8-3-10: PARKING AND LOADING:

   A.   Purpose: This Section provides regulations and standards for off-street parking and loading facilities with the intent to provide off-street parking areas, minimize traffic hazards and congestion, improve connectivity and accessibility for all individuals and non-motorized users, and mitigate impacts on surrounding properties.

   B.   Applicability: The following standards apply to any new construction, alteration, or moving of a structure or any new or more intense use of property. The number of off-street parking spaces are provided for all allowed uses in any district. The number of required spaces may be reduced or increased in any application involving discretionary approval.

   C.   Process:

      1.   Site Plan: An off-street parking and loading plan are a required master site plan component.

         a.   The off-street parking and loading plan contains the location, size, and type of all proposed off-street parking and loading facilities. A table shall be provided indicating any applicable standards and the calculations used to determine the required number of spaces.

         b.   If the proposed development project shall be completed in phases, the site plan shall note these phases. Documentation on the proposed uses and the number of off-street parking and loading facilities associated with each phase shall also be provided.

      2.   Residential And Accessory Uses: For residential and accessory uses that do not require master site plan approval, these regulations shall be reviewed at the time of building permit application or accessory use approval.

      3.   Installation And Construction: Off-street parking and loading shall be installed and constructed in accordance with the approved off-street parking and loading plan.

   D.   General Regulations:

      1.   Use Of Required Parking Spaces:

         a.   Required parking spaces are used for vehicle and bicycle parking only.

         b.   Parking areas for residential use may be used for the parking of one commercial vehicle per property if it is operated by the occupant and used to commute from home to work at an off-site location or used as part of an approved home occupation.

      2.   Joint Use Parking: Joint use of off-street parking spaces are allowed when the principal operating hours of the structures or uses are not in conflict with one another.

         a.   The required off-street parking shall be located within three hundred feet (300') from the primary entrance of the structure to the nearest entrance of the parking area, as measured along the sidewalk or pedestrian walkway.

         b.   All parties involved with the joint use parking area shall submit a written agreement to the Director, signed by the applicable parties involved. The agreement shall specify the following:

            (1)   Party or parties responsible for construction;

            (2)   Party or parties responsible for maintenance;

            (3)   Regulations for amendments to the agreement that include notice to the Director; and

            (4)   Regulations for termination of the agreement that include notice to the Director.

         c.   If the Director finds that the agreement complies with these regulations, the agreement shall be recorded with the Ada County Recorder prior to issuance of any permits.

         d.   The joint use parking agreement may be terminated by the parties only if off-street parking is provided in conformance with this Section and approved by the Director prior to the termination.

      3.   Continuous Service Drives: Continuous service drives shall meet the following standards:

         a.   Service drives are only allowed for multi-family developments, or developments that are within the commercial and industrial base districts.

         b.   The minimum width of the continuous service drive shall be twenty feet (20') and shall be paved with asphaltic concrete as approved by the County Engineer. The parking areas and drive aisles shall comply with Section 8-3-10E of this Section. Where the continuous service drive also doubles as the drive aisle, the minimum width of the continuous service drive shall be twenty-five feet (25').

         c.   The continuous service drive shall connect to a minimum of one public road. The point(s) of connection shall be approved by the Ada County Highway District or Idaho Transportation Department based on the classification of the public road. Continuous service drives shall be designed to discourage cut-through traffic.

         d.   Written approval shall be provided from the appropriate fire district.

   E.   Design Standards:

      1.   Design Of Parking Areas:

         a.   Design And Construction: All parking areas shall be designed and constructed to provide the type and number of off-street parking spaces required by subsection 8-3-10F of this Section and designed as required by this Section.

         b.   Location: All parking spaces required by this Section shall be located on the same property as the use for which parking is required, except as provided for in joint use parking in subsection 8-3-10D2 of this Chapter. For the purposes of this standard, all properties within a single master site plan or planned unit development shall be considered the same property.

         c.   Accessible Spaces: Accessible parking spaces shall provide reasonable accommodations to principal permitted structures and shall be located along the shortest route of travel from adjacent parking to an accessible entrance.

         d.   Additional Design Standards For Uses Requiring Master Site Plan Approval:

            (1)   Off-street parking spaces shall not be located in any landscape area required by subsections 8-3-7F and 8-3-7G of this Chapter.

            (2)   Parking stalls and driving aisles shall be designed in accord with the standards in Table 8-3-10-1 of this Section.

            (3)   All parking areas shall provide on-site turnarounds for all off street parking spaces and loading facilities.

            (4)   The design of off-street parking areas shall not require moving any car to gain access to a required parking space. (No tandem parking.)

            (5)   Sidewalks located within the off-street parking areas, outside of public rights of way, shall be a minimum width of five feet (5').

            (6)   All sidewalks must contain adequate ADA ramps with truncated domes that are perpendicular to the service drives or drive aisle per Public Right-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG) guidance.

 

      2.   Improvements:

         a.   Except as otherwise provided in this Section, all off street parking areas shall be improved with a compacted gravel base, not less than four inches (4") thick, surfaced with asphaltic concrete or some comparable all weather dustless material as approved by the County Engineer. This standard shall not apply to agricultural produce stands, roadside produce stands, rural residences, temporary uses, or temporary construction offices.

         b.   Except as otherwise provided in this Section, all off street parking areas shall be provided with a substantial wheel restraint to prevent cars from encroaching upon abutting private and public property or overhanging beyond the designated parking stall dimensions. This standard shall not apply to agricultural produce stands, roadside produce stands, rural residences, temporary uses, or temporary construction offices.

         c.   When a bumper overhangs onto a sidewalk or landscape area, the parking stall dimensions may be reduced two feet (2') in length if two feet (2') are added to the width of the sidewalk or landscaped area planted in ground cover. In no case shall the width of the sidewalk not be ADA compliant.

         d.   Parking spaces and access lanes shall be marked including accessible symbols and signs.

         e.   All lighting provided to illuminate a parking area shall comply with the lighting standards provided in Section 8-3-8 of this Chapter.

      3.   Bicycle Parking Facilities: Bicycle parking facilities, where required by this section, shall meet the following location and design standards:

         a.   Bicycle parking facilities shall be located as close as possible to the building entrance(s).

         b.   Bicycle parking spaces shall be a minimum of six-feet (6') long and two and a half feet (2.5') wide and have an overhead clearance of seven-feet (7') if covered. A four-foot (4') wide aisle is required between rows of bicycle parking spaces or nearby walls. Stationary racks shall be located on improved non-permeable surfaces and anchored to the ground.

         c.   Bicycle parking facilities shall not obstruct pedestrian walkways, public sidewalks, or building entrances.

         d.   Bicycle parking facilities shall not conflict with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

         e.   Bicycle parking facilities shall support the bicycle and allow the owner to lock the frame and front wheel with one lock.

   F.   Required Number Of Off-Street Parking Spaces:

      1.   Generally:

         a.   The required number of off-street automobile and bicycle parking spaces, where required by this section, shall meet the requirements established in Table 8-3-10-2 (Parking Ratios) of this Section.

         b.   Where the standards require a fractional space, the next larger whole number shall be the number of spaces required.

         c.   When more than one standard is provided, the standard that results in the greatest number of required parking spaces shall apply.

         d.   For uses listed in Table 8-2-23-2 (Use Table) but not listed in Table 8-3-10-2 (Parking Ratios), parking ratios shall be determined by the Director.

      2.   Minimum Parking: The minimum parking spaces required on the site are established in Table 8-3-10-2 (Parking Ratios) below.

      3.   Bicycle Parking: Bicycle parking facilities are required for uses within an area of impact. Bicycle parking facilities shall meet the following location and design standards except in the industrial base districts.

         a.   One bicycle parking space shall be provided for every ten (10) proposed parking spaces.

         b.   Residential uses, except for multi-family, are exempt from providing bicycle spaces.

      4.   Mixed Uses: For mixed uses, the total requirement of off-street automobile and bicycle parking spaces shall be the sum of the requirements of the individual uses, except as provided in joint use of parking in subsection D2 of this Chapter.

      5.   Accessible Parking: The number and design of accessible automobile parking spaces shall comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

      6.   Reserved Parking Spaces: Reserved off street automobile parking spaces shall be noted on the site plan and each reserved space shall count as one required space.

      7.   Change Of Use:

         a.   Upon any change of use, the number of automobile and bicycle parking spaces to be provided shall be calculated according to the requirement of this Section for the new use.

         b.   For the purposes of this Section, a change of use shall include, but not be limited to, an expansion, alteration, or change in occupancy resulting in a more intense use of a site, such as additional dwelling units, gross floor area, seating capacity, or other unit of measurement specified as a standard in subsection F, Table 8-3-10-2 (Parking Ratios) of this Chapter.

      8.   Maintenance: The minimum number of required automobile and bicycle parking spaces shall be provided and continuously maintained.

      9.   Elimination, Reduction, Or Conversion: No parking area or space provided, as required by this Section, shall later be eliminated, reduced, or converted in any manner unless other equivalent facilities approved by the Director are provided.

   G.   General Off-Street Loading: Any commercial or industrial use with a gross floor area of five thousand (5,000) square feet or more requires off-street loading. These uses shall provide and maintain at least one off-street loading space. One additional off-street loading space shall be required for each subsequent twenty thousand (20,000) square feet of gross floor area (e.g., 25,000 square feet, 45,000 square feet, etc.).

   H.   Loading Space Dimensions: Each loading space shall meet the following minimum dimensions:

      1.   A ten-foot (10') width;

      2.   A thirty-foot (30') length; and

      3.   A fourteen foot (14') vertical clearance.

   I.   Backing And Maneuverability:

      1.   Parking and loading area design shall not result in vehicles backing out into the street.

      2.   Parking and loading area design shall accommodate vehicular maneuverability on site.

   J.   Loading Location:

      1.   No off-street loading space shall be located within fifty feet (50') of an abutting rural, transitional, or residential district, as outlined in Table 8-2-3-1, unless wholly enclosed within a structure.

      2.   No off-street loading space shall face an abutting residential district.

   K.   Loading Hours Of Operation: Any off-street loading space located within fifty feet (50') of a residential district shall not operate between the hours of ten o'clock (10:00) P.M. and seven o'clock (7:00) A.M.

(Ord. 1002, 10-28-2025)