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18.31.570 Structured parking design.
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(1) Purpose.

(a) To maintain “eyes on the street” for safety.

(b) To reduce the visual impact of structured parking facilities on the streetscape and residential environment.

(c) To create a welcoming, safe, convenient, and comfortable pedestrian environment.

(d) To integrate the design of parking structures with surrounding development.

(2) Preferences and Standards for Integrating Structured Parking Facilities into Multifamily Buildings.

(a) First Choice. Preferably, parking is located below or partially below multifamily buildings and not visible from the street and residential recreational space. While underground parking may not be viable, designs where landscaped berms or terraces hide parking from the street can help accomplish this objective. See examples in Figure 18.31.570(2)(a).

Figure 18.31.570(2)(a). Structured Parking Integration Standards and Examples

Parking in Image A is effectively screened, whereas the building in Image B appears to float over the parking. Note the garage entrance in Image C, while largely at street level, is tucked under the first floor units and hidden from the street. Images D and E below show the same building which is raised over a floor of structured parking; the view from Image D is from the alley.

(b) Second Choice. Liner building designs that wrap residential units around an internal parking structure is an effective design tool to hide parking and thus is acceptable. See examples in Figure 18.31.570(2)(b).

Figure 18.31.570(2)(b). Liner Building Examples

Images A and B above and below illustrate liner buildings, with residential and/or mixed-uses wrapping the parking garages. Image C illustrates another liner building example, in which the upper-right of the image shows a courtyard design between the garage and another multifamily building. At the lower-right, the parking garage is accessed from an alley.

(c) Third Choice. Where some exposed structured parking facilities are unavoidable, design treatments are necessary to integrate them into the design of the building. Specifically:

(i) Employ facade articulation techniques necessary to comply with the massing and articulation standards in CMC 18.31.530, building details standards in CMC 18.31.540, materials standards in CMC 18.31.550, and blank wall treatment standards in CMC 18.31.560. For example, parking garages can incorporate openings with grillwork or other treatments to resemble windows. Designs where lower level structured parking visually dominate the design of the buildings and create a sense of great separation between dwelling units and the adjacent ground plane (particularly the street and applicable resident recreational space) are prohibited.

(ii) Facades that are most visible to the public (notably public and private streets, facades featuring the building’s primary entry, and facades visible from resident recreational space) warrant a higher level of design treatment and integration than secondary, less visible facades.

See acceptable and unacceptable examples in Figure 18.31.570(2)(c) below.

Figure 18.31.570(2)(c). Facade Treatment Examples

The building in Image A, though an office building, shows how ground level structured parking can be integrated in the facade design. The building in Image B makes an attempt at articulating the two structured parking floors with trellis and window openings, but the units above still feel detached from the ground level. This design would be acceptable on a service or secondary private road, but not on a public street front.

The building in Image C uses a decorative grill over ground level parking on its rear elevation facing a trail. The building in Image D is a poor example that is completely divorced from the apartments above.

Images E and F are other structured parking examples that are not well integrated with building’s design.

(3) Garage Entries and Pedestrian Safety.

(a) Parking garage entries shall be well-integrated into the design of the building and shall not dominate the streetscape. They should be designed and sited to complement, not subordinate, the pedestrian entry.

(b) Where vehicles enter and exit a parking garage across a sidewalk or internal path, direct visibility between pedestrians and motorists shall be provided. Treatments shall include setback entries, cropped wall corners, wall openings, or other treatments to enhance safety and visibility. Treatments should also include pavement markings or changes in pavement materials. Mirrors and electronic visual/audio warnings alone shall not be acceptable methods of visibility.

(c) Parking garage entries are encouraged to have flat driveways for the length of at least one vehicle in order to enhance visibility between pedestrians and motorists exiting the garage. Steeply sloping driveways immediately adjacent to a sidewalk or internal path require greater application of visibility treatments described in subsection (3)(b) of this section.

(d) Garage entry doors and gates, if provided, shall be at least 50 percent transparent between the bottom and top of the door or gate.

Figure 18.31.570(3). Acceptable Parking Garage Entry/Exit Examples

The commercial/loading entry in image A has cropped corners that are also utilized for store windows. The residential garage in Image B has a setback and cropped corners on both sides that are also integrated into the rest of the building façade above.

(4) Free-Standing Parking Garages. Free-standing parking garages may be acceptable provided:

(a) They are located away from public streets, generally behind other structures.

(b) They comply with applicable building design provisions in CMC 18.31.530 to 18.31.540, except:

(i) Less visible parking garage elevations warrant greater flexibility in the application of the building design standards.

(ii) Parking garages are subject to articulation intervals (see CMC 18.31.530) of 60 feet minimum (instead of 30 feet) and only two articulation features are required. Greater flexibility may be given to less visible facades.

(iii) Parking garages more than 120 feet from a public street or not visible from a public street are exempt from the maximum facade width standards in CMC 18.31.530(5).

(iv) Landscaped buffer elements including landscaped setbacks with tall evergreen plantings and/or trellis structures with vine plants are encouraged.

Figure 18.31.570(4). Acceptable Freestanding Parking Garage Examples

Image A is located along a service road. The landscaping trellis screen creates an attractive “green” wall. The vertical columns and trellis/vines help to articulate the garage in Image B.

(Ord. 08-21 § 3 (Exh. B))