(A) Access and location. Parking areas shall be designed to provide access to a public alley or street. Driveway access shall not exceed 22 feet in width in residentially zoned areas, and may not exceed 32 feet in width in commercial and industrial zoned areas without the permission from the City Council, and shall be so located at a place which will cause the least interference with traffic movement. Required parking shall not encroach or be located within the public right-of-way.
Driveways and Private Roads
| |
Type of Driveway or Private Road | Minimum Width |
Two-way traffic with no parking lanes | 24' |
One way traffic and fire lanes | 20' |
Drive-up windows not necessary for fire truck access | 14' |
Parking lanes | 6' |
(B) Parking spaces. Each parking space shall not be less than those shown in the table below exclusive of access drives. Each parking space shall be served by access drives which shall have the minimum dimensions provided in the following table. Each parking space shall be located by striping on the concrete or asphalt surface.
Parking Lot Dimension Table for Full Size Cars | |||
Angle | Stall Width | Length | Length Aisle |
45
|
9'
|
18'
|
14' 1 way aisle only
|
60
|
9'
|
18'
|
18' 1 way aisle only
|
75
|
9'
|
18'
|
22' 1 way aisle only
|
90
|
9'
|
18'
|
24' 2 way aisle
|
Parallel
|
10'
|
22'
|
24' 2 way aisle |
(C) Handicapped parking spaces. The size, number, and location of stalls reserved for "Parking for the Handicapped" shall be provided as required by state and federal regulations. Signs bearing the required legend shall be erected to identify those spaces. Disability accessible parking spaces shall be provided as applicable pursuant to M.S. § 168.021, as may be amended.
(D) Turn-around. All parking areas except those serving 1 and 2 family dwellings on local streets shall be designed so that cars do not have to back into the public street.
(E) Surfacing. All driveways and all of the area intended to be utilized for parking space for 3 or more vehicles shall be surfaced with a minimum of 2 inches of bituminous paving on a suitable base, or 6 inches of non-reinforced concrete or equivalent material approved by the city. Decorative concrete interlocking pavers on a suitable base may also be used in parking lots. In areas where parking spaces are used on the average of 2 or fewer days per week, grass road pavers, Ritter rings or other such pavers may be used which permit the growth of ground covers and the infiltration of surface water. Such pervious paving material shall be approved by the city.
(F) Drainage. There shall be adequate drainage of the surface of the parking or paved area to a public storm sewer or to other approved means. Plans for surfacing and drainage of all parking lots for 20 spaces or more or paved areas of 6,000 square feet or more shall be approved by the city.
(G) Lighting. All parking lots containing parking for 20 vehicles or more shall provide an average horizontal illumination of between 0.4 and 1.0 foot candles. All lighting shall comply with the performance standards.
(H) Traffic islands. Raised islands shall be landscaped and provided at the end of any parking row where it abuts vehicle circulation for traffic control. Raised islands shall also be provided to separate pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Based on the total number of parking spaces, the Zoning Administrator may require more traffic islands and shall be determined as part of the site plan review.
(I) Curbs. A poured in place, concrete curb measuring at least 6 inches above and below the grade shall be provided around the periphery of all parking lots designed for 6 or more cars. Such poured in place concrete curb is required along all internal access roads. Curbs or other means shall be provided to prevent parked vehicles from overhanging property lines.
(K) Yard.
(1) Parking areas shall be subject to the requirements of the front yard and side yard abutting a street or on a corner provided in the district in which the parking is located; except that in the R-1, R-2, and R-3 Districts, parking for a detached single-family, 2-family house, or townhouse shall be permitted in the front yard under the following conditions:
(a) There is no other location on the lot where parking is practical.
(b) Total parking and driveway area does not occupy more than 40% of the front yard area.
(2) Off-street parking areas located in front yards or in side yards which abut a street may not be located within the setback areas for principal structures, as provided in the district regulations for the district in which the parking is located.
(L) When it can be demonstrated that no other alternative exists to provide required off-street parking, and the parking is located between a front lot line or a side lot line abutting a street and building in the I-1 or I-2 Districts, the off-street parking area may extend to within 10 feet of the lot line with the following conditions:
(1) The parking shall be for at least 6 vehicles.
(2) A solid bumper, curb, or fence not more than 3½ feet in height shall be constructed in such a position and such a manner that no part of a parked vehicle can extend into the yard setback area.
(M) Parking space abutting residential use districts. When a parking lot for 6 or more vehicles is located abutting a residential district or residential developed property, a landscaped side yard consisting of evergreen trees and shrubs and other plant material capable of measuring at least 3 feet high within 2 years after being planted shall be planted.
(N) Maintenance of off-street parking space. The owner and tenant shall maintain the parking space, access ways, landscaping, setback areas, and required fences in a neat and adequate manner.
(O) Compact car spaces. Up to 20% of the parking spaces in a parking lot may be permanently marked for compact cars only, provided that:
(1) The parking lot contains 80 or more off-street parking spaces.
(2) All compact car spaces are a minimum of 8 feet in width and 16 feet in length.
(3) Signs and markings, as approved by the city, are placed and maintained in each compact car space.
(4) All required off-street parking aisle widths are maintained.
(5) The compact car stalls shall not displace preferred disability accessible parking stall locations.
(6) The design, layout, and location of designated compact car spaces shall not be located in immediate proximity to building entrances, shall not encourage utilization by oversized vehicles, and shall be subject to approval by the Zoning Administrator.
(P) Cart storage. Retail commercial uses shall provide ample space for the storage of customer service carts within off-street parking areas, subject to the approval of the Zoning Administrator. The need and specific amount of required cart storage space shall be determined as part of the site plan review. When required, cart storage areas shall not occupy required off-street parking space, shall be clearly delineated, and shall include facilities for cart confinement.
(Q) Drive-through windows. Service windows shall be allowed subject to the following requirements:
(1) Stacking. Not less than 180 feet of segregated automobile stacking lane shall be provided for the service window, unless specifically otherwise approved by the City Engineer.
(2) Traffic control. The stacking lane and its access shall be designed to control traffic in a manner to protect the pedestrians, buildings, and green area on the site.
(3) Use of street. No part of the public street or boulevard may be used for stacking of automobiles.
(Ord. 2013-05, passed 5-20-2013; Am. Ord. 2020-01, passed 2-3-2020; Am. Ord. 2020-03, passed 6-1-2020)