§ 5.1

Off-Street Parking Requirements

No land shall be used or occupied and no structure shall be erected or used unless the off-street parking spaces required herein are provided. Such parking spaces are not required for any structure or use lawfully existing at the time of enactment of this ordinance; provided, however, that parking spaces as specified in this ordinance shall be provided for any enlargement of any existing structure or use. After the effective date of this ordinance, all land being used for off-street parking, shall not be reduced below the minimum required by this ordinance.

5.1-1 Location of Parking Spaces. Off-street parking spaces shall be provided on the same lot as the use for which the parking area is required. Direct and unobstructed pedestrian access shall be provided from the parking area to the principal use.

5.1-1.1 Parking Permitted on Off-Site Location: If vehicle storage or standing space required below cannot reasonably be provided on the same lot on which the principal use is conducted, the Zoning Officer may permit such space to be provided on other off-street property, provided (1) such space lies within three hundred (300) feet of a main entrance to such principal use, (2) direct and unobstructed pedestrian access is provided from the parking area to the principal use, where possible, and (3) the parking spaces are available and designated solely for the use of the off-site property and the hours of operation of the uses involved do not conflict.

(Ch. No. 6830, Sec. 1, 3-12-01)

5.1-1.2 No Parking in Front Yard. Except in the case of a circular driveway, no off-street parking shall be permitted in that portion of the front yard of any residential property which is bounded by the extension of the side lines of the principal building foundation, excluding any attached garage or carport, from the line of said foundation to the public right-of-way. (See Diagram). A waiver of this parking prohibition may be granted at the discretion of the zoning officer when it can be substantiated that a property does not otherwise contain sufficient area for the accommodation of required parking spaces.

5.1-2 Dimensional Requirements. Parking areas shall meet the following minimum dimensional requirements affecting the width and length of individual parking space and the width of aisles exclusive of necessary drives and other access ways:

Minimum parking space width ...............9 ft.

Minimum parking space length..............18ft.

Minimum aisle widths (back-up space): (All spaces must have back up space of no less than 9 ft. wide by the following corresponding aisle widths) 90 degree angle.................................... 24 ft.

60 degree angle …................................ 16 ft.

45 degree angle .................................... 12 ft.

30 degree angle .................................... 11 ft. 0 degree (parallel parking) .................. 12 ft.

(Ch. No. 6400, Sec. 1(F), 9-2-97; Ch. No. 6585, Sec. 1, 4-5-99)

5.1-3 Parking Space Requirements by Use. Minimum parking space requirements for specific uses are as set forth below:

5.1-3.1 Bed and Breakfast Inns: One (1) space is required for each sleeping room to be occupied by guests; plus two (2) spaces to serve the owner's dwelling unit.

5.1-3.2 Boarding Houses and Rooming Houses: One (1) space is required for every two (2) boarders or roomers that can be accommodated at maximum capacity; plus one (1) space for each person employed or intended to be employed on the largest shift.

5.1-3.3 Educational Institutions Serving Young Children, Daycare Centers, and Similar Establishments: Two (2) spaces are required for every one thousand (1,000) square feet GFA.

(Ch. No. 6585, Sec. 1, 4-5-99)

5.1-3.4 Educational Institutions Serving Older Children or Adults, and Similar Establishments:

Primary or Junior High School	5 spaces per classroom
High School	1 space per 5 students (based on design capacity)
Higher Education	1 space per 3 students (based on design capacity)

(Ch. No. 6585, Sec. 1, 4-5-99)

5.1-3.5 Entertainment Facilities: One (1) space is required for every five (5) seats or individuals for which the facility is designated to accommodate.

(Ch. No. 6585, Sec. 1, 4-5-99)

5.1-3.6 Hospitals and Similar Institutions: One (1) space is required for every one (1) bed;

Nursing Homes and Similar Institutions: One (1) space is required for every three (3) beds.

(Ch. No. 6585, Sec. 1, 4-5-99)

5.1-3.7 Hotels or Motels: One (1) space is required for every hotel or motel room, plus one space for each person employed or intended to be employed on the largest shift.

5.1-3.8 Industrial Facilities, Corporate Offices and Research and Development Facilities: Two (2) spaces are required for each one thousand (1,000) square feet, or fraction thereof, of industrial space, including warehouse space.

(Ch. No. 6585, Sec. 1, 4-5-99)

5.1-3.9 Office Facilities: Three (3) spaces are required for each one thousand (1,000) square feet, or fraction thereof, of office space.

(Ch. No. 6585, Sec. 1, 4-5-99)

5.1-3.10 Places of Assembly, including theaters and churches: One (1) space is required for every four (4) seats or places available at maximum legal capacity.

(Ch. No. 6585, Sec. 1, 4-5-99)

5.1-3.11 Restaurants: One (1) space is required for every four (4) seats or places available at maximum legal capacity.

(Ch. No. 6585, Sec. 1, 4-5-99)

5.1-3.12 Retail Commercial Establishments, Service Establishments & Out-Patient Facilities: Parking space requirements for retail commercial and service establishments shall be based on the net floor area of said establishments, as set forth below, where net floor area is defined as the total of all floor area used or usable in the sale of merchandise or services:

(Ch. No. 6400, Sec. 1(G), 9-2-97)

(1) If the net floor area is less than fifty thousand (50,000) square feet, four (4) spaces are required for the first one thousand (1,000) square feet, or fraction thereof, of net floor space; plus one (1) space for each additional two hundred (200) square feet of said floor space.

(Ch. No. 6585, Sec. 1, 4-5-99)

(2) If the net floor area is equal to or greater than fifty thousand (50,000) square feet, four (4) spaces are required for each one thousand (1,000) square feet, or fraction thereof, of net floor area.

(Ch. No. 6585, Sec. 1, 4-5-99)

5.1-3.13 Single-family, Two-family, Multi-family, & Accessory Dwelling units: Two (2) spaces are required for each dwelling unit, plus one (1) space for each accessory dwelling unit.

(Ch. No. 6260, Sec. 1(D), 6-3-96; Ch. 8558, Sec. 1, 3-3-2025)

5.1-3.14 Wholesale Commercial Establishments: Three (3) spaces are required for every one thousand (1,000) square feet, or fraction thereof, of wholesale showroom space.

(Ch. No. 6585, Sec. 1, 4-5-99)

5.1-4 Exception for Main Street Area and Downtown Overlay District.

Notwithstanding the above, off-street parking shall not be required for nonresidential establishments located in the Downtown Overlay District within C-1 Urban Commercial District, the MU-1 Mixed Use Residential/Commercial District, and the MU-2 Mixed Use Industrial/Commercial District, and the I-2 heavy Industrial District, nor for nonresidential establishments located with the Social Renewal Area, which is bounded by Pond Street to the east, Social Street to the north, Clinton Street to the south, and the intersection of Social Street and Clinton Street to the west, and including Lot 22, on Plat 27, and Lot 10, on Plat 36.

(Ch. No. 6054, Sec. 1(C), 10-16-95; Ch. No. 8423, Sec. 1, 12-19-2022)

“One (1) space of privately-owned off-street parking is required for each residential dwelling in the Downtown Overlay District. This parking space requirement can be met on an off-site location provided that such space lies within six hundred feet (600’) of a main entrance to the principal use.” (Ch. 7857, 12-07-2015)

(Ch. 7857, 12-07-2015.)

5.1-5 Construction Requirements. Every parcel of land which after the effective date of this ordinance is changed to a business or industrial parking area, or a residential parking area for five (5) or more vehicles, or a drive-in business, or motor vehicle sales or service establishment shall be developed subject to the approval of plans thereof by the division engineer.

5.1-6 Screening from Residential Properties. Where a parking area containing eight (8) or more spaces is located on a lot which adjoins one (1) or more lots which are residentially zoned or have a residential use, a fence of solid appearance having a height of not less than four (4) feet, or an approved evergreen hedge having a height of not less than four (4) feet and a spacing between plants of not more than one and one-half (1 1/2) times the initial height of said plants, shall be erected and maintained between such parking area and each adjacent lot which is either a residential use or residentially zoned.

(Ch. No. 6585, Sec. 1, 4-5-99)

5.1-7 Landscape Requirements for Industrial Zone (I-1 & I-2) Parking Lots. The interior of parking areas shall be suitably landscaped with trees, shrubs, vegetation or other live vegetable ground cover. Interior landscaping shall amount to at least five percent (5%) of the gross square footage of the entire parking area, excluding required buffer areas. Landscaped areas shall be separated and protected from parking areas by curbing or other means. Standards shall be in accordance with those standards contained in the city’s subdivision regulations, as amended.

(Ch. No. 6585, Sec. 1, 4-5-99)

5.1-8 Buffer Requirements for Industrial Zone (I-1 & I-2) Parking Lots. Landscaped buffer areas shall be established along the perimeter of all parking areas as follows:

1. Where any portion of a parking area is adjacent to any residential use property, a minimum landscaped buffer of ten (10) feet in width shall be established along the lot line which adjoins such residential use property, and said landscaped buffer shall include trees, shrubs, vegetation or other live vegetative ground cover.

2. Where any portion of a parking area is adjacent to any non-residential use property, a minimum landscaped buffer of five (5) feet in width shall be established along the lot line, which adjoins such non-residential use property. The landscaped buffer shall contain trees, shrubs, vegetation or other live vegetative ground cover.

11. Where any portion of a parking area is adjacent to any street or public right-of-way, a minimum landscaped buffer of four (4) feet in width shall be established along the lot line, which adjoins such street or right-of-way. Trees of an appropriate size and type shall be located approximately every fifty (50) feet, with the exact tree locations to be determined on a site-by-site basis to avoid interfering with underground utilities and/ or curb cuts. In the case of any parking area along Diamond Hill Road, the type of tree shall be green ash, and tree locations shall be approximately every seventy (70) feet. (Ch. No. 6585, Sec. 1, 4-5-99)

Parking: For live/work units of fewer than twenty-five hundred square feet (2,500 sq. ft.), one (1) parking space is required for each unit. For live/work units greater than 2,500 square feet, required parking will be based on the applicable parking standards for the nonresidential use or the closest similar use as determined by the zoning official.