Off-Street Parking Standards for the RMU: Regional Mixed-Use District in Arlington, Texas

Developments in the RMU: Regional Mixed-Use district must calculate parking by summing the specific requirements for every individual use on the site, though the City of Arlington may grant reductions if an applicant provides a professional parking evaluation. A critical restriction in the RMU: Regional Mixed-Use district is the prohibition of surface parking lots, parking spaces, or driving aisles between the building and the street. All off-street parking in this district must be accessed via alleys or private access easements along the side or rear property lines [Section 5.4.4.H.1 and Section 5.4.9.D.1].

General Parking Ratios for the RMU District

The City of Arlington utilizes "Off-Street Parking Schedule A" to determine the number of required spaces for projects. Because the RMU: Regional Mixed-Use district is classified as a non-residential zoning district, residential projects within it fall under the specific "Non-Residential Zoning Districts" category for multi-family uses [Section 5.4.3.A].

Residential Parking Requirements

Use Type	Parking Requirement
Multi-family or Mixed-Use (Primary Use)	1 parking space per dwelling unit
Accessory Parking (Office Staff)	5 parking spaces
Visitor Parking	1 space per 10,000 square feet of gross residential floor area
Independent Senior Living	1.3 per dwelling unit
Nursing Home	1.0 per 4 beds

Commercial and Institutional Parking Requirements

Use Type	Parking Requirement
Office, Business, or Professional	2.5 per 1,000 sq. ft. GFA
General Retail Store	3 per 1,000 sq. ft. GFA
Restaurant	10 per 1,000 sq. ft. GFA (includes outside dining/drinking areas)
Bar	14 per 1,000 sq. ft. GFA
Hotel (All types)	1 per guest room (up to 100 units); 0.75 per unit thereafter
Bank or Financial Institution	2.5 per 1,000 sq. ft. GFA
Medical or Dental Office/Clinic	4 per 1,000 sq. ft. GFA
Health Club / Indoor Recreation	Schedule C (determined by Zoning Administrator)

[Section 5.4.3 and Table 5.4-1]

District-Specific Rules and Reductions

The RMU: Regional Mixed-Use district features unique flexibility and strict location standards intended to promote a pedestrian-friendly environment in the City of Arlington.

Cumulative Calculation: The total requirement for off-street parking is the sum of requirements for all various uses on the site, computed separately [Section 5.4.4.H.1.a].
Administrative Reductions: The Zoning Administrator may reduce the total number of required spaces if the applicant submits a parking evaluation demonstrating that a reduction is appropriate based on factors such as mass transit availability and expected parking needs [Section 5.4.4.H.1.b].
Mixed-Use Shared Parking: For multi-family and independent senior living projects, both garage parking and tandem parking spaces (minimum 18 feet in length) located behind a garage may be included in the final parking calculation [Section 5.4.9.B.5].

Location and Design Standards

The City of Arlington imposes rigorous design standards on the placement of parking within the RMU: Regional Mixed-Use district to ensure high-quality urban form [Section 5.7.1].

Streetfront Prohibition: Surface parking lots and driving aisles are strictly prohibited between a building and the street in the RMU: Regional Mixed-Use district [Section 5.4.4.H.1.c].
Side Parking Limits: Surface parking may be located to the side of a building, but it may not exceed 25 percent of the total street frontage for that side [Section 5.4.9.D.6].
Access: All off-street parking must be accessed through alleys or private access easements located along the side or rear property lines [Section 5.4.9.D.1].
Garages: All garages must be located at the rear of the structure and function as part of the primary structure. They must not be visible from a public street [Section 5.4.9.D.2].
Materials: All covered parking and garages must utilize the same building and roofing materials as the primary structure [Section 5.4.9.D.3].
Parking Structures: Any enclosed parking structure in the RMU: Regional Mixed-Use district must be designed so that street-level openings are only for auto or pedestrian circulation. The remaining ground-floor street wall must be "wrapped" with active uses (such as retail or office) or include architectural treatments like recesses, niches, or fenestration [Section 5.4.9.D.8].

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