(A) Purpose.
(1) The regulations of this article are intended to ensure provision of off-street motor vehicle parking and loading facilities, bicycle parking areas, and other transportation access facilities in rough proportion to the generalized parking and transportation demands of different land uses. By requiring such facilities, it is the intent of this article to help avoid the negative impacts associated with spillover parking into adjacent areas, while at the same time avoiding the negative environmental and appearance impacts that can result from parking lots and other vehicular use areas.
(2) The provisions of this article are also intended to help protect the public health, safety, and general welfare by:
(a) Helping avoid and mitigate traffic congestion;
(b) Encouraging multi-modal transportation options and enhanced pedestrian and cyclist safety;
(c) Providing methods to reduce the amount of impervious surfaces in parking areas and adequate drainage structures in order to reduce the environmental impacts of stormwater runoff; and
(d) Providing flexible methods of responding to the transportation and access demands of various land uses in different areas of the county.
(B) Applicability.
(1) General. Unless otherwise expressly stated, the regulations of this article apply to all districts and uses.
(2) New uses and development. Unless otherwise expressly stated, the regulations of this article apply to all new buildings constructed and all new uses established in all districts.
(3) Enlargements and expansions.
(a) Unless otherwise expressly stated, the regulations of this article apply whenever an existing building or use is enlarged or expanded to include additional dwelling units, floor area, seating capacity, employees or other units of measurement used for establishing off-street parking and loading requirements.
(b) In the case of enlargements or expansions triggering requirements for additional parking or loading, additional spaces are required only to serve the enlarged or expanded area, not the entire building or use. In other words, there is no requirement to address lawfully existing parking and loading space deficits.
(4) Change of use.
(a) Unless otherwise expressly stated, when the use of property changes, additional (vehicle and bicycle) parking spaces and loading spaces must be provided to serve the new use only when the number of spaces required for the new use exceeds the number of spaces required for the lawful use that most recently occupied the building, based on the regulations of this zoning ordinance. In other words, 100% "credit" is given to the most recent lawful use of the property for the number of parking and loading spaces that would have been required under this zoning ordinance, regardless of whether such spaces are actually provided. Any new parking spaces required must comply with all applicable parking and loading area design and layout standards.
(b) When the number of parking or loading spaces required for the new use exceeds the number of spaces required for the use that most recently occupied the property, additional spaces are required only to make up the difference between the number of spaces required for the previous use and the number of spaces required for the new use, based on the regulations of this zoning ordinance.
(Ord. effective 10-1-2012)