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Vancouver Municipal Code

Return to Chapter 20.945 PARKING AND LOADING

Section 20.945.070 Minimum Off-Street Parking Requirements.

A.    Parking requirements for unlisted uses.

1.    The Planning Official may rule that a use not specifically listed in Table 20.945.070–2 below is a use similar to a listed use and that the same parking standards shall apply. If the applicant requests that the Planning Official’s decision be rendered in writing, it shall constitute an interpretation, as governed by Chapter 20.255 VMC; and

2.    The Planning Official shall maintain a list of approved unlisted use parking requirements that have the same effect as an amendment to this chapter.

B.  Choice of parking requirements. When a building or use is planned or constructed in such a manner that a choice of parking requirements could be made, the use which requires the greater number of parking spaces shall govern.

C.    Measurements. The following measurements shall be used in calculating the total minimum number of vehicle parking spaces required in this chapter:

1.    Fractions.  Fractional space requirements of up to 0.5 shall be rounded down to the next whole number and 0.5 or greater rounded up to the next whole number.

2.    Employees. Where employees are specified for the purpose of determining the minimum vehicle parking spaces required, the employees counted are those who work on the premises during the largest shift at the peak season.

3.    Students. When students are specified for the purpose of determining the minimum vehicle parking spaces required, the students counted are those who are on the campus during the peak period of the day during a typical school term.

4.    Space. Unless otherwise noted, where gross square feet (gsf) are specified, the area measured shall be gross floor area under the roof measured from the faces of the structure, excluding only space devoted to covered off-street parking or loading.

D.  Exclusions to minimum vehicle parking requirements.  The following shall not be counted towards the computation of the minimum parking spaces as required in Table 20.945.070-2 below:

1.    On-street parking. Parking spaces in the public street or alley shall not be eligible as fulfilling any part of the parking requirement except as provided elsewhere in this title;

2.    Fleet parking. Required vehicle parking spaces may not be used for storage of fleet vehicles, except when a use can show that employee and fleet parking spaces are used interchangeably, (e.g., the employee drives the fleet vehicle from home, or the spaces are used for fleet storage only at night and are available for employee use during the day). For the purposes of this title, space exclusively devoted to the storage of fleet vehicles will be considered as outdoor storage.

E.    Reductions in minimum required vehicle parking.

1.    The Planning Official may reduce the minimum off-street vehicle parking spaces required in Table 20.945.070-2 by up to 10% in new non-residential developments by means of a Type I procedure, when an applicant for a development permit can demonstrate in a parking study prepared by a traffic consultant or in parking data from comparable sites that:

a.    The requested reduction in parking will not have an adverse impact on uses in the immediate vicinity.

b.  Use of transit, demand management programs, and/or special characteristics of the customer, client, employee or resident population will reduce expected vehicle use and parking space demand for this development, as compared with Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) vehicle trip generation rates and minimum city parking requirements.

c.  The city shall not be responsible for providing parking for a development should a reduction in required parking under this section result in a deficit in parking that is not desirable to the owner of the property or use.

2.    The Planning Official may reduce the minimum off-street vehicle parking spaces required in Table 20.945.070–2 up to 20% if the required conditions detailed in Section 20.945.070(E)(1) and (2) are met. Reductions in parking minimums shall be cumulative and inclusive of reductions allowed under any provision of Vancouver Municipal Code Title 20.

a.  For every five bicycle parking spaces provided which meet bicycle parking design standards or for each bicycle locker (two-bicycle capacity), the minimum motor vehicle parking requirement may be reduced by one space up to 7 % of total required vehicle parking spaces.

b.  Sites where at least 20 parking spaces are required and where at least one street lot line abuts a designated arterial roadway, transit supportive plazas may be substituted for up to 5% of required vehicle parking.

1.  The plaza must be adjacent to the arterial street. If there is a bus stop along the site's frontage, the plaza must be adjacent to the bus stop.

2.  The plaza must be at least 300 sq. ft. in area and be shaped so that a 10 foot by 10 foot square will fit entirely within the plaza.

3.  The plaza must be open to the public, contain a bench or other sitting area, contain a shelter or other weather protection covering at least 20 sq. ft., and shall have at least 10% and no more than 25% landscaping.

c.  Building Orientation/Site Design Incentive. Developments which incorporate all of the following building orientation/site design characteristics into the site plan shall be eligible for a 5% reduction in required on-site parking.

1.  Build to the Sidewalk. Buildings located as close as possible to the public street and sidewalk, preferably at the minimum required setback. Primary entrance shall be oriented toward the street.

2.  Provide public spaces. Commercial development should provide spaces for civic interaction. To make these more accessible and accommodating to the public, pedestrian plazas, street furniture and landscaped open spaces should be incorporated as site amenities.

3.  Build to the corner.  Buildings on corner lots should be located on the street corner with building frontage on both streets with primary entrances oriented toward the intersection. If no buildings are located at street corners, pedestrian plazas and amenities should provide a focus for the area.  Intersection vision clearance standards shall apply.

4.  Pad Development.  Pad development should be located at the corners of a development or at the intersection created by the site driveway with the public street. The location and site design of pad development should integrate seamlessly with the on-site pedestrian circulation plan and all off-site pedestrian, bicycle and transit facilities.

3.    A request to reduce the required minimum parking more than 20% is subject to a Type III Variance procedure.

F.    Parking in City Center (CX) Zone

The following minimum requirements shall apply, in accordance with Section 20.630.050 (Parking Control), in all areas zoned City Center District (CX):

G.    Parking in Transit Overlay District

Developments located within the Transit Overlay District may be subject to special parking standards contained in VMC 20.550.

H.    Application of Parking Requirements

1.    Notwithstanding any other requirement of this chapter, no parking shall be required for any commercial use located in an existing structure which abuts Main Street between Fifth Street and McLoughlin Boulevard, up to and including the first two floors above street level, and any basement levels. The requirements for uses in all floors of three stories or above shall be the same as that in all other areas in the City Center District (CX).

2.    In addition, notwithstanding any other requirements of this chapter, requirements for off-street parking shall not apply within the Community Commercial District (CC) extending from McLoughlin Boulevard to Fourth Plain Boulevard in the event of a change in commercial occupancy of a building or of a remodeling of a commercial structure if the original floor area is not exceeded by 25%. This provision does not apply to conversion of residential occupancy to commercial occupancy. The requirements for off-street parking for the Community (CC) Commercial District within this area shall be based on the City Center (CX) District Parking Requirements of VMC Table 20.945.070-1 and shall only be for the total area of additions in excess of 25% of the floor area in existence on July 19, 2010.

3.  Commercial uses in the CN, Neighborhood Commercial District may count available on-street parking spaces which are immediately adjacent to the development toward the minimum on-site parking requirement.

I.    Use of Public Parking

The requirements for off-street parking can be satisfied by execution of a long-term lease for a segment of equivalent parking in an existing public or private parking facility. Lease fees in public facilities would be at market rates as established and adjusted by the Vancouver City Council after considering the advice of the Parking Advisory Committee. Continued leasing of such space shall be required, and failure to provide the required parking shall be cause for revocation of the occupancy permit for the structure involved.

J.    Specific requirements for minimum parking.  Parking shall be provided for uses as per Table 20.945.070-2 below.

Table 20.945.070-2

Minimum Off-Street Vehicle Parking Requirements

¹    DU=Dwelling Unit

²    Does not include outpatient clinics or medical offices; see Medical/Dental Offices.

³    Gasoline stations offering other retail goods for sale, in enclosed spaces accessible by the customer, shall also comply with the parking requirements for convenience stores. Gasoline stations providing vehicle repair or maintenance services shall also comply with the parking requirements for vehicle repair or service facilities.

⁴  Senior multi-family housing project shall provide on-site parking at a minimum rate of one space per dwelling unit.

(M-3959, Amended, 07/19/2010, Sec 48-Effective 8/19/2010, Prior Text; M-3931, Amended, 11/02/2009, Sec 33-Effective 12/2/2009, Prior Text; M-3922, Amended, 07/06/2009, Sec 44, Prior Text; M-3847, Amended, 11/28/2007, Sec 16, Prior Text; M-3701, Amended, 05/02/2005, Sec 33, Prior Text; M-3643, Added, 01/26/2004)