HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinance 502.10 Off Street ParkingORDINANCE 502 – ZONING ORDINANCE
502.10-1
Section 502.10: OFF STREET PARKING
Subd. 1: Purpose and Intent. The off-street parking regulations of this Section are
intended to provide accessible, attractive, secure and well-maintained off-street parking and
loading areas with the appropriate number of spaces in proportion to the needs of the proposed
use, increase public safety by reducing congestion of public streets, The intent of this section of
the zoning ordinance is to establish general standards for off-street parking. The regulations
provided herein shall apply equally to all districts except where special provisions provide
otherwise.
Subd. 2: Scope of Parking and Loading Requirements.
a) In all zoning districts, off-street parking facilities for the storage of motor vehicles
for the use of occupants, employees and patrons of the buildings or structures
hereafter erected, altered or extended after the effective date of this Ordinance
shall be provided and maintained as herein prescribed.
Subd. 3: General Parking Provisions.
a) Loading space shall not be construed as supplying off-street parking space.
Minimum parking dimensions shall meet the requirements of this Ordinance.
b) When units or measurements used in determining the number of required parking
spaces result in requirement of a fractional space, that fractional space shall be
rounded up to the next highest whole number.
c) Whenever a use requiring off-street parking is increased in floor area, and such
use is located in a building existing on or before the effective date of this
Ordinance, additional parking space for the additional floor area shall be provided
and maintained in amounts hereafter specified for that use.
d) For the purpose of this section, "Floor Area," in the case of offices, merchandising
or service types of uses, shall mean the gross floor area used or intended to be
used for services to the public as customers, patrons, clients or patients as tenants,
including areas occupied for fixtures and equipment used for display or sale of
merchandise, less ten (10) percent.
e) Off-street parking facilities for dwelling shall be provided and located on the
same lot or parcel of land as the building they are intended to serve.
g) Where a use is not specifically mentioned, off-street parking requirements shall be
the same as for similar use.
ORDINANCE 502 – ZONING ORDINANCE
502.10-2
h) In the B1, B2 and B3 zoning districts on land which contains existing buildings,
nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent collective provisions of off-
street parking facilities for two (2) or more buildings or uses provided,
collectively, such facilities shall not be less than the sum of the requirements for
the various individual uses computed separately in accordance with this
Ordinance.
i) To accommodate redevelopment and/or expansion of existing structures or uses
within the B-1 and B-2 zoning districts, the City Council may allow alternative
parking arrangements such as a parking stall lease agreement or the presence of
public parking. Alternately, the Applicant may provide a parking study
completed by a qualified professional demonstrating the proposed use is
adequately served by existing parking.
j) Nothing in this section shall prevent the extension of, or an addition to, a
building or structure into an existing parking area which is required for the
original building or structure when the same amount of space taken by the
extension or addition is provided by an enlargement of the existing parking area.
k) No curb cut access shall be located less than twenty (20) feet from the intersection
of two (2) or more street right-of-ways for residential uses, and thirty (30) feet for
commercial and industrial areas. This distance shall be measured from the
intersection of lot lines.
l) Curb cut openings, driveways, parking lots and parking pads shall be a minimum
of six (6) feet from the side property line, except that on corner lots shall have a
side yard setback of fifteen (15’) feet from the property line on the intersecting
street and in compliance with Subd. 3 k.
m) All properties shall be entitled to at least one (1) curb cut. All driveways are
required to have a curb cut and concrete apron. A permit and inspection is
required for installation of all driveway aprons. Single-family uses shall be
limited to one (1) curb cut access per property measuring no more than 24 feet in
width, along with three foot concrete aprons on each side for a total of 30 feet,
except that single-family corner lots may be allowed a second curb cut on the side
yard of the intersecting street of a neighborhood collector or local residential
street. Such curb cut access shall be prohibited on community collector and
arterials streets.
n) All off-street parking and loading spaces, together with driveways, aisles and
other circulation areas, shall be a hard surface constructed of concrete,
bituminous, or paver stone.
o) All parking and loading areas shall provide for proper drainage of surface water to
prevent the drainage of such water onto adjacent properties and walkways.
p) Parking or the storage of any vehicles is not allowed on grassy or landscaped
ORDINANCE 502 – ZONING ORDINANCE
502.10-3
areas except as specified in this Ordinance for recreational vehicles and trailers.
q) The outside parking of unlicensed and/or inoperable vehicles and trailers shall be
prohibited.
r) Weight Restriction: Off-street parking in residential districts shall be used only
for parking vehicles of under fourteen (14,000) pounds gross weight.
s) Ten percent (10%) of the impervious, interior parking area, excluding
maneuvering areas shall be landscaped islands, rain gardens or other green spaces
for parking lots with over fifty (50) parking spaces in addition to perimeter
landscaping.
t) Maintenance: The owner of any parking or loading area shall maintain the area in
good condition without holes and free of all dust, trash and other debris.
Subd. 4: Required Off-Street Parking. The amount of required off-street parking space
for new uses or buildings, additions thereto and additions to existing buildings as specified
previously, shall be determined in accordance with the following, and the space so required and
shall be irrevocably reserved for such use, except these requirements shall not apply to uses in
existing buildings within the Central Business District of St. Joseph. The amount of required
off-street parking in the Central Business District for existing or new uses and improvements to
existing buildings which do not increase the area used for commercial or residential/rental use
shall be determined by the Planning Commission with approval by the City Council prior to the
issuance of a building permit. The amount of parking space required shall be based on the
anticipated demand for parking and loading space, the length of visits generated by the particular
business, and the availability of other parking spaces in the Central Business District. The
Central Business District shall be located within the boundaries of the official zoning map of the
City of St. Joseph.
a) Single family, two family, and townhome non-rental residential units. Two (2)
spaces per unit.
b) Boarding house, rooming house, bed and breakfast, and rental residential
dwellings. One and one-half (1 1/2) spaces for each single- bedroom dwelling,
two and one-half (2 1/2) spaces for each two-bedroom dwelling, four (4) spaces
for each three-bedroom dwelling, and an additional 1.25 spaces for each
additional bedroom within the dwelling.
c) Multi-Family Dwellings (R-3). Two spaces per living unit.
d) Motels, hotels. One (1) space per each rental unit and one (l) space for each
employee on any shift.
e) Church, theater, auditorium, community center or similar places of assembly. At
least one (1) parking space for each four (4) seats based on the design capacity of
the main assembly hall.
ORDINANCE 502 – ZONING ORDINANCE
502.10-4
f) Hospitals. Two (2) spaces per each bed.
g) Medical, chiropractic, dental clinics. Six (6) spaces per doctor/dentist.
h) Nursing Home. Long Term Care Facilities, Assisted Living Centers, Rest Homes
and Retirement Homes. One (l) space for each six (6) beds and one (l) for each
employee on the largest shift.
i) Elderly (senior citizen) housing. One (1) space per unit.
j) Fast Food restaurant and convenience food. At least one (l) parking space for
each fifty (50) square feet of gross floor area, plus one (1) space per employee,
plus six (6) off-street stacking spaces per drive-through lane.
k) Office buildings and professional offices, other than medical, chiropractic, or
dental clinics. One (1) space for each two hundred fifty (250) square feet of floor
area.
l) Bowling alley. At least five (5) parking spaces for each lane.
m) Automotive Service Station. At least three (3) parking spaces for each service
stall, plus one (1) space per each attendant of the largest shift.
n) Restaurants and cafes. At least one (1) space for each four (4) seats plus one (1)
space per two (2) employees.
o) Private clubs serving food and/or drinks, bars, taverns, nightclubs. At least one
(1) space for each one hundred (100) square feet of gross floor area, plus one (1)
space per employee on the largest shift.
p) Funeral home and Mortuary establishments. At least twenty (20) parking spaces
for each chapel or parlor, plus one (1) parking space for each funeral vehicle
maintained on the premises.
q) Manufacturing, fabricating or processing of a product or material. Three (3)
spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area, plus one (1) space per 300 square
feet of floor area of office.
r) Car wash. (In addition to required stacking space.)
1. Automatic drive through, serviced. Ten (10) spaces per bay for stacking
purposes plus one (l) space for each employee on the maximum shift.
2. Self-service. Three (3) spaces per bay for stacking purposes, plus a
minimum of two (2) additional spaces.
ORDINANCE 502 – ZONING ORDINANCE
502.10-5
s) Convenience/Gas Store. One (1) space per 250 square feet of net floor area.
t) Retail Business. One (1) space per two hundred and fifty feet (250) of net floor
area.
u) Shopping Center. Five (5) spaces per 1,000 square feet of net floor area.
v) Day Care/Nursery School. One per six (6) children plus one space per employee
on largest shift.
w) Warehousing, Wholesale & Distribution. One (1) space per 1,000 square feet of
gross floor area, plus one (1) space per 300 square feet of gross floor area of
office.
x) Mixed Uses. In the cases of mixed uses, the parking facilities required shall be the
sum of the requirements for the various individual uses, computed separately in
accordance with this Section. Parking facilities for one use shall not be considered
as providing the required parking facilities for any other use except that the
governing body may consider the joint use of a parking area (other than
residential) where it is known that because of a time element, the parking facilities
will not be needed by more than one of the uses thereof at one time.
y) Other Structures or Uses. For any and all uses or structures not specifically
provided for in the foregoing, such parking spaces as the governing body shall
determine to be necessary, considering all the parking generating factors involved.
z) Parking Study. The City Council may approve a “proof-of-parking” plan which
allows for a portion of the required parking, and demonstrates that the minimum
number of required parking spaces can be accommodated on the property and
meet setback requirements. The plan must demonstrate that all other applicable
ordinances can be met if the full amount of required parking were to be
constructed. The area for future parking must be maintained as green space
(sodded with grass or natural plant materials). Any changes to use and/or
building size could invalidate the approval for “Demonstrated Parking”.
Demonstrated parking may reserve the right to require installation of the
additional parking spaces.
Subd. 5: Parking Lot Standards. In all districts off-street parking lots are subject to the
following regulations:
a) Adequate ingress and egress shall be provided.
b) Such parking lots shall be constructed and maintained in a useable condition, with
a hard surface consisting of concrete, bituminous, pavement or paver stone
designed to drain and dispose of surface water.
c) Whenever such parking lot boundary adjoins property zoned for residential use, a
ORDINANCE 502 – ZONING ORDINANCE
502.10-6
setback of fifteen (15) feet from said lot line shall be required, and maintained.
d) Necessary curbs or other protection against damages to adjoining properties,
streets and sidewalks shall be provided and maintained. Concrete curbs to
MnDOT Design B612 specifications shall be used for all automobile stops
and for all drive and parking areas. Following a review by city staff, curbing
requirements may be waived if any of the following conditions are met:
1. The City Engineer has determined sheet drainage over ground would improve
storm water quality.
2. Where an adjacent future development phase excluding future parking would
be built that would result in the removal of the curbing.
3. The parking lot will be porous pavement, along with the installation and
maintenance of rain gardens or infiltration features.
4. The City Engineer finds that area can be reasonably services by an alternative
storm water structures/facilities and infiltration.
5. The development application illustrates that:
a. Reasonable visual separation from adjoining properties, streets, and
sidewalks is provided and maintained through the employment of
alternate treatments such as landscaping or striping; or,
b. The site is subject to a unified design/development that contains joint
parking or public parking facilities.
6. The city may place conditions on properties allowed a waiver. Conditions can
include but are not limited to: landscaping, buffering, stormwater control.
e) No sign shall be so located as to restrict the sight, orderly operation and traffic
movement within any parking area. Only signs necessary for the orderly
operation of traffic movement or parking regulation shall be permitted in any
parking area (e.g. visitor parking, deliveries, handicap parking). Such signs shall
not be considered part of the permitted advertising space and shall be subject to
signage regulations.
f) All parking lots shall be screened and landscaped from abutting residential uses or
districts by a wall, fence or densely-planted compact hedge or tree cover not less
than four (4) feet.
g) Except in the case of single-family, two-family, and townhouse developments,
parking areas shall be designed so that circulation between parking aisles or
driveways occurs within the designated parking lot and does not depend upon a
public street or alley and such design does not require backing onto the public
street.
h) A parking space shall be at least nine feet wide by twenty feet long (9’x 20’). In
areas where the parking space may accommodate for the overhang of the front or
rear bumper, such as the perimeter of the parking lot, the parking space may be a
minimum of nine feet by 18 feet (9’x 18’).
i) Parking Lot. Parking lot dimensions are set forth in the table below. Circulation
ORDINANCE 502 – ZONING ORDINANCE
502.10-7
patterns shall allow adequate room for emergency vehicles.
Angle and Standard Depth Depth to Aisle Wall/wall Interlock
traffic flow stall width to wall interlock width module Module
90 deg 2-way 9' 17.5' 17.5' 26' 61' 61.0
60 deg 2-way 9' 18.0' 16.5' 26' 62' 59.0
75 deg 1-way 9' 18.5' 17.5' 22' 59' 57.0
60 deg 1-way 9' 18.0' 16.5' 18' 54' 51.0
j) Drainage and Surfacing. Driveways shall not exceed a grade of six (6) percent
and all parking lots except those for less than four (4) vehicles shall be graded
according to a drainage plan which has been approved by the City Engineer.
Catch basins, sumps and underground storm sewers may be required.
k) Striping. All lots for five (5) or more vehicles shall have the organization of
spaces painted on the surface according to the plan approved by the City.
l) Circulation. Lots shall be so designed that internal circulation shall be available
without utilizing the public street.
m) Maintenance. It shall be the responsibility of the lessee and/or owner of the
principal use, uses or building to maintain in a neat and adequate manner, the
parking area, striping, landscaping and screening.
n) Lighting. All lighting used to illuminate an off-street parking area shall be shaded
or diffused so as to reflect the light away from the adjoining property and away
from abutting traffic flow.
Subd. 6: Parking in the E/E Educational and Ecclesiastical District.
a) Parking intended to be used by students, guests, employees, the public, residents,
and visitors within the E/E District shall be illustrated on a Master Parking Plan
which is consistent with this Ordinance.
b) The number of parking stalls required may be reduced from the requirements of
this Ordinance provided a parking study by a qualified individual finds proposed
parking in adequate.
c) Areas suitable to accommodate emergency vehicles and accepted by the Fire
Marshal shall be required for each structure.
Subd. 7: Parking pads for Residential Units in All Zoning Districts.
a) Parking pads shall be easily accessible from an improved driveway. The driveway
approach to the additional off street parking pad and the parking pad shall be
concrete, asphalt, stone, or pavers. Gravel is not permitted for parking pads.
ORDINANCE 502 – ZONING ORDINANCE
502.10-8
b) Parking pads shall not encroach onto drainage and utility easements.
c) In no circumstances shall the site coverage exceed the maximum impervious
surface allowed for each specific zoning district.
d) No person shall construct a parking pad without first making application for and
securing a parking pad permit from the City and said permit shall expire (180)
days after the day of issuance. All fees paid under a lapsed permit shall be
forfeited to the City.
Subd. 8: Recreational Vehicles and Trailers.
a) Up to two licensed and operable recreational vehicles or trailers may be parked
outside on a lot in a residential district as an accessory use provided the following
conditions are met:
1. The recreational vehicle or trailer is parked on the driveway or parking
pad, except that up to one recreational vehicle or trailer may be parked on
the grass or ground surface in the rear yard provided it is at least ten (10)
feet from the rear and side (interior) property lines and twenty (20) feet
from the side (corner) property line. A boat, snowmobiles, ATV’s, jet skis,
and similar vehicles on a trailer shall be considered one recreational
vehicle.
2. The recreation vehicle or trailer must be parked a minimum of ten (10)
feet from the back of the curb or roadway.
3. The recreational vehicles or trailer is not permanently affixed to the
ground in a manner that would prevent its removal.
4. The recreational vehicle or trailer is not partially dismantled or used for
sale or parts.
5. The recreational vehicle or trailer is registered to the property owner or
occupant on which the recreational vehicle or trailer is stored.
6. The trailer is a noncommercial utility trailer.
7. Recreational vehicles and trailers shall not be utilized for storage of goods,
materials or equipment other than those items considered to be part of the
unit or essential for its immediate use.
8. Recreational vehicles and trailers shall not be used as a living quarter
while stored/parked on a residential property.
Subd. 9: Off-Street Loading. On the same premises with every building devoted to retail
trade, retail and wholesale food markets, warehouses, supply houses, wholesale or manufacturing
ORDINANCE 502 – ZONING ORDINANCE
502.10-9
trades, laundry, dry-cleaning establishments or other buildings which do not rely primarily on
railroad transfer and where large amounts of goods are received or shipped, erected in any
district after the effective date of this Ordinance, loading and unloading space shall be provided
as follows:
a) B-2 and B-3 Business Districts: In B-2 and B-3 business districts two (2) off-
street loading and unloading spaces may be provided for each store unit having a
gross area of ten thousand (10,000) square feet. One additional space shall be
provided for each additional fifteen thousand (15,000) square feet of floor space.
b) Industrial Districts: In industrial districts, the use of any building requiring
loading or unloading of materials to and from trucks may require two (2) off-
street loading spaces for the first ten thousand (10,000) square feet of floor space
for each additional fifteen thousand (15,000) square feet of floor space.
c) Distance from Residential Uses and Districts: No required off-street loading space
shall be less than one hundred feet (100’) from any residential use or district
boundary line.
d) Screening: All loading areas shall be screened with screening walls and
landscaped from abutting and surrounding residential uses and districts. The
screening walls must be constructed of permanent material and finish and in a
color compatible with the principle structure.
Amended 12/2019
Amended 2021