The problem of providing adequate streets, highways, and parking to meet the present and future traffic needs is of prime concern to both the City government and individual citizens of the City. All types of property, regardless of location or use, are harmed by inadequate off-street parking facilities. Cars parked on the streets, as a result, create a safety hazard, impede the flow of traffic, and delay emergency equipment. The provision of adequate off-street parking, on the other hand, benefits the property owner by adding security and stability to his property; benefits his neighbors by relieving congestion; and benefits the entire City by allowing the streets to be used as traffic movers.
The City, after considerable research and study, has found that the requirements set forth in the article are the minimum standards for off-street parking facilities. A developer or builder will, though, often find it necessary to exceed the minimum requirements to insure adequate parking space for a successful development.
A parking structure is an alternative method of complying with the off-street parking requirements of the City. Parking structures can reduce the site area devoted to exposed, surface parking lots, and achieve reasonable densities that are dictated by the site’s natural and/or man-made limitations, with the goal of improving the overall visual aesthetics of a project.
Certain types of parking structures are to be encouraged, where appropriate in certain areas, and discouraged in other areas within the Community. The overall goal of establishing guidelines for parking structures is to maintain the continuous commitment of the City in preserving the perception of a semi-rural character that has shaped the quality of development within the City, as viewed by residents and visitors alike. While not intended to be used for the sole purpose of intensifying development, it is recognized that appropriately designed parking structures may increase the intensity of development on a given site. In establishing these guidelines, it should be emphasized that the safety, visual appeal and increased landscaping associated with such parking structures will be key elements of their design, carefully reviewed and strongly implemented.
The purpose of this article is to set forth the conditions under which parking structures may be incorporated in a project and to provide guidelines for their location and design.
A Parking Structure Design Review Board, as appointed by the City Council, may be formed to review any proposed development project that includes a parking structure. The review shall be conducted at the early stages of the development process, at the pre-application meeting, to review the proposed parking structure design for compliance with this article, prior to the processing of the project.
(§ 8161.1, T.O.O.C., as amended by § I, Ord. 149-NS, eff. May 7, 1970, renumbered by § XIV, Ord. 173-NS, eff. November 5, 1970, as amended by § 2, Ord. 1156-NS, eff. July 7, 1992)