Brawley — Parking

Last reviewed: July 1, 2026

Overview

Brawley’s off-street parking and loading rules live in Chapter 27 of the Zoning Ordinance, chiefly Article XI (Sections 27.140–27.151). These standards apply across all zoning districts listed on the Brawley Zoning map and the Brawley Development Standards. In short, spaces are required by use (Table 27.143), must be on-site or very near the use, and must meet detailed layout, access, landscaping, and lighting rules. Site plans for parking lots are reviewed through Brawley Design Review processes tied to Site Plan Review.

Citywide Off‑Street Parking and Loading Standards

• Location and ownership

  • Residential parking must be on the same lot as the dwelling and have direct street access; commercial/industrial parking may be on the same lot, an adjacent lot under joint or reciprocal agreement (including across an alley), or within a business parking and improvement area, with adequate ingress/egress to a public street or alley (Sec. 27.140) .
  • Parking can be provided collectively for multiple buildings under the same/joint ownership with a recorded agreement; you cannot double-count spaces for different uses on the same lot, and mixed-use on one lot must sum each use’s requirement except shopping centers, which use their own ratio (Sec. 27.141; Sec. 27.142) .

• How to count spaces

  • Use Table 27.143 for required spaces. If you get a fraction, round up to the next whole space (Sec. 27.144(a)) .
  • Area used for internal parking within a building and its ramps does not count toward the floor area used to compute required parking (Sec. 27.144(b)) .

• Space dimensions, maneuvering, and access

  • Full-size stalls: 9 ft by 20 ft minimum; up to 25% of required spaces may be compact at 7.5 ft by 15 ft (Sec. 27.145(a)) .
  • Aisle widths (refer to City Standard Detail A-3): 24 ft (90°), 20 ft (45°), 16 ft (60°) (Sec. 27.145(b)) .
  • Residential driveways: 10 ft wide for ≤4 units; 30 ft for 5+ units, or two 15‑ft one-way drives with directional signs (Sec. 27.145(c)) .
  • Commercial/industrial driveways: 30 ft, or two 15‑ft one-way drives with directional signs (Sec. 27.145(d)) .
  • Provide a 30 ft by 30 ft turnaround if any required space/garage/carport is more than 100 ft from the access street and served by a 30‑ft driveway (Sec. 27.145(e)) .
  • Lots with 4+ spaces must be laid out so vehicles don’t back into a street; multi-driveway lots must sign one-way flow (Sec. 27.146) .

• Development, surfacing, striping, screening, landscaping, and lighting

  • Pave to City engineering standards; stripe when 5+ spaces are required; provide wheel stops where appropriate; and build a minimum 5‑ft high masonry wall along shared lines with residential zones for lots with 6+ spaces (lower to 48 in within 10 ft of a street to preserve sight lines) (Sec. 27.147(a)–(d)) .
  • Landscaping inside parking lots: 10% of interior area when 12+ spaces; 5% when fewer than 12 spaces. End-of-row planters with trees and one 4 ft by 4 ft planter with a 15‑gal tree per every 5 stalls are required; provide at least 30% shade coverage (tree canopy and/or covered parking) at 15 years, with spacing and species controls (Sec. 27.147(e)1) .
  • Perimeter along public streets: 5‑ft landscaped strip with street trees (1 tree per 40 ft frontage) (Sec. 27.147(e)2) .
  • Lighting is required for lots with 12+ spaces and must prevent glare on adjacent residential zones while ensuring safety (Sec. 27.147(f)) .
  • A parking lot site plan designed per City Standard Detail A‑3 and prepared by a registered architect, landscape architect, or civil engineer is required prior to construction, reviewed through Brawley Design Review (Sec. 27.148) .

• Loading spaces

  • Typical loading space size is 12 ft by 40 ft by 14 ft clearance, with siting that avoids backing to streets/alleys unless designated; keep at least 35 ft from residential zones. Loading must be on the same site and cannot be double-counted as parking (Sec. 27.149(a)) .
  • Minimum loading spaces by gross floor area for commercial/industrial: 1 (<2,500 sf), 2 (2,500–20,000 sf), 3 (20,001–50,000 sf), 4 (>50,000 sf) (Sec. 27.149(b)) .

• Special situations

  • Parking lots as a standalone “supplemental use” are allowed under conditions, limited to motor vehicles under two tons rated capacity, and must adjoin or be across an alley from commercial/industrial zones with direct vehicular access (Sec. 27.150) .
  • Oversized vehicles: Where determined necessary by the Planning Director, up to 10% of required spaces must be oversized (12 ft by 25 ft by 14 ft clearance) and located on-site (Sec. 27.151) .

• ADUs

  • Accessory dwelling units require one space per ADU or per bedroom, whichever is less; tandem and setback parking are allowed. Parking is waived in several cases (e.g., within ½ mile of transit, in historic districts, if created within existing space), and replacement of lost covered parking from an ADU garage conversion is not required. Junior ADUs require no additional parking (ADU standards) . See Brawley ADUs and statewide context at California ADU law. Note: Table 27.143 includes a legacy “Second units” line; rely on the adopted ADU section for current requirements, and verify with the Planning Department.

Selected parking ratios (Table 27.143)

• Residential: 2 per single-family or duplex unit; 1.5 per studio, 1.75 per 1‑bedroom, 2 per 2+ bedroom multifamily; 1 per guest room for rooming/boarding; 1 per hotel/motel room; mobilehome parks: 1 per space + 1 per 2 spaces for guests (Sec. 27.143) .
• Commercial: Retail 1/400 sf; shopping centers 1/300 sf; restaurants/bars/nightclubs 1/50 sf of public service area; banks 1/200 sf; offices 1/300 sf; medical/dental 1/200 sf; auto rental 1/200 sf + 1 per stored vehicle; gas stations 1.5 per pump (first 6), then 1/pump; service/repair garages 3 per bay; bowling alleys 1 per lane + seating/employees; self-storage 2 + 1/50 units; auto sales/open-lot retail 1/1,000 sf display + employees + 1/400 sf office; theaters/churches 1/4 seats or 1/30 sf assembly; nursing homes 1/3 beds + employees; “other uses” by Planning Commission determination (Sec. 27.143) .
• Institutional/other: Child care centers require 1 per employee and a 40‑ft loading zone (Sec. 27.143) .

Note on accessibility: Accessible stall counts and dimensions are governed by the building code; Brawley defers to “Uniform Building Code” language in Sec. 27.143 and 27.145 for those specifics. Coordinate accessible stall compliance under the California Building Standards Code (Sec. 27.143; Sec. 27.145) .

District-by-District Application

Article XI applies citywide; each district’s development standards tables explicitly cross-reference “Off‑Street Parking — Refer to Article XI” (e.g., residential Table 27.73; commercial Table 27.83; industrial Table 27.93; others). Below notes how this plays out by district.

A‑1 Light Agricultural

• Purpose/uses: Agriculture with limited compatible uses (verify specific permitted uses).
• Parking: Follows Article XI; no district-specific ratios (Table 27.132, item j) .
• Dimensional highlights: Min lot 40 acres; max height 2 stories/35 ft; see table for setbacks (Table 27.132) .
• Where it applies: Agricultural lands at city edge; confirm on Brawley Land Use.

R‑A Residential Agricultural

• Purpose/uses: Low-density residential with agricultural character (verify).
• Parking: Per Article XI (Table 27.73, item j) .
• Dimensional highlights: Min lot 1 acre; typical heights 2 stories/35 ft; see setbacks and coverage in Table 27.73 (R‑A column) .

R‑E Residential Estates

• Purpose/uses: Large-lot residential (verify).
• Parking: Per Article XI (Table 27.73, item j) .
• Dimensional highlights: Min lot 20,000 sf; 2 stories/35 ft; see setbacks (Table 27.73, R‑E) .

R‑1 Single‑Family Residential

• Purpose/uses: Predominantly single-family detached (verify).
• Parking: 2 spaces per dwelling typical under Sec. 27.143; all other residential rules apply (Table 27.73, item j; Sec. 27.143) .
• Dimensional highlights: Min lot 6,000 sf; 2 stories/35 ft (Table 27.73, R‑1) .

R‑2 Two‑Family Residential

• Purpose/uses: Duplexes and compatible residential (verify).
• Parking: 2 spaces per unit (Sec. 27.143; Table 27.73 item j) .
• Dimensional highlights: See Table 27.73 (R‑2) for setbacks/height .

R‑3 Multiple‑Family Residential

• Purpose/uses: Apartments/condominiums (verify).
• Parking: 1.5 per studio, 1.75 per 1‑bed, 2 per 2+ bed (Sec. 27.143; Table 27.73 item j) .
• Dimensional highlights: See Table 27.73 (R‑3) for density/height .

MHS Manufactured Home Subdivision

• Purpose/uses: Individual lots for manufactured housing (verify).
• Parking: Per Article XI (Table 27.73, item j) and Sec. 27.143 residential standards as applicable .
• Dimensional highlights: See Table 27.73 (MHS) .

MHP Manufactured Home Park

• Purpose/uses: Park sites for manufactured homes, RV spaces (verify).
• Parking: 1 per mobilehome space + 1 per 2 spaces for guest parking; see Table 27.143 “Mobilehome parks” (Sec. 27.143; Table 27.73 item j) .
• Dimensional highlights: See Table 27.73 (MHP) for setbacks/coverage .

C‑P Neighborhood Commercial Professional

• Purpose/uses: Small-scale neighborhood retail/services and offices (verify).
• Parking: Per Article XI (Table 27.83, item j). Typical ratios include retail 1/400 sf, office 1/300 sf, bank 1/200 sf (Sec. 27.143; Table 27.83) .
• Dimensional highlights: See Table 27.83 (C‑P) for setbacks/height .

C‑1 General Commercial

• Parking: Per Article XI (Table 27.83, item j). Shopping centers use 1/300 sf (Sec. 27.143) .
• Dimensional highlights: See Table 27.83 (C‑1) .

C‑2 Highway Commercial

• Parking: Per Article XI (Table 27.83). Restaurant 1/50 sf of public service area; auto-related uses per Sec. 27.143 listing .
• Dimensional highlights: See Table 27.83 (C‑2) .

C‑3 Central Business

• Parking: Per Article XI (Table 27.83). Ratios per Sec. 27.143; evaluate potential shared/collective parking via Sec. 27.141 .
• Dimensional highlights: See Table 27.83 (C‑3) .

M‑1 Light Industrial

• Parking: Per Article XI (Table 27.93, item j). Industrial uses: 1.5 spaces per 2 employees or 1/400 sf (whichever greater) + company vehicles; warehouses 1.5/2,500 sf or 1/2 employees (Sec. 27.143; Table 27.93) .
• Dimensional highlights: See Table 27.93 (M‑1) .

M‑2 Heavy Industrial

• Parking: Same Article XI reference (Table 27.93, item j). Ratios per Sec. 27.143 industrial categories .
• Dimensional highlights: See Table 27.93 (M‑2) .

R Recreational

• Parking: Per Article XI (Table 27.102, item j) for uses like parks and recreation facilities (verify use mix) .
• Dimensional highlights: See Table 27.102 (R) .

PF Public Facilities

• Parking: Per Article XI (Table 27.112, item j). Many PF uses align with “Other Land Uses” in Sec. 27.143 (e.g., schools, hospitals) with specific ratios/loading (Sec. 27.143; Table 27.112) .

Key Parking Ratios and Design — At a Glance

Checklist

• Confirm your zoning district under Brawley Zoning; note that parking defers to Article XI for all districts.
• Calculate spaces using Table 27.143 and round up fractions (Sec. 27.144(a)) .
• If mixed-use or multi-tenant: sum each use’s parking unless it is a shopping center using the 1/300 sf rate; do not double-count shared spaces (Sec. 27.141(b)) .
• Site/own or secure allowed off-site parking per Sec. 27.140; record agreements for collective lots (Sec. 27.141(a), 27.142) .
• Lay out stalls/aisles/driveways to Sec. 27.145 and City Standard A‑3 (widths, turnarounds) .
• Provide paving, striping (≥5 spaces), wheel stops, required walls to buffer residential (Sec. 27.147(a)–(d)) .
• Meet landscaping, shade coverage, and street-edge planting standards; coordinate with Brawley Landscaping and Screening (Sec. 27.147(e)) .
• Add lighting for 12+ spaces that avoids glare to homes (Sec. 27.147(f)) .
• Provide required loading spaces, size, and siting (Sec. 27.149) .
• Prepare and submit a parking lot site plan (registered design professional) for Brawley Design Review (Sec. 27.148) .
• If proposing an ADU or JADU, apply the ADU parking rules and waivers (ADU standards) .

Risks & Ambiguities

Information Gaps

• Bicycle parking: Not found in retrieved materials.
• Formal district “purpose” statements and complete permitted use lists for some districts: Not found in retrieved materials. Verify with the jurisdiction.

Plain-English Summary

Brawley requires you to build enough off-street parking for your use, put it in the right place, and build it to specific size, aisle, driveway, landscaping/shade, wall, and lighting standards. Most homes need two spaces; stores are 1/400 sf, shopping centers 1/300 sf, restaurants 1/50 sf of public area, and offices 1/300 sf. You round up any fractions, can’t double-count spaces, and must add loading spaces for larger buildings. ADUs have special rules and broad parking waivers. Plan to show all of this in your site plan during Brawley Design Review.

Source References

• Article XI — Parking and Loading: Sec. 27.140 (location/ingress-egress), Sec. 27.141 (collective parking), Sec. 27.142 (ownership), Sec. 27.143 (Table 27.143 required spaces), Sec. 27.144 (computation), Sec. 27.145 (dimensions/aisles/driveways), Sec. 27.146 (circulation), Sec. 27.147 (paving/striping/walls/landscaping/lighting), Sec. 27.148 (parking lot site plan), Sec. 27.149 (loading) .
• Sec. 27.150 (Parking lots as a supplemental use); Sec. 27.151 (Oversized vehicle parking) .
• Residential development standards — Table 27.73 (district list references “Off‑Street Parking — Refer to Article XI”) .
• Commercial development standards — Table 27.83 (references to Article XI) .
• Industrial development standards — Table 27.93 (references to Article XI) .
• Recreational district — Table 27.102 (references to Article XI) .
• Public Facilities — Table 27.112 (references to Article XI) .
• Definitions — “Parking space” (Sec. 27.46) .
• ADU parking standards (city ADU section) .

Retrieved passages

• Brawley Zoning Code (§ 1.) High relevance show source text
• CBC § 1 (§ 1.) High relevance show source text
• CBC § 1 (§ 1.) High relevance show source text
• CBC § 1 (§ 1.) High relevance show source text
• Brawley Zoning Code (section 27.171) Medium relevance show source text
• Brawley Zoning Code (§ 1.) Medium relevance show source text
• California Fire Code Medium relevance show source text
• Brawley Zoning Code (§ 1.) Medium relevance show source text
• Brawley Zoning Code (§ 1.) High relevance show source text
• Brawley Zoning Code (article XI) Medium relevance show source text
• Brawley Zoning Code (§ 1.) Medium relevance show source text
• CBC § 1 (§ 1.) Medium relevance show source text

Cited sections

• Article XI — Parking and Loading: Sec. 27.140 (location/ingress-egress), Sec. 27.141 (collective parking), Sec. 27.142 (ownership), Sec. 27.143 (Table 27.143 required spaces), Sec. 27.144 (computation), Sec. 27.145 (dimensions/aisles/driveways), Sec. 27.146 (circulation), Sec. 27.147 (paving/striping/walls/landscaping/lighting), Sec. 27.148 (parking lot site plan), Sec. 27.149 (loading) . (Article XI)
• Sec. 27.150 (Parking lots as a supplemental use); Sec. 27.151 (Oversized vehicle parking) .
• Residential development standards — Table 27.73 (district list references “Off‑Street Parking — Refer to Article XI”) . (Article XI)
• Commercial development standards — Table 27.83 (references to Article XI) . (Article XI)
• Industrial development standards — Table 27.93 (references to Article XI) . (Article XI)
• Recreational district — Table 27.102 (references to Article XI) . (Article XI)
• Public Facilities — Table 27.112 (references to Article XI) . (Article XI)
• Definitions — “Parking space” (Sec. 27.46) .
• ADU parking standards (city ADU section) .
• Brawley_ZoningCode.md

• Official Brawley code library