OFF-STREET PARKING AND OFF-STREET LOADING
1300. Applicability
of Requirements
1301. General
Requirements
1302. Setbacks
1303. Design
Standards for Off-Street Parking
1304. Design
Standards for Off-Street Loading
1305.
Shared Parking
SECTION 1300. APPLICABILITY OF REQUIREMENTS
The off-street parking and off-street loading facilities whether they are principal uses, accessory uses, or a minimum requirement of the initiation, enlargement, or change of use, shall meet the requirements of this Chapter as follows, unless modified by Section 1305:
A. For all buildings and structures erected and all uses of land established after the effective date of this Code, parking and loading facilities shall be provided as required by the applicable use unit.
B. When the intensity of use of any building, structure, or premises shall be increased through the addition of dwelling units, floor area, seating capacity, or other units of measurement specified herein for required parking or loading facilities, parking and loading facilities as required herein shall be provided for such increase in intensity of use.
C. Whenever the existing use of a building or structure shall hereafter be changed to a new use, parking and loading facilities shall be provided as required for such new use. However, if the existing use is nonconforming as to parking requirements, then parking requirements for a change in use shall be governed by Section 1407, Parking and Loading Nonconformities.
D. Accessory off-street parking and loading facilities in existence on the effective date of this Code and located on the same lot as the building or use served shall not hereafter be reduced below, or if already less than, shall not be further reduced below the requirements for a similar new building or use under the provisions of this Code.
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SECTION 1301. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
A. Required off-street parking areas shall not be within existing street rights-of-way or planned street rights-of-way as designated on the Major Street Plan. A public alley may be used as an access drive to an off-street parking space.
B. Required off-street parking spaces and required off-street loading berths shall not be used for the storage, sale, dismantling, or servicing of any vehicle, equipment, materials, or supplies.
C. In all RS and RE zoning districts, two or more separate, unconnected parking areas, accessory to Use Unit 6 uses, are not permitted in the front yard.
D. Required off-street parking spaces and required off-street loading berths shall be located on the lot containing the use for which the required spaces or berths are to be provided. Required off-street parking spaces may be allowed on a lot other than the lot containing the use with Board of Adjustment approval as a Special Exception.
E. Required enclosed off-street parking and loading areas shall meet the bulk and area requirements of the use district in which located, except that enclosed off-street parking and loading areas which are required, shall not be included in the computation of permitted floor area.
F. The capacity of an off-street parking area shall be the number of parking spaces, having minimum required dimensions, for both the parking spaces and maneuvering areas, which are positioned so that each parking space can be entered without passing through another parking space; provided that parking spaces accessory to a Use Unit 6 or 7 dwelling may be accessed through another parking space when the spaces are accessory to the same dwelling.
G. Required off-street parking area surfacing shall be completed prior to the initiation of the use.
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SECTION 1302. SETBACKS
A. Off-street loading areas shall not be located within 50 feet of any abutting property which is within an R District unless it is wholly within an enclosed building or screened on all sides abutting the R District by a screening wall or fence.
B. Unenclosed off-street parking and loading areas shall be set back from abutting streets as set forth in Table 1 below.
Table 1
Off-Street Parking and Loading Area Setbacks
From Centerline of Abutting Streets
Parking Area 1 to 5 Spaces |
Parking Area 6 or More Spaces |
Loading Area |
|
| In an R District accessory to a dwelling accessory to another use |
|
|
|
|
|
. |
|
*
If the right-of-way width designated on the Major Street Plan exceeds 50 feet, add 1/2 of the amount by which the designated right-of-way exceeds 50 feet.C. Unenclosed off-street parking areas (including parking lot aisles) which are accessory to any Use Unit 8 use shall be setback at least 25 feet from any abutting RE or RS district.
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SECTION 1303. DESIGN STANDARDS FOR OFF-STREET PARKING AREAS
A. The design standards for off-street parking areas are as follows.
1. All required off-street parking spaces shall have a vertical clearance of at least 6 feet 6 inches;
2. Handicapped off-street parking spaces shall be provided in size and number as specified in the City of Tulsa Building Code;
3. Required off-street parking spaces shall be at least 8.5 feet in width and 18 feet in length exclusive of access drives and aisles. In parking areas where permanent wheel stops have been installed, 2.5 feet of the parking space(s) beyond the wheel stop(s) may be considered part of the required stall length if that area is unobstructed and not part of another parking space or access drive; and
4. Parking layout dimensions for required off-street parking spaces and aisles shall be in accordance with or in proportion to the standards set forth in Figures 1-4 below.
B. Each required parking space shall be accessible from a public street without passing through another required space, except in the RE or RS Districts.
C. Lighting used to illuminate an off-street parking area shall be so arranged as to shield and light away from properties within an R District which do not contain uses for which the parking is being provided. Shielding of such light shall be designed so as to prevent the light-producing element of the light fixture from being visible to a person standing in an R District.
D. Unenclosed off-street parking areas shall be surfaced with an all-weather material except non-required special event parking areas meeting the requirements of Subsection F., below. In all RE and RS zoning districts, such parking areas surfaced with an all-weather material shall not cover more than the following portion of the required front yard:
| District | Maximum Coverage |
| RE | 17% |
| RS-1 | 25% |
| RS-2 | 32% |
| RS-3 | 34% |
| RS-4 | 36% |
E. Unenclosed off-street parking areas which are principal uses shall be screened by the erection of a screening wall or fence on the lot line or lines in common with an R District. Unenclosed off-street parking areas, containing 6 or more spaces, which are accessory to uses not required to provide screening shall be screened by the erection of a screening wall or fence on the lot line or lines in common with an RE or RS District, provided that if the parking area is located more than 50 feet from the RE or RS lot line or lines, the screening requirement shall not apply.
F. Special event parking areas are permitted accessory only to Use Unit 2 uses and shall comply with the following conditions:
1. Special event parking shall not be used for more than twenty (20) days in any calendar year;
2. Special event parking cannot occur for more than ten (10) days in any 30 day period;
3. Special event parking shall be setback at least fifty feet (50’) from any off-site residentially zoned lot or residential development area in a PUD; and
4. All Special event parking areas shall be on the same lot or lots approved for principal Use Unit 2 use to which they are accessory
The number of days per year and the number of days within a 30 day period that Special event parking is permitted may be increased with Board of Adjustment approval as a special exception
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SECTION 1304. DESIGN STANDARDS FOR OFF-STREET LOADING AREAS
A. Unless otherwise specified, a required off-street loading berth shall be at least 10 feet in width, 30 feet in length, exclusive of aisles, and shall have a vertical clearance of at least 14 feet.
B. Required off-street loading berths shall be provided access to and from a public street or alley by an access drive of at least 10 feet in width designed to permit convenient access by semi-trailer trucks.
C. Unenclosed off-street loading areas shall be surfaced with an all-weather material.
D. Unenclosed off-street loading berths shall not be located within 50 feet of any property in an R District unless it is screened on all sides abutting the R District by a screening wall or fence.
E. Lighting used to illuminate an off-street loading area shall be so arranged as to direct the light away from the properties within an R District which do not contain uses for which the loading area is being provided.
SECTION 1305. SHARED PARKING
Commercial mixed use developments with more than 400,000 square feet of total gross floor area which share a common parking area not reserved or assigned to particular individual businesses shall be entitled to a 10% reduction in the required number of off-street parking spaces. The required number of off-street parking spaces for commercial mixed use developments with 100,000 square feet of total gross floor area or more which share a common parking area not reserved or assigned to particular individual businesses may be reduced by 10% with Board of Adjustment approval as a Special Exception or City Council approval in a Planned Unit Development.