Chapter 17.42 — OFF-STREET PARKING
Poway Zoning Code · 2026-06 edition · ingested 2026-07-06 · Poway
Sections:
17.42.010 Purpose.
17.42.020 General provisions.
- 17.42.030 Schedule of off street parking requirements.
– 17.42.040 Property development standards Generally.
– 17.42.050 Property development standards General requirements.
– 17.42.060 Property development standards Special requirements.
17.42.070 Performance standards.
17.42.010 Purpose. ¶
A. All regulations set forth in this chapter are for the purpose of providing convenient off-street parking space for vehicles. The parking requirements of this chapter are to be considered as the minimum necessary for such uses permitted by the respective zone.
B. The intent of these regulations is to provide adequately designed parking areas with sufficient capacity and adequate circulation to minimize traffic congestion and promote public safety. It shall be the responsibility of the developer, owner or operator of the specific use to provide and maintain adequate off-street parking. (Ord. 113 § 1 (Exh. A 8.0), 1983)
17.42.020 General provisions. ¶
A. Off-street parking facilities, for both motor vehicles and bicycles, shall be provided for any new building constructed, for any new use established, for any addition or enlargement of an existing building or use, and for any change in the occupancy of an existing building.
B. For additions or enlargements of any existing building or use, or any change of occupancy or manner of operation that would increase the number of parking spaces required, the additional parking spaces shall be required only for such addition, enlargement, or change and not for the entire building or use, unless required as a condition of approval of a conditional use permit.
C. The required parking facilities needed for any development shall be located on the same site or, if an irrevocable access and/or parking easement is obtained, the parking may be on an adjacent site. Property within the ultimate right-of-way of a street or highway shall not be used to provide required parking or loading or unloading facilities.
D. The requirements of this title shall apply to temporary as well as permanent uses.
E. No existing use of land or structure shall be deemed to be nonconforming solely because of the lack of off-street parking facilities prescribed in this title. However, the facilities being used for off-street parking on the effective date of the ordinance codified in this title shall not be reduced in capacity to less than the minimum standards prescribed in this section.
F. Projects with unexpired site designs or conditional use permits approved prior to the effective date of the ordinance codified in this title shall meet the requirements of the parking ordinance in effect on the date the site designs or conditional use permits were approved.
G. All required off-street parking spaces shall be designed, located, constructed, and maintained so as to be fully usable during workday periods or as needed by the use of the premises.
H. Where the application of these schedules results in a fractional space, then the fraction shall be rounded to the higher whole number.
I. The parking requirement for uses not specifically listed in the matrix shall be determined by the approval body for the proposed use on the basis of requirements for similar uses, and on any traffic engineering and planning data that is appropriate to the establishment of a minimum requirement.
J. In the calculation of parking requirements for centers, off-peak-hour uses from the normal operating hours of the center shall not be counted toward the parking requirement.
K. In situations where a combination of uses are developed on a site, parking shall be provided for each of the uses on the site according to the schedule given in this chapter. (Ord. 113 § 1 (Exh. A 8.1), 1983)
17.42.030 Schedule of off-street parking requirements. ¶
The schedule of off-street parking requirements shall be as follows:
| USE | MINIMUM OFF- STREET PARKING REQUIRED |
|---|---|
| A. Administrative and professional services as listed in PMC 17.10.060, except medical, dental, and related health services |
1 space/250 square feet of gross floor area |
| B. Shopping centers and general commercial uses as listed in PMC 17.10.060,except as noted below: |
1 space/300 square feet of gross floor area |
| 1. Eating and drinking establishments |
1 space/each 5 seats or 1 space/75 square feet of seating area where there are no fixed seats, plus one space per employee |
| a. Fast food restaurants with drive-in or drive- through |
1 space/each 7 seats plus 1 space per employee and an on-site queue line for at least 8 vehicles when drive-through is included |
| 2. Gasoline dispensing and/or automotive service stations |
2 spaces for each service bay plus 4 spaces |
| 3. Appliance and/or furniture stores |
1 space/500 square feet of gross floor area |
| 4. Hotels and motels |
1 space per unit plus 1 space per employee |
| USE | MINIMUM OFF- STREET PARKING REQUIRED |
| --- | --- |
| a. Retirement hotels |
0.6 space per unit plus 1 space per employee |
| 5. Auto and/or truck sales |
1 space/400 square feet of gross floor area |
| 6. Medical and dental offices or clinics, veterinary offices or clinics |
1 space/200 square feet of gross floor area |
| 7. Commercial Recreation Facilities. |
|
| a. Bowling alleys, billiard halls |
5 spaces/alley plus 2 for each billiard table plus required parking for other uses on the site |
| b. Commercial stables |
1 space/5 horses boarded on-site |
| c. Driving range (golf) |
1 space/tee plus required parking for any other uses on the site |
| d. Golf course (regulation) |
6 spaces/hole plus required parking for any other uses on the site |
| e. Miniature golf | 3 spaces/hole plus required parking for any other uses on the site |
| f. Parks (public or private) |
To be determined bythe CityCouncil |
| g. Skating rinks | 1 space/100 square feet of gross floor area |
| h. Tennis, handball, and racquetball facilities |
3 spaces/court plus required parking for additional uses on the site |
| USE | MINIMUM OFF- STREET PARKING REQUIRED |
| --- | --- |
| i. Theaters | |
| (1) Motion picture | 1 space/5 seats plus 5 spaces for employees |
| (2) Playhouse | 1 space/5 seats plus 1 space per employee |
| j. Physical fitness centers |
1 space/200 square feet of gross floor area |
| C. Public and Semipublic Uses. |
|
| 1. Day nurseries, day care or preschools |
1 space/staff member plus 1 space/5 enrollees or 1 space/10 enrollees if adequate drop-off facilities are provided. Drop-off facilities must be designed to accommodate a continuous flow of passenger vehicles for safe loading and unloading. The adequacy of drop-off facilities proposed shall be determined by the CityCouncil. |
| 2. Convalescent and/or nursing homes |
1 space/4 beds plus 1 space per the highest employee shift |
| 3. Hospitals | To be determined by the City Council. Applicant shall submit a parkingstudy. |
| USE | MINIMUM OFF- STREET PARKING REQUIRED |
| --- | --- |
| 4. Educational institutions, public orprivate |
|
| a. Elementary and junior high school |
2 spaces/classroom |
| b. Senior high schools |
1 space/faculty member and employee plus 1 space/6 students |
| c. Colleges and vocational schools |
0.5 spaces/faculty member and employee plus 1 space/3students |
| d. Churches, convents, monasteries, other religious institutions, and other places of public assembly |
1 space/3 seats within the main auditorium or 1 space/45 square feet of gross floor area within the main auditorium where there are no fixed seats |
| 5. Public utilities | To be determined bythe CityCouncil |
| 6. Libraries, public or private |
1 space/250 square feet of gross floor area |
| D. Manufacturing Uses. |
|
| 1. Manufacturing | 1 space/750 square feet of gross floor area devoted to manufacturing plus the required parking for square footage devoted to other uses. Ten percent of the spaces provided must be designated for use bycarpools. |
| USE | MINIMUM OFF- STREET PARKING REQUIRED |
| --- | --- |
| 2. Research and development |
1 space/300 square feet of gross floor area. Ten percent of the spaces provided must be designed for use by carpools. |
| 3. Storage | 1 space/1,000 square feet of gross area for the first 20,000 square feet devoted to storage plus the required parking for square footage devoted to other uses. 1 space/ 2,000 square feet for the second 20,000 square feet. 1 space/4,000 square feet for area in excess of 40,000 square feet. |
| E. Single-Family Residential, Multiple-Family Residential and Senior Citizen Residential are indicated in their respective zones. |
F. Accessible Parking Requirements. Accessible parking requirements are established by the State. The parking standards contained in this chapter are identical to those established by the State at the time of the adoption of the ordinance codified in this title. Any future changes in the State accessible parking standards would preempt the requirements given in this chapter.
Accessible parking for residential uses shall be provided at the rate of one space for each dwelling unit that is designed for such occupancy.
Accessible parking spaces shall be provided for all uses other than residential at the following rate:
| Total Number of Parking Spaces in Parking Lot or Parking Garage |
Minimum Number of Required Accessible Parking Spaces |
|---|---|
| 1 – 25 | 1 |
| 26 –50 | 2 |
| 51 –75 | 3 |
| 76 – 100 | 4 |
| 101 – 150 | 5 |
| 151 – 200 | 6 |
| 201 –300 | 7 |
| 301 –400 | 8 |
| 401 –500 | 9 |
| 501 – 1,000 | Two percent of total |
| 1,001 and over | Twenty plus one for each 100, or fraction thereof over 1,001 |
- Accessible parking spaces required by this section shall count toward fulfilling automobile parking requirements.
G. Bicycle Parking Requirements. Provide permanently anchored bicycle racks within 100 feet of the visitors’ entrance for five percent of automobile spaces required. Bicycle parking facilities shall be stationary storage racks or devices designed to secure the frame and wheel of the bicycle.
H. Motorcycle Off-Street Parking Requirements. Motorcycle parking areas shall be provided for all uses, except residential, at the following rate:
Uses with 25 to 100 automobile parking spaces shall provide one designated area for use by motorcycles;
Uses with more than 100 automobile parking spaces shall provide motorcycle parking areas at the rate of one motorcycle parking area for every 100 automobile parking spaces provided.
I. Loading Space Requirements. Loading spaces shall be provided at the following rate for all commercial and manufacturing uses unless determined to be unnecessary by the Director of Development Services:
One loading space shall be provided for the first 10,000 square feet of gross floor area or fraction thereof.
One additional loading space shall be provided for each additional 20,000 square feet of gross floor area or its fraction greater than 10 percent. (Ord. 728 § 11, 2011; Ord. 674 §§ 46 – 49, 2008; Ord. 662 § 3, 2007; Ord. 518, 1999; Ord. 414 § 2, 1993; Ord. 162 § 1, 1985; Ord. 113 § 1 (Exh. A 8.2), 1983)
17.42.040 Property development standards – Generally. ¶
The property development standards set out in PMC 17.42.050 and 17.42.060 shall apply to all land, buildings, and uses authorized by the zoning development ordinance. (Ord. 113 § 1 (Exh. A 8.3), 1983)
17.42.050 Property development standards – General requirements. ¶
The following are minimums unless otherwise stated:
A. Residential (in feet):
- Covered in a garage or carport, 10 feet by 20 feet, each space,
2. Uncovered, nine feet by 18.5 feet, each space;
B. Parallel parking spaces, eight by 22 feet, each space;
C. All others, 8.5 feet by 18.5 feet, each space; where spaces are located at the end of parking aisles which are terminated by landscaping, buildings, or other structures, such spaces shall be nine and one-half feet wide to provide additional room for maneuvering;
D. Loading space, 10 by 35 by 14 feet in height, each space;
E. One-way traffic, double-loaded aisles:
| Parking Bay Width | |
| Angle(in degrees) | BayWidth(in feet) |
| 30 | 43 |
| 45 | 50 |
| 60 | 56 |
| 90 | 62 |
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F. One-way traffic, single-loaded aisles:
| Parking Bay Width | |
| Angle(in degrees) | BayWidth(in feet) |
| 30 | 28 |
| 45 | 32 |
| 60 | 37 |
| 90 | 43.5 |
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G. Two-way traffic, double-loaded aisles:
| Parking Bay Width | |
| Angle (in degrees) |
Bay Width (in feet) |
| 30 | 51 |
| 45 | 57 |
| 60 | 60 |
| 90 | 62 |
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H. Two-way traffic, single-loaded aisles:
| Parking Bay Width | |
| Angle (in degrees) |
Bay Width (in feet) |
| 30 | 36 |
| 45 | 39 |
| 60 | 41 |
| 90 | 43.5 |
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I. Motorcycle parking space, four-foot by eight-foot;
J. Bicycle parking space, two-foot by six-foot;
K. Automobile, handicapped, motorcycle, and bicycle. All parking stalls and maneuvering areas shall be paved and permanently maintained with asphalt, concrete, concrete pavers, or any other all-weather surfacing approved by the Director of Development Services and subject to current City standards;
L. Striping and Identification.
Automobile. All parking stalls shall be clearly outlined with double lines on the surface of the parking facility.
Handicapped. All handicapped spaces shall be striped and marked according to the applicable State standards.
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.
Bicycle. All bicycle spaces shall be clearly identified. (Ord. 773 § 16, 2015; Ord. 518, 1999; Ord. 172 § 1 (Exh. A), 1985; Ord. 162 § 1, 1985; Ord. 113 § 1 (Exh. A 8.3(A)), 1983)
17.42.060 Property development standards – Special requirements. ¶
Special development standards shall be as follows:
A. One 15-gallon tree, per City specifications, shall be provided for every three parking spaces. Said tree shall be so located to provide shade cover for the vehicles (see exhibit below).
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B. Any unused space resulting from the design of the parking area shall be used for landscaped purposes.
C. All parking lot landscaped islands shall have a minimum inside dimension of four feet and shall contain a 12-inch-wide walk adjacent to parking stall and be separated from vehicular areas by a six-inch-high, six-inch-wide Portland concrete cement curbing.
D. All landscaping areas shall be irrigated automatically and kept in a healthy and thriving condition free from weeds, debris and trash.
E. All parking facilities shall have lighting in accordance with the current City standards. The lighting shall be designed and installed so as to confine direct rays to the site. Freestanding light posts located on projects which contain less than 15 acres shall be no taller than 18 feet. On projects which are 15 acres or larger in size freestanding light posts not exceeding 30 feet in height may be permitted; provided, that the property is located in an area which is already lighted by street lights or adjacent development. Parking lot lights shall be directed away from all property lines and shall comply with PMC 17.08.220(L) and 17.10.150(H).
F. All parking facilities, shall be graded and drained so as to provide for the disposal of all surface water on the site.
G. In any R zone except the RC and RA parking of motorized and nonmotorized vehicles shall be subject to the following requirements and those shown in the example below:
No motorized or nonmotorized vehicle shall be parked, stored or kept in the front yard as shown below except on land adjacent to the driveway or in the driveway. In all cases the surface shall be Portland concrete cement.
If motorized or nonmotorized vehicles are to be parked, stored, or kept on the lot, as permitted in subsection (G)(1) of this section, they must be for the personal use of the resident.
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(Ord. 788 §§ 6, 7, 2016; Ord. 674 §§ 50, 51, 2008; Ord. 204 § 1 (Exh. A), 1986; Ord. 192 § 1 (Exh. A), 1986; Ord. 162 § 1, 1985; Ord. 113 § 1 (Exh. A 8.3(B)), 1983)
17.42.070 Performance standards. ¶
A. All parking facilities required by this chapter shall be maintained in good operating condition for the duration of the use requiring such facilities. Such facilities shall be used exclusively for the parking of vehicles. The parking facilities shall not be used for the storage of merchandise, or for the storage or repair of vehicles or equipment. Parking facilities shall not be used for the sale of merchandise, except on a temporary basis pursuant to PMC 17.26.020 through 17.26.070.
B. All shopping centers that use shopping carts shall provide convenient and safe on-site storage areas for the shopping carts.
C. Handicap, motorcycle and carpool parking areas, when required, shall be located within 100 feet of the entrance to the facility. (Ord. 113 § 1 (Exh. A 8.4), 1983) Home Previous Next
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