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Article 13: Off-street Parking and Loading
The purpose of this article shall be to provide safe and convenient vehicular access to all land uses, to minimize traffic congestion and hazards to motorists and pedestrians, and to provide accessible, attractive, secure, and well-maintained off-street parking and loading facilities without precluding the feasible redevelopment and adaptive reuse of existing structures and blocks, when any main building or structure is erected, enlarged, or increased in capacity. An added purpose of this article is to provide discretion to the Planning Director, Zoning Administrator, and Planning Commission to reduce standard parking requirements whenever possible so as to reduce demand for parking, the use of single occupant vehicles, and environmental effects, and meet climate change goals.
(Ord. 1445, eff. August 14, 2014; as amended by § 4, Ord. 1497, eff. June 7, 2018)
For the purposes of this article, unless otherwise apparent from the context, certain words and phrases used in this article are defined as follows:
Downtown Mixed Use (DMX) zones
The Downtown Mixed Use zone applies to downtown business districts of certain unincorporated towns that are planned for development or redevelopment of a mixture of primarily commercial, retail, office, residential, and other uses.
Gross floor area (GFA)
Gross floor area is the area within the inside perimeter of the exterior walls of a structure used, or intended to be used, by owners and tenants for all purposes, exclusive of vent shafts and courts. Usable area under a horizontal projection of a roof or floor above, not provided with surrounding exterior walls shall be included within the total gross floor area.
Live/work unit or Live/work space
A live/work unit or live/work space is a building or space within a building used jointly for commercial and residential purposes where the residential use of the space is secondary or accessory to the primary use as a place of work. “Live/work unit” is further defined as a structure or portion of a structure:
• That combines a commercial or manufacturing activity allowed in the zone with a residential living space for the owner of the commercial or manufacturing business, or the owner’s employee, and that person’s household; and
• Where the resident owner, occupant, or employee of the business is responsible for the commercial or manufacturing activity performed; and
• Where the commercial or manufacturing activity conducted takes place subject to a valid business license associated with the premises.
Parking lot
A parking lot is a designated area, other than a street or other public way, used for the parking of automobiles and available to the public, whether for a fee, free, or as an accommodation for clients, employees, or customers, excluding one-family and two-family dwellings.
Vacant land
Vacant land is land that is currently undeveloped with urban structures, but may be occupied by a rural residence or structure, and is designated for future urban growth.
(Ord. 1445, eff. August 14, 2014)
Unless otherwise specifically provided by this article or a separately-adopted ordinance, the provisions of this article shall apply to all uses and development in County zoning districts referenced below. The general standards for parking, loading, and accessible spaces in this article shall be considered a minimum level of design, and more extensive parking design and circulation provisions may be required by the deciding authority in connection with the approval of a discretionary permit or entitlement. However, the number of parking spaces specified in Table 8-2.1306 shall be considered the maximum number of required spaces unless a greater amount of parking for a specific use is required by the Planning Director, Zoning Administrator, or the Planning Commission.
(Ord. 1445, eff. August 14, 2014)
(a) Location of parking - nonresidential use. Required parking spaces shall be located on the same parcel with the primary use or structure, or on an immediately adjacent and contiguous parcel. If it is not feasible to provide the required amount of parking on the same or adjacent parcel, as determined by the Planning Director, parking spaces located within two hundred fifty (250) feet of the premises to which the parking requirements pertain, may be leased or purchased. An agreement providing for the shared use of private parking indicating the hours of the expected use by type of activity, executed by the parties involved, shall be filed with the Planning Director. Property within the existing or anticipated future right-of-way of a street or highway shall not be used to provide required parking or loading facilities, unless allowed through the issuance of a Use Permit.
(b) Location of parking - residential use. Required parking shall not be located in any required front or side yard, except as otherwise permitted for accessory second units in residential (R) zones according to Article 5, Section 8-2.506(b).
(c) Change in nonresidential use. When the occupancy or use of a property, except for property within the Downtown Mixed Use (DMX) zone, is changed to a different use, or the lessee, tenant, or owner of a specific use occupying more than five hundred (500) square feet of leasable commercial floor area, or one thousand (1,000) square feet of leasable industrial floor area is changed, through issuance of a discretionary or non-discretionary permit, parking to meet the requirements of this section shall be provided for the new use or occupancy, to the extent feasible.
(d) Increase in nonresidential use. When an existing occupancy or use of more than five hundred (500) square feet of leasable commercial floor area, or one thousand (1,000) square feet of leasable industrial floor area is altered, enlarged, expanded, or intensified, except for property within the Downtown Mixed Use (DMX) zone, through issuance of a discretionary or non-discretionary permit, additional parking to meet the requirements of this section shall be provided for the altered, enlarged, expanded, or intensified portion only, to the extent feasible.
(e) Two or more uses. Where two (2) or more uses are located in a single structure or on a single parcel, required parking shall be provided for each specific use (i.e., the total parking required for an establishment that has both industrial and office uses shall be determined by computing the parking for the industrial use and the office use and then adding the two requirements together). A reduction of the required parking spaces may be approved, as allowed in Section 8-2.1310.
(f) Parking and loading spaces to be permanent. Parking and loading spaces shall be permanently available, marked, and maintained for parking or loading purposes, for the use they are intended to serve. The Planning Director may approve the temporary reduction of parking or loading spaces in conjunction with a seasonal or intermittent use.
(g) Parking and loading to be unrestricted. Owners, lessees, tenants, caretaker or persons having control of the operation of the premises for which parking or loading spaces are required by this section shall not prevent, prohibit or restrict authorized persons from using these spaces without prior approval of the Planning Director.
(h) Use of parking lot for activities other than parking. Required off-street parking, circulation, and access areas shall be used exclusively for the temporary parking and maneuvering of vehicles and shall not be used for the sale, lease, display, repair, or storage of vehicles, trailers, boats, campers, mobile homes, merchandise, or equipment, or for any other use not authorized by the provisions of this Code. The temporary use of parking lots for display and sales may be permitted in advance through the issuance of a Site Plan Review by the Zoning Administrator, with a finding that an adequate amount of parking will still be available for customers.
(Ord. 1445, eff. August 14, 2014; as amended by § 4, Ord. 1497, eff. June 7, 2018)
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