Off-Street Parking Requirements for the GO(A): General Office District in Dallas
In the City of Dallas GO(A): General office district, the majority of commercial and professional uses—including general offices, medical clinics, and financial institutions—carry no minimum requirement for off-street parking unless they are subject to a specific overlay such as the MD-1 Modified Delta Overlay. Residential projects within the GO(A): General office district are permitted as a minor component (up to five percent of total floor area), with parking for multifamily developments determined by a sliding scale based on the total number of units, while single-family and duplex dwellings in this district generally have no parking mandate [Sec. 51A-4.121].
Residential Parking Requirements in the GO(A) District
While the GO(A): General office district is primarily intended for sophisticated office developments, it allows limited residential uses. Single-family, duplex, and multifamily uses are permitted to occupy up to five percent of the total floor area of any building in the GO(A): General office district [Sec. 51A-4.121].
For single-family and duplex uses, the City of Dallas does not require off-street parking when these uses are located outside of standard residential (R, D, or TH) districts [Sec. 51A-4.301]. Multifamily projects, however, must adhere to specific unit-based ratios.
Multifamily Parking Ratios
| Number of Dwelling Units | Required Parking Spaces |
|---|---|
| 20 units or fewer | None |
| 21 to 199 units | 0.5 space per dwelling unit |
| 200 units or more | 1 space per dwelling unit |
Mandatory Guest Parking for Multifamily
| Total Units in Project | Guest Parking Requirement |
|---|---|
| 20 to 99 units | 10% of the required parking spaces |
| 100 units or more | 15% of the required parking spaces |
Note: All guest parking in the GO(A): General office district must be clearly marked and available for use by visitors at the building entrance or walking gate [Sec. 51A-4.301].
Commercial and Office Parking Requirements in the GO(A) District
In the GO(A): General office district, the City of Dallas provides significant relief for professional and service-oriented uses. General "Office" and "Medical clinic" uses have a base requirement of zero spaces [Sec. 51A-4.207]. However, specific service uses that are more consumer-intensive carry their own requirements.
Specific Use Parking Ratios
| Use Category | Parking Requirement in the GO(A) District |
|---|---|
| Office (General) | None (unless in MD-1 Overlay) [Sec. 51A-4.207(5)] |
| Medical Clinic | None (unless in MD-1 Overlay) [Sec. 51A-4.207(4)] |
| Financial Institution | None (unless in MD-1 Overlay) [Sec. 51A-4.207(2)] |
| Catering Service | 1 space per 200 sq. ft. of floor area [Sec. 51A-4.202(3)] |
| Personal Service Use | None (for the first 1,000 sq. ft.) [Sec. 51A-4.210(23)] |
| Restaurant (No Drive-In) | None (for the first 2,500 sq. ft.) [Sec. 51A-4.210(24)] |
| Retail (General) | None (for stores 3,500 sq. ft. or less) [Sec. 51A-4.210(13)] |
| Dry Cleaning/Laundry | None [Sec. 51A-4.210(11)] |
General Provisions and Overlays
The MD-1 Modified Delta Overlay
If a property in the GO(A): General office district is also located within the MD-1 Modified Delta Overlay, the "None" requirements are superseded. In these cases, the City of Dallas mandates 1 space per 333 square feet of floor area for office uses and 1 space per 200 square feet for medical clinics [Sec. 51A-4.301].
Handicapped Parking
Regardless of the district-specific "None" requirements, any parking provided must comply with Federal and State laws regarding handicapped parking. The City of Dallas requires these spaces to be designed and maintained in accordance with the Off-Street Parking and Driveways Handbook [Sec. 51A-4.305].
Calculation Rules
When the City of Dallas determines the required number of parking spaces for a mixed-use project in the GO(A): General office district, the total requirement is the sum of the requirements for each individual use on the lot. Any fractional space resulting from these calculations is rounded to the nearest whole number, with one-half counting as an additional space [Sec. 51A-4.301].
Sections Cited
- SEC. 51A-4.121. OFFICE DISTRICTS.
- SEC. 51A-4.202. COMMERCIAL AND BUSINESS SERVICE USES.
- SEC. 51A-4.207. OFFICE USES.
- SEC. 51A-4.209. RESIDENTIAL USES.
- SEC. 51A-4.210. RETAIL AND PERSONAL SERVICE USES.
- SEC. 51A-4.301. OFF-STREET PARKING REGULATIONS.
- SEC. 51A-4.305. HANDICAPPED PARKING REGULATIONS.