Chapter 17.90 OFF-STREET PARKING AND LOADING

Chapter 17.90
OFF-STREET PARKING AND LOADING

Sections:

17.90.030 General provisions – Off-street parking and loading.

17.90.010 Off-street parking.

A. Off-Street Parking Spaces Required. At the time of erection of a new structure, at the time of enlargement of an existing structure’s floor area by more than 20 percent, or at the time of change in use of an existing structure within any zone in the city, off-street parking spaces shall be provided in accordance with the requirements of this section.

B. Exceptions to Off-Street Parking Requirements.

1. Exemptions. Properties are exempt from the requirement for off-street parking if such properties:

a. Are or have been assessed for public off-street parking facilities;

b. Have a commercial use and are bounded by 3rd Avenue to the south, 10th Avenue to the north, West Front Street to the east, and the alley between Juniper Street and Kalmia Street to the west. Properties within this area are exempted from off-street parking requirements, except at the time of erection of a new structure, at the time an existing structure’s floor area is enlarged by more than 20 percent, or when the property changes from a commercial use;

c. Have a commercial use, are located within 900 feet of a city of Junction City parking lot, and are located in an existing residential structure located in the area bounded by W 4th Avenue to the north, W 2nd Avenue to the south, Holly Street to the west, and Front Street to the east, including abutting properties to the alleys.

2. Reduction. A reduction of up to 25 percent of the minimum off-street parking spaces required for industrial uses may be allowed, subject to public works director’s or designee’s review and approval, based on one or more of the following criteria:

a. The nature of the use, the size of the site or other physical constraints, or location of the site results in a situation where the parking requirements cannot be met on site without unnecessary hardship, practical difficulties or negative impact on the visual character of the site or neighborhood; or

b. The applicant can satisfactorily demonstrate by means of a parking study that the parking needs of the use will be adequately served, and, if the reduction is due to the nature of the use, the applicant shall provide assurance that the nature of the use will not change; or

c. A mix of uses is proposed and the parking needs of all the uses can be accommodated through joint use of parking spaces with varying time periods of use.

C. Elimination of Parking Spaces. If a parking space has been provided in connection with an existing use, the parking space shall not be eliminated if it would result in less parking than required by this chapter.

D. Measurement of Required Parking Spaces. Where square feet are specified, the area measured shall be the gross floor area of the building, but shall exclude space devoted to off-street parking or loading. Where functional floor space is specified, the area measured shall be the net floor area of the building, excluding floor area devoted to permanently mounted: (1) equipment, (2) ducting, (3) storage vessels, and/or (4) high piled racking. Where employees are specified, persons counted shall be those working on the premises, including proprietors, during the largest shift at peak season. Fractional space requirements shall be counted as a whole space.

E. Off-Street Parking Spaces. The minimum number of off-street parking spaces shall be provided as follows:

Use	Standard
1. Residential.
a. Single-family attached and detached, and two-family dwellings	Two spaces per dwelling unit, located in driveway or garage, and one of which may be located within any required yard, with both paved in accordance with design requirements in JCMC 17.90.030(I).
b. Multifamily dwellings	Two spaces per dwelling unit with three or more bedrooms and 1.5 spaces per dwelling unit with less than three bedrooms.
c. Residential hotel, rooming or boarding house	Two spaces for each three guest rooms, or one per three beds, whichever is more.
d. Townhomes	Two spaces per unit for dwelling units with three or more bedrooms and 1.5 spaces per unit for dwelling units with fewer than three bedrooms.
e. Studio units or one-bedroom units less than 800 sq. ft.	One space per unit.
2. Commercial Residential.
a. Motel, hotel	One space per guest room or suite plus one additional space for the owner or manager.
b. Club, lodge	Spaces to meet the combined requirements of the uses being conducted such as hotel, restaurant, auditorium, etc.
3. Institutional.
a. Welfare or correctional institution	One space per five beds for patients or inmates.
b. Convalescent hospital, nursing home, sanitarium	One space per three beds for patients or residents.
c. Rest home, home for the aged, assisted living	One space per two patient beds or one space per apartment unit.
d. Hospital	Spaces equal to 1.5 times the number of beds.
4. Place of Public Assembly.
a. Church	One space per four seats or eight feet of bench length in the main auditorium.
b. Library, reading room	One space per 400 square feet of floor area plus one space per two employees.
c. Child care centers having 13 or more children	One space per 400 square feet of floor area plus one space per two employees.
d. Kindergarten, elementary or junior high school	1.5 spaces per classroom or one space per four seats or eight feet of bench length in the auditorium or assembly room, whichever is greater.
e. High school	1.5 spaces per classroom plus one space for each six students or one space per four seats or eight feet of bench length in the main auditorium, whichever is greater.
5. Commercial Amusement.
a. Stadium, arena, theater	One space per four seats or eight feet of bench length.
b. Bowling alley	Five spaces per alley plus one space per two employees.
c. Dance hall, skating rink	One space per 100 square feet of floor area plus one space per two employees.
6. Commercial.
a. Retail store except as provided in subsection (E)(6)(b) of this section	One space per 350 square feet of floor area.
b. Service or repair shop, retail store handling exclusively bulky merchandise such as automobiles and furniture	One space per 600 square feet of floor area. Floor area calculation does not include canopied or unenclosed structures.
c. Bank, office (except medical and dental)	One space per 400 square feet of floor area.
d. Medical and dental clinic	One space per 350 square feet of floor area.
e. Eating or drinking establishment	One space per 100 square feet of floor area.
f. Mortuaries	One space per four seats or eight feet of bench length in chapels.
7. Industrial.
a. Storage warehouse	One space per 2,000 square feet of functional floor space.
b. Manufacturing establishment, rail or trucking freight terminal, or wholesale establishment	One space per 1,000 square feet of floor space, plus one space per company vehicle.
8. Unspecified Uses.	Where a use is not specifically listed in this table, parking requirements shall be determined by finding that a use is similar to those listed in terms of parking needs.

F. Bicycle parking facilities shall be provided as part of new multifamily developments of three units or more, new retail, office and institutional developments, and all transit transfer stations and park and ride lots. Bicycle parking requirements shall apply to new development, changes of use, and building expansions and remodels where the floor area of the building is being increased by 50 percent or more. Bicycle parking spaces shall provide a convenient place to lock a bicycle and shall be at least six feet long, two feet wide, and shall provide at least seven feet of vertical clearance. Bicycle parking shall not interfere with pedestrian circulation. For any use where bicycle parking is required, if the vehicular parking is covered or partly covered the bicycle parking will be covered at the same ratio. Bicycle parking spaces shall be provided as indicated below:

1. Multifamily dwellings of three or more dwelling units	At least one covered bicycle space for each dwelling unit.
2. Parking lots: All public, commercial, and institutional parking lots	One bicycle space for every 10 motor vehicle parking spaces.

G. In calculating the number of required spaces, fractions shall be rounded up to the nearest whole number.

H. For existing buildings in the commercial zone in the downtown area where space is restricted and bicycle parking cannot be provided safely, the planning commission may waive the bicycle parking requirements. [Ord. 1278 § 2 (Exh. B), 2023; Ord. 1252 § 1 (Exh. A), 2018; Ord. 1169 § 2, 2007; Ord. 1116 § 1, 2003; Ord. 1111 § 1, 2003; Ord. 1103 § 1, 2002; Ord. 1051 § 3, 1998; Ord. 1021 § 3, 1996; Ord. 950 § 78, 1991.]

17.90.020 Off-street loading.

A. Passengers. A driveway designed for 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 students.

B. Merchandise, Materials or Supplies. Buildings or structures to be built or substantially altered which receive and distribute material or merchandise shall provide and maintain off-street loading berths in sufficient numbers and size to adequately handle the needs of the particular use. If loading space has been provided in connection with an existing use or is added to an existing use, the loading space shall not be eliminated if elimination would result in less space than is required to adequately handle the needs of the particular use. Off-street parking areas used to fulfill the requirements of this chapter shall not be used for loading and unloading operations except during periods of the day when not required to take care of parking needs. [Ord. 1278 § 2 (Exh. B), 2023; Ord. 1252 § 1 (Exh. A), 2018; Ord. 1037 § 1, 1997; Ord. 950 § 79, 1991.]

17.90.030 General provisions – Off-street parking and loading.

A. Submission of Parking Plans and Changes of Use. The provision and maintenance of off-street parking and loading spaces are continuous obligations of the property owner. No permit shall be issued until plans are presented that show property that is and will remain available for exclusive use as off-street parking and loading space. The subsequent use of property for which the permit is issued shall be conditional upon the unqualified continuance and availability of the amount of parking and loading space required by this chapter. Should the owner or occupant of a lot or building change the use to which the lot or building is put, thereby increasing off-street parking or loading requirements, it shall be unlawful and in violation of this chapter to begin or maintain such altered use until the required increase in off-street parking or loading is provided.

B. Requirements for Buildings and Uses Not Specifically Listed. Requirements for types of buildings and uses not specifically listed herein shall be determined by the city administrator based upon the requirements of comparable uses listed.

C. Multiple Uses in Structure or on Parcel. In the event several uses occupy a single structure or parcel of land, the total requirements for off-street parking shall be the sum of the requirements of the several uses computed separately.

D. Agreements for Joint Use. Owners of two or more uses, structures or parcels of land may agree to utilize jointly the same parking and loading spaces when the hours of operation do not overlap; provided, that satisfactory legal evidence is presented to the city in the form of deeds, leases or contracts to establish the joint use. Failure to utilize this parking will constitute a violation of this chapter. If owners eliminate parking spaces or if the approved agreement expires, it shall constitute a violation of this chapter.

E. Distance of Parking From Use. Off-street parking spaces shall be located on the same lot with the building. However, nonresidential required parking spaces may be located not farther than 400 feet from the building or use they are required to serve, measured in a straight line from the building, and shall be used by the business’s employees. Exceptions to this requirement are listed in JCMC 17.90.010(B).

F. Parking Space Usage. Required parking spaces shall be available for the parking of operable passenger automobiles of residents, customers, patrons and employees only, and shall not be used for storage of vehicles or materials or for the parking of trucks used in conducting the business or use.

G. Visual Clearance and Safety Hazards. Off-street parking of any vehicle, watercraft, or parts designed to be affixed thereto which creates a vision clearance problem, as defined in JCMC 17.05.020, 17.95.090 and Appendix A, or potential safety hazard shall not be allowed in any required yard.

H. Design Requirements. Design requirements for parking lots and spaces, with the exception of single-family and duplex dwelling units:

1. Areas used for parking, standing, and maneuvering of vehicles shall have a hard surface of asphalt or concrete and be maintained adequately for all-weather use and so drained as to avoid flow of water onto adjacent property. Lots may be paved with a permeable surface, subject to approval by the city administrator or designee. Permeable pavement parking lots may be sited anywhere, but are subject to the requirements listed in subsections (I)(1) and (3) through (6) of this section. Gravel lots may be approved as a conditional use as outlined in subsection (I) of this section. Size of standing and maneuvering areas, in addition to the required number of parking spaces, shall comply with the areas illustrated in Appendix A, Diagram 14.

2. Except for parking to serve single-family detached, townhome, or duplex residential uses, parking and loading areas adjacent to or within residential zones or adjacent to residential uses shall be designed to minimize disturbance of residents by the erection between the uses of a sight-obscuring fence of not less than four feet in height except where vision clearance is required by this code.

3. Parking spaces within a parking lot shall be designed and constructed so that no portion of a parked vehicle, including an opened door, will extend beyond the property line.

4. Artificial lighting which may be provided shall be so arranged as to not produce direct glare on any abutting or adjacent residential zone or on any adjacent dwelling.

5. Access aisles shall comply with the aisle widths illustrated in Appendix A, Diagram 14.

6. All parking spaces, except single-family detached, townhomes, and duplex residential, shall be served by a driveway designed so that no backing movements or other maneuvering within a street, other than an alley, will be required.

7. Service drives to off-street parking areas shall be designed and constructed to facilitate the flow of traffic, provide maximum safety of traffic access and egress, and maximum safety of pedestrians and vehicular traffic on the site. In no case shall two-way and one-way driveways be less than 20 feet wide and 12 feet wide respectively. The number of service drives shall be limited to the minimum that will allow the property to accommodate and service the traffic to be anticipated. Service drives shall be clearly and permanently marked and defined through use of rails, fences, walls or other barriers or markers on frontage not occupied by service drives. Service drives are also subject to the requirements of Chapter 17.85 JCMC.

8. Lots containing more than three parking spaces shall have all spaces permanently and clearly marked.

9. If four or more off-street parking spaces are required under this code, then off-street parking and maneuvering areas adjacent to public streets and drives shall provide a minimum of two square feet of landscaping for each lineal foot of street and/or drive frontage. Such landscaping shall consist of landscaped berms or evergreen shrubbery at least two feet in height upon maturity, which shall be parallel to and adjacent to the street frontage and drive as much as practical. Additionally, one tree, which will provide a canopy of at least 300 square feet upon maturity, shall be provided for each 30 lineal feet of street frontage or fraction thereof. For a list of allowed trees, see JCMC 12.35.110. Said landscaping shall be provided with irrigation facilities and protective curbs or raised wood headers.

10. Parking lots with 20 or more spaces shall comply with the following interior landscaping standards (see Appendix A, Diagram 13):

a. A minimum of 10 percent of the total surface area of all parking areas, as measured around the perimeter of all parking spaces and maneuvering areas, shall be landscaped. Such landscaping shall consist of evenly distributed shade trees with shrubs and/or ground cover plants. There shall be one planter island for every 10 parking spaces. Planter islands shall be a minimum of eight feet in width (exclusive of the curb) and a full parking space in length and contain one deciduous shade tree (a minimum two inches in caliper at planting). Tree species shall be limited to those species specified in JCMC 12.35.110. The parking islands shall be fully landscaped with shrubs and ground cover, which will not exceed three feet in height at maturity. Bark mulch shall not be an acceptable substitute for vegetation.

b. A minimum six-foot-wide planter area shall separate and visually screen parking from building facades with living area windows. The planting area shall include a mix of ground cover, shrub, and/or tree species of appropriate size and growth habit. At least one small tree or large shrub with mature canopy no larger than 10 feet in diameter shall be provided for each 50 lineal feet of building.

c. Where a parking lot, maneuvering area, or driveway is adjacent to a commercial building, the area shall be separated from the building by a curb and a raised walkway, plaza or landscaped buffer not less than five feet in width. Raised curbs, bollards, wheel stops, or other design features shall be used to protect pedestrians, landscaping, and buildings from being damaged by vehicles.

d. The property owner shall be responsible for maintaining the landscaped areas to the specified standards.

11. Parking lots with 80 spaces or more shall additionally comply with the following standards:

a. Parking area shall be divided into separate areas by landscaped areas or raised walkways at least 10 feet in width, or by a building or group of buildings (see Appendix A, Diagram 13).

b. A continuous internal, raised, pedestrian walkway, no less than eight feet in width, shall be provided from the public sidewalk or right-of-way to all customer entrances of all buildings on site, and to all public sidewalks and paths abutting the development site.

12. Commercial, industrial, multifamily, and mixed use developments with two or more buildings shall provide safe, reasonably direct, and convenient pedestrian connections between primary building entrances and between building entrances and all adjacent streets. Where walkways cross a driveway or street, they shall be clearly marked with contrasting paving materials, painted striping (“crosswalk”), or humps/raised crossings (see Appendix A, Diagram 13).

13. New off-street parking lots located in R3, R4, CR, C2, and GC zones shall be placed to the rear or side of the building in accordance with JCMC 17.20.100 (R3 zone), 17.30.080 (C2 zone), and 17.35.080 (GC zone).

I. Proposed Gravel Parking Lots. Gravel parking lots may be allowed under the Type III conditional use process as outlined in Chapter 17.130 JCMC. Any change in use associated with a gravel lot will require review of the lot and paving may be required if usage increases. Gravel lots must meet the following standards:

1. There must be an additional paved primary lot that serves the parking needs of customers and employees on a regular basis. The proposed gravel lot must be auxiliary to the primary parking lot. The parking spaces within the gravel lot may not count towards the parking requirements outlined in JCMC 17.90.010.

2. Lots must be located south of W 1st Avenue or on land anywhere within the city limits that is zoned public lands (PL). Gravel lots may not be located on residentially zoned land or within the central commercial zone.

3. The gravel parking lot shall meet the design standards for parking lots as outlined in this section, with the exception of paving requirements, and including the size of spaces, standing and maneuvering areas.

4. There must be a paved driveway leading to the gravel lot that is a minimum of 12 feet in length. The length of the paved driveway is to be measured from the existing near edge of pavement or from the property line. The exact requirement for the length of the paved driveway shall be determined by the planning commission based on the need to minimize impact on nearby properties from dust, noise, or gravel infiltration.

5. Lots are subject to the landscaping provisions in subsection (H)(9) of this section and all landscaping is to be maintained on a permanent basis.

6. Surfaces must remain grass- and weed-free.

7. The infiltration of environmental contaminants shall be minimized. Environmental contaminants include, but are not limited to, motor oils and volatile organic compounds, for example, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, zylene, and ethylene glycol. [Ord. 1278 § 2 (Exh. B), 2023; Ord. 1252 § 1 (Exh. A), 2018; Ord. 1178 § 5, 2007; Ord. 1116 § 1, 2003; Ord. 1111 § 1, 2003; Ord. 1037 § 1, 1997; Ord. 950 § 80, 1991.]