Merced — Parking

Last reviewed: July 2, 2026

Overview

This page summarizes what the Merced Municipal Code requires for off‑street parking, bicycle parking, and loading in the city of Merced. It is grounded in the City of Merced zoning ordinance (Title 20), Chapter 20.38 (Parking and Loading) and in the development standards and residential district rules that cross‑reference that chapter. Key implementation points: required amounts come from Table 20.38‑1, bicycle rules from Table 20.38‑4, and design/landscaping, reductions, and off‑site rules are described in Chapter 20.38.

(First‑use links: Merced zoning & planning overview, Merced Zoning, Merced Development Standards, Merced Design Review, Merced Overlay Districts, Merced ADUs, Merced Landscaping and Screening, California Building Standards Code)

What the code covers (quick map)

• Why/where: Chapter 20.38 establishes purpose and applicability for off‑street parking, bicycle parking, and loading. § 20.38.010 (purpose) and § 20.38.020 (applicability) are the controlling starting points.
• Required amounts: Table 20.38‑1 lists automobile parking by land use; Table 20.38‑4 lists bicycle parking.
• Reductions & alternatives: shared parking, common facilities, low‑demand studies, TDM credits, transit proximity credits, and mixed‑use adjustments are allowed as reductions with documented approvals. § 20.38.050.
• Design and development (surfacing, landscaping, lighting, screening, dimensions, tandem rules): detailed in § 20.38.070 et seq. and applied via the city's standard engineering designs and landscaping chapter.

Note: where the zoning district rules call out parking (for example R‑1, R‑3) they cross‑reference Chapter 20.38; see the district summaries below.

District-by-district breakdown (parking-focused)

Each district subsection below focuses on what the Merced zoning ordinance says about parking in that district (purpose/where the district applies, typical permitted uses, key dimensional and parking‑location rules). For full permitted‑use tables and development standards consult the district chapters referenced.

R-1 (Single‑Family Residential) — R‑1, including R‑1‑5, R‑1‑6, R‑1‑10, R‑1‑20

• Purpose / where it applies: Standard single‑family neighborhoods across Merced; development standards in Part 20.08 (Residential Zoning Districts).
• Typical uses: single family dwellings, accessory uses, limited home occupations, sometimes duplexes per specific rules.
• Key parking rules:
  • Required automobile parking amounts for a single‑family dwelling: 1 per unit; for duplexes: 1 per unit (with some exceptions). These amounts come from Table 20.38‑1. § 20.38.020 and Table 20.38‑1.
  • In R‑1 required off‑street parking spaces may not be located within any required exterior setback area, except required parking for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). See § 20.08.030.F.1 and the ADU chapter cross‑reference § 20.42.030(H) for ADU exceptions.
  • When parking for a single‑family or duplex is outside a covered garage or carport, each parking space must be located/designed so it can later be covered by a garage or carport. § 20.08.030.F.3 / § 20.38.040.B.2.

(See Merced Development Standards for how setbacks interact with parking and Merced ADUs for ADU exceptions.)

R-2 (Low‑Density Multifamily)

• Purpose / where it applies: Neighborhoods with small multifamily or secondary units; see Part 20.08.
• Typical uses: smaller duplexes, triplexes, accessory units.
• Key parking rules:
  • Off‑street parking amounts follow Table 20.38‑1 (residential rows).
  • Like R‑1, parking generally may not be located in required exterior setback areas (exceptions are limited and parcel‑specific). § 20.08.030.F.1.

R-3 and R-4 (Medium/High‑Density Multifamily) — R‑3, R‑4

• Purpose / where it applies: Higher density apartment and mixed residential development; see Part 20.08 and multi‑family design standards.
• Typical uses: multiple family dwellings, group housing, SROs.
• Key parking rules:
  • Parking requirement numbers: multiple family dwellings/condominiums use the formula in Table 20.38‑1 (e.g., 1.75 per unit for ≤2 bedrooms up to 30 units, 1.5 per unit thereafter, with additional adjustments per extra bedrooms/bathrooms). See Table 20.38‑1. § 20.38.020.
  • Off‑street parking spaces may be located within required exterior setback areas in R‑3 and R‑4 if the total off‑street parking requirement exceeds four (4) spaces. § 20.08.030.F.2.
  • Tandem spaces are permitted for residential uses subject to assignment and guest‑parking rules. § 20.38.070.E.

C-C, C-G, B-P (Commercial Zones) — C‑C, C‑G, B‑P

• Purpose / where it applies: Downtown/regional centers, general commercial corridors, and business park areas; see Part 20.10.
• Typical uses: retail shops, offices, restaurants, services, hotels, public parking facilities (with conditions).
• Key parking rules:
  • Automobile parking for specific commercial uses is listed in Table 20.38‑1; downtown and regional center rules may impose alternative standards (e.g., locating parking behind/side of buildings to reduce public view). § 20.38.020 and commercial design guidance in district chapters.
  • The planning commission may approve common parking facilities or public parking in lieu of individual requirements with a conditional use permit; a common facility may receive up to 15% parking reduction. § 20.38.050.B.
  • If a parcel is inside a parking assessment district, owners may pay an in‑lieu fee instead of providing on‑site spaces; participation rules and calculations are in § 20.38.060.

P‑OS, P‑F, P‑PK and AG (Public Use / Agricultural)

• Purpose / where it applies: parks, public facilities, agricultural lands on the fringe; see Part 20.18.
• Typical uses: parks, public institutions, some agricultural support uses.
• Key parking rules:
  • Development tables cross‑reference off‑street parking to Chapter 20.38; specific allowed uses such as parking facilities have special notes (e.g., permitted only as part of a larger park). § 20.18.030 and related notes.

Selected decision‑relevant standards (table)

(For full Table 20.38‑1 land‑use rows see the ordinance; this table above highlights frequent applicant questions.)

Practical guidance & interpretation

• Start every site plan by pulling the land‑use row in Table 20.38‑1 to get the base automobile parking number; then check Table 20.38‑4 for bicycle requirements. § 20.38.020 and § 20.38.080 are the primary references.
• If you plan fewer spaces than Table 20.38‑1 suggests, budget to prepare a parking demand study and/or a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Plan to pursue reductions per § 20.38.050. Transit proximity and bus‑stop credits are limited to 5–10% reductions depending on distance/type; TDM can provide up to 20%; mixed‑use analyses can allow up to 30% with director approval.
• For residential infill, check whether required parking would fall inside a required setback: in R‑1/R‑2 you generally cannot place required spaces inside an exterior setback (except ADUs). R‑3/R‑4 have the >4 spaces exception. Verify with the development standards and cite § 20.08.030.F.
• Bicycle parking must meet short‑term (visible, near entrance, 25% covered) and long‑term (secure, mostly covered) standards; racks must allow locking both frame and wheel and meet the dimensions in § 20.38.080.
• Design issues (surfacing, permeable pavement allowances, shade tree minimums, screening, lighting) are enforceable: e.g., 1 shade tree per 6 parking spaces, minimum tree size and canopy expectations, paved all‑weather surfaces required unless permeable material is approved. See § 20.38.070 and the landscaping chapter.

For design review triggers and neighborhood compatibility questions refer to Merced’s design review program; for setback details consult Merced Development Standards.

Checklist

• Identify the land use and base required automobile spaces from Table 20.38‑1. § 20.38.020.
• Calculate bicycle parking per Table 20.38‑4 and design rack/cover per § 20.38.080.
• Confirm whether required spaces would fall in exterior setback areas (check R‑district rules). § 20.08.030.F.
• If proposing reductions, prepare a parking demand study or TDM plan and reference § 20.38.050.
• Ensure surfacing, perimeter screening, lighting, shade trees, and landscape islands meet § 20.38.070 and Chapter 20.36.
• If using off‑site or shared parking, secure covenants and comply with distance limits (generally 400 feet) and recordation requirements. § 20.38.040.C.
• Plan disabled parking to meet California Building Standards Code (Title 24) and count disabled spaces toward total. § 20.38.040.D.

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain-English Summary

Merced requires a base number of off‑street automobile spaces by land use (see Table 20.38‑1) plus bicycle parking (Table 20.38‑4). The city allows shared/combined parking, TDM and proximity credits if documented; design rules control surfacing, screening, shade trees, and disabled stalls (which must meet Title 24). District rules (especially in R‑1/R‑3) change whether you may place spaces inside setbacks, and off‑site/shared parking requires recorded covenants and distance limits (verify specifics with staff).

Source References

• Merced Municipal Code, Title 20 — Chapter 20.38 (Parking and Loading): § 20.38.010 (Purpose) and § 20.38.020 (Applicability).
• Merced Municipal Code — Table 20.38‑1 (Off‑Street Parking Requirements).
• Merced Municipal Code — § 20.38.040 (General requirements; off‑site parking; parking for persons with disabilities).
• Merced Municipal Code — § 20.38.050 (Parking reductions: shared parking, TDM, transit credits, mixed‑use).
• Merced Municipal Code — § 20.38.070 and related (Parking design and development standards: surfacing, landscaping, lighting).
• Merced Municipal Code — § 20.38.080 and Table 20.38‑4 (Bicycle parking short‑ and long‑term standards).
• Merced Municipal Code — Residential district rules that reference parking and setback interaction (§ 20.08.030.F; duplex exceptions).
• Merced Municipal Code — Parking assessment district / in‑lieu payments (§ 20.38.060).

If you need direct extracts of specific Table 20.38‑1 rows for a commercial use (e.g., retail, restaurant, office) or the full text of § 20.38.090 (loading) I can pull those rows/sections verbatim from the ordinance and annotate them; otherwise, verify parcel‑specific rules with the City’s Development Services since some reductions and exceptions require administrative findings. Verify with the jurisdiction for site‑specific or recently amended interpretations. Not found in retrieved materials: any post‑2023 code updates beyond the versions in the files provided.

Retrieved passages

• Merced Zoning Code (title and) High relevance show source text
• Merced Zoning Code (§ 2) High relevance show source text
• Merced Zoning Code (§ 2) High relevance show source text
• CBC § 2 (Chapter 6.04) High relevance show source text
• Merced Zoning Code (§ 2) High relevance show source text
• Merced Zoning Code (Section 15.42) Medium relevance show source text
• Merced Zoning Code (Chapter 20.50) Medium relevance show source text
• Merced Zoning Code (Chapter 6.04) Medium relevance show source text

Cited sections

• Merced Municipal Code, Title 20 — Chapter **20.38** (Parking and Loading): **§ 20.38.010** (Purpose) and **§ 20.38.020** (Applicability). (Title 20)
• Merced Municipal Code — Table **20.38‑1** (Off‑Street Parking Requirements).
• Merced Municipal Code — **§ 20.38.040** (General requirements; off‑site parking; parking for persons with disabilities). (§ 20.38.040)
• Merced Municipal Code — **§ 20.38.050** (Parking reductions: shared parking, TDM, transit credits, mixed‑use). (§ 20.38.050)
• Merced Municipal Code — **§ 20.38.070** and related (Parking design and development standards: surfacing, landscaping, lighting). (§ 20.38.070)
• Merced Municipal Code — **§ 20.38.080** and Table **20.38‑4** (Bicycle parking short‑ and long‑term standards). (§ 20.38.080)
• Merced Municipal Code — Residential district rules that reference parking and setback interaction (**§ 20.08.030.F**; duplex exceptions). (§ 20.08.030.F)
• Merced Municipal Code — Parking assessment district / in‑lieu payments (**§ 20.38.060**). (§ 20.38.060)
• Merced_ZoningCode.md

• Official Merced code library