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CITY OF MORA, MINNESOTA CODE OF ORDINANCES
ADOPTING ORDINANCE
TITLE I: GENERAL PROVISIONS
TITLE III: ADMINISTRATION
TITLE IV: PUBLIC SAFETY
TITLE V: PUBLIC WORKS
TITLE VII: TRAFFIC CODE
TITLE IX: GENERAL REGULATIONS
TITLE XI: BUSINESS REGULATIONS
TITLE XIII: GENERAL OFFENSES
TITLE XV: LAND USAGE
TABLE OF SPECIAL ORDINANCES
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§ 150.500 PURPOSE OF OFF-STREET PARKING AND LOADING REQUIREMENTS.
   Regulation of off-street parking and loading spaces in the zoning code is to alleviate or prevent congestion of the public right-of-way and so to promote the safety and general welfare of the public by establishing minimum requirements for off-street parking, loading and unloading from motor vehicles in accordance with the utilization of various parcels of land and structures. All applications for an occupancy certificate shall be accompanied by a site plan drawn to scale and dimensioned indicating the location of off-street parking and loading spaces in compliance with the following requirements:
   (A)   Exempted. Buildings or structures for which a permit has been issued prior to the effective date of the zoning code, but for which work has not been completed, shall be exempt from the stated parking requirements if the structure or building is completed within six (6) months after the above stated date.
   (B)   Existing parking not to be reduced. Existing off-street parking spaces and loading spaces on the effective date of the zoning code shall not be reduced in number unless said number exceeds the requirements set forth herein for a similar new use.
   (C)   Damaged or destroyed buildings. Should a building, structure or use in existence on the effective date of the zoning code be damaged or destroyed by fire or other cause, it may be reestablished except that in doing so any off-street parking or loading which existed must be retained and should plans be effected for enlarging the floor area, seating capacity or other facilities which would affect the parking or loading requirements, the parking lot or loading area shall be enlarged accordingly.
   (D)   Yards. Parking areas in B-2 districts shall be set back from all property lines a minimum of five (5) feet or as allowed per site plan approval. Other parking areas in other districts shall be subject to front yard setback requirements in accordance with the district in which the use is so located.
   (E)   Floor area. The term FLOOR AREA for the purpose of calculating the number of off-street parking spaces shall mean the sum of all floor areas in a building as calculated from the outside dimensions of the building. It shall not include areas used primarily for non-public purposes such as storage, incidental repair, offices of building management or maintenance, toilets or rest rooms, utilities, or dressing, fitting, or alteration rooms.
   (F)   Benches in places of public assembly. In stadiums, sport arenas, churches, and other places of public assembly in which patrons or spectators occupy benches, pews, or other similar seating facilities, each twenty-two (22) inches of such seating facilities shall be counted as one (1) seat for the purpose of determining requirements for off-street parking facilities under the zoning code.
(Ord. 395, passed 7-6-2010)
§ 150.501 DESIGN AND MAINTENANCE OF OFF-STREET PARKING AREA.
   (A)   Access. Parking areas shall be designed so as to provide adequate means of access to a public alley or street. Such driveway access shall not exceed twenty-four (24) feet in width for residential districts and for other districts shall be allowed pursuant to site plan approval by the city. Properties within residential districts shall be limited to two (2) accesses and a minimum of six (6) feet is required between accesses. Accesses shall be located so as to cause the least interference with traffic movement and shall be no closer than two (2) feet from side lot lines, except for those properties with an approved zero (0) foot lot line.
   (B)   Size of parking spaces. Each parking space shall be not less than nine (9) feet wide and nineteen (19) feet in length exclusive of an adequately designed system of access drives.
   (C)   Drive aisles. Drive aisles shall be no less than twenty six (26) feet in width.
   (D)   Fractional spaces. When the determining of the number of off-street parking spaces results in a fraction, each fraction of one-half (1/2) or more shall constitute another space.
   (E)   Signs. No signs shall be located in any parking area except as necessary for orderly operation of traffic movement.
   (F)   Surfacing. All new parking areas and driveways shall be hard surfaced in order to control dust and drainage. Allowable surfacing materials include bituminous, concrete, or other materials as approved by the Public Works Director. Parking areas designed for fewer than three (3) vehicles shall be exempt from the hard surfacing requirement; however, all parking areas and driveways shall be hard surfaced a minimum of fifty (50) feet as measured from the nearest edge of the public roadway. If the public roadway is not hard surfaced, the driveway need not be hard surfaced until such time that the property owner is given notice to do so by the city. Notice will be given by the city within thirty (30) days of the public roadway being hard surfaced. The notice shall specify a required completion date which shall not be less than three (3) months nor more than one (1) year from the date of the notice. At any time that a property owner installs a new garage, adds on to an existing garage or replaces a garage, the hard surfacing requirement shall be enforced. Plans for surfacing and drainage are subject to city review and approval. A surfacing deposit, in an amount set forth by the City Council from time to time, shall be paid to the city at the time of building permit issuance for any property owner developing a vacant property, installing a new garage, adding on to an existing garage or replacing an old garage. The payment shall be made in the form of cash, letter of credit, or other means as approved by the city. Upon completion of the hard surfacing, the deposit shall be refunded. Surfacing shall be completed within one (1) year of building permit issuance or the deposit shall be forfeited.
   (G)   Lighting. Any lighting used to illuminate an off-street parking area shall be so designed and arranged as to reflect the light away from adjacent property.
   (H)   Curbing and landscaping. All open off-street parking areas designed to have head-in parking along the property line shall provide a bumper curb not less than three (3) feet from the side property line or guard of normal bumper height not less than one (1) foot from the side property line. When said area is for six (6) spaces or more, a curb or fence not over six (6) feet in height shall be erected along the front yard set back line with grass or planting occupying the space between the sidewalk and curb or fence.
   (I)   Fence required. When a required off-street parking area for six (6) or more vehicles is located adjacent to an R district a fence of adequate design, not over six (6) feet in height nor less than three and one-half (3-1/2) feet in height, shall be erected along the R district property line. Landscaping techniques approved by the city may be used to accomplish a buffer in lieu of fencing between the parking lot and the R district.
   (J)   Maintenance of off-street parking space. It shall be the joint responsibility of the operator and owner of the principal use, uses or building to maintain, in a neat and adequate manner, the parking area, access ways, landscaping and required fences.
   (K)   R districts. Required off-street parking spaces/areas in the R-1, R-2, R-3 and R-4 districts shall be on the same lot as the principal building.
   (L)   Commercial vehicle parking. Off-street parking facilities accessory to residential use shall be utilized solely for the parking of passenger automobiles or one (1) truck not to exceed one and one-half (1-1/2) ton capacity for each dwelling unit. Under no circumstance shall required parking facilities accessory to residential structures be used for the storage of commercial vehicles or for the parking of automobiles belonging to the employees, owners, tenants or customers of business or manufacturing establishments.
   (M)   Prohibited use of parking area. Required off-street parking space in any district shall not be utilized for open storage of goods or for the storage of recreational vehicles and campers and vehicles which are inoperable or for sale or rent.
   (N)   Recreational vehicle parking. Off street parking facilities utilized for recreational vehicles, including but not limited to RVs, campers and boats, shall have an improved, durable surface.
(Ord. 395, passed 7-6-2010) Penalty, see § 150.999
§ 150.502 JOINT PARKING FACILITIES AND CONTROL OF OFF-STREET PARKING.
   (A)   Joint parking facilities. Off-street parking facilities for a combination of mixed buildings, structures or uses may be provided collectively in any business or industrial district where separate parking facilities for each separate building, structure or use would be difficult to achieve, provided that the total number of spaces shall equal the sum of the separate requirements of each use and the maximum distance between any parking space and any principal use is not more than three hundred (300) feet measured along usual routes of public pedestrian access.
   (B)   Control of off-street parking facilities. When required accessory off-street parking facilities are provided elsewhere than on the lot in which the principal use served is located, they shall be in the same ownership or control, either by deed or long-term lease, as the property occupied by such principal use, and the owner of the principal use shall file a recordable document with the city requiring the owner and his or her heirs and assigns to maintain the required number of off-street parking spaces during the existence of said principal use.
(Ord. 395, passed 7-6-2010)
§ 150.503 MINIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENTS.
   (A)   Residential uses.
USE
MINIMUM PARKING REQUIRED
USE
MINIMUM PARKING REQUIRED
Single family, townhouse, condo, two family, manufactured/mobile
Two (2) spaces per dwelling unit
Group home, state licensed residential facility
Two (2) spaces for each five (5) beds offered for residence purposes
Boarding house, bed & breakfast
Two (2) spaces plus one (1) for each guest room
Day care facility - Residential
No spaces required when the facility serves no more than fourteen (14) persons. The dwelling is still subject to the minimum parking requirements provided in this section
Day care facility - Non-Residential (serving no more than fourteen (14) persons)
No additional spaces required when facility serves no more than fourteen (14) persons
Day care facility - Non-Residential (serving fifteen (15) or more persons)
One (1) space per five (5) persons served based on the facility's licensed capacity plus one (1) space for each employee or volunteer on the largest shift plus one (1) space for each business vehicle
Multi-family structure (excluding senior housing)
Two (2) spaces for each unit, one (1) parking space for each efficiency unit
Senior housing
One (1) space per dwelling unit
Apartments attached to businesses
Two (2) spaces per unit
 
   (B)   Institutional uses.
 
USE
MINIMUM PARKING REQUIRED
Chemical dependent or similar group home
One (1) space for each three (3) residents plus one (1) for each staff member
Community center
Parking shall be based on the uses within the building
Hospital
One (1) space for each three (3) hospital beds plus one (1) for each employee on the largest shift. Bassinets shall not be counted as beds for the purpose of calculating the number of off-street parking spaces required
 
Institutional group home
One (1) space for each four (4) residents allowed by city code
Library, museum, art gallery
One (1) space for each three hundred fifty (350) square feet of floor area in the principal structure
Nursing home, boarding care home
One (1) space for each ten (10) beds plus one (1) for each employee on the largest shift
Playground, playfield
Two (2) spaces per acres of playground and forty (40) spaces for each playfield. When a public recreation site has more than one (1) use designation, the required parking spaces must be determined for each separately. The sum of those use requirements shall be the total number of spaces required.
Post office, parcel delivery service
Ten (10) spaces plus one (1) space for each five hundred (500) square feet of floor area devoted to office, processing or service plus one (1) space for each vehicle customarily kept on the premises
Private club or lodge hall
One (1) space for each three (3) persons allowed within the maximum occupancy load as established by city, county or state fire building or health codes
Religious institution
One (1) space for each three (3) seats based on the design capacity of the main assembly hall. Up to fifty percent (50%) of the required parking can be provided through a nonexclusive written agreement with the owner of another property located within two hundred (200) feet of an entrance to the religious institution which authorizes parking during times of worship or events conducted at the religious facility at times other than usual business hours on property which is an off-street parking lot which meets the design requirements of this chapter and satisfies the parking requirements for the use of the other property during ordinary business hours during the usual work week.
School - elementary, junior high
Two (2) spaces per classroom
School - high school, post secondary
One (1) space per staff member on the largest shift plus one (1) space for each five (5) students
 
   (C)   Commercial uses.
USE
MINIMUM PARKING REQUIRED
Bank
One (1) space for each two hundred fifty (250) square feet of usable floor area
Beauty or barber shop
Two (2) spaces per seat plus one (1) space per employee on the largest shift
Bowling alley
Five (5) spaces per lane. Other uses which are commonly associated with bowling alleys, such as restaurants and game rooms, will require additional parking and loading space, the number of which shall be determined by the parking requirements for those uses specified in this section.
Business/trade school
One (1) space per student calculated by reference to the design of the school structure plus one (1) space for each classroom
Car wash
Stacking for a minimum of three (3) vehicles per wash bay
Club, lodge
One (1) space for each three (3) seats calculated by reference to the design of the facility plus one (1) space for every fifty (50) square feet of customer space in the dining and or bar areas
Convenience store - with or without gas pumps
One (1) space per two hundred (200) feet of gross floor area plus one (1) space per two (2) employees on the largest shift. Other uses which are commonly associated with convenience stores, such as car washes, will require additional parking and/or stacking space, the number of which shall be determined by the parking requirements for those uses specified in this section.
Convention/exhibition hall
One (1) space for each three (3) seats calculated by reference to the design of the facility
Fast food establishment - with seating
One (1) space per three (3) patron seats plus one (1) space per two (2) employees on the largest shift plus seven (7) continuous spaces for vehicle stacking when a drive- through window is provided
Fast food establishment - without seating
One (1) space per two hundred (200) square feet of gross floor area plus one (1) space per two (2) employees on the largest shift plus seven (7) continuous spaces for vehicle stacking when a drive-through window is provided
 
Food service, bakery
One (1) space for each twenty-five (25) square feet of customer floor area
Funeral home
One (1) space for each five (5) seats plus one space for each two hundred fifty (250) square feet of floor area not used for seating. If fixed seats are not provided, the requirement shall be one (1) space for every thirty five (35) square feet of seating area
Furniture/home furnishing store
Two parking spaces for each one thousand (1,000) square feet of gross floor area for customer parking plus one (1) parking space for each two (2) employees
Golf/archery driving range
One (1) space for each target or driving tee
Golf course
Four (4) spaces for each golf hole plus one (1) space for each two hundred (200) square feet of locker rooms and clubrooms. If the clubhouse contains dining and/or bar facilities, the parking requirements shall be the same as for a restaurant.
Grocery store
Four (4) spaces for each one thousand (1,000) square feet of usable floor area
Hotel, motel
One (1) space for each guestroom. Any other use, such as restaurant and conference space, requires additional parking and loading spaces as determined by the parking requirements for those other uses specified in this section.
Laundromat, coin operated cleaner
One (1) space for each four (4) machines
Medical/dental clinic and/or office
Three (3) parking spaces for each staff doctor or dentist
Miniature golf
Two (2) spaces per golf hole
Motor vehicle sales establishment
One (1) space for each five hundred (500) square feet of usable floor area of sales room and two (2) spaces for each service stall and one (1) for each employee
Motor vehicle service station (full service)
One (1) space per employee on the largest shift plus three (3) additional spaces for each service stall
Office
One (1) space for every two hundred fifty (250) square feet of usable floor area
Oil change station
One (1) space per employee on the largest shift plus stacking for two (2) additional vehicles per service stall
 
Open sales / rental lot
One (1) space fore very two thousand five hundred (2,500) square feet of land which is to be used for sales and display area
Restaurant, café
One (1) space per four (4) patron seats
Retail store (except as otherwise specified herein)
Four (4) parking spaces for each one thousand (1,000) square feet of gross floor area
Skating/ice/roller rink
One (1) space for every three hundred (300) square feet of gross floor area
Sports/health club, swimming pool
One space for every two hundred (200) square feet of non- court area plus two (2) spaces per tennis or racquet ball court and one (1) space for every fifty (50) square feet of deck area for a swimming pool
Tavern, dance hall, night club, lounge
One (1) space per three (3) seats plus one space for every employee on the largest shift
Theater, auditorium, assembly hall, meeting hall
One (1) space for every four (4) seats plus one (1) space for every employee on the largest shift
Veterinary office
Three (3) spaces per doctor plus one (1) space per employee on the largest shift
 
   (D)   Industrial uses.
 
USE
MINIMUM PARKING REQUIRED
Industrial/manufacturing establishment
Five (5) spaces plus one (1) space for each employee on the largest working shift, but not less than one (1) space per one thousand (1,000) square feet of gross floor area
Wholesale/warehouse establishment
Four (4) spaces plus one (1) for each employee on the largest working shift
Adult entertainment
One (1) space per employee on the largest shift plus one (1) space per two hundred fifty (250) square feet of gross floor area
 
   (E)   If it can be demonstrated by a property owner through market studies or other means that the required off-street parking requirement is excessive and lesser requirements justifiable, the City Council may reduce the number of required spaces by passage of a resolution following review by the Planning Commission.
   (F)   Any use not specifically mentioned above shall meet the requirement of the use most clearly related to it as determined by the Zoning Administrator. If the Zoning Administrator is unable to identify a similar use, a determination shall be made by the City Council following review by the Planning Commission.
(Ord. 395, passed 7-6-2010; Am. Ord. 484, passed 12-21-2021)
§ 150.504 ADJUSTMENT TO OFF-STREET PARKING REQUIREMENTS IN THE B-1 AND B-2 DISTRICTS.
   (A)   Should an existing building or structure be expanded, the required off-street parking requirements shall be adjusted upwards accordingly. No adjustment shall be made for downsizing of any building/structure or the change of a business to a lower zoning use.
   (B)   In the B-1 district, new buildings/structures, expansions of existing businesses, the off-street parking requirements may be met, upon City Council approval, by providing the actual parking spaces, by obtaining seasonal apartment parking permits, or by contributing to the City Parking Fund for each space or fraction of a space required. The off-street parking requirements can be met by any combination of actual spaces, seasonal apartment parking permits and contributed spaces, provided that the combination is equal to the theoretical amount of spaces required.
   (C)   The amount to be contributed to the City Parking Fund for each required parking space in lieu of an actual space is five hundred dollars ($500.00) per space.
(Ord. 395, passed 7-6-2010)
§ 150.505 OFF-STREET LOADING AND UNLOADING AREAS.
   (A)   Requirements.
      (1)   Location. All required loading berths shall be off-street and shall be located on the same lot as the building or use to be served. A loading berth shall not be located less than twenty-five (25) feet from the intersection of two (2) street rights-of-way; nor less than fifty (50) feet from a residential district unless within a building. Loading berths shall not occupy the required front yard set back space.
      (2)   Size. Unless otherwise specified in the zoning code, a required loading berth shall be not less than ten (10) feet in width, fifty (50) feet in length and fourteen (14) feet in height, exclusive of aisle and maneuvering space.
      (3)   Access. Each required loading berth shall be located with appropriate means of vehicular access to a street or public alley in a manner which will least interfere with traffic.
      (4)   Surfacing. All loading berths and access ways shall be improved with a durable material to control the dust and drainage according to a plan approved by the City Engineer.
   (B)   Accessory use. Any space allocated as a loading berth or access drive so as to comply with the terms of the zoning code shall not be used for the storage of goods, inoperable vehicles or be included as a part of the space requirements necessary to meet the off-street parking area.
   (C)   Required minimum berths.
      (1)   Requirements.
         (a)   Non-residential uses having ten thousand (10,000) square feet or more. For ten thousand (10,000) to one hundred thousand (100,000) square feet floor area, one (1) loading berth; for each additional thirty thousand (30,000) square feet of floor area or fraction thereof above one-fourth (1/4), one (1) additional loading berth. For a building having twenty thousand (20,000) square feet or less, the length of the berth may be reduced to twenty-five (25) feet.
         (b)   Retail sales, office public administration building, hospitals, schools, hotels, and similar uses. For such a building having ten thousand (10,000) to two hundred thousand (200,000) square feet of floor area, one (1) off-street loading berth fifty (50) feet in length and one (1) berth twenty-five (25) feet in length for each fifty thousand (50,000) square feet or fraction thereof.
         (c)   Manufacturing, fabrication, warehousing, storing, servicing, and similar establishments. For a building having ten thousand (10,000) to one hundred thousand (100,000) square feet floor area, one (1) loading berth fifty (50) feet in length and one (1) additional berth for each additional one hundred thousand (100,000) square feet or fraction thereof above one-fourth (1/4), and one (1) berth twenty-five (25) feet in length for each thirty-five thousand (35,000) square feet of floor area or fraction thereof.
      (2)   Other businesses. Upon receiving an application for a particular use a for a parcel or building which is not adequately provided for by the above categories mentioned and which, in the opinion of the Building Inspector, is to receive or distribute goods or services which will necessitate the use of trucking to the extent that special consideration should be given to the request, such application shall be referred to the Council for determination.
(Ord. 395, passed 7-6-2010) Penalty, see § 150.99
§ 150.506 HEIGHT OF STRUCTURES; SPECIAL PROVISIONS.
   (A)   The height limitations imposed by other sections of the zoning code shall be increased by fifty percent (50%) when applied to the following structures:
      (1)   Church spires;
      (2)   Belfries;
      (3)   Water towers;
      (4)   Flag poles;
      (5)   Smoke stacks;
      (6)   Cooling towers;
      (7)   Elevators; and
      (8)   Elevator penthouse.
   (B)   Canopies over motor fuel dispensing islands at all types of businesses offering the sale of motor fuels.
   (C)   Heights in excess of those allowed under this section shall be permitted only by a conditional use permit granted by resolution of the City Council determining that such structure would not be dangerous and would not adversely affect the adjoining or adjacent property.
(Ord. 395, passed 7-6-2010))
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