16.25.110 Off-street parking.
A. The provisions of Chapter 16.72 LMC, except as they conflict with LMC 16.25.110, apply to development in the CBD land use districts.
B. The site plan review committee shall review and approve, approve with conditions or deny a proposal for a parking structure through the site plan review process in Chapter 16.84 LMC. The site plan review committee may approve the parking structure only if:
1. General.
a. Driveway openings are limited and the number of access lanes in each opening are minimized.
b. Ground level screening of parked vehicles by landscaping, or by a wall or other screening, is provided if pedestrian-oriented frontage is not developed at the ground level.
c. The dimension of the parking structure abutting pedestrian areas is minimized, except where pedestrian-oriented frontage is provided.
d. Whenever practicable, pedestrian-oriented uses are provided for at the street frontage.
e. A wall or other screening of sufficient height to screen parked vehicles and which exhibits a visually pleasing character is provided at all above grade levels of the parking structure.
f. A safe pedestrian linkage system between the parking structure and the principal use exists.
g. The upper surface of underground parking structures shall not exceed a height of three and one-half feet above the average grade of the abutting public sidewalk and no parking shall be permitted on top of that portion of an underground parking structure which is above the established grade.
2. Requirements of specific locations. In addition to the requirements of LMC 16.72.030(D)(3)(a), pedestrian-oriented frontage is required at ground level of a parking structure along any street in a CBD land use district if the parking garage is located at the zero front setback line and/or at the zero side setback line of a corner lot.
C. Parking areas or garages shall be designed to provide for off-street vehicle circulation to adjoining property and parking areas where physically feasible, except that driveways and parking aisles should not cross pedestrian linkages in CBD land use districts.
D. An owner/developer may elect to provide off-street parking by entering a voluntary agreement with the city to pay a fee-in-lieu of constructing or otherwise causing the provision of off-street parking facilities as provided for in LMC 16.25.110(A) and Chapter 16.72 LMC. Such contributions shall be at a rate as determined by the city engineer, adjusted annually by a construction cost price index. All contributions shall be deposited in a “downtown parking reserve fund.” The fund shall be administered by the city and proceeds shall be used to further the objective of expanding the supply of off-street parking spaces and facilities.
Priorities for construction of parking facilities shall be identified in a comprehensive parking plan and capital improvements program approved by the city council. The plan shall take into consideration the amount of available off-street parking within an area, the need for concentration of public parking facilities to prevent proliferation of private parking lots alternating with buildings, the visual and traffic impacts of parking areas or garages and the degree to which the parking areas or structures will encourage pedestrian circulation.
All moneys voluntarily contributed by an owner/developer shall be spent or loaned by the city within twenty years on public parking areas or structures within the same CBD land use district from which the contribution originated. (Ord. 1220 §27, 2004; Ord. 1154 §12, 2001; Ord. 1131 §§1 (repeals), 3, 2000; Ord. 1130 §5, 2000; Ord. 1055 §1, 1997; Ord. 871 §2 (part), 1989).