(1)
Off-street parking and loading lots shall be provided in accordance with the following provisions of this title for every building hereafter erected, altered, enlarged, or relocated.
(a)
Any new building, use or structure shall provide the required parking to the standards specified herein.
(b)
Any parking lot hereafter physically altered shall comply with all of the provisions of this title, except that such lot which provides five percent of its area in landscaping shall be deemed to comply with the landscaping chapter of this title.
(2)
These regulations shall not be retroactive to include any building or use existing at the time of passage of the ordinance codified in this title, except as follows:
(a)
When a building is located on a different site, there shall be provided off-street parking and loading spaces as required for new buildings.
(b)
When the number of units is increased by alteration or addition to a dwelling or other structure containing sleeping rooms, there shall be provided off-street parking and loading spaces for such additional units. When there are other alterations to a residential structure, the requirements of this title shall apply whenever the value of such alterations exceed 50 percent of the assessed valuation of the structure.
(c)
Whenever any existing, nonresidential use in a building is changed to another use in the same building, the requirements of this section shall apply in full to the new use if and only if the change in parking requirements between the old and new uses is greater than five spaces. Credit for on-street parking spaces that are located along the building’s street frontage shall be given.
(d)
Whenever there is a change from a residential use to a nonresidential use in an existing building, the requirements of this title shall apply in full to the new use; except that the town council may determine that a portion of the residential structure cannot be effectively utilized by the proposed commercial use and such area then may be excluded from the gross floor area used to compute the parking requirement.
(e)
Whenever an assembly use is discontinued, full compliance with off-street parking requirements is required. If more than five parking spaces are required, the parking shall be contiguous to the building.
(3)
The required parking and/or loading shall have reasonable access to a public street or alley and a capacity according to the use of the building listed in the following sections.
(4)
Where a use is not listed, the planning director shall determine the number of required parking and/or loading spaces based upon similar uses for which the requirements are specified.
(5)
Removal of required parking and/or loading spaces from practical use by obstruction, erection of buildings, or other actions as to reduce the parking and/or loading capacity or usefulness thereof below the minimum requirements established in this title is prohibited.
(6)
“Gross floor area” includes all floor area within the exterior walls of the building including area in halls, storage, and partitions, but excluding furnace and similar utility space used solely to maintain the building for occupancy.
(7)
“Parking area” includes the parking spaces together with driveways and the access to public street.
(Ord. 426 § 10.54.010, 1998; Ord. 900 § 2 (Att. A (§ 14)), 2025)