§ 8108-0. Purpose.

This Article establishes requirements for the amount, location, and design of off-street motor vehicle and bicycle parking and loading areas. As part of a balanced transportation system, these requirements are intended to promote public safety and environmental quality. Specifically, these requirements are intended to:

Mobility

· Balance the motor vehicle parking needs of development, including the range of land uses that might locate at a site over time, with the needs of pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, and the need to preserve community character.

· Ensure that sufficient loading and unloading areas are provided for freight as well as for passengers and users of public transportation services.

· Ensure that the design of motor vehicle and bicycle parking areas facilitates safe, convenient, and comfortable movement for the driver, pedestrian, and bicyclist.

· Allow for transportation options and movement efficiency.

Flexibility

· Provide decision-making flexibility in addressing the parking needs of individual projects.

· Accommodate multiple uses of parking areas.

· Accommodate changing transportation technology and trends, as well as innovative uses of parking infrastructure.

Resource Conservation

· Encourage reduced driving and the use of alternative modes of transportation—thereby reducing traffic congestion, air pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions.

· Avoid installation of excess motor vehicle parking spaces.

· Minimize the use of impervious surfaces.

· Reduce the adverse environmental effects of motor vehicle parking areas, including increased and contaminated stormwater runoff, the urban heat island effect, and resource consumption.

Human-Scaled Urban Form

· Reduce the adverse effects of motor vehicle parking areas on neighborhood design, including the consumption of land for a low-value use; non-compact, sprawling development; and creation of an urban form that discourages walking.

· Ensure that the design of motor vehicle and bicycle parking areas is attractive, efficient, and reduces the visual dominance of pavement.

· Create pleasant neighborhoods designed at a human-scale for human needs (e.g., walking) vs. developments designed primarily around the needs of automobiles.

(Ord. No. 4407, § 1, 10-20-2009)