14.37.050 Reduction in Off-street Parking Requirements

14.37.050 Reduction in Off-street Parking Requirements.

(1) Purpose and Intent. The Provo City General Plan encourages the application of transportation demand management strategies to reduce traffic congestion and to lessen the amount of land that must be devoted to parking for commercial, industrial, or public facility uses. Accordingly, the purpose of this Section is to allow flexibility in off-street parking requirements for commercial, industrial, public facility, or multifamily residential uses based on the standards set forth herein. This Section shall not be used to reduce parking for baching single residential projects.

(a) Subject to the requirements of this Subsection, the Planning Commission may reduce off-street parking required under Section 14.37.060, Provo City Code, for any use located on a lot within a commercial, industrial, or public facility zoning district; or for multifamily residential developments in residential zones, as part of a project plan approval.

(b) In addition to the application materials required for a project plan, an applicant shall submit a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) program and a parking count justification study prepared by a transportation planner, traffic consultant, licensed engineer, or architect.

(i) Design of the project site so that landscaped areas, other than those required by Chapter 15.20, Provo City Code, or the underlying zone, can be converted to provide additional parking areas meeting the requirements of Section 14.37.060, Provo City Code, if the City determines the parking originally provided under this reduction is inadequate, based on parking demand;

(ii) Robust bicycle amenities (i.e., lockers and repair facilities) and additional designated bicycle parking areas in excess of what is required for the project;

(iii) Proximity of a proposed project to employment centers, mass transit, commercial services, and public recreation spaces;

(iv) Designated priority parking for carpool and/or van pool vehicles;

(v) Designated pick-up and drop-off zones;

(vi) Priority parking for car-sharing; or

(vii) Electric vehicle charging facilities.

(d) A Parking Justification Study shall include the following information:

(i) Calculation of the number of off-street parking spaces required by this Chapter for the use proposed;

(ii) Total square footage of all uses within existing and proposed development and the square footage devoted to each type of use therein;

(iii) A reasonable conversion of gross floor area to net available floor area within existing and proposed development that accounts for such factors as wall thickness, corridors, and other portions of the development that do not generate parking demand;

(iv) A copy of the applicant’s plans to operate a transportation demand management program that provides incentives for employee use of transportation modes other than single occupancy vehicles;

(v) Trip generation rates expected for the uses within the existing and proposed development;

(vi) If the development is an expansion of an existing use, or if a similar facility exists elsewhere in Utah, historical data indicating parking lot usage experience at the existing development or facility.

(e) Following consideration of the materials required by this Section, the Planning Commission may approve a reduction in the parking otherwise required by this Chapter, subject to the following:

(i) Adoption of findings that the TDM program is adequate for the proposed reduction and the parking justification study reasonably reflects expected parking demand;

(ii) Recordation of the TDM agreement between the property owner and Provo City governing the provision of parking on the subject lot. Such agreement shall run with the land and include provisions for:

(A) Monitoring of parking lot adequacy on at least an annual basis, and

(B) Construction of additional parking spaces, implementation of parking demand mitigation measures, or compliance with the usual Provo City Code parking standards if trip generation rates for uses within the development change from those set forth in the TDM program and parking count justification study.

(f) For property where a TDM agreement exists, failure by the property owner to abide by the agreement shall be unlawful. In addition to other legal remedies available to the City, a determination by the Planning Commission, after a duly noticed hearing, that the owner has violated the agreement, shall mean that any parking reduction allowed as the result of the TDM program is no longer allowed for that property and the property must meet the parking requirements otherwise required by Provo City Code at the time of project approval.

(g) In no case shall parking for residential uses be less than one (1) space per unit for a one (1) bedroom unit, or one and one-half (1.5) spaces for a unit with two (2) or more bedrooms.

(h) TDM agreements for residential projects that are granted a reduction in off-street parking requirements shall, in addition to the TDM program elements, provide that:

(i) Any land area which would otherwise be allocated for parking, if this reduction were not invoked, and that is not developed with structures shall be improved with landscaping meeting City standards and include reasonable amenities;

(ii) A financially responsible party shall be locally available to enforce provisions of the agreement;

(iii) Binding community rules regarding occupancy, parking, other limitations and enforcement procedures shall be included in the agreement and as a note on any plat documents, and such rules shall be posted conspicuously on the premises; and

(iv) After a period of five (5) years, during which the number of parking stalls has never been found to be inadequate, the Development Services Director may determine that retaining landscaped areas in reserve for future parking is no longer necessary.

(3) Reduction in Off-Street Parking through Providing Increased Bicycle Parking Spaces. The Planning Commission may approve a reducing of the off-street parking otherwise required by this Chapter if an applicant for such a reduction demonstrates compliance with the bicycle parking space requirements in the table below.

Land Use Type	Long-Term Requirement	Short-Term Requirement
Residential
Single-family dwelling	No spaces required.	No spaces required.
Multiple-Family and Apartments
a) With private garage for each unit	No spaces required.	0.10 spaces for each bedroom. Minimum is 2 spaces.
b) Without private garage for each unit	0.5 spaces for each bedroom. Minimum is 2 spaces.	0.10 spaces for each bedroom. Minimum is 2 spaces.
c) Senior housing	0.5 spaces for each bedroom. Minimum is 2 spaces.	0.10 spaces for each bedroom. Minimum is 2 spaces
Civic: Cultural/Recreational
Nonassembly cultural (library, government, etc.)	1.5 spaces for each 10 employees. Minimum is 2 spaces per project.	1 space for each 8,000 s.f. of floor area. Minimum is 2 spaces per project.
Assembly (church, theaters, stadiums, parks, beaches, etc.)	1.5 spaces for each 20 employees. Minimum is 2 spaces per project.	Spaces for 5% of maximum expected daily attendance.
Health care/hospitals	1.5 spaces for each 20 employees or 1 space for each 70,000 s.f. of floor area, whichever is greater. Minimum is 2 spaces per project.	1 space for each 20,000 s.f. of floor area. Minimum is 2 spaces per project.
Education
a) Public, parochial, and private day care centers for 15 or more children	1.5 spaces for each 20 employees. Minimum is 2 spaces per project.	1 space for each 20 students of planned capacity. Minimum is 2 spaces per project.
b) Public, parochial, and private nursery schools, kindergartens, and elementary schools (1 – 3)	1.5 spaces for each 10 employees. Minimum is 2 spaces per project.	1.5 spaces for each 20 students of planned capacity. Minimum is 2 spaces per project.
c) Public, parochial, and elementary (4 – 6), junior high and high schools	1.5 space for each 10 employees plus 1 space for each 20 students of planned capacity. Minimum is 2 spaces per project.	1.5 space for each 20 students of planned capacity. Minimum is 2 spaces per project.
d) Colleges and universities	1.5 spaces for each 10 employees plus 1 space for each 10 students of planned capacity; or 1 space for each 20,000 s.f. of floor area, whichever is greater.	1 space for each 10 students of planned capacity. Minimum is 2 spaces per project.
Transit Stations
Rail/bus terminals and stations/airports	Spaces for 7% of projected a.m. peak period daily ridership.	Spaces for 2% of a.m. peak period daily ridership.
Commercial Activity
Retail
General food sales or groceries	1 space for each 10,000 s.f. of floor area. Minimum is 2 spaces per project.	1 space for each 2,000 s.f. of floor area. Minimum is 2 spaces per project.
General retail	1 space for each 10,000 s.f. of floor area. Minimum is 2 spaces per project.	1 space for each 5,000 s.f. of floor area. Minimum is 2 spaces per project.
Office	1.5 spaces for each 10,000 s.f. of floor area. Minimum is 2 spaces per project.	1 space for each 20,000 s.f. of floor area. Minimum is 2 spaces per project.
Auto Related
Automotive sales, rental, and delivery, automotive servicing, automotive repair and cleaning	1 space for each 10,000 s.f. of floor area. Minimum is 2 spaces per project.	1 space for each 20,000 s.f. of floor area. Minimum is 2 spaces per project.
Off-street parking lots and garages available to the general public	1 space for each 20 automobile spaces. Minimum is 2 spaces. Unattended surface parking lots excepted.	Minimum of 6 spaces or 1 per 10 auto spaces. Unattended surface parking lots excepted.
Industrial/Manufacturing
Manufacturing and production	1 space for each 12,000 s.f. of floor area. Minimum is 2 spaces per project.	Number of spaces to be prescribed by the Director of City Planning. Consider minimum of 2 spaces at each public building entrance.