A. Parking Plans: Plans for any proposed parking area shall be submitted to the development services department at the time of application for site plan approval. If the project does not require site plan approval, the parking plan shall be submitted with an application for a building permit. The plan shall clearly indicate the proposed development, including location, size, shape, design, curb cuts, lighting, landscaping and other features of the proposed development.
B. Driveway Access To Public Street: Every required parking area shall have unencumbered driveway access to a public street. Such access shall be through platted or recorded easements, reciprocal arrangements or other guaranteed means.
1. Unless otherwise approved by the Planning Commission, all public driveways accessing a public road shall be located a minimum of fifty feet (50') from other driveways or streets. One-way driveways shall have a minimum width of twelve feet (12'). Two-way driveways and all driveways on developments of one acre or larger in size shall have minimum widths of twenty feet (20').
2. Unless approved by the Planning Commission, parking lots shall not directly access arterial or collector streets but shall access such streets by way of an internal roadway system designed and constructed to City standards.
3. Nonresidential traffic on local streets should be minimized and directed out of neighborhoods. Parking lot access for nonresidential uses shall not be permitted from local or collector streets if adequate access is available to major streets.
C. Parking Lot Materials And Drainage:
1. In all zones except in agricultural, rural residential zones and single family residential zones as required by subsection 13-12-5E1 of this chapter, every lot or parcel used as a public or private parking area required by section 13-12-2 of this chapter shall be paved with asphalt or concrete and maintained to eliminate dust or mud.
2. Parking areas and driveways in agricultural and rural residential zones may have either paved or graveled surfaces.
3. Parking lots shall be graded and drained to dispose of all surface water. Surface water drainage shall not be permitted to cross a public sidewalk.
4. Concrete curb walls shall be provided at the perimeter of all permanent parking lots, around interior parking lot landscaping, and at the edges of driveways.
D. Parking Structures: Multilevel or basement parking facilities may be used; provided, that parking structures are treated as buildings for purposes of yard, lot, building, landscaping and other requirements of this chapter.
E. Lighting: Any lights used to illuminate a parking lot shall be arranged to reflect the light away from adjoining lots in all zones. Lights shall also be shielded to reduce or eliminate uplighting. Parking lot and security lighting shall not exceed a maximum of fifteen feet (15') in height, including lamp, pole and base, within one hundred fifty feet (150') of a residential district. Parking lot and security lighting should not exceed a maximum of twenty five feet (25') in height in nonresidential districts, except in SC-2 and SC-3 Commercial Zones, where such lighting shall not exceed forty two feet (42') in height. All light levels shall not exceed one foot-candle power at the property line.
F. Pedestrian Safety: To the maximum extent possible, pedestrians shall be separated from vehicles and bicycles. Where complete separation of pedestrians and vehicles and bicycles is not possible, potential hazards shall be minimized by the use of techniques such as special paving, grade separations, pavement marking, signs or striping, bollards, median refuge areas, traffic calming features, landscaping, lighting, or other means to clearly delineate pedestrian areas, for both day and night use.
1. Parking plans shall include site amenities that enhance safety and convenience and promote walking or bicycling as an alternative means of transportation. Site amenities may include bike racks, drinking fountains, canopies and benches as described in the City bicycle and pedestrian plan.
2. Walkways shall link street sidewalks with building entries through parking lots. Such walkways shall be grade separated from the parking lot with a paved surface not less than six feet (6') wide.
3. Where necessary for primary pedestrian access to cross drive aisles or internal roadways, the pedestrian crossing shall emphasize and place priority on pedestrian access and safety. The material and layout of the pedestrian access shall be continuous as it crosses the driveway. Any breaks in continuity shall be in the driveway paving and not in the pedestrian accessway. The pedestrian crossings must be well marked using pavement treatments, signs and landscaping.
G. Bicycle Facilities: Commercial, civic, employment and multi-family residential uses shall provide bicycle facilities meeting the following standards:
1. Bicycle parking spaces, equal to five percent (5%) of vehicular parking spaces, shall be provided in all developments.
2. For convenience and security, bicycle parking facilities shall be located near building entrances and shall be visible from the land uses they serve. However, such facilities shall not impede pedestrian or automobile traffic flow or cause damage to plant material from bicycle traffic.
3. Bicycle parking racks shall be designed to allow the bicycle frame and both wheels to be securely locked to the rack. The rack shall be of permanent construction, such as heavy gauge tubular steel with angle bars permanently attached to the pavement foundation. Bicycle parking areas shall be at least two feet (2') wide and five and one-half feet (51/2') long, with additional back out or maneuvering space of at least five feet (5').
H. Urban Design Standards For Parking Lots:
1. Parking lots shall be buffered from adjacent residential properties and screened from streets so that cars are not visible below the average height of the headlights.
2. Access drives, internal circulation drives, parking areas and pedestrian walkways shall be designed to provide safety and convenience for both motorists and pedestrians and to ensure access for the physically disabled.
3. For office and retail commercial projects, every parking space shall be no greater than one hundred fifty feet (150') from a sidewalk leading to the building or from a building entrance, and a shade tree shall be placed every thirty feet (30') along the walkway except at driveway crossings.
4. Saving mature landscaping enhances street character. With the exception of safety considerations, location of driveway curb cuts for parking lots shall not cause the removal of mature landscaping.
5. Joint use of parking is encouraged in order to reduce trips. Access to and the location of new parking areas shall relate to adopted area plans, planned parking in the area, or to existing area parking schemes.
6. The number of curb cuts shall be minimized and pedestrian access enhanced. Surface parking design shall utilize shared access drives with adjacent, similarly zoned properties to reduce interference with pedestrians.
7. Parking facilities exist for many years and must integrate with the future surrounding uses. Parking lot design shall consider future planned and existing uses of adjacent sites. (2001 Code § 89-6-606; amd. 2009 Code; Ord. 10-20, 7-28-2010; Ord. 13-17, 4-24-2013)
I. Signs: All signs in residential districts shall comply with the provisions governing signs in this title and title 12 of this Code. (2001 Code § 89-3-307; amd. 2009 Code; Ord. 11-09, 4-6-2011; Ord. 11-35, 11-22-2011; Ord. 15-32, 11-4-2015; Ord. 18-35, 11-7-2018; Ord. 19-50, 12-11-2019, Effective at 12 noon on January 6, 2020)