HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-06-30-168_Zoning Regulations, Parking and Loading1
CHAPTER 168
ZONING REGULATIONS
PARKING AND LOADING
168.01 Purpose and Scope 168.07 Parking for Persons with Disabilities
168.02 Jurisdiction 168.08 Dimensional Requirements
168.03 Applicability 168.09 Landscaping, Screening and Open Space
168.04 Off-Street Loading Spaces Required Requirements
168.05 Lighting Requirements 168.10 Off-Street Parking Spaces Required
168.06 Off-Street Parking Regulations
168.01 PURPOSE AND SCOPE. The purpose of this chapter is to protect the health,
safety, and general welfare of the citizens to be accomplished so as to:
1.Prevent traffic congestion and hazards.
2.Provide for proper traffic safety by preserving the public thoroughfares for the
unimpaired movement of pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicular traffic.
3.Provide for attractive, secure, properly lighted, and well screened off-street
parking and loading facilities.
4.Assure the mobility and access of emergency vehicles.
5.Provide for appropriately designed parking and loading facilities in proportion
to the needs generated by the varying types of land use in order to maintain the
character of the City environment.
6.Minimize the negative visual impacts of large expanses of parking and
loading areas by reducing glare from parking lots through open space and landscaping
in and around parking areas.
168.02 JURISDICTION. The lawful use of parking and loading facilities existing on
January 8, 2007, may be continued although such facilities may not conform to the regulations
herein. Parking and loading facilities permitted before the adoption of the regulations herein
shall be referred to as “permitted nonconforming uses.” No permit shall be issued for any lot,
tenant, or development after the effective date of this chapter unless the same is in conformity
with, the provisions of this chapter. No parking or loading facility, except where specified
herein, may be substantially improved, converted, enlarged or otherwise altered without
conforming to this chapter.
168.03 APPLICABILITY. In any and all districts in connection with every industrial,
commercial, business, recreational, or dwelling use, and all other uses, space for off-street
parking and storage of any vehicle shall be provided in accordance with all of the following
regulations except where otherwise specified herein.
168.04 OFF-STREET LOADING SPACES REQUIRED.
1.Loading Areas With Dock. Loading areas that have a dock shall have a
minimum width of 12 feet and a minimum length of 40 feet.
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2.Loading Areas Without Dock. Loading areas that do not have a dock shall
have a minimum width of 10 feet and a minimum length of 25 feet.
3.Location of Loading Areas. Loading areas shall generally be located behind a
building not fronting a public street right-of-way. Loading areas should be set back
from an adjoining R District a distance of at least 25 feet or not less than the minimum
required landscape buffer from the R District boundary and an opaque screen or buffer
should be installed and maintained.
4.Use of Street or Alley Restricted. No portion of a public street or alley should
be allowed to accommodate loading area functions unless otherwise designated by the
City.
168.05 LIGHTING REQUIREMENTS. Lighting requirements for off-street parking and
loading areas shall comply with the standards as established in Chapters 160 through 163 (Site
Plan Requirements) of this Code of Ordinances.
168.06 OFF-STREET PARKING REGULATIONS. All of the following standards shall
apply to all off-street parking:
1.Parking Spaces Required. No structure or use shall be permitted or
constructed unless off-street parking spaces are provided in accordance with the
provisions of this chapter.
2.Arrangement and Marking. All parking areas shall be so arranged and
marked so as to provide for orderly and safe loading or unloading, parking, and
storage of vehicles.
3.Use of Spaces Restricted. Required parking spaces shall be used only for the
parking of vehicles for property owners, guests, renters, patrons or employees of the
site. Required parking spaces shall not be used for the commercial sale, display,
rental or repair of other vehicles.
4.Surfaced Areas; Private Property. All parking of vehicles, including
automobiles, vans, campers, trucks, trailers, tractors, recreational vehicles, boats,
construction equipment and any other mobile vehicle equipped for street and highway
travel shall occur on permanent impervious surface (concrete or asphalt) areas and on
private property only.
5.Fractional Spaces. Fractional space requirements shall be rounded up to the
next whole space.
6.Uses with Differing Business Hours. The number of required parking spaces
for uses with differing business hours that share a parking lot may be reduced by 25
percent of the total required for each use if it is determined by the administrative
official that such reduction will not have a negative impact on the congestion or safety
of the development.
7.Reduction In Parking Capacity Prohibited. Any required parking spaces
displaced by building expansion shall be provided elsewhere on the site. No required
off-street parking facility shall be reduced in capacity below the minimum
requirements of this chapter.
8.Change In Building or Use; Increased Capacity. When a principal building is
enlarged, increased in capacity, or when a change in use creates an increase in the
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amount of off-street parking space required, additional off-street parking spaces shall
be required in conformity with this chapter.
9.Striping of Spaces. All parking spaces, except parking spaces for single-
family attached and detached dwellings, shall be striped in accordance with approved
site plan. The striping is to remain maintained in a clear and visible manner.
10.Maneuvering and Circulation Area. Off-street parking facilities, including
(but not limited to) parking lots, loading zones, and residential driveways shall
accommodate the maneuvering and circulation of all vehicles on site, so as not to
impair the movement of vehicles on public streets. Except for attached and detached
single-family dwellings and townhomes, there shall be no backing of any vehicle from
an off-street parking space into a public street or alley unless otherwise approved by
the City Council.
11.Security and Lighting;. All parking facilities shall be designed, constructed
and maintained with security as a priority to protect the safety of the users. In all
cases, lighting may be regarded as an acceptable form of fulfilling the security
requirement.
12.Sanitation. All parking facilities shall be maintained free of litter and debris,
potholes, broken curbs, etc.
13.Auto Repair and Car Washes. For auto repair, car wash, oil change shops or
other similar uses, lift racks shall not be considered as a required parking space.
14.Flexible Space. Buildings developed as “flexible space” shall be designed to
accommodate eight spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross building area. “Flexible
space” is defined as those buildings that are constructed to include multiple tenants,
generally including retail users and restaurant users. In the case that a big box retailer
is a tenant within a “flexible space” building, the minimum parking requirements shall
be provided in accordance with the parking requirements of each use. “Big box
retailer” is defined as a single tenant user with a minimum square footage of 50,000
square feet in gross floor area.
15.Queuing Space. For purposes of the requirements herein, a “queuing space”
is defined as a space used for the accommodation of vehicular traffic in wait, having a
dimension of 12 feet in width and 20 feet in length.
16.C-2 District Exempt. The C-2 Downtown Village District is exempt from the
provisions of this chapter.
168.07 PARKING FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES. With respect to persons
with disabilities parking, all of the following apply:
1.The owner, contractor, and developer shall comply with all federal, State and
local laws regarding parking for persons with disabilities, including (but not limited
to) Chapter 321L of the Code of Iowa and the Americans With Disabilities Act.
2.Parking spaces for persons with disabilities required by federal, State and
local laws shall count toward the requirements of this chapter.
168.08 DIMENSIONAL REQUIREMENTS.
1.Driveways. With respect to driveways, all of the following shall apply:
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A.An access driveway shall not be less than 10 feet in width in the case
of an attached or detached single-family dwelling.
B.With the exception of attached or detached single-family dwellings,
the minimum width of a one-way driveway shall be 16 feet. The minimum
width of a two-way driveway shall be 24 feet.
C.Commercial uses that require the need for a drive-through lane, the
minimum drive-through lane width shall be 12 feet. In cases where the drive-
through lane runs adjacent with a drive-by lane, the minimum width shall be
24 feet.
2.Parking Spaces and Aisles. With respect to parking spaces and aisles, all of
the following shall apply:
A.A parking space reserved for the parking of vehicles, and aisles
servicing their respective parking spaces, shall have a minimum dimension
based on the following table:
Angle of Parking Space
(Degree)
Stall Width
(Minimum)
Aisle Width
(Minimum)
0 9 feet 14 feet
45 12 feet 15 feet
50 12 feet 15 feet
55 12 feet 17 feet
60 10 feet 17 feet
65 10 feet 17 feet
70 9 feet 19 feet
75 9 feet 19 feet
90 9 feet 24 feet
B.The minimum length of all parking spaces shall be 19 feet.
C.Any proposed parking space of an angle other than specified in this
chapter shall have a sufficient width and length of no less than nine feet by 19
feet.
D.Any parking space parallel to a wall or other solid barrier shall be
widened by an additional two feet.
E.All parking spaces abutting a sidewalk shall have a minimum
sidewalk width of six feet. When the front of a parking space abuts open
space within the perimeter of the parking lot, the minimum width of the open
space shall be five feet.
F.When the front of a parking space abuts spaces as defined in
paragraph E of this subsection, the stall length may be decreased a maximum
of two feet.
3.Parking Lot Setbacks. In case of any parking area within any C or M District:
A.A minimum setback of 10 feet from the public street right-of-way or
public intersection shall be required.
B.A minimum setback of five feet from the side yard and rear yard
setback shall be required.
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C.In case of an R District adjoined to a C or M District:
(1) The parking area in an adjoining C or M District to an R
District shall be set back at least 25 feet from the R District boundary
line and shall be effectively screened and planted accordingly.
(2) Parking may be established in any R District that immediately
adjoins a C or M District, provided such parking shall be accessory to
and for the use of one or more business or industrial establishments
located in the adjoining C or M District; provided, however, such
transitional use shall not extend more than 100 feet from the boundary
of the less restricted zone.
(3) All entrances and exits specified in subsection 2 of this
section shall be from the adjoined C or M District or an adjoining
alley of both districts involved.
168.09 LANDSCAPING, SCREENING AND OPEN SPACE REQUIREMENTS.
1.Site Plan Requirements. All parking areas shall meet the open space and
landscaping requirements, including screening and buffers, as specified in Chapter
160 through 163 (Site Plan Requirements) of this Code of Ordinances.
168.10 OFF-STREET PARKING SPACES REQUIRED. In case of any building,
structure, or premises, the use of which is not specifically mentioned herein, the provisions for
a use that is mentioned and for any use determined to be similar shall apply, as determined by
the administrative official. All of the requirements listed are the minimum that must be met:
Type Of Structure Minimum Number of Spaces
Animal boarding/kennel 3 spaces per 1,000 square feet
Assisted living center 1 space per 2 dwelling units; 1 space per staff during
the shift with the largest number of employees
Automotive repair station 3 spaces per service bay; 1 space per service vehicle;
2.5 spaces per 1,000 square feet of non-service area
Automotive sales 1 space per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area plus 1
per 5,000 square feet of developed area
Bank 3 spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area;
3 queuing spaces per drive-through station
Barber/beauty shop 1 space per chair or beautician station;
1 space per staff member
Type Of Structure Minimum Number of Spaces
Bowling center 3 spaces per lane; 5 spaces per 1,000 square feet of floor area
for associated eating and drinking places
Cafe, coffee shop, delicatessen 10 spaces per 1,000 square feet, plus 3 queuing spaces per
drive-through lane
Car wash, drive-through oil change 2 spaces per 1,000 square feet
Queuing capacity equal to 2 per service capacity
Car wash - self-service 1 space per wash bay plus 2 queuing spaces per bay
Childcare center 1 space per 6 children, 5 space minimum; 1 space per van or
bus; 1 queue space per 6 children
Commercial entertainment (batting cages, ice
skating, mini golf, etc.)
1 space per 1,000 square feet of outdoor area and building
combined
Consumer Fireworks Sales 10 spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area
Convenience store/gas station 5 spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area
Dance or assembly hall, theater, event center,
auditorium or gymnasium
1 space per 3 fixed seats or 20 spaces per 1,000 square feet if
no fixed seats
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Display Fireworks Sales 1 space per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area, or 1
space per 2 employees, whichever is greater
Drinking establishment, lounge 15 spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area
Driving ranges 2 spaces per tee area
Elementary and junior high schools 1 space per employee;;1 space per class room;
1 space per 4 seats in gymnasiums and auditoriums
Furniture, carpet, appliance – retail 2.5 spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area
Funeral homes/mortuary
1 space per 4 fixed seats in assembly area
In case of no fixed seats, 10 spaces per 1,000 square feet of
assembly area
Fitness center/health club 4 spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area
Golf course 6 spaces per hole
Grocery store 4 spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area
High schools
1 space per employee;1 space per 5 students based on the
maximum capacity of school; 1 space per 4 seats in
gymnasiums and auditoriums
Hotel/motel
1 space per guest room
5 spaces per 1,000 square feet associated with eating and
drinking areas
Independent living facility 1.25 spaces per dwelling unit
1 visitor space per 5 dwelling units
Industrial, manufacturing facility 1.5 spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area
Medical office/clinic 3 spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area
Multi-family dwelling 1 space per bedroom
1 visitor space per 5 dwelling units
Professional/business office 3 spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area
Religious organization
1 space per 4 fixed seats
In cases where an auditorium is not involved, 10 spaces per
1,000 square feet of gathering space
Restaurant (full service, fast food) 15 spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area
5 queuing spaces per drive-through lane
Retail, general commercial 4 spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area
Secondary, college, university, or vocational
school
1 space per classroom; 1 space per 4 seats at capacity;
Auditoriums and gymnasiums, 1 space per 4 seats
Self-storage, mini warehouse
1 space per 20,000 square feet of gross floor area
1 space per 50,000 square feet of vehicle or boat storage spaces
Office spaces equal to specified requirement
Single-family dwelling 2 spaces per dwelling unit
Townhome 2 spaces per dwelling unit; 1 visitor space per 5 dwelling
units in case of private streets
Warehouse 1 space per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area or 1 space
per 2 employees, whichever is greater
(repeal Chapter 301, replace in entirety) July 15, 2019 – Ordinance 2932