Rancho Palos Verdes Municipal Code § 17.50.020 Parking requirements

This chapter ensures the provision of adequate off-street parking facilities in conjunction with any nonresidential use or development. These standards should be considered the minimum required to preserve the public health, safety and welfare, and more extensive parking provisions may be warranted in particular circumstances.

(Code 1981, § 17.50.010; Ord. No. 78(part), 1975; Ord. No. 320, § 7(part), 1997)

Parking shall be provided in accordance with the list of uses under this section. Where the standards result in a fraction, the next larger whole number shall be the number of spaces required. For additions to existing developments, the increased parking requirement shall be based only on the addition. A minimum of two spaces shall be provided for any use or development regardless of the size or scope of the use or development. If the specific use is not listed in the following table 50-A, the parking requirements listed in table 12-A of chapter 17.12 (Commercial Districts) shall apply. Disabled parking shall be provided in accordance with the current state amended California Building Code. The number of disabled parking spaces required by the current state amended California Building Code shall constitute a portion of the total parking required under this section.

Table 50-A

(Code 1981, § 17.50.020; Ord. No. 78(part), 1975; Ord. No. 320, § 7(part), 1997)

_____

The planning commission may permit the joint use of parking facilities to meet the standards for certain uses under the following conditions:

A. Up to one-half of the parking facilities required for a primarily daytime use may be used to meet the requirements of a primarily nighttime use and up to one-half of the parking facilities required for a primarily nighttime use may be used to meet the requirements of a primarily daytime use, provided that such reciprocal parking arrangement shall comply with subsection (C) of this section.

B. The parking facilities required for a primarily daytime use or for specific days of use may be used to satisfy up to 50 percent of the requirements for a church or school auditorium subject to requirements set forth in subsection (C) of this section.

C. The parties concerned shall show that there is no substantial conflict in the principal operating hours of the building or uses for which the joint use is proposed and shall evidence agreement for such use by a proper legal instrument to which the city is a party.

D. The planning commission may reduce parking requirements for common parking facilities in shopping centers or other commercial areas where a parking lot with common access and joint use is provided, if a parking demand study that justifies any proposed deviation from the parking requirements listed under table 50-A of this chapter is submitted and approved by the city.

(Code 1981, § 17.50.030; Ord. No. 78(part), 1975; Ord. No. 90, § 5(part), 1977; Ord. No. 320, § 7(part), 1997; Ord. No. 529, § 14, 11-15-2011)

The following development standards shall apply to all parking areas with six or more spaces:

A. Parking lot permit. Anyone constructing a parking lot containing six stalls or more, whether separate or in conjunction with a structure, shall obtain a parking lot permit as per section 17.76.010 (Parking Lot Permit).

B. Transportation demand management parking requirements. New nonresidential developments shall be subject to the applicable transportation demand management parking requirements specified in section 10.28.030 (Transportation Demand Management and Trip Reduction Measures) of this Code.

C. Location.

1. Required parking facilities shall be on the same lot as the structure they are intended to serve; except, that with proper legal agreement, the planning commission may approve parking on a separate lot. For sleeping or boarding facilities, including rest homes, dormitories, hotels and motels, the required parking shall be within 150 feet of the building it is to serve. For all other uses, the required parking shall be within 300 feet of the building it is to serve. The above distances are to be measured along a legal and safe pedestrian path from the parking space to the nearest entrance of the building or use for which the parking is required.

2. The required parking spaces may be located in interior side and rear setbacks. No parking space, either required or otherwise, shall be located in any required front or street-side setback area, unless the base zoning district regulations provide otherwise.

D. Access. There shall be a minimum ten-foot-wide, four-inch-thick concrete, slab vehicular accessway from a public street or alley to off-street parking facilities. Such accessway shall be designed to specifications approved by the director of public works.

E. Screening.

1. Where a parking area abuts a residential district, the parking area and residential district shall be separated by a solid masonry wall not less than five feet in height; except, that this wall shall be 42 inches in height where it is in prolongation of the front setback area of an abutting residential use or district. The planning commission may waive this requirement if additional setback and screening planting or landscaped berms are to be provided.

2. Where a parking area is across the street from a residential district, there shall be a border of appropriate landscaping not less than ten feet in width, measured from the street right-of-way line, along the street frontage.

F. Layout and paving.

1. Parking areas shall provide for a 25-foot outside turning radius within the facility and a 30-foot outside turning radius into public alleys.

2. Parking spaces shall be arranged so that vehicles need not back onto or across any public sidewalk.

3. Off-street parking facilities shall be designed so that a vehicle within a parking facility shall not be required to enter a street to move from one location to any other location within that parking facility. Separate noncontiguous parking facilities may be provided with independent entrances for employees and visitor parking, provided the designated use of each lot is clearly identified on proposed plans and at the entrances to each lot.

4. No dead-end parking aisles serving more than five stalls shall be permitted, unless the aisle is provided with a turnaround area installed in a manner meeting the approval of the director.

5. Bumpers, tire stops or any other device deemed appropriate by the director, shall be provided along all pedestrian ways, access or street or alley adjacent to any off-street parking area except where screening is located.

6. All parking areas shall be surfaced with asphaltic or cement concrete paving which is at least three inches thick.

7. Standard parking stalls shall be designed in accordance with the standards and dimensions specified in the parking lot layout diagrams and tables contained in exhibit 50-A of this section. All parking stalls shall be clearly marked with lines, and access lanes shall be clearly defined with directional arrows to guide traffic. The appropriate parking lot striping, including whether parking stalls shall be single or double striped, as shown in the diagram contained in exhibit 50-B of this section titled "standard parking stall striping", shall be determined by the director. Except for parallel parking stalls, standard parking stalls shall be a minimum of nine feet (width) by 20 feet (depth) in area. Parallel parking stalls shall be a minimum of 26 feet in depth. Compact stalls shall be a minimum of eight feet (width) by 15 feet (depth) in area and shall not exceed 20 percent of the total number of approved spaces, unless a different size stall is authorized or required by the director or planning commission. Compact stalls shall be marked for compact use only.

8. All off-street parking spaces shall be clearly outlined with lines either painted on the pavement or indicated with special paving materials on the surface of the parking facility.

9. Parking aisle widths shall be in accordance with the dimensions and standards specified in the parking lot layout diagrams contained in exhibit 50-A of this section. Deviations from the diagrams' standards may be approved by the director, if it is demonstrated to the satisfaction of the director of public works that alternative dimensions and standards will not result in adverse parking lot traffic circulation impacts.

10. Disabled parking spaces shall be in accordance with the dimensions and specifications of the California Building Code.

G. Landscaping.

1. A landscaped planter bed of at least five feet in width shall be installed along the entire parking lot perimeter except for those areas devoted to perpendicular accessways.

2. A minimum of five percent of the paved parking area shall be devoted to interior planting areas. The extensive use of trees is encouraged to the extent that the trees do not significantly impair views from surrounding properties. All planting areas shall be at least three feet wide. Perimeter planting shall not be considered part of this required interior planting.

3. Where topography and grading permit, parking lots shall be depressed and/or screened from view by landscaped berms and hedges. Where this is impractical, the use of decorative screening walls and hedges shall be provided.

4. Where trees already exist on the property, the design shall make the best use of this growth and shade. Such trees shall be protected by a tree well with a diameter sufficient to ensure their continued growth. The five percent interior lot area landscaping standard included in this chapter may be reduced to compensate for the retention of such trees.

5. Planting areas shall be distributed throughout the lot as evenly as possible, but variations from this pattern may be granted by the staff when a different pattern would result in the overall aesthetic improvement of the project. Innovation in design and materials is encouraged.

6. Wherever a center divider separates parking stalls facing each other, tree wells shall be established not more than 50 feet apart for large trees (exceeding 20 feet spread at maturity), or not more than 30 feet for small and medium-sized trees.

7. A full-coverage, permanent irrigation system shall be installed. Hose bibs shall be located at not less than 200-foot intervals to allow for reinforcement of the system by hose watering.

8. All plantings shall be maintained free of debris and in conformity with the accepted practices for landscape maintenance.

9. A six-inch-high cement concrete curb shall be constructed at the edge of all landscaped areas.

H. Drainage and lighting.

1. All drainage from parking areas for six or more cars shall be taken to a public street, alley, storm drain or natural drainage course to the satisfaction of the director of public works and shall not pass over any public sidewalk.

2. Lighting provided to illuminate a parking area shall be hooded and arranged and controlled so as not to cause a nuisance either to highway traffic or to adjacent properties; and a lighting plan shall be provided as per chapter 17.56 (Environmental Protection) of this title.

I. Seasonal or peak parking areas. With the approval of the planning commission, the above development standards may be waived or conditionally waived for a portion of the required parking spaces where:

1. The applicant can show what portion of the required spaces are required only on a periodic basis, such as seasonal or once a week;

2. The parking area is planted in turf of a wear-resistant type; and

3. Provision is made for irrigation and maintenance of the turf.

J. Signs. The provisions of section 17.75.040 (Sign Permit) shall apply.

K. Usability. The required off-street parking facilities shall not be used for any purpose other than as required by this chapter. Unless otherwise provided by an approved conditional use permit, no owner or tenant shall lease, rent or otherwise make such required parking available to any person who does not occupy the premises for which the parking is required.

(Code 1981, § 17.50.040; Ord. No. 78(part), 1975; Ord. No. 194, § 11, 1985; Ord. No. 320, § 7(part), 1997)

The following off-street loading spaces shall be provided and maintained for all institutional and commercial uses other than office buildings. The loading spaces shall be not less than ten feet in width, 20 feet in length, and with 14 feet of vertical clearance.

A. Loading spaces required per total square feet of building space (gross floor area).

B. When the lot upon which loading spaces are located abuts an alley, such spaces shall have access from the alley. The length of the loading space may be measured perpendicular to or parallel with the alley. Where such loading area is parallel with the alley and said lot is 50 feet or less in width, the loading area shall extend across the full width of the lot. The length of a loading area need not exceed 50 feet for any two spaces.

C. Loading space required by this title may occupy a required rear or interior side setback, but not a required front or street side setback. Where the loading is permitted in a setback, said setback may be used in calculating the area required for loading, providing that there be no more than one entry or exit per 60 feet of lot frontage or fraction thereof.

D. All loading spaces shall be separate, striped spaces in addition to the required parking spaces and shall not be located within a required parking lot driveway, backout space or aisle; except, that for commercial buildings with a gross floor area of less than 15,000 square feet, the loading space may be located within a parking lot driveway, back-out space or aisle.

E. No loading space shall be located on a dead-end driveway, accessway, aisle or alley unless a turn-around circle with a minimum radius of 90 feet is provided adjacent to the loading space.

[Figure]

[Figure]

(Code 1981, § 17.50.050; Ord. No. 78(part), 1975; Ord. No. 320, § 7(part), 1997)