All off-street parking lots shall conform to the standards indicated in the divisions which follow:
(A) Spaces.
(1) Every off-street parking space shall be at least ten feet wide and 20 feet long, and shall have at least seven feet of vertical clearance. Every space shall be situated so that no part of any parked vehicle overhangs the public right-of-way.
(2) Markings shall be laid and restored as often as necessary to clearly delineate each parking space.
(B) Interior aisles. Aisles within parking lots shall be sufficiently wide to permit safe and efficient vehicular movement in the aisles, and into and out of parking spaces. Aisles designed for two-way traffic shall be at least 22 feet wide. One-way aisles designed for 60° parking shall be at least 18 feet wide.
(C) Access ways.
(1) Parking lots shall be designed so that ingress to or egress from a parking space is from an aisle or driveway, not directly from the public right-of-way.
(2) No access way to any parking lot shall be located within 30 feet of any corner formed by the intersection of the rights-of-way of two or more streets. At intersections where traffic control devices are installed, the Administrator may increase this requirement as necessary to prevent hazards.
(3) Parking lot access ways (as well as residential driveways) and public streets shall be aligned to form, as closely as feasible, right angles.
(4) The access way to every parking lot located in any business district or in the Industrial District shall be at least 24 feet wide unless two one-way drives, each 12 feet wide, are provided.
(5) The access way to every parking lot located in any residential district or in the Agricultural District shall be at least ten feet wide; but if the parking area contains more than eight parking spaces or if the access way is longer than 100 feet, access shall be provided either by one two-way drive at least 20 feet wide or by two one-way drives, each at least ten feet wide.
(D) Surfacing. Parking lots shall be graded and improved with a compacted stone base at least four inches thick, surfaced with at least two inches of asphaltic concrete or approved comparable material. (Note “oil and chip” is not comparable material.)
(E) Lighting. Any light(s) used to illuminate any parking lot shall be arranged or shielded so as to confine direct light rays within the lot lines of the parking lot to the greatest extent practicable.
(F) Landscaping. In order to reduce heat and glare, to minimize blowing of dust and trash, and to reduce the oppressive visual effects of large open parking areas, landscaping shall be provided and maintained within every parking lot that contains 20 or more parking spaces.
(1) A landscaping plan (either a separate document or an element of a more inclusive development plan) shall accompany every application for an initial certificate of zoning compliance to develop any parking lot that will contain 20 or more spaces.
(2) The landscaping plan shall include the following information:
(a) Proposed type, amount, size, and spacing of plantings, including trees, shrubbery and ground cover;
(b) Proposed size, construction materials and drainage of landscaped islands; and
(c) Sketch indicating proposed spatial relationships of landscaped areas, parking spaces, automobile circulation, and pedestrian movement.
(G) Interior landscaping for parking lots with 20 or more parking spaces. Parking lots with 20 or more spaces shall also have interior landscaping which satisfies the following minimum specifications. For the interior of the parking lot, which excludes required landscape areas along rights-of-way alleys, and perimeter areas, five percent of the area of each parking space shall be calculated to determine the required area for parking lot landscaping. A minimum of one shade tree shall be provided for every 15 parking spaces or fraction thereof. One or more or more of the following alternatives shall be used to landscape the parking lot:
(1) A continuous or interrupted raised landscape strip or island, consisting of shade trees, shrubs, and ground cover, with a minimum width of five feet, between rows of parking spaces.
(2) Raised landscaped islands of no less than 100 square feet and not more than 200 square feet, with a minimum width of nine feet, to be located throughout the lot so as to meet the objectives of this subsection and planted with shade trees, shrubs, and ground cover.
(3) Raised landscaped islands of no less than nine feet in width and 20 feet in length, to be located at the end of or in between rows of parking spaces, and to be planted with shade trees, shrubs, and ground cover.
(H) Commercial parking lot landscaping requirements. The following minimum landscaping requirements shall be applicable to all commercial parking lots.
(1) General landscaping requirements.
(a) Landscaped areas shall not be used for any off-street parking, and may be penetrated only by drives required to provide access to the commercial lot.
(b) Trees shall be at least 2 1/2 inch caliper deciduous trees. Shrubs shall be planted initially 18 inches tall and maintained to a maximum of 3 1/2 feet in height. All species are to be Illinois hardy within the specified micro-climate area.
(c) Where quality woodland exists, existing growth shall e preserved between the right-of-way and the parking lot, and on the interior, exclusive of space required for sidewalks.
(d) With the exception of preserved quality woodland areas left in the natural state, required ground cover may be accomplished with mulch, sod, stones, or ground cover plat species.
(e) All plants are required to receive periodic maintenance to ensure good health and appearance, including replacement of diseased or dead species. All other ground cover is to receive periodic maintenance to ensure good appearance.
(2) Perimeters adjacent to public right-of-ways. When a paring lot is located adjacent to any public right-of-way, except an alley, the following guidelines shall be sued to landscape the public right-of-way frontage of the parking lot.
(a) Provide a 15 foot landscaped area from the right-of-way line, exclusive of space required for sidewalks, to be planted with shade trees with a minimum of one tree for every 50 feet of frontage or fraction thereof, and a minimum of one shrub for every four feet of lot perimeter or fraction thereof. Shade trees are not required to be planted four feet on center, but may be clustered to provide an enhanced site landscaped appearance.
(b) In lieu of the provisions in division (H)(2)(a), a 2 1/2 foot high earthen berm may be constructed with slopes not to exceed a grade of 25% for lawn or turf areas, within a minimum width area of 25 feet, exclusive of space required for sidewalks. Berms planted with ground cover and shrubs can be steeper, but shall not exceed a grade of 50%. Shade trees are required with a minimum of one tree for every 50 feet of frontage or fraction thereof, in all berm design alternatives.
(3) Perimeters not adjacent to public right-of-way. Along the perimeter of the parking lot, other than along a public right-of-way (but including alley frontages), the following guidelines shall apply:
(a) Provide a minimum of a five foot wide landscaped area around the perimeter of the parking lot planted with shade trees and low growing shrubs.
(b) Provide a minimum of one shade tree for every 50 feet of lot perimeter or fraction thereof.
(c) Provide a minimum of one shrub for every four feet of lot perimeter or fraction thereof. Shrubs are not required to be planted four feet on center, but may be clustered to provide an enhanced site landscaped appearance.
(Ord. 491, passed 6-16-86; Am. Ord. 744, passed - -; Am. Ord. 1046, passed 3-1-10) Penalty, see § 152.999