Chapter 17.36 OFF-STREET PARKING AND LOADING

Chapter 17.36
OFF-STREET PARKING AND LOADING

Sections:

17.36.010 Purpose.

17.36.015 General provisions.

17.36.020 Uses not listed in chapter.

17.36.030 Several uses occupying single structure or parcel of land.

17.36.040 Joint utilization of spaces.

17.36.050 Location of spaces.

17.36.060 Use of spaces for storage prohibited.

17.36.070 Parking in required yards.

17.36.080 Plans – Required for building permit.

17.36.090 Design requirements.

17.36.100 Completion time.

17.36.110 In-lieu parking.

17.36.120 Nonconforming structures – Parking regulations.

17.36.130 Parking requirements – Residential uses.

17.36.140 Off-street parking – Commercial and industrial uses.

17.36.150 Off-street loading.

17.36.151 Bicycle parking.

17.36.160 Exhibits.

17.36.010 Purpose.

The purpose of this chapter is to reduce street congestion, traffic hazards and contribute to the safety of the citizens of the City by incorporating adequate, attractively designed and safe areas for vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians to interact. Standards are incorporated to reduce impacts to the surrounding uses and compliance with General Plan policies.

17.36.015 General provisions.

A. On-site parking in an amount and by the design established in this chapter shall be provided at the time of initial construction, structural modification, enlargement or other change in size, change in use or the intensity of the use of any structure or lot.

B. The provisions and maintenance of off-street parking and loading spaces shall be a continuing obligation of the property owner.

C. No building or other permit shall be issued until plans are presented and approved which provide an area that is and will remain available for exclusive use as off-street parking and loading space. In the event that parking cannot be provided in accordance with the standards of this chapter an in-lieu parking space fee may be paid in accordance with the provisions of CMC 17.36.110(E).

D. The subsequent use of property for which the building permit is issued shall be conditional upon the continuance of the minimum amount of parking.

E. Should the use of any lot or building change from which the lot or building was originally established, thereby increasing off-street parking or loading requirements, it shall be a violation of this title to begin or maintain such altered use until there is compliance with the increased off-street parking and loading requirements or the provisions of the in-lieu parking space fees of this chapter.

F. When footage is used by this chapter as the basis for establishing parking requirements, the area measured shall be the gross floor area of the building plus any outdoor areas in use.

G. When the number of employees is used by this chapter as the basis for establishing parking requirements, persons counted shall be those working on the premises, including proprietors, during the largest shift at peak season.

H. If the calculation of parking needs results in the requirement of a fraction of a parking space, such a parking space need not be provided unless the fraction exceeds 50 percent.

I. If a change of occupancy or use does not increase the need for additional parking as set forth in this chapter and is otherwise acceptable pursuant to Chapter 17.44 CMC, then no additional parking or in-lieu parking fee shall be required.

17.36.020 Uses not listed in chapter.

Parking requirements for types of buildings and uses not specifically listed in this chapter shall be determined by the Planning Commission based upon the requirements for comparable uses listed. (Ord. 427 § 2, 1987; Ord. 339 § 1, 1978).

17.36.030 Several uses occupying single structure or parcel of land.

If several uses occupy a single structure or parcel of land, then the total requirements for off-street parking shall be the sum of the requirements of the several uses computed separately. (Ord. 427 § 3, 1987; Ord. 339 § 1, 1978).

17.36.040 Joint utilization of spaces.

Owners of two or more uses, structures or parcels of land may agree to utilize jointly the same parking and loading spaces. Joint utilization shall be subject to the approval of the Director of Planning and Building and shall be subject to the following:

A. The hours of operation shall not overlap;

B. Satisfactory legal evidence shall be presented to the City in the form of deeds, leases or contracts to establish the joint use, regulation thereof, and parking requirement for each use in the event of cancellation of the contract;

C. The lease or contract shall be recorded against the real property in question;

D. Upon termination of the lease or contract, each party to the lease shall provide sufficient parking to meet its demands in accordance with the requirements in effect at the time of establishment of the joint use.

17.36.050 Location of spaces.

A. Off-street parking spaces for dwellings shall be located on the same parcel with the dwelling.

B. Off-street parking for commercial and industrial uses shall be on the same parcel as the proposed use. If a portion or all of the parking cannot be located on the site, then parking spaces may be located not farther than 500 feet from the building or use they are required to serve, as measured in a straight line from the building.

C. Approval of remote parking shall be subject to the approval of the Planning Commission and shall be in accordance with the provisions of this chapter and the zoning district in which the remote parking or property is located. (Ord. 614 § 4, 2004).

17.36.060 Use of spaces for storage prohibited.

Required parking spaces shall be available for the parking of passenger automobiles of resident, customer, patrons and employees only, and shall not be used for storage of vehicles, materials or for the parking of vehicles used in conducting the business or use. (Ord. 427 § 6, 1987; Ord. 339 § 1, 1978).

17.36.070 Parking in required yards.

A. Unless otherwise provided, required parking and loading spaces shall not be located in any yard required by this title.

B. On a lot developed with a single-family residence, vehicles may be parked in required front and street side yards only in the following areas in order to minimize their visual impact on the neighborhood and promote landscaping:

1. On a driveway with a maximum width of 24 feet, where “driveway” is defined as a private road that leads from a public road to a house or garage.

2. On a parking pad with a maximum width of 10 feet, subject to the following:

a. Parking pads shall be parallel with and adjacent to a driveway.

b. Parking pads shall be located between a driveway and the nearest interior side property line.

3. On an area that is consistent with the intent of this subsection if a driveway is not needed, subject to approval by the Planning and Building Director.

C. Parking areas shall have an all-weather surface with clearly defined edges. “All-weather surface” does not include areas of grass, lawn, compacted or hard-packed dirt. (Ord. 694 § 2, 2013; Ord. 427 § 7, 1987; Ord. 339 § 1, 1978).

17.36.080 Plans – Required for building permit.

A. A plan indicating how the off-street parking and loading requirements are to be met shall accompany an application for a building permit, structural enlargement, modification or intensification of use.

B. The plan shall be drawn to scale and show all elements necessary to indicate that the requirements are being met, including but not limited to the following:

1. Location, dimensions and striping plan of individual parking and loading spaces, circulation area, aisles, curb cuts, and access to public streets;

2. Grading, drainage flows, surface materials and subgrade details;

3. Existing landscaping or other features to be removed;

4. Parking lot lighting and signs;

5. Proposed landscaping and irrigation plans including location of refuse enclosures; and

6. Other details as may be required by the Director of Planning and Building.

17.36.090 Design requirements.

Design requirements for parking lots shall be as follows:

A. Surface.

1. Parking lots shall be surfaced with an asphaltic concrete, concrete, building stone, armor coating or equivalent material approved by the Planning and Building and Public Works Directors.

2. The Planning Commission may approve proposals for parking lots surfaced in manners other than with the materials noted above when the use is for less than one year, or factors justify a minimum improvement.

B. Screening. Except for parking in connection with single-family dwellings, all parking and loading areas shall be designed to minimize disturbance between neighboring developments.

C. Barrier Curbs. Parking spaces shall be located a minimum of five feet from structures, walls, fences, landscaped areas or other parking spaces. The barriers shall consist of a continuous concrete barrier curb six inches in height (see CMC 17.36.160, Exhibit H).

D. Lighting.

1. Low level lighting shall be provided in all parking lots.

2. Lighting may be affixed to buildings, combined with landscaping, or located on standards at a height of not more than 15 feet.

3. All lighting shall be directed and/or shielded so as not to shine or create glare on any adjacent property. Lighting shall not conflict or obstruct lighting in any public area or street.

4. Lighting fixture design and wattage shall be approved by the Director of Planning and Building and the Police Department.

E. Location.

1. Except for single-family dwellings, groups of more than two parking spaces shall be so located and so served by a driveway that their use will require no backing movement into the street right-of-way.

2. Service drives to off-street parking areas shall be designed and constructed to facilitate the flow of traffic and to provide maximum safety for vehicles and pedestrians.

3. The number of service drives shall be limited to the minimum that will accommodate anticipated traffic.

4. A safe visual clearance shall be provided and maintained at all driveways and in all parking lots.

5. Curb breaks for driveway purposes shall be approved by the Planning Commission, Director of Planning and Building or Public Works Director, and shall be regulated in number and location in a manner that will:

a. Minimize conflict with movement of traffic;

b. Minimize loss of on-street parking; and

c. Provide ease of ingress and egress to the parking lot.

6. Except for necessary service or access driveways, no portion of a parking lot shall be located in any required front yard or side yard adjacent to a street.

F. Aisle and Stall Dimensions. CMC 17.36.160, Exhibit B, indicates minimum dimensions and acceptable layout designs.

1. In the event more than one drive is provided, the width for one-way access may be reduced to 12 feet, upon approval of the Planning and Building and the Public Works Directors.

2. Minimum widths for drive aisles within parking lots shall be as indicated in CMC 17.36.160, Exhibit B.

3. Minimum dimensions for parking spaces located within a private structure, such as a garage or carport, shall be no less than 10 feet in width by 20 feet in depth per car.

G. Landscape. All parking lots shall be landscaped. The amount and type thereof is subject to the approval of the Planning Commission, Planning and Building and Public Works Directors as appropriate.

H. Compact Spaces. For parking lots with three or more spaces, up to 33 percent of the required number of parking spaces may be designated for compact cars as follows:

1. Spaces may be reduced to a minimum of eight feet in width and 16 feet in depth.

2. “Compact car only” signs shall be stenciled on the pavement of each space.

I. Disability Accessibility. Spaces accessible to persons with a disability shall be provided as required by Part 2, Title 24, of the California Administrative Code and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1993.

1. Required spaces as follows:

Auto and Van
(Van accessible may be grouped on one level)

Total spaces	Per	Accessible spaces
1 to 25	1	van accessible space
26 to 50	2	including 1 van accessible space
51 to 75	3	including 1 van accessible space
76 to 100	4	including 1 van accessible space
101 to 150	5	including 1 van accessible space
151 to 200	6	including 1 van accessible space
201 to 300	7	including 1 van accessible space
301 to 400	8	including 1 van accessible space
401 to 500	9	including 2 van accessible spaces
501 to 1,000	2%	including 3 van accessible spaces
1,001 or more	20 plus 1 per 100 or fraction thereof, including a minimum of 1 van accessible space per 8 accessible spaces or fraction thereof

J. Striping.

1. Parallel parking stalls shall be marked by a white “T” on the pavement eight feet from the curb and measure 23 feet on center.

2. All spaces shall be delineated with white pavement striping three inches in width in accordance with CMC 17.36.160, Exhibit F.

K. Variances. Where the configuration of land is such that the design requirements in this chapter cannot be met, a variance may be requested in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 17.42 CMC.

L. Parking lots shall be surfaced with asphaltic concrete, concrete, building stone, armor coating or equivalent materials approved by the Planning and Building and Public Works Directors. The Planning Commission or Director of Planning and Building may approve parking areas improved to alternate standards including alternative paving surfaces, curbing and striping techniques when a rural, overall design program is being considered for the main land use, Handicapped parking areas shall maintain standards as required by State law. (Ord. 519 § 3, 1996).

17.36.100 Completion time.

Required parking spaces shall be improved as required and made available for use before the final inspection is completed by the building inspector or a certificate of occupancy is issued.

17.36.110 In-lieu parking.

A. The in-lieu parking program is developed to recognize the uniqueness of the downtown business core, recognize structures established when automobiles were not a primary mode of transportation and to facilitate the continued development of the downtown business core without compromising the character of the downtown.

B. A proposed building, structure or use located in the downtown area as delineated in CMC 17.36.160, Exhibit G, “Downtown Area In-lieu Parking Fee for the City of Calistoga, California,” and all amendments and changes thereon are made a part of this chapter by reference may be eligible for in-lieu parking at Tier Two rate as indicated by location on the map. All other commercially zoned property is limited to Tier One rates. Eligibility for either Tier One or Tier Two rates is subject to the approval of the Director of Planning and Building or Planning Commission, as appropriate.

C. All in-lieu parking fees shall be paid prior to issuance of a building permit or business license, whichever is issued first.

D. An in-lieu parking fee shall be paid for each parking space deficiency for the proposed intensified use or structure under consideration. This deficiency shall be computed using the parking requirements of this chapter.

E. Two payment rates are established for in-lieu parking fees.

1. The use of Tier One rates are for properties or uses meeting one or more of the following conditions:

a. The existing structure is nonconforming due to inability to meet the parking regulations set forth in this chapter, and use of in-lieu fees will permit intensification of use or expansion, modification or alteration. Therefore, in that case, structural expansion or modification shall be limited to 10 percent of the existing floor area. Expansions greater than 10 percent shall be subject to the approval of the Planning Commission through the use permit process as defined in Chapter 17.40 CMC. In-lieu fees for the parking required for the amount of square footage above 10 percent shall be calculated at the Tier Two rate.

b. The site is fully developed and it is not physically possible to provide additional parking on-site or within 500 feet.

c. There is existing parking on the property which is insufficient to accommodate the proposed structural expansion or intensification of use.

d. A property is being converted from resident-serving to other retail uses. Tier One rates shall be paid for each parking space deficiency.

2. The use of Tier Two rates are for properties or uses meeting one or both of the following conditions:

a. The existing vacant lot is insufficient in size for both structures and parking.

b. Structural expansion or modification greater than 10 percent (subject to subsection (E)(1)(a) of this section) is desired.

F. The Director of Planning and Building may reject a Tier One payment and deny a change of use or expansion if it is determined that failure to provide the required parking on-site may present a health and safety hazard to vehicular or pedestrian traffic.

G. Payment of a Tier One fee does not constitute the establishment of an on-site parking space for purposes of existing or future parking assessment districts.

H. The amount of the in-lieu parking fee shall be established by resolution of the Council.

I. Sums received for the in-lieu parking fee shall be deposited in a separate fund and shall be used exclusively for acquiring, developing and maintaining off-street parking facilities which are available to the general public.

17.36.120 Nonconforming structures – Parking regulations.

A proposed new building, structure, use, or use which is expanded, intensified or enlarged, which is nonconforming because of the inability to meet the parking requirements of this chapter may be built or commenced within the downtown area provided the requirements of this section are met.

17.36.130 Parking requirements – Residential uses.

Off-street parking for residential uses shall be as follows:

A. One-family dwellings, multifamily dwellings and duplexes: two spaces per dwelling;

B. Bed and breakfast inns and facilities: two spaces for the owner or resident manager, plus one parking space for each rental room;

C. Mobile home parks: two spaces per dwelling plus one guest space for each five units, evenly distributed within the mobile home park. (Ord. 729 § 5, 2017).

17.36.140 Off-street parking – Commercial and industrial uses.

Land Use	Parking Ratio
Automobile Services
repair only	1 space per 100 square feet
w/ repair	2 spaces per bay (plus island requirement)
w/ convenience store	1 space per 200 square feet (plus island requirement)
Auto or Vehicle Sales
sales area	1 space per 1,000 square feet
w/ service	1 space per service bay
Barber/Beauty/Nail Salons	2 spaces per operator station
Contractor’s Storage Yard	1 space per 3,000 square feet plus 1 space for each vehicle
Contractor’s Service (Office, Shop Area)	1 space per 500 square feet
Convalescent Homes	1 space per each 2 beds
Clubs or Lodges, Private	1 space per 500 square feet of largest single area
Day Care
adult	same as single-family – 2 spaces
children
less than 7	same as single-family – 2 spaces
12+ children	1 space per employee plus 1 per 500 square feet and safe loading area
(preschool: see Schools)
Home Occupations
resident only	2 spaces
one employee	2 spaces for owner plus 1 space
Hospital
human services	1 space per 2 beds plus 1 space per employee
animal services	1 space per 300 square feet
Kennel
boarding	1 space per 3 kennels
boarding w/ grooming	1 space per 300 square feet
Manufacturing or Production	1 space per 500 square feet
Mini Storage
storage area	4-space minimum plus
office area	1 space per 200 square feet plus
resident manager	2 spaces
Offices
law, real estate, and general	1 space per 250 square feet
medical, dental	1 space per 200 square feet
Outdoor Sales/Rentals
bicycles	1 space per 500 square feet of display area
plant nursery	1 space per 1,000 square feet of display area
building materials	1 space per 2,000 square feet of display area
Personal Services (Massage, Facials, etc.; Not Spas)	1 space per treatment area, plus 1 space per employee
Places of Assembly
fixed seats	1 space per 5 seats or 10 feet of bench length
open seating	1 space per 35 square feet of largest assembly area
Recreational Uses
stadium, ballfield	1 space per 4 seats or 10 feet of bench length
theaters	1 space per 5 seats
bowling alley
w/o restaurant	6 spaces per alley
w/ other principal uses	shall provide additional parking spaces as required by this chapter for each use
sports courts	2 spaces per court
skating rink	1 space per 100 square feet plus 1 space per 2 employees
public swimming (not in conjunction with other uses)	1 space per 100 square feet of pool area
golf course
regular	6 spaces per hole
miniature	3 spaces per hole
driving range	1 space per tee
w/ other uses	shall provide additional parking spaces as required by this chapter for each use
game room/amusement arcade	1 space per 200 square feet
commercial stable/riding academy	1 parking space per stall
recreational vehicle park/campground	2 spaces per space or campsite
Resident-Serving Businesses	25 percent credit against spaces as required by this chapter
Restaurants	1 space per 100 square feet
Retail Sales, General	1 space per 200 square feet
Retail Sales, Bulk	1 space per 500 square feet
Schools
preschool	2 spaces per teacher plus 1 space per 5 students
elementary/junior high	2 spaces per classroom plus 1 space per administrative employee
high school	10 spaces per classroom plus 1 space per administrative employee
private and trade	5 spaces plus 20 per classroom
Spa, Health Resorts
w/o tourist units	1 space per 400 square feet
w/ tourist units	1.1 space per unit, additional
Theater	1 space per 5 seats
Tourist/Visitor Accommodations	1.1 space per unit plus 1 space for manager
Walkaway Businesses
w/o seating	1 space per 500 square feet
w/ seating	1 space per 3 seats
Warehouse and Bulk Storage
w/ manufacturing	1 space per 500 square feet
w/ storage only	1 space per 2,000 square feet

(Ord. 755 § 2 (Exh. 6), 2021).

17.36.150 Off-street loading.

A. Buildings or structures to which materials and merchandise are received or distributed by trucks shall provide and maintain off-street loading berths in sufficient number and size to handle adequately the needs of the particular use. Loading space that has been provided for an existing use shall not be eliminated if its elimination would result in less space than is required to handle adequately the needs for the use. Off-street parking areas used to fulfill the requirements of this title shall not be used for loading and unloading operations except during periods of the day when not required to care for parking needs.

B. Schools. A driveway designed for a continuous forward flow of passenger vehicles for the purpose of loading and unloading children shall be located on the site of any school having a capacity greater than 25 pupils. (Ord. 339 § 1, 1978; prior code § 17.19-2).

17.36.151 Bicycle parking.

A. Nonresidential Standard. One bicycle parking space shall be provided for every 10 vehicles spaces required.

B. Multifamily Residential. One bicycle parking space shall be provided for every three dwelling units.

C. Required Facilities. Bicycle parking requirements shall be fulfilled through the installation of lockers, racks, or equivalent structures in or upon which a bicycle may be locked by the user. All racks shall be securely anchored to the ground or building surface. Racks shall be designed to accommodate U-shaped locks.

D. Location. Bicycle parking shall be located in a clearly designed, safe and convenient location. A “safe parking location” is defined as a location whereby activity around bicycle parking is easily observable, conveniently located to the bicyclist’s destination, and adequately separated from motor vehicles and pedestrians. Surfaces around bicycle parking facilities shall be maintained, mud and dust free. (Ord. 638 § 1, 2007).