Off-Street Parking Requirements for Dallas Planned Development (PD) Districts
In the Municipality of Dallas, off-street parking requirements for projects within a Planned Development District are primarily determined by the specific ordinance created for that individual district. If the specific Planned Development District ordinance does not enumerate its own parking regulations, the project must default to the standards of the base zoning district assigned by the Dallas Development Code’s general guidelines [Section 51A-4.702].
Custom Nature of Planned Development District Parking
Every Planned Development District in the Municipality of Dallas is governed by a unique ordinance. According to the Dallas Development Code, the ordinance establishing a Planned Development District must specify the regulations for off-street parking and loading [Section 51A-4.702].
If an ordinance for a Planned Development District created on or after March 1, 1987, does not provide specific parking numbers, the standards of Chapter 51A control. The following table identifies the default zoning districts used to determine parking requirements when the Planned Development District ordinance is silent:
| General Use Category | Default Zoning District for Parking Standards |
|---|---|
| Single Family | TH-3(A) |
| Multifamily | MF-3(A) |
| Retail | CR |
| Office | MO-1 |
| Commercial | CS |
| Industrial | IR |
Note: For single-family uses in a Planned Development District, if platted lots have a minimum width of 30 feet at the front property line, one parking space is required [Section 51A-4.702(a)(4)].
Residential Parking Requirements
Residential projects within a Dallas Planned Development District that follow the default MF-3(A) or TH-3(A) standards are subject to requirements based on the total number of units and the district type.
Multifamily Projects
The Municipality of Dallas scales multifamily parking requirements based on project size and requires additional unassigned spaces for guests.
| Number of Dwelling Units | Required Parking Spaces |
|---|---|
| 0 to 20 Units | None |
| 21 to 199 Units | 0.5 space per dwelling unit |
| 200 or More Units | 1 space per dwelling unit |
Guest Parking for Multifamily:
- 20 to 99 units: 10% of the total required parking spaces.
- 100 or more units: 15% of the total required parking spaces.
- All guest parking must be clearly marked and accessible via a walking gate or the driveway entrance [Section 51A-4.301, Table 1.0.1].
Single-Family and Duplex Projects
- Single-Family: Projects in TH-3(A) default districts require 1 space per unit [Section 51A-4.301, Table 1.0.1].
- Duplex: Projects in TH-3(A) default districts require 1 space per unit [Section 51A-4.301, Table 1.0.1].
Commercial, Retail, and Office Parking Requirements
For non-residential projects in a Planned Development District, the Municipality of Dallas typically requires the following if the individual PD ordinance does not state otherwise:
- Office (MO-1 Default): No minimum off-street parking is required unless the project is located within a Modified Delta (MD-1) Overlay district [Section 51A-4.301, Table 1.0.1].
- Retail (CR Default): No minimum off-street parking is required for retail uses in this category unless located in an MD-1 Overlay [Section 51A-4.301, Table 1.0.2].
- Commercial Service (CS Default): These projects must provide parking if they are contiguous to a residential district with a single-family use.
Commercial Service Contiguous to Residential
If a commercial project in a Planned Development District is adjacent to a single-family area, the following ratios apply:
| Commercial Use Type | Minimum Off-Street Parking Requirement |
|---|---|
| Building Repair/Maintenance | 1 space per 500 Square Feet |
| Catering Service | 1 space per 500 Square Feet |
| Custom Business Service | 1 space per 500 Square Feet |
| Electronics Service Center | 1 space per 500 Square Feet |
| Job or Lithographic Printing | 1 space per 600 Square Feet |
| Machinery Sales/Service | 1 space per 1,000 Square Feet |
[Section 51A-4.301, Table 1.1]
General Parking Standards
- Accessory Use: In any Planned Development District, parking is considered an accessory use [Section 51A-4.301(a)(1)].
- Handicapped Parking: All projects must provide handicapped-accessible parking in compliance with the Dallas Off-Street Parking and Driveways Handbook [Section 51A-13.402(g)].
- Calculations: When determining the required number of spaces, any fractional requirement of 0.5 or greater is rounded up to the next whole number [Section 51A-13.401(b)(2)].
Sections Cited
- Section 51A-2.101 (Interpretations)
- Section 51A-4.116 (Multifamily Districts)
- Section 51A-4.209 (Residential Uses)
- Section 51A-4.301 (Off-Street Parking Regulations)
- Section 51A-4.702 (Planned Development District Regulations)
- Section 51A-13.401 (General Parking Provisions)
- Section 51A-13.402 (Required Parking)