23.54.020

The motor vehicle parking quantity exceptions set forth in this Section 23.54.020 apply in all zones except downtown zones, which are regulated by Section 23.49.019 , and Major Institution zones, which are regulated by Section 23.54.016 . A. Adding units to existing structures in Multifamily and Commercial zones. 1. For the purposes of this Section 23.54.020 , "existing structures" means those structures that were established under permit, or for which a permit has been granted and has not expired as of the applicable date, as follows: a. In multifamily zones, August 10, 1982; b. In commercial zones, June 9, 1986. 2. In locations in a multifamily or commercial zone where there is a minimum parking requirement, one dwelling unit may either be added to an existing structure or may be built on a lot that contains an existing structure without additional parking if both of the following requirements are met: a. Either the existing parking provided on the lot meets development standards, or the lot area is not increased and existing parking is screened and landscaped to the greatest extent practical; and b. Any additional parking shall meet all development standards for the zone. 3. In locations in a multifamily or commercial zone where there is a minimum parking requirement, the Director may authorize a reduction or waiver of the parking requirement as a Type I decision when dwelling units are proposed to be added either to an existing structure or on a lot that contains an existing structure, in addition to the exception permitted in subsection 23.54.020.A.2, if the only use of the structure will be residential and one of the following conditions is met: a. The topography of the lot or location of existing structures makes provision of an off-street parking space physically infeasible in a conforming location; or b. The lot is located in a residential parking zone (RPZ) and a current parking study is submitted showing a utilization rate of less than 75 percent for on-street parking within 400 feet of all lot lines. B. Tandem parking in multifamily structures. Off-street parking required for multifamily structures may be provided as tandem parking, as defined in Section 23.54.030 . A tandem parking space counts at a rate of one space for every 20 linear feet of depth excluding required access aisles. C. Parking Exception for Landmark Structures. The Director may reduce or waive the minimum accessory off-street parking requirements for a use permitted in a Landmark structure, or when a Landmark structure is completely converted to residential use according to Sections 23.42.108 or 23.45.506 , or for a use in a Landmark district that is located in a commercial zone, as a special exception pursuant to Chapter 23.76 , Procedures for Master Use Permits and Council Land Use Decisions. 1. In making any such reduction or waiver, the Director will assess area parking needs. The Director may require a survey of on- and off-street parking availability. The Director may take into account the level of transit service in the immediate area; the probable relative importance of walk-in traffic; proposals by the applicant to encourage carpooling or transit use by employees; hours of operation; and any other factor or factors considered relevant in determining parking impact. 2. The Director may also consider the types and scale of uses proposed or practical in the Landmark structure, and the controls imposed by the Landmark designation. 3. Such a reduction or waiver may be allowed, for conversion of structures to residential use, only if the Director also determine that there is no feasible way to meet parking requirements on the lot. D. Expansion of Existing Nonresidential Uses in Commercial Zones. In commercial zones additional parking spaces for nonresidential uses are not required for the expansion of existing structures if the minimum parking requirement would not be increased by more than ten percent. If the minimum parking requirement would be increased by more than ten percent, the parking spaces required for the entire expansion shall be provided. This exception may be used only once for any individual structure. E. RESERVED F. Reductions to required parking 1. When parking is required, reductions permitted by this subsection 23.54.020.F will be calculated from the minimum required parking in Section 23.54.015 . Total reductions to required parking as provided in this subsection 23.54.020.F may not exceed 50 percent. 2. Transit reduction a. In multifamily and commercial zones, the minimum required parking for all uses is reduced by 50 percent if the property is located within a frequent transit service area, and the property is not located in a regional center, an urban center, or a Station Area Overlay District. b. In industrial zones, the minimum parking requirement for a nonresidential use is reduced by 15 percent if the use is located within a frequent transit service area. 3. For new or expanding offices or manufacturing uses that require 40 or more parking spaces, the minimum required parking may be reduced by up to a maximum of 40 percent by the substitution of alternative transportation programs, according to the following provisions: a. For every carpool space accompanied by a cash fee, performance bond, or alternative guarantee acceptable to the Director, the total required parking will be reduced by 1.9 spaces, up to a maximum of 40 percent of the parking requirement. b. For every vanpool purchased or leased by the applicant for employee use, or equivalent cash fee for purchase of a van by the public ridesharing agency, the total required parking will be reduced by six spaces, up to a maximum of 20 percent of the parking requirement. c. If transit or transportation passes are provided with a 50 percent or greater cost reduction to all employees in a proposed structure for the duration of the business establishment(s) within it, or five years, whichever is less, and if transit service is located within one-quarter mile (1,320 feet), the required parking shall be reduced by ten percent. With a 25 percent to 49 percent cost reduction, and if transit service is located within one-quarter mile (1,320 feet), the parking requirement shall be reduced by five percent. d. For every two covered long-term bicycle parking spaces provided, the total parking requirement shall be reduced by one space, up to a maximum of 20 percent of the parking requirement, provided there is access to an arterial over improved streets. G. Reductions in required parking for shared parking 1. General provisions for required parking when it is shared parking a. Shared parking is allowed between two or more uses to satisfy all or a portion of required off-street parking for those uses as provided in subsections 23.54.020.G.2 and 23.54.020.G.3. b. Shared parking to satisfy required parking is allowed between different categories of uses or between uses with different hours of operation, but not both. c. A use for which an application is being made for shared parking must be located within 800 feet of the parking. d. No reduction to required parking may be made if the proposed uses have already received a reduction through the provisions for cooperative parking, subsection 23.54.020.H. e. Reductions to required parking permitted through shared use of parking will be determined as a percentage of the parking requirement as modified by the reductions permitted in subsections 23.54.020.A though 23.54.020.F. f. An agreement providing for the shared use of parking to satisfy required parking, executed by the parties involved, must be filed with the Director. Shared parking privileges will continue in effect only as long as the agreement, binding on all parties, remains in force. If the agreement is no longer in force, then required parking must be provided as otherwise required by this Chapter 23.54 . 2. Shared required parking for different categories of uses a. A business establishment may share required parking according to only one of the subsections 23.54.020.G.2.b, 23.54.020.G.2.c, or 23.54.020.G.2.d. b. If an office use shares required parking with one of the following uses, the required parking for the non-office use may be reduced by 20 percent, provided that the reduction will not exceed the minimum required parking for the office use: (1) General sales and services; (2) Heavy sales and services uses; (3) Eating and drinking establishments; (4) Lodging uses; (5) Entertainment; (6) Medical services; (7) Animal shelters and kennels; (8) Automotive sales and services; or (9) Maritime sales and services. c. If a residential use shares required parking with one of the following uses, the required parking for the residential use may be reduced by 30 percent, provided that the reduction does not exceed the minimum required parking for the non-residential use: (1) General sales and services; (2) Heavy sales and services uses; (3) Medical services; (4) Animal shelters and kennels; (5) Automotive sales and services; or (6) Maritime sales and services. d. If an office and a residential use share required off-street parking, the required parking for the residential use may be reduced by 50 percent, provided that the reduction does not exceed the minimum required parking for the office use. 3. Shared required parking for non-residential uses with different hours of operation a. For the purposes of this Section 23.54.020 , the following uses will be considered daytime uses: (1) Commercial uses, except eating and drinking establishments, lodging uses, and entertainment uses; (2) Storage uses; (3) Manufacturing uses; and (4) Other similar primarily daytime uses, when authorized by the Director. b. For the purposes of this Section 23.54.020 , the following uses will be considered nighttime or Sunday uses: (1) Auditoriums accessory to public or private schools; (2) Religious facilities; (3) Entertainment uses, such as theaters, bowling alleys, and dance halls; (4) Eating and drinking establishments; and (5) Other similar primarily nighttime or Sunday uses, when authorized by the Director. c. Up to 90 percent of the required parking for a daytime use may be supplied by the off-street parking provided by a nighttime or Sunday use and vice-versa, when authorized by the Director, except that this may be increased to 100 percent when the nighttime or Sunday use is a religious facility. d. The applicant must show that there is no substantial conflict in the principal operating hours of the uses for which the sharing of parking to satisfy required parking is proposed. e. The establishment of a park and ride facility use is permitted subject to use allowances in the zone, provided that it will not use spaces required by another use if there is a substantial conflict in the principal operating hours of the park and ride use and the other use. H. Reductions in required parking for cooperative parking 1. Cooperative parking to satisfy required parking is permitted between two or more business establishments that are commercial uses according to the provisions of this subsection 23.54.020.H. 2. Up to a 20 percent reduction in the total number of required parking spaces for four or more separate business establishments, 15 percent reduction for three business establishments, and ten percent reduction for two commercial uses may be authorized by the Director under the following conditions: a. No reductions to required parking may be made if the proposed business establishments have already received a reduction through the provisions for shared parking in subsection 23.54.020.G. b. Each business establishment for which the application is being made for cooperative parking is located within 800 feet of the parking, and the parking is located in a commercial or residential-commercial zone or the Seattle Mixed (SM) zone. c. The reductions to required parking permitted through cooperative parking will be determined as a percentage of the minimum parking requirement as modified by the reductions permitted in subsections 23.54.020.A through 23.54.020.F. d. An agreement providing for the cooperative use of parking to satisfy required parking must be filed with the Director when the facility or area is established as cooperative parking. Cooperative parking privileges will continue in effect only as long as the agreement to use the cooperative parking remains in force. If the agreement is no longer in force, then required parking, as applicable, must be provided as otherwise required by this Chapter 23.54 . New business establishments seeking to meet required parking by becoming part of an existing cooperative arrangement must provide the Director with an amendment to the agreement stating their inclusion in the cooperative parking facility or area. I. Reductions to Minimum Parking Requirements for Department of Parks and Recreation (DOPAR) Community Centers. 1. When family support centers are located within DOPAR community centers, the Director may, upon request by DOPAR, lower the combined parking requirement for the community center and the family support center up to a maximum of fifteen (15) percent. 2. The parking requirement may be reduced only if the reduction is supported by a recommendation of the Project Advisory Committee formed to review the DOPAR community center, and the Director determines and makes written findings that: a. The lower parking requirement is necessary to preserve existing natural features or recreational facilities deemed significant by DOPAR and the Project Advisory Committee formed to review the DOPAR community center, and the reduction is the minimum necessary to preserve such features and/or facilities; and b. The surrounding streets can accommodate overflow parking from the combined community center and family support center or, alternatively, any adverse parking impacts on the neighborhood from the combined community center and family support center will be mitigated. J. Reductions in required parking for City-recognized car-sharing programs 1. For any development, one space or up to five percent of the total number of required spaces, whichever is greater, may be used to provide parking for vehicles operated by a car-sharing program. The number of required parking spaces will be reduced by one space for every parking space leased by a car-sharing program. 2. For any development requiring 20 or more parking spaces under Section 23.54.015 that provides a space for vehicles operated by a car-sharing program, the number of required parking spaces may be reduced by the lesser of three required parking spaces for each car-sharing space or 15 percent of the total number of required spaces. In order to gain this exception, an agreement between the property owner and a car-sharing program must be approved by the Director and the agreement, along with a notice that the agreement is the basis for this exception to the parking requirement, must be recorded with the title to the property before a Master Use Permit is issued. K. Peat Settlement-prone Environmentally Critical Areas. Except in Neighborhood Residential and Lowrise zones, the Director may reduce or waive the minimum accessory off-street parking requirements to the minimum extent necessary to offset underground parking potential lost to limitations set forth in Section 25.09.110 on development below the annual high static groundwater level in peat settlement-prone areas. In making any such reduction or waiver, the Director will assess area parking needs. The Director may require a survey of on- and off-street parking availability. The Director may take into account the level of transit service in the immediate area; the probable relative importance of walk-in traffic; proposals by the applicant to encourage carpooling or transit use by employees; hours of operation; and any other factor or factors considered relevant in determining parking impact. L. Director discretion. As a Type I decision pursuant to Chapter 23.76 , Procedures for Master Use Permits and Council Land Use Decisions, the Director may reduce required parking for any proposed uses in any zone, except Downtown zones, to a level not less than the amount needed to serve parking demand to be generated by those uses as demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Director by a parking demand study performed by a licensed professional engineer and submitted by the applicant. (Ord. 127376 , § 61, 2026; Ord. 127375 , § 89, 2026; Ord. 127219 , § 27, 2025; Ord. 126509 , § 77, 2022 [zone name change]; Ord. 125558 , § 44, 2018; Ord. 124770 , § 10, 2015; Ord. 123939, § 16, 2012; Ord. 123495, § 65, 2011; Ord. 123209, § 55, 2009; Ord. 123046, § 65, 2009 [renamed charts to tables]; Ord. 122935, § 14, 2009; Ord. 122835, § 5, 2008; Ord. 122738, § 4, 2008; Ord. 122311 , § 70, 2006; Ord. 122054, § 74, 2006; Ord. 121782, § 32, 2005; Ord. 120691 , § 16, 2001; Ord. 120535 , § 1, 2001; Ord. 120293 , § 9, 2001; Ord. 119239, § 30, 1998; Ord. 118794, § 41, 1997; Ord. 118362, § 9, 1996; Ord. 118302, § 14, 1996; Ord. 117869, § 2, 1995; Ord. 117263 , § 51, 1994; Ord. 114196, § 17, 1988; Ord. 113710, § 2, 1987; Ord. 113658, § 8, 1987; Ord. 113263, § 27, 1986; Ord. 112777, § 32, 1986.)