1102.04 PARKING.
(a) General. All proposals, whether to create new parking facilities or to modify existing parking lots or structures, shall be submitted to the Design Review Committee for approval.
Each parking structure and/or lot should be designed with respect to the size of the property, surrounding street pattern, adjacent properties, nature of local soils and climate, and the number of cars to be accommodated. Where on site parking is required, the parking area may be internalized either within the proposed building or in attached or detached parking garages. Surface parking is permitted, but shall be oriented to the side or rear yard areas. The required number of parking spaces shall be supplied as inconspicuously and conveniently as possible in an attractive setting.
(b) Parking Garages. Proposed parking garages, whether for private or commercial use, shall come under the review of the Design Review Committee. Architectural character, design and treatment of a garage structure shall be compatible with or complementary to the principle building on the site or the adjacent structures it will be serving. The exterior elevations of parking structures should be designed to minimize the use of blank concrete facades. In the parking garage, no part of a parked car below the hoodline should be visible from the ground level of any part of the site, adjacent sites or public right of way.
The minimum setback for a parking structure shall be the same that is required for a principle structure. Points of ingress and egress shall be clearly marked and shall be no closer than twenty-five feet to an intersection or other curb cut.
The use of planters, trellises and vegetation is encouraged for screening and decorative purposes. The Design Review Committee recommends planting a landscape strip with a minimum of four feet in width around the perimeter of the garage, consisting of some combination of evergreen trees, shrubs, vines, flowers, ground cover and lawn. When a garage is open during the evening hours, it shall be well lit both internally and externally.
(c) Surface Parking Lots. All parking proposals, whether for private or commercial use, can be found in the Zoning Ordinance, Section 77. Additional requirements are listed below.
(1) Location. In the B-1 Central Business District, private surface parking lots shall be oriented to the rear and/or side yard of the building being served.
For residential development, all required parking shall be provided for on the same lot occupied by the main building, with internalized parking preferred. For other uses, more than fifty percent (50%) of the required parking shall be provided for on the same lot with the balance provided on private property within 400 feet of the main use.
(2) Access. Curb cuts for access drives connecting commercial or private surface parking lots to the right of way shall be no closer than twenty-five feet to an intersection or other curb cut. Parking shall not be permitted in these drives. To prevent excessive vehicular traffic flow interruptions and to reduce vehicular-pedestrian conflict, no more than two access drives into any one lot shall be permitted. New curb cuts will not be permitted on West Federal Street between Market Street and Belmont Avenue.
(3) Peripheral lot treatment. All sides of a commercial or private parking lot abutting a public right of way (including streets, sidewalks and public open spaces) shall be treated as follows:
A landscape strip at least four feet in width shall be provided around the periphery of the parking lot. It is strongly recommended that this easement be planted with some combination of trees, shrubs, flowers, grass and ground cover. Decorative paving may also be used in combination with the above materials.
A fence or screen shall be provided along the inside of the landscape strip, and shall be not less than four feet, nor greater than six feet in height. This fence shall serve to prevent car bumper overhang onto any abutting public right of way. Convenient breaks along fences or screens shall be provided to allow for surveillance, security and pedestrian access.
Materials for the screen shall be permanent in nature with wood, masonry, brick, stone, wrought iron, compact evergreen hedging or some combination thereof permitted. It is suggested that if chain link fencing must be used, it shall be painted black and accompanied by evergreen or other plantings to soften its appearance. Railroad ties are strongly discouraged.
The screen can be built in the form of a planter, earthform or berm, taking all or part of the width of the landscape strip. The combined height of such screening methods and their plantings shall not be less than four feet. Fences, planters, earthforms or berms may be used individually or in some combination.
All parking lots, regardless of perimeter treatment, shall have pedestrian access to the public right of way and to all buildings served.
Where the parking lot abuts private property, including open lots, buildings, private drives or aisles, the landscape strip requirements shall be the same.
(4) Internal lot treatment, public and private parking lots.
A. Configuration. While the configuration of the parking lot is left to the designer, each stall shall be a minimum of nine feet by nineteen feet, exclusive of drive aisles and turning bays. Where traffic is one-way, access aisles shall be a minimum of twelve feet in width; where traffic is two-way, access aisles shall be a minimum of twenty-four feet in width.
B. Paving. Paving shall be of a permanent hard surface, with standing concrete or better quality curbs and gutters. Paving materials should approximate those in the landscape guidelines and incorporate decorative elements. Such paving shall be properly graded and drained to dispose of all surface water, with grading and drainage plans approved by the Commissioner of Engineering.
C. Landscaping. The landscaping requirements listed below are exclusive of requirements for peripheral lot treatment.
The Design Review Committee looks favorably upon the development plans which incorporate the use of planting islands for the internal portion of large parking lots, both private and public, which accommodate more than 100 cars. These islands should be placed either at the end of each row of car stalls or within the row, with a minimum of one island per twenty-five car stalls. End islands should be a minimum of five feet by fifteen feet for a single row of cars, with one shade tree planted or five feet by thirty feet for double rows, with two shade trees planted.
Where islands are within the row of cars, they should be a minimum of five feet by five feet. Tree guards, grates, bollards, curbing or wheelstops should be used to protect trees from car damage. End islands may also incorporate some combination of shrubs, flowers, ground covers, mulch or paving.
Sidewalks placed between rows of parked cars shall be paved and shall be wide enough to accommodate bumper overhang. Decorative parking and landscaping should be incorporated into these pedestrian ways. In all cases, the line of vision clearance for vehicles traveling through the lot shall be maintained.
When more than one private parking lot is proposed on the same site and they are to be adjacent to each other, they shall be separated by a landscaped buffer four feet minimum in width.
(5) Additional requirements for commercial lots. Attendant booths or kiosks shall be permanent in nature. Materials used in construction shall approximate those prescribed for new construction, Section 1102.03(a)(1).
Such structures shall be placed on concrete islands. Commercial parking lots shall not be within 100 feet of each other along the same side of a public right of way. It is suggested that there be only one sign per lot entrance, no larger than six square feet, with the name of the business, the word "parking" or simply the letter "P" encircled. In addition, there shall be one sign per kiosk or booth indicating the parking rates and hours of operation. (Ord. 94-528. Passed 1-11-95.)