1. Driveways from the street to off-street parking or loading areas shall be designed and constructed to facilitate the flow of traffic and provide maximum safety for pedestrians. At a minimum all driveways shall meet arterial access spacing standards; on arterial roadways shared driveways and cross-access easements may be required to improve arterial efficiency and safety consistent with access management practices detailed in NCHRP Report 420.

2. Where driveways are gated, even temporarily, the driveway approach shall be designed such that vehicles approaching or leaving the gated drive can queue to enter/exit the traffic stream without blocking the sidewalk or the street traffic, and shall not impede internal site circulation. Design of gated driveways shall be subject to review and approval by the City Transportation Manager.

3. Driveways shall be improved with a permanent surface including but not limited to asphalt, concrete, brick or masonry or other material approved by the Planning Official. Applicants are encouraged to use City and Department of Ecology alternative paving Best Management Practices to enhance on-site water quality where appropriate based on anticipated use.

4. Except for single-family and duplex residences, groups of more than two parking spaces shall be served by a driveway so that no backing movements or other maneuvering within a street or other public right-of-way is necessary.

5. Loading/unloading driveways. If an on-site drop-off is provided, the driveway shall be designed for continuous forward flow of passenger vehicles.

1. All uses providing drive-through services as defined by this Chapter shall provide a stacking lane on the same site for inbound vehicles as noted in Table 20.945-1. Stacking lane requirements shall be determined through the review process, be based upon an approved traffic study and may either exceed or fall below the guidelines detailed in Table 20.945.040-1.

2. Stacking lanes must be designed so that they do not interfere with parking and vehicle, pedestrian and bicycle circulation. Stacking lanes for the purpose of selling food must provide at least one clearly marked parking space per service window for the use of vehicles waiting for an order to be filled.

3. No portion of a stacking lane shall be located in a setback except at the points of connection between the site and public or private streets.

1. The applicant shall extend pedestrian circulation routes to sidewalks and transit stops along streets abutting the site, to pedestrian facilities that extend to the edge of the site from off-site, and to the edge of the site in the direction of existing, approved or proposed off-site pedestrian and transit facilities.

2. Pedestrian circulation routes shall also connect structures and uses on the site, such as buildings, vehicle and bicycle parking areas, children’s play areas, required outdoor areas, open spaces, plazas, resting areas and viewpoints.

3. To the extent practicable, the pedestrian circulation system shall be designed to minimize the distance a pedestrian needs to walk between typical origins and destinations of and off the site, including transit stops, public sidewalks and building entrances. Circuitous routes generally should be avoided except for an appropriate purpose given the use or setting.

4. Where pedestrian or bicycle routes cross access, maneuvering, parking or loading areas, the crossing must be clearly identified by using elevation changes, speed bumps, a different paving material, and other method that effectively alerts drivers, pedestrians and cyclists of the location and nature of the crossing. Striping is strongly discouraged as the only method of identification of pedestrian crossings. When striping is used, it must be continuously maintained in perpetuity in an effective manner by the property owner.

5. Where a pedestrian or bicycle route is parallel and adjacent to an auto travel lane or parking area, the pedestrian or bicycle route must be safely separated from the auto travel lane by using a raised path, a raised curb, bollards, landscaping or other physical barrier.

6. Lighting. The on-site pedestrian circulation system must be lighted to a level of 0.5 foot candle, except for handicapped accessible areas which must be lighted to 1.0 foot candle. Such lighting shall be directed in a manner to prevent glare on nearby residential areas.

7. Pedestrian route dimensions. In all commercial zones, the primary pedestrian connection between the main entrance and the fronting arterial shall be a minimum of 8' unobstructed width. All other pedestrian connections shall be a minimum of 6' unobstructed width. The Planning Official may modify these standards for minor expansions of existing uses that face site-specific challenges.

8. Required pedestrian circulation routes shall be improved with an asphalt, concrete or other approved all-weather surface; provided, pedestrian circulation routes through recreational or open space areas may be improved with a material consistent with their purpose and the characteristics of their location.

9. Connections. The pedestrian system must be connected to site and adjacent streets and nearby transit stops. The pedestrian system must also connect public open space or parks, commercial, office and institutional developments when existing development does not preclude such connection. Development patterns must not preclude eventual site-to-site connections, even if an adjacent site is not planned for development at the time of the applicant’s development. Connections between buildings and the street shall be no greater than 200' apart.

1. Purpose. The following landscaping standards are intended to improve and soften the appearance of parking areas; reduce the visual impact of parking areas from sidewalks, streets, and especially from adjacent residential zones; shade and cool parking areas; reduce the amount and rate of stormwater runoff from vehicle areas; and improve air quality.

2. Perimeter Landscaping. Any off-street parking area, other than for a single-family or duplex dwelling, shall be effectively screened by a sight-obscuring fence, wall or evergreen planting on each side which adjoins property situated in a residential zone, the premises of any school or like institution, or a public or private street. Screening along a common property line shall be 6' high. Landscape screening shall be capable of attaining a height of 6' within 2 years of planting. Screening along all public or private streets shall be a minimum of 3' high.

3. Interior Landscaping. Interior landscaping must be provided for sites containing more than 20 parking spaces. At least 10% of the parking and maneuvering areas, not including driveway areas, must be landscaped.

1. All areas used for the parking or storage or maneuvering of any vehicle shall be improved with asphalt, concrete or other permanent surface approved by the Planning Official; The Planning Official may approve the use of City and Department of Ecology alternative paving Best Management Practices to enhance on-site water quality where determined to be appropriate based on type and frequency of anticipated use.

2. Parking areas to be used primarily for temporary staging of construction equipment and temporary parking for the facility during construction may be surfaced in gravel when authorized by the approval authority at the time the site development approval is given. The Planning Official may require the property owner to remove the gravel immediately following construction or enter into an agreement to pave the parking area: (1) within a specified period of time after its establishment; or (2) if there is a change in the types or weights of vehicles utilizing the parking area; or (3) if there is evidence of adverse effects upon adjacent roadways, water courses or properties. Such an agreement shall be executed as a condition of approval of the plan to establish the gravel parking area

1. Except for single-family and duplex residences, any area intended to be used to meet the off-street vehicle parking requirements as contained in this chapter shall have all parking spaces clearly marked; and

2. All interior drives and access aisles shall be clearly marked and signed to show direction of flow and maintain vehicular and pedestrian safety.

1. Designated disabled parking stalls which meet minimum dimensional requirements shall be counted as standard size parking stalls and shall be provided as required by applicable State of Washington and the City Adopted Building Code, as amended for disabled person parking spaces.

2. The width of each parking space includes a stripe that separates each space.

3. Up to 50% of all required on-site vehicular parking spaces may be compact spaces. Such spaces shall be marked as “compact” or “C”.

4. Clustering. No more than an average of 10 parking spaces shall be placed side by side without an intervening break provided by a circulation aisleway, pedestrian walkway, or landscaping. If an average of no more than 10 side-by-side stalls is maintained overall, up to 15 stalls may be located side-by-side. Where landscaping provides a break in the group of spaces, the landscape island shall extend at least 1' into the circulation aisleway to provide a visual narrowing of the circulation aisleway.

5. A portion of a parking space may be landscaped instead of paved as follows:

6. Other parking angles, such as but not limited to 30 degrees or 75 degrees may be approved by the Planning Official, with dimensional requirements consistent with those illustrated in Table 20.945.040-2.

7. Minimum standards for a standard parking stall’s length and width, aisle width, and maneuvering space in a parking structure shall be determined as noted in Table 20.945.040-2. (Ord. M-4289 § 4, 2019; Ord. M-4195 § 1, 2017; Ord. M-4034 § 32, 2012; Ord. M-3931 § 32, 2009; Ord. M-3847 § 15, 2007; Ord. M-3840 § 45, 2007; Ord. M-3643, 2004)