(a) Applicability. The design-related standards and other requirements of this section shall apply to all nonresidential and multi-family land uses and developments, including mixed use sites.
(b) Location.
(1) Parking Spaces shall not be located within the required front setback.
(2) All paved areas of an off-street parking area shall be a minimum of six (6) feet from any lot line or ten (10) feet from any lot line in a residential zoning district.
(3) In the GB District, the maximum total number of off-street parking spaces provided on-site in front of the principal structure shall not exceed seventy percent (70%) of the total number of required off street spaces.
(c) Access and Maneuvering.
(1) Curb cuts shall be a minimum of:
A. Forty (40) feet from the intersection of two local roads
B. Fifty (50) feet from any intersection with a collector road
C. Seventy (70) feet from any intersection with an arterial road
D. Thirty (30) feet from any other curb cut (measured at the lot line)
(2) Driveways shall be a maximum of thirteen (13) feet wide per lane at the right-of-way line.
(3) The City Engineer may vary any of the above regulations in subsections (c)(1) through (2) where the City Engineer determines that public safety or professional engineering design practice makes it acceptable to vary these regulations.
(d) Utilization.
(1) No vehicle or trailer shall be parked in any off-street parking area to warehouse or distribute goods, except for loading and temporary sales.
(2) Off-street parking spaces for a non-residential use shall not be used by commercial vehicles that do not fit entirely within the parking space.
(3) Vehicles with signs attached to them shall not be parked in a manner such that they circumvent the Signs provisions (see Chapter 1151).
(4) Off-street parking areas shall not be used to display vehicles for sale, except when associated with a legal principal use for vehicle sales.
(e) Additional Requirements.
(1) Handicapped accessible. The design and construction of all new, expanded, or comprehensively redesigned off-street parking areas shall comply with applicable requirements of Chapter 11, Accessibility, of the Ohio Building Code.
(2) Loading Spaces.
A. Number.
1. One loading space shall be required for all non-residential uses and for residential uses with greater than three dwelling units.
2. One additional loading space shall be required for each 20,000 square feet or fraction thereof of floor area over the first 10,000 square feet.
3. All residential and non-residential uses in the UP District are exempt from the loading space requirements.
B. Location.
1. Loading spaces may be located anywhere on a lot.
C. Design.
1. Loading spaces must be a minimum of ten (10) feet wide by twenty-five (25) feet long.
D. Utilization.
1. Loading spaces shall be utilized primarily for loading purposes. No vehicle shall occupy a loading space continuously for more than forty-eight (48) hours.
(3) Queue and Exit Spaces.
A. Queuing and exiting spaces are required for drive-through and other uses that result in cars lining up to access a service.
B. Queuing and exiting spaces shall not interfere with required parking or adequate area for vehicle maneuvering.
C. All queuing and exiting spaces shall contain a rectangular area a minimum of nine (9) feet wide and eighteen (18) feet long.
D. Queuing spaces shall not be located in the required front setback.
E. The following uses require queue and exit spaces:
USE | QUEUE SPACES | EXIT SPACES |
Car wash bays | 3 per bay | 1 per bay |
Vacuum stations | 1 per station | None |
Drive-through convenience store | 7 per bay | 1 per bay |
Drive-up banking | 3 per bay | 1 per bay |
Drive-up pharmacy | 3 per bay | 1 per bay |
Fuel pumps | 1 per pump | None |
(4) Parking Lot Design.
A. All non-residential parking areas shall be screened from an adjacent residential district by a six (6)-foot high visual screen.
B. Any parking space oriented in such a way as to have headlights shine into a residential structure shall have a fence, wall, or solid hedge of no less than four (4) feet in height screening the headlights.
C. All off-street parking areas shall be designed, constructed, and maintained to ensure that stormwater, dust, and debris do not adversely impact any other lot. Storm water management shall be in compliance with Section 1141.04, Environmental Regulations.
D. Parking areas shall provide a minimum security lighting level of one (1) foot candle. Light fixtures shall be a maximum height of sixteen (16) feet above the adjacent ground. Glare and light pollution is regulated by Section 1141.04, Environmental Regulations.
E. All unpaved areas adjacent to an off-street parking area shall be raised, landscaped, and separated from the parking area by a minimum six (6)-inch high concrete curb. Openings shall be permitted in specific locations for storm water quality management.
F. A raised, landscaped, and curbed island a minimum of four and five tenths (4.5) feet wide (including the width of the curb) shall be provided at the front and at the ends of each row of parking spaces and at every interval of fifteen (15) parking spaces in a row. End islands shall extend to within three (3) feet of the end of the parking space. The width requirement can be shared between adjacent facing rows or by the setback requirement adjacent to lot lines. Openings in curbing shall be permitted for storm water management.
G. Interior rows of parking shall have an access aisle between each fifteen (15) parking spaces.
H. Visibility shall be assured for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists entering individual parking spaces, circulating within a parking facility, and entering or leaving a parking facility.
I. Internal circulation patterns, and the location and traffic direction of all access drives, shall be designed and maintained in accordance with accepted principles of traffic engineering and traffic safety.
J. Off-street parking and loading areas shall be provided with sufficient maneuvering room so that all vehicles can enter and exit from a public street by forward motion only. The maneuvering of vehicles necessary to enter or exit loading areas shall not occur on City streets.
K. Parking lots shall be designed so that solid waste, emergency, and other public service vehicles can provide service without backing unreasonable distances or making other dangerous or hazardous turning movements.
L. Parking Lot Layout. No more than 200 parking spaces shall be allowed together in one group or cluster. Parking lot clusters shall be separated by landscaping, pedestrian connections, cross aisles, retention basins or similar features.
M. In office-use and industrial projects, a minimum twenty-five percent (25%) of the required parking spaces shall be provided within 200 feet of the building served, with the balance of the required parking within 400 feet.
N. In commercial and mixed use projects, a minimum of fifty percent (50%) of the required parking spaces shall be located within 300 feet of the building served.
O. In multi-family residential projects, required parking spaces shall be arranged to provide at least one parking space per unit within 200 feet of the dwelling units they are intended to serve.
P. Drive aisle intersections are to be perpendicular to each other.
Q. Separate vehicular and pedestrian circulation systems shall be provided.
R. Pedestrian Safety.
The design standards described below shall be provided for multi-family residential developments of five (5) or more units and for commercial, mixed-use, and/or industrial developments that are eighty (80) feet or more in depth and/or include fifty (50) or more parking spaces.
1. Pedestrian Safety. Parking lot design should be laid out in a way to minimize the times pedestrians would typically have to walk between parked cars and then cross a drive aisle to get to locations on the site. Internal circulations systems shall be clearly defined. For example, walkways should be incorporated into the median or landscape of some double loaded parking bays that terminate close to access points such as building entries or adjacent street intersections.
2. Materials and Width. Walkways shall provide at least five (5) feet of unobstructed width and be hard-surfaced with a material that differs from the drive aisle by composition, texture, or through the use of a differing color that is integral to the material. For areas beyond ADA accessible spaces, a combination of stepping stones and landscaping can be used, however ADA compliance must also be demonstrated.
3. Identification. Pedestrian walkways shall be clearly differentiated from driveways, parking aisles, and parking and loading spaces through the use of elevation changes, a different paving material, or similar method. Surface striping alone, is insufficient.
4. Separation. Where a pedestrian walkway is parallel and adjacent to an auto travel lane, it must be raised and separated from the auto travel lane by a raised curb at least six (6) inches high, decorative bollards, or other physical barrier.
(5) Bicycle and Motorcycle Parking.
A. Bicycle Parking.
1. Spaces Required.
a. Bicycle parking is required for multi-unit residential buildings and nonresidential development. Unless otherwise expressly stated, buildings and uses subject to bicycle parking requirements must provide the greatest of the following:
i. At least three (3) bicycle parking spaces; or
ii. At least one (1) bicycle space per ten (10) on-site vehicle parking spaces actually provided; or
iii. At least one (1) bicycle space per ten (10) vehicle parking spaces required by Section 1149.05.
b. After the first fifty (50) bicycle parking spaces are provided, the required number of additional bicycle parking spaces is one (1) space per twenty (20) vehicle parking spaces. Covered spaces are strongly encouraged.
c. The requirements of subsection a, above, notwithstanding, the following minimum bicycle parking requirements apply to colleges, universities, schools and libraries:
i. Elementary and junior high school: One (1) bicycle parking space per 1000 square feet;
ii. High school: One (1) bicycle parking space per 1500 square feet;
iii. Colleges and universities: One (1) bicycle parking space per five (5) vehicle parking spaces provided; and
iv. Libraries: One (1) bicycle space per five (5) vehicle parking spaces provided.
2. Design and Location.
a. General.
Required bicycle parking spaces must:
i. Consist of racks or lockers anchored so that they cannot be easily removed and of solid construction, resistant to rust, corrosion, hammers, and saws;
ii. Allow both the bicycle frame and the wheels to be locked using a standard U-lock;
iii. Be designed so as not to cause damage to the bicycle;
iv. Facilitate easy locking without interference from or to adjacent bicycles and maintain a separation of at least twenty-four (24) inches from the nearest wall; and
v. Be located in close proximity to entrances and other high activity areas, highly visible, active, well-lighted areas without interfering with pedestrian movements.
b. Size. Required bicycle parking spaces for nonresidential uses must have minimum dimensions of two (2) feet in width by six (6) feet in length, with a minimum overhead vertical clearance of seven (7) feet.
c. Location. Required bicycle parking may be located indoors or outdoors. Such spaces must be located out of the ROW unless an encroachment agreement is approved. If required bicycle parking facilities are not visible from the abutting street or the building's main entrance, signs must be posted indicating their location.
B. Motorcycle and Scooter Parking. For any nonresidential use providing fifty (50) or more off-street spaces, a maximum of two (2) required off-street parking spaces per fifty (50) vehicle spaces may be reduced in size or otherwise redesigned to accommodate parking for motorcycles and scooters. When provided, motorcycle and scooter parking must be identified by a sign. Motorcycle and Scooter parking shall be counted concurrently as part of the minimum number of vehicle spaces required for the development.
(6) Landscaping.
A. Purpose and Applicability.
1. Trees and other vegetation help to limit the negative effects of large, paved areas by improving stormwater control, reducing erosion, avoiding unnatural microclimates, and improving aesthetics.
2. This section sets forth minimum landscaping requirements for parking areas containing more than four (4) spaces to satisfy this purpose.
B. Trees and Landscaped Areas
1. Trees
a. A parking area shall have two (2) trees per parking facility plus one (1) tree for every five (5) parking spaces or fraction thereof generally distributed throughout the parking area. Any dead or severely diseased trees used to fulfill these regulations shall be replaced at the request of the Zoning Administrator.
b. Trees shall be selected for the local soil and climate. The area and soil depth of the site shall be adjusted to sustain the tree. Immediately following planting, each tree shall be a minimum of six (6) feet tall and have a minimum two (2)-inch caliper. At maturity, each tree shall have a clear trunk at least four feet above the adjacent parking surface and average mature crown greater than twelve (12) feet.
c. Each existing healthy tree meeting the minimum caliper standard that is preserved may be counted as one (1) required tree, and each existing healthy tree with a diameter at breast height (DBH) of ten (10) inches or greater that is preserved may be counted as two (2) required trees, provided that any such trees are properly documented in accordance with 1148.05(b) and are situated no further than ten (10) feet from the proposed parking area.
d. Tree species shall be selected from the City's Tree List, or deemed by the Zoning Administrator (or his/her designee) to be an acceptable species for the location.
C. Landscaped areas. All areas that are not paved shall be landscaped and shall satisfy the following regulations:
1. Shrubs, vines, and ground cover shall be healthy stock.
2. Shrubs shall be a minimum of one (1) gallon.
3. Shrubs shall be maintained so that their height does not exceed three (3) feet above the adjacent parking surface.
4. Lawn grass shall be a species common to Southwest Ohio. Sod shall be used in areas subject to erosion.
5. Synthetic or artificial lawns or plants may not be used in lieu of plant requirements.
6. Concrete and asphalt shall not be used in landscaped areas. Decorative aggregate and other pervious surfaces may be used in landscaped areas if approved by the Zoning Administrator.
D. Alternate design plan. If the design regulations in this chapter will not result in an appropriate parking area for the site on which a use if located or proposed, a property owner may apply to the Planning Commission for a Conditional Use Permit to approve an Alternate Design Plan per procedure in Chapter 1147.
(7) Pedestrian Access/Connectivity.
A. Required Sidewalks
1. A concrete sidewalk of appropriate width shall be required for all portions of a parcel that front along a public street. If the project is located in an area devoid of sidewalks, the minimum width is five (5) feet. The City Engineer shall have the authority to apply the standards of the City of Oxford Curb, Gutter, and Sidewalk Specifications Manual for the construction of any sidewalk.
2. Sidewalks shall be located within the public right-of-way wherever possible. When the right-of-way does not permit the location of a sidewalk, such sidewalk will be located on the property and recorded as a public access easement.
3. A paved bicycle/multi-purpose pathway may be permitted in lieu of the required sidewalk at the discretion of the City Engineer. The City Engineer may consult the City's latest plans for trails and pathways in making a determination as to whether a pathway is an appropriate substitute for a sidewalk.
4. In cases where sidewalk segment(s) already exist in the required locations, the City Engineer may require replacement of all or some of such segments due to being in a state of disrepair or lack of sufficient width.
B. Required Walkway Connection
1. Where a sidewalk exists in a public right-of-way adjacent to the site, or is required to be installed pursuant to subsection (e)(5)A. above, a pedestrian walkway shall be constructed between the entrance(s) of the developed building/use(s) and the public sidewalk.
2. The pedestrian walkway shall be a durable hard surface path with a minimum width of five (5) feet.
3. The pedestrian walkway may consist of one or more crosswalks across drive aisles provided they are hard-surfaced with a material that differs from the drive aisle by composition, texture, or through the use of a differing color that is integral to the material.
(Ord. 3609. Passed 1-19-21.)