(A) Parking access.
(1) Alley access. The following alley access requirements apply to all uses, except for detached single-family homes.
(a) For interior lots served by an alley, access to parking must be from the alley unless the Director approves an administrative adjustment to allow parking access from the street.
(b) To approve an administrative adjustment to access parking from a street, the Director must make the findings in § 155.412.030(F) (Findings for Approval) and find that access from a street is necessary due to traffic, circulation or safety concerns.
(c) For corner lots served by an alley, parking may be accessed from a side street without an administrative adjustment.
(2) Number of driveways.
(a) For residential uses in residential zoning districts, no more than one driveway may serve lots less than 100 feet wide and no more than two driveways may serve lots 100 feet wide or more. On corner lots, this rule applies separately to each of the two street-facing sides.
(b)
For non-residential uses in residential zoning districts and in all other zoning districts, the maximum number of driveways will be the minimum number necessary to serve the intended use. The Director, in consultation with the Public Works Director, will determine the permitted number of driveways based on the needs of the intended use and traffic, circulation and safety concerns.
(3) Driveway drop curb width. Minimum and maximum allowed driveway drop curb widths shall be as required by the Public Works Director.
(4) Separation of driveways. Separation between driveways will be the minimum distance required by the Public Works Director.
(5) Shared driveways. Parking facilities on adjoining lots may share access points and driveways provided reciprocal access easements are recorded for all properties.
(6) Distance from street corner. New driveways must be located the minimum distance from street corners required by the Public Works Director.
(B) Parking placement on site.
(1) Applicability. The parking placement requirements in this division apply only to new development and the parking areas that serve them.
(2) Multi-family dwellings. Surface parking spaces and carports for a multi-family dwelling may not be located between a primary building and a front or exterior side property line. See Figure 324-2.
(3) DT, DW, NC, HC, OR, SC Zoning Districts. Surface parking spaces and carports may not be located between a building and a front or exterior side lot line. Parking must be located to the rear or side of buildings. Corner surface parking lots and carports are prohibited. See Figure 324-3.
(4) Modification to parking placement standard. The Director may approve modification s to the parking placement standards in this section with an administrati ve adjustment. To approve the administrative adjustment, the Director must make the findings in § 155.412.030(F) (Findings for Approval) and find that complying with the parking placement standards is infeasible due to unique physical site conditions such as parcel shape, topography, or traffic-related public safety risks.
(C) Forward entrance and exit. Parking areas of four or more spaces adjacent to an arterial or collector roadway must provide sufficient maneuvering area to allow vehicles to enter and access the roadway in a forward direction.
(D) Controlled access. Parking areas must be designed to prevent vehicular access to the public right of way at any point other than at designated driveways.
(E) Parking space and lot dimensions.
(1) Parking areas with three or fewer spaces. For parking areas with one to three parking spaces, spaces must have the following minimum dimensions:
(a) Uncovered parking space: eight feet six inches in width by 18 feet in length.
(b) Uncovered parking space parallel to an alley: eight feet six inches in width by 20 feet in length.
(c) Covered parking space in a garage or carport: ten feet in width by 18 feet in length.
(d) The width of a carport space may be reduced to eight feet six inches if one side is open without a solid wall or physical barrier obstructing a car door.
(2) Parking lots with four or more spaces. For parking lots with four or more spaces, parking spaces, drive aisles, and other parking lot features must comply with minimum dimensions shown in Figure 324-4.
(3) Compact spaces. Up to 50% of the required parking spaces in a parking lot may be compact spaces.
(F) Surfacing.
(1) Standard materials.
(a)
Except as allowed by division (F)(2) below, all parking areas and drive aisles must be paved with an asphalt, concrete or comparable all-weather surfacing material approved by the Public Works Director. Unpaved areas may not be used for parking or maneuvering.
(b) Ribbon driveways (parallel strips of paved surface for tires separated by an open, unpaved area) are allowed for single-family home driveways.
(c) Permeable paving materials, such as porous concrete/asphalt, open-jointed pavers and turf grids, are a permitted surface material, subject to approval by the Public Works Director.
(d) Parking areas must be graded to dispose of all surface water consistent with the city’s MS4 permit storm water requirements to the satisfaction of the Public Works Director.
(2) Alternative materials.
(a) Parking areas and access ways may be surfaced with decomposed granite or other similar all-weather compacted material when serving:
1. All uses in a residential zoning district;
2. All uses in the Hinge Industrial (HN) and Light Industrial (LI) Zoning Districts; and
3.
All uses in the Parks and Recreation (PR) and Public Facilities (PF) Zoning Districts.
(b) Where alternative surface materials are allowed by division (F)(2)(a) above, asphalt, concrete or comparable all-weather surfacing material must be used for:
1. The first 20 feet of the access way from a public street serving residential uses; and
2. The first 50 feet of the access way from a public street serving uses in the Hinge Industrial (HN), Light Industrial (LI), Parks and Recreation (PR) and Public Facilities (PF) Zoning Districts.
(c) Construction methods must be approved by the Public Works Director.
(3) Wheel stops and curbs.
(a) Landscaped areas, walkways and walls must be protected by either:
1. Parking space wheel stops; or
2. A curb at least six inches wide and six inches high designed to allow storm water runoff to pass through.
(b) A paved sidewalk may be used as a wheel stop if the overhang will not reduce the minimum required walkway width.
(4) Landscaped parking space. Up to two feet of the front of a parking space as measured from a line parallel to the direction of the bumper of a vehicle using the space may be landscaped with ground cover plants instead of paving where wheel stops or curbs are provided. See Figure 324-5. Parking space landscaping may be included in the required perimeter landscaping area required by § 155.324.080(D) (Perimeter Parking Lot Landscaping).
Figure 324-5: Parking Space Landscaping
(G) Tandem parking spaces.
(1) When allowed. Tandem parking spaces are permitted for residential uses and designated employee parking. See Figure 324-6.
(2) Residential uses. Parking spaces in a tandem configuration for residential uses must be reserved for and assigned to a single dwelling unit.
(3) Non-residential uses. Tandem parking may be used only for employee parking, in addition to parking spaces required by § 155.324.030 (Number of On-Site Parking Spaces Required).
(4) Configuration. Tandem parking spaces may not conflict with required parking spaces or aisles providing access to other parking spaces located within the parking area. For example, a tandem space may not project into the minimum drive aisle width providing vehicle access to other parking spaces in a parking lot.
Figure 324-6: Tandem Parking Space
(H) Parking lifts. Required parking may be provided using elevator-like mechanical parking systems (“lifts”) provided the lifts are located within an enclosed structure or otherwise screened from public view.
(I) Lighting. Parking area lighting must be provided in compliance with § 155.308.050 (Outdoor Lighting) and as follows.
(1) A parking area with six or more parking spaces must include outdoor lighting that provides a minimum illumination of 1.0 foot-candles over the entire parking area.
(2) Lighting must be pedestrian-scaled and may not exceed a maximum height of 16 feet.
(3) Outdoor lighting as required above must be provided during nighttime business hours.
(4) Parking structures must provide indoor lighting as required by the California Building Code.
(J) Pedestrian access.
(1) Parking lots with more than 30 parking spaces must include a pedestrian walkway outside of drive aisles. Only one walkway is required to serve the entire parking lot; walkways for each parking row within the lot are not required.
(2) The design of the pedestrian walkway must be clearly visible and distinguished from parking and circulation areas through striping, contrasting paving material or other similar method as approved by the Director. The pedestrian walkway must be a minimum width of six feet.
(K) Screening. Parking lots of six spaces or more must comply with the following screening standards. See also § 155.308.060 (Screening for Residential Zoning Districts):
(1) Location. Screening must be provided along the perimeter of parking lots fronting a street and/or abutting a residential zoning district or ground floor residential use.
(2) Height.
(a) Screening adjacent to streets must have a minimum height of three feet.
(b) For parking lots within ten feet of a residential zoning district or ground floor residential use, screening must have a minimum height of six feet.
(3) Materials.
(a) Required screening adjacent to a street may consist of:
1. A low-profile wall constructed of brick, stone, stucco or other durable solid material; or
2. An open fence combined with landscaping to form an opaque screen. Open fences must be wrought iron or other high-quality decorative material and at least 70% open to the passage of light and air. Chain link and other wire fence materials are not allowed.
(b) Parking lots within ten feet of a residential zoning district or ground floor residential use must be screened by a six-foot solid wall or fence. Bushes, vines, and other vegetation may be incorporated into the design of required fence or wall.
(Ord. 885-C.S., passed 5-21-19; Am. Ord. 902 C.-S., passed 8-18-20; Am. Ord. 916-C.S., passed 7-6-21; Am. Ord. 931-C.S., passed 2-15-22; Am. Ord. 938-C.S., passed 11-1-22; Am. Ord. 951-C.S., passed 10-17-23)