Placerville — Parking

Last reviewed: July 2, 2026

Overview

This page summarizes what the Placerville Zoning Ordinance says about off-street parking, truck loading, and bicycle parking requirements — where the city sets them and how they are applied in practice. For development rules that interact with parking (setbacks, lot coverage, and similar), consult the city's Placerville Development Standards. For project-level review requirements see Placerville Design Review. (For building-code technical standards like clearances inside a garage see the California Building Standards Code.)

Key controlling local rules live in § 10-4-4 (Parking and Loading) of the Placerville Zoning Ordinance; related actions (in-lieu fees, site plan review, overlays and ADU-specific rules) are found elsewhere in Title 10 and are cited below. All requirements below are taken from the Placerville ordinance and are identified with the local section where they appear.

Citywide parking & loading fundamentals (what applies to every zone)

• Applicability: A new use/structure/addition may not create or increase a parking deficiency; these rules apply citywide and within special parking districts (downtown parking district) with an in-lieu fee option. See § 10-4-4(A) and § 10-4-5.
• Location: Required parking must be on the parcel or contiguous parcel; nonresidential parking may be up to 300 feet from the use if under same ownership and in the same or less-restrictive zone (no major thoroughfare between) — required loading must be on the same parcel and within 20 feet of the building. See § 10-4-4(B).
• Layout, dimensions, and engineering standards are mandatory: stall sizes, compact-car limits, aisle widths, grades, vertical clearances, paving, surfacing, landscaping, screening and fencing are specified in § 10-4-4(C–D) and related development standards. Key numeric controls are summarized in the table below and explained in the narrative that follows.
• Site improvements (surfacing, drainage) and landscape shading/planter requirements must be completed prior to certificate-of-occupancy per § 10-4-4(D) and the landscaping rules in the development standards.

Important numeric items (all from § 10-4-4(C–F) unless otherwise noted):

• Standard stall size: 9' x 18'; 10' x 18' where obstructions/columns are adjacent. Compact stalls: up to 20% of stalls, minimum 7' x 17'.
• Aisle widths: 12' for parallel/≤40° stalls, 17' for 40–70°, 24' for 70–90° stalls.
• Vertical clearance: parking aisle/stall 8' minimum; loading berth/access 15' minimum.
• Maximum grade: 10% for stalls/aisles; if over 5% stall width must increase to 10'.
• Loading berth sizes and required number by building area are listed in § 10-4-4(F) (see table below).

District-by-district breakdown (how parking rules play out by zone)

Note: Placerville’s zoning districts are defined in Chapter 5 of Title 10 (see Placerville Zoning). Parking standards themselves are largely use-based (the parking schedule) and apply across zones, but particular districts and overlays change how parking may be provided or reviewed — below are the districts and overlays where the ordinance changes the practical parking outcome.

R-1 (Single-Family Residential)

• Purpose & where it applies: Typical single-family neighborhoods; permitted uses focus on residential living. See the zone chapters in Title 10.
• Parking rule highlights: Single-family required parking is 2 spaces per dwelling unit (parking schedule, § 10-4-4(E)). Conversion of garages to ADUs and ADU rules affect required spaces (see § 10-4-12 for ADU parking exceptions).
• Dimensional rules that affect parking placement: parking stalls may encroach into required front yards up to 3 feet from the right-of-way (layout rules in § 10-4-4(C)); driveway/parking surfacing standard applies unless the use is a single-family dwelling exception for pavements. Verify specifics with the Development Services Director when lots are substandard.

R-2, R-3, R-4 (Multi‑Family Residential zones)

• Purpose & typical uses: Multi-family housing, small-scale apartments; these zones are subject to site plan review for new multi-family buildings.
• Parking rule highlights: Multi-family parking requirement is 1.5 spaces per dwelling unit (§ 10-4-4(E)). For certain SRO developments there are special bicycle and parking rules (see § 10-4-8). Tandem or compact arrangements may be allowed with conditions.
• Special design & review: New multi-family construction typically requires site plan review and must meet lot landscaping, pedestrian access, and parking lot shading rules. See § 10-4-9 for site plan review requirements.

CBD — Central Business District (Zone: CBD, § 10-5-14)

• Purpose & where it applies: Downtown pedestrian‑oriented commercial core; mix of ground-floor retail, offices, institutional, and residential above/below grade. § 10-5-14 defines permitted uses.
• How parking is handled: Downtown properties are within the downtown parking district rules — owners may seek to pay a parking in‑lieu fee instead of providing on-site stalls (see § 10-4-5). Tandem parking for employees is allowed in the downtown parking district but requires a conditional use permit and specific conditions (§ 10-4-4(C)10).
• Practical effect: Expect fewer on-site stalls required for many downtown projects (in-lieu fee option) but stronger design review oversight because the CBD is historically sensitive; check Placerville Historic Preservation and CBD design rules when preparing parking plans.

PF (Public Facilities) and other overlays (e.g., AO Airport Overlay)

• PF: Public uses (schools, parks, government); parking ratios will follow the use-based table (e.g., schools, assembly, institutional). See the parking schedule § 10-4-4(E).
• AO overlay (Airport overlay): Overlay modifies underlying zone rules for compatibility with airport operations and can require additional review; parking location or access could be conditioned for safety/airspace protection issues — see AO overlay sections. Verify parcel applicability on the official zoning map.

Most decision‑relevant standards (summary table)

(For full use-by-use chart consult § 10-4-4(E) in the ordinance; the table above extracts the uses most frequently relevant to applicants.)

Plain‑English guidance and interpretation (practical tips)

• If you are building or changing a use, start with the parking schedule in § 10-4-4(E) to compute required stalls; then check layout rules in § 10-4-4(C) for stall size, aisle, grade and clearance requirements. Those two sections control most outcomes.
• Downtown projects should plan for the in‑lieu fee process early — the planning commission and city council weigh whether to require physical stalls or accept fees per § 10-4-5; tangible drawings showing where off-site stalls will be located (if used) help the commission decide.
• ADUs: Don’t assume you must add a parking stall for an ADU — the ordinance explicitly says no additional parking is required for ADUs except where the lot fronts a substandard street (then the primary dwelling must retain two spaces). See § 10-4-12 and related ADU rules. Consult the Placerville ADUs page for application details.
• If your parking plan reduces existing on-site parking (for example converting a garage to an ADU), confirm replacement requirements — the code treats conversions and loss of prior parking specially (see ADU provisions and § 10-4-4 replacement language). Verify with Development Services.

Checklist (what an applicant must satisfy)

• Compute required stalls using the use‑specific schedule in § 10-4-4(E).
• Show on-site layout that meets stall, aisle, grade, and clearance standards in § 10-4-4(C) (dimensioned plan).
• If nonresidential parking is off-site, document ownership/contract and distance (≤ 300 ft) per § 10-4-4(B).
• Complete required paving/drainage/landscaping improvements per § 10-4-4(D) and related development standards before CO.
• If in downtown parking district, file for a parking-in‑lieu determination or pay fee as specified in § 10-4-5.
• If proposing tandem employee parking downtown, prepare CUP materials and employee shift counts per § 10-4-4(C)(10).
• If the project requires site plan review or is in a historic district, complete materials required by § 10-4-9 and the Historic Preservation rules; include parking and circulation diagrams.

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain-English Summary

Placerville’s zoning code requires projects to provide the number of off‑street stalls shown in the city’s parking schedule and to build them to the layout and construction standards in § 10‑4‑4 (stall size, aisle widths, grades, surfacing, and loading berths). Downtown projects can sometimes pay an in‑lieu fee instead of building stalls; ADUs generally do not trigger new parking requirements except on substandard streets. Always run your site plan against § 10‑4‑4 and check for overlay/downtown district rules before filing.

Source References

• Placerville Zoning Ordinance — § 10-4-4: Parking and Loading (layout, stall sizes, aisle widths, grades, vertical clearances, parking schedule)
• Placerville Zoning Ordinance — § 10-4-4(E): Minimum Parking Spaces (use-by-use schedule)
• Placerville Zoning Ordinance — § 10-4-4(F): Loading Berths (required number & sizes)
• Placerville Zoning Ordinance — § 10-4-5: Parking In-Lieu Fee Regulations (downtown parking district procedure)
• Placerville Zoning Ordinance — § 10-4-8: Single Room Occupancy (SRO) Facilities (bicycle parking for SROs)
• Placerville Zoning Ordinance — ADU requirements including parking: § 10-4-12 (ADU parking exception — no additional parking except in special cases)
• Placerville Zoning Ordinance — § 10-4-9: Site Plan Review (submittal requirements and review triggers)
• Placerville Zoning Ordinance — § 10-5-14: CBD Central Business District (permitted uses and downtown context)
• State-level references (for context on bicycle/EV/green requirements): California Green Building Standards Code (re: bicycle parking, EV readiness). Not a Placerville ordinance but useful context.

Retrieved passages

• Placerville Zoning Code (section shall) High relevance show source text
• Placerville Zoning Code (section 10-3-6) High relevance show source text
• Placerville Zoning Code (section shall) High relevance show source text
• Placerville Zoning Code (section is) High relevance show source text
• Placerville Zoning Code (section 10-4-4) High relevance show source text
• Placerville Zoning Code (section shall) Medium relevance show source text
• Placerville Zoning Code Medium relevance show source text
• Placerville Zoning Code (section does) Medium relevance show source text
• CFC § 310.4 (Title 24) Medium relevance show source text
• Placerville Zoning Code (section not) Medium relevance show source text
• Placerville Zoning Code (chapter shall) Medium relevance show source text
• Placerville Zoning Code (title 8) Medium relevance show source text
• CBC § 66314 (§ 66314) Medium relevance show source text
• Placerville Zoning Code (§ 66314) Medium relevance show source text
• CBC § 8 (section is) Medium relevance show source text

Cited sections

• Placerville Zoning Ordinance — **§ 10-4-4: Parking and Loading** (layout, stall sizes, aisle widths, grades, vertical clearances, parking schedule) (§ 10-4-4)
• Placerville Zoning Ordinance — **§ 10-4-4(E): Minimum Parking Spaces (use-by-use schedule)** (§ 10-4-4)
• Placerville Zoning Ordinance — **§ 10-4-4(F): Loading Berths** (required number & sizes) (§ 10-4-4)
• Placerville Zoning Ordinance — **§ 10-4-5: Parking In-Lieu Fee Regulations** (downtown parking district procedure) (§ 10-4-5)
• Placerville Zoning Ordinance — **§ 10-4-8: Single Room Occupancy (SRO) Facilities** (bicycle parking for SROs) (§ 10-4-8)
• Placerville Zoning Ordinance — ADU requirements including parking: **§ 10-4-12** (ADU parking exception — no additional parking except in special cases) (§ 10-4-12)
• Placerville Zoning Ordinance — **§ 10-4-9: Site Plan Review** (submittal requirements and review triggers) (§ 10-4-9)
• Placerville Zoning Ordinance — **§ 10-5-14: CBD Central Business District** (permitted uses and downtown context) (§ 10-5-14)
• State-level references (for context on bicycle/EV/green requirements): California Green Building Standards Code (re: bicycle parking, EV readiness). Not a Placerville ordinance but useful context.
• Placerville_ZoningCode.md
• 2025 California Green Building Standards Code.md
• 2025 California ADU handbook.md

• Official Placerville code library