§ 50-384. Off-street traffic flow.

(a)

Access. Each off-street parking space shall be directly accessible from an aisle, driveway or alley and each space shall be accessible without driving over or through any other off-street parking space. Off-street parking spaces shall be so arranged that no automobile shall be required to back into a street in order to utilize a parking space, except for one- and two-family dwellings in residential zoning districts.

(b)

Design of driveways. Driveway widths must meet minimum standards, which will vary as a function of parking angle and whether traffic flow is one- way or two-way. Schedule 75-2 established the minimum design criteria for off-street traffic aisles.

(c)

Landscaping.

(1)

Sidewalks. All sidewalks shall be separated from driveways by a landscaped strip at least 18 inches wide.

(2)

Interior. Where individual parking spaces abut at the narrow end, they will either be separated by a landscaped area or an internal island shall be provided.

(3)

Perimeter.

a.

Islands. For parking spaces that are not abutting perimeter landscaped areas, there shall be a minimum of one landscaped island per five spaces with no more than ten spaces in a row without an island separating them. An island shall measure not less than six feet in width and may extend the required length of a parking space. At least one tree shall be planted in every island. The remainder of the island shall be landscaped, and the landscaping material may include grass, ground cover, mulch, shrubs, trees or other landscaping treatment excluding sand pavement. Where two islands in abutting rows of parking spaces are contiguous with one another along their width, the islands shall be combined and may be counted as two islands, provided a minimum of two trees are planted in the combined islands. Islands shall be placed within the interior of an off-street vehicular use area as indicated in subsection (c)(3)b of this section.

b.

Perimeter buffer adjacent to road right-of-way. On any parcel of land providing an off-street vehicular use area, where such area is not entirely screened from an abutting right-of-way by an intervening building or other structure, a landscaped buffer a minimum of eight feet in width shall be provided between the off-street vehicular use area and the right-of-way, except at points of access.

c.

Perimeter buffer adjacent to parking area driveway. A driveway into a parking area shall be bordered by a landscaped buffer a minimum of eight feet in width.

d.

Other perimeter buffer.

1.

Where a parking area abuts a property boundary which does not front on road right-of-way, a landscaped buffer a minimum of six feet in width shall be provided between the parking area and the property boundary except at points of access.

2.

Where a parking area is adjacent to another use on the property (e.g., building, stormwater retention, detention basin or open space), a landscaped buffer a minimum of six feet in width shall be provided between the parking area and the other use. As an alternative to providing this perimeter buffer adjacent to a building, landscaped islands may be provided according to subsection (c)(2) of this section.

3.

Where the off-street vehicular use area is designed for purposes other than parking, such as truck delivery, loading, service station, vehicle sales lot, drive-in banking, vehicular storage or access drive, the minimum width of the landscaped perimeter buffer shall be three feet.

4.

A perimeter buffer is optional along the phase boundary of phased construction where the off-street vehicular use area does not front on road right-of-way.

e.

Terminal islands. A row of parking spaces abutting a perimeter landscaped buffer shall be terminated at an access point by a landscaped island. The island shall measure not less than six feet in width and may extend the required length of the parking space. At least one tree shall be planted in the island. The remainder of the island may be landscaped with grass, ground cover, mulch, shrubs, trees or other landscaping treatment excluding sand or pavement.

f.

Perimeter landscaping.

1.

Where the perimeter buffer minimum width requirement is six or eight feet, at least one tree for each 40 linear feet (or part thereof) of required buffer shall be planted in the buffer, with trees located to maximize shading of the off-street vehicular use area.

2.

Where an off-street vehicular use area abuts a property boundary, screening shall be provided along the length of the perimeter buffer. Screening shall be optional within phased construction projects or multi-building projects where the off-street vehicular use area does not front on road right-of-way. Screening shall also be optional along an access drive adjacent to the property boundary where the access drive is not contiguous with other off-street vehicular use areas or with buildings. Appropriate screening may include existing vegetation, berms in combination with plant material, masonry walls, wood fences, evergreen hedges or any combination thereof; and shall within two years of installation, reach a minimum of three feet in height and be 75 percent opaque.

3.

The remainder of a perimeter buffer shall be landscaped and the landscaping material may include grass, ground cover, mulch, shrubs, trees or other landscaping treatment excluding sand or pavement.

(d)

Materials.

(1)

All driveways shall be paved with concrete or asphalt.

(2)

All parking spaces shall be paved with paving blocks, concrete or asphalt.

VEHICULAR PARKING, PEDESTRIAN AND OFF-STREET TRAFFIC FLOW

SCHEDULE 75-2
DRIVEWAY WIDTH/ACCESS AISLES

Parking Angle (Degrees)	Stall Depth (Feet)	One-Way (Feet)	Two-Way (Feet)+
0	10	12	22
20	15	12	22
30	17.5	12	22
40	19*	12	22
45	20*	13	22
50	20.5*	14	22
60	21*	18	22
70	21*	19	22
80	20.5*	24	24
90	19*	24	24

 

* Where approved wheel stops are provided at the end of a stall, the paved area of the stall may be reduced two feet. The area two feet beyond the wheel stop shall be left clear from a point six inches above the grade of the back of the stall, for vehicle overhang. Vehicles shall not be allowed to overhang property lines.

+ Driveways with one side loaded with parking and the opposite side free of any vertical obstruction for a distance of no less than four feet shall be 20 feet wide.

(1991 LDR ch. 75, art. 3; Ord. No. 2007-07, § 4, 11-20-2007)