Chapter 17.23
REGULATIONS FOR PARKING, ACCESS, AND LOADING FACILITIES
Sections:
17.23.020 Applicability/Architectural and design review.
17.23.040 Units of measurement.
17.23.050 Required number of spaces.
17.23.060 Parking development standards.
17.23.010 Purpose.
To assure that all uses and developments are provided and maintained with safe, efficient, adequate, and well-designed parking and loading facilities in an effort to reduce street congestion, traffic hazards, and on-site circulation problems. To promote an attractive urban environment with proper parking design and landscaping standards. (Ord. 796 Att. A(part), 1999)
17.23.020 Applicability/Architectural and design review.
The following minimum off-street requirements for the parking of vehicles shall apply to all buildings constructed or erected, enlargements of existing uses, and uses initiated after the effective date of this code. All new or reconstructed parking lots shall be subject to the architectural and design review requirements set forth in Chapter 17.27. (Ord. 821 §1(part), 2003: Ord. 796 Att. A(part), 1999)
17.23.030 Exceptions.
A. The requirements set forth in this section shall be considered minimums and shall not prevent the planning commission, city council, or other review authority from requiring additional parking spaces, design modifications, or other improvements.
B. The parking requirements set forth in this section may be reduced by the planning commission, city council, or other review authority when the following findings are made.
1. The characteristics of a particular use do not necessitate the number of parking spaces, parking lot design, or improvements required by this section; and
2. The reduced parking standards will be adequate to accommodate all parking needs generated by the use and will not be a detriment to the public health, safety, and welfare.
C. When there is a change in occupancy of a building that does not increase the need for additional parking, no additional parking shall be required. Expansions or enlargements of existing buildings shall provide additional parking corresponding to the amount required by the expansion only. No additional parking facilities shall be required solely because of a remodel to an existing use or building unless there is a significant change in occupancy or an increase in floor area or other unit of measurement. (Ord. 796 Att. A(part), 1999)
17.23.040 Units of measurement.
A. For the purpose of this section, "floor area" means the total gross area of all floors of a building as measured to the surface of the interior walls and shall include corridors, stairways, elevator shafts, storage rooms, bathrooms, utility rooms, basements, offices, balconies, and related usable floor area, including area outside of the building if intended to be utilized as part of the business operation. Parking areas within a building shall not be included in the computation of floor area.
B. Indoor or outdoor places of assembly in which patrons or spectators occupy benches, pews, or other similar seating shall be counted as one seat for each eighteen inches of such seating for the purpose of requiring off-street parking. (Ord. 796 Att. A(part), 1999)
17.23.050 Required number of spaces.
Parking spaces for residential, commercial, industrial, and public service uses shall be provided as specified below. For any use not specifically set forth below, the community development department, the planning commission, city council, or other review shall determine the amount of parking required.
|
|
USES |
SPACES REQUIRED |
|---|---|---|
|
A. |
Residential Uses. |
|
|
1. |
Single-family dwelling or duplex on individual lots |
One covered and one uncovered space per dwelling unit. Covered spaces may be substituted for uncovered spaces. |
|
2. |
Triplex, fourplex, or multifamily dwelling |
One covered and one-half uncovered space per dwelling unit. One-half additional uncovered space for each unit with three or more bedrooms; and For multifamily dwellings, one recreational vehicle parking space per ten dwelling units; and Covered spaces may be substituted for uncovered spaces. |
|
3. |
Rooming or boarding house; dormitory |
One parking space for every rentable room in addition to the parking required for the residence; for dormitories, 100 square feet of floor area shall be considered a bedroom. |
|
4. |
Mobilehome in a mobilehome park |
One covered space per dwelling unit; and one recreational vehicle parking space per five dwelling units; and one visitor parking space for each two dwelling units. |
|
5. |
Emergency shelters in the C-3 service commercial district |
One space for every 6 adult beds or 1/2 space per bedroom designated for family units with children. One space shall be provided for each manager/staff member. Bike rack parking shall also be provided by the facility. |
|
B. |
Commercial Uses. All commercial uses shall provide a minimum of four spaces or the following, whichever is greater. |
|
|
1. |
Retail store or personal service establishment |
One space per 250 square feet of floor area. |
|
|
Barber or beauty salon |
Two spaces for each barber or beautician. |
|
2. |
Banking, finance, law, real estate, and similar general administrative offices |
One space per 250 square feet of floor area. |
|
3. |
Restaurant, bar, cocktail lounge |
One space for each two hundred square feet of floor area. |
|
4. |
Hotel, motel, and similar use |
One and one-half spaces per unit, or two on-site spaces per unit for units with kitchens; plus two spaces for the manager’s office. |
|
5. |
Service station, not including convenience stores which sell gas |
Two spaces for each working bay plus one space for each employee on the largest shift. |
|
6. |
Minor and major auto repair; body and fender shop |
One space per 500 square feet of floor area. |
|
7. |
Cabinet, plumbing, heating, and electrical shop; construction support service |
One space per 600 square feet of floor area. |
|
8. |
Commercial service establishment or retail store which handle only bulky merchandise such as furniture, household appliances, fireplaces |
One space per 400 square feet of floor area. |
|
9. |
Outdoor sales facility such as automobile, boat, mobilehome, or trailer sales, or rental lot, retail nursery, and other commercial uses not in an enclosed building |
One space for each 2,000 square feet of display area. |
|
|
Commercial rummage sale |
One space per 200 square feet of sales area |
|
|
Contractor’s storage yard |
One space per 3,000 feet of lot area. |
|
10. |
Mini-storage warehouse |
One space per each on-site employee. |
|
C. |
Recreational and Entertainment. |
|
|
1. |
Theater, auditorium, skating rink, sports area, assembly, conference, or meeting rooms |
Without fixed seats, one space per 150 square feet of floor area; with fixed seats, one space per four seats. |
|
2. |
Dance hall |
One space per 50 square feet of floor area. |
|
3. |
Tennis and racquetball court |
Two spaces per court. |
|
4. |
Spa and health club |
One space per 200 square feet of area. |
|
5. |
Public swimming pool |
One space per 125 square feet of pool area. |
|
6. |
Miniature golf course |
One and one-half parking spaces for each hole. |
|
7. |
Golf course |
Three spaces per hole plus one space per 250 square feet of building area used for commercial purposes. |
|
8. |
Driving rang |
One space per tee, or ten feet of lateral distance on an unimproved tee. |
|
9. |
Game room/amusement arcade |
One parking space per 250 square feet of floor area. |
|
10. |
Commercial stable and riding academy |
One parking space for each stall or three horses, whichever is greater. |
|
D. |
Industrial Uses. All industrial uses shall provide a minimum of two spaces; or the following, whichever is greater. |
|
|
1. |
Manufacturing |
One space per 600 square feet of floor area; or one space for each employee on the shift having the largest number of employees, whichever is greater. |
|
2. |
Warehousing |
One space per 2,500 square feet of floor area. |
|
3. |
Incidental office associated with industrial uses |
One space per 250 square feet of floor area. |
|
4. |
Vehicle and freight terminal |
Two spaces per loading bay. |
|
E. |
Public Service Uses. All public service uses shall provide a minimum of four spaces; or one space per two hundred fifty square feet of floor area; or the following, whichever is greater. |
|
|
1. |
Nursery school, day care, or similar use |
One space for each employee plus one space for each ten children. |
|
2. |
Elementary and junior high school |
One space for each employee plus one space for each eight students. |
|
3. |
Senior high school |
One space for each employee plus one space for each six students. |
|
4. |
College, university, or institutions of higher learning; business and professional school or college; trade, art and craft school or college; music and dancing school |
One space for each three students. |
|
5. |
Church |
One space for every four fixed seats, or one space for every 18 inches of pew or bench, plus one space per 150 square feet of area in church or auditorium, plus one space per 600 square feet of floor area of all facilities. |
(Ord. 880 §2(4), 2010)
17.23.060 Parking development standards.
A. Fully-improved off-street parking areas shall be provided at the time of commencement of the use of the land or at the time of a major alteration, conversion, or increase in capacity by the addition of floor area, dwelling units, rooms, beds, or seats to a structure. Parking areas shall be used solely for vehicle parking with no sales, storage of inoperable, unlicensed vehicles, repair work, dismantling, or servicing of any kind unless so approved by the city.
Off-street parking in setback areas: In all residential zoning districts, all off-street parking shall occur within defined driveways provided with an asphalt or concrete driveway to city standard. Parking within required setback areas shall not be allowed except in defined driveway locations.
Required front, side, and rear yards shall not be used to supply any of the off-street parking spaces required by the terms of this chapter in any R-1, R-2, R-3, or R-5 zoning districts.
B. No-parking areas shall be designed so that vehicles back into street right-of-way except for single-family residential uses.
C. When two or more uses are combined in a site, the required parking shall be based on the percentage of floor area devoted to each use. Parking areas within a building shall not be included in the computation of floor area.
D. Parking required by this chapter must be developed on-site. Parking may be provided within a three hundred foot radius of the project after approval by the planning commission or city council. If said parking is located on land not owned by the project developer, a cross access agreement or other contractual arrangement must be provided. Said parking must be available without charge.
Joint use of parking facilities may be allowed by the appropriate review authority when there is no conflict of use and when there is sufficient parking for all uses. Joint use of parking facilities will only be considered upon the submittal of a cross access easement or other agreement allowing said parking.
E. The city may allow up to twenty-five percent of a parking area to be developed as compact parking stalls.
F. The calculation and design of handicap accessible parking spaces required shall be pursuant to the requirements of the currently adopted California Building Standards Code as referenced in Section 15.04.010 and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
G. All new commercial, multifamily residential, and industrial parking lots developed in the city shall be constructed in accordance with the following requirements:
1. All parking lots, spaces, maneuvering areas, turn-arounds, and driveways shall be paved with a minimum of two inches of asphalt concrete over four inches of compacted aggregate base or similar material in accordance with the standards set forth in the currently adopted California Building Standards Code as referenced in Section 15.04.010.
2. All parking lots shall be provided with a six inch concrete curb around the perimeter of the lots. Bumper guards, wheel stops, and asphalt curbs may be provided if approved by the planning commission or city council.
3. All parking spaces except those in individual garages or carports shall be marked with paint or other distinguishable material. Compact and handicap parking spaces shall be properly marked to preclude use by non-appropriate vehicles. Directional signs shall mark one-way entrances and aisles and shall be visible to drivers of vehicles using the facility.
4. Lighting in parking areas shall be designed in such a way so as to minimize light spill and glare on adjacent properties and roadways.
5. Parking areas shall be separated from residential uses and zones, churches, schools, or parks by the use of landscaping, fences, or masonry walls at the discretion of the planning commission or city council.
H. All new or restriped parking lots shall be developed with the following space and aisle requirements:
1. Required off-street parking spaces shall be not less than nine feet in width and nineteen feet in length exclusive of access drives, aisles, ramps, posts, or other uses of space.
2. Parallel parking spaces shall be nine feet in width and twenty-two feet in length.
3. Minimum aisle width for two-way traffic shall be twenty-four feet and twelve feet for one-way aisles.
4. For those parking lots that are developed with thirty to eighty degree angles, the stall depth, aisle width, curb length, and section width may be developed in accordance with accepted industry standards.
5. Compact car spaces shall be not less than seven and one-half feet in width and not less than sixteen feet in length and shall be clearly marked and permanently identified.
6. Handicap accessible spaces shall be seventeen feet in width and twenty feet in length and shall be properly located, marked, painted, and signed and meet all other Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.
7. All parking lots shall be designed so as to allow vehicular turns and maneuvers to be accomplished within the parking lot.
I. All new parking areas shall be developed with the following landscaping requirements:
1. Parking areas shall be landscaped with a planter strip on the perimeter of the property bounded by a street except for crosswalks and traversing driveways. The minimum width of perimeter landscaping shall be three feet.
2. A minimum of five percent of the total area of the parking lot, including perimeter landscaping, shall be landscaped. There shall be one fifteen-gallon tree for every ten parking spaces.
3. Landscaped areas shall be provided with underground automated irrigation systems.
J. Within the CBD zoning district, the following special parking standards shall apply: Owners or lessees with existing structures within the CBD who construct new floor area, expand by converting existing floor area, and/or intensify the occupancy load (as defined by the currently adopted California Building Standards Code as referenced in Section 15.04.010) of an existing building, and whose location limits the development of on-site parking as required by this chapter may be permitted to obtain a development permit, and not be required to provide the required on-site parking spaces, unless there is adequate on-site area available for parking lot expansion or development. A deviation of parking application must be considered and approved by the planning commission in such cases. For all other projects, payment of an in-lieu-of-parking fee is an alternative. Said in-lieu fees shall be set by resolution of the city council.
K. Access Standards. All lots shall have adequate vehicular access from a dedicated and improved street or public way in order to permit the unimpeded movement of vehicles and pedestrians. Visibility on streets and at intersections shall not be blocked by signs, trees, or structures. Directional signs and graphics may be used to promote the safe and efficient movement of vehicles and pedestrians.
L. Loading Standards. Except in the CB district, every commercial, industrial, or office land use shall have adequate off-street loading areas to accommodate the delivery vehicles associated with operation of the use. The following standards shall be required:
1. Loading space shall be situated to serve the site and buildings without blocking vehicular movement to a driveway or parking stall.
2. An individual loading space shall be at least twelve feet wide by forty-five feet long and have a minimum height clearance of fifteen feet.
3. Loading spaces may be required at the time of project review if determined to be necessary to assure adequate loading facilities. For buildings with up to fifty thousand square feet in gross floor area, up to three loading spaces may be required. For buildings in excess of fifty thousand square feet, four or more loading spaces may be required depending on the proposed use.
4. All loading docks and doors facing a public street shall be located at one hundred feet from the property line. All maneuvering shall occur on site and not on a public street. Approaches shall be designed to preclude direct access to a loading dock or door from a public street.
5. Each loading space shall be clearly marked and kept clear and unobstructed at all times. All loading areas must be appropriately striped and labeled with minimum three inch striping and lettering.
6. School bus loading zone shall be provided at private schools. Said loading zone shall be separate from other required parking areas.
M. Parking lots shall be maintained and kept in good repair, including patching of potholes, repainting of faded or missing pavement markings, replacement of signs as necessary, etc.
N. All new driveways and parking areas constructed in the city of Lakeport shall conform with the following standards.
1. Detailed plans for the proposed driveway and parking lot improvements shall be submitted to the city community development and engineering departments for review prior to building and encroachment permit issuance.
2. Concrete Driveways or Parking Lots. Concrete used in the construction of parking lots or driveways shall be either four inches thick with six by six by ten by ten welded wire mesh or reinforcement steel over a four inch compacted base material; or six inches thick without reinforcement over a four inch compacted base material. Concrete shall be of a Class B material in accordance with the standard specifications. Plans shall detail the expansion joint locations and depth.
3. Asphalt Parking Lot and Driveways. Asphalt used in the construction of parking lots and driveways shall be two inches thick over a four inch thick imported base material compacted to a minimum ninety percent compaction.
O. Residential driveways serving a garage where the garage is within twenty feet of the front property line shall be constructed to the standards set forth in subsections (N)(2) and (4) of this section for the entire length and shall be a minimum of ten feet wide.
1. Residential driveways serving a garage where the garage is more than twenty feet from the front property line shall be improved to the above standards set forth in subsections (N)(3) and (4) for a minimum distance of twenty feet measured from the front property line and shall be a minimum of ten feet wide.
a. Residential driveways as stated above beyond the twenty foot mark shall be improved with four inches of imported base material compacted to a minimum of ninety percent compaction, or improved with concrete in accordance with subsection (N) (3) of this section, and shall be a minimum of ten feet wide.
P. Public, multifamily, industrial, and commercial driveways and parking lots shall be provided with an asphalt or concrete surface to city standard in their entirety regardless of the length or width.
Q. Upon city review, certain proposed developments with anticipated high traffic volume or heavy traffic vehicle loads may require soil engineering testing and improvement with a greater structural section to accommodate the projected volumes or weight.
R. Curb, gutter, sidewalk, and driveway entrances shall be constructed in accordance with the specifications of the city of Lakeport engineering department.
S. Proposed driveways on collector or arterial streets as identified by the Lakeport general plan shall be reviewed by the city relative to the impact on public safety and shall be located so as to minimize the impact on the flow of traffic. Generally speaking, driveways shall be developed on side or intersecting streets and shall be situated as far away from intersections as is possible. (Ord. 924 §§27--29, 2020; Ord. 821 §1(part), 2003; Ord. 796 Att. A(part), 1999)