Biggs — Parking

Last reviewed: July 1, 2026

Overview

This page distills how the City of Biggs regulates off-street parking, loading, and (where specified) bicycle parking under Title 14 of the municipal Biggs Zoning. Most requirements live in Chapter 14.130 (Off‑Street Parking) and apply citywide, with special rules for the Downtown (B Street) Mixed‑Use District and select districts where front-yard parking is allowed. Where design or submittal standards are implicated, they tie back to Biggs Development Standards and Biggs Design Review.

Citywide off-street parking standards (BMC Chapter 14.130)

• Applicability and timing. The off‑street parking chapter applies whenever new construction, expansion, or a change in use would increase required parking. Proof of compliance is required before a building permit, business license, final inspection, or similar approval is issued. Expansions/changes trigger only the incremental increase, and you cannot eliminate spaces needed for the combined existing + new use. The code provides an example and clarifies how shared totals work for changes of use (see § 14.130.020(2)–(4)) .
• Single-family repairs/remodels. Routine single‑family repairs can proceed without bringing parking up to current code, and certain enlargements may proceed if they don’t increase intensity, remove spaces, or violate other codes (§ 14.130.030). New dwellings must still meet Chapter 14.130 parking standards (§ 14.110.110(4)) .
• Number of spaces by use. The baseline ratios by land use are set in § 14.130.040. A few high-traffic examples:
  • Single‑family dwellings: 2 spaces per unit; studio/1‑BR apartments: 1 space per unit; 2‑BR apartments: 1.75 spaces per unit; guest parking in complexes with at least 10 units: 1 per 4 units.
  • Offices (medical/dental): 1 per 300 sf; Offices (other): 1 per 400 sf; Retail: 1 per 400 sf; Restaurants/taverns: 1 per 5 seats.
  • Warehousing/industrial: 1.25 per 1 employee on max. shift (and other listed use types) (all in § 14.130.040). Required accessible spaces are to be provided per the California Building Standards Code (Title 24) as referenced in § 14.130.040(2) .
• Compact spaces. Up to one‑fourth (25%) of required spaces may be compact, subject to design dimensions in § 14.130.070 (§ 14.130.050) .
• Location of spaces. Required residential spaces may not occupy side-yard setbacks, streets, required access drives (other than dwelling driveways), or clear-vision areas; on corner lots, spaces may be in the street-side yard setback abutting the street if other standards are met (§ 14.130.060(1)) .
• Design standards. Minimum stall sizes are 10 ft × 20 ft (standard), 8 ft × 17 ft (compact), 8 ft × 22 ft (parallel), and 12 ft × 40 ft (oversized). Paving must be asphalt/concrete or similar, and lighting must control glare and protect adjacent privacy (§ 14.130.070(1)–(3)) .
• Access and maneuvering. Required spaces must be independently accessible to autos/light trucks; tandem is allowed only in special or hardship circumstances if the Planning Commission approves. For sites with 3+ spaces, design access so vehicles don’t back into public streets (§ 14.130.080). Where three or more spaces share a driveway, configure so no backing to street occurs (§ 14.130.080(3)) .
• Landscaping/shade. Lots with 5+ spaces must include on‑site landscaping; shade trees should achieve 50% lot shading at midday within 10 years. Parking‑lot landscape plans with <10 spaces may be approved by the City Planner; 10+ go to the Planning Commission (§ 14.130.090). See also Biggs Landscaping and Screening for compatibility expectations .
• Parking lots in residential districts. A commercial/nonresidential off‑street parking lot may be permitted on a residential parcel that adjoins a commercial district if there’s no residential‑frontage access, residential yards are applied, and suitable screening is installed. Any parking lot in a residential district is subject to design review (§ 14.130.060(3)–(4)) .
• Loading and oversized vehicles. An “adequate number” of oversized spaces and/or loading areas must be provided based on the size/type of facility, subject to Planning Commission approval (§ 14.130.040(3); “Loading area” defined in § 14.20.540) .

Biggs primary parking ratios and key standards

Downtown (B Street) Mixed‑Use District (D‑MU) — modified parking

• Reduced ratios in D‑MU. To support reuse of existing buildings downtown, parking is reduced: e.g., Retail: 1/600 sf, Restaurants: 1/15 seats, Hotels/Motels: 0.75/room, and Residential over commercial: 1 per studio/1‑BR; 2 per 2‑BR; 2 per single‑family (all in § 14.130.100(1)) .
• Off‑site and alley‑served parking. If on‑site is infeasible, spaces may be located on nearby parcels and accessed via the alleys north and south of B Street with City Planner approval; off‑site spaces require written authorization for general public use (§ 14.130.100(2)(a)–(b)) .
• Fee‑in‑lieu option. When no feasible alternative exists for off‑street parking, a fee may be paid to fund improvements that serve the B Street district (§ 14.130.100(3)) .
• New construction caveat. For new buildings downtown, the standard citywide ratios in § 14.130.040 apply unless expressly modified as above (§ 14.130.100(4)) .

Bicycle parking

• Citywide requirements. Not found in retrieved materials as a universal numeric standard for private development outside of temporary disaster housing. However, the city’s design objectives encourage providing bicycle parking “where appropriate due to the nature of the project” (§ 14.100.080(6)) , and site plan submittals must show any bicycle parking proposed (§ 14.100.040, Design Review submittals) .
• Temporary dwelling structures. For post-disaster temporary dwelling/assembly uses, Table 1‑1 establishes both vehicle and bicycle parking (e.g., 1 bike space per 4 temporary units; 1 bike space per new vehicle space for nonresidential) (§ 14.430.030(f), Table 1‑1) .

Loading

• Definitions and adequacy. A “loading area” is the portion of a lot used for moving/loading/handling materials in commercial or industrial districts (§ 14.20.540). An adequate number of oversize spaces and/or loading areas must be provided for the size/type of facility, subject to Planning Commission approval (§ 14.130.040(3)) .

ADU‑specific parking rules

• The city’s ADU provisions cap ADU/JADU parking at 1 space per unit or per bedroom (whichever is less) and allow tandem on existing driveways. No parking can be required in listed circumstances (e.g., within ½ mile of transit). Replacement of spaces is not required when a garage/carport is converted/demolished for an ADU or JADU (§ 14.110, ADU provisions (xi)–(xiii)). See also Biggs ADUs and California ADU law for state‑level constraints the city must honor .

District‑by‑district parking lens

Note: This section spotlights parking‑relevant standards by district. For district purposes/uses/dimensions not shown here, see Biggs Land Use and the official zoning map references in § 14.190.030. Districts established in § 14.190.010 include A‑G, A‑C, A‑M, R‑1, R‑2, R‑3, R‑MU, D‑MU, C‑G, C‑O, M‑1, M‑2, O‑S, P‑Q, PD .

R‑1 Single‑Family Residential

• Purpose/permitted uses/dimensional standards: Not found in retrieved materials.
• Parking takeaways: 2 spaces per dwelling (§ 14.130.040). Required residential parking is generally prohibited in side‑yard setbacks; limited corner‑lot exception (§ 14.130.060(1)). Converting a garage/carport requires replacing the lost spaces with enclosed parking meeting the zone’s standards—except when converting/demolishing for an ADU/JADU under the city’s ADU rules (§ 14.110.190; ADU rules (xiii)) .

R‑2 Medium Density Residential

• Purpose/permitted uses/dimensional standards: Not found in retrieved materials.
• Parking takeaways: Apartment ratios apply per § 14.130.040 (e.g., studio/1‑BR: 1 per unit; 2‑BR: 1.75 per unit; guest: 1 per 4 units where applicable). Parking‑lot landscaping and shade apply for 5+ spaces (§ 14.130.090) .

R‑3 High Density Residential

• Purpose/permitted uses/dimensional standards: Not found in retrieved materials.
• Parking takeaways: Same ratios as above for multifamily (§ 14.130.040). Design, access, and landscaping provisions in §§ 14.130.070–.090 apply .

R‑MU Residential Mixed‑Use

• Purpose/permitted uses/dimensional standards: Not found in retrieved materials.
• Parking takeaways: Apply baseline § 14.130.040 ratios to residential and applicable commercial components; consider design review triggers for larger lots (§ 14.130.090) .

D‑MU Downtown (B Street) Mixed‑Use

• Purpose: Facilitate reuse of existing downtown buildings with reduced parking.
• Typical uses: Mixed commercial/residential in the B Street corridor.
• Parking: Modified ratios and off‑site/fee options in § 14.130.100; see the D‑MU section above. New ground‑up buildings revert to § 14.130.040 unless otherwise stated .

C‑G General Commercial

• Purpose/permitted uses/dimensional standards: Not found in retrieved materials.
• Parking takeaways: Use commercial ratios in § 14.130.040 (e.g., retail 1/400 sf, office 1/400 sf, restaurant 1/5 seats). If a commercial lot seeks parking within a residential zone next door, see residential‑lot allowance rules and required design review (§ 14.130.060(3)–(4)) .

C‑O Office Commercial

• Purpose/permitted uses/dimensional standards: Not found in retrieved materials.
• Parking takeaways: Office parking per § 14.130.040 (e.g., 1/300 sf medical; 1/400 sf general office); apply citywide design/access/landscaping standards (§§ 14.130.070–.090) .

A‑C Agricultural Commercial

• Purpose/permitted uses: Not found in retrieved materials.
• Key dimensional standards: The front/street‑side yards may be used for off‑street parking if front setbacks are reduced with equivalent landscape area provided (see table notes under § 14.230.040, A‑C standards) .
• Parking takeaways: The A‑C district explicitly allows front/street‑side yard parking as noted above; pair with citywide design/access rules (§§ 14.130.070–.080) .

A‑M Agricultural Industrial

• Purpose: Supports agricultural industrial processing, equipment fabrication/repair, and related sales; typically buffered by M‑1/C‑G (§ 14.230.010) .
• Dimensional standards: The A‑M chapter references the same yard/landscape trade‑offs noted for A‑C, including potential front/street‑side yard parking via the reduction‑with‑landscaping provision (see notes under § 14.230.040) .
• Parking takeaways: Coordinate industrial/employee parking with loading adequacy under § 14.130.040(3) .

M‑1 Light Industrial

• Purpose: Transitional light industrial intended to limit off‑site impacts (§ 14.360.010) .
• Dimensional standards: Front/street‑side yards may be used for off‑street parking when front setbacks are reduced with equal landscape area (§ 14.360.040(1)(a)). No side/rear yards generally required except where abutting sensitive districts (§ 14.360.040(2)–(4)) .
• Parking takeaways: Balance employee parking with safe truck circulation; ensure any loading is adequate per § 14.130.040(3) .

M‑2 General Industrial

• Purpose/permitted uses: Not found in retrieved materials.
• Dimensional standards: Similar allowances—front or side street yards may be used for off‑street parking in conjunction with setback reductions/landscaping trade‑offs; side/rear buffers when abutting residential/commercial (§ 14.370.040 notes; 14.370.050) .
• Parking takeaways: Provide adequate oversize/loading areas and apply citywide design/access standards (§§ 14.130.070–.080) .

P‑Q Public/Quasi‑Public

• Purpose: Public, institutional, utility, and park uses (§ 14.380.010).
• Uses: Public facilities; schools by use permit; public parking facilities are a conditional use (§ 14.380.020–.030). Impervious coverage by buildings/roads/parking capped at 25% unless increased by Planning Commission (§ 14.380.060) .
• Parking takeaways: When siting public parking facilities, apply Chapter 14.130 design/access/landscaping and the district’s coverage cap.

O‑S Open Space

• Purpose/permitted uses/dimensional standards: Not found in retrieved materials.
• Parking takeaways: Use site‑appropriate parking consistent with § 14.130; verify with the jurisdiction for park/trailhead solutions.

PD Planned Development (overlay)

• Purpose: Allows tailored standards across a site plan; the City may vary “location and size of off‑street parking, loading areas and docks” as part of a PD approval (§ 14.390.060(8)) . Coordinate early if pursuing a PD overlay.

Checklist

• Identify your zoning district (see § 14.190.010 and zoning map) and confirm if you’re inside D‑MU or another district with special parking allowances .
• Classify your use and calculate required spaces from § 14.130.040; for downtown, apply § 14.130.100 ratios if eligible .
• Account for accessible stalls per the California Building Standards Code as referenced in § 14.130.040(2); coordinate details with your building designer .
• Decide whether you’ll use any compact spaces (≤25% of required) and verify your stall dimensions and paving/lighting meet § 14.130.070 .
• Show compliant access/turning (no backing into streets for 3+ spaces; tandem only if approved) per § 14.130.080 .
• Provide a landscape/shade plan to reach 50% shade in 10 years for lots with 5+ spaces; confirm whether approval is by City Planner (<10 spaces) or Planning Commission (10+) per § 14.130.090 .
• If proposing off‑site parking (esp. in D‑MU), obtain required written authorization and show alley access; consider fee‑in‑lieu if no feasible alternative per § 14.130.100(2)–(3) .
• Provide loading/oversize areas appropriate to the use; Planning Commission may condition adequacy under § 14.130.040(3) .
• For ADUs/JADUs, apply the special caps/exemptions and replacement‑parking waivers in the city’s ADU rules; tandem on existing driveways is allowed; see Biggs ADUs and § 14.110 ADU rules (xi)–(xiii) .
• If a parking lot in a residential district is proposed to serve a nearby commercial use, prepare for design review and required screening per § 14.130.060(3)–(4) .

Risks & Ambiguities

Information Gaps

• Detailed purpose, permitted uses, and dimensional standards for several districts (e.g., R‑1, R‑2, R‑3, R‑MU, C‑G, C‑O, O‑S) were Not found in retrieved materials. Verify with the jurisdiction.
• A citywide numeric standard for private‑development bicycle parking (outside of temporary dwelling contexts) is Not found in retrieved materials.

Plain‑English Summary

Biggs generally expects you to build enough on‑site parking for the use, size, and seating your project proposes, using the city’s table of ratios. Spaces must meet size, paving, access, and shading rules, and bigger lots need landscape/shade plans. Downtown B Street projects can use lower ratios and sometimes share or pay fees when on‑site parking isn’t feasible. ADUs get special breaks, including limited or no required parking in some cases. When in doubt, bring a simple site plan to planning staff and confirm counts, layout, and any district‑specific twists.

Source References

• Biggs Municipal Code Title 14, Chapter 14.130 Off‑Street Parking — intent, applicability, ratios by use, compact spaces, location, design, access, landscaping; and D‑MU downtown modifications (e.g., §§ 14.130.010–.100) .
• Biggs definitions — “Parking lot,” “Parking space,” and “Loading area” (e.g., §§ 14.20.760–.770; 14.20.540) .
• Residential garage conversions and residential parking requirement for new dwellings (§ 14.110.110(4); § 14.110.190) .
• ADU/JADU parking provisions (caps, tandem, exemptions, replacement waiver) (ADU rules (xi)–(xiii)) .
• Industrial and agricultural‑commercial districts allowing front/street‑side parking with landscaping trade‑offs (§§ 14.360.040; 14.370.040 notes; 14.230.040 notes) .
• P‑Q Public/Quasi‑Public (purpose, uses, public parking as CUP; lot coverage includes parking) (§§ 14.380.010–.060) .
• Design Review objectives (bicycle parking encouragement) and submittal content (show bicycle parking) (§§ 14.100.080; 14.100.040) .
• Zoning districts established (§ 14.190.010) and zoning map references (§ 14.190.030) .

Retrieved passages

• Biggs Zoning Code (chapter shall) High relevance show source text
• Biggs Zoning Code High relevance show source text
• Biggs Zoning Code (§ 3) High relevance show source text
• Biggs Zoning Code (§ 3) Medium relevance show source text
• Biggs Zoning Code (§ 1) Medium relevance show source text
• Biggs Zoning Code (§ 1) Medium relevance show source text
• Biggs Zoning Code (section apply) Medium relevance show source text
• Biggs Zoning Code (§ 1) Medium relevance show source text
• Biggs Zoning Code (§ 1) Medium relevance show source text
• Biggs Zoning Code (§ 1) Medium relevance show source text
• Biggs Zoning Code (§ 1) Medium relevance show source text
• Biggs Zoning Code (§ 1) Medium relevance show source text
• Biggs Zoning Code (§ 1) Medium relevance show source text
• Biggs Zoning Code (§ 4) Medium relevance show source text

Cited sections

• Biggs Municipal Code Title 14, Chapter 14.130 Off‑Street Parking — intent, applicability, ratios by use, compact spaces, location, design, access, landscaping; and D‑MU downtown modifications (e.g., **§§ 14.130.010–.100**) . (Title 14)
• Biggs definitions — “Parking lot,” “Parking space,” and “Loading area” (e.g., **§§ 14.20.760–.770; 14.20.540**) . (§ 14.20.760)
• Residential garage conversions and residential parking requirement for new dwellings (**§ 14.110.110(4); § 14.110.190**) . (§ 14.110.110)
• ADU/JADU parking provisions (caps, tandem, exemptions, replacement waiver) (ADU rules (xi)–(xiii)) .
• Industrial and agricultural‑commercial districts allowing front/street‑side parking with landscaping trade‑offs (**§§ 14.360.040; 14.370.040 notes; 14.230.040 notes**) . (§ 14.360.040)
• P‑Q Public/Quasi‑Public (purpose, uses, public parking as CUP; lot coverage includes parking) (**§§ 14.380.010–.060**) . (§ 14.380.010)
• Design Review objectives (bicycle parking encouragement) and submittal content (show bicycle parking) (**§§ 14.100.080; 14.100.040**) . (§ 14.100.080)
• Zoning districts established (**§ 14.190.010**) and zoning map references (**§ 14.190.030**) . (§ 14.190.010)
• Biggs_ZoningCode.md

• Official Biggs code library