Every parcel of land hereafter used as a public or private off- street parking area shall be developed and maintained in accordance with all of the following requirements:
A. Location: All parking spaces shall be located on the same parcel as the structure or use, unless approved otherwise by the City Council and no parking space required by this chapter shall be located in the parking lot setback area of any land use district.
B. Access: With respect to access, all of the following shall apply:
1. Width: Where a lot does not abut on a public or private alley or easement of access, there shall be provided an access drive not less than ten feet (10') in width in the case of a single- family dwelling, and not less than twenty four feet (24') in width for all other uses. Except where provided in connection with a use permitted in a Residential District, such easement of access or access drive shall not be located in any Residential District.
2. Flow Of Traffic: Off-street parking or loading facilities shall be designed so as to permit entrance and exit by a forward movement of the vehicle for all uses, except single-family detached or townhouse dwellings with direct driveway access to City classified "collector" streets with projected average daily traffic (ADT) of less than three thousand (3,000) ADT, which shall be permitted backward movement from a driveway. The backing or backward movement of vehicles from a driveway, off-street parking or loading area onto a major thoroughfare, including all thoroughfares designated as arterial streets or major collector streets, in the Comprehensive Plan, other than local residential streets as noted herein, shall be strictly prohibited for all uses. Driveway approach returns shall not extend beyond the side lot line as extended into the right-of-way, unless such driveway is of joint usage by the adjoining lots.
3. Paving Required: Paving of the alley shall be required whenever a property, except a single-family detached residence, utilizes an alley as an ingress to an off-street parking area. The property owner shall be responsible for paving the alley in accordance with the specifications of the Des Moines Metropolitan Design Standards, as modified by the City, to provide safe ingress and egress to the site.
4. Vertical Clearance: Access driveway vertical clearance shall be at least fourteen feet (14'). (Ord. 1213, 11-4-1996)
5. Drive/Street:
a. Access to four (4) or fewer single-family detached houses shall be considered a drive. Access to more than four (4) single- family detached houses shall be considered a street.
C. Driveways: With respect to driveways, all of the following shall apply:
1. The number of ingress/egress access points to public streets from off street parking areas are subject to approval by the City and located to limit vehicular conflicts, provide acceptable location of driveway accesses to public streets, preserve proper traffic safety and, as possible, not impair movement of vehicular traffic on public streets. The permitted number of ingress/egress driveway approaches to public streets for an off street parking lot shall be dependent upon the existing and projected future average daily traffic (ADT) for the public street and, where possible, public street accesses should be located in alignment with driveway approaches gaining access to the same public street from property on the opposite side of the street.
2. Except for single-family detached dwellings, and unless expressly recommended otherwise by the Director of Public Works, access drives onto public streets should have a minimum separation of one hundred feet (100') apart, measured centerline to centerline; on arterial streets, the required distance should be three hundred feet (300'). No driveway shall be permitted to access a public street within twenty five feet (25') of the end of radius at a street intersection. (Ord. 1213, 11-4-1996)
3. Individual residential driveways on private property shall not be greater than twenty feet (20') in width at the street right- of-way line. The driveway may flare out at an angle on both sides of the driveway toward a point situated ten feet (10') from the right-of-way line to create additional parking spaces within the driveway as long as the total paving for the parking of vehicles does not exceed fifty percent (50%) of the area between the right-of-way line and the primary wall of the front plane of the dwelling structure. All paving must maintain a minimum setback of one foot (1') from a side property line. Any retaining walls must comply with setbacks as defined in chapter 14 of this title. (Ord. 2327, 10-1-2018)
4. Driveways and associated off street parking areas for single- family residences shall not be located closer than one foot (1') from an adjoining residential lot line, unless such driveway is jointly used by adjoining residential lot owners and a joint easement has been recorded.
5. Except for single-family residences, the minimum width of a one-way drive without parking stalls shall be fifteen feet (15'). The minimum width of a two-way drive without parking stalls shall be twenty four feet (24').
D. Maneuvering/Circulation: Off street parking facilities shall accommodate the maneuvering and circulation of all vehicles on site, so as not to impair the movement of vehicles on public streets. There shall be no backing of vehicles from an off street parking facility into the public street, or backing from the public street into an off street parking facility. (Ord. 1213, 11-4-1996)
E. Parking Lot Setbacks: With respect to parking lot setbacks, all of the following shall apply:
1. Screening: The parking lot setback shall provide open space for screening of the lot and vehicles within the lot through berming, landscaping or other similar screening in accordance with chapter 19 of this title. No part of any parking space shall be within the parking lot setback. (Ord. 1839, 9-21-2009)
2. Public Street Right-Of-Way:
a. Residential Districts: In all Residential Districts except for single-family residences with driveway parking space shall have a minimum of fifteen feet (15') from the public street right-of- way.
b. Setbacks: Parking on driveways parallel to a public sidewalk for single-family residences shall maintain a minimum setback of ten feet (10') from the public street right-of-way. In all zoning districts, parking on driveways within the public street right- of-way or across public sidewalks shall not comply with the requirements of this chapter. (Ord. 1213, 11-4-1996)
c. Office And Commercial Districts: Office and Commercial Districts, including the Warehouse Retail District, except for Professional Commerce Park and Valley Junction Historic Business Districts, shall have a minimum setback of fifteen feet (15') from the public street right-of-way. (Ord. 1629, 4-25-2005)
d. Valley Junction Historic Business (VJHB) District: If a parking lot is proposed, a parking lot setback shall be determined through development review which preserves the intent of the setback.
e. Light Industrial And General Industrial Districts: Light Industrial (LI) and General Industrial (GI) Districts shall have a setback of at least ten feet (10') from the public street right-of-way.
f. Business Park And Professional Commerce Districts: Business Park (BP) and Professional Commerce Park (PCP) Districts shall have a minimum setback of twenty feet (20') from the public street right-of-way.
g. Parking Lots: Parking lot setbacks shall be measured from the ultimate right-of-way, as identified in the comprehensive plan.
3. Alley Line: An eight foot (8') setback from the public street right-of-way is required for all districts.
4. Adjoining Lot Line: A five foot (5') setback is required along an adjoining lot line, unless the parking space within the setback is part of a common parking lot of joint usage between the adjoining lots.
F. Dimensions: With respect to dimensions, all of the following shall apply:
1. A parking space reserved for the parking of vehicles shall have a dimension of not less than nine feet (9') in stall width and nineteen feet (19') in length for ninety degree (90°) parking without front end overhang, plus such additional parking bay stall aisle width based on proven traffic engineering standards, acceptable to the City and conforming to the minimum standards for parking lot dimensions set forth herein necessary to afford adequate ingress and egress.
2. The following dimensions are minimum standards for the design of a parking lot for parking stalls without an overhang over an open space area:
MINIMUM STANDARDS
Angle Of Parking1 | (A)2
Stall Width
| (B)3
Stall Length
|
(C) Stall Depth
|
(D) One-Way Aisle
|
(D) Two-Way Aisle
|
Parallel | 9.0' | 23.0' | n/a | 15.0' | 24.0' |
30° | 9.0' | 34.5' | 17.25' | 15.0' | 24.0' |
45° | 9.0' | 28.0' | 20.0' | 15.0' | 24.0' |
60° | 9.0' | 24.0' | 21.0' | 18.0' | 24.0' |
90° | 9.0' | 19.0' | 19.0' | 24.0' | 24.0' |
Notes:
1. Any parking stalls proposed at any angle other than those specified above shall have a width of 9 feet, and a length and depth sufficient to allow a 9 foot by 19 foot rectangular parking area.
2. Any parking space located parallel to a wall or other solid barrier shall be widened by an additional 2 feet.
3. Where there is front end overhang over an open space area of at least 2 feet, the minimum stall length for a parking space may be reduced 2 feet. When the front of a parking stall abuts a sidewalk, the minimum width of the sidewalk shall be 6 feet.
G. Surfacing: With respect to surfacing, all of the following shall apply: (Ord. 1213, 11-4-1996)
1. Paving: All off street parking and loading areas and access roadways shall be paved with asphaltic or portland cement concrete pavement in accordance with the specifications as herein set forth. The off street parking of automobiles, vans, campers, trucks, trailers, tractors, recreational vehicles, boats, construction equipment and any other mobile vehicle equipped for street and highway travel which is not otherwise located within an approved storage yard in accordance with subsection 9-10-4A8 of this title, shall be on an asphaltic or portland cement concrete paved off street parking area as required herein. No parking or storage of vehicles within the landscaped open space area of the front yard between the building and public street right of way, shall be allowed unless otherwise approved by the city council during review of a development request. (Ord. 1860, 3-22-2010)
2. Curbing: All off street parking areas and associated driveways, access roadways and frontage roads, except driveways for single-family residences, shall be constructed with permanent, integrally attached portland cement concrete curbing not less than four inches (4") high at any given time, or curbing of alternate height as approved by the city council; and shall be so graded and drained as to dispose of all surface water accumulation within the area; and shall be so arranged and marked to facilitate and ensure the orderly and safe loading or unloading and parking and storage of self-propelled vehicles.
3. Pavement Thickness: The minimum thickness of pavement of the parking area shall be as follows:
a. Portland cement concrete shall have a minimum thickness of five inches (5") and the subgrade shall have a minimum subgrade modulus (k) of one hundred fifty (150). Additional thickness of portland cement concrete may be utilized to create an equivalent subgrade modulus if the existing subgrade modulus is less than one hundred fifty (150).
b. Asphaltic concrete shall have a minimum thickness of five and one-half inches (51/2") and the subgrade shall have a minimum California bearing ratio (CBR) of 5, or equivalent standard measured in proctor. Additional thickness of asphaltic concrete may be utilized to create an equivalent CBR if the existing CBR is less than 5. Pavement shall be designed in accordance with the Asphalt Institute's "Thickness Design Manual" (MS-1).
4. Subgrade Material: Material utilized in the subgrade shall be well drained and not susceptible to frost boils. The part of the parking area utilized for driveways, access roadways and frontage roads shall be specifically designed to accommodate the type and load bearing of traffic that will be utilizing the access roadway.
5. Driveways:
a. Driveway approaches and any other area within the city right of way shall be portland cement concrete per city specifications.
b. Driveways for individual single-family detached residences shall have a minimum thickness of four inches (4") of Portland cement concrete or a thickness of asphaltic concrete of an equivalent strength. All other driveways shall have a minimum thickness of five inches (5") of Portland cement concrete or a thickness of asphaltic concrete of an equivalent strength.
6. Testing: A review and report certified by a third party recognized testing agency acceptable to the City shall be submitted which documents the thickness and compaction of the pavement and its compliance with the above standards.
H. Slope And Drainage: Parking areas shall be designed and improved with grades not to exceed a six percent (6%) slope. All required off street parking areas shall be so designed that surface water will not drain over any sidewalk or adjacent property. Driveways are recommended not to exceed eight percent (8%) slope and none shall have grades exceeding ten percent (10%) slope. Driveways shall be graded and drained to dispose of surface water to the street or public designated stormwater drainage facilities. (Ord. 1213, 11-4-1996)
I. Striping: All parking spaces, except individual dwelling unit driveways, shall be striped in accordance with the Manual On Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) standards. The striping shall be maintained in a clear and visible manner.
J. Wheel Stops/Curbing: All off-street parking lots and associated drive aisles, access roadways and frontage roads, shall be constructed with permanent, integrally attached, continuous Portland cement concrete curbing of at least four inches (4") high and six inches (6") wide or of alternate height and width acceptable to the City. Prefabricated curb or wheel stops shall not be considered an acceptable alternative to curbing, unless otherwise approved by the City Council during review of a development request.
1. Wheel stops in addition to curbing shall be allowed in the following instances:
a. When the adjoining pedestrian walkway is less than six feet (6') in width. In these instances, the depth of the parking stall shall be increased to accommodate vehicle overhang within the stall so that a minimum four feet (4') clear width is maintained on the walkway.
b. When curb is dropped to provide accessible parking spaces. In these instances, the length of the dropped curb shall extend only the width of the stall (or stalls if adjacent) and any associated accessible walkway then transition back to full height curb at the first regular stall.
2. The curbing shall be at least three feet (3') from any wall, fence, property line, walkway, or structure where parking and/or driveways or aisles are located adjacent thereto. (Ord. 2350, 3-4-2019)
K. Landscaping, Screening, And Open Space: Refer to chapter 19 of this title. (Ord. 1839, 9-21-2009)
L. Lighting: With respect to lighting, all of the following shall apply:
1. Any lighting used to illuminate any off street parking or loading area shall be so arranged as to divert the light away from adjoining residential uses or premises in any Residential District and away from the traveled roadway of public streets.
2. Lighting fixtures shall possess sharp cutoff qualities at property lines.
3. Any project that proposes the use of wall pack lighting on the perimeter of the property shall be required to prepare an exterior lighting (photometric) plan for review and approval by the City.
4. Any lighting which exceeds one foot-candle at the property line shall not comply with the requirements of this chapter.
5. Low pressure sodium lighting fixtures are prohibited.
6. At the discretion of the Director of Community Development, an exterior lighting (photometric) plan may be required according to the following standard: point by point foot-candle layout based upon a ten foot (10') grid center, extending a minimum of twenty feet (20') outside the property lines.
M. Maintenance And Security: All parking facilities shall be designed, constructed and maintained with security as a priority to protect the safety of the users. All required parking facilities shall be permanently maintained, free of litter and debris.
N. Waiver Of Requirements: With respect to a waiver of requirements, all of the following shall apply:
1. The City Council reserves the right to waive or modify to a lesser restriction any provision or requirement of off street parking and loading areas contained in this chapter, provided said waiver or modification does not adversely affect the intent of these regulations to adequately safeguard the general public and surrounding property.
2. Exceptions may be considered for those uses where special circumstances warrant a change and whereby the modification or waiver is determined to be in the best interest of the general public. (Ord. 1213, 11-4-1996)