18.83.110 Design standards: Other

18.83.120 Adjustments to requirements by the director of planning and community environment

18.83.130 Adjustments to requirements in Parking Assessment Areas by the zoning administrator

18.83.010 Specific purposes

18.83.015 Definitions

18.83.020 Applicability of regulations

18.83.030 Parking assessment districts and areas

18.83.040 Basic regulations

18.83.050 Schedule of off-street parking, loading and bicycle facility requirements

18.83.060 Design standards: Purpose

18.83.070 Design standards: Accessible parking

18.83.080 Design standards: Bicycle parking facilities

18.83.090 Design standards: General parking facilities

18.83.100 Design standards: Landscaping in Parking Facilities and Required Landscaped Areas

18.83.110 Design standards: Other.

1. Vertical clearance. All standard, compact, and uni-class parking stalls shall have a vertical clearance of not less than 2.3 meters (7.5 feet), except in the R-E and R-1 single-family residence districts, where the vertical clearance shall not be less than 2.13 meters (seven feet). Accessible parking stalls and access to such stalls, must meet the requirements for vertical clearance of Section 18.83.070.
2. Sight distance.
   
   
1. For residential uses of three or more units, and for all non-residential uses, including public facilities, clear sight distance triangles for exiting driveways shall be provided as shown in Figure 6. In the non-zero-setback zone only, if a stop sign is provided at the driveway exit, the chief transportation official may decrease the required dimensions of the sight distance triangles. For cases not covered by Figure 6, sight distance triangles shall be provided as required by the chief transportation official. Neither the sight distance triangles nor any portion of the public right of way shall contain any wall, sign, berm, or other obstruction that is greater than three feet high above driveway grade, unless its width (measured in any direction or diameter) is 18 inches or less. Nor shall the sight distance triangles or any portion of the public right of way contain any landscaping, except trees, that is greater than two feet in height above top of curb grade (refer also to Sections 8.04.050(8) and 9.56.030(10)). The height of landscaping shall be its maximum untrimmed natural growth height.
2. In a parking lot, within the 20-foot triangle of public or private property, measured from the projected curb or edge lines, at the intersection of a parking lot aisle with another aisle, driveway, or pedestrian walkway, there shall be no wall, sign, berm, landscaping (except trees), or other obstruction that is greater than three feet high above parking lot grade, unless its width is 18 inches or less. The height of landscaping shall be its maximum untrimmed natural growth height.

1. Additional requirements for parking facility design, internal layout, acceptable turning radii and pavement slope, vehicular and pedestrian circulation, and other design features may be adopted by the director of planning and community environment when deemed appropriate.
2. Paving and Drainage. The following basic standards shall be observed:
   
   
1. In all districts except the OS (open space) and AC (agricultural conservation ) districts, parking and loading facilities shall be surfaced and maintained with asphaltic, concrete, or other permanent, impervious surfacing material sufficient to prevent mud, dust, loose material, and other nuisances.
2. In the OS and AC districts, and for temporary parking facilities in any district, gravel surfacing shall be permitted as approved by the city engineer.
3. All parking and loading facilities shall be graded and provided with permanent storm drainage facilities, meeting the construction specifications set by the city engineer. Surfacing, curbing, and drainage improvements shall be sufficient to preclude free flow of water onto adjacent properties or public streets or alleys, and to preclude standing pools of water within the parking facility.
   
   

Safety Features. parking and loading facilities shall meet the following standards:

1. Safety barriers, protective bumpers or curbing, and directional markers shall be provided to assure safety, efficient utilization, protection to landscaping, and to prevent encroachment onto adjoining public or private property.
2. Visibility of and between pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists shall be assured when entering individual parking spaces, when circulating within a parking facility, and when entering and exiting a parking facility.
3. Internal circulation patterns, and the location and traffic direction of all access drives shall be designed and maintained in accord with accepted principles of traffic engineering and traffic safety.
   
   
4. Lighting. Lights provided to illuminate any parking facility or paved area shall, to the maximum extent feasible, be designed to reflect away from any residential use.
5. Noise. Areas used for primary circulation, for frequent idling of vehicle engines, or for loading activities shall be designed and located to minimize impacts on adjoining properties, including provisions for screening or sound baffling.
6. Maintenance. All parking and loading facilities shall be maintained to assure desirability and usefulness of the facility. Such facilities shall be maintained free of refuse, debris, or other accumulated matter and shall at all times be available for the intended off-street parking or loading use for which they are required or intended.
7. Application of Design Standards to Other Paved Areas. The standards of this section shall apply to all paved areas used for outdoor display, storage, sales, or other purposes associated with permitted and conditional office, commercial, or industrial uses.

Automobile and bicycle parking requirements prescribed by this chapter may be adjusted by the director of planning and community environment in the following instances and in accord with the prescribed limitations, when in his/her opinion such adjustment will be in accord with the purposes of this chapter and will not create undue impact on existing or potential uses adjoining the site or in the general vicinity.

1. Substitution of Bicycle Facilities for Required Vehicle Facilities. Eight Class I bicycle parking facility spaces in addition to minimum bicycle requirements may be substituted for one required vehicle parking stall, up to a maximum of five percent of the vehicle stalls required.
2. On-site Employee Amenities. Square footage of commercial or industrial uses to be used for an on-site cafeteria, recreational facility, and/or day care facility, to be provided to employees or their children and not open to the general public, may be exempted from the parking requirements of this title, when, in the judgment of the director of planning and community environment, the provision of the facilities at the place of employment will reduce traffic to and from the site and will reduce the number of parking stalls needed.

3. Joint Use Parking Facilities. For any site or sites with multiple uses where the application of this chapter requires a total of thirty or more spaces, the total number of spaces initially required by application of the schedule may be reduced by not more than twenty percent where in the judgment of the director of planning and community environment the joint facility will serve all existing, proposed, and potential uses as effectively and conveniently as would separate parking facilities for each use or site.

4. Housing for the Elderly. The total number of spaces required may be reduced by not more than fifty percent, when in the judgment of the director of planning and community environment, such reduction will be commensurate with the reduced parking demand created by the housing facility, including visitors and accessory facilities.

5. Deferral of Meeting Full Requirement. Where the expected need for off-street parking or bicycle facilities for a particular use is uncertain, due to unknown or unusual operating characteristics of the use and unavailability of comparable data to establish need, the director of planing and community environment, upon recommendation of the architectural review board, may authorize that construction and provision of not more than fifty percent of the required off-street parking stalls and not more than twenty five percent of the bicycle parking spaces be deferred. The number of bicycle parking spaces deferred shall be apportioned by class in the same percentages as indicated in Table 1 of section 18.83.050. The director of planning and community environment may set such conditions as necessary to guarantee provision of such deferred spaces whenever the director of planning and community environment determines the need to exist. Land area required for provision of deferred parking or bicycle spaces shall be maintained in reserve and shall be landscaped pursuant to a plan approved by the architectural review board demonstrating that ultimate provision of the deferred spaces will meet all requirements of this chapter.
6. Transportation and Parking Alternatives. Upon demonstration to the director of planning and community environment that effective alternatives to automobile access are in effect, the director of planning and community environment may defer by not more than twenty percent the parking requirement otherwise prescribed for any use, or combination of uses on the same or adjoining sites, to an extent commensurate with the permanence, effectiveness, and the demonstrated reduction of off-street parking demand effectuated by such alternative programs.

The director of planning and community environment shall set such conditions as necessary to guarantee provision of such deferred stalls whenever the building official determines the need to exist.

Alternative programs which may be considered by the director of planning and community environment under this provision include, but are not limited to the following:

1. Immediate proximity to public transportation facilities serving a significant portion of residents, employees, and/or customers;
2. Operation of effective private or company carpool, vanpool, bus, or similar transportation programs;
3. Evidence that a proportion of residents, employees, and/or customers utilize, on a regular basis, bicycle transportation alternatives commensurate with reduced parking requirements.

1. Off-Site Parking. Except in parking assessment areas, the director of planning and community environment may authorize all or a portion of the required parking for a use to be located on the site not more than 152.4 meters (500 feet) from the site of the use for which such parking is required, where in his judgment, such authorization will be in accord with the purposes of this chapter. Within parking assessment areas, the director of planning and community environment may authorize all or a portion of the required parking for a use to be located on the site within the parking assessment area or not more than 152.4 meters (500 feet) from the boundaries of the area where the zoning of such site permits parking as a use. The director of planning and community environment shall require such covenants and guarantees as deemed necessary to ensure use and maintenance of such parking facilities.

18.83.130 Adjustments to requirements in Parking Assessment Areas by the Zoning Administrator.

Automobile parking requirements prescribed in this chapter may be adjusted by the zoning administrator for properties within parking assessment areas in the following instances and in accord with the prescribed limitations where, in his/her opinion, such adjustment will be in accord with purposes of this chapter and will not create undue impact on existing or potential uses adjoining the site or in the general vicinity. Application for such adjustment by the zoning administrator shall be subject to application requirements as set forth in Section 18.90.020 and shall necessitate the conduct of a public hearing to be noticed in accord with the requirements of Section 18.90.030. The decision of the zoning administrator shall be subject to appeal as set forth in Chapter 18.92.

1. Tandem Parking. Tandem parking (a multiple parking configuration locating one stall behind another) may be allowed where in the judgment of the zoning administrator the parking will serve all proposed uses conveniently. The zoning administrator shall require such covenants and guarantees as deemed necessary to ensure use and maintenance of such parking facilities.
2. Percentage of Compact Parking Stalls. For parking facilities exceeding five stalls, a maximum of fifty percent compact parking stalls may be allowed.
3. Shared Parking Facilities. For any site or sites where the hours and days of operation are such that joint use of on-site private or nearby public parking facilities can occur without conflict, and the use is exempt from parking assessment, the number of parking stalls required for any new development addition may be reduced by no more than ten stalls, where, in the judgment of the zoning administrator, the available parking will serve all existing, proposed, and potential uses as effectively and conveniently as would separate parking facilities for each use or site.