Duluth › Unified Development Code

Article 4 — Parking and Loading Requirements

current as of 2026-07-13verified current · checked 2026-08-24OfficialVerify with City of Duluth ↗6 sections · full chapter

§ 401

Definitions

See the Interpretations and Definitions Article of this Development Code for definitions related to parking and loading.

§ 402

Off-Street Automobile Parking and Loading and Unloading Spaces

Required

a.Parking Required. Off-street automobile parking, loading and unloading spaces shall be provided, as specified in this Article, for uses and structures hereafter established.

b.Applicability. This Article shall apply to any new building constructed; for new uses or conversions of existing, conforming buildings; and for enlargements of existing structures. This Article shall not be construed so as to require additional parking spaces to be furnished for an existing building which is repaired, altered, maintained, or modernized, where the size of the building is not ; provided, however that when occupancy of any building is changed to another use, parking shall be provided to meet the requirements of this Article for the new use.

c.Exemptions. This Article shall not apply to restaurant, office, or retail uses located in the Central Business District (CBD) zoning district.

§ 403

Plan and Design Standards for Off-Street Parking

The following are required plan and design standards for off-street parking.

403.01. Required Area for Each Parking Space

Each standard parking space shall not be less than 19 feet long and 9 feet wide. Compact spaces shall not be less than 17 feet long and 8 feet wide. No more than 20% of the spaces shall be compact spaces. Oversized Vehicles spaces and Off-Street Truck Parking spaces shall be not less than 35 feet long by 12 feet wide and have a minimum of 14 feet of vertical clearance. All vehicles, when parked, shall be parked within the boundaries of an approved and properly striped parking space. Double, tandem, stacked or other similar method of parking more than one (1) vehicle per space shall be prohibited.

403.02. Interior Driveways

When used with 90-degree angle parking, shall be at least 24 feet wide. When used with 60-degree angle parking, shall be at least 12 feet wide with one-way traffic. When used with parallel parking or where there is no parking, shall be at least 10 feet wide for one-way traffic and at least 20 feet wide for two-way traffic. A minimum 10-foot driveway and stacking lane is required for any type of drive-up window (this is in addition to regular driveways).

403.03. Surfacing, Drainage, and Maintenance

a.All permanent required off-street parking and vehicle sales spaces shall be properly drained and surfaced.

A proper surface shall consist of concrete, asphalt, or similar smooth material.

b.Off-street parking areas shall be maintained in proper repair, free of potholes, pavement separation or other surface or curbing deterioration, indistinguishable striping or directional arrows where required, and missing but required signage and indistinguishable handicapped space designations.

403.04. Lighting of Parking Areas

See the Outdoor Lighting Section in the Restrictions on Particular Uses Article of this Development Code.

403.05. Stacking Spaces for Drive-Through Facilities and Drop-off and Pick-up Areas

a.Stacking spaces shall be provided for any use having a drive-through facility or areas having drop-off and pickup areas, including the following uses:

1.Financial institutions with drive-through windows;

2.Restaurants with drive-through facilities;

3.Carwashes (automated or staffed facilities);

4.Drive-through coffee sales facilities;

and

5.Any other uses with drive-through facilities and/or drop-off and/or pick- Illustrative example of drive-through lanes that are up areas. separated from parking areas and have an adjacent

b.The following general standards shall apply to bypass lane.

all stacking spaces and drive-through facilities:

1.A minimum of three stacking spaces for each window or drive-through service facility shall be provided.

2.Stacking spaces shall begin at the window or at the communication/mechanical device (e.g., order board) first encountered by the vehicle user.

3.Stacking spaces and lanes for drive-through stations shall not impede on- and off-site traffic movements, shall not cross or pass through off-street parking areas, and shall not create a potentially unsafe condition where crossed by pedestrian access to a public entrance of a building.

4.Drive-through lanes shall be separated from off-street parking areas. Individual lanes shall be striped, marked, or otherwise distinctly delineated.

5.All drive-through facilities shall be provided with a bypass lane with a minimum width of 10 feet.

403.06. Location of Required Off-Street Parking Spaces on Other Property

If the required automobile off-street parking spaces cannot reasonably be provided on the same lot on which the principal use is located, such spaces may be provided on other off-street property lying not more than 400 feet from the main entrance to the principal use. In this situation, the applicant shall submit with his/her application for a building permit or a certificate of occupancy an instrument duly executed and acknowledged that accepts as a condition for the issuance of a building permit or a certificate of occupancy the permanent availability of such off-street parking spaces to serve the principal use.

403.07. Shared Parking

The parking spaces provided for separate uses may be combined in one parking lot, but the required spaces assigned to each use may not be assigned to another use, except as follows:

a.Shared Parking Between Day and Night Users. One-half of the off-street parking spaces required by a use whose peak attendance will be at night may be shared with a use that will be closed at night or on Sunday.

b.Mixed Use Developments. Parking spaces may be shared by more than one use if the Planning and Development Director finds that the total number of spaces will be adequate at the peak hours of the uses they serve. The ratios on Table 4-A may be used in Buffers, Landscaping and Tree Protection Article.

i.If parking is located below road grade, that vertical footage may be counted toward the required berm height.

ii.Changes in topography or other unusual circumstances may be Illustrative example of a landscaped berm used reviewed by the Planning and to screen a parking lot.

Development Director, who, at his discretion, may modify requirements of this Code Section, provided the intent of this Article is maintained.

b.In all areas, pedestrian access via sidewalks shall be provided from the front of the building(s) to the rear parking areas and to the road. Adequate signage directing vehicular traffic to the rear of the building shall also be provided. Parking area(s) shall be lined along the edges with large maturing canopy trees a minimum of 15 foot on center, based on species and size at maturity.

403.09. Parking Lot Landscaping

In addition to any landscaping required in the Buffers, Landscaping and Tree Protection Article, there shall be a minimum amount of landscaping within the interior of a parking lot of over 10 spaces for a non-residential use, and it shall be designed as follows:

a.Planter islands shall be a minimum of 250 square feet and shall be located at the terminus of each parking row and no further apart than every 10 spaces.

b.All planter islands must be designed with at least 60% coverage in shrubs and no more than 40% coverage in ground cover and landscaping materials. The planter island area shall include at a minimum one shade tree. No plant materials, except for trees, shall exceed 3 feet in height.

Turfgrass shall not be permitted in the planter islands.

c.Planter islands and landscape strips are usually defined by a barrier curb to prevent vehicular encroachment. Wheel stops or breaks in the barrier curb shall be provided in order to allow for Illustrative example of a continuous planting drainage into areas designed to accommodate the strip between planter islands and breaks in the stormwater discharge directed to them. curb to allow stormwater to enter.

d.Planter islands and strips shall be designed to prevent compaction. This may be accomplished by planting a dense shrub cover or by elevating the planting area to a minimum of 1 foot above the curb.

e.Parking lots with more than 100 spaces but less than 375 spaces shall provide planting strips with a minimum width of 5 feet and shall run continuously between all planter islands. These strips shall be planted with 1 tree for every 15 feet of the planter strip, taking into consideration the species and height at maturity.

f.Landscaping shall meet the requirements in the Buffers, Landscaping and Tree Protection Article of this Development Code pertaining to use of native plantings and water-efficient design.

g.Each parking lot shall provide a minimum of two bicycle spaces. Bicycle parking areas shall be located in a lighted public area within 200 feet of a principal building entrance.

403.10. Standards for Large Parking Lots

Parking lots having a minimum of 375 spaces shall be subdivided into distinct zones of interconnected parking areas that contain no more than 250 parking spaces each.

a.Each zone shall be separated by occupied buildings or by perimeter landscape strips that are at least 10 feet in width and are landscaped as provided in the Buffers, Landscaping and Tree Protection Article.

b.Each parking area shall include sidewalks that are a minimum of 5 feet wide with prominently marked crosswalks, providing a continuous route to the entrances of adjoining buildings and streets.

c.Bicycle racks equal to one bicycle parking space for each 50 required off-street parking spaces, up to a maximum of 10 bicycle spaces, shall be provided. Bicycle parking areas shall be located in a lighted public area within 200 feet of a principal building entrance.

403.11. Interparcel Access

Interparcel access shall be required as follows:

a.Internal Access Easements Required. For any office or retail sales or services use, the property owner shall grant a “cross” or internal access easement as described in this subsection to each adjoining property that is zoned or used for an office or retail sales or services use. The purpose of the easement is to facilitate movement of customers from business to business without generating additional turning movements on the public street, thus increasing public safety.

b.Access Easement Provisions. The internal access easement shall permit automobile access from the adjoining property to driveways and parking areas intended for employee, customer, or visitor use on each property; but parking spaces may be restricted to use by each owner’s employees, customers, and visitors only.

1.Interparcel vehicle access shall be required between contiguous properties only when the parking areas are or will be in reasonable proximity to one another.

2.All internal access easements shall be no less than 28 feet in width and shall be improved to a minimum paved width of 24 feet in order to accommodate two-way vehicular traffic to and from the adjoining properties.

3.The granting of an internal access easement on a property shall be effective only upon the granting of a reciprocal easement by the adjoining property owner.

4.Upon the availability of access to driveways and parking areas of the adjoining lot, the pavement or other surfacing of each owner’s driveways and parking areas shall be extended by each owner to the point of access on the property line.

c.Relief. Where the proposed land use is such that adverse impact of the required easement on use of the property would outweigh the reduced impact on the public street provided by the reciprocal easements, the Planning and Development Director may waive the requirement for the access easements, in whole or in part, in accordance with the Administrative Approval provisions in the Appeals Article of this UDC.

Table 4-A: Percentage of Required Parking Spaces by Time Period

		Weekdays		Weekends		Nighttime
	Type of Use	6 am to 5 pm	5pm to 1 am	6 am to 5 pm	5pm to 1 am	1am to 6 am
Office		100%	10%	10%	5%	5%
Retail		60%	90%	100%	70%	5%
Hotel		75%	100%	75%	100%	75%
Restaurant		50%	100%	100%	100%	10%
Entertainment/Recreation		40%	100%	80%	100%	10%
Religious Facility		10%	25%	100%	100%	10%

Reading grid · rebuilt for display · verify at source ↗

§ 404

Number of Off-Street Parking Spaces Required

404.01. Off-Street Parking, General Requirements

This section shall provide for the minimum and maximum number of off-street parking spaces based on use.

a.See Table 4-B regarding the required minimum number of off-street parking spaces.

in the CBD District and DOD Overlay District.

Table 4-C: Handicap Accessible Spaces Required Total Spaces Provided for Use Minimum Number of Handicap Spaces 1 to 25 1 26 to 50 2 51 to 75 3 76 to 100 4 101 to 150 5 151 to 200 6 201 to 300 7 301 to 400 8 401 to 500 9 501 to 1,000 2% of total 1,001 and over 20, plus 1 for each 100 over 1,000 Source: Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines.

404.03. Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

a.Electric vehicle charging stations may be counted toward satisfying off-street parking space requirements.

b.Electric vehicle charging stations must be reserved for charging electric vehicles. For purposes of this provision, "charging" means that an electric vehicle is parked at an electric vehicle charging station and is connected to the battery charging station equipment.

c.Vehicle charging equipment must be designed and located so as not to impede pedestrian, bicycle or wheelchair movement or create safety hazards on sidewalks.

d.Information must be posted identifying voltage and amperage levels and any type of use, fees, or safety information related to the electric vehicle charging station. The information shall be posted on a miscellaneous freestanding sign, as defined and regulated by the Sign Regulations Article of this Development Code.

e.Electric vehicle charging stations must be maintained in all respects, including the functioning of the equipment. A phone number or other contact information must be provided on the equipment for reporting when it is not functioning or when other problems may be encountered.

Table 4-B: Minimum Parking Spaces by Use

Use	Number of Parking Spaces:	Required for Each:
a. RESIDENTIAL
1. Single-Family Residence	2 covered	Dwelling Unit
2. Two-Family Residence	2	Dwelling Unit
3. Townhome	2 enclosed	Dwelling Unit, plus 1 outdoor space per 5 units

Table 4-C: Handicap Accessible Spaces Required

Total Spaces Provided for Use	Minimum Number of Handicap Spaces
1 to 25	1
26 to 50	2
51 to 75	3
76 to 100	4
101 to 150	5
151 to 200	6
201 to 300	7
301 to 400	8
401 to 500	9
501 to 1,000	2% of total
1,001 and over	20, plus 1 for each 100 over 1,000

Reading grid · rebuilt for display · verify at source ↗

§ 405

Prohibited Off-Street Parking

405.01. Parking in a Residential District

In any residential district the following requirements shall apply:

A.Prohibited Vehicle Parking

a.Parking any vehicle or trailer on the grass or unimproved surface is prohibited.

b.Parking of the following vehicles is not allowed in residential districts: any vehicle for hire including but not limited to, limousines, taxis, box trucks, flatbed trucks, dump trucks, tow trucks, transport wreckers, tandem axle trucks, cab-on-chassis trucks, tractor trailers, bucket trucks, buses, earthmoving machinery, and semi-trailers.

c.Parking or storing the following trailers is not allowed in residential districts: open utility trailers, towable cement mixers, tree chippers, flatbed trailers, dump trailers, livestock trailers, low boy trailers, gooseneck trailers, auto hauler trailers, and drop deck trailers, any trailer over 12 feet in length.

d.Parking any vehicle (other than recreational and watercraft) over 23 feet in length, or 7 feet in height, or 7 feet in width is prohibited in residential districts.

Vehicles and equipment used for agricultural purposes on residential property of 5 acres or more are allowed if they are not parked or stored in the front yard.

B.Allowed Vehicle Parking.

a.Residential lots shall have no more than (1) business vehicle that is used to provide daily transportation to and from work or falls under the provisions of Section 346 (Home Occupation), provided that any ladders, machinery, or equipment must be removed from the business vehicle while parked at the residence.

b.Residents subject to these parking management regulations may request a waiver to park up to two business vehicles at a residential property. The request will be reviewed by the Director of Community Development and Engineering. A totality of the circumstances including but not limited to the vehicles’ sizes, proposed parking location, zoning district, proof the vehicles are both operable and actively used by a licensed driver at the residence will be considered.

c.One recreational vehicle up to 30 feet in length that is parked or stored completely enclosed within a garage, or on the side or rear driveway parking area constructed of an improved hard surface, or gravel, is permitted in accordance with Section 405.01(C) (Driveways and Parking Surfacing). The recreational vehicle may be connected to electrical service, but it shall not be occupied.

d.One watercraft up to 30 feet in length that is parked completely enclosed, within a garage, or in the side or rear driveway parking area constructed of an improved hard surface, or gravel is permitted in accordance with Section 405.01 (C) (Driveways and Parking Surfacing).

C.Driveways and Parking Surfacing The following applies only to driveways and parking serving residential zoning districts.

a.All residential driveways shall meet the requirements of Section 909.07(b) (Driveway Design Standards) by being paved between the street and principal building.

b.Gravel driveways and gravel parking areas are prohibited in front of the principal building’s front elevation and within the required front setback.

c.No more than 35% of the side or rear yards shall consist of a driveway or parking areas constructed of impervious material or gravel. The front yard shall not exceed 35% in impervious surface area. Gravel is not permitted as a parking surface in the front yard.

Exemptions to this section shall include:

1.Any vehicle parked in a fully enclosed structure when that structure meets all other criteria of the zoning district and UDC.

2.Any vehicle parked temporarily making a pick-up or delivery or providing a service.

3.Vehicles used for the primary purpose of transporting children to and from State licensed or accredited elementary, middle, or high schools provided such vehicle is parked off of any public right-of-way or thoroughfare.

4.Vehicles used for the primary purpose of transporting persons in wheelchairs or mobility devices.

5.Emergency response vehicles as defined by O.C.G.A. 40-1-1(5).

6.Construction vehicles and equipment on active construction sties including work in the public right-of-way.

405.02. Prohibition on Travel in Residential Subdivisions

No heavy truck (those with a weight class of 7 or higher) shall enter, travel, or park on a street in a residential subdivision in the City of Duluth, except for the purpose of delivering goods to houses or points within such residential subdivision for short periods of time during daylight hours.

405.03. Overnight Stay

No heavy truck (those with a weight class of 7 or higher), or tractor, trailer shall enter, travel, or park on a street in a residential subdivision, or park on a right-of-way in the City of Duluth, or park on any property within the City of Duluth for the purpose of an overnight stay, by the driver or operator.

405.04. Parking in a Non-Residential District

No heavy truck (those with a weight class of 7 or higher), heavy equipment, recreational vehicle, boat, semi-trailer, tractor-trailer, trailer, camper or other Oversized Vehicle shall park in any non-residential district except those vehicles parked temporarily while making a delivery, providing a service, or purchasing goods or services. All vehicles shall be parked on an approved concrete or asphalt parking surface (no parking on grass, dirt, pine straw, mulch or any other unimproved surface) within a marked space specifically designated for Oversized Vehicles.

Fleet vehicles parked at their commercial business address, Oversized Vehicles listed for lease or sale, and vehicles stored in dead storage establishments are permitted. Vehicles loading and unloading merchandise, supplies, goods, freight, provisions or furnishings shall be governed by the provisions of Section 406, Off-Street Truck Loading.

§ 406

Off-Street Truck Loading

406.01. Off-Street Truck Loading; Where Required

Areas proposed for loading and unloading motor vehicles in off-street locations shall be provided at the time of the initial construction of any building or structure used or arranged to be used for commercial, industrial, hospital, institutional, hotel/motel or multi-family residential purposes in any zoning district. Such off-street loading areas shall have access to a public alley or street and shall be provided and maintained in accordance with the following requirements, the computation of which shall not be included in the off-street parking requirements.

a.Loading Spaces Provided. Any such business or use shall provide adequate off-street facilities for the loading and unloading of merchandise, supplies, goods, freight, provisions or furnishings within or adjacent to the building as deemed appropriate by the owner or occupants of the property. Such loading facilities, if provided, shall not obstruct freedom of vehicular traffic or pedestrian movement on the public streets and sidewalks.

b.Location of Off-Street Loading Areas. Off-street loading and unloading areas shall in all cases be located on the same lot or parcel of land as the structure they are intended to serve. In no case shall the off-street loading space be considered as part of the area provided to satisfy off-street parking requirements as listed herein.

c.Adequacy of Loading Area. All such uses shall provide off-street loading areas sufficient for their requirements. Such space shall be adequate if no vehicle being loaded or unloaded in connection with normal operations shall stand in or project into a public street, walk, alley, or way.

d.Use of Off-Street Truck Loading Area. Off-Street loading areas shall not be used as parking areas, rest areas, or for overnight stays. It shall be unlawful for any heavy truck, heavy equipment, recreation vehicle, semi-trailer, tractor-trailer, trailer, camper or other Oversized Vehicle to park, stop, or stand in any designated off-street loading area for any purpose other than to actively load or unload merchandise, supplies, goods, freight, provisions, or furnishings.

406.02. Setback Requirements; Loading Areas

a.Off-street truck loading areas shall be set back from the front property line by at least 10 feet. An additional 10-foot setback from any buffer required along a side or rear property line shall also be maintained.

b.The required setback area between the front property line and the truck loading area shall be used for landscaping and/or screening as required by the applicable provisions of the Buffers, Landscaping and Tree Protection Article of this Development Code.