(a) Parking Facility Design
Parking facilities shall be designed in accordance with the following regulations:
(2) Stalls and aisles shall be designed such that columns, walls, or other obstructions do not interfere with normal vehicle parking maneuvers. All required stall and aisle widths shall be designed to be clear of such obstructions except as otherwise provided in subsection (a)(4) below.
(3) The required stall widths shown in Table 3 of Section 18.54.070 shall be increased by 0.5 foot for any stall located immediately adjacent to a wall, whether on one or both sides. The director may require that the required stall widths be increased by 0.5 foot for any stall located immediately adjacent to a post, where such post limits turning movements into or out of the stall.
(4) For property owners or tenants seeking to install EVSE, the required stall widths shown in Table 3 of Section 18.54.070 may be reduced by no more than eighteen inches below the code required minimum dimensions in order to accommodate EVSE or associated electrical utility equipment. For parking lots and garages other than for one- and two-family use, this reduction may be applied to 10% of the total required parking stalls, or two stalls, whichever is greater. The director may approve a reduction in width for a greater number of stalls through a director’s adjustment pursuant to Section 18.52.050. For one- and two-family residential garages and carports, 18-inch reductions are allowed for both stall width and depth to enable Electrification Equipment and protective bollards, as long as (i) the reduced width is not continuous along the side of the stall, to provide a six-foot length near the middle of the stall for opening two vehicular side doors, and (ii) the proposed garage has an interior clearance depth of 20 feet in compliance with 18.54.020 (b)(2) or an existing substandard garage has a depth of at least 19 feet-six inches. For a garage depth less than 19 feet-six inches but greater than 18 feet, such equipment may be installed on the back wall of the garage at a location at least four feet above the finished floor.
(5) Dead-end aisles shall be avoided to the greatest extent feasible.
(6) Except for at-grade parking facilities serving a maximum of two dwelling units, all parking facilities shall be set back a sufficient distance from the street so that vehicles need not back out into or over a public street (not including an alley) or sidewalk.
(7) Surface parking areas shall be located so that garages or carports are not predominantly facing the street; parking locations behind the building(s) are preferable.
(8) Carport structures shall be architecturally compatible with the main structures in the project and should utilize substantial support posts. Landscaping material associated with the carport shall have adequate room to grow and be protected from damage by cars and pedestrian traffic.
(9) Except for single-family uses, parking should be underground, semi-depressed, enclosed or concealed for all projects to the extent feasible.
(10) Where feasible, parking shall be broken into smaller groupings of spaces to avoid large expanses of parking and to provide for more opportunities to intercept and filter drainage from the parking areas.
(11) Proximity of underground parking garages to residentially zoned properties should take into consideration the need for landscaping along the perimeter of the site. In instances where substantial planting is necessary, the placement of parking garages should be adequately setback from the property line to provide for the landscaping.
(b) Off-Street Parking Stalls
(2) Garages and carports for single-family and two-family development shall provide a minimum interior clearance of ten (10) feet wide by twenty (20) feet long for a single car and a minimum of twenty (20) feet wide by twenty (20) feet long for two cars to allow sufficient clearance, except as otherwise provided in subsection (a)(4) above.
(3) Dimensions of parking stalls for parallel parking shall be as follows. The minimum dimensions of such a stall located adjacent to a wall shall be ten feet wide and twenty feet long. The minimum dimensions of such a stall located adjacent to a curb with a minimum two-foot clearance to a wall shall be eight feet wide and twenty feet long. These required stall widths are in addition to the required width of the access driveway or aisle.
(4) Mechanical lifts may be used to satisfy off-street parking requirements in accordance with the following provisions:
A. The regulations in this section apply to mechanical lifts, elevators and turn-around devices specified for vehicle use, and other mechanical devices that facilitate vehicle parking;
B. Mechanical vehicle lifts may be used for multi-family residential, office, hotel, automotive, industrial or institutional uses. Other uses may use mechanical vehicle lifts subject to approval from the Director of Planning and Community Development and may be required to provide dedicated on-site valet assistance for no fee to the user.
C. The location of mechanical lifts shall be located within an enclosed parking facility. All lifts and associated equipment shall be screened from public views and the screening shall be architecturally compatible with the site conditions;
D. Applicant shall submit an analysis and report, prepared by a qualified professional, for review and approval by the Director of Planning and Development Services that demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed parking lift system; operational details; schematic or technical drawings; regular and emergency maintenance schedule, procedures and backup systems; vehicle queuing, access and retrieval efficiency; and potential impacts, delays, or inconveniences to all of the following:
i. site residents, workers, and visitors
ii. pedestrian and bicycle movement and safety on and nearby the site
iii. vehicular movement and safety on and nearby the site
E. Mechanical car lifts shall not be used for accessible parking spaces or loading spaces;
F. Mechanical car lifts shall accommodate mid-size sport utility vehicles and full-size cars.
G. For all non-residential uses, a minimum of two spaces or 10% of the total number of parking spaces provided, whichever is greater, shall be provided as standard non-mechanical parking spaces. The required accessible spaces shall not be counted as one of the standard spaces for this requirement;
H. Additional information, reports and analysis may be required and conditions may be imposed to ensure the use, operation and function of the lift system is not detrimental to the public welfare, property, land uses and users of the property, other properties, or the public right of way, in the general vicinity.
I. Lift design must allow for removal of any single vehicle without necessitating the temporary removal of any other vehicle.
J. The Director shall have authority to adopt regulations to implement this provision.
(c) Off-Street Loading Spaces
(1) Each off-street loading space shall consist of a rectangular area not less than twelve (12) feet wide and forty-five (45) feet long, with a vertical clearance of not less than fifteen (15) feet.
(2) Each parking and loading space shall have adequate drives, aisles, and turning and maneuvering areas for access and usability, and shall at all times have access to a public street or alley.
(d) Tandem Parking
Tandem parking shall be allowed in the R-1 and other low density residence districts and in parking assessment areas as specified in Section 18.52.080. Tandem parking shall be allowed in multiple family residence districts for any unit requiring two parking spaces, provided that both spaces in tandem are intended for use by the same residential unit. For projects with more than four (4) units, not more than 25% of the required parking spaces shall be in a tandem configuration.
(e) Slope of Driveways in the Hazardous Fire Area
The slope of driveways shall not exceed fifteen percent in the hazardous fire area (i.e., that area west of Interstate 280).
(f) Figures and Tables
(Ord. 5601 § 7, 2023: Ord. 5554 § 34, 2022: Ord. 5504 § 8, 2020: Ord. 5494 § 3, 2020: Ord. 5432 § 14, 2018: Ord. 5406 § 9, 2017: Ord. 4964 § 3 (part), 2007)