Off-Street Parking Standards for the MXD-2 Mixed Residential Office District in the City of Orlando

In the City of Orlando’s MXD-2: Mixed Residential Office District, off-street parking is strictly prohibited between the front of the building and the street, requiring all vehicular use areas to be located in the side or rear yards. Commercial office developments are explicitly forbidden from providing parking spaces in excess of the minimum requirements established by the municipality, and any parking lots situated beneath elevated buildings must be fully enclosed or concealed from public view. Residential projects within this district, such as townhomes, must utilize rear-access parking as front-loaded designs are prohibited [Section 58.511, Section 62.307, Section 62.308].

General Location and Design Requirements

The City of Orlando imposes specific placement and aesthetic standards for all vehicular use areas within the MXD-2: Mixed Residential Office District to maintain a pedestrian-friendly environment and neighborhood scale.

Prohibited Placement: Parking is not permitted between the front building facade and the street. It is only permitted on the side or the rear of the building [Section 62.307].
Design Standards: Driveway approaches and curbcuts for all developments in the MXD-2: Mixed Residential Office District must be designed in accordance with the City of Orlando’s multifamily residential driveway standards [Section 62.307].
Screening and Visibility: In cases where parking is located in a side yard adjacent to a street, it must be screened by a 30-inch high knee wall and a dense hedge maintained at a height of 15 inches [Section 62.499].

Commercial and Office Project Specifics

Commercial projects, particularly those where office use is the primary function (less than 50% residential floor area), are subject to anti-sprawl mandates regarding the quantity of parking provided.

Maximum Parking Limits: The City of Orlando prohibits "excessive parking." In the MXD-2: Mixed Residential Office District, a project is not permitted to provide more than the minimum number of parking spaces required by the general code [Section 62.308].
Elevated Structures: If a parking lot is located underneath an elevated building, the City of Orlando requires the parking area to be enclosed or otherwise concealed from public view to maintain the architectural integrity of the district [Section 62.308].

Residential Project Specifics

Specific residential building typologies allowed in the MXD-2: Mixed Residential Office District have additional parking constraints to ensure consistency with the district's "main street" character.

Townhomes: Front-loaded townhomes are prohibited. All parking and driveway access must be provided from the rear of the residential unit. For developments consisting of more than 20 dwellings, guest parking must be provided at a ratio of one space per five dwellings [Section 58.511].
Multiplexes (3-8 units): Similar to general district standards, parking for multiplexes is not permitted between the front building and the street [Section 58.562].

Technical Standards Summary Table

Category	Requirement for the MXD-2: Mixed Residential Office District
Permitted Parking Location	Side and rear yards only; prohibited in the front yard [Section 62.307].
Driveway/Curbcut Standard	Must follow Multifamily Residential standards (Chapter 61, Part 2E) [Section 62.307].
Maximum Office Parking	Prohibited from exceeding the minimum required number of spaces [Section 62.308].
Under-Building Parking	Must be enclosed or concealed from public view [Section 62.308].
Townhome Access	Rear-access only; front-loading is prohibited [Section 58.511].
Townhome Guest Parking	1 space per 5 dwellings (for projects with >20 units) [Section 58.511].
Shared Parking Factor	Available for mixed-use projects within SODO or Special Plan overlays [Section 62.499].

Reductions for Landscaping Compliance

The City of Orlando may authorize the removal of existing or required parking spaces if necessary to bring a building site into compliance with landscaping or bufferyard requirements. The number of spaces that may be removed is capped based on the size of the building site [Section 58.1182].

Number of Required Spaces	Maximum Spaces That May Be Removed
1—6 spaces	None
7—15 spaces	1 space
16—35 spaces	2 spaces
36—70 spaces	3 spaces
71+ spaces	5% of required spaces

Sections Cited