1. Dimensions.
A. Standard parking stalls shall be 9 feet wide and 18 feet long.
B. Where parking stalls are located adjacent to landscaped areas, the paved depth of such stalls may be decreased by two feet to provide for a vehicle overhang area. The vehicle overhang area may not encroach into a required landscaped area or public sidewalk or right-of-way.
2. Pavement and Drainage.
A. All off-street parking facilities, including approaches and maneuvering areas, shall be surfaced with concrete, asphalt, asphaltic concrete, or brick and shall be maintained with materials sufficient to prevent mud, dust, or loose material except as provided below:
(1) Sites within the AG and RR Districts are exempt from this requirement.
(2) In residential areas, all parking spaces and driveways used for parking shall be paved, including driveways that lead to paved parking spaces.
B. Off-street parking facilities shall be designed and built to prevent the free flow of water onto adjacent properties. Parking lot design which discharges water onto public right-of-way is subject to review and approval by the City Engineer.
3. Landscape and Screening Requirements. Landscape requirements for off-street parking facilities are set forth in Section 171.07.
4. Entrances and Exits.
A. Adequate access to each parking facility shall be provided by means of clearly defined and limited driveways or access points. Such driveways shall be designed to direct non-residential traffic away from residential areas.
B. Parking facilities other than driveways for single-family, duplex, two-family, or mobile home residential uses must permit vehicles to enter streets in a forward position.
5. Design and Pedestrian Access.
A. Parking lots providing over 200 stalls should be divided into smaller parking fields not exceeding 100 stalls to reduce the visual impact of large parking expanses. Divisions should be made with landscape strips, peninsulas, or grade changes.
B. Commercial or office parking lots shall be designed to separate pedestrians from vehicles to the maximum degree possible and to provide protected pedestrian paths within parking areas which lead to store, building, or shopping center entrances.
C. Sidewalks and walkways in commercial developments should link to the City’s sidewalk and trail system where available, and shall provide a safe pedestrian route from adjacent public sidewalks and trails.
6. Safety Features.
A. Parking facilities shall be designed to provide visibility of and between pedestrians and vehicles when circulating within or entering or leaving the facility; and shall not create blind, hidden, or hazardous areas.
B. Circulation patterns shall be designed in accord with accepted standards of traffic engineering and safety.
7. Maintenance. All parking facilities shall be maintained to assure the continued usefulness and compatibility of the facility. Acceptable maintenance includes keeping the facility free of refuse, debris, and litter; maintaining parking surfaces in sound condition; and providing proper care of landscaped areas.
8. Adjustment for Special Uses and Planned Mixed Use Projects.
A. For uses subject to a Special Use Permit approval, the Planning Commission may adjust the minimum requirements of this chapter, in order to provide design, usability, attractiveness, or protection to adjoining uses in a manner equal to or greater than the minimum requirements of this chapter.
B. In mixed-use projects, different uses may have complementary parking requirements. This can result in a parking requirement that is less than the sum of parking required for each use and added separately. The Planning Commission may authorize an adjustment to the total parking requirement for separate uses located as part of a common development, or for separate uses located on adjacent sites and served by common parking facilities. All parking facilities subject to the mixed-use adjustment must be located in a common facility, equally accessible and usable to all served uses.