Article 3 — Chapter 17.30
Tuolumne County Zoning Code · 2026-07 edition · ingested 2026-07-07 · Tuolumne County
OFF-STREET PARKING
Sections:
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Purpose. Required. Amount of parking required. Parking requirements for medium and high density residential development within 0.25 mile of a transit stop Amount of off-street parking required for a designated Historic Design Preservation District.
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Mixed-use parking requirements. Transfer of uses. Fractional spaces. Design and construction standards. Use of parking lot to fulfill requirement. Approval required for reduction in size or number. Bicycle parking requirements Transit waiting shelters Tuolumne parking standards.
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of off-street parking. No existing off-street parking shall be eliminated or reduced to an amount less than that required by this Chapter, except as approved by the Director upon review of unique circumstances surrounding the use in question.
17.30.010 Purpose . This Chapter establishes regulations for off-street parking.
17.30.020 Required . Off-street parking facilities for the parking of motor vehicles shall be provided, in the amounts and in accordance with the standards set forth, in connection with all land uses and buildings hereafter erected, or hereafter increased in capacity as to floor area or other units of use, or hereafter changed from one use to another use requiring an increased amount
17.30.030 Amount of parking required. The amount of off-street parking required for the various uses shall be as set forth in the following schedule, except as provided in Sections 17.30.040, 17.30.050 or 17.30.110:
TABLE 17.30.01 PARKING SPACES REQUIRED
| TABLE17.30.01 PARKINGSPACESREQUIRED | |
|---|---|
| A. Use |
B. Parking Spaces Required |
| 1. Single-family dwelling | Two (2) |
| 2. Duplex, dwelling group and multiple-family unit |
Studio/efficiency and one-bedroom unit one (1) space, two-bedroom unit and three- bedroom unit two (2) spaces, four-bedroom unit three (3) spaces, etc. |
| 3. Guest House | One |
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| A. Use |
B. Parking Spaces Required |
|---|---|
| 4. Churches and other places for worship, mortuaries, and funeral homes |
With fixed seating: One (1) for each four seats |
| Without fixed seating: Maximum building occupancy load divided by four. |
|
| 5. Residential care home | Two (2) |
| 6. Skilled nursing facility | One (1) for each three beds plus one for each employee per largest shift. |
| 7. Health care facility (Hospital) | One and one-half (1 1/2) per bed plus one (1) for each employee per largest shift. |
| 8. Hotels, motels, and bed and breakfasts |
One (1) for each guest room plus two (2) for permanent manager’s quarters. |
| 9. Retail shops, discount stores, supermarket, hardware stores, convenience markets, and smaller shopping centers (less than 75,000 square feet of gross floor area.) |
Minimum of eight (8) spaces, plus one (1) space for each 250 square feet of gross floor area in excess of 1,000 square feet. |
| 10. Shopping centers (more than 75,000 square feet of gross floor area.) |
Five (5) per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area |
| 11. Banks, post offices, business, and professional offices other than medical and dental offices and clinics. |
Three (3) per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area. |
| 12. Medical and dental clinics and offices |
Six (6) per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area. |
| 13. Restaurants, bars, cocktail lounges, and nightclubs |
With fixed seating: One (1) for each two (2) seats. |
| Without fixed seating: 16 spaces per 1,000 square feet of seating area. |
|
| 14. Sport arenas, auditoriums, theaters, halls, dance halls, skating rinks, assembly halls, and exhibition halls |
One (1) for each four seats or maximum occupancy load divided by four. |
| 15. Bowling alleys | Four (4) for each lane or alley. |
| 16. Gymnasiums, racquet clubs, health clubs, and dance studios |
Five (5) per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area. |
| 17. Child care facilities | One and one-half (1 1/2) per employee per largest shift in addition to a safe drop-off and pick-up loading area. |
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| A. Use |
B. Parking Spaces Required |
|---|---|
| 18. Warehousing and general storage | One and one-half (1 1/2) per employee per largest shift. |
| 19. Automobile or machinery sales, service stations, and auto repair and auto servicing businesses |
Three (3) per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area (Spaces at gas pumps count toward parking requirements) |
| 20. Manufacturing plants, research testing laboratories, bottling plants, wholesale establishments, and public utility buildings and uses. |
Two (2) for every three employees on the two maximum adjacent shifts, or four (4) per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area, whichever is greater. |
| 21. General industrial use | Three (3) per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area. |
| 22. Education uses | Business, Trade, or Vocational School One (1) per three persons based on maximum building occupancy |
| College, University One (1) for every three employees, plus (1) for every three students |
|
| School, K-12, Public or Private Elementary and Junior High Schools: one (1) per employee, plus one (1) for every 10 seats in the auditorium or multi-purpose room, whichever is greater, plus loading space for two (2) buses. High Schools: one (1) per employee, plus one (1) for every five students |
|
| 23. Periodic of one-time events on private property |
One (1) per three seats or three people based on maximum occupancy, whichever is greater. |
| 24. Other uses not specifically listed above shall furnish parking as required by the Director. In determining the off-street parking requirements for said uses, the Director shall use the above requirements as a general guide and shall determine the minimum number of parking spaces required to avoid interference with the public use of streets and alleys. The Director may require that evidence be furnished to assist in making the parking determination. |
17.30.040 Parking requirements for medium and high density residential development within 0.25 mile of a transit stop. The minimum parking requirements for medium and high density residential projects located within .025 mile of a transit stop shall be as set forth in the following schedule:
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TABLE 17.30.02 MEDIUM/HIGH RESIDENTIAL PARKING REQUIREMENTS WITHIN ¼ MILE OF TRANSIT STOP [1]
| A.R-2 and R-3 | |
|---|---|
| Studio | 1 |
| One Bedroom | 1 |
| Two-Three Bedrooms |
1.5 |
| Four + Bedrooms |
1.5 |
| Visitor[2] | 0.25 |
[1] Transit stop refers to marked bus stops along Tuolumne County’s Transit fixed-bus route service.
[2] Visitor parking is in addition to the required parking if all the spaces are assigned. Visitor parking may be included within the required parking requirement if one or none of the spaces are assigned.
17.30.050 Amount of off-street parking required for a designated Historic Design Preservation District . Whereas, the spatial relationship of a historic community and the uniqueness of the established businesses warrant a departure from the normal application of the parking requirements, all commercially zoned parcels and their attributed parking shall be treated alike. All commercially zoned parcels within a designated Historic Design Preservation (HDP) District shall be classified as if it were a "shopping center" type use and provide parking at a ratio of one (1) parking space per 250 square feet of gross floor area. This provision does not apply to motel and hotel businesses within an HDP District.
17.30.060 Mixed-use parking requirements . The total requirements of off-street parking spaces on a parcel with mixed uses shall be the sum of the requirements for the various uses computed separately. However, the review authority may reduce the parking requirement on such a parcel by up to 20% to incentivize mixed-use projects.
17.30.070 Transfer of uses . Areas needed to ¶
meet the parking requirements of a particular building or use shall not be transformed or changed to another type of use, or
transferred to meet the parking requirements of another building or use until the parking required for the original user of the parking area is provided at another location.
17.30.080 Fractional spaces . Any building or use requiring 0.5 or more of a parking space shall be deemed to require one full space.
17.30.090 Design and construction ¶
standards . All off-street parking facilities shall comply with the following standards:
A. The parking spaces, maneuvering areas, driveways, and pedestrian walkways shall be designed and constructed in a manner in which size, shape, and circulation pattern will afford a reasonable parking area, with reasonable and safe access thereto, for the number and type of vehicles to be accommodated. Whenever more than ten parking spaces are required for a development, the allocation of spaces may include up to 50 percent small car spaces. When fewer than ten spaces are required, each space shall be full size. The number of handicapped spaces shall be in accordance with the State Accessibility Standards, (referenced in Subdivision G. below).
B. Full size perpendicular spaces shall be 9' x 20', small car spaces shall be 8' x 16', and handicapped spaces shall be in accordance with the State Accessibility Standards, (referenced in Subdivision G. below).
C. In commercial developments, the parking areas shall be paved, striped, and lined in accordance with the Community Development Department's latest standards. All other development projects shall have parking spaces clearly marked and such marking shall be maintained in a visible and legible manner.
D. Where lighting is required, the light shall be in accordance with dark sky standards and so shielded or directed such that the illumination will be adequate for the parking facility and/or structures involved in the project. In any case, the type and location of the lighting chosen shall not be disruptive to surrounding land uses.
E. All parking areas shall be constructed to provide adequate drainage.
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F. Perimeter Planting Strips. For all uses, except single-family dwellings, all off-street parking facilities abutting a public street or highway, excepting those portions comprising driveways or pedestrian walkways, shall be bounded on the street or highway side or sides by a planting strip with a minimum of three feet of vegetation. The three feet of vegetation area shall be as follows:
square area and shall be applied at 18 inches above grade. The minimum dimension for the barrier shall be 12 inches as shown below. The requirement for vehicle barriers shall not apply to parking garages for Group U (residential) Occupancy, as defined by the California Building Code, or to parking areas when the adjacent slope is less than 3:1 and the area in front of the parking space is equal to or greater than H/3 as shown below:
Figure 17.30.1
Figure 17.30.2
The planting strip shall be delineated by a concrete, or other material, barrier and planted according to the Community Development Department's latest landscaping guidelines.
G. Handicapped Parking. Parking spaces for the physically handicapped shall be located, constructed, maintained, and otherwise meet all requirements set forth in the State Accessibility Standards of the California Building Standards Code (Title 24 California Code of Regulations), as it may be amended from time to time.
H. Employee Parking. Tandem parking for employees may be allowed subject to approval by the Director.
I. Vehicle Barriers. Except as otherwise provided herein, all parking areas more than five feet above adjacent grade shall be provided with vehicle parking barriers. The barrier shall be designed to be able to hold a horizontal load of 6,000 pounds applied at right angles to the vehicle barrier at a height of 18 inches above the parking surface. The force may be distributed over a one foot
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17.30.100 Use of parking lot to fulfill ¶
requirement. Off-site private parking lots maintained within 300 feet of a particular use or business for the exclusive use of patrons and employees of such use or business may be used to provide the required amount of parking for the particular use or business. Off-site private parking lots may be located at a distance greater than 300 feet if the particular business provides a parking valet or jitney service and the Director determines that such service will substantially comply with the provisions of this Chapter. In any event the terms, conditions, and duration of the private parking lot shall be described within the Community Development Department’s latest off-site parking agreement.
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17.30.110 Approval required for reduction in ¶
size or number . Parking spaces provided to meet the requirements of this Chapter shall not be reduced in size or number, modified, or eliminated without the express prior approval of the Director based upon a determination that changed conditions or uses justify such reduction, modification, or elimination of parking spaces or area.
17.30.120 Bicycle Parking Requirements . Bicycle parking shall be provided in addition to all required parking spaces in compliance with the following standards:
A. New development projects shall provide bicycle parking as follows:
New multi-unit development of ten units or more, at a rate of one space for every eight (8) dwelling units; and
New nonresidential development of 10,000 square feet or more at a rate of one (1) space per 2,500 square feet of gross floor area.
B. Each bicycle parking space shall
comply with the following design standards:
Each bicycle parking space shall provide a secure, stationary, parking device to adequately secure the bicycle frame and at least one wheel with both wheels left on the bicycle. One such structure may provide multiple bicycle parking spaces.
Bike parking shall be located no more than 80 feet, and shall be visible from, the entrance of a nonresidential use. Signage shall be posted at the entrance of the property indicating the location of bicycle parking.
Bike parking for multifamily uses shall be located on the same parcel and fully enclosed or in a secure location.
Where multiple retail stores, offices, or related commercial uses operate in close
proximity to each other, the property and/or designated business representatives may request the County to allow clustering of required bicycle parking spaces in one or more secure, connected bicycle racks or corrals, provided this type of parking arrangement can be implemented within an average of no more than 80 feet to the entrances of all uses on the parcel.
17.30.130 Transit waiting shelters . Prior to the issuance of any building permit or approval of any improvement plans for any development consisting of more than 10 dwelling units or 40,000 square feet of nonresidential space, the property owner or project proponent shall sign and record an agreement with Tuolumne County to provide for an easement(s) and/or to construct a concrete foundation, benches, and an electrical connection necessary to accommodate placement of a transit waiting shelter within 100 feet of at least one building in the development.
17.30.140 Tuolumne Parking Standards . The parking provisions established in this Chapter shall apply to the area within the boundary of the Tuolumne Parking & Alleyway Study dated October 15, 2010, as it may be amended by the Board of Supervisors, except as modified by this section:
A. Parking shall be provided as required herein for various land uses, construction of new buildings, expansion of land uses or buildings that adds capacity for use, or changes from one use to another use requiring an increased amount of parking.
- No additional parking shall be required for any existing use or for any change in use of a building that was in existence on January 1, 2012, provided that parking shall be required for any expansion of the building after January 1, 2012.
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- No additional parking shall be required to reconstruct or replace a building that was in existence on January 1, 2012, except that if reconstruction or replacement of a building has not been completed after eighteen (18) months from the start date of demolition, all parking requirements shall be met. The Director may extend the time period for completing the reconstruction or replacement if the property owner is making a good faith effort to complete the construction based upon information submitted by the property owner in a written statement describing the efforts being made.
B. The area shall be classified as a “shopping center” for purposes of providing parking for non-residential land uses and parking shall be provided at a ratio of one (1) parking space per 250 feet of gross floor area.
C. Parking for all residential land uses shall be provided in accordance with Sections 17.30.030 and 17.30.040.
D. Due to the availability of on-street parking, each parcel within the area, except those parcels zoned R-1, shall be given a onetime credit of three (3) spaces toward meeting parking requirements.
uses as an alternative to providing parking as required herein:
The In-Lieu Parking Program shall be voluntary;
A developer shall have the option to provide the parking spaces as required or contribute to the Tuolumne Parking Fund by paying the Tuolumne In-Lieu Parking Fee established in Section 3.40.045 of this title for each parking space required, or a combination thereof.
The Tuolumne Parking Fund shall be used to finance the construction of community parking facilities.
In order to encourage the development of community parking facilities, a 20% parking credit shall be provided for developments that pay the Tuolumne In-Lieu Parking Fee. The 20% credit shall be implemented as a 20% reduction in the number of parking spaces for which the In-Lieu Parking Fee is paid. The amount of the credit shall be prorated where a development provides a combination of payment of the Tuolumne In-Lieu Parking Fee and parking spaces.
E. The Tuolumne In-Lieu Parking Program is hereby established for non-residential land
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