City of Bellingham Municipal Code

20.34.050 - PARKING

A. Applicability

1. This section provides parking regulations for all permitted uses which are regulated by the Commercial Development Handbook.

2. Off-Street parking in accordance with the provisions herein shall be provided whenever:

b. The cost of interior alteration or repair within any 12 month period exceeds 50% of the actual valuation;

1. All permitted uses within areas designated Neighborhood, Auto, and Waterfront shall provide, at a minimum, the number of spaces required herein. Uses within the Central Commercial zone shall also provide parking as required by this section except as modified by BMC 20.12.010 B. (2) for the Core, Fringe and Reduced Parking Overlay Districts.

2. Permitted uses within areas designated central (core and fringe area) are exempt from any parking requirements except for hotels and motels.

3. Any use clearly similar to the uses listed below, shall meet the requirements specified. If the similarity is not apparent, then the Hearing Examiner shall, upon request, determine the standards which shall be applied.

RESIDENTIAL

1. Single Family 2 parking spaces; single family attached units shall provide 1 additional parking space for each bedroom over 3. No more than 2 enclosed garage parking spaces per unit may count toward meeting parking requirements.

2. Duplex/Multi Family (a) 1 for each studio unit
(b) 1 1/2 for each 1 or 2 bedroom unit
(c) 2 for each 3+ bedroom unit
(d) Duplex with 4 or more bedrooms: 1 parking space per bedroom. No more than 2 parking spaces per unit may be located in an enclosed garage.
(e) Multi Family: 1 additional space for each bedroom over 3 per unit. No more than 2 parking spaces per unit may be located in an enclosed garage. This provision shall not limit the number of parking spaces that may be provided in common areas in an enclosed under-building parking floor or structure.

3. Boarding House 1 for every 2 bedrooms

4. Hotel 1 for every 2 bedrooms

5. Motel 1 1/4 for each bedroom

6. Senior Citizen Housing Comply with the provisions of Chapter 20.12.

7. Live/Work Unit 1 parking space per live/work unit or 1 parking
space per 500 s q. ft. of gross floor area of
all units in a project, whichever is greater.

1. General Business, Personal 1 for every 250 sq, ft, of floor area
Service Establishments open to the public
(exclusive of shopping
centers and food markets
larger than 20,000 square feet)

2. Furniture and Large 4 plus 1 for every 500
Appliance Store sq. ft. of gross floor area

3. Neighborhood and Com- 5 for each 1000 square
munity Shopping Centers feet of gross floor area.
and food markets larger
than 20,000 square feet

4. Offices (business and 1 for every 350 sq. ft.
professional, including of floor area.
financial institutions,
but not including
doctor/dentist offices)

5. Eating and Drinking 1 for every 75 sq. ft. of floor
Establishments, Dance area open to the public.
Halls (Minimum of 7 spaces)

6. Commercial Recreation 4 for each bowling lane, tennis or racquetball court, pool or billiard table; or 1 for each miniature golf hole or in the case of a driving range for each tee area; or 1 for each 100 sq. ft. of open recreational area. Where an eating and/or drinking facility is located within a main building used as a commercial recreation site and is clearly accessory to the primary commercial recreation use, additional parking shall not be required.

7. Service Stations 5

1. Hospitals 1 for every 2 patient beds, exclusive of bassinets

2. Doctor/Dentist Offices 5 for each 1,000 sq. ft.
and Related Labs of gross floor area,

3. Medical Care Centers 1 for every 4 beds

4. Animal Hospital, Small 5 for every veterinarian

1. School, Institution of 1 per classroom and office plus 1 for every 4
Higher Education, Art students normally enrolled who are over the
School legal driving age. Public assembly areas, such as auditoriums, stadiums, etc. that may be adjunct to the school shall provide parking required herein, however parking provided for the school may be considered as parking for the assembly area.

2. Libraries and Museums 1 for every 200 sq. ft. of floor area open to the public.

3. Church 1 for every 100 sq. ft. of floor area used for public assembly. In cases where there are two or more separate assembly areas within the church and upon proof such areas would not be used concurrently, then the director shall assess the amount of spaces required for each area and require the greatest number of spaces.

4. Community Center, 1 space for every 150 sq. ft.
Convention Hall of floor area open to the public.

5. Theaters, Stadiums, 1 for each 4 seats, or 1
Auditoriums for each 80 inches of bench.

6. Bus Stations, Passenger 1 for every 100 sq. ft. of
Terminal Facilities floor area open to the public.

7. Private Club and Lodge 1 for every 150 square feet of floor area devoted to assembly or meeting area. If eating/drinking facilities are included there shall be 1 space required for each 75 square feet devoted to such activity.

8. Neighborhood Club/ 1 for every 150 square feet
Activity Center of floor space.

9. Golf Course Facility The Director shall determine the
and Parks/Playgrounds required number based on the type and extent of the particular facility.

1. Mortuaries/Funeral Parlors 1 for every 100 square feet
of floor area open to the public.

2. Industrial/Manufacturing 1 for every 5000 square feet
of gross floor area or 1 for every employee, working at the same time, whichever is greater.

1. Whenever off-street parking facilities are constructed, whether required or not, the facility shall meet the standards and requirements within this section.

2. All required parking shall be located off street and on the subject property in areas which meet the minimum requirements of this section. Parking on the public right of way shall not be considered as off street parking unless approved pursuant to Section 20.12.010 A(2). Joint parking may be allowed pursuant to regulations found in (3) below.

3. When a parking facility is within 500' of a use deficient in parking and said parking facility is utilized at different times of the day or has parking space available in excess of what is required then the Director may allow joint parking facilities provided;

a. A pedestrian walkway is available between the parking facility and generator; and

b. A joint parking agreement specifying respective rights and/or operating times is signed by all participants and the Director and filed in the County Auditor's Office.
4. The provisions of off street parking and loading in the manner and extent required herein, shall be a continuing obligation to the owner of a given use so long as the use is in existence. It shall be unlawful to discontinue, change, or dispense with parking and/or loading facilities unless alternative facilities are established which meet the requirements of this section.

5. Scaled parking plans shall be provided which indicate ingress, egress, grade, base and surface material, as well as parking lot dimensions.

6. Off-street parking for single family and duplex dwellings shall be a minimum of 9' in width by 18' in length with 22' of maneuvering aisle depth behind each space. Of-street parking dimensions for other uses shall not be less than shown on Figures 10, 11 and 12 .

7. Unapproved revision to any approved parking facility which would affect the design, or failure to maintain the facility in accordance with good practice shall be deemed a violation of the land use development ordinance. Failure to keep the parking lot surface reasonably clean of debris, failure to replace dead plant material or to remove noxious weeds shall be specifically included in the phrase "failure to maintain the facility in accordance with good practice."

1. The parking facility shall be located totally within property lines except for egress, ingress and maneuvering areas as permitted below.

2. (a) Alley right of way may be utilized toward meeting the maneuvering area required herein.

(b) Where required by Special Regulation in BMC 20.00 - Zoning Tables: When access is available from a city maintained alley, no vehicular access shall be taken from the street frontage except when the Planning Director determines that alley access is impractical or environmentally constrained.

3. No portion of any open parking facility shall be located within 5' of any property line or within any required yard except for a lane for ingress and egress. This provision shall not apply in the Commercial, Central Core general use type, when abutting similarly designated property.

In the Commercial general use type (except Central), the 5' parking space setback and landscaping requirement may be waived by the Director when:

a. An alleyway is used for direct access, and

b. The landscaping is replaced with a fence which screens from view the parking area, and

c. The elimination of the 5' parking setback will result in the provision of additional parking spaces beyond that required in the Land Use Development Code.
4. An area of at least 5' in width and 10' in length must be provided to separate every 30 adjacent open parking spaces.

5. a. All required parking spaces shall be designed such that any vehicle parking in any space may enter and exit without interference or blocking any other vehicle parking in any other required space, except as allowed in 5.b.

1. Hard surfacing shall be required of all parking facilities including those portions within the right of way. Single family homes, duplexes, churches, agricultural nurseries, industrial and manufacturing uses are exempt from this requirement provided the facility is surfaced with no less than 3" of crushed gravel and is maintained in a dust free condition.

2. When parking facilities are surfaced with gravel, the driveway and approaches shall nevertheless be paved with hard surfacing.

3. Any lot used in whole or part as a retail parking facility shall install a city sidewalk across the full width of the lot abutting the street.

4. Wheel stops shall be provided to protect landscape areas and city sidewalks from encroachment by vehicles.

5. All parking facilities shall be clearly marked as to stalls and traffic flow and for handicapped and compact spaces.

6. Drainage systems for parking facilities shall be designed and approved in accordance with Ordinance No. 8827.

7. Retail parking facilities shall install adequate lighting in accordance with standards approved by the Public Works Director.

8. All parking facilities with more than 50 parking spaces shall provide a bicycle storage area in which to temporarily store bicycles. Bicycle storage space shall consist of a conveniently located and sturdy rack, hooks, bar or locker permitting locking or enclosure of the bicycle frame and both wheels to prevent thefts. With the exception of hanging hooks, bicycle storage facilities shall be designed so as not to support the full weight of the bicycle on one or both wheels. The bicycle storage area shall have the capabilities to hold at least 10% of the number of parking spaces. This requirement may be waived by the Director if it can be demonstrated that the rack would not be reasonably utilized due to the location of the facility.

9. The Public Works Department shall approve the location of all curb cuts. No single curb cut shall be wider than 30'. For parking lots with less than 10 spaces, the curb cut shall be no wider than 12'. Parking lots with separate points of ingress and egress shall have no more than a 12' curb cut separated by a distance of at least 20' and shall comply with arterial street access ordinance No. 8760.