Off-Street Parking Requirements for the NC: Neighborhood Commercial District in Arlington, Texas
In the City of Arlington, the NC: Neighborhood Commercial district requires 1 off-street parking space per dwelling unit for residential projects, supplemented by specific staff and visitor parking allocations. Commercial projects in the NC: Neighborhood Commercial district typically require between 2.5 and 10 spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area, depending on the specific use type. To protect adjacent residential character, the City of Arlington requires that parking areas in this district be situated to the side or rear of buildings whenever possible.
Applicability and General Standards
The City of Arlington applies off-street parking and loading standards to all buildings constructed and all uses established within the NC: Neighborhood Commercial district [Section 5.4.2]. When an existing structure in the NC: Neighborhood Commercial district is expanded or enlarged by 30 percent or more in floor area, the entire site must be brought into compliance with current parking ratios [Section 5.4.2]. All square footage-based calculations are determined by the Gross Floor Area (GFA) of the use, and any fractional requirement resulting in more than 0.5 of a space is rounded up to the next whole number [Section 5.4.4].
Residential Parking Requirements
Residential development within the NC: Neighborhood Commercial district, including multi-family and mixed-use projects, must provide parking based on both the number of units and the administrative/visitor needs of the facility.
| Use Type | Primary Parking Requirement | Accessory Parking Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-family or Mixed-Use (in NC District) | 1 parking space per dwelling unit | 5 spaces (Staff) + 1 space per 10,000 sq. ft. GFA (Visitors) |
| Dwelling, Live/Work | 1.5 spaces per dwelling unit | Work area calculated based on specific commercial use |
[Table 5.4-1]
Commercial and Institutional Parking Ratios
The City of Arlington defines specific parking ratios for the variety of commercial and public uses permitted within the NC: Neighborhood Commercial district.
| Commercial/Institutional Use Type | Required Number of Spaces |
|---|---|
| Bank or Financial Institution | 2.5 per 1,000 sq. ft. GFA |
| Medical or Dental Office/Clinic | 4 per 1,000 sq. ft. GFA |
| Office, Business or Professional | 2.5 per 1,000 sq. ft. GFA |
| Restaurant | 10 per 1,000 sq. ft. GFA (includes outdoor dining) |
| Retail Store, General | 3 per 1,000 sq. ft. GFA |
| Personal Services (General) | 3 per 1,000 sq. ft. GFA |
| Day Care Center | 2.5 per 1,000 sq. ft. GFA |
| Religious Assembly | 1 space per 4 seats |
| Veterinary Clinic | 2 per 1,000 sq. ft. GFA |
[Table 5.4-1]
Parking Location and Design Standards
The City of Arlington mandates that developments in the NC: Neighborhood Commercial district be designed to minimize the visual impact of parking on the streetscape and adjacent residential areas.
Layout and Placement
- Rear/Side Loading: Developments in the NC: Neighborhood Commercial district must situate buildings at the street frontage, locating parking to the side and rear of buildings to avoid the appearance of large paved areas from public rights-of-way [Section 5.4.9.C].
- Prohibited Areas: No off-street parking facility may be located within a public street, sidewalk, parkway, or any other public right-of-way [Section 5.4.9.B].
- Internalized Groupings: For multi-family projects in the NC: Neighborhood Commercial district, parking areas and garage entries must be internalized within building groupings or oriented away from street frontages [Section 5.5.4.E].
Dimensional Standards
- Standard Spaces: Standard parking spaces must be at least 18 feet in length and 9 feet in width [Section 5.4.9.A].
- Compact Spaces: Up to 20 percent of the total required parking may be designated for compact cars, with a minimum dimension of 8 feet by 16 feet [Section 5.4.9.A].
Bicycle Parking Requirements
In addition to automobile stalls, the City of Arlington requires the provision of bicycle parking for projects within the NC: Neighborhood Commercial district to encourage multi-modal transportation.
| Land Use Category | Required Bicycle Spaces |
|---|---|
| Multi-family and Mixed-Use | 20% of the number of units |
| Commercial and Retail | 5% of required auto spaces (minimum 2) |
| Public or Private School | 1 per 10 students |
| Parks and Open Space | 10% of all automobile spaces |
[Table 5.4-4]
Sections Cited
- Section 2.3.4 (Neighborhood Commercial | NC)
- Section 5.4.2 (Applicability)
- Section 5.4.4 (Computation of Parking and Loading Requirements)
- Section 5.4.9 (Parking Facility Location and Design)
- Section 5.5.4 (Standards for Multi-Family Residential Dwellings)
- Table 3.1-2 (Allowed Uses – Non-residential and Mixed-Use Districts)
- Table 5.4-1 (Off-Street Parking Schedule A)
- Table 5.4-4 (Required Bicycle Parking)