Off-Street Parking Requirements for the BP: Business Park District
In the City of Arlington, development within the BP: Business Park district requires off-street parking for commercial uses at a standard rate of 2.5 spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area. Residential projects permitted in the BP: Business Park district, specifically multi-family dwellings, must provide parking based on unit type, ranging from 1 space for studios to 2.5 spaces for three-bedroom units. All parking facilities in the City of Arlington must adhere to specific dimensional standards, typically requiring spaces to be at least 18 feet in length and 9 feet in width [Section 5.4.3].
Purpose of the BP: Business Park District
The BP: Business Park district is intended to provide and protect sites for offices, research and development facilities, support commercial services, and limited industrial activities in a landscaped setting [Section 2.3.9]. While primarily non-residential, the City of Arlington allows certain residential uses, such as multi-family dwellings, within this district [Table 3.1-2].
Residential Parking Requirements
Residential uses within the BP: Business Park district are subject to the ratios established in the City of Arlington Off-Street Parking Schedule A.
| Use Type | Parking Requirement |
|---|---|
| Dwelling, Multi-family (within BP) | 1 per studio; 1.5 per 1-bedroom; 2.0 per 2-bedroom; 2.5 per 3-bedroom; 2.5 + 0.5 for each additional bedroom [Table 5.4-1] |
| Independent Senior Living Facility | 1.3 per dwelling unit [Table 5.4-1] |
| Caretaker’s Quarters | As required for the principal use [Table 5.4-1] |
| Lodging house / Private dorm | 1 per bed [Table 5.4-1] |
Commercial and Office Parking Requirements
Most professional and commercial services in the BP: Business Park district follow the general office ratio. However, some specific uses may refer to "Schedule B" for storage or production areas.
| Use Type | Parking Requirement |
|---|---|
| Office, Business or Professional | 2.5 per 1,000 sq. ft. GFA [Table 5.4-1] |
| Financial Services (All uses) | 2.5 per 1,000 sq. ft. GFA [Table 5.4-1] |
| Medical or Dental Office or Clinic | 4 per 1,000 sq. ft. GFA [Table 5.4-1] |
| Research Laboratory (Scientific/Medical) | References Schedule B (see below) [Table 5.4-1] |
| Industrial Service / Manufacturing | References Schedule B (see below) [Table 5.4-1] |
Off-Street Parking Schedule B
For projects in the BP: Business Park district involving warehousing, assembly, or laboratory space, the City of Arlington applies a graduated scale based on the floor area of those specific activities [Section 5.4.3.B].
| Use or Activity (Floor Area) | Required Number of Spaces |
|---|---|
| Office or Administrative Area | 2 per 1,000 sq. ft. GFA |
| Indoor Storage/Warehouse/Assembly (1–3,000 sq. ft.) | 3 per 1,000 sq. ft. GFA |
| Indoor Storage/Warehouse/Assembly (3,001–5,000 sq. ft.) | 2 per 1,000 sq. ft. GFA |
| Indoor Storage/Warehouse/Assembly (5,001–10,000 sq. ft.) | 1.25 per 1,000 sq. ft. GFA |
| Indoor Storage/Warehouse/Assembly (10,001+ sq. ft.) | 0.8 per 1,000 sq. ft. GFA |
| Outdoor Sales, Display, or Storage (<= 3,000 sq. ft.) | 1.25 per 1,000 sq. ft. GFA |
| Outdoor Sales, Display, or Storage (> 3,000 sq. ft.) | 1 per 1,000 sq. ft. GFA |
General Parking Design and Calculations
The City of Arlington mandates several general rules for computing and designing parking in the BP: Business Park district:
- Fractional Spaces: When calculations result in a fraction, any fraction exceeding 0.5 is rounded up to the next whole number [Section 5.4.4.A].
- Multiple Uses: If a BP: Business Park district lot contains multiple uses (e.g., an office with a warehouse component), the total requirement is the sum of the requirements for each individual use [Section 5.4.4.B].
- Dimensions: Standard parking spaces must be at least 18 feet long and 9 feet wide. Up to 20 percent of required spaces may be designated for compact cars (8 feet by 16 feet) [Section 5.4.9.A].
- Location: For non-residential developments in the BP: Business Park district, buildings should be situated at the street frontage, with parking located to the side or rear to avoid large paved areas being visible from public rights-of-way [Section 5.4.9.C.1].
- Bicycle Parking: Non-residential developments in the BP: Business Park district must provide bicycle parking spaces equal to 5 percent of the required automobile parking spaces [Section 5.4.11.B].
Sections Cited
- Section 2.3.9 Business Park | BP
- Section 3.1.5 Table of Allowed Uses
- Section 5.4.2 Applicability
- Section 5.4.3 Off-Street Parking Standards
- Section 5.4.4 Computation of Parking and Loading Requirements
- Section 5.4.9 Parking Facility Location and Design
- Section 5.4.11 Bicycle Parking
- Table 3.1-2 Allowed Uses – Non-residential and Mixed-Use Districts
- Table 5.4-1 Off-Street Parking Schedule A
- Table 5.4-2 Off-Street Parking Schedule B