The following provisions to reduce the number of required off-street parking spaces shall be utilized individually and not in conjunction with each other or with any other provisions to reduce parking within this article. NOTE: Calculation of needed handicap accessible off-street parking spaces shall be pursuant to the base parking requirements and not based on the reduced parking requirements described by this section for which a project may be eligible (also see Section 5 below regarding Handicap Accessible Off-Street Parking).
A. Minimum Parking (Five Percent (5%) Reduction). For all non-residential uses, the total number of required off-street parking spaces may be reduced by up to five percent (5%) of the standard number of required parking spaces for the use(s) to which they are assigned.
1. Applicability. This provision to reduce the standard number of required parking spaces shall only apply when the following conditions are met:
a. The reduction in the number of parking spaces shall not cause the development to be noncompliant with Section 2.A. above;
b. Shall only apply to non-residential uses; and
c. Shall not be applied in conjunction with other provisions to reduce the number of required off-street spaces pursuant to this article.
2. Criteria. The following criteria shall be used in the evaluation of a request to reduce the standard number of required parking by five percent (5%):
a. Landscaped areas within off-street parking areas shall be maximized and enhanced, and existing plant material, particularly mature shade trees should be preserved to the maximum extent possible, to help reduce ground-level absorption of solar radiation;
b. Impervious surfaces shall be minimized; and
c. Pedestrian connections shall be enhanced.
3. Methodology. Where the reduction in the number of required parking spaces as computed includes a fraction, the reduced number of parking spaces shall be the computed number rounded down to the lowest whole number.
B. Joint Access/Parking. In all districts, when two (2) or more abutting properties combine their on-site parking with common access drives and interconnectivity for both vehicular and pedestrian use, the total number of required parking spaces may be reduced by ten percent (10%). A review for this type of parking reduction shall be conducted by staff upon the submittal of a cross-parking agreement between property owners in conjunction with a request for a new site plan or site plan modification in accordance with Chapter 2, Article II, Section 2.F.
C. Shared Parking. Mixed use developments may utilize the following required parking methodologies based upon shared parking with different hours of use. The total requirement for off-street parking spaces shall be the highest of the requirement of the various uses computed for the following five (5) separate time periods: weekdays (daytime, evening), weekends (daytime, evening) and nighttime. For the purpose of calculating the requirement of the various uses for the various separate time periods, the percent of parking required shall be calculated and certified by a licensed traffic engineer using "Shared Parking, Second Edition", U.L.I., 2005, or other acceptable methodology.
Quantitative evidence may also include, where appropriate, field studies and traffic counts prepared by a traffic consultant experienced in the preparation of parking studies. In addition, a minimum buffer of ten percent (10%) shall be provided to ensure that a sufficient number of parking spaces are available at the peak hour/peak season of parking demand. Calculation of said buffer shall be based on the total number of parking spaces determined to be required at the peak hour/peak season of parking demand. Evidence for joint allocation of required parking spaces shall be reviewed for accuracy and appropriateness.
D. Martin Luther King Boulevard Overlay Zone. Parking space requirements shall be calculated in accordance with Section 2 above. Any required parking for non-residential uses shall be reduced by fifty percent (50%).
E. Payment in Lieu of Parking. The payment in lieu of parking option is applicable within the central business district (hereinafter CBD) and those areas described under Section 4, "Exceptions to Providing Required Off-Street Parking," A. "Adaptive Re-Use," below.
1. Applicability. Within these areas at the time of any new building construction, off-street parking spaces shall be provided as required by this article and Chapter 3, Article III, Section 3.E.
2. Fee (Method of Assessment). Up to ten percent (10%) of the required parking for new construction and twenty-five percent (25%) of the parking required under the adaptive re-use provisions below in Section 4, as set forth in this subsection, may be satisfied in whole or part by the payment of a non-refundable parking improvement fee in lieu of the provisions of the required off-street parking spaces. Parking improvement fees shall be assessed as follows:
The engineer for the applicant shall submit a signed and sealed cost estimate for the construction of structured parking spaces. The estimate shall be broken down by individual spaces, including design, land, and construction cost. If necessary, an outside professional may be retained by the city to review the applicant's cost estimate. The applicant shall pay the retainer fees associated with the review of the cost estimate by the city's consultant. Once reviewed and accepted by the City Engineer or designee, the parking improvement fee in the amount of one hundred ten percent (110%) of the estimate shall be paid to the city in full, prior to the issuance of the first building permit for the project.
Parking improvement fees shall be paid into the City of Boynton Beach Parking Trust Fund, and are subject to use by the city for parking related improvements in the geographic areas to which this subsection applies.
3. Additional Requirements. Whenever a payment in lieu of parking is authorized and accepted, the following additional requirements shall apply:
a. Any off-street parking arrangement satisfied in this manner shall run with the land, and any subsequent change of use which requires more parking shall require recalculation of the payment in lieu of parking fee.
b. No refund of payment shall be made when there is a change to a use requiring less parking.
4. Parking Trust Fund. In addition to land acquisition and the construction of parking spaces, the funds collected may be used to inform the public about parking resources or transit programs, as well as to promote alternative programs intended to alleviate parking congestion, such as the use of a trolley or shuttle system or the construction of bicycle lane facilities.
F. Cultural District Overlay. See Chapter 3, Article III, Section 8.D. for additional off-street parking provisions regarding the Cultural District Overlay.
G. Parking Reductions for Sustainability. To promote or recognize sustainable design or operation, including increased pervious area, reduced parking fields, promotion of mass transit and uses of renewable energy sources, lower parking requirements will be granted to eligible developments as follows:
Use
| Minimum Number of Required Parking Spaces1 |
Use
| Minimum Number of Required Parking Spaces1 |
Building area is based on gross floor area unless specifically expressed otherwise. | |
Efficiency or one (1)-bedroom apartment | 1.33 |
Two (2) or more bedroom apartment | 1.66 |
Shopping center | 1 per 250 |
Office - Retail complex | 1 per 250 |
Grocery store | 1 per 250 |
Industrial uses: - Packing & shipping, trucking, and moving - Warehouse, wholesale, distribution (single-tenant or multi-tenant building) - Warehouse, internet sales | 1 per 1000 |
1 Only represents the base minimum parking rations. Other requirements may also apply including parking for guests and recreation area as describe in other sections of the Land Development Regulations.
1. Applicability. Eligible developments must be able to provide sustainable design and operation, and, except where noted below, must be located within one-half (1/2) mile from a regional transportation facility (e.g. Transit Area), or within five hundred (500) feet of a bus stop with direct access to a regional transportation facility, measured from property line to property line.
2. Application and Development Requirements. Requests for parking reduction must occur at time of site plan review, and must include a parking demand study prepared by a professional engineer and/or based on findings from an existing development or other comparable projects experienced by the applicant that include, in part, projects designed to meet lower parking requirements as allowed by this section. The study must provide evidence that the project would not be deficient of parking, that the reduced ratios would not adversely affect the project in any way, or increase the demand for parking spaces upon public streets in the immediate vicinity, or would not increase the demand for parking spaces on private properties in the immediate vicinity unless in conjunction with an approval for shared parking pursuant to city regulations.
Eligible applicants must demonstrate that proposed parking design or resources would be adequate, and shall satisfy the following requirements meeting sustainable design and operation (where basic mathematical calculations are involved, rounding will be based on the traditional mathematical rule):
a. Describe, in quantifiable terms, how the project provides an increase in green space (pervious area) which otherwise would be paved for parking spaces, or how the proposed project provides a lower urban heat island effect if the proposed development is an urban infill or redevelopment project. At minimum, the elements to be included for compliance are all building roofs, parking and other hard surfaces, and tree canopies.
b. Accommodate fuel efficient vehicles through provision of covered and well-illuminated locations with apparatus for parking and locking of bikes and low-powered mopeds and scooters, and designated spaces for motorcycles and compact vehicles. Covered storage facilities shall be located on the project site in close proximity to the destination of the residents, employees, or visitors.
c. No more than three percent (3%) of the required parking spaces are represented by spaces dedicated to motorcycles, which should be covered as an incentive for use.
d. No more than ten percent (10%) of the required parking spaces are represented by spaces dedicated to compact vehicles, and disbursed throughout the project to maximize accessibility and convenience.
e. Provide efficiency in parking design including consideration for space-conserving tandem spaces when functionally feasible.
f. Provide vehicle charging stations and dedicated spaces for at minimum Level 2 charging power (one (1) per fifty (50) dwelling units and one (1) per every fifty thousand (50,000) square feet for non-residential developments in excess of seventy-five thousand (75,000) square feet).
g. Design for maximized pedestrian interconnectivity for internal circulation and efficient ingress and egress minimizing travel distance for pedestrians and bike/moped/scooter riders.
h. Include a parking contingency plan to show areas on the proposed site plan where parking spaces may be added in the event that a shortage is subsequently realized for average daily parking demand. If such future spaces do not equal or exceed the total deficiency determined by the standard parking requirements for the use, provide operational rules, procedures or strategies at time of site plan approval to off-set the realized deficiency.
i. Facilitate a ride-sharing/car pool program by screening, recording and maintaining participants' travel destination information, schedules and routes for controlled access by residents and employees.
j. Maintain bus and train schedules in the management office, accessible to residents and employees. The management shall designate employees who will maintain and distribute schedule and route information enabling them to advise residents and employees as necessary.
k. Consider a shuttle service/program providing transportation to the nearest transit facility, whether as an incentive or fee-based. Residents should be polled for interest.
l. Include marketing goals and practices targeting residents who work atypical shifts, including incentives for those in fields such as law enforcement, medical, security, etc.
m. Provide the following information to residents at time of lease, and post it on a permanent sign visible from a common location and at entry to the management office: "This development offers sustainable living (or working) environment that facilitates a reduction in required parking spaces while accommodating bikes, low-powered mopeds and scooters, motorcycles, compact vehicles and electric vehicles. Contact the management for further information".
n. Establish and implement operational rules that regulate the maximum number of vehicles per unit, provide incentives for minimizing total vehicles and maximizing compact and electric vehicles, and restrict where lesser used vehicles such as recreational, work, or utility vehicles and equipment can be parked or stored. Incentives shall be provided for single vehicle households or to those regularly using or dependent on public transportation.
o. Implement an operational rule prohibiting operators, residents, employees, visitors, etc. from using any parking space, including interior garage spaces, for any purpose other than for the temporary parking of vehicles as intended and designed for the project.
p. Consent to providing a report containing evidence of continued compliance with the requirements herein upon request by the city.
(Ord. 10-025, passed 12-7-10; Am. Ord. 11-002, passed 3-1-11; Am. Ord. 13-013, passed 6-4-13; Am. Ord. 14-020, passed 10-7-14; Am. Ord. 16-015, passed 7-5-16; Am. Ord. 19-018, passed 7-2-19; Am. Ord. 19-033, passed 10-1-19; Am. Ord. 22-022, passed 11-1-22; Am. Ord. 23-025,passed 12-19-23)