Article 3 — Loading Areas and Off-Street Parking

In any "C" or "M" zone, and for any institutional use in whatever zone it may be located, every building or portion of building hereafter erected shall provide loading spaces as follows:

• A. A minimum of one loading space shall be provided for every structure with 10,000 square feet of floor area or more.

• B. A loading space shall measure a minimum of 12 feet by 40 feet, with a 16-foot vertical clearance.

• C. A parking aisle of adequate size may double as a loading space.

• D. A loading space need not be delineated.

• E. A driveway serving a loading space shall be a minimum of 16 feet wide. (Prior code § 44-128)

• A. Every building hereafter erected shall be provided with parking space as required in this chapter, and such parking space shall be made permanently available and be permanently maintained for parking purposes and used only for the parking of automobiles or trucks. Any alteration of parking and loading areas shall be subject to the procedures and requirements established in this chapter.

• B. Any construction or alteration of required off-street parking shall be submitted to and approved by the building and safety department and the planning department prior to issuance of building permits.

• C. The development plan shall clearly indicate the proposed development, including location, size, shape, design, entrances, walls, lighting, signs, screening, paving specifications, drainage, landscaping and such other data and features as the department directors may deem necessary to show compliance with this chapter.

(Prior code § 44-129)

The amount of off-street parking required shall be no less than as set forth in the following provisions, and these requirements shall not be considered as providing for employee parking unless specifically set forth:

• A. R-1 Zones. Each dwelling unit shall be provided with two off-street garage (20-foot by 20-foot minimum interior dimension) parking spaces.

• B. R-2 Zone. Each dwelling unit shall be provided with two off-street garage (20-foot by 20-foot minimum interior dimension) parking spaces. Additionally, one guest parking space shall be provided for each dwelling unit. Guest parking spaces may be covered or uncovered.

• C. R-M Zone.

  1. Resident Parking. Resident parking for multiple residential uses shall be provided at the rate of two covered spaces per unit. Parking spaces shall be covered and located within a carport or garage.

  2. Orientation. Vehicles shall enter into or exit from all parking areas onto any public street or alley in a forward direction.

  3. Guest Parking. Guest parking for multiple residential uses shall be provided at the rate of one space per unit, to be located off-street and clearly labeled as such.

  4. Assignments. Resident parking for multiple residential uses shall be assigned to individual units by clearly labeling spaces with unit numbers or other identifying labels. One assigned parking space shall be located no further than 100 feet from the unit assigned to the parking space.

• D. Uses in C-3 Zone. Uses in the C-3 zone shall provide one automobile storage space for each 250 square feet of gross floor area of any building or structure to be served thereby.

  1. General and professional: one parking space for each 300 square feet of gross floor area.

  2. Medical, dental, and clinical: one parking space for each 200 square feet of gross floor area.

• E. Uses in C-M Zone. Uses in the C-M zone shall provide one automobile storage space for each 500 square feet of gross floor area of any building to be served thereby.

  1. General and professional: one parking space for each 300 square feet of gross floor area.

  2. Medical and dental offices, medical and dental clinics, medical and dental laboratories, and optometrist offices: one parking space for each 200 square feet of gross floor area.

• F. Uses in M-1 and M-2 Zones.

  1. Properties containing 15,000 square feet or less of area shall provide parking based on the following:

     • a. Single unit buildings having not more than 8,000 square feet of floor area, one parking space for each 1,000 square feet of gross floor area shall be provided. Buildings with less than 4,000 square feet shall have a minimum of four parking spaces.

     • b. Single unit buildings having more than 8,000 square feet, one space for each 750 square feet of gross floor area.

  2. Properties containing more than 15,000 square feet of area shall provide parking based on the following:

     • a. One space for each 500 square feet of gross floor area.

3. Parking spaces for nonconforming commercial uses in the M-1 (Light Manufacturing) and M-2 (Heavy Manufacturing) zones shall be made permanently available and be permanently maintained for parking purposes. Storage of commercial vehicles and recreational vehicles is prohibited, including temporary overnight storage. Any alteration of parking and loading areas shall be subject to the procedures and requirements established in this chapter.

• G. Specific Uses. The following uses, wherever located shall provide parking facilities as follows:

  1. Banks: one space per 200 square feet floor area.

  2. Bowling alleys: four parking spaces for each alley.

  3. Religious assemblies: one parking space for each four seats in the principal place of assembly for worship, including balconies and choir lofts. Where fixed seats consist of pews or benches, the seating capacity shall be computed upon no less than 22 lineal inches of pew or bench length per seat. If there are no fixed seats, there shall be provided one parking space for each 60 square feet of gross floor area of such principal place of assembly or worship.

  4. General and professional offices: one parking space for each 300 square feet of gross floor area.

  5. Hospitals: two parking spaces for each bed.

  6. Hotels: one parking space for each bedroom.

  7. Libraries, when located on publicly-owned sites: one parking space for each 250 square feet of gross floor area.

  8. Medical and dental offices, medical and dental clinics, medical and dental laboratories, and optometrist offices: one parking space for each 200 square feet of gross floor area.

  9. Mortuaries: one parking space for each 25 square feet of floor area devoted to assembly purposes.

  10. Motels: one parking space for each sleeping unit or dwelling unit.

11. Outdoor uses (auto sales, boat sales, nurseries, and other uses not contained in a building or structure, except for truck equipment storage yards): one space per 2,000 square feet lot area, four spaces minimum; or one per two employees, whichever is greater.

12. Public uses (utility facilities, including electrical substations, telephone exchanges, maintenance and storage facilities; support systems such as fire stations and maintenance facilities which are not generally visited by the general public): one space per 500 square feet office/work area space within a structure; or one per two employees, whichever is greater. Plus one space per use-related vehicle.

13. Racquetball facilities: three parking spaces for each racquetball court.

14. Restaurants: one parking space for every three permanent or removable seats (or three 22inch bench sections), provided, however, that each restaurant must provide a minimum of five parking spaces.

15. Rest homes, nursing and convalescent homes: one space for each four beds. 16. Rooming houses and boarding houses: one parking space for each sleeping room.

16. Sanitariums: one parking space for each four beds.

17. Schools, business and trade: one space per 150 square feet; or one per two students designed capacity which-ever is greater.

18. Schools, elementary and junior high: one parking space for each employee and each faculty member.

19. Schools, high schools: one space per total number of employees and faculty; designed capacity, plus one space per seven students designed capacity.

20. Schools, nursery, daycare facilities: three spaces minimum including one space per every two employees working on the largest shift. An off-street area for loading and unloading children shall be provided on the site and laid out in such a manner as to provide for forward movement of vehicles during entry and exit.

21. Service stations: two spaces per bay in building, plus one additional space per employee on largest shift. Vehicles may be parked only in designated spaces, and only during business hours, or not more than 24 hours.

22. Single-room occupancy (SRO) facilities: one covered parking space per unit plus two covered parking spaces for a resident manager.

23. Stadiums, sports arenas, auditoriums (including school auditoriums) and other places of public assembly (other than churches and theaters) and clubs and lodges having no sleeping quarters: one parking space for each three fixed seats in all parking-generating areas used simultaneously for assembly purposes. Where fixed seats consist of pews or benches, the seating capacity shall be computed upon not less than 22 lineal inches of pew or bench length per seat. If there be no fixed seats, then one parking space for each 40 square feet of floor area used for assembly purposes.

24. Theaters: one parking space for each five fixed seats (or five 22-inch bench sections), or one space per 35 square feet non-fixed seating area for assembly purposes; 10 spaces minimum.

25. Truck storage, truck transportation yards, truck terminals and related heavy equipment yards: one parking space per truck, tractor, or trailer; plus one additional parking space for each three employees or operators of each truck or tractor, to be utilized for parking of employees' or owners' vehicles.

The parking requirements for a use not specifically named in this section shall be determined by the Planning Commission in the manner set forth in Section 17.44.040 and such determination shall be based upon the requirements for the most comparable use specified herein.

(Prior code § 44-130; Ord. 1152 § 4, 2021; Ord. 1198, 4/22/2025)

The Planning Commission may, upon application by the owner or lessee of any property, authorize the joint use of parking facilities by the following uses or activities under the conditions specified herein:

• A. Except for churches, auditoriums and theaters and residential uses up to 50% of the parking facilities required by this chapter for a use considered to be primarily a daytime use may be provided by the parking facilities of a use considered to be primarily a nighttime use; up to 50% of the parking facilities required by this chapter for a use considered to be primarily a nighttime use may be provided by the parking facilities of a use considered to be primarily a daytime use; provided, that such reciprocal parking arrangement shall be subject to conditions set forth in subsection C of this section. In the case of churches, auditoriums and theaters located in a commercial zone, 25% of the required parking may be so provided.

• B. The following uses are typical of daytime uses: banks, business offices, retail stores, personal service shops, clothing stores, shoe repair or service shops, manufacturing or wholesale buildings and similar uses. The following uses are typical of nighttime and/or Sunday uses: auditoriums incidental to public or parochial schools, churches, dance halls, theaters, bars and lodge halls.

• C. Conditions required for joint use parking are as follows:

  1. For uses requiring no more than 50 off-street parking spaces and for which application is being made for authority to utilize the existing off-street parking facilities provided by another use, such uses shall be located within 150 feet of such parking facilities.

  2. For uses requiring 50 or more off-street parking spaces and for which application is being made for authority to utilize the existing off-street parking facilities provided by another use, such uses shall be located no further than a distance to be determined by the Planning Commission, which in no case shall be further than 500 feet of such parking facilities. In establishing such distance, the Planning Commission shall be guided by the following criteria:

     • a. The compatibility of existing street patterns in providing access to the off-site parking facilities.

     • b. The availability and compatibility of pedestrian linkages between the off-site parking facilities and the use.

     • c. Potential negative impacts on adjacent uses which may occur as a result of expanded use of off-site parking facilities and increased pedestrian traffic between the subject facilities and the use.

  3. The applicant shall show that there is no substantial conflict in the principal operating hours of the buildings or uses for which the joint use of off-street parking facilities is proposed.

4. Parties concerned in the joint use of off-street parking facilities shall evidence agreement for such joint use by a proper legal instrument approved by the City Attorney as to form and content. Such instrument, when approved shall be recorded with the office of the County Recorder as a limiting covenant applicable to the property comprising the parking facilities, and copies thereof filed with the Building Department and the Planning Commission.

(Prior code § 44-131)

• A. Size of Parking Spaces.

  1. Each off-street parking space shall have an area not less than 180 square feet exclusive of drives or aisles, and a width of not less than nine feet. Each such space shall be provided with adequate ingress and egress, and shall be improved as provided in Section 17.44.490 .

  2. If either of the lengthwise sides of any space immediately abuts a fence, wall, building or other structure, then the space shall be 10 feet wide; if both lengthwise sides of any space immediately abut a fence, wall, building or other structure, then the space shall be 11 feet wide.

  3. Compact automobile parking spaces shall not be less than seven and one-half feet in width or 15 feet in depth. The total number of compact parking spaces shall not exceed 35% of the required number of parking signs. Individual spaces shall be identified by a sign located at the front of each space. Several spaces located in a common area shall be identified with adequate signing.

  4. Tandem parking is not permitted.

• B. Ingress and Egress.

  1. In the R-3 and R-4 zones, ingress and egress to off-street parking facilities on a site shall not exceed a width of 26 feet.

  2. On corner lots and reverse corner lots in the R-3 zones, all entrance-exit facilities on the side street side shall be located on the one-half of the premises farthest removed from the corner.

  3. Driveway widths for all "R" zones are as follows: nine feet minimum width for up to four dwelling units; 12 feet minimum width for over four units; two-way ingress and egress driveways for over four units shall be 16 feet in width.

• C. Location. Off-street parking facilities shall be located as hereinafter specified. Where a distance is specified, such distance shall be the walking distance measured from the nearest point of the parking facility to the nearest point of the building that such facility is required to serve:

  1. For single-family, two-family, limited-multiple or unlimited-multiple family dwellings, parking facilities shall be located on the same lot or building site as the building they are required to serve.

  2. For all other uses, parking facilities shall be located not more than 150 feet from the use such facilities are required to serve.

• D. Design. Off-street open parking lots, whether privately or publicly owned and operated, shall be designed to the following specifications:

  1. A parking facility shall be divided into parking lanes.

  2. A parking lane shall be composed of an unobstructed driving aisle flanked on each side by a tier of parking stalls.

  3. Parallel parking lanes shall be separated from each other by a physical barrier or bumper firmly attached to the ground and having a height of not less than eight inches, or by metal

posts not less than four inches in diameter and four feet in height, which are firmly anchored in the ground.

4. The width of a parking lane shall be the horizontal distance of a line drawn at right angles to the fixed bumper strips or posts on either side of the parking lane, and the required width of such lanes shall be as indicated in Exhibit A in Section 17.24.080(C)(5)(c)(iv):

   5. Adjoining parallel parking lanes shall be designated for car movements in opposing directions. The parking lanes and connecting driveways shall be comprehensively designed so far as possible to permit circulation of cars from one parking lane to another without the necessity to emerge onto boundary streets to reach one parking lane from another.

   6. Where a multiple lane parking lot fronts upon only one street, there may be only one entrance-exit to each 120 feet of frontage upon such street.

   7. Where parking lots occupy property located at the angle formed by intersecting streets, any exit from the parking lot by which cars will emerge from the parking lot into the traffic flow that is approaching the street intersection shall be located no closer to the intersection than 75 feet, or two-thirds of the length or width of the frontage of the parking lot upon the same street, whichever is least.

   8. Where parking lots, by reason of shape or restricted area, can provide only one tier of angle parking, or where larger parking lots designed according to the specifications herein set forth have remnant of area capable of accommodating only one tier of angle parking stalls, such single tier of parking stalls and the driving aisle shall maintain the same ratio of dimensions as pertain to full parking lane under the schedule of widths contained herein.

   9. Any off-street parking facility shall be so designated that any vehicle emerging from the parking facility shall be able to enter the bounding street or alley by moving in a forward direction. This provision need not apply to off-street parking facilities in the R-1 zone.

• E. Spaces for the Physically Handicapped. These spaces shall be provided for publicly funded facilities and private facilities serving the general public at the rate of one off-street parking space measuring 12 feet by 20 feet per every zero to 25 required spaces. Such spaces shall be delineated by stenciling "Handicapped Only" in block letters on the surface of each space.

• (Prior code § 44-132; Ord. 1198, 4/22/2025)

Every lot used as a public or private parking area and having a capacity of five or more vehicles, and vehicle sales areas and trailer sales areas, shall be developed and maintained in the following manner:

• A. Surfacing. Off-street parking areas and vehicle sales areas shall be surfaced and maintained with Portland cement, concrete or bituminous pavement, or suitable materials so as to eliminate dust or mud, and shall be so graded and drained as to dispose of all surface water. Drainage shall be taken to the curb or gutter and away from adjoining property. In no case shall such drainage be allowed across sidewalks.

• B. Border Barricades, Screening, Landscaping and Lighting.

  1. Every parking area and vehicle sales area that is not separated by a wall from any street or alley property line upon which it abuts shall be provided with a suitable concrete curb or timber barrier not less than eight inches in height, located not less than three feet from such street or alley property lines and such curb or barrier shall be required across any driveways or entrances to such parking area or vehicle sales area.

  2. Every parking area or vehicle sales area which abuts property located in one of the "R" zones shall be separated from such property on the common property line by a solid wall not less than six feet in height measured from the grade of the finished surface of such parking area closest to the contiguous "R" zoned property; provided, that along the portion of the common property line constituting depth of the required front yard on the adjoining "R" zoned property, the wall shall be not more than 42 inches in height. No such wall need be provided where the elevation of that portion of the parking area or vehicle sales area immediately adjacent to an "R" zone is six feet or more below the elevation of such "R" zoned property along the common property line.

  3. Landscaping plans for required off-street parking areas shall be approved by the office of landscape architecture and shall meet the following minimum standards:

     • a. A minimum of two percent of all off-street parking areas shall be landscaped with suitable plant materials.

     • b. One 15-gallon size tree shall be provided for every six C-3, C-M, M-1, and M-2 parking spaces and every 12 uncovered multiple residential parking spaces in the R-3 and R-4 zones and shall be permanently maintained within the off-street parking area, even if such provision causes the two percent landscaping requirement to be exceeded. Where the total quota of trees results in a fraction the next lower full unit shall be provided.

     • c. In the case of parking areas with less than 12 parking spaces, a minimum of two 15gallon size trees shall be provided.

     • d. No tree shall be planted closer than 30 inches from the edge of any planter.

     • e. All landscaping shall be planted in permanent planters surrounded by six inches wide by six inches tall concrete curbing, except where a planter abuts a building or a concrete block fence.

• f. All landscaping areas shall be provided with a fixed and permanent watering system, consisting of piped water lines with sufficient sprinklers to insure complete coverage.

  - g. Approval criteria shall consider adequacy of plant material, buffers along public streets, dispersion of trees to break up large pavement expanses and general suitability of plant materials selected. 
  

• C. All C and M zone parking areas and vehicle sales areas shall be illuminated with artificial lighting to a degree equal to one and one-half foot-candles per square foot. Any lights provided to illuminate outdoor parking areas or vehicle sales areas shall be arranged to prevent glare or direct illumination in any adjacent residential zone.

• (Prior code § 44-133)

Areas may be exempted from the parking requirements as otherwise established in this chapter, provided, that:

• A. Such area shall be accurately defined as a district by the Planning Commission after processing in the same manner required for an amendment to this title.

• B. No such district may be established and exempted from the provisions of Section 17.44.460 unless 60% or more of all record lots comprising such proposed district are zoned to uses first permitted in a "C" or "M" zone.

• C. Such exemptions shall apply only to uses first permitted in the "C" and "M" zones.

• D. Before such defined district shall be exempt as provided in this section, active proceedings under any applicable legislative authority shall be instituted to assure that the exempted area shall be provided with comprehensive parking facilities which will reasonably serve the entire district.

(Prior code § 44-134)

The Planning Commission may, by resolution, waive or modify the requirements set forth in this article establishing the amount of required parking areas for uses such as unattended public utility facilities or other uses of a similar or like nature involving very limited numbers of persons, or which do not require personnel in daily attendance for operation or maintenance. (Prior code § 44-135)