§ 6.3. Off-Street Parking and Loading

6.3.1

Off-Street Parking.

A.

Every new use, or an enlargement, expansion or alteration of an existing use, shall require off-street parking in compliance with this Section, unless specifically exempt from such provisions or portions thereof. To the extent any special requirements (for example in the DO-A or DO-B Overlay Districts) or conditions for conditional uses contain off-street parking requirements, then they shall control over these general requirements; provided, however, where the requirements do not directly conflict, then these general requirements shall supplement.

B.

Any unlisted use shall be referred to the Board of Adjustment for a determination as to the class of use in which such unlisted use may be placed and the off-street parking requirements for such use.

C.

Off-street parking spaces shall be increased when a change of use of either a structure or of land requires additional parking spaces in compliance with this Section. Parking spaces may be decreased when a change of use of either a structure or of land requires less spaces than provided for the replaced use.

D.

Enlargement of a structure or increase in the amount of land used may be made for existing uses deficient in off-street parking, provided that the enlargement of increase does not represent a requirement in excess of three (3) off-street parking spaces. In the event such increase represents a requirement in excess of three (3) off-street parking spaces, such increase shall require complete compliance of the provisions of this Section for the entire use.

E.

No loading area shall be part of the required off-street parking area.

F.

Off-street parking shall be located as follows:

1.

Parking as required herein shall be located on the same lot as the principal use except when specifically permitted to be located elsewhere.

2.

Cooperative provisions for off-street parking may be made by contract between owners of adjacent property and such contract filed with the Administrator. The parking area provided on any one lot may be reduced to not less than half the parking spaces required for the use occupying such lot. Such cooperative parking shall not be less than the sum of the parking spaces for the uses computed separately.

3.

No parking area shall be located over a sand filter or nitrification field.

4.

In residential areas, the temporary parking or storage of motor vehicles, trailers, or recreational vehicles shall be prohibited in the area between the street property line or the equivalent thereof and the building setback line, except that the temporary parking of automobiles is permitted in such area upon a driveway or parking areas constructed of a dust free surface. Trailers and other types of recreational vehicles shall be parked or stored behind the residence in the rear yard or in the side yard behind the established front building line except on side streets.

5.

Parking areas may be extended into the required rear and side yards, except when such side yard is adjacent to a street and except into such areas required by Article 6, Section 6.4.2 (Screening and Landscaping).

G.

Design standards for parking areas are as follows:

1.

A parking space shall be not less than nine (9) feet in width nor less than eighteen (18) feet in length. In lots of more than 20 spaces, compact stalls shall be permitted on the basis of one compact stall to each additional five (5) standards stalls. Each compact stall shall be seven (7) feet wide and seventeen (17) feet long and clearly marked "small cars only". All parking stalls shall be clearly marked and such markings shall be maintained so as to be easily seen.

2.

Parking areas shall be designed in accordance with accepted standard practice for parking at various angles, with aisles being of such widths as to permit the entering and leaving of a parking space with ease and safety.

3.

Access to all required parking areas shall be by roads adequate in width to accommodate two-way traffic, except for residential uses containing not more than six (6) dwelling units and for parking areas designed and clearly marked for one-way traffic. Except by way of approved driveways, access from or egress to a public road from a parking area shall be expressly prohibited. Adequate provisions shall be made to insure compliance by the use of fences, walls, wheel stops, landscaping or a combination of those devices.

4.

No motor vehicle shall be required to be moved for the purpose of permitting another vehicle either to obtain ingress to, or egress from, any required off-street parking space, unless an attendant is on duty at all times to provide this service.

5.

Upon entering an off-street parking area, such maneuvering as is necessary to gain access to a parking space shall be within the confines of the parking facility property only.

6.

Wheel stops, curbs or other devices shall be provided in such locations as to prevent any vehicle from encroaching either on a public right-of-way or on adjacent property.

7.

Parking areas shall be so designed as to retain existing trees and other plant life. Where no trees or other plant life exists, adequate landscaping shall be provided, both within the parking area and on the external boundaries of such area.

8.

Screening shall be provided as required in Section 6.4.2 of this Ordinance.

9.

Signs shall be permitted in compliance with Article 6, Section 6.5, of this Ordinance.

10.

Lighting shall be permitted in compliance with Section 6.9.8 of this Ordinance.

11.

In the interior of all parking areas with more than sixteen (16) parking spaces, large maturing canopy trees shall be planted in a manner that provides shade for the entire parking area at maturity. Trees shall be a minimum of eight (8) feet in height and two and one-half (2½) inches in caliper at time of planting. To this end, no parking space shall be less than sixty (60) feet from the base of a canopy tree. The use of differing species around the parking area is encouraged to promote diversity in the overall tree canopy. The use of existing vegetation to satisfy the requirement is encouraged. (See also Subsection 6.4.2(I).)

H.

Permits for driveway locations on State-maintained roads shall be obtained from the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

I.

Pavement on all parking areas and approach driveways shall be constructed with a one-inch I-2 or sand asphalt surface course, over a four-inch compacted aggregate base course (CABC), except that when sidewalks exist or are required, such sidewalk area that is part of the driveway, and a section on either side of the driveway, shall be constructed of six (6) inches of concrete.

J.

Storm drainage facilities shall be required and shall be so designed as to protect any public right-of-way or adjacent property from damage.

K.

The requirements for off-street parking spaces shall be computed as follows:

1.

When units of measurement determining the number of required parking spaces result in a fractional space, any fraction of one-half (½) or more shall require one parking space.

2.

Lots containing more than one principal use shall provide parking in the amount equal to the total of the requirements for each use.

L.

The following table is to be used as a guide for calculating the appropriate number of off-street parking spaces. Case-by-case flexibility is necessary to minimize over or under parking. Uses that are not listed in the following table shall provide parking spaces per the provision in the Planning Advisory Service (PAS), Report 510/511, Parking Standard, published by the American Planning Association ("PAS Parking Guidance"), which is adopted by reference herewith, as may be amended from time to time. In addition, the Administrator may, within his or her discretion, rely on the PAS Parking Guidance in lieu of the guidance set forth in the following table.

USE CATEGORIES	AUTO PARKING MINIMUM	AUTO PARKING MAXIMUM	BICYCLE PARKING MINIMUM
Institutional/Civic (i.e., churches, school, government)	N/A*	N/A*	As required by Planning Director
Warehouse and Industrial	.25 spaces per 1,000 sq. ft.	2 spaces per 1,000 sq. ft.	N/A
Office	3 spaces per 1,000 sq. ft.	5 spaces per 1,000 sq. ft.	10% max auto parking
Retail and Retail Services	3.5 spaces per 1,000 sq. ft.	5 spaces per 1,000 sq. ft.	10% max auto parking
Restaurant	1 space per 4 seats	150% of minimum	10% max auto parking
Multifamily	1 space per dwelling unit	2 spaces per dwelling units	N/A

 

*

Calculating parking for institutional/civic uses will be a collaborative process that will depend on factors specific to the individual development proposal.

6.3.2

Off-Street Loading.

A.

Every new use or an enlargement, expansion or alteration of an existing use, shall require off-street loading in compliance with this Section, unless specifically exempt from such provisions or portions thereof. To the extent any special requirements (for example in the DO-A or DO-B Overlay Districts) or conditions for conditional uses contain off-street parking requirements, then they shall control over these general requirements; provided however, where the requirements do not directly conflict, then these general requirements shall supplement.

B.

Off-street loading spaces shall be increased when a change of use of either a structure or of land requires additional loading spaces in compliance with this Section. Loading spaces may be decreased when a change of use of either a structure or of land requires less spaces than provided for the replaced use.

C.

No parking area shall be part of the required off-street loading area.

D.

Off-street loading shall be located as follows:

1.

Loading areas as required herein shall be located on the same lot as the principal use except when specifically permitted to be located elsewhere.

2.

Cooperative provisions for off-street loading may be made by contract between owners of adjacent property and such contract filed with the Planning Board of Mint Hill. Such cooperative loading shall not be less than the sum of the loading spaces required by each use.

3.

No loading area shall be located over a sand filter or nitrification field.

4.

Loading areas may be extended into the required rear and side yards, except when such side yard is adjacent to a street and except into such areas required by Section 6.4.2 (Screening and Landscaping).

E.

Design standards for loading areas are as follows:

1.

Access to all required loading areas shall be by roads adequate in width to accommodate two-way traffic, except for loading areas designed and clearly marked for one-way traffic.

2.

Upon entering an off-street loading area, such maneuvering as is necessary to gain access to a loading space shall be within the confines of the loading facility property only.

3.

Wheel stops, curbs or other devices shall be provided in such locations as to prevent any vehicle from encroaching either on a public right-of-way or on adjacent property.

4.

Screening shall be provided as required in Section 6.4.2 of this Ordinance.

5.

Signs shall be permitted in compliance with Article 6, Subsection 6.5.5(B), of this Ordinance.

6.

Lighting shall be permitted in compliance with Section 6.9.8 of this Ordinance.

F.

Permits for driveway locations on Sate-maintained roads shall be obtained from the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

G.

Pavement on all loading areas and approach driveways shall be constructed with two (2) inches of I-2, or sand asphalt surface course, over an eight-inch compacted aggregate base course (C.A.B.C.) or equal.

H.

Storm drainage facilities shall be required and shall be so designed as to protect any public right-of-way or adjacent property from damage.

I.

An off-street loading area in compliance with the requirements of this Section shall be provided for uses in any use category, if truck deliveries are made to, or shipments are made from, such use. Such loading shall be adequate to accommodate the maximum number and size of vehicle simultaneously being loaded or unloaded.

(Ord. No. 598, 4-14-2011)