(A) All off-street parking and loading areas including spaces, driveways, aisles and circulation drives shall be hard-surfaced with asphalt, concrete or a combination thereof, meeting the Ohio Department of Transportation construction and material specifications, except as may be permitted under division (E) of this section.
(B) All off-street parking and loading areas including spaces, driveways, aisles and circulation drives shall be graded and maintained so that water does not unreasonably accumulate on such areas nor flow or drain onto adjacent public or private property. All such surfaced areas shall be maintained free of chuck holes, litter, glass, nails or other dangerous materials.
(C) Stormwater retention requirements shall be reviewed by the City Engineer and designed according to the applicable standards set forth in the Subdivision Regulations.
(D) The property owner(s) and/or tenant(s) shall have a continued obligation to maintain the required landscaping and buffering elements, parking lot surfaces, striping, signing, etc. in good condition.
(1) Landscaping shall be kept alive and maintained in an orderly manner.
(2) Parking lot surfaces shall be kept free of holes and substantial deterioration.
(3) Striping shall be visible.
(4) Parking lot directional signs shall be kept in place and legible.
(E) Gravel parking areas may be permitted as a conditional use in the C-2 Highway Commercial Zoning District.
(1) Gravel parking areas are to be used for overflow parking and shall have a minimum set back as outlined in § 153.104 from the front property line. Under no circumstances shall a gravel parking area serve as the primary parking facility.
(2) A geotextile fabric shall be installed between the subgrade and the aggregate base. The base shall be a minimum of four inches in depth and constructed of ODOT 304 aggregate. The leveling course shall be a minimum of two inches in depth and constructed of #57 crushed limestone and shall not contain any dirt, sticks, construction debris or other foreign material. The Planning Commission shall have authority to set stricter standards based upon recommendations from the City Engineer.
(3) Gravel parking areas shall be exempt from the striping requirements contained in division (D)(3) of this section, but shall otherwise meet the design standards for parking lots as outlined in this section. Additionally, gravel parking areas shall conform to the landscaping and perimeter buffering requirements contained in § 153.178.
(4) There shall be a paved hard surfaced driveway leading to the gravel parking area that is a minimum of 12 feet in length. The length of the paved driveway is to be measured from the existing near edge of pavement or from the property line. The exact requirement for the length of the paved driveway shall be determined by the Planning Commission based on the need to minimize impact on nearby properties from dust, noise, or gravel infiltration.
(5) Gravel parking surfaces shall remain free of grass and weeds.
(6) The infiltration of environmental contaminants shall be minimized. Environmental contaminants include, but are not limited to, motor oils, volatile organic compounds, for example: benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, zylene, and ethylene glycol.
(7) Gravel parking areas are auxiliary to the primary use of the property. The applicant must provide a paved primary lot that serves the parking needs of customers and employees on a regular basis for the primary use of the lot. The parking spaces within the gravel lot shall not count towards the parking requirements outlined in § 153.182.
(8) Side borders. A temporary gravel parking lot shall have side borders consisting of pressure treated landscape timbers, railroad ties, pressure treated wood, composite "plastic wood", or similar border materials as approved by the Planning Commission.
(a) Wood borders shall be pressure treated or be treated to prevent the decomposition of the wood when the wood is applied to the ground surface. The minimum size of any wood borders or composite plastic wood borders shall be 3 1/2 inches wide by 3 1/2 inches high and shall be continuous around the border. Multiple pieces may be stacked to achieve the required size. Where railroad ties are used, the ties shall be structurally sound and fully intact and shall be continuous around the border. All wood borders or composite plastic wood borders must be affixed to the ground by driving a metal stake through the wood/plastic into the ground. At least two stakes must be driven into each wood or composite plastic wood border segment. The distance between stakes shall not be more than four feet. The metal stake must be a minimum of three-eighths of an inch in diameter and driven a minimum of 12 inches below the ground surface. The metal stake must be driven flush with the surface of the wood/plastic.
(Ord. 09-3306, passed 10-15-09; Am. Ord. 10-3324, passed 7-20-10)