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A. Parking Design Specifications. The minimum requirements for parking stall and aisle dimensions, striping, pavement thickness and subgrade shall be as set forth in the city design standards.

B. Surfacing.

1. All parking areas shall consist of durable surface materials approved by the planning director and city engineer. Depending upon site and soil conditions, low impact development (LID) stormwater management facilities are encouraged, and may be required by the city’s stormwater management manual.

2. Exception. For single-family and duplex uses, nonrequired parking that is located outside of the front and street side setbacks areas may use surface materials in accordance with city design standards; provided, however, that parking in the area between a street-facing facade and the street must be on a paved surface as allowed by EMC 19.34.110(C).

C. Landscaping and Screening. Landscaping and screening for parking lots shall be in accordance with the standards of Chapter 19.35. Parking of trucks or fleet vehicles is considered off-street parking for the purposes of calculating the parking lot interior landscaping required by Chapter 19.35 EMC.

D. Tandem Parking. In residential zones (R-S, R-1, R-2, R-2(A), UR3 and UR4), no more than two required parking spaces serving the same dwelling unit may be parked in tandem. See Figure 3 for illustration.

Figure 3: Tandem Parking*

*The figure above illustrates a situation where a dwelling (e.g. dwelling with an ADU) has three off-street parking spaces required, of which only one can be in tandem. If only two off-street parking spaces are required, the figure on the right would be allowed because the third space would not be a required off-street parking space.

E. Accessible Parking. Accessible parking stalls shall meet the requirements of Washington State Regulations for Barrier Free Facilities (Chapter 51-50 WAC).

F. Parking Area Illumination. All surface parking areas for multiple-family and nonresidential uses shall provide illumination to improve site security and minimize light spill and glare impacts on adjacent properties. Parking area illumination shall meet the following standards:

1. Parking area lighting fixtures shall be full cut-off (zero percent candlepower at ninety degrees horizontal and ten percent maximum candlepower at eighty degrees from vertical), dark sky rated, and mounted no more than thirty feet above the ground, with lower fixtures preferable so as to maintain a human scale.

2. All fixtures over fifteen feet in height shall be fitted with a full cut-off luminaire.

3. Figure 4. Acceptable and unacceptable parking area lighting.

Figure 4: Parking Area Illumination

4. Except within industrial zones, pedestrian-scaled lighting (light fixtures no taller than fifteen feet) is encouraged in areas of pedestrian activity.

5. Lighting must not trespass onto adjacent private parcels. All building-mounted lights shall be directed onto the building itself and/or the ground immediately adjacent to it. The light emissions shall not be visible above the roof line of the building.

G. Maintenance.

1. All off-street parking spaces shall be maintained to the design standard as shown on approved permit documents. Such spaces shall not be used at any time or in any manner that precludes use for off-street parking of operable motor vehicles regularly used by occupants, employees, guests or customers.

2. Where parking is owned in common (e.g., by a homeowners’ association), the covenants shall clearly indicate which parties are responsible for parking facility maintenance. (Ord. 3774-20 § 8 (Exh. 6), 2020; Ord. 3672-19 § 11, 2019; Ord. 3616-18 § 2 (Exh. 1), 2018.)