Code Section: 142

Subject: Screening of parking

Effective Date: 12/00

Interpretation:

   Planning Code Section 142 requires screening of parking within a building (Sec. 142(a)) and in rear yards and in other interior areas (Sec. 142(b)). A question was raised whether screening for parking was required in the front of a building that was setback from the street beyond the required front setback, and, therefore, the parking was in the buildable area but not within the building. While Section 142 does not strictly require the screening in this circumstance, past practice has been to do so.

   Page 41 of the Residential Design Guidelines provides justification for this practice:

Other Parking Openings
On wider lots all of the street level facade may not be needed for garage or building entries. Preferably occupied rooms with windows should occupy the frontage with any parking pulled back from the property line. When parking is at the front of the building care should be taken to screen the parking from view and to make the wall visually interesting. Openings to the parking area, other than garage door, should be limited to those required by the Building Code for ventilation, should be well below eye level, and should be decoratively screened in a way that will block the view of the parking area from the street. (emphasis added) 

Therefore, parking in front of the building must be screened even if it is not within a building.