15.44.040        Parking adjustments.

A.        When reviewing a Final Development Plan, Special Use Permit, Planned Unit Development, or Master Plan, or an amendment to one of these documents, the Planning and Zoning Commission or the City Council, whichever has the final authority over the application, may grant requests to deviate from the number of off-street parking spaces required by this Chapter.  In all other cases, the City Manager or designee may grant requests to deviate from the required number of off-street parking spaces required by this Chapter.

B.         Non-specified uses.  Where the off-street parking requirements for a particular use are not specifically identified in Table 1.0, the City Manager or designee shall:

1.         Review the characteristics of the proposed use or uses and, based on parking requirements of similar uses, and assign the off-street parking requirement for the proposed use or uses; or

2.         Require a parking study, if it is determined that additional data is needed to make an appropriate determination of off-street parking requirements.  The parking study shall identify the probable generation and timing of vehicle trips to and from the use, based on actual experience, a professional engineer's analysis or existing studies undertaken by such organizations as the American Planning Association (APA) or the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE).

C.        Review of accessory area.  If a building has an unusually high percentage of accessory areas such as cafeterias, multiple stairways and elevator shafts, atriums, and other similar areas, the floor area square footage that determines the number of parking spaces may be reduced.

D.        Off-site parking.  Required parking for a nonresidential development may be located off-site if:

1.         The parking is located within three hundred feet (300') of the building entrance via direct pedestrian access. 

2.         A recorded reciprocal parking/access agreement ensuring the perpetual use of such off-site parking executed by the property owners and approved by the City Attorney.

E.         Shared parking.  Requests to share parking facilities that have intermittent or seasonal uses with non-conflicting parking demands, or where it can be determined that peak demand requirements occur at different times (e.g., a place of worship and a bank), requires the submittal of a parking utilization study including the following:

1.         The viability of shared parking given the land uses proposed on site and adjacent to the site, the size of each use, the type of operation, space utilization based occupancy factors, and the twelve (12) to twenty-four (24) hour parking demand characteristics of each use, as well as weekly and monthly variations in parking demand.

2.         The minimum number of shared spaces based on the peak parking demand for each hour over a twelve (12) and twenty-four (24) hour period, beginning on the highest peak hour, on the highest peak day of the week, and month of the year. 

3.         The number of reserved or fee based parking spaces.

4.         Table 5.0 demonstrates examples of reasonable walking distances between the shared parking facility and the land uses intended to be served.

Table 5.0         Examples of reasonable walking distances.

Adjacent Less than 100 ft.	Short Less than 800 ft.	Medium Less than 1200 ft.	Long Less than 1600 ft.
Persons with disabilities Deliveries/loading Emergency services Convenience store	Grocery stores Professional services Medical clinics	General retail Restaurants Employees Entertainment centers Religious institutions	Cultural/sporting events Overflow parking lots

 

5.         A recorded reciprocal parking/access agreement ensuring the perpetual use of such off-site parking approved by the City Attorney and executed by the property owners.

F.         Overall parking reduction.  A reduction in the minimum number of off-street parking spaces may be approved by the City Manager or designee upon submittal of a local parking demand analysis including the following elements:

1.         The parking occupancy rates of morning, afternoon and evening peaks on the seven (7) different days of the week.  The seven (7) days of observation shall take place over the span of two consecutive, typical weeks.

2.         Improved pedestrian connections with the surrounding land uses and multi-modal connections and the overall walkability including:

a.         Improved sidewalks, crosswalks and paths.

b.         Pedestrian shortcuts, such as mid-block paths and connections between parcels.

c.         Ramps to accommodate people using wheelchairs, walkers, strollers and handcarts.

d.         Street furniture (e.g., benches) and pedestrian design features (e.g., human-scale street lights).

e.         Pedestrian security measures, such as lighting and visibility.

3.         The proximity to transit corridors, stations, or bus stops.

4.         The presence of a captive market for associated uses (e.g., guests of a hotel patronizing the hotel's restaurant) located within a maximum walking distance of five-hundred feet (500').

5.         The presence of a Transportation Demand Management program, recorded with the Arapahoe County Clerk and Recorder, promoting carpools, van pools, employee passes for transit service, staggered work hours or other similar provisions, and containing the following information:

a.         The projected effectiveness of the transportation management techniques to be used, such as telecommuting, van/carpools, market based strategies, or bicycling support facilities such as secure bike parking and changing areas;

b.         The proximity of public transportation facilities serving a significant portion of employees and customers; and

c.         Evidence that employees and customers utilize vehicle transportation alternatives on a regular basis.