(a)
Off-street parking spaces required.
(1)
In all districts, for all uses, at the time any building or structure is erected or enlarged or increased in capacity, or when any other use is established, there shall be provided off-street parking spaces for motor vehicles in accordance with the requirements specified herein.
(2)
The minimum number of off-street parking facilities required for the uses described in these regulations shall be located on the same lot as the structures intended to be served.
(b)
Parking for existing uses.
(1)
It is the intent of these regulations to preserve and retain existing off-street parking spaces in at least the minimum amounts as would be required if the existing use of structure had been established or erected in full compliance with the provisions herein.
(2)
No certificate of occupancy shall be issued, no use shall be established or changed, and no structure shall be erected, enlarged or reconstructed unless the off-street parking spaces are provided in the minimum amount and maintained in the manner specified in these regulations. However, for the enlargement of a structure or for the expansion of a use of structure or land, there shall be required only the number of off-street parking spaces as would be required if such enlargement or expansion were a separate new structure.
(c)
Minimum number.
The minimum number of off-street parking spaces for each class of use shall not be less than that established by the section 118-833, schedule of minimum number of parking spaces. Furthermore, any designated loading space shall not be considered to supply any required off-street parking space, nor shall required off-street parking spaces supply any off-street loading spaces.
(d)
Minimum parking dimensions.
The minimum required dimensional area for each parking space and the required maneuvering space shall not be less than that established by section 118-834, schedule of minimum parking and maneuvering dimensions.
(e)
General requirements.
(1)
Measurements.
When units or measurements result in requirements of a fractional space, any fraction shall require one space.
(2)
Access and maneuvering.
a.
Except for single-family or two-family dwelling units, parking and loading areas shall be arranged so that vehicles shall not be required to back out of the parking or loading spaces directly into a public street.
(3)
Space standards.
a.
A space nine feet by 18 feet of floor/lot area with unobstructed access to a public street shall be deemed to be parking space for one vehicle.
b.
Small car spaces: When the total number of parking spaces required by the schedule of minimum number of parking spaces, contained in section 18-833, exceeds 100 spaces, a number of spaces not to exceed 20 percent of the required number may be designed for small car use only. The minimum size of such small car space shall be eight feet by 14 feet. Each area designated for small car spaces within a lot shall be clearly marked with signs installed above eye level stating that the area is a small car parking area.
(f)
Development standards.
(1)
Location.
The off-street parking facilities required for the uses mentioned in these regulations should be on the same lot or parcel of land as the structure they are intended to serve.
(2)
Curbs, wheelstops, and islands.
Parking and loading spaces shall be provided with curbs, wheelstops, or raised islands so located that no part of the parked vehicle shall extend beyond the parking space or across a property line.
(3)
Lighting.
Any light used to illuminate or identify a parking or loading area shall be placed so as to reflect the light away from adjacent dwellings and not interfere with traffic control devices.
(4)
Pavement marking and signing.
All pavement marking and signing shall be in conformance with the design requirements.
(5)
Landscaping.
See the separate landscaping regulations in article III, chapter 114 of this Code for landscaping requirements of parking lots.
(7)
Maintenance requirements.
To ensure that all requirements set forth in this section are carried forward, it will be the responsibility of the owner of the parking areas to adequately maintain the facility. All off-street parking areas shall be kept free of trash, debris, vehicle repair operation or display and advertising uses. At no time after initial approval of the parking area layout changes can be made in the location and number of provided spaces without approval of the city.
(8)
Visibility triangle and parkway requirements.
Parking areas shall be designed and constructed so as to prevent intrusion into or use of the visibility triangle or parkway.
(9)
Concrete and asphalt standards for parking, driving and maneuvering areas.
All required and nonrequired parking, driving, and maneuvering areas shall be hard paved surfaces constructed of concrete or asphalt material equivalent to the minimum construction standards contained in the city building code. Rock, gravel and dirt parking, driving and maneuvering areas shall not be permitted. Exception: Paving stone parking, driving and maneuvering areas constructed with adequate base material shall be acceptable. The provisions of this subsection shall apply in the following situations:
a.
Upon all new construction;
b.
When an existing building is proposed for remodeling, alteration, addition, or expansion, in which the value of the proposed construction exceeds 75 percent of the current appraised value of the existing structures, excluding the value of the land;
c.
When an existing building is proposed for an addition that will increase the square footage of the existing building by 30 percent or greater; or
d.
As a requirement of the approval of a special use permit or planned unit development.
(10)
Number and type of parking spaces.
For all newly constructed single-family dwelling units, an area must be provided so that at least two parking spaces are covered and enclosed behind the front building line.
(11)
Exception for city-owned property within floodplain.
Parking, driving, and maneuvering areas located on city-owned property within a FEMA-designated floodplain zone and used for passive open space recreation may be constructed of permeable parking surfaces such as permeable asphalt, permeable concrete, permeable pavers, or flexible base. Flexible base must meet minimum testing standards established by the Texas Department of Transportation and be approved by the city engineer.
(g)
Parking space for the disabled.
For every parking area there shall be provided a minimum number of parking spaces for the disabled based upon the total number of spaces required.
(1)
Calculation of spaces.
The number of spaces to be provided for the disabled shall be calculated as follows:
Total Parking Spaces Required | Minimum Number of Parking Spaces for Disabled |
|---|---|
11—50 | 1 |
51—100 | 2 |
101—300 | 3 |
301—500 | 5 |
Over 500 | 1 percent of total |
(2)
Location.
Such parking spaces shall be located on an accessible circulation route and as near as is reasonably possible to the primary entries to the building or facility. In separate parking structures, lots or basement garages parking spaces shall be located on the shortest possible circulation route. In addition, the parking spaces shall be located in proximity to the accessible point of ingress including elevators and there shall be an accessible route from the point of egress to the nearest primary entrance into the building or facility.
(3)
Specifications.
Such parking spaces shall be open on at least one side and allow room for individuals in wheelchairs, on crutches, or braces to safely maneuver in or out of the vehicle on a level surface. Such spaces shall be so arranged that disabled persons are not required to walk or wheel behind parked cars.
a.
Each head-in or diagonal space for disabled shall be a minimum of eight feet wide with an adjacent aisle or clear space of at least five feet wide. A single common clear space of five feet may be provided between two eight-foot wide parking spaces.
b.
If parallel parking is located on a street, driveway, or other area where vehicular traffic exists the space shall be designed and placed in such a manner that people are out of the flow of traffic.
c.
The parked vehicle overhang shall not intrude or reduce the clearance of accessible routes.
d.
Parking surfaces and accessible aisles shall not have a slope in any direction in excess of two percent.
e.
Parking spaces for the disabled shall be identified and reserved for the handicapped by a sign incorporating the symbol of accessibility and placed so that it will not be obscured by parked vehicles. The sign shall be of such size that it is legible from a distance that would be reasonable for the condition. The size of the markings and the signs shall comply with those standards prescribed by the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways.
(4)
Additional requirements.
For every occupancy of more than 10,000 square feet of floor area, and for each additional 10,000 square feet thereafter, at least one parking space of not less than 12 feet by 18 feet shall be designated and clearly marked for use by disabled persons. Such parking space shall be at least as close to an entrance as any nondisabled parking space.
(h)
Fire lanes.
Fire lanes as required by the fire code of the city shall be provided and clearly marked.
(Ordinance 1874, art. VIII, § 800, adopted 3/22/1993; Ordinance 2069, § 1, adopted 12/11/1995; Ordinance 2186, § 3, adopted 4/14/1997; Ordinance 2429, § 1, adopted 11/22/1999; Ordinance 3679, § 1, adopted 1/25/2021)