City Code

Section 850.08 - Parking and Circulation.


850.08 Parking and Circulation.

Subd. 1    Minimum Number of Spaces Required.

A.      Single Dwelling Units, Double Dwelling Units and Residential Townhouses. Two fully enclosed spaces per dwelling unit.

B.      Apartment Buildings in the PRD District.

1. 1.25 fully enclosed spaces and 0.75 exposed spaces per dwelling unit.

2. The required number of exposed spaces may be reduced to not less than 0.5 spaces per dwelling unit if the number of enclosed spaces is increased by a like amount so that the total number of exposed and enclosed spaces equals not less than two per dwelling unit.

C.      Senior Citizen Dwelling Unit Buildings in the PSR-4 and PSR-5 Subdistricts.

1. 0.5 exposed spaces and 0.25 enclosed spaces per senior citizen dwelling unit.

2. In addition to subparagraph 1, the following spaces are required:

a.   one completely enclosed and one exposed space for each non-senior citizen dwelling unit located in a building in the Planned Senior Residence District;

b. one completely enclosed space per vehicle owned by the building's management and stored on the property; and

c.   one exposed space for each employee who is not a resident of the building.

D.      Nursing, Convalescent and Rest Homes. One space for every four patients or residents based on the maximum capacity of the building, plus one space per employee on the major shift, plus one space per vehicle owned by the building's management.

E. Day Care, Nurseries and Preschools (Principal Use). One space per teacher or employee, plus one space per 20 individuals (or major fraction) receiving care.

F. Public or Private Senior High Schools and Seminaries. One space per classroom plus one space per ten students, or spaces equal in number to one-third the maximum seating capacity of the largest place of assembly, whichever is greater.

G.      Public or Private Elementary or Junior High Schools. Two spaces per classroom, or spaces equal in number to one-third the maximum seating capacity of the largest place of assembly, whichever is greater.

H.      Community Centers. Spaces equal in number to one-third the maximum seating capacity of the largest place of assembly, or one space for each 200 square feet of gross floor area, whichever is greater.

I.    Churches and Other Religious Institutions. Spaces equal in number to one-third the maximum seating capacity of the largest place of assembly, plus spaces for other church facilities which are used concurrently with the largest place of assembly, the number of which shall be determined by the Council in connection with the granting of a conditional use permit.

J.   Theaters (Except Within Shopping Centers), Stadiums, Auditoriums, Arenas, Lodge Halls, Mortuaries and Club Houses. Spaces equal in number to one-third the maximum seating capacity, plus one space for each employee on the major shift.

K.     Governmental Administration, Public Service, Post Office. The greater of:

1. One space per employee on the major shift, plus one space per government-owned vehicle, plus ten visitor spaces; or

2. One space for each 200 square feet of gross floor area.

L.     Libraries, Art Galleries. Ten spaces, plus one space for each 300 square feet of gross floor area.

M.   Medical or Dental Offices, Clinics and Animal Hospitals. One space for each 200 square feet of gross floor area, plus one space per physician, dentist or veterinarian.

N.   Hospitals. One space per bed, plus one space per employee or volunteer on the major shift.

O.   Athletic, Health, and Weight Reduction Facilities.

1.     Six spaces per court for handball, racquetball and tennis courts.

2.     One space per 200 square feet of gross floor area for all other uses.

P. Restaurants (Except Within Shopping Centers). Spaces equal in number to one-third the maximum seating capacity, plus one space for each employee on the major shift.

Q.     Car Washes. One space per employee on the major shift, plus five spaces for each wash lane, plus stacking spaces in accordance with Subd. 14 of Subsection 850.07.

R.      Accessory Car Washes. Two parking spaces, plus stacking spaces in accordance with Subd. 14 of Subsection 850.07.

S. Gas Stations. One space per employee on the major shift, plus one space for each 100 square feet of accessory retail uses in excess of 500 square feet exclusive of restrooms, storage areas and mechanical equipment.

T. Automobile Service Centers. Three parking spaces per service bay, plus one space per employee on the major shift, plus one space for each 100 square feet of accessory retail uses in excess of 500 square feet exclusive of restrooms, storage areas and mechanical equipment.

U.      Bowling Alleys. Five spaces per lane.

V.      Offices, Medical and Dental Laboratories, Business or Professional Offices, Financial Institutions, Employment Agencies and Travel Bureaus.

W.    Mixed Development District.

1. Residential: one enclosed space, plus 0.75 exposed space, per dwelling unit.

2. Non-Residential (excluding publicly owned facilities and uses accessory to residential uses):

X.      Multi-Tenant Industrial Buildings. One space for each 400 square feet of gross floor area, or the sum of the component gross floor areas as follows, whichever is greater:

1. One space for each 200 square feet of office space.

2. One space for each 2,000 square feet of warehouse space.

3. One space for each 300 square feet of manufacturing, processing, packaging, treatment and assembly space.

4. One space for each 500 square feet of space containing machines and equipment for conducting scientific research, testing or experimentation.

5. One space for each 200 square feet of facilities for athletic, health and weight reduction purposes; six spaces per court for handball, racquetball or tennis.

Y.      Automobile and Boat Sales - New or Used. One space per 250 square feet of gross floor area, including show rooms, sales space and offices, but excluding service areas, plus three spaces for each service bay. Required parking spaces shall not be used for the storage or display of vehicles, boats or other products.

Z. Furniture and Major Appliance Sales.

1. Over 2,500 square feet of gross floor area: one space per 400 square feet of gross floor area.

2. Under 2,500 square feet of gross floor area: one space per 200 square feet of gross floor area.

AA. Hotels and Motels. One space per guest unit, plus one space for each employee on the major shift.

BB. Uses Allowed in the Planned Commercial Districts Except Uses For Which a Parking Quantity is Otherwise Specified.

1. Shopping Centers. One space per 200 square feet of gross floor area (including theaters and restaurants), plus one additional space for each ten seats in a restaurant, theater or other place of assembly. Atrium areas and mall areas not used for retail sales purposes shall be excluded from gross floor area calculations.

2. Other Retail. Eight spaces for the first 1,000 square feet, plus six spaces for each 1,000 square feet of gross floor area in excess of the original 1,000, but not exceeding 15,000 square feet, plus five spaces for each 1,000 square feet in excess of 15,000 square feet.

3.  Multi-Residential Uses. One fully enclosed parking space for each dwelling unit, except that dwelling units with a floor area in excess of 1,500 square feet must provide 1.50 fully enclosed parking spaces per dwelling unit. Such parking spaces must be designed for the exclusive use of residents of the dwelling units and their guests. The Council may require the provision of exposed parking spaces in addition to the required enclosed spaces as a condition to the issuance of a conditional use permit.

For the purpose of determining parking requirements in places of assembly where persons occupy benches, pews and similar seating facilities, each 22 inches of the seating facilities shall be counted as one seat.

Subd. 2    Use of Public Parking to Meet Off-Street Parking Requirements.

A.      Any principal use on property located within a redevelopment project approved by the Council pursuant to M.S. 462, or M.S. 469.001 to 469.047 which principal use was in existence on the date the project was approved, and which project provides for public parking to serve the project area, may be reconstructed, or a new principal use constructed, on the same property without providing off-street parking additional to that provided for public parking. Provided, that the reconstructed or new principal use does not contain more gross floor area than the prior principal use, and is for uses which do not increase the number of required off-street parking spaces beyond those required for the uses in the prior principal use. 

B.      If any increase in the size, or changes in the uses, of such an existing principal use is made beyond the size or for other than the uses above allowed, then additional off-street parking spaces shall be provided, pursuant to this Section, but only for the additional spaces resulting from the increase in size or changes in uses.

Subd. 3    Location.

A.      Non-Residential Principal Uses. The required number of off-street parking spaces shall be located on the same lot as the principal use or on an adjacent lot under the control of the owner of the principal use. For purposes hereof, "control" may be derived from ownership, or by a lease or easement continuing for a period of not less than 25 years. The required parking spaces shall not be separated from the principal use building by a street. Seventy-five percent of all required spaces shall be located within 500 feet of the entrances to the principal use building and 100 percent shall be within 1,000 feet.

B.      Residential Principal Uses. The required number of off-street parking spaces shall be located on the same lot as is occupied by the principal use. The required parking spaces shall not be separated from the principal use building by a street.

Subd. 4    Setbacks (Not Applicable to Single Dwelling Unit Buildings and Double Dwelling Unit Buildings). No exposed parking spaces, required stacking spaces or drive aisles (except that portion of the driveway crossing the public right of way to give access to the street) shall be located within twenty feet of a public street right-of-way or within ten feet of an interior side lot line or a rear lot line. Interior side yard and rear yard setbacks shall be measured from the boundary of the tract. No parking space or drive aisle shall be located within ten feet of any principal use building.

Parking ramps shall comply with the requirements of Paragraph G of Subd 5 of this Subsection 850.08.

Subd. 5    Design and Construction.

B.      Compact Parking Spaces. Within the Planned Office District, Regional Medical District and Planned Industrial District only, not more than 20 percent of all required parking spaces may be compact spaces. In all other districts, no compact spaces shall be counted as required parking. Compact spaces shall be clearly identified by signs mounted on sign posts in order that they are visible at all times. Signs which are painted on the pavement shall not be permitted for this purpose. Compact parking spaces shall be located in one contiguous area to the greatest possible extent and, where possible, limited to proposed employee parking areas. It is the purpose and intent  to limit compact parking spaces to areas used for long-term employee parking rather than short-term visitor parking.

C.      Bumper Overhangs. The minimum parking space length as required  may be decreased by 1.5 feet for full size parking spaces and 1.0 foot for compact spaces which allow the bumper of the automobile to project beyond the terminus of the parking space without obstructing other parking spaces or vehicle circulation areas.

D.      Joint Parking Facilities in the Planned Commercial District and Mixed Development District. Parking spaces serving two or more buildings, lots or uses in the Planned Commercial District and the Mixed Development District may be located in the same off-street parking area, provided that:

1. The total number of spaces furnished shall not be less than the sum of the separate requirements for each use; and

2. All parking spaces shall comply with all requirements as to location and control as provided by paragraph A. of Subd. 3 of Subsection 850.08.

E. Nighttime Uses. Nighttime uses, as below defined, which share parking facilities with daytime uses may reduce their required number of parking spaces by 50 percent, provided that:

1. The total number of spaces normally required for nighttime uses is provided within the parking area in combination with parking spaces provided for daytime uses;

2. The total number of parking spaces normally required for nighttime use conforms to all requirements as to location and control as provided by paragraph A. of Subd. 3 of Subsection 850.08; and

3. In the opinion of the Planner, the peak hours of operation of the nighttime use will not coincide with the peak hours of other uses sharing the joint parking facility so as to cause a parking shortage.

For the purposes hereof, nighttime uses are limited to theaters; facilities for athletic, health and weight control including handball courts, racquet courts, tennis courts, reducing salons and aerobic dance studios; bowling alleys; and club and lodge assembly halls. Provided, however, that uses which are located within a shopping center or Mixed Development District shall not be deemed nighttime uses and shall not be eligible for reduction of parking requirements due to nighttime uses.

F. Construction. Off-street parking spaces and circulation areas shall be surfaced and maintained with a hard, all-weather, durable and dust-free surfacing material composed of bituminous asphalt or concrete installed over a well compacted subgrade and gravel base. Except for residential uses in the R-1 District and R-2 District, each parking space shall be clearly delineated by lines painted on or imbedded in the surface of the parking area.

G.  Parking Ramps. In addition to the general requirements described in Subsection 850.07, the following special requirements shall apply to parking ramps:

1.  The front street and side street setback shall be not less than 20 feet and the interior side yard and rear yard shall be not less than 10 feet. The minimum setbacks shall be increased by one foot for every foot that the parking ramp exceeds 20 feet in height. No parking ramp or any part thereof shall be located within 50 feet of the nearest lot line of any property in an R-1 District used for residential purposes.

2.  The front street or side street setbacks for parking ramps and garages, and other structures, shall be increased to 50 feet when the ramp, garage or structure is located across the street from a property in an R-1 District used for residential purposes.

3.  All exterior wall finishes of a parking ramp shall be of materials that architecturally complement the building or buildings that the parking ramp serves through the use of exterior materials, architectural elements and colors and shall be one or a combination of the following:

a.  Face brick.

b.  Natural stone.

c.  Specially designed precast concrete units if the surfaces have been integrally treated with an applied decorative material or texture.

4.  Parking ramps must include architectural elements that enhance the structure, reduce its perceived mass and complement the building or buildings that it serves. Architectural elements shall include decorative pilasters, banding, reveals, accents, wall plane articulation, facade treatments, and ornamental grillwork as appropriate.

5.  Parking ramps must include screening or other appropriate design elements to screen visibility of vehicle headlights from outside of the parking ramp.

6.  The City encourages parking ramp designs that include ground floor retail, service and other uses, allowed by the zoning district in which the parking ramp is located. Such uses which are integrated into the parking ramp structure need not maintain front street and side street setbacks greater than that required for the parking ramp.

Subd. 6    Traffic and Circulation.

A.      General Requirements. Vehicular traffic shall be channeled and controlled in a manner that will avoid congestion and traffic hazards on the lot or tract or on adjacent streets. Traffic generated by the use shall be directed so as to avoid excessive traffic through residential areas. No parking area, stacking area or circulation area, except for driveway ingresses and egresses, shall be located within a street, alley or highway.

B.      Review by Engineer. The adequacy of any proposed traffic circulation system on a lot or tract shall be subject to the review of the Engineer who may require additional measures for traffic control to accomplish the orderly and safe movement of traffic including, but not limited to, the following:

1. Directional signalization.

2. Channelization.

3. Turn lanes.

4. Increased street width.

5. Warning lights.

6. Stacking lanes.

7. Location, number and width of curb cuts.

C.      Circulation Within Parking Areas.

1. Unobstructed access to each parking space from a drive aisle shall be provided.

2. Traffic moving from one part of a parking area to another shall be capable of doing so without using a street.

3. Dead end drive aisles shall not be permitted.

4. Parking spaces oriented at an angle of less than 90 degrees to the drive aisle shall be served only by way of one-way drive aisles.

D. Driveway Design.

1. Driveway width (back of curb to back of curb):

2. Maximum driveway width at street curb:  30 feet exclusive of returns as measured along the curb line of the street.

3. Minimum distance between driveways in all districts except R-1 and R-2:  20 feet between ends or returns as measured along the curb line of the street.

4. Minimum distance of driveway from street intersections: 50 feet between ends or returns of the driveway and the returns of the intersection as measured along the curb line of the street.

5. Minimum distance between end of the driveway return and side lot line in all districts except R-1 and R-2: 10 feet.

6. A permit must be obtained for curb cuts pursuant to Section 1205 of this Code.