A.
It is the purpose of this chapter to provide for adequate, convenient, and safe off-street parking and loading areas for the different land uses described in this title.
(Ord. 2741 § 4 (part), 2024)
A.
Off-street parking and loading spaces shall be provided as an accessory use in all zones in accordance with the requirements of this chapter, at the time any principal building or structure is erected, enlarged or at the time there is a change in its principal use.
(Ord. 2741 § 4 (part), 2024; Ord. 2765 § 105, 2025)
A.
Any off-street parking area already in use or established hereafter shall not be reduced below the limits required by this chapter by the construction of any addition to a building or structure, nor by the erection of an additional building or structure on the property. Any change of principal and/or secondary use must meet the parking requirements of the new use.
(Ord. 2741 § 4 (part), 2024)
A.
Required off-street parking and loading facilities shall be developed in accordance with the following standards:
1.
Adequate ingress and egress from any required parking space for a commercial use shall be provided without moving another vehicle.
2.
The slope of off-street parking spaces shall not exceed 5%. The slope of entrance and exit driveways providing access for off-street parking areas and internal driveway aisles without parking stalls shall not exceed 15%.
3.
For commercial uses, the Public Works Director or the Community Development Director may require ingress separate from egress for safer flow of traffic.
4.
Parking Dimensions:
Minimum parking area dimensions for required parking facilities shall be as provided in Figure 18-6. Standard and compact parking stalls shall be allowed a two-foot landscaping overhang to count towards the stall length.
5.
Location:
b.
Additionally, off-premises parking areas shall be subject to compliance with the covenant parking standards in TMC Section 18.56.070, “Cooperative Parking Facility.”
c.
Wheel stops shall be installed on the periphery of parking lots so cars will not protrude off the parking lot or strike buildings. Wheel stops shall be two feet from the end of the stall of head-in parking.
6.
Driveways and Maneuverability:
a.
Ingress and egress from required parking spaces shall not require reversing a vehicle further than 50 feet.
b.
Turning and maneuvering space shall be located entirely on private property unless specifically approved by the Director of Public Works.
c.
Ingress and egress to any off-street parking lot shall not be located closer than 15 feet from point of tangent to an intersection.
d.
The Director may require areas not designed or approved for parking to be appropriately marked, signed, or blocked to prevent parking.
e.
Parking areas shall use paint or similar devices to delineate car stalls and direction of traffic. All traffic-control devices, such as parking stripes designating car stalls, directional arrows or signs, bull rails, curbs and other developments shall be installed and completed as shown on the approved plans.
f.
Where pedestrian walks are used in parking lots for the use of foot traffic only, they shall be curbed or raised six inches above the lot surface.
7.
Surface:
a.
Off-street parking or loading facilities shall be paved with asphalt, concrete, permeable pavement, or other similar approved material(s) that maintains a durable uniform surface and shall be graded and drained as to dispose of all surface water, but not across sidewalks.
8.
No obstruction that would restrict car door opening shall be permitted within five feet of the centerline of a parking space.
9.
Any lighting on a parking lot shall illuminate only the parking lot, designed to avoid undue glare or reflection on adjoining premises.
10.
Curb-Cuts:
All parking areas shall have specific entrances and/or exits to the street. The dimensional standards of streets and curb-cuts shall comply with the requirements of TMC Title 17 and the Department of Public Works.
11.
Use of Parking Stalls:
Parking stalls shall not be used for permanent or semi-permanent parking or storage of trucks or materials.
(Ord. 2741 § 4 (part), 2024; Ord. 2765 § 106, 2025)
A.
The minimum number of off-street parking spaces for the listed uses shall be as shown in Figure 18-7 and TMC Section 18.28.260. Minimum parking requirements shall be maintained over the life of the original or primary use. Any additional uses, either secondary or accessory in nature, must have parking available that does not impact the minimum parking of the original or primary use. This extends to parking spaces used for park-and-fly lots or use of parking for storage or outdoor displays.
B.
A development that creates public new on-street parking spaces via frontage improvements or new streets, in accordance with the standards of TMC Title 17 and the Department of Public Works, may count the provided on-street spaces toward the total minimum requirements for the proposed uses of the premise.
(Ord. 2741 § 4 (part), 2024; Ord. 2765 § 107, 2025)
A.
Off-street space for standing, loading and unloading services shall be provided in such a manner as not to obstruct freedom of traffic movement on streets or alleys. For all office, commercial, and industrial uses, each loading space shall consist of at least a 10-foot by 30-foot loading space with 14-foot height clearance for small trucks such as pickup trucks, or a 12-foot by 65-foot loading space with 14-foot height clearance for large trucks, including tractor-trailers. These requirements may be modified if the Director finds that such reduction will not result in injury to neighboring property, or obstruction of fire lanes/traffic, and will be in harmony with the purposes and intent of this chapter.
(Ord. 2741 § 4 (part), 2024; Ord. 2765 § 108, 2025)
A.
The following standards shall apply to all residential uses within the CR zone.
1.
A pedestrian path that leads to each door that provides ingress/egress to a dwelling unit shall be provided. The path shall meet the following minimum standards:
a.
The minimum width shall be 6 feet.
b.
The pedestrian path shall extend from the exterior door to the nearest abutting public street, or private street for which the inhabitants of the dwelling unit have legal right of use. The path shall connect to any existing or proposed sidewalk that abuts the property.
c.
The pedestrian path shall either be paved with a permeable durable uniform surface or with decorative stone, brick, or other similar materials. Gravel shall not be permitted.
d.
For residential uses other than townhouses, the pedestrian path shall be separate and distinct from areas of the property used for the parking or loading of motor vehicles.
e.
The route of the pedestrian path shall be the shortest efficient and logical route possible, while avoiding impacts to significant trees and critical areas.
f.
Pedestrian pathways leading to dwelling units that are accessible to those with disabilities shall not feature inaccessible design elements such as stairs.
2.
Each dwelling unit is permitted a maximum of one vehicular driveway.
3.
Preference shall be given to the following vehicular access point design scenarios, in the order given. The applicant shall demonstrate why each scenario is infeasible for the site, due to site specific circumstances that are not the not the result of deliberate actions of the applicant or property owner, before proposing the next preferable vehicular access point scenario. For the purposes of this section, vehicular access points include curb cuts.
a.
First:
The project proposes to reduce the total number of vehicular access points to existing streets. This may be accomplished by consolidating existing vehicular access points, both on-and off-site.
b.
Second:
The project proposes the same total number of vehicular access points to existing streets. This may be accomplished by co-locating access with an existing vehicular access point, both on-and off-site.
c.
Third:
The project proposes no more than one additional vehicular access point to existing streets. This single vehicular access point shall serve all dwelling units on a parcel.
d.
Last:
The project proposes more than one additional vehicular access point to existing streets.
4.
Tandem parking spaces shall be permitted to satisfy minimum parking requirements.
5.
Recreational vehicles, boats, and trailers shall be parked, kept or stored on an approved durable uniform surface and shall not be parked, kept or stored in required front yard setbacks, except for a driveway. Recreational vehicle parking in the side or rear yard setbacks is allowed, provided no recreational vehicle prevents access by emergency responders to all sides of a structure.
6.
For parcels with street frontage: No more than 50% of the area of the first 15 feet of the property from the street frontage may be covered with a driveway or surface parking area. The Director may approve exceptions to this requirement for pie-shaped or other odd shaped lots where it is infeasible to meet this requirement.
7.
No more than six (6) motor vehicles shall be parked on a surface parking area associated with a single dwelling unit for a period of more than 48 hours. The parking limitations in this subsection shall apply to all motor vehicles as defined by state law with the exception of motorcycles and mopeds.
(Ord. 2741 § 4 (part), 2024; Ord. 2765 § 109, 2025)
A.
Shared Parking:
When two or more property owners agree to enter into a shared parking agreement, the setbacks and landscaping requirements on their common property line(s) may be waived with that land used for parking, driveway and/or building.
B.
Covenant Parking:
When required parking is provided on a parcel other than the parcel containing the associated primary use, the following conditions shall apply:
1.
Parking areas are only permitted associated with a primary use or in a zoning district which permits parking areas outright. A covenant parking agreement does not excuse an applicant from compliance with the use restrictions of the zoning district, as established by the Land Use Tables 18-2 and 18-6.
2.
A covenant shall be executed between the owner or operator of the principal use that the covenant parking will serve, the owner of the parking spaces, and the City stating the responsibilities of the parties. This covenant and accompanying legal descriptions of the principal use and the lot upon which the spaces are to be located shall be recorded with King County, and a copy with the recording number and parking layouts shall be submitted as part of any permit application for development.
3.
The covenant lot must be within 800 feet of the primary use or a shuttle service to the use must be provided with its route, service, and operations approved by the Director.
C.
When any Shared or Covenant parking agreement between parties, as referenced above, is modified or terminated, the owner of the parking spaces shall be responsible for notifying the Director. In this event, all affected parties shall provide documentation that a minimum of 50% of the required minimum parking will be available within 90 days following termination of the agreement, with the remainder to be available 365 days following termination of the original agreement. If a variance is sought, the application must be submitted within 14 days of the signed agreement to terminate and the reduction in parking spaces will only be allowed if the variance is approved.
D.
Complementary Parking:
A complementary use is a portion of the development that functions differently than the primary use but is designed to serve or enhance the primary land use without creating additional parking needs for the primary traffic generator. Up to 10% of the usable floor area of a building or facility may be occupied by a complementary use without providing parking spaces in addition to the number of spaces for the principal use. Examples of complementary uses include pharmacies in hospitals or medical offices, food courts or restaurants in a shopping center or retail establishments.
E.
Applications for shared, covenant or complementary parking shall be processed as Type 2 decisions, pursuant to TMC Section 18.108.020.
(Ord. 2741 § 4 (part), 2024; Ord. 2765 § 110, 2025)
(Ord. 2741 § 4 (part), 2024; Ord. 2765 § 111, 2025)
A.
A maximum of 50% of the total off-street parking stalls may be permitted and designated for compact cars.
B.
Each compact stall shall be designated as such, with the word COMPACT printed onto the stall, in a minimum of eight -inch letters and maintained as such over the life of the use of both the space and the adjacent structure it serves.
C.
Dimensions of compact parking stalls shall conform to the standards as depicted in Figure 18-6 of this chapter.
D.
Compact spaces shall be reasonably dispersed throughout the parking lot.
(Ord. 2741 § 4 (part), 2024; Ord. 2765 § 112, 2025)
A.
In the case of a use not specifically mentioned in this chapter, the requirements for off-street parking facilities shall be determined by the Director. Such determination shall be based upon the requirements for the most comparable use specified in this chapter.
(Ord. 2741 § 4 (part), 2024)
A.
Landscaping and screening requirements shall be as provided in the Landscape, Recreation, Recycling/ Solid Waste Space Requirements chapter of this title.
(Ord. 2741 § 4 (part), 2024)
A.
Detailed plans of off-street parking areas, indicating the proposed development including the location, size, shape, design, curb-cuts, adjacent streets, circulation of traffic, ingress and egress to parking lots and other features and appurtenances of the proposed parking facility, shall be filed with and reviewed by the Department. The parking area shall be developed and completed to the required standards before an occupancy permit for the building may be issued. The parking lot layout shall be reviewed as part of the underlying land use or the construction permit. If the proposal includes only reconfiguring of the parking lot such as adding/deleting parking spaces, making changes to the interior parking lot landscaping, or altering fire lanes, but no other land use permit or other construction permit is required, then the restriping proposal shall be reviewed as a Type 2 decision process as outlined in TMC Section 18.108.020.
(Ord. 2741 § 4 (part), 2024; Ord. 2765 § 113, 2025)
B.
Types of Bicycle Parking:
1.
Short-term:
This type of bicycle parking is typically not used for overnight parking or for use longer than 4 hours, is typically unsheltered, and is typically available on a first-come, first-serve basis. The most common users are site visitors.
2.
Secure:
This type of bicycle parking is typically used for overnight parking or for use longer than 4 hours and is typically available only with prior authorization. The most common users are residents or employees of a site.
C.
General Standards:
1.
Access to all bicycle parking spaces shall be step-free and shall not require the use of stairs.
2.
Required secure bicycle parking shall be permitted in the following locations:
a.
On-site or within 50 feet of the main entrance of the use triggering bicycle parking requirements, within an access controlled and secure dedicated bike storage space that provides weather protection. This space may take the form of bicycle lockers, rooms, cages, hangars, or any other solution that meets the requirements of this section; or
b.
Within a designated space inside of a dwelling unit or a private residential garage.
3.
All bicycle parking not located within a structure shall be separated from motor vehicle traffic by a barrier, curb, post, bollard or other similar device.
4.
Short-term bicycle parking shall be located within 50 feet of the nearest entrance of the building to the use, unless the applicant demonstrates that, due to circumstances outside of the control of the applicant, such a location is infeasible. The applicant shall demonstrate that the location proposed is highly visible, safe, well-lit, accessible, and emphasizes user convenience and deterrence of theft.
5.
Bicycle parking may be permitted on public property (such as within flex zones or clear zones of daylighted intersections) with approval of the Department of Community Development and the Department of Public Works.
6.
Projects proposing new streets with on-street parking may substitute any area used for on-street parking with short-term or secure bicycle parking that meets the requirements of this section and all requirements of the Department of Public Works and the Department of Community Development.
7.
A building shall not prevent the usage by a bicycle of any vehicle garage entrance unless an equivalently accessible entrance is provided for bicycle access.
8.
Required bicycle spaces not located within an individual residential dwelling or private residential garage shall feature inverted “U” racks (also called staple racks or loop racks) and/or post-and-ring racks and/or two-tier parking with lift assists. Parking spaces shall not be designed in a manner that requires a user to lift a bicycle without mechanical assistance.
9.
Required secure bicycle spaces located within an individual residential dwelling shall be permitted when the dwelling unit is accessible without the use of stairs and the bicycle parking is accessible without rolling the bicycle over carpeting or other porous flooring materials. Floor plans shall indicate the designated bicycle parking space within each dwelling unit. Bicycle parking spaces within dwelling units shall be excluded from the calculations of livable area.
10.
Secure bicycle parking for commercial uses and residential uses with greater than 10 attached dwellings shall provide at least 50% of required bicycle parking spaces horizontally on the ground. Bicycle parking spaces shall have a minimum dimension of 3 feet by 6 feet. Individual bicycle parking spaces shall be spaced with racks no less than 30-inches off-center, or 17-inches off-center for high density offset arrangements.
11.
Uses requiring greater than 10 bicycle parking spaces shall feature a minimum of one electrical wall outlet per 5 spaces, to be used for bicycle maintenance or electric bike charging.
(Ord. 2741 § 4 (part), 2024; Ord. 2765 § 114, 2025)
A.
Applicability:
Regulations are applicable to all parking lots or garages, except those that include restricted electric vehicle charging stations.
B.
Number of Stations:
No minimum number of charging station spaces is required.
C.
Minimum Parking Requirements:
An electric vehicle charging station space may be included in the calculation for minimum required parking spaces that are required pursuant to other sections of this chapter.
D.
Location and Design Criteria:
The provision of electric vehicle parking will vary based on the design and use of the primary parking lot. The following required and additional locational and design criteria are provided in recognition of the various parking lot layout options.
1.
Where provided, parking for electric vehicle charging purposes is required to include the following:
a.
Signage:
Each charging station space shall be posted with signage indicating the space is only for electric vehicle charging purposes. Days and hours of operation shall be included if time limits or tow away provisions are to be enforced. Refer to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for electric vehicle and parking signs.
Electric Vehicle Parking Sign Examples: | ||
|---|---|---|
 12" x 12" |  12" x 18" |  12" x 18" |
b.
Maintenance:
Charging station equipment shall be maintained in all respects, including the functioning of the charging equipment. A telephone number or other contact information shall be provided on the charging station equipment for reporting when the equipment is not functioning or when other problems are encountered.
c.
Accessibility:
Where charging station equipment is provided within an adjacent pedestrian circulation area, such as a sidewalk or accessible route to the building entrance, the charging equipment shall be located so as not to interfere with accessibility requirements of WAC 51-50-005.
d.
Lighting:
Where charging station equipment is installed, adequate site lighting shall exist, unless charging is allowed during daytime hours only.
2.
Charging station spaces for electric vehicles should also consider the following signage information:
a.
Information on the charging station, identifying voltage and amperage levels and any time of use, fees, or safety information.
b.
Installation of directional signs at the parking lot entrance and at appropriate decision points to effectively guide motorists to the charging station space(s). Refer to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for electric vehicle and directional signs.
Directional Sign Examples: | |
|---|---|
12” x 12” |  12” x 12” |
 12” x 6” | 12” x 6” |
(Ord. 2741 § 4 (part), 2024)
A.
General:
1.
A Type 2 request for an administrative variance from required parking standards must be received prior to any issuance of building or engineering permits.
2.
The project developer shall present all findings to the Director prior to any final approvals, including design review, conditional use permit review, building review or any other permit reviews required by the Director.
B.
Criteria:
1.
All requests for reductions in parking shall be reviewed under the criteria established in this section.
2.
In addition to the following requirements, the Director may require specific measures not listed to ensure that all impacts with reduced parking are mitigated. Any spillover parking which cannot be mitigated to the satisfaction of the Director will serve as the basis for denial. A reduction may be allowed after:
C.
Process:
1.
An applicant shall submit evidence that decreased parking will not have a negative impact on surrounding properties or potential future uses. This may take the form of a brief report for administrative variances. Decreases in excess of 10% must be made to the Hearing Examiner. The Director may require additional studies to ensure that negative impacts are properly mitigated. A complete and detailed Parking Demand Study is required for requests reviewed by the Hearing Examiner.
2.
All site characteristics should be described in the report, including:
(Ord. 2741 § 4 (part), 2024; Ord. 2765 § 115, 2025)