Chapter 36

CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE OF PARKING AREAS

Section 3600

3601. General. The provisions of this Chapter shall apply to the construction and maintenance of all parking areas used or intended to be used for parking of vehicles whether required by Ordinance or not, and including driveways and access to such parking areas.

3602. Definitions. For the purposes of this Chapter, the following definitions apply unless a different meaning is expressly provided elsewhere in this Chapter.

3602.1. Bus is any self-propelled vehicle other than a motor truck or truck tractor, designed for carrying more than nine persons, including the driver, and used or maintained for the transportation of passengers.

3602.2. Motor truck is a self-propelled vehicle designed or maintained primarily for the transportation of property.

3602.3. Parking area is an area or space designed, used or intended to be used for the storage, parking, maintenance, service, driving, repair, display or operation of vehicles and includes areas used or intended to be used for driveway or access to such parking areas from the public right-of-way to such area, but does not include public roads, streets, highways and alleys. Parking area, as herein defined, includes within its definition those areas defined in Chapter 18.19 of Title 18 of the Pico Rivera Municipal Code pertaining to automobile storage areas and off-street parking spaces as well as the driveway thereof.

3602.4. Passenger vehicle is any self-propelled vehicle other than a motor truck or truck tractor, designed for carrying no more than nine persons including the driver, and used or maintained for the transportation of persons and shall include motor trucks with a gross vehicle rating less than 6,000 pounds.

3602.5. Truck tractor is a self propelled vehicle designed, used or maintained primarily for drawing other vehicles and not so constructed as to carry a load other than a part of the weight of the vehicle and loads so drawn.

3602.6. Vehicle is a device by which any person or property may be propelled, moved or drawn upon a highway, excepting a device moved by human power or used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks.

3603. Scope. No areas shall be used for the storage, parking, maintenance, service, driving, repair, display or operation of vehicles unless constructed and maintained in accordance with the terms and provisions of this chapter.

Exception: (1) That portion of any land coming within the definitions of parking area in use for such purposes on the effective date of the ordinance enacting this Chapter and which is paved and is being maintained in a safe manner so as not to become a nuisance, may continue in use without meeting the provisions of this Chapter, however, any extension, alteration or reconstruction of such areas in whole or in part shall be subject to the terms and provisions of this Chapter.

Exception: (2) The Public Works Director may authorize temporary parking areas to be used in connection with special events, new construction, or areas to be used for a limited period of time not exceeding six months where construction of permanent facilities in accordance with the standards of this Chapter would be impractical. The Public Works Director may impose requirements for dust control, temporary paving or such other requirements as may be necessary to accomplish the intent of this Chapter, as conditions pursuant to authorization.

3604. Permit required. No person, firm or corporation shall construct, reconstruct, alter, enlarge or pave any parking area without first obtaining a separate paving permit from the Public Works Director.

Exception: (1) No paving permit shall be required for any paving work within or under a building for which a valid building permit has been issued.

Exception: (2) No paving permit shall be required for paving work serving R-3 Occupancies where the areas to be paved do not exceed 1,000 square feet.

3605. Standards. Parking areas shall be constructed in accordance with the standards for public works contracts heretofore adopted by the City Council, and except as otherwise specifically provided in this Chapter In the event any provision of this Chapter should be inconsistent in whole or in part with said public works standards, the provisions of this Chapter shall govern to that extent.

3606. Paving required.

3606.1. General. All parking areas shall be surfaced with materials approved by the Public Works Director so as to provide a permanent surface capable of withstanding the type of vehicular traffic to which such area is likely to be subjected.

3607. Covered parking areas. Parking areas within or under a building shall be paved with Portland cement concrete with a minimum compressive strength of 2,000 psi or approved equal.

3608. Open parking areas Parking areas other than those within a building shall be paved as follows:

3608.1. Areas designed or used for display, operation or parking of motor vehicle shall be paved with Portland Cement concrete, asphaltic concrete or other approved permanent type of paving materials.

3608.2. Areas for parking or storage of vehicles other than motor vehicles and areas where hard-surfaced paving would pose a material hazard to prospective users may be surfaced with an approved less permanent type of surfacing, provided, however, that such surface shall be the equivalent of 1/4" pea gravel, not less than 2" in thickness. Base or subgrade slopes for temporary parking areas shall be the equivalent of 1/4" pea gravel, not less than 2" in thickness. Base or subgrade slopes for temporary parking are shall be maintained at not less than 1% slope.

3609. Plans. Plans for parking areas shall be submitted to the Public Works Director for checking. Plans shall show sufficient information to enable the Public Works Director to determine their compliance with this Chapter.

Plans shall be drawn to scale and shall show existing and proposed elevations, materials of construction, details of drainage structures, method of disposal of surface water, drainage provisions for protection and drainage of adjoining properties including any necessary easements, quantities of cut or fill necessary to complete the work and any other information deemed necessary by the Public Works Director.

3610. Fees. Fees for paving permits shall be assessed in accordance with the fee schedule adopted by City Council resolution.

3611. Approvals required.

3611.1. No work shall be done on any parking area beyond the point authorized in each successive inspection without first obtaining the approval of the Public Works Director. Such approval shall be given only after an inspection shall have been made of each successive step in the construction as indicated by each of the inspections required by Subsection (b).

3611.2. The Public Works Director, upon notification from the permit holder or his agent; shall make the following inspections of parking areas and shall approve that portion of the construction as completed, or shall notify the permit holder or his agent wherein the same fails to comply with the law.

3611.2.1. Subgrade Inspection to be made when the site has been cleared and is prepared to receive fill material or aggregate base. When no fill operation is to be done, or the fill is minor in nature, subgrade inspection may be waived by the Public Works Director.

3611.2.2. Base Inspection to be made after base or subgrade has been brought to proper grade and alignment for placing of paving materials and after all required curbing and gutters are in place.

3611.2.3. Final Inspection to be made when parking area is complete.

3612. Testing. When there is insufficient evidence of compliance with the provisions of this Chapter or evidence that any material or any construction does not conform to the requirements of this Chapter or in order to substantiate claims for alternate materials or methods of construction, the Public Works Director may require tests as proof of compliance to be made at the expense of the owner of his agency by an approved agency.

3613. Thickness. Pavement thickness shall be determined by the type of traffic it is likely to be subject to and the type of soil at the site. Pavement shall have minimum thickness of three inches (3") for passenger vehicle parking areas and a minimum thickness of five inches (5") for motor truck, truck tractor or bus parking areas.

Exceptions: Thickness of asphalt concrete may be reduced to a minimum thickness of two inches (2") for passenger vehicle traffic and three inches (3") for motor truck, truck tractor, or bus traffic provided an approved aggregate base course is constructed under the asphalt pavement. The minimum thickness of such base course shall be four inches (4").

3614. Asphalt concrete pavement. Asphalt concrete pavement shall be of mix Type 1-C 40/ 50 as set forth in the Standard Specifications for Public Works Construction.

3615. Portland cement pavement. Portland Cement concrete used for curbs and gutters and for paving of parking areas outside of buildings shall have a minimum compressive strength of 2,000 psi.

3616. Preparation of surface to be paved.

3616.1. Preparation of surfaces to be paved shall be performed in accordance with the Standard Specifications for Public Works construction aforementioned.

3616.2. Soil sterilization shall be used in all areas to be paved with asphalt concrete Sterilants shall be applied in accordance with manufacturer's recommendations.

3616.3. Prime Coating when asphalt concrete pavement is to be placed without providing a base course an asphalt prime coat consisting of SC-70 liquid asphalt shall be applied at a rate of 0.10 and 0.25 gallons per square yard, in accordance with the aforementioned Standard Specifications for Public Works construction, prior to placing of pavement.

3617. Drainage. All paved areas shall be sloped to drain Finished slopes of areas paved with asphalt concrete shall be not less than one percent (1%). Finish slope of areas paved with Portland Cement concrete shall be not less than one-half percent (1/2%). Where Portland Cement concrete gutters are installed to receive drainage from asphalt concrete paved areas, such gutters shall be not less than three feet (3') in width

3618. Storm water disposal. Paved areas shall be designed to carry surface water to the nearest practical street, storm drain, or natural watercourse approved by the Public Works Director. Concentrated flows of water from parking areas shall not flow by gravity over any public property, but shall be collected in an appropriate manner within the property confines and conducted under the sidewalk in a manner satisfactory to the Public Works Director.

3619. Maintenance. All parking areas shall be maintained in a safe and sanitary condition and shall be kept in good repair. Any alteration, enlargement, reconstruction, in whole or in part, other than normal maintenance repairs, shall be pursuant to permit and subject to the provisions of this Chapter. The provisions of Section 115 of this code, as amended, shall apply to parking areas and for the purpose "Building" or "Structure" as used therein shall mean "Parking Area."

(Ord. 1200, 11/12/2025; Ord. 1202, 12/9/2025)