Parking space requirements

[Amended 8-25-2004 by Ch. No. 2739; 8-20-2009 by Ch. No. 2928; 10-6-2011 by Ch. No. 2981]

A. The following table specifies the minimum and maximum number of off-street parking spaces required for single uses as designated in Article II, Use Regulations.
B. Commercial Downtown (CD) District. The provision of off-street parking is not required for residential or nonresidential uses within the CD District. However, applicants choosing to have on-site parking must abide by the provisions of this section. No provisions within the Zoning Ordinance shall be construed as providing exemptions from requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
C. All parking facilities shall comply with the Rhode Island State Building Code with respect to number of spaces designated for handicapped persons.
D. If a use is not specifically listed in the table of off-street parking requirements, the requirements shall be the same as for the most similar use listed as determined by referencing the Institute of Traffic Engineers Parking Generation Report.
E. When the schedule requires the on-site number of spaces to be calculated per employee, and employees are on the site in shifts, the off-street parking requirement shall be based on the number of employees present during the largest shift (most employees).
F. A garage or carport may be used to meet the requirements of this section. A driveway may only be used to meet the requirements of this section where it serves a one-family or two-family dwelling.
G. Up to 50% of off-street parking requirements may be provided off site, provided that parking is located within 400 feet of the property boundary in a walkable route from one property boundary to another and safe, well-lighted pedestrian access can be demonstrated by the applicant.
H. Delineated on-street parking located directly in front of a lot on which a business use operates may be counted towards fulfilling the off-street parking space requirements of that use.
I. Downtown commercial district. No off-street parking shall be located between the street line and the building face containing the principal entrance.
J. Personal service establishments, museums, libraries and art galleries, which are operated in storefronts or as home occupations, and which do not exceed 1,000 square feet of floor space, are exempt from off-street parking space requirements.

K. Parking in the Mill Building Reuse District (MBRD). The requirements set forth below shall be reduced by 50% for structures in a MBR District, and 100% of parking may be located at a distance of not more than 400 feet from the structure or uses that the parking is intended to serve.

Parking Spaces Required
		Minimum	Maximum
Use		Residential
One- and two-family dwelling units		2 per dwelling unit
Multifamily dwellings with 3 or more dwelling units		2 per dwelling unit
Community residence		1 per staff employee
Nursing or convalescent home, orphanage		1 per 4 beds
Convent or rectory		1 per 4 beds
Family day-care home		1 per dwelling unit
Manufactured home park		1 per manufactured home
Boardinghouse		1 per rooming unit
Rooming house
	Up to 6 rooming units	1 per rooming unit
	Over 6 rooming units	1 per dwelling unit and 1 per rooming unit
Bed-and-breakfast, motor inn and hotel		1 per guest room
		Public, Semipublic Education and Recreation
Place of worship		1 per 5 seats in assembly rooms
Hospital		1 per 1 bed
Day-care center		1 per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area
Public elementary school		1 per classroom
Trade or professional school		1 per 5 seats in classroom
Not otherwise specified herein		1 per 5 seats in assembly rooms or 1 per 400 square feet of gross floor area, whichever is greater
		Commercial
Retail store, personal services establishment, office, and other commercial uses		1 per 1,000 square feet of leasable floor space	1 per 300 square feet of leasable floor space
Eating and drinking establishments		1 per 4 seats or 1 per 90 square feet of floor area	1 per 2 seats or 1 per 50 square feet of floor area
Amusement and recreation		1 per 5 seats in assembly rooms or 200 square feet of gross floor area, whichever is greater
Wholesale commercial		1 per 2,000 square feet of floor area devoted to covered storage space
Storage		1 per 10,000 square feet of covered floor area
Industrial		1 per 1,000 square feet of floor area or 2 employees on the maximum working shift, whichever is greater