Zoning Code - Article 6

Section 6-1 Purpose

The purpose of this Article is to alleviate or prevent congestion of the public streets, and to promote the safety and welfare of the public by establishing minimum requirements for the off-street parking and loading or unloading of motor vehicles in accordance with the use of the property.

Section 6-2 Existing Parking/Loading Facilities

Any establishment that does not provide the minimum number of parking and/or loading spaces required by this Article shall not be allowed to further reduce the amount of parking and/or loading space. No existing parking or loading area which complies with this Article shall be decreased so as to become a non-conforming area.

When the existing use of a structure is damaged or destroyed by means other than the usual deterioration, the structure may be repaired or rebuilt. Parking/loading facilities equivalent to any maintained at the time of such damage or destruction shall be restored, but additional parking/loading facilities need not be provided.

Whenever the use of any structure or premises is substantially altered, spaces shall be provided to satisfy the requirements of this Article.

Section 6-3 Submission of Plot Plan

Any application for a building permit or request a certificate of zoning compliance shall include a plot plan, fully dimensioned, showing any parking or loading facilities provided. The Administrator shall review the submitted plans and determine if the provided spaces are sufficient to meet the requirements of this Article. Only those applicants that provide sufficient spaces shall receive the requested permit or certificate.

Section 6-4 Use of Parking Facilities

Off-street parking facilities accessory to residential use and developed in any residential district in accordance with the requirements of this Article shall be used solely for the parking of passenger vehicles owned by occupants of the dwelling structures to which such facilities are accessory, or by guests of such occupants. Under no circumstances shall required parking facilities accessory to residential structures be used for the storage of commercial vehicles or for the parking of vehicles belonging to the employees, owners, tenants, visitors, or customers of business or manufacturing establishments.

Parking facilities are not to be utilized for performing substantial vehicle repairs or maintenance unless within an enclosed structure.

Section 6-5 Parking Area Design Standards

All areas providing off-street parking shall conform to the standards indicated in the Subsections which follow. These standards apply to all zoning districts, unless otherwise noted.

6-5.1 Spaces

Each required parking space shall be at least nine feet wide and nineteen feet long, and shall have at least seven feet of vertical clearance. Every space shall be situated so that no part of any parked vehicle overhangs the public right-of-way. All parking space markings shall be laid out and restored as often as necessary to clearly delineate each parking space. Handicapped parking spaces shall be as required under the more stringent of the Federal and State laws. Markings for parking spaces are not required in the R-1, R-2, and MR-3 districts.

6-5.2 Interior Aisles

Aisles within parking lots shall be sufficiently wide to permit safe and efficient vehicular movement in the aisles, and into and out of parking spaces. Aisles designed for two-way traffic shall be at least twenty-five feet wide. One-way aisles designed for ninety degree parking shall be at least twenty-five feet wide. One-way aisles designed for sixty degree parking shall be at least eighteen feet wide, and for forty five degree parking shall be at least fourteen feet wide. These standards do not apply to parking areas in the R-1 and R-2 districts.

6-5.3 Access Ways

Access ways shall be constructed and designed to comply with the following guidelines:

A) Parking areas shall be designed so that ingress to or egress from a parking space is from an aisle or driveway, not directly from the public right-of-way;

B) No access way to any parking area shall be located within thirty feet of any street intersection. At intersections where traffic control devices are installed, the Administrator may increase this requirement as necessary to prevent hazards;

C) Parking area access ways (including residential driveways) shall intersect at right angles to the primary public street serving that property;

D) Access ways to parking lots located in any non-residential district shall be at least twenty-four feet wide unless two one-way drives, each twelve feet wide, are provided;

E) Prior to making any curb cuts, a permit must be obtained from the Administrator and approved by the Director of Public Services. A permit is required whenever a person shall construct, build, establish, or maintain any driveway over, across, or upon any portion of the public sidewalk or public right-of-way. All curbs and driveways shall be constructed to the specifications outlined in the City Code. (Ord. 97-14)

6-5.4 Surfacing

All off-street parking areas shall be improved with a compacted stone base at least eight inches thick, surfaced with at least three inches of asphaltic concrete. Off-street parking areas may be constructed with a four inch compacted base of stone, surfaced with six inches of concrete, minimum five bag mix or approved comparable material. This requirement does not apply to parking areas which are accessory to a single residential dwelling unit in the R-1 or R-2 districts. (Ord. 97-14)

6-5.5 Lighting

Any lighting used to illuminate off-street parking areas shall be directed in such a way as not to create a nuisance and hazard.

6-5.6 Landscaping

In order to reduce heat and glare, to minimize blowing of dust and trash, and to reduce the oppressive visual effects of large open parking areas, landscaping shall be provided and maintained within every parking lot that contains twenty or more parking spaces. Parking lots of this size shall landscape a minimum of five percent of the total parking lot area. A landscaping plan (either a separate document or an element of a more inclusive development plan) shall be submitted to the Administrator. The landscaping plans shall be submitted with the rest of the development plans or prior to the issuance of a building permit, occupancy permit, or certification of zoning compliance.

Any landscaping plan that is submitted shall include the following information:

A) Proposed type, amount, size, and spacing of plantings, including trees, shrubbery, and ground cover;

B) Proposed size, construction materials, drainage, and scheduled maintenance of landscaped islands or planting beds;

C) Sketch indicating proposed spatial relationships of landscaped areas, parking spaces, vehicular circulation, and pedestrian movement. The plans shall also provide information regarding the existing and proposed landscaping for the remainder of the lot.

Section 6-6 Design and Location Of Off-Street Loading Facilities

All off-street loading facilities located in this municipality shall conform to the minimum standards set in the following Subsections.

6-6.1 Size of Space

Every required off-street loading shall be at least twelve feet wide and forty-five feet long exclusive of aisle and maneuver space, and shall have vertical clearance of at least fourteen feet. In no case shall a vehicle being loaded or unloaded overhang into the public right-of-way.

6-6.2 Access Way

Every off-street loading space shall have a safe means of vehicular access to a street or alley. Such access way shall be at least twelve feet wide.

6-6.3 Surfacing

Every off-street loading area shall be improved with a compacted stone base at least eight inches thick, surfaced with at least three inches of asphaltic concrete, or a compacted stone base of four inches thick, surfaced with six inches of reinforced concrete, five bag mix minimum.

6-6.4 Buffer Strips

No loading space or area for vehicles over two ton cargo capacity shall be developed closer than fifty feet to the lot line of any lot located in a residential district unless such space/area is completely enclosed by walls, a solid fence, or closely planted shrubbery at least eight feet in height and of sufficient density to block the view from the residential property.

6-6.5 Location

Every off-street loading space that is required or provided shall be located on the same parcel of land as the use served, and not closer than fifty feet to the intersection of the rights-of-way of two or more streets, and not on required front yards.

Section 6-7 Computation of Required Parking and Loading Spaces

In computing the number of parking spaces required, the following guidelines shall be used:

A) When computing parking space requirements based on the number of employees, the maximum number of employees on the premises at any one period of the day shall be used. "Employee parking" shall mean one parking space required per one and one-half employees, unless otherwise stated;

B) In computing parking or loading space requirements on the basis of building floor area, the gross floor area shall be used;

C) Whenever it is necessary to translate gross parking lot area into number of parking spaces, three-hundred fifty square feet of gross area shall be deemed one parking space;

D) If computation of the number of parking or loading spaces required results in a fractional space, any fraction of one-half or more shall be counted as one space;

E) No space or portion thereof needed to satisfy the minimum applicable requirements for number of off-street parking or loading spaces shall be counted as part of the off-street parking or loading spaces required for another structure or use. This restriction does not apply to a structure or use that is accessory to the principal structure or use and does not require more parking spaces than is required by the principal structure or use. (Ord. 97-14)

Section 6-8 Number of Parking and loading Spaces Required

Off-street parking and loading spaces shall be provided as indicated in the following table. Handicapped parking shall be provided as required by local, state, and federal regulations. For any use that is not listed in the table, the same amount of parking and loading space shall be provided as is required for the most similar use listed. The Administrator shall make the determination of similarity, and may adjust the requirements to mitigate any special or unique circumstances. Uses that have affiliated uses in addition to the primary use shall provide parking & loading spaces for all uses as required below.

Use	Parking Spaces Required	Loading Space Required

Dwellings, Lodgings

Hotels, Motels, Boarding Houses, Lodges	1 space/lodging unit plus employee parking spaces.	1 space if the use has 20,000 sq. ft. or more of floor area

Manufactured Homes	2 spaces/manufactured home	None

Residential Dwellings	2 spaces/dwelling unit	None

Educational, Institutional, & Recreational

Churches, Auditoriums	1 space/4 seats in the largest seating area	None

Hospitals	1 space/2 beds plus employee parking	1 space/50,000 sq. ft. of floor space up to three spaces

Libraries, Museums	1 space/500 sq. ft. of floor area	To be determined by the Administrator

Municipal or privately owned Recreation building/Community center	1 space/2 employees plus adequate spaces as determined by the Administrator	None

Nursing Homes, Convalescence Homes	1 space/5 beds plus employee parking	1 space/50,000 sq. ft. of floor space up to three spaces

Schools:

Elementary & Junior High	1 space for every 20 students the building is to accommodate, plus employee parking	To be determined by the Administrator

Senior High	1 space for every 4 students over 16 years of age the building is to accommodate, plus employee parking	To be determined by the Administrator

Colleges, Business, Professional & Trade Schools	1 space for every 3 students the building is to accommodate, plus employee parking	To be determined by the Administrator

Commercial, Office, & Service

All commercial & service uses, unless specifically indicated	1 space/300 sq. ft. of floor area, excluding storage and mechanical areas	1 space for the first 10,000 sq. ft. of floor area, plus an additional space for each additional 50,000 sq. ft. of floor area over 10,000 sq. ft.

Banks, Savings & Loans

Walk-in Only	1 space/300 sq. ft. of floor area, plus employee parking	If under 30,000 sq. ft. floor area, no space, if 30,000 - 100,000 sq. ft., 1 space, an additional space required for each additional 100,000 sq. ft.

Walk-in with Drive-up or Automatic Teller	1 space/300 sq. ft. of floor area, plus employee parking, plus 5 stacking spaces/drive-up window	f under 30,000 sq. ft. floor area, no space, if 30,000 - 100,000 sq. ft., 1 space, an additional space required for each additional 100,000 sq. ft.
Drive-up Only	5 stacking spaces/drive-up window	I

Beauty & Barber Shops	2 spaces/chair plus employee parking	None

Bowling Alley	4 spaces/bowling lane	None

Car Wash	2 stacking spaces/wash lane	None

Furniture & Appliance Store	1 space/600 sq. ft. of floor area	2 spaces for the first 25,000 sq. ft. of floor area, 1 additional space for each additional 25,000 sq. ft. floor area

Home Occupation	1 space/300 sq. ft. of floor area devoted to the home occupation, plus dwelling requirements	None

Laundromats	1 space/3 washers, plus 1 space/employee	None

Offices - Excluding Medical/Dental offices	1 space/300 sq. ft. of floor area	If under 30,000 sq. ft. floor area, no space, if 30,000 - 100,000 sq. ft., 1 space, an additional space required for each additional 100,000

Offices - Medical/Dental	1 space/300 sq. ft. of floor area or 3 spaces/professional - whichever is greater	None

Mortuaries	1 space/5 seats but not less than twenty spaces/chapel or state room	1 space/10,000 sq. ft. or more of floor area.

Restaurants

Catering, Fast-Food, Full-Service	1 space/4 seats or 1 space/50 sq. ft. of seating area - whichever is greater	1 space/structure having 10,000 sq. ft. or more of floor area

With a Drive-Thru Window	5 stacking spaces/service window	As stated above

Drive-in	1 space/25 sq. ft. of floor area	1 space/structure having 10,000 sq. ft. or more of floor area

Service Stations	2 spaces/service stall, plus employee parking	None

Taverns/Lounge	1 space/4 seats or 1 space/50 sq. ft. of serving area - whichever is greater	1 space/structure having 10,000 sq. ft. or more of floor area

Indoor Theaters	1 space/4 seats	None

Vehicle Sales: Auto, Boat, Trailers, etc.	1 space/300 sq. ft. of enclosed floor area, plus 1 space/10,000 sq. ft. of open lot area	As determined by the Administrator

Industrial

Any Manufacturing, Warehousing, or other Industrial Use	Employee parking, plus 1 visitor space/25 employees on the major shift	For less than 20,000 sq. ft. of floor area, 1 space. For 20,001 - 50,000 sq. ft. floor space, 2 area. For 50,001 - 90,000 sq. ft. floor area, 3 spaces plus 1 additional space/50,000 sq. ft. of floor area in excess of 90,000 sq. ft.

The City of Wood River, Illinois
111 North Wood River Avenue
Wood River, Illinois 62095
(618) 251-3100

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