10.746 General Design Requirements for Parking.
(1) The design provisions of this section are applicable to all new parking facilities, parking lot expansions, and to areas where existing parking facilities are excavated, including grinding, and re-installed. A preexisting parking lot that is legally nonconforming to a standard in subsections (3), (4), (9), or (10) of this section and is improved with a surface pavement overlay only, without excavation of existing pavement, may remain nonconforming to that particular standard(s). All other provisions of this section are applicable to resurfaced parking lots.
(2) Conformity with Code. No building footprint or structure shall be enlarged more than 30 percent without the inclusion of additional parking spaces in conformance with the requirements of this code. The requirements of this code shall apply only to the additional parking necessitated by the change in use or building expansion.
(3) Final Certificate of Occupancy. No Final Certificate of Occupancy shall be granted to any structure until the parking areas are completed and ready for use.
(4) Department of Environmental Quality (D.E.Q.) Indirect Source Construction Permit. All parking areas, where applicable, shall be subject to review and approval by the Department of Environmental Quality.
(5) Off -Street Parking Redevelopment. Property owners shall be allowed to redevelop any portion of existing off-street parking areas for any one of the following, and in doing so may supply fewer off-street parking spaces than the existing mandated minimum; however, access for emergency vehicles must be retained.
(a) Bicycle and transit-oriented facilities, such as:
(i) Bicycle parking;
(ii) Bus stops and pullouts;
(iii) Bus shelters;
(iv) Park and ride stations; and
(v) Similar facilities.
(6) Drainage. Adequate drainage shall be provided to dispose of the runoff generated by the impervious surface area of the parking area. Provisions shall be made for the on-site collection of drainage waters to eliminate sheet flow of such waters onto sidewalks, public rights-of-way, and abutting private property.
(7) Surfacing. All surfacing shall be consistent with the Medford Municipal Code parking lot specifications, Section 9.550. All parking, loading, driveway and vehicle maneuvering areas, including but not limited to: wheeled-vehicle sales lots, truck trailer parking areas, and on-site single-family residential driveways, etc., shall be paved and improved pursuant to the following minimum design requirements of this section. Unless otherwise approved by the Fire Chief or designee, extended residential driveways for up to four units shall be a minimum of 12 feet paved width and shall not allow parking within the drive aisle.
(a) Residential development may reduce the concrete standard to a four-inch minimum thickness.
(b) Storage of trailered items and recreational vehicles at single-family residences is exempt.
(8) Electric Vehicle Charging Readiness. Pursuant to ORS 455.417 and OAR 660-012-0410, multifamily or mixed-use buildings with commercial and residential units that develop five or more residential units shall install electrical conduit for no less than 40 percent of total parking spaces. Pursuant to OAR 918-460-0200, any commercial development shall install electrical conduit for no less than 20 percent of the total parking spaces.
(a) The conduit system must be, at a minimum, capable of supporting the installation of electrical wiring for the future installation of electric vehicle charging stations rated “Level 2” (40 amp/3.3 – 6.6 kW) or larger.
(b) Any conduit installed for future electric vehicle charging stations must be labeled “For Electric Vehicle Charging Readiness Future EV Charging Stations.” Both ends of the conduit must be labeled for the environment it is located in.
(9) Curb Cuts. Access points with the street shall be the minimum necessary to provide access while not inhibiting the safe circulation and carrying capacity of the street. Curb cuts shall be located not closer than five feet to a side lot line, except that a common access way to two adjacent properties (width not exceeding 45 feet) may be provided at the common lot line. Common access ways shall be encouraged in order to reduce the number of access points to streets. Access grades shall not exceed 15 percent and shall be graded to allow clearance to pass a standard American automobile 15 feet in length.
(10) Parking Area Planters. It is the purpose of this subsection to create shade and visual relief for surface lot parking, where 25 or more stalls are created.
(a) Parking areas exceeding 24 parking spaces shall contain areas of interior landscaping, such as planter islands or planter projections into the parking area, which comply with the planting schedule provided in subsection (10)(f) of this section and Section 10.780, Landscape and Irrigation Requirements, and as approved by the approving authority.
(b) Planters shall be dispersed throughout the parking area and contain, at minimum, the landscaping area square footage specified in the planting schedule of subsection (10)(f) of this section. Square footage of each parking area planter may vary; however, each parking area planter shall meet the soil volume requirements of Section 10.780(7)(i)(ii).
(c) Prior to installing plant materials in parking area planters, the developer shall remove detrimental construction materials and prepare the soil within the planters in accordance with Section 10.780(7)(i). If structural soils are necessary, areas under planned impervious surfaces surrounding planters shall be prepared in accordance with Section 10.780(7)(j)(i).
(d) So as to not obstruct driver vision, nothing shall be erected, placed, planted or allowed to grow in such a manner as to impede vision between a height of three feet and eight feet above the top of the curb. The property owner shall maintain shrub and tree growth in planter areas to ensure shrubs are kept lower than three feet and tree canopies are maintained above eight feet.
(e) Trees planted in parking area planters shall have a moderate to broad spreading canopy; and shall be selected from the City of Medford approved street trees list; and shall conform with Section 10.780.
(f) The minimum landscaped area within parking area planters and number of required plants per 24 spaces is as follows:
|
Zoning District |
Plants/per 24 Spaces |
Sq. Ft./per 24 Spaces |
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
trees |
shrubs |
||
|
Industrial Zones |
2 |
4 |
325 |
|
SFR (Nonresidential uses only), MFR zones, Commercial Zones, |
3 |
6 |
500 |
|
*Public Zones |
3 |
6 |
500 |
*Shrub and ground cover within the parking lot planter bays in parks may be substituted with non-living ground cover if allowed by the approving authority (artificial turf not allowed).
(11) Large Parking Lot Design. Any new development that includes more than one-half acre (21,780 square feet) of new off-street surface parking for employee, residential, or patron use on a lot or parcel is subject to the design criteria of this section. These standards shall also apply to any new parking area more than one-half acre in total even if it spans multiple properties with less than one-half acre on any individual lot or parcel. The new surface parking area shall be measured based on the perimeter of all new off-street parking spaces, maneuvering lanes, and maneuvering areas, including driveways and drive aisles. Loading areas and freight areas and fleet parking are exempt from this calculation.
(a) Developments subject to large parking lot design must provide tree canopy. Developments shall provide either trees along driveways or a minimum of 30 percent tree canopy coverage over new parking areas. Developments are not required to provide trees along drive aisles. The tree spacing and species planted must be designed to maintain a continuous canopy except when interrupted by driveways, drive aisles, and other site design considerations. Developments providing 40 percent tree canopy to comply with the required climate mitigation action below, comply with this subsection.
(b) Developments not required to comply with OAR 330-135-0010 (1.5 Percent for Green Energy Technology in Public Construction Contracts) must provide a climate mitigation action. Climate mitigation actions shall include at least one of the following:
(i) Installation of solar panels with a generation capacity of at least 0.5 kilowatt per new off-street parking space. Panels may be located anywhere on the property.
(ii) Tree canopy covering at least 40 percent of the new parking lot area at maturity but no more than 15 years after planting; or
(iii) An in-lieu fee per parking space paid to the City of Medford for use in solar and wind energy development projects; or
(iv) A mixture of subsections (i), (ii) and (iii) of this section that the City deems to meet the purpose of this section.
(c) Developments, including multifamily, must provide pedestrian connections that comply with the applicable requirements of Sections 10.772 through 10.776 and must, at a minimum, connect the following throughout the parking area, except where not practical due to site-specific conditions:
(i) Building entrances;
(ii) Existing or planned pedestrian facilities in the adjacent public rights-of-way;
(iii) Transit stops; and
(iv) Accessible parking spaces.
(d) Development of a tree canopy plan under this section shall be done in coordination with the local electric utility, including pre-design, design, building and maintenance phases. The submitted site plan shall demonstrate the following, in addition to the requirements of Section 10.780, Landscape Plan and Irrigation Plan Requirements:
(i) Conformity with the Medford approved street tree list;
(ii) A tree canopy plan indicating the percent of surface pavement covered at maturity.
(e) In providing trees under subsections (a) and (b) of this section, the following standards shall be met in addition to standards in Section 10.780, Landscape and Irrigation Requirements:
(i) Trees must be planted and maintained to maximize their root health and chances for survival, including having ample high-quality soil, space for root growth, and reliable irrigation according to the needs of the species.
(ii) Trees should be planted in continuous trenches where possible per the minimum standards of the 2021 American National Standards Institute A300.
(f) Pedestrian Open Space. In addition to the above, parking areas exceeding three contiguous acres shall incorporate one or more of the following components:
(i) Large landscape areas, public plaza, pocket park, or other similar public space.
(12) Screening. Where parking, vehicle maneuvering, or loading areas abut a public street, there shall be provided a minimum 10-foot-wide landscaping buffer.
(a) Within public parks, shrub and groundcover within this area may be substituted with non-living ground cover if approved by the approving authority (artificial turf not allowed).
(13) Parking, Required Yard. Parking and loading spaces and their maneuvering area shall not be located in a required yard, except as follows:
(a) In an SFR or MFR zone, parking lots with more than three spaces that do not back directly into the street may encroach five feet into the front yard setback (a 10-foot setback from the right-of-way must be maintained).
(b) When creating a common driveway with an adjacent parcel.
(c) In an SFR zone, paving may be located within a required side or rear yard.
(d) Paved driveways located in a required front yard, street side yard, or rear yard off an alley may be counted toward the off-street parking requirement for the lot or parcel. The paved area shall meet the dimensional requirements for a parking space and shall not be located within a public right-of-way.
(14) Irrigation Systems. All landscaped areas shall be irrigated with a permanent irrigation system unless a licensed landscape architect submits written verification that the proposed plant materials do not require irrigation.
(15) Driveways. All driveways shall be improved to the standards set forth in Article IV, Section 10.550, Access Standards. Residential driveways on arterial and collector streets shall comply with the minimum turnaround standards as illustrated below:
(a) Aisles. Except for single- or two-family dwellings, groups of more than three parking spaces shall be provided with adequate aisles or turnaround areas so that all vehicles may enter the street in a forward manner. For parking off an alley, the alley can count toward the required 24-foot backup space.
(b) Minimum Clearance. Driveways, aisles, turnaround areas and ramps shall have a minimum vertical clearance of at least 12 feet for their entire length and width but such clearance may be reduced in parking structures.
(16) Connect Parking Areas. Parking areas with access to arterial or collector streets shall be so designed as to connect with existing or future parking areas on adjacent sites thereby eliminating the necessity of utilizing the arterial or collector street for cross movements.
(17) Parking Space Minimum Dimension Standards.
Parking Angle | Standard Space Width | Standard Space Length | Aisle Width (1-way) | Aisle Width (2-way) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
90 deg | 9'0" | 19'0" | 24'0" | 24'0" |
60 deg | 9'0" | 19'0" | 16'0" | 24'0" |
45 deg | 9'0" | 19'0" | 12'0" | 24'0" |
0 deg/Parallel | 8'0" | 24'0" | 12'0" | 24'0" |
(18) Compact Cars. A maximum of 50 percent of the total required parking may be improved as compact parking spaces. All compact parking spaces must be identified for compact parking only. Compact parking spaces shall have the following minimum dimensions: nine feet wide by 16 feet long.
(19) Parking Encroachment. Vehicle encroachment and a reduction in the length of a standard parking space by two feet is permitted when adjacent to a seven-foot pedestrian walkway. Vehicle encroachment and a reduction in the length of a standard parking space by two feet is permitted into a required landscape yard if an additional two feet of landscape yard is provided. No vehicle encroachment is permitted into a bufferyard area.
(20) Accessible Parking Space Requirements. Accessible parking regulations are derived from ORS 447.233 and appear in Chapter 11 (Section 1106) of the Oregon Structural Specialty Code. Please refer to these resources to determine the required number of accessible car, van, and wheelchair user spaces required.
(21) Signage. The International Symbol of Access shall be posted for each accessible parking space. The sign shall be clearly visible to a person parking in the space, and shall indicate that the spaces are reserved for persons with disabled person parking permits. A van-accessible parking space shall have an additional sign marked “Van Accessible” mounted below the sign. A van-accessible parking space reserved for wheelchair users shall have a sign that includes the words “Wheelchair User Only.”
(a) Accessible parking spaces and signs shall be designed in compliance with the standards set forth by the Oregon Transportation Commission in consultation with the Oregon Disabilities Commission.
(b) No ramp or obstacle may extend into the parking space or the aisle, and curb cuts and ramps may not be situated in such a way that they could be blocked by a legally parked vehicle.
(c) Accessible parking spaces shall be located on the shortest practical accessible route to an accessible building entry. In facilities with multiple accessible building entries with adjacent parking, accessible parking spaces shall be dispersed and located near accessible entries.
(d) Parking spaces required by this section shall be maintained so as to meet the requirements of this section at all times and to meet the standards established by the State Building Code.
(22) Preferential Employee Parking for Carpooling. Any new or expanding designated employee parking facilities with 50 or more parking spaces shall provide preferential parking for employee carpools and vanpools. See Section 10.743(4) for overall reductions in off-street parking requirements for the provision of employee preferential carpool or vanpool parking. See Section 10.809, Vanpool and Carpool Preferential Parking Requirements, for design standards and additional requirements for the number of carpooling parking spaces that shall be provided.