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Off-Street Parking Requirements for the BP: Business Park District

Jurisdiction: City of ArlingtonCode Version: August 26, 2025

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

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