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City of Vancouver, Washington

Vancouver Municipal Code

Return to Chapter 20.630 DOWNTOWN DISTRICT

Section 20.630.060 Parking Control.

A.   Purpose.  This district is intended to prevent disruption of pedestrian circulation; to provide for smooth traffic flow; to prevent excessive use of downtown land for parking; to ensure the most efficient provision of parking facilities; to preserve the continuity of retail use and building frontage in the downtown shopping area; and to protect the public health and safety.

B.   Establishment of boundaries. The boundaries of the area within which these regulations apply are illustrated in Figure 20.630-5.  These regulations apply to three areas within the downtown: 1) Structural Parking with Limited Access Area; 2) Structural Parking Area; and 3) Limited Surface Parking Area.

C.   Structural Parking with Limited Access Area.  For any use located within the boundaries identified in Figure 20.630-5, the following restrictions and requirements shall apply:

1.     No new surface parking lot shall be permitted.  All existing surface parking in the Retail Structural Parking Area, as defined in Section 20.160.020 (C)(7) VMC became nonconforming on September 26, 1977, by enactment of Ordinance M-1791.

2.     Structured parking fronting on Main Street between 6th and Mill Plain, within the area illustrated in Figure 2-.630-5, shall be setback a minimum of 25’ from the street property line.

3.    Parking access to and from Main Street shall be prohibited . That portion of any lot fronting on Main Street shall be devoted at the street level to retail, consumer service, office, or other permitted uses in the use district within which the property is located.

D.    Structural Parking Area.  For any use located within the boundaries identified in Figure 20.630-5, the following restriction shall apply:  No new surface parking lot shall be permitted. All existing surface parking in the Structural Parking Area, as defined in Section 20.160.020 (C) (7) VMC became nonconforming on September 26, 1977, by enactment of Ordinance M-1791.

E.   Limited Surface Parking Area. For any use located within the boundaries identified in Figure 20.630-5, the following restrictions and requirements shall apply:

1.    Structural parking shall be allowed.

2.    Surface parking lots including off-site accessory parking lots may be allowed upon approval of a phased development plan, which indicate future buildings and timelines for completion of each phase and the elimination of the surface parking.  Off-site accessory lots in the Limited Surface Parking area are permitted for uses even if the minimum parking requirement is met on-site; however, such parking shall not be made available to any other business or use.

3.    Accessory surface parking for residential use is not limited and shall be allowed for all hours of the day and night.

4.    Accessory surface parking for commercial use shall be limited to business hours of the accessory use(s).  After business hours, accessory surface parking may be made available to other non-accessory uses.

F.    New Temporary parking lots.  As of the effective date of the VCCV  Ordinance, no new temporary parking lot may be established in the Parking Control District.

G.    Existing Nonconforming Surface Lots.  To prevent disruption of pedestrian circulation; to provide for smooth traffic flow; to ensure the most efficient provision of parking facilities; and protect the public health, safety, and welfare by controlling erosion and dust and by preventing bodily injury and crime, unimproved (gravel or other non-permanent surface) parking lots in the Parking Control District shall be improved to current parking lot standards within three years from the July 13, 2009 effective date of the development code amendments adopted by Ordinance M-3922 as follows:

1.    A valid land use approval for the parking shall be obtained from the City no later than eighteen (18) months following the effective date of the Ordinance M-3922; and

2.    Parking lots shall be improved to current development standards in accordance to VMC20.945.040; and

3.    Any unimproved lot in the Parking Control District that has not received a valid land use approval within 18 months of the effective date of the Ordinance M-3922 or improved to full standards within three years of the effective date of the Ordinance M-3922 shall be immediately discontinued; and

4.    Parking lot improvements may be phased over time; however, any portion of a parking lot, which has not been approved or improved by the deadlines outlined in subsection 3 above, shall be immediately discontinued.

(M-3931, Amended, 11/02/2009, Sec 20 - Effective 12/2/2009, Prior Text; M-3922, Amended, 07/06/2009, Sec 29, Prior Text; M-3832, Amended, 06/18/2007, Sec 24, Prior Text; M-3832, Amended, 06/18/2007, Sec 23, Prior Text; M-3643, Added, 01/26/2004)