(A) Purpose and intent. The purpose of these regulations is to establish standards for off-street parking and loading of motor vehicles, ensure adequate parking and access are provided in a safe and convenient manner, and to afford reasonable protection for adjacent land uses from light, noise, air pollution and other effects of parking areas. These regulations are designed to alleviate congestion of streets by establishing minimum requirements for on-site parking, access, storage, loading, and/or unloading. Off-street parking and loading facilities must be provided and maintained for all buildings, structures, or premises according to the provisions of this chapter.
(B) General requirements.
(1) Applicability of parking requirements.
(a) When the intensity of use of any building, structure, or premises is increased through the addition of dwelling units, floor area, or other unit of measurement, additional parking and loading facilities must be provided for the increase based on the requirements.
(b) Whenever the existing use of a building, structure, or premises changes or converts to a new use permitted by this chapter, parking and loading facilities must be added, if needed, to comply with the parking requirements.
(c) When additional parking is required, the following standards apply:
1. If the added parking or loading area comprises less than 50% of the existing area used for parking or loading, only the added parking or loading facilities are required to conform to the parking requirements.
2. If the added parking or loading area comprises 50% or more of the existing area used for parking or loading, the entire parking or loading area must be brought into conformance with the parking requirements.
(d) Nothing in this chapter prevents the voluntary establishment of off-street parking or loading facilities serving existing uses if the parking requirements are met.
(e) On-street parking is permitted, subject to the rules and conditions of the jurisdiction with authority over the street. Unless otherwise provided in this section, on-street parking does not count toward off-street parking requirements.
(2) Limitations on parking areas.
(a) Required off-street parking facilities can only be used for the parking of passenger vehicles or light trucks for patrons, occupants, or employees of specified uses. Parking facilities cannot be used for storage, display, sale, repair, dismantling, or wrecking of any vehicle, equipment, or material. Inoperable vehicles cannot be stored in an off-street parking area for more than 24 hours, except for areas approved for outdoor storage of vehicles.
(b) Parking on residential properties is restricted to passenger vehicles and no more than one commercial truck or van with a maximum capacity of three tons capacity (manufacturer's rating).
(C) Required off-street parking.
(1) Except for certain residential uses, there are no minimum required parking spaces. Instead, the owner provides parking spaces based upon the number employees, expected level of customer traffic, or actual counts at similar establishments. Consideration is given to the presence of convenient municipal off-street parking or on-street spaces located adjacent to the site and if walk-in trade is reasonable due to pedestrian connections to adjacent residential neighborhoods or employment centers.
(2) The town has established a maximum number of parking spaces permitted for each use. In determining the maximum number of off-street parking spaces permitted, the following instructions apply:
(a) Off-street parking requirements are calculated based on gross square footage of the use to which the parking is accessory, or as otherwise provided on the Permitted Use Table.
(b) If the calculation of required parking spaces results in a fraction, the fraction is rounded up to the next unit and counted as one additional space.
(c) For uses not specified on the Permitted Use Table, the maximum number of parking spaces permitted is determined by the Administrator, based on requirements for similar uses, the gross square footage of the use, and the relationship between the size of the use and the number of persons served or employed.
(3) The maximum parking space requirements of this section cannot be exceeded unless approved by the Plan Commission as part of site plan review. In approving excess parking spaces, the Plan Commission determines the parking is necessary to accommodate the use on a typical day. Additional parking spaces approved by the Plan Commission must incorporate pervious paving materials to the extent practical and as subsurface conditions allow.
(4) The minimum aisle width for angled parking is:
Angle of Parking Space | Minimum Aisle Width |
30 degrees | 14 feet |
45 degrees | 18 feet |
90 degrees | 22 feet |
(D) Design standards. Off-street parking areas must be developed according to the standards of this section.
(1) Dimensions and layout.
(a) Each off-street parking space must open directly upon an aisle or driveway to provide safe and efficient vehicular access to the parking spaces aisles or driveways must remain unobstructed and always allow for the passage of emergency vehicles.
(b) Off-street parking spaces must be at least nine feet wide and 18 feet long with a vertical clearance of seven feet. Parallel parking spaces must be at least eight feet wide and 22 feet long. Parking spaces are exclusive of access drives, aisles, ramps, columns, and work area.
(2) Parking surface. Driveways and drive aisles must be surfaced with asphalt, concrete, or similar material to provide a durable and dustless surface. Gravel driveways and drive aisles are prohibited, unless approved by the Administrator for temporary uses or agricultural operations, including seasonal roadside stands. Pervious parking spaces are encouraged to reduce post-construction storm water runoff rates, volumes, and pollutant loads. The Administrator may approve the use of permeable surfaces such as pervious concrete, porous asphalt, permeable interlocking concrete pavers, and concrete or plastic grid pavers.
(3) Curbing. Curbs and gutters built per the town's construction standards are required around the perimeter of all parking facilities and landscape islands within the parking facilities to prevent a parked vehicle from extending beyond the parking area onto a street right-of-way or adjacent property and to protect landscaped areas.
(4) Residential driveways. A residential dwelling unit is limited to one driveway with a maximum width of 20 feet measured at the right-of-way line. In addition, residential driveways must be located at least 75 feet from a street intersection unless otherwise approved by the Administrator.
(5) Drainage or runoff. Parking areas must be graded and drained, so water does not flow onto adjacent property or public sidewalks. Runoff generated by parking areas must be collected in appropriate drainage facilities per the Bargersville storm water standards.
(6) Striping of parking. Parking areas must be striped and maintained to identify each parking space.
(8) Landscaping. Off-street parking areas must be landscaped in accordance with § 154.110(G).
(9) Accessible parking. Accessible parking must be provided pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, as amended, for any building or use initiated after the effective date of this chapter.
(10) Accessibility. Off-street parking or loading facilities must be designed with vehicular access to a street or alley in a manner that least interferes with traffic movement on that street or alley. Vehicle maneuvering space for parking and loading must be located on the subject property. Properties deriving access to SR 135, SR 37, or CR 144 must comply with § 154.037(G).
(11) Location of parking and loading. Off-street parking and loading spaces must be provided on the same lot as the use served, except as otherwise provided in this chapter.
(12) Stacking requirements for drive-through facilities. The following requirements apply to uses with drive-through facilities.
(a) General requirements.
1. Drive-through lanes and required stacking spaces must not interfere with parking space maneuvering aisles, parking drive aisles, loading spaces, internal site circulation, designated fire lanes or site access points.
2. Drive-through lanes and stacking spaces must be designed to prevent vehicles from stacking in the right-of-way (Figure 5-6).
3. No stacking space may occupy any portion of a right-of-way.
4. A stacking space does not constitute a parking space.
5. All drive-through and stacking lanes must be delineated with pavement markings or otherwise distinctly delineated, as approved by the Administrator.
(b) A stacking space must be at least eight feet wide and 20 feet long with direct forward access to a service window or station of a drive-through facility.
(c) A lane at least eight feet wide parallel to a drive-through lane must be provided around the drive-through facility to allow vehicles to exit the drive-through lane and circumvent the stacking lane. This lane may be part of the site's overall circulation plan.
(d) Noted below are the minimum number of required stacking spaces, excluding the position at the service window or ordering station.
1. Fast food restaurant: seven stacking spaces;
2. Financial institutions, pharmacies, takeout, and deli-style restaurant with drive-through three stacking spaces per service window;
3. All other facilities: two stacking spaces per service window;
(E) Parking options.
(1) Credit for on-street parking. Wherever on-street parking is provided in the improvement of a street, credit toward off-street parking requirements may be granted for every parking space provided. On-street parking is subject to approval by the Administrator and specifically not permitted in the following areas:
(a) On an expressway or arterial street;
(b) Within 20 feet of a corner;
(c) Within five feet of each side of a driveway or alley;
(d) Within a fire hydrant zone or other emergency access zone.
(2) Shared parking. Groups of users requiring parking spaces may create a shared parking facility if all the criteria below are met. Approval by the Plan Commission is required.
(a) Off-site, off-street parking facilities are within 600 feet of the property.
(b) Safe and convenient pedestrian uses must be provided between the parking facilities and uses.
(c) Interior vehicle access must connect the properties sharing the parking facilities.
(d) A written reciprocal parking agreement or similar document with a minimum duration of 20 years, signed by all property owners involved is required. It must include provisions for: easements (if applicable), maintenance, snow removal, ownership, and liability. The agreement must be recorded in the County Recorder's office with a copy provided to the Department. When the reciprocal parking agreement expires or terminates, the uses for which the parking was provided are considered nonconforming. Continuation or expansion of the uses is prohibited unless the use is brought into compliance with the parking regulations of this chapter.
(3) Deferred parking. When development of a site will occur in phases, the Plan Commission may defer some of the required parking until it is needed if:
(a) A site plan shows all required parking but identifies those spaces that will not be constructed until needed.
(b) Any area designated for deferred parking must be maintained in a landscaped appearance. Parking lot landscaping required for the deferred spaces can be installed when the deferred parking area is constructed.
(c) Construction of all or a portion of the deferred parking spaces may be initiated by the owner or required by the Town based on actual parking needs.
(F) Parking as a principal use. The Board of Zoning Appeals may approve parking as a principal use of property as a special exception in according to this section.
(1) Site plan. A site plan is filed with the BZA as part of the special exception application. The site plan must indicate:
(a) All individual uses to be served by the parking, including the location, use, and number of parking spaces required for each use;
(b) The location of buildings, parking areas, and access points on all adjacent properties;
(c) The site layout drawn to scale and dimensioned of proposed entrance and exit driveways, accel/decel lanes, parking spaces, setbacks, drainage facilities, structures, buildings, landscaping, and buffer screening; and
(d) Location, size, and design of proposed lighting, pavement, and signs.
(2) Setbacks and access. Proposed parking facilities shall meet the setback requirements for principal buildings.
(3) Legal encumbrance. Parking as a principal use is encumbered by an instrument approved by the town that links the parking facilities to the uses served. The instrument specifies and binds the time period to the anticipated life of the building or use the parking facility serves. The instrument is filed with the improvement location permit files of the Department and recorded in the office of the Johnson County Recorder.
(4) Changes to site plans. Any change to a site plan resulting from conditions imposed by the BZA is made to the plans and submitted to the Administrator prior to issuing the permit. Other changes, such as modifying the number of parking spaces, altering the layout, or placing or removing a structure, requires approval of a new site plan. Minor changes (see § 154.180(G)(9) are approved by the Administrator. Changes other than minor changes are approved by the BZA.
(G) Off-street loading requirements.
(1) Uses requiring loading areas. Buildings used for manufacturing, storage, warehousing, retail sales, or other uses involving the receipt or distribution of materials or merchandise must provide adequate space for loading and unloading services to avoid undue interference with streets, alleys, and parking spaces.
(2) Loading area design requirements.
(a) Loading and unloading spaces must be paved, located to the side or rear of a building, and be at least ten feet wide by 50 feet long, with 15-foot height clearance.
(b) Loading spaces and maneuvering space for loading spaces cannot use any portion of a public right-of-way, private street, or access easement.
(c) Required loading spaces do not count toward required off-street parking spaces.
(3) Number.
(a) Business and professional offices, medical facilities, schools, hotels, clubs, and similar businesses must provide one loading berth for each 100,000 square feet of space or fraction thereof.
(b) Industrial manufacturing and warehousing uses must provide one loading berth for each 40,000 square feet or fraction thereof.
(c) Other business uses must provide loading berths based upon the size of the building as follows:
5,000 to 10,000 sq. ft. | One loading berth |
10,001 to 25,000 sq. ft. | Two loading berths |
Over 25,000 sq. ft. | One additional loading berth for each 25,000 sq. ft. or fraction thereof |
(Ord. 2022-17, passed 7-19-2022)