§ 9.2.0. PARKING LOT DESIGN

All parking facilities shall be designed and constructed in accordance with the following criteria:

#1

Parking lots and garages shall be constructed in accordance with the dimensions in Table 9-1 (together with Figure 9-1 in Appendix H of this manual). With the approval of the Director, parking lots and garages may be constructed in accordance with the alternative dimensions in Table 9-2 if the parking is restricted to low-turnover uses with repeat customers, such as office, multi-family, or condominium, and compact parking is limited to a maximum of 15% of the total parking provided.

#2

For parking in a garage, columns may encroach into the head end of parking stalls, provided that the columns do not reduce the total (double-loaded) module width by more than 2 feet and the spaces do not encroach into more than 25 percent of the spaces. Columns may not encroach into the side of parking stalls; stall width must be measured from the face of the column.

#3

Where angled parking is used, the angle and design of parking spaces and aisles shall be relatively consistent throughout a unified development. One-way angled parking aisles shall be designed to alternate the direction for adjacent aisles. Proper signs and markings shall be required to reinforce traffic circulation and flow.

#4

Each parking space shall be independently accessible and shall have a vertical clearance as specified in the Building Code. Tandem parking spaces (one car behind another, so that one car must be moved before the other can be accessed) are allowed for single family detached, single family attached, duplex, small lot residential, two family residential, and townhome residential uses provided the conditions of Chapter 25-2, Article 4, Division 1 of the Land Development Code are met. Tandem parking spaces are allowed for condominium and multi-family residential uses only under the following conditions, which must be included as a note on the site plan:

1.

The spaces must be reserved and assigned to dwelling units which are required to have two (2) or more parking spaces per unit (i.e. units with two or more bedrooms).

2.

At least one of the spaces must be located within an enclosed garage, in order to avoid visual clutter.

3.

Both of the spaces must be standard size; no compact or handicapped accessible tandem spaces are permitted.

4.

At least ten (10) percent of the total parking spaces on the site must be unassigned spaces which are available for the use of visitors.

#5

Each parking and loading space shall have adequate drives, aisles and turning and maneuvering areas for access and usability.

#6

Signs and curb markings may be required to indicate "No Parking — Fire Zone." Access aisles shall be designed with an appropriate 25 foot inside turning radius and a 50 foot outside turning radius at turns to accommodate operational fire department apparatus.

#7

Parking and loading facilities accessed from a Type I, Type II, on Type III or driveway approach shall be surfaced and maintained with asphaltic concrete or other permanent hard surfacing material sufficient to prevent mud, dust, loose material and other nuisances. Materials may allow for infiltration of stormwater but must be included as impervious cover. For lots at least one acre in size, gravel surfacing is permitted for a single-family residence. With the approval of the Building Official, gravel surfacing may be permitted in other locations when deemed necessary to protect trees.

In such cases, the gravel surfacing must be limited to parking stall areas within the critical root zone of the trees and must be confined by curbing or other barriers to prevent it from being carried into public roadways and drainageways. Gravel surfacing will not be permitted on slopes greater than 5 percent, within handicapped parking spaces, or along accessible pathways between handicapped parking and the building entry. Gravel used for parking must be crushed, angular stone, with a minimum ¾″ aggregate size, and must be included as impervious cover.

#8

Safety barriers, fencing, wheel stops or curbing or other restrictive barriers and directional markers shall be provided to assure safety, efficient utilization, protection to landscaping and to prevent encroachment onto adjoining public or private property.

#9

Visibility of and between pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists shall be assured when entering individual parking spaces, when circulating within a parking facility and when entering and exiting a parking facility.

#10

Each parking space intended for use by the handicapped shall be designed in accordance with the standards of the State of Texas.

#11

Bicycle spaces shall be racks or lockers anchored so that they cannot be easily removed. Each space allocated for this kind of parking shall be a minimum of two (2) feet wide and six (6) feet long. Bicycle parking facilities shall be certified by the Director of Transportation, Planning and Sustainability as either Class I, II or III, as follows:

Class I - highest security - a completely enclosed parking space which protects the bicycle from inclement weather and designed so that an unauthorized person cannot remove a bicycle from it. Examples of Class I parking include bike lockers or locked storage rooms, bike check-in systems under control of an attendant, and bike storage facilities in a parking garage under constant personal or electronic surveillance.

Class II - medium security - a bike rack where both wheels and the frame can be secured with only a user-supplied lock without removing a wheel.

Class III - standard bike rack - a bike rack with the ability for the user to lock one (1) wheel and the frame, with the user providing the lock. Racks which secure only one wheel are not permitted.

A detail of the appropriate bike rack must be included on the site plan.

#12

The Fire Criteria Manual notes that…

a minimum three (3) foot radius clear space be maintained around all fire protection devices (i.e., fire hydrants, fire department connectors, system control valves, system test pipes/headers, etc.).

#13

The Fire Criteria Manual notes the following in regard to access roadways:

•  Where Fire Department access roadways are longer than 150 feet and terminate at a dead end, approved provisions for turning around Fire Department apparatus shall be provided. The Austin Fire Department will approve a cul-de-sac with a minimum 50 feet unobstructed radius. A 30 foot by 80 foot "T" section or "Hammerhead" turn around is also acceptable, provided that an additional ten (10) feet of right of way around the 30 foot by 80 foot dimension can be provided with no obstruction over one (1) foot high.

•  Access roadways shall be designed with an appropriate 25 foot inside turning radius and a 50 foot outside turning radius at turns to accommodate any operation Fire Department apparatus.

•  The Austin Fire Department requires that all weather pavement be of either concrete or asphalt construction.

Access roadways shall be finished by application of an all weather driving surface with a flexible base capable of supporting loads imposed (not less than 80,000 pound live vehicle load) by all Fire Department apparatus and must conform to City of Austin Standard Specifications . Any previous/decorative paving within 100 feet of any building must meet the same vehicle loading requirements.

•  Asphaltic hot mix concrete access roadways shall be engineered not to exceed 13 percent in grade. Concrete roadways shall be designed not to exceed 15 percent in grade. As an alternative, where maximum road grades of 13 or 15 percent cannot provided, a professionally designed sprinkler system may be installed as an alternative, provided the building being considered is fully protected and the system is approved by the Austin Fire Department. Road grades must also be approved by other regulating departments in addition to the Fire Department approval.

#14

Parking spaces within an automotive repair facility or service station may be counted as required parking spaces as long as they are independently accessible.

The following design features are not City requirements but are recommended practices:

#15

Parking bays should be no more than 300 feet in length. Cross-aisles or turnarounds should be provided in order to avoid long dead-end aisles.

#16

End islands should be used to delineate primary traffic aisles and to protect cars parked at the end of parking bays from turning vehicles. Concrete islands in lieu of painted areas should be provided in order to prevent vehicles from parking in such areas and thereby obstructing sight distance triangles (see Figures 9-2 through 9-6 in Appendix H of this manual). The Environmental Criteria Manual should also be consulted regarding landscape requirements within parking lots.

#17

Parking is discouraged along entrance drives and should be limited adjacent to major circulation aisles of large developments and major retail centers.

#18

Parking spaces should be located in such a manner as to be convenient to the uses which they serve. No more than ten (10) percent of all the spaces should be located in the service areas at the rear of shopping centers and other locations with poor pedestrian access to the building entrances.

#19

At least 40 percent of the required parking spaces at service stations or convenience stores with gasoline pumps should be spaces which do not abut air, water, or vacuum facilities.