§ 21.72.030. Parking requirements.

A.

Parking Table. Table 21T-13 specifies the required amount of parking spaces for various uses. The parking requirements for any use not listed herein shall be those of the listed use most similar to the unlisted use, as determined by the approval authority. When similarity is not apparent, the approval authority shall determine the minimum and maximum parking requirement for the unlisted use based upon an estimate of parking demand prepared by the applicant and, if available, other relevant parking studies.

B.

Special Uses. Special uses, identified in Chapter 21.66 of this title, which are not listed in Table 21T-13, shall provide parking spaces as specified in Chapter 21.66. If no standard is specified in either chapter, the standard shall be established by the approval authority per Section 21.72.030A above.

C.

Residential District. Off-street parking requirements for residential districts are located in Table 21T-13.

D.

Commercial, Business Park and Industrial Uses.

1.

General Parking Standards—Parking Standard Table.

a.

In the commercial, industrial, business park, and mixed use districts, off-street parking requirements shall be as shown in Table 21T-13, provided that all of the property is controlled by a single person or corporation, or written agreements for shared parking, acceptable to the county, are filed with the department.

b.

Phased Reduction of Maximum Parking Standards. One technique for transportation demand management (TDM) is to reduce maximum allowable parking spaces. This can be done by slowly phasing down the maximum allowable number of parking spaces over a period of years. This technique has advantages of reducing vehicle trips and conserving urban commercial land that can be used for other purposes. However, this technique has the potential to have a significant adverse impact on the jurisdiction's economic development if other reasonable forms of alternative transportation are not available. This technique should be periodically revisited to consider its viability but should not be implemented until its viability for the county is established.

c.

Minimum Optional Guidelines and Maximum Standards. To promote parking reduction, the optional minimum guideline serves as a suggested parking number but is not mandatory for automobiles except for single-family residential development. Applicants will be encouraged to provide less automobile parking than the minimum listed whenever possible based upon TDM available on-street parking, potential shared parking within walking distance and other factors. The minimum number listed for bicycle parking shall be provided as indicated in the table for both commercial and residential development.

The number of parking spaces needed to serve a project must be demonstrated to the reviewing authority based upon a parking plan considering TDM techniques and other relevant factors. Upon justification to the satisfaction of the reviewing authority, whatever number of parking spaces agreed upon shall be the number required, and this shall be an enforceable condition of the approval.

The maximum parking standards may be increased if the reviewing authority finds compelling reasons to do so. Such determination shall be at the sole discretion of the reviewing authority based upon such factors as unique site or use requirements, historical data of a particular use or other relevant factors indicating additional parking is necessary to properly serve a use or uses at a site.

Shared parking agreements are encouraged if the physical relationship between the premises is within convenient walking distance and makes such sharing possible.

2.

If more parking spaces than the maximum permitted by Table 22T-13 exist on the subject property, an owner/developer may lease those excess spaces or convert excess spaces into LID facilities where feasible, such as permeable pavement or bioretention, until conformance with Table 22T-13 is reached.

a.

Shared parking is particularly encouraged when:

(1)

The total number of parking spaces provided is sufficient to meet expected demand; or

(2)

The uses are operating during different hours and number of spaces needed for all uses at any one time are satisfied. If permitted, the total number of spaces for a shared arrangement should be no greater than the maximum number of spaces permitted for all uses operating at the same time.

b.

Where adjoining parking facilities of two or more ownerships are developed and designed as one parking facility, a reduction of required parking spaces may be permitted based upon the increased potential opportunity for shared parking and other parking reduction techniques.

c.

The continuation of joint or shared facilities should be assured by a sufficient legal document such as a covenant or reciprocal easement agreement or by participation in a local improvement district or parking association. Joint or shared parking associated with multi-tenant retail and commercial uses will be considered to be a shared parking facility. Lease agreements will satisfy the requirement for a sufficient legal document. However, any new tenant whose parking requirement reduces the total parking available in the shared parking facility below seventy-five percent of the requirements for all uses sharing the facility will be required to provide additional parking.

e.

Parking reduction under this subsection (D)(2) must provide information regarding the administration of the program to the reviewing authority. The information must include:

(1)

Address each individual TDM strategy as part of the transportation impact analysis;

(2)

Provide the county with an estimate of peak hour employees as part of their site plan review application and traffic impact analysis;

(3)

Provide estimated parking occupancy rates for the development as part of the transportation impact analysis showing average weekday use;

(4)

Demonstrate how TDM strategies will be used to minimize the need for parking.

3.

The county is hereby authorized to develop parking requirements specific to certain geographic locations or districts rather than individual sites by pooling parking supply in desired locations. Any parking requirements established as part of these programs may deviate from the typical standards contained herein and would be binding on the properties within these locations.

(Ord. 12463 § 38, 2001: Ord. 11274 § 1 (part), 1996; Ord. No. 15390, § 1(Att. A, § W), 11-29-2016)