City of Spokane

Spokane Municipal Code

***Note: Many local criminal codes can now be located under Chapter 10.60 SMC while others are now cited under the Revised Code of Washington (RCW), which was incorporated into the municipal code in 2022. (See SMC 10.58.010). Code Enforcement, including Noise Control and Animal Regulations are located in Chapters 10.62 through 10.74.

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Title 17C
Chapter 17C.230
Section 17C.230.140
 

Title 17C Land Use Standards

Chapter 17C.230 Parking and Loading

Section 17C.230.140 Development Standards
  1. Purpose.

The parking area layout standards are intended to promote safe circulation within the parking area and provide for convenient entry and exit of vehicles.

  1. Applicability.

The standards of this section apply to all vehicle areas whether required or excess parking.

  1. Improvements.
    1. Paving.

In order to control dust and mud, all vehicle areas must be surfaced with a minimum all-weather surface. Such surface shall be specified by the city engineer. Alternatives to the specified all-weather surface may be provided, subject to approval by the city engineer. The alternative must provide results equivalent to paving. All surfacing must provide for the following minimum standards of approval:

      1. Dust is controlled.
      1. Stormwater is treated to City standards; and
      1. Rock and other debris is not tracked off-site.

The applicant shall be required to prove that the alternative surfacing provides results equivalent to paving.

    1. Striping.

All parking areas, except for stacked parking, must be striped in conformance with the parking dimension standards of this section, except parking for Single-Unit Residential Buildings, Accessory Dwelling Units, or Middle Housing developments of no more than six units.

    1. Protective Curbs Around Landscaping.

All perimeter and interior landscaped areas directly adjacent to parking aisles, parking spaces, or an abutting sidewalk must have continuous, cast in place, or extruded protective curbs along the edges. Curbs separating landscaped areas from parking areas may allow stormwater runoff to pass through them. Tire stops, bollards or other protective barriers may be used at the front ends of parking spaces. Curbs may be perforated or have gaps or breaks. Trees must have adequate protection from car doors as well as car bumpers. This provision does not apply to Single-Unit Residential Buildings, Accessory Dwelling Units, or Middle Housing developments of no more than six units.

  1. Stormwater Management.

Stormwater runoff from parking lots is regulated by the engineering services department.

  1. Parking Area Layout.
    1. Access to Parking Spaces.

All parking areas, except stacked parking areas, must be designed so that a vehicle may enter or exit without having to move another vehicle.

    1. Parking Space and Aisle Dimensions.
      1. Parking spaces and aisles shall meet the minimum dimensions contained in Table 17C.230.140-1.
      1. In all zones, on dead end aisles, aisles shall extend five feet beyond the last stall to provide adequate turnaround.
    1. Parking for Disabled Persons.

The city building services department regulates the following disabled person parking standards and access standards through the building code and the latest ANSI standards for accessible and usable buildings and facilities:

      1. Dimensions of disabled person parking spaces and access aisles.
      1. The minimum number of disabled person parking spaces required.
      1. Location of disabled person parking spaces and circulation routes.
      1. Curb cuts and ramps including slope, width and location; and
      1. Signage and pavement markings.
    1. A portion of a standard parking space may be landscaped instead of paved, as follows:
      1. The landscaped area may be up to two feet of the front of the space as measured from a line parallel to the direction of the bumper of a vehicle using the space, as shown in Figure 17C.230.140-1. Any vehicle overhang must be free from interference from sidewalks, landscaping, or other required elements.

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      1. Landscaping must be ground cover plants; and
      1. The landscaped area counts toward parking lot interior landscaping requirements and toward any overall site landscaping requirements. However, the landscaped area does not count toward perimeter landscaping requirements.
    1. Engineering Services Department Review.

The engineering services department reviews the layout of parking areas for compliance with the curb cut and access restrictions of chapter 17H.010 SMC.

Table 17C.230.140-1

Minimum Parking Space and Aisle Dimensions [1, 2]

Angle

(A)

Width

(B)

Curb Length (C)

1-way

Aisle Width

(D)

2-way

Aisle Width

(D)

Stall Depth

(E)

0° (Parallel)

8 ft.

20 ft.

12 ft.

20 ft.

8 ft.

30°

8 ft. 6 in.

17 ft.

12 ft.

20 ft.

15 ft.

45°

8 ft. 6 in.

12 ft.

12 ft.

20 ft.

17 ft.

60°

8 ft. 6 in.

9 ft. 9 in.

16 ft.

20 ft.

17 ft. 6 in.

90°

8 ft. 6 in.

8 ft. 6 in.

20 ft.

20 ft.

16 ft.

Notes:

[1] See Figure 17C.230.140-2.

[2] Dimensions of parking spaces for the disabled are regulated by the building code. See SMC 17C.230.140(E)(3).

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  1. Parking Area Setbacks and Landscaping.
    1. For parking areas on sites abutting residential zoning districts, parking spaces or maneuvering areas for parking spaces, other than driveways that are perpendicular to the street, are required to be setback a distance equal to the setback specified in SMC 17C.230.145(C)(1) of the adjacent residential zoning district for the first sixty feet from the zoning district boundary (Figure 17C.230.140-3).

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    1. All landscaping must comply with the standards of chapter 17C.200 SMC, Landscaping and Screening.

 

Date Passed: Monday, January 27, 2025

Effective Date: Thursday, March 6, 2025

ORD C36629 Section 18