings must be made for the approval of a Standards Modification.

A. The requested modification will not result in a nuisance with respect to the parking of vehicles.

B. The requested modification will not result in the need for off-site parking.