A question about parking lot requirements...

[mrburns918]

A post in another thread got me wondering about what the parking lot space requirements are for a new or existing businesses.

Anyone?

Mr. Burns

[PonderInc]

This is not an easy question to answer.  

Every "use" has different parking requirements, and they are tied to things like square footage, number of seats (churches & movie theaters), beds (nursing homes), rooms (hotels) or tennis courts...

For hours of eye-crossing entertainment, see Chapter 12 of the Zoning Code

Grocery Store: 1 parking space per 225 SF of floor area.
Bar: 1 per 75 SF of floor area.
Restaurant: 1 per 100 SF of floor area.

Since a parking space is  8.5-10 feet wide and 18 feet deep, you're looking at between 150-180 SF of asphalt for each parking space....not counting "aisle" space between rows of parking...which is usually 20-24 feet wide.  

See diagrams of surface parking lot geometry in Chapter 13 - Zoning Code

So if you are required to have 1 parking space per 100 SF of floor area, you can see why the parking lots are bigger than the buildings they serve...

[sgrizzle]

What are the bathroom rules?

[TUalum0982]

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

What are the bathroom rules?

men are supposed to go in the bathroom labeled "mens" and women go in the bathroom labeled "women".  Now this isn't the rule at most bars, especially on brookside.  I have walked into the bathroom at many bars only to see a woman in there or a man walking out of the womens.  Amazing what alcohol will do to a person.

[sgrizzle]

Ha.

[Hoss]

quote:Originally posted by TUalum0982

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

What are the bathroom rules?

men are supposed to go in the bathroom labeled "mens" and women go in the bathroom labeled "women".  Now this isn't the rule at most bars, especially on brookside.  I have walked into the bathroom at many bars only to see a woman in there or a man walking out of the womens.  Amazing what alcohol will do to a person.

Happened to me on Mardi Gras at S & J's about 10 years ago.  Except I didn't walk in on her; she walked in on me.  The phrase 'I won't say anything if you don't' was involved.

[PonderInc]

Um...back to the parking space requirements...

My question is: What do they mean by "floor space?"  Let's say you have a grocery store.  Do you count all the warehouse/freezer space in the back as part of the floor space (when calculating needed parking)?  Do you calculate it based on the overall dimensions of the building?  Or do you just calculate the actual floor space of the shopping area?

Seems like if you calculate the overall store dimensions, a lot of that space is just for storage...and pallets of cereal and pasta don't drive there on their own...

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by PonderInc

Um...back to the parking space requirements...

My question is: What do they mean by "floor space?"  Let's say you have a grocery store.  Do you count all the warehouse/freezer space in the back as part of the floor space (when calculating needed parking)?  Do you calculate it based on the overall dimensions of the building?  Or do you just calculate the actual floor space of the shopping area?

Seems like if you calculate the overall store dimensions, a lot of that space is just for storage...and pallets of cereal and pasta don't drive there on their own...

Just the public area I believe.