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(a) Applicability. This section applies to all off-street parking, including commercial parking lots and garages, located in the central business district (“CBD”); however, Subsections (b), (c), and (d) do not apply to commercial parking lots and garages in the CBD. In the event of a conflict between this section and other provisions in this chapter, this section controls. Consult Section 51A-4.124(a) for additional regulations concerning commercial parking lots and garages in the CA-1(A) district.
(b) Lighting.
(1) A lighting district is hereby created for purposes of this subsection. The boundaries of the lighting district are as follows:
BEGINNING at a point being the intersection of the southeast line of Woodall Rodgers Freeway with the west line of North Central Expressway;
THENCE southerly along the west line of North Central Expressway to the centerline of Live Oak Street;
THENCE southwesterly along the centerline of Live Oak Street to the centerline of Pearl Street;
THENCE southeasterly along the centerline of Pearl Street to the centerline of Pearl Expressway;
THENCE southerly along the centerline of Pearl Expressway to the centerline of Pacific Avenue;
THENCE westerly along the centerline of Pacific Avenue to the centerline of Harwood Street;
THENCE southerly along the centerline of Harwood street to the centerline of Jackson Street;
THENCE westerly along the centerline of Jackson Street to the centerline of Akard Street;
THENCE southeasterly along the centerline of Akard Street to the centerline of Canton Street;
THENCE southwesterly along the centerline of Canton Street to the northwest line of East R.L. Thornton Freeway;
THENCE southwesterly along the northwest line of East R.L. Thornton Freeway to the northeast line of Stemmons Freeway;
THENCE northwesterly along the northeast line of Stemmons Freeway to the southeast line of Woodall Rodgers Freeway;
THENCE northeasterly along the southeast line of Woodall Rodgers Freeway to the point of beginning.
(2) A surface parking lot in the lighting district that collects revenue on the premises for after-dark use (including attended, self-park, and coin-activated gated lots) must be lighted after dark until 2 a.m., or until no customer vehicles remain on the parking lot, whichever is earlier. If revenue is collected for after-dark use of only a portion of the parking lot and that portion is clearly designated, only that portion must be lighted. For purposes of this subsection, “dark” means one-half hour after sunset.
(3) No lighting is required for a surface parking lot outside of the lighting district.
(4) No portion of a surface parking lot may be open for use by customer vehicles after dark without lighting unless a sign is prominently displayed at or near the entrance to the facility stating: “THIS FACILITY IS NOT ILLUMINATED DURING HOURS OF DARKNESS.” The sign must be posted adjacent to the public street and be easily visible from the street.
(5) A multi-level or underground parking garage must be lighted 24 hours a day except when vehicular ingress and egress is prohibited.
(6) The intensity of required lighting on the parking surface must be:
(A) an average of at least two footcandles, initial measurement, and at least one footcandle on a maintained basis; and
(B) a minimum at any point of at least 0.6 footcandle initial, and at least 0.3 footcandle maintained or one-third of the average for the lighted area, whichever is greater.
(7) Light sources must be indirect, diffused, or shielded-type fixtures, installed to reduce glare and the consequent interference with boundary streets. Bare bulbs or strings of lamps are prohibited.
(8) Fixtures must be attached to buildings or mounted on permanent poles.
(9) Fixtures on surface parking lots must be at least 20 feet above the lot surface. This requirement does not apply to parking garages.
(10) The board may grant a special exception to the lighting requirements of this subsection if the board finds, after a public hearing, that the special exception will not compromise the safety of persons using the parking. In determining whether to grant this special exception, the board shall consider:
(A) the extent to which the parking will be used after dark;
(B) the crime statistics for the area; and
(C) the extent to which adequate lighting may be provided by light sources located on adjacent property.
(11) The board shall not grant a special exception eliminating lighting requirements for all or a portion of a parking lot or garage without requiring that a sign be posted advising the public of the extent to which there will be no illumination during hours of darkness. The sign must be posted in a conspicuous place and be reasonably calculated to adequately inform those persons who might park in the area that is the subject of the special exception.
(c) Stall width. There is no minimum stall width requirement for non-required off-street parking spaces. Required off-street parking spaces must comply with the dimensional standards contained in Section 51A-4.301.
(d) Parking space identification. Non-required parking spaces need not be identified. Required off-street parking spaces must be clearly and permanently identified by stripes, buttons, tiles, curbs, barriers, or another method approved by the building official.
(e) Wheel guards and barriers. Required off-street parking spaces for nonresidential uses, and parking spaces (both required and non-required) along the perimeter of the parking lot or garage must have wheel guards not less than six inches in height, or other permanent barriers approved by the building official. Examples of acceptable permanent barriers include guardrails and fences or walls capable of containing an automobile within the parking area. Wheel guards or barriers must be placed so that no part of the automobile extends into the public sidewalk or adjoining property.
(f) Passenger unloading zone required in certain cases.
(1) If customer vehicles are parked by an attendant or employee of the facility, a passenger unloading zone must be provided as part of the ingress lane to the facility. The passenger unloading zone must be:
(A) a minimum of 15 feet wide and 36 feet long;
(B) clearly and permanently identified and labeled as a “no parking” area; and
(C) located so that it can effectively function to reduce on-site and off-site traffic congestion that would otherwise result from operation of the parking lot or garage.
(2) The following are acceptable means of identifying and labeling a passenger unloading zone:
(A) Painting one of the following on the pavement within the zone:
(i) The words “NO PARKING” consisting of 12-inch high black letters on a red background.
(ii) A No Parking symbol sign consisting of the symbol “P” in black, circumscribed in a red circle at least 36 inches in diameter with a red slash. The sign must be painted on a white background with a black border. Illustrations of acceptable No Parking symbol signs may be found in the 1980 Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways published by the State Department of Highways and Public Transportation.
(B) Painting on the pavement along each of the four sides of the outside perimeter of the zone the words “NO PARKING” consisting of four-inch high black letters on a red background.
(g) Stacking space required in certain cases. No stacking spaces are required when a passenger unloading zone is provided in accordance with Subsection (f). However, if no passenger unloading zone is provided, one stacking space must be provided in accordance with Section 51A-4.304.
(h) Conformance. All nonconforming parking lots and garages within the central business district must fully comply with the provisions of this section before April 1, 1991, or within two years of the date the parking lot or garage became nonconforming as to this section, whichever is later. The board may grant an extension of this time period if it determines, after a public hearing, that strict compliance would result in substantial financial hardship or inequity to the applicant without sufficient corresponding benefit to the city and its citizens in accomplishing the objectives of this section. (Ord. Nos. 20272; 21960)
Consult Section 51A-4.704 for regulations concerning nonconformity as to parking and loading. (Ord. 21553)
SECS. 51A-4.308
THRU 51A-4.309. RESERVED.
(a) Special exception: parking demand.
(1) The board may grant a special exception to authorize a reduction in the number of off-street parking spaces required under this article if the board finds, after a public hearing, that the parking demand generated by the use does not warrant the number of off-street parking spaces required, and the special exception would not create a traffic hazard or increase traffic congestion on adjacent or nearby streets. Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, the maximum reduction authorized by this section is 25 percent or one space, whichever is greater, minus the number of parking spaces currently not provided due to delta credits, as defined in Section 51A-4.704(b)(4)(A). For the commercial amusement (inside) use and the industrial (inside) use, the maximum reduction authorized by this section is 75 percent or one space, whichever is greater, minus the number of parking spaces currently not provided due to delta credits, as defined in Section 51A-4.704(b)(4)(A). For the office use, the maximum reduction is 35 percent or one space, whichever is greater, minus the number of parking spaces currently not provided due to delta credits, as defined in Section 51A-4.704(b)(4)(A). Applicants may seek a special exception to parking requirements under this section and an administrative parking reduction under Section 51A-4.313. The greater reduction will apply, but the reductions may not be combined.
(2) In determining whether to grant a special exception under Paragraph (1), the board shall consider the following factors:
(A) The extent to which the parking spaces provided will be remote, shared, or packed parking.
(B) The parking demand and trip generation characteristics of all uses for which the special exception is requested.
(C) Whether or not the subject property or any property in the general area is part of a modified delta overlay district.
(D) The current and probable future capacities of adjacent and nearby streets based on the city’s thoroughfare plan.
(E) The availability of public transit and the likelihood of its use.
(F) The feasibility of parking mitigation measures and the likelihood of their effectiveness.
(3) In granting a special exception under Paragraph (1), the board shall specify the use or uses to which the special exception applies. A special exception granted by the board for a particular use automatically and immediately terminates if and when that use is changed or discontinued.
(4) In granting a special exception under Paragraph (1), the board may:
(A) establish a termination date for the special exception or otherwise provide for the reassessment of conditions after a specified period of time;
(B) impose restrictions on access to or from the subject property; or
(C) impose any other reasonable condition that would have the effect of improving traffic safety or lessening congestion on the streets.
(5) The board shall not grant a special exception under Paragraph (1) to reduce the number of off-street parking spaces required in an ordinance granting or amending a specific use permit.
(6) The board shall not grant a special exception under Paragraph (1) to reduce the number of off-street parking spaces expressly required in the text or development plan of an ordinance establishing or amending regulations governing a specific planned development district. This prohibition does not apply when:
(A) the ordinance does not expressly specify a minimum number of spaces, but instead simply makes reference to the existing off-street parking regulations in Chapter 51 or this chapter; or
(B) the regulations governing that specific district expressly authorize the board to grant the special exception.
(7) The board shall not grant a special exception under Paragraph (1) to reduce the number of off-street parking spaces required for a commercial amusement (inside) used as a dance hall.
(b) Special exception: tree preservation. The board may grant a special exception to authorize a reduction in the number of off-street parking spaces required under this article if the board finds, after a public hearing, that the reduction will result in the preservation of an existing tree. The preserved tree must be protected from vehicular traffic through the use of concrete curbs, wheel stops, or other permanent barriers. The maximum reduction authorized by this subsection is 10 percent or one space, whichever is greater, minus the number of parking spaces currently not provided due to already existing nonconforming rights. (Ord. Nos. 22053; 23614; 25268; 28803)
The number of off-street parking spaces required under this article is reduced by one for each protected tree (as defined in Article X) retained that would otherwise have to be removed. The preserved tree must be protected from vehicular traffic through the use of concrete curbs, wheel stops, or other permanent barriers. The maximum reduction authorized by this section is five percent or one space, whichever is greater, minus the number of parking spaces currently not provided due to already existing nonconforming rights. (Ord. 22053)
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