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A. The requirements for any use not listed herein shall be those of the listed use most similar to the unlisted use. When similarity is not apparent, the enforcing officer and/or the site plan review committee shall determine the minimum and maximum for the unlisted use.

B. For conditional uses, as identified and described in Chapter 16.66 LMC, the parking requirement shall be as provided in that chapter or as determined by the site plan review committee.

C. Residential District. Off-street parking requirements for residential districts are located in Table 16T-13.

D. Commercial, Community Office and Industrial Uses.

1. General Parking Standards--Parking Standard Table.

a. In the several commercial, industrial, community office, and mixed use districts, off-street parking requirements shall be as shown in Table 16T-13; provided, that all of the property is controlled by a single person or corporation, or written agreements for shared parking, acceptable to the city, are filed with the enforcing officer.

b. Phased Reduction of Maximum Parking Standards. One technique for transportation demand management (TDM) is to reduce maximum allowable parking spaces. This can be done by slowly phasing down the maximum allowable number of parking spaces over a period of years. This technique has advantages of reducing vehicle trips and conserving urban commercial land that can be used for other purposes. However, this technique has the potential to have a significant adverse impact on the jurisdiction’s economic development if other reasonable forms of alternative transportation are not available. This technique should be periodically revisited to consider its viability but should not be implemented until its viability for Lacey is established.

c. Minimum Optional Guidelines and Maximum Standards. To promote parking reduction, the optional minimum guideline serves as a suggested parking number but is not mandatory for automobiles except for single-family residential development. Applicants are encouraged to provide less automobile parking than the minimum listed whenever possible based upon being located within one-half mile of a fixed transit route with thirty-minute headway or less, available on-street parking, shared parking within walking distance, on-site vehicle sharing programs, and other factors. The minimum number listed for bicycle parking shall be provided as indicated in the table for both commercial and residential development.

If the number of parking spaces is less than the minimum required, this shall be demonstrated at the time of application to the site plan review committee based upon a parking plan. Upon justification to the satisfaction of the committee, whatever number of parking spaces agreed upon shall be the number required, and this shall be an enforceable condition of the approval.

The maximum parking standards may be increased if the site plan review committee finds compelling reasons to do so. Such determination shall be at the sole discretion of the committee based upon such factors as unique site or use requirements, historical data of a particular use or other relevant factors indicating additional parking is necessary to properly serve a use or uses at a site.

Shared parking agreements are encouraged if the physical relationship between the premises is within convenient walking distance and makes such sharing possible.

2. If more parking spaces than the maximum permitted by Table 16T-13 exist on the subject property, an owner/developer may lease those excess spaces or convert excess spaces into LID facilities where feasible, such as permeable paving or bioretention, until conformance with Table 16T-13 is reached.

a. Shared parking is particularly encouraged when:

(1) The total number of parking spaces provided is sufficient to meet expected demand; or

(2) The uses are operating during different hours and number of spaces needed for all uses at any one time are satisfied. If permitted, the total number of spaces for a shared arrangement should be no greater than the maximum number of spaces permitted for all uses operating at the same time.

b. Where adjoining parking facilities of two or more ownerships are developed and designed as one parking facility, a reduction of required parking spaces may be permitted based upon the increased potential opportunity for shared parking and other parking reduction techniques.

c. The continuation of joint or shared facilities should be assured by a sufficient legal document such as a covenant or reciprocal easement agreement or by participation in a local improvement district or parking association. Joint or shared parking associated with multi-tenant retail and commercial uses will be considered to be a shared parking facility. Lease agreements will satisfy the requirement for a sufficient legal document. However, any new tenant whose parking requirement reduces the total parking available in the shared parking facility below seventy-five percent of the requirements for all uses sharing the facility will be required to provide additional parking.

d. For large projects where a traffic study is required under Chapter 14.21 LMC (Traffic Mitigation and Concurrency) and the proposal has one hundred or more employees, a comprehensive TDM strategy may be proposed to achieve a reduction in minimum parking listed in the parking table. Additionally, a bonus credit towards transportation impact fees may be awarded for reducing parking area pursuant to this section. The reduction in parking permitted and the incentive bonus shall be commensurate with the permanence, effectiveness and demonstrated reduction in off-street parking demand effectuated by such alternative programs.

Alternative programs that may be considered by the enforcing officer and/or site plan review committee under this provision include, but are not limited to, the following:

(1) Private vanpool operation;

(2) Transit/vanpool fare subsidy;

(3) Imposition of a charge for parking;

(4) Provision of subscription bus services;

(5) Flexible work hour schedule;

(6) Capital improvements for transit services;

(7) Preferential parking for carpools/vanpools;

(8) Participation in the ride-matching program;

(9) Reduction of parking fees for carpools and vanpools;

(10) Establishment of a transportation coordinator position to implement carpool, vanpool and transit programs;

(11) Bicycle parking facilities including associated shower and changing facilities;

(12) Compressed work week;

(13) Telecommuting;

(14) Advancements in technology including autonomous vehicles;

(15) Other techniques and strategies approved by the site plan review committee.

e. Parking reduction under this subsection (D)(2) must provide information regarding the administration of the program to the site plan review committee. The information must include:

(1) Address each individual TDM strategy as part of the transportation impact analysis;

(2) Provide the city with an estimate of peak hour employees as part of their site plan review application and traffic impact analysis;

(3) Provide estimated parking occupancy rates for the development as part of the transportation impact analysis showing average weekday use;

(4) Demonstrate how TDM strategies will be used to minimize the need for parking.

3. The city is hereby authorized to develop parking requirements specific to certain geographic locations or districts rather than individual sites by pooling parking supply in desired locations. Any parking requirements established as part of these programs may deviate from the typical standards contained herein and would be binding on the properties within these locations.

E. Transportation Demand Management Incentives. The site plan review committee shall determine whether the applicant can receive a traffic impact mitigation fee reduction for implementation of TDM strategies that reduce parking needs. Such incentives will be as listed in the following schedule as well as any traffic mitigation credit allowed under LMC 14.21.030. The incentive bonus is as follows:

1. Any developer who builds at the minimum amount of parking allowed shall receive a five percent trip reduction in the calculation of traffic impacts.

2. Any developer who builds at or below the minimum and includes significant strategies from subsection (D)(2)(d) of this section is eligible for an additional five percent trip reduction bonus.

3. Additional bonuses will be allowed under the provisions of LMC 14.21.030. (Ord. 1614 §1, 2022; Ord. 1539 §120 (part), 2019; Ord. 1500 §3 (part), 2016; Ord. 1496 §101, 2016; Ord. 1434 §5, 2014; Ord. 1230 §1, 2004; Ord. 1220 §52, 2004; Ord. 1192 §185, 2002; Ord. 1130 §3, 2000; Ord. 859 §1, 1989; Ord. 691 §41, 1984; Ord. 583 §2.29(C), 1980).