Chapter 4.50 — Parking Standards

Sections:

• 4.50.010 Purpose and Application

• 4.50.020 General Parking Standards

• 4.30.030 Number of Parking Spaces Required 4.40.040 Bicycle Parking

• 4.40.050 Adjustment of Parking Requirements 4.40.060 Parking Alternative

• 4.50.070 Parking Design

• 4.50.080 Development and Maintenance of Parking Lots

• 4.50.090 Off-street Loading Spaces

• 4.50.100 Off-street Parking Site Development Plan Review

A. Purpose

The purpose of this Chapter is to reduce street congestion and promote the safety and convenience of the residents of the City by requiring the provision of adequate and well-designed parking in connection with the land uses authorized by this Zoning Code.

B. Application

1. Parking required by this Chapter shall be provided at the time any main building or structure is erected or enlarged, or use is established, changed, or expanded.

2. Parking required by this Chapter shall be provided when development involving individual or cumulative expansion constituting 50 percent or more of the development existing on the effective date of this Zoning Code for both the existing and proposed development, except that existing parking facilities shall be exempt from the landscaping requirements.

3. The standards in this Chapter are minimum standards.

• [18.82.010]

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Chapter 4.50 Parking Standards

A. General to All Zones

1. Parking must be accessed by an alley, when available.

2. Tandem parking shall be allowed in all residential zones and commercial zones where residential is permitted, when both tandem spaces are for a single residential unit.

3. Vehicular access through residential properties for non-residential uses shall be prohibited.

4. Parking or storage of commercial trucks, buses, sign trailers, trailers or semi-trailers for freight, luggage, or the like shall not be permitted in any residential zones or in any transect zones (except Special Districts (SD)).

5. Parked vehicles on driveways shall meet standards set forth in Municipal Code Chapter 8.28 (Property Maintenance) and may not encroach onto the public right-of-way.

   • c) All handicapped parking spaces and access between the handicapped parking spaces and the primary entrances of associated buildings or facilities shall be surfaced in a manner to facilitate wheelchair use. [18.82.050]
   9. Off-street parking

   • a) Required residential off-street parking facilities shall be located on the premises they are intended to serve and shall have dimensions consistent with Table 4.50.020

   • b) Except in the T5 zone, off-street parking for other than residential uses shall be located on the premises they are intended to serve or within 500 feet thereof.

   • c) All parking spaces shall be at least 10 feet by 20 feet, except that compact automobile parking spaces shall be at least eight feet by 18 feet.

   • d) Where required parking is provided on a site other than that of the principal use, the property owner shall file with the County recorder's office a covenant, on a form provided by the Director and approved by the City Attorney, that provides for the maintenance of the parking facility as long as the associated principal use is maintained. [18.82 revised]

6. Parking facilities on adjoining lots may share access points and driveways subject to a recorded covenant running with the property/properties on which the facilities are located.

7. Up to twenty percent of the spaces in a parking facility with ten or more spaces may be designed and designated for compact cars. [18.82.040]

8. Handicapped parking

• a)Parking spaces shall meet the requirement of Chapter 11B of the California Building Code.

• b) When less than twenty-five parking spaces are provided, one space must meet the Accessibility Code set forth in Chapter llB of the California Building Code. Accessible routes must also meet Chapter l1B of the California Building Code."

4-30 | Adopted October 2014 | Tehachapi Zoning Code

Chapter 4.50 Parking Standards

For number of parking spaces required base on land use type see the land use type tables in Article 3 (Specific to Zones)

A. For each 10 bicycle parking stalls provided, there shall be permitted a reduction of one required automobile parking stall to a maximum of 15 percent of the required automobile parking stalls, at the discretion of the Director or Commission.

B. Bicycle stalls shall be improved in accordance with the following requirements:

1. Provided with a device to be approved by the City and capable of supporting a bicycle in an upright or hanging position and having a means that will enable a user to lock his bicycle to such a device.

2. Areas containing stalls shall be surfaced with hardscape or paving.

3. When located within a parking area, spaces shall be protected by curbs, fences, planter areas, bumpers, or similar barriers for the mutual protection of bikes, automobiles and pedestrians, unless deemed by the City to be unnecessary.

==> picture [253 x 255] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
TABLE 4.50.040 BICYCLE PARKING REQUIREMENTS
USE REQUIRED STALLS LOCATION
4 stalls or 20% of Adjacent
Entertainment/
required off-street to bicycle
Recreation,
automobile parking paths and
Restaurant/
stalls, whichever pedestrian
Food, Retail,
is greater (up to a walks ≤ 50'
Services,
maximum of 30 bicycle of public
Office/Civic
stalls). entrance.
Residential: Must be
1 per 4 bedrooms
Multi-family secure.
Adjacent
10% of required off- to bicycle
street automobile or paths and
Industrial truck parking stalls (up pedestrian
to a maximum of 30 walks ≤ 50'
bicycle stalls). of public
entrance.
----- End of picture text -----

In the case that more than one parking adjustment may apply, applicant may choose only one of the following adjustments:

A. Proximity to Transit

1. A parking reduction of up to 10 percent may be approved by the Director for any use within a quarter mile of transit. Within a half mile of transit a parking reduction of up to 5 percent may be approved by the Director.

B. Joint Use of Parking Areas

1. If more than one use, required to provide parking spaces in compliance with this Chapter, occupies the same building or premises; then off-street parking shall

be provided in an amount equal to the total number of spaces required for the separate uses;

2. Upon written request the Commission can reduce the number of spaces required, per Subsection B.1, by up to 20 percent if the Commission determines that it is unlikely the combination of uses in the same building or premises will, at periods of peak use, necessitate provision of the number of parking spaces that would be required if the uses were developed independently. [18.82.080]

C. Reduction of Required Parking

The Review Authority may reduce the number of parking spaces required in the land use type tables of Article 3 (Specific to Zones), through the granting of a

Tehachapi Zoning Code | October 2014 Adopted | 4-31

Chapter 4.50 Parking Standards

Conditional Use Permit or Minor Use Permit (depending on the amount of reduction requested) in compliance with Chapter 9.30 (Conditional Use Permits and Minor Use Permits), based on the following:

2. The use or project design creates an integrated whole wherein the parking reduction will not adversely affect other businesses or uses on the same property or within the boundaries of the project; or

3. Quantitative information provided by the applicant that documents the need for fewer spaces (e.g., sales receipts, documentation of customer frequency, information on parking standards required for the proposed land use by other cities, etc.);

4. The proposed parking requirement is consistent with other uses of similar intensity established elsewhere in the parking regulations and does not represent a grant of special privilege inconsistent with the intent of the parking regulations to provide.

The owner of any property upon which a development project is proposed may pay an in lieu parking fee if the City approves it as part of the site plan review. A request to pay the in lieu fee for more than 15 parking spaces must be approved by the Council. The approving body must make the following findings for any proposed in lieu fee:

A. There is available or planned public parking capacity to offset this demand; and

B. The public parking will be made available within a reasonable time period of approval of this project.

2. Other Areas. In any area other than the downtown, the fee option is available only if an existing or planned parking facility exists within 600 feet of the site. The fee is the current value of land and parking construction costs per space needed, as determined by City staff.

3. Fee Deferral. Parking in-lieu fees shall be collected at the issuance of the first building permit. The Council may, by Resolution, adopt administrative guidelines to provide a special fee deferral program in response to unprecedented conditions such as extraordinary economic changes.

4. Downtown. In the T-5 Zone, parking may be provided by the payment of an in lieu fee. The amount of the in lieu fee is established by Council resolution. The city shall establish a separate fund for the collection of in lieu fees and shall use the collected fees only to provide new or improved parking spaces in the downtown

4-32 | Adopted October 2014 | Tehachapi Zoning Code

Chapter 4.50 Parking Standards

A. Location of Parking

In no case shall off-street parking be located in a required front or required side setback abutting a street.

B. Parking Aisle Width

Parking aisles shall comply with the minimum standards as follows:

C. Parking Spaces

Off-street parking facilities shall be designed so that each space can function independently of any other parking space, except in the case of lots containing only one single-family dwelling.

E. Right-of-way Restrictions

Parking spaces requiring backing into a street or road right-of-way are prohibited, except in the case of driveways for lots containing only one single-family dwelling.

F. Adjacent Uses

1. Abutting Residential. Where a parking facility containing five or more spaces abuts property zoned residential, the parking facility shall be separated from the abutting property by a solid masonry wall six feet in height,.

2. Exception . From the front property line to a depth equal to the required front setback on the abutting residentially zoned property, the wall shall be four feet in height.

H. Landscaping, Fences, and Screening

Landscaping, fences, and screening shall be installed in compliance with Chapter 4.40 (Landscape Standards).

D. Driveways

1. Driveways for residential development shall be a minimum of 12 feet (includes three-foot taper on each side) in width with 15 feet of unobstructed vertical clearance.

2. Driveways for commercial and industrial developments shall be a minimum of 18 feet (includes three-foot taper on each side) in width with 15 feet of unobstructed vertical clearance. These requirements may be reduced by the city planner upon recommendation of the fire chief.

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Chapter 4.50 Parking Standards

A. Surfacing Materials. All off-street parking areas and ingress and egress to parking areas shall be surfaced with the following materials:

1. Parking areas. For all residential, recreation, entertainment and tourist facilities, commercial, industrial, institutional, and other high intensity uses parking areas shall be surfaced with two inches A.C. three-and-one-half inches Portland cement, except driveways serving single-family residential dwellings.

2. Parking Area Base. Parking areas shall be built on a suitable base so as to provide a durable and dustless surface and shall be so graded and drained as to properly dispose of all surface water accumulated within the area.

3. Discretionary Approval. In the case of uses subject to discretionary approval, the required parking areas shall be surfaced with the materials specified in accordance with the conditions of approval.

B. Barriers

Barriers or curbs shall be provided where a parking lot abuts any structure or boundary of an adjacent property.

C. Traffic Controls

Traffic controls at ingress and egress points and directional signs shall be provided as may be deemed necessary by the City in the interest of public safety.

D. Striping

All stalls and, when required, aisles, loading zones, pedestrian walks and crossings, visitors’ parking, fire lanes, no parking areas, and driveways shall be striped or otherwise designated to provide for the safe loading, unloading, and parking and storage of vehicles and shall be so installed as to be in accordance with the standards of the City for such improvements.

E. Parking Lot Lighting

1. Any lighting used to illuminate a parking lot shall be directed and shielded as to not illuminate surrounding properties.

• 2 Light standards shall be in scale with the project setting; however, in no case shall light standards exceed 18 feet in height measured from top of grade to the highest point of the equipment. In instances where it can be established that additional height is required for health and safety reasons, an additional five feet in height is allowed subject to review and approval by the Director.

Except for T4.5 and T5 zones, for every structure occupied by manufacturing, storage, warehouse, wholesale or retail store, market, passenger terminal, theater, hotel, motel, restaurant, hospital, laundry, dry

cleaning plant, or other similar use requiring the receipt or distribution of vehicles or merchandise, adequate space for standing, loading, and unloading shall be provided and maintained on the same lot in addition to the automobile parking required by this Chapter. [18.82.060]

No use shall be established or changed, no development shall occur or be expanded, and no building or grading permit or business license for any use or development shall be issued until approval of Site Development Plan Review in compliance with Chapter 9.60 (Site Development Plan Review). [18.82.100]

4-34 | Adopted October 2014 | Tehachapi Zoning Code