Location and design of parking facilities.
Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 744-404
in effectSec. 744-404. - Location and design of parking facilities.
The following standards apply to all accessory and commercial parking lots, and to both required and non-required parking areas, unless otherwise stated in the Zoning Ordinance.
A. Parking Lots and Access Points
1. Location
a. In the Metro Context area, accessory off-street parking areas shall be provided on the same lot as the building or use served unless an exception is specifically provided in the Zoning Ordinance and shall not be located within the public right-of-way.
b. Notwithstanding subsection A.1. above, in the Metro Context area, buildings or uses existing on the first day of the month that is six months after the date of adoption that are subsequently altered or enlarged so as to require the provision of additional parking spaces under the requirements of this Chapter 744 Article IV may be served by parking spaces located on land other than the lot on which the building or use served is located, provided such spaces are within 500 feet of a lot line of the use served. However, no parking area for a nonresidential use shall be located within a Dwelling District unless the nonresidential use is permitted within that Dwelling District.
c. In the Compact Context Area, accessory off-street parking areas may be located within 500 feet of the property containing the building or use served, provided that:
1. No parking area for a nonresidential use shall be located within a Dwelling District unless the nonresidential use is permitted within that Dwelling District; and
2. The Administrator determines that the property on which any required accessory off-street parking is located is reasonably likely to remain available to provide parking for the designated use for a period of at least five years.
2. Parking in front of building
a. Off-street parking may be provided between the front of a building and the street right-of-way as indicated in Table 744-404-1: Limitations to Parking in Front of a Building.
Table 744-404-1: Limitations to Parking in Front of a Building
Property location | Restriction
Regional Center and the North Meridian Street Corridor District | Not permitted
Dwelling Districts:
D-A, D-S, D-1, D-2, D-3, D-4, D-5, D-5II, D-8 | Limited to the smaller of 30 ft. in width or 50% of the lot width
Other Dwelling Districts | N/A
All Mixed-Use Districts | Not permitted
Commercial Districts:
C-1 | Compact Context area limited to 1 single-loaded row of parking
C-3 | Compact Context area limited to 1 single-loaded row of parking Metro Context area limited to 1 double-loaded row of parking
C-4 | Compact Context area limited to 1 single-loaded row of parking
C-5 | Compact Context area limited to 1 double-loaded row of parking
C-7 | Compact Context area limited to 1 double-loaded row of parking
Industrial Districts | Limited to 1 double-loaded row of parking
Note: The Architectural Graphic Standards in Figure 740-306-A refers to a double loaded row of parking as a "module". Where a single-loaded row of parking is permitted, the Architectural Graphic Standards applicable to one line of parking stalls and to the driving aisle giving access to those stalls shall apply.
b. Off-street parking may be provided between the front of a building and the street right-of-way unless prohibited by another provision of the Zoning Ordinance, and provided that the parking complies with the following standards:
[image omitted; see the official code]
Diagram D Front Yard
1. If located in an industrial or commercial zoning district, the parking area must not occupy more than 10% of the total area of the setback area.
2. All other provisions for Recreational Vehicle parking are met, per Section 743-306.Y (Use-Specific Standards for Recreational Vehicle Parking).
3. All provisions of Section 744-500 (Landscaping and Screening) are met.
3. Parking in side and rear yards. Unless prohibited by another section of the Zoning Ordinance, off-street parking may be located in any required side or rear yard that is not a transitional yard; provided that the transitional yard and edge buffering landscape requirements of Section 744-506 (Transitional Yard and Edge Buffering) are met.
4. Regional Center and North Meridian Street Corridor. In the Regional Center and North Meridian Street Corridor District, parking lots shall not be permitted on any lot with frontage on Meridian Street, Pennsylvania Street, Washington Street, Market Street, or on any lot located within the Mile Square.
5. CBD, MU-3, and MU-4 Zoning Districts. In the CBD-1, CBD-2, CBD-3, MU-3, and MU-4 Districts, parking lot entrances or exits shall be located at least 75 feet from the nearest point of two intersecting street right-of-way lines. In the MU-4 Zoning District, parking lot entrances shall not be located on a pedestrian frontage.
B. Parking garage locations and access points.
1. Parking garages in CBD-1 Zoning District. Vehicular entrances and exits to off-street parking garages in the CBD-1 Zoning District shall be provided only on the following streets:
a. East New York Street; West New York Street.
b. East Maryland Street; West Maryland Street.
c. North Capitol Avenue; South Capitol Avenue.
d. North Delaware Street; South Delaware Street.
e. West Washington Street between Illinois Street and Capitol Avenue.
f. West Ohio between Illinois Street and Capitol Avenue.
g. North Pennsylvania Street between Ohio Street and New York Street; South Pennsylvania Street between Maryland Street and Washington Street.
h. North Illinois Street between Ohio Street and New York Street; South Illinois Street between Maryland Street and Washington Street.
i. Indiana, Massachusetts, Kentucky and Virginia Avenues.
j. East Washington Street between Pennsylvania Street and Delaware Street.
2. Parking garages in CBD-2 and CBD-3 Zoning Districts. Off-street parking garages and accessory off-street parking facilities within buildings in the CBD-2 and CBD-3 Zoning Districts located on lots having frontage upon North Meridian Street or North Pennsylvania Street shall be developed as an integral part of an associated apartment, office, hotel or other permitted principal use structure, with no exterior evidence of the parking use perceptible on the Pennsylvania or Meridian Street frontage, except for ingress or egress from North Meridian or North Pennsylvania Streets.
3. Parking garages on North Meridian Street. Off-street parking garages entrances or exits shall not be located on North Meridian Street between 10th Street and 38th Street.
4. Parking garages in MU-4 Zoning District. Vehicle entrances and exits to parking garages in the MU-4 Districts shall not be located on a designated pedestrian frontage:
5. Parking garage entrance/exit spacing from street intersection. Parking garage entrances or exits shall be located a minimum distance of 75 feet from the nearest point of two intersecting street right-of-way lines in the following situations:
a. The property is located in the CBD-1, CBD-2, CBD-3, MU-3, or MU-4 Zoning Districts; or
b. The entrance or exit access any of the streets listed below:
1. North Capital Avenue, extending from 10th Street to 38th Street.
2. North Illinois Street, extending from 10th Street to 38th Street.
3. North College Avenue, extending from 22nd Street to 96th Street.
C. Shared off-street accessory parking areas. Shared off-street parking areas may be provided to serve two or more primary buildings or uses, provided that the parking areas meet the following standards:
1. The applicant shall file a site and development plan with the Division of Planning for approval by the Administrator prior to the issuance of an Improvement Location Permit. The site and development plan shall indicate:
a. Adjacent streets, alleys and lots;
b. Uses to be served, including the location, use (e.g., employee, customer, etc.) and number of parking spaces for each such use as required by Table 744-402-1: Required Parking Table and applicable parking adjustment factors in Section 744-403 Adjustments to Required Off-street Parking;
c. Driveways and acceleration/deceleration lanes;
d. The parking area layout, including parking areas, parking spaces, total number of parking spaces and dimensions of those spaces;
e. Distances to the primary uses served;
f. All landscaping and screening, walls and fences; proposed lighting, if any; and type of paving proposed;
g. Location of signs;
h. Location and type of parking space barriers or curbing, if any; and
i. All other requirements of Chapter 740, Article VIII Improvement Location Permits.
j. The site and development plan shall demonstrate compliance with all applicable standards of this Chapter 744 Article IV.
k. The site and development plan shall be amended and resubmitted for Administrator's approval to indicate any change or other modification of uses served or number of parking spaces provided for those uses, prior to obtaining a new Improvement Location Permit.
l. Shared off-street accessory parking area shall be developed, maintained and used only in accordance with such approved site and development plan and all other requirements of this Chapter 744 Article IV.
D. Design of parking areas and facilities.
1. Regulated as buildings Unless otherwise stated in this zoning ordinance, parking lots and parking garages shall be subject to all use and development standards of the applicable zoning district in addition to the requirements contained this article.
2. Dimensions and specific parking space location Off-street parking areas (including, but not limited to, entrances, exits, aisles, spaces, traffic circulation and maneuverability) shall be designed and constructed at not less than the recommended specifications contained in the Architectural Graphic Standards, Current Edition, Ramsey/Sleeper, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, New York, and Section 744-401 Applicability; except that each parking space shall have, regardless of angle of parking, a usable parking space measuring as follows:
a. Residential uses. Not less than eight and one-half feet in width (measured perpendicularly from the sides of the parking space) and at least 150 square feet of usable parking area.
b. All other uses. Not less than nine feet in width (measured perpendicularly from the sides of the parking space) and not less than 18 feet in length and at least 180 square feet in total area.
c. Small vehicle parking. Up to 30% of the required parking spaces can be designed as small vehicle parking. Small vehicle parking spaces shall not be less than eight feet in width and 16 feet in length.
d. ADA parking. All parking spaces reserved for the use of disabled persons shall have an access aisle adjacent to the parking space. The width of the access aisle shall be either 60 inches for car-accessible spaces or 96 inches for van-accessible spaces. One of every six required accessible parking spaces, but always at least one space, must be van-accessible. Two parking spaces may share an access aisle. The parking space and aisle shall not be less than 20 feet in length. The ADA parking spaces shall be located closest to the entrance of the building.
e. Shared and motorcycle parking. After the required ADA parking spaces are located closest to the entrance, shared vehicle, carpool, vanpool spaces, and any motorcycle parking spaces shall be located closest to the entrance of the building.
f. Bicycle parking. Bicycle parking shall be located within 50 feet of a pedestrian entrance.
3. Access to and from parking lots and garages.
a. Each off-street parking space shall open directly upon an aisle, alley or driveway of a width and design that provides safe and efficient means of vehicular access to the parking space. Aisles, alleys, and driveways may be used to provide for vehicle circulation and maneuvering to reach parking spaces.
b. No parking space shall be designed or located so that the only way to access that space is by entering directly from or exiting directly to a highway, freeway, or primary arterial.
c. After the first day of the month that is six months after the date of adoption, no curb cut for street access to an accessory parking area in the compact context area, shall be approved if the property has an improved alley along the side or rear lot line.
d. Alleys may be used for vehicle circulation and maneuvering.
e. All off-street parking spaces or areas shall be designed with safe and efficient means of vehicular access to a street or alley that minimize interference with traffic movement. Off-street parking spaces and areas shall be designed and located so that vehicles shall not back into a public street or adjoining property unless the lot and the adjoining property are subject to a recorded easement agreement allowing that type of maneuverability.
f. No driveway leading to an accessory or primary use parking lot or garage may be located within 100 feet of a freight railway line or spur.
4. Location of cash register areas. After the first day of the month that is six months after the date of adoption, new above ground commercial parking facilities with an on-site attendant shall have the primary cash register area located so there is an unobstructed view between an area along the property frontage and any attendant at the cash register area.
5. Use of the parking lot or garage.
a. No parking lot or garage shall be used any of the following activities for the display, advertisement, sale, repair, dismantling or wrecking of any vehicle, equipment or material, or for the storage of any inoperable vehicle, unless it is accessory to a permitted use that includes those activities, the Zoning Ordinance permits those activities, and the use and area complies with all applicable standards in the Zoning Ordinance.
b. No parking lot or garage located in a dwelling or Mixed-Use District shall be used for the storage of commercial vehicles.
c. Buildings or structures for guards, attendants or watchmen shall be permitted in the parking lot or garage; however, the structure shall not occupy any required off-street parking spaces and shall comply with all setback requirements for the parking lot or garage.
6. Surface of parking lot.
a. For all uses other than agricultural, animal related, and food production uses located in the D-A Zoning District, parking lots shall provide a durable and dust-free surface through one of the following means:
1. The parking lot shall be paved with bricks or concrete; or
2. The parking lot shall be improved with a compacted aggregate base and surfaced with an asphaltic pavement; or
3. The parking lot shall be improved with a compacted aggregate base and surfaced with permeable pavers or permeable pavement approved by the city as appropriate for the type and intensity of the proposed use and for the climate of the city.
4. A gravel surface may be used for a period not exceeding one year after the commencement of the use for which the parking areas is provided, where ground or weather conditions are not immediately suitable for permanent surfacing required by the Zoning Ordinance.
5. For single-family detached dwellings, parking and drive surface may consist of a compacted aggregate base and gravel surface with a distinct edge boundary to retain the gravel.
b. The surface shall be graded, constructed and drained so that there will be no detrimental flow of water onto sidewalks.
[image omitted; see the official code]
Diagram E Parking Lot Drainage: Curb openings
c. Parking lots and garages (other than residential driveways for single-family detached dwelling, single-family attached dwelling or two-family dwelling) shall be designed and constructed in such a manner that no part of any parked vehicle shall extend beyond the boundary of the established parking lot or garage into any minimum required landscaped yard or area or onto adjoining property or onto a walkway or bikeway.
d. If curbs or wheel stops are installed in a parking lot row abutting a landscaped area, they shall have openings allowing drainage from the pavement to enter and percolate through the landscaped areas.
e. Parking lots, parking garages, and alleys used for access or maneuverability shall be maintained in good condition and free of chuckholes, weeds, dirt, trash and debris.
7. Marking of parking spaces.
a. All parking spaces provided in a parking lot or parking garage (other than residential driveways) shall be marked by durable painted lines at least four inches wide and extending the length of the space or by curbs or other means to indicate individual spaces. Signs or markers located on the pavement surface within a parking lot may be used as necessary to ensure efficient and safe traffic operation of the lot.
b. All parking spaces for required for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act or for shared, carpool, vanpool, motorcycle, and small vehicles shall be marked with durable paint and identified with a sign.
8. Rooftop parking. Parking spaces may be located on a building rooftop provided that the building complies with all applicable building code standards for that use of the roof.
9. Tandem parking.
a. End-to-end tandem parking may be used to meet minimum off-street parking requirements for residential uses in the compact context area, provided that both spaces are leased to, allocated to, or otherwise under the control of the same party.
b. End-to-end tandem parking may be used to provide non-required parking in any Zoning District provided that the maximum parking amounts provided in Table 744-402-1 are not exceeded.
c. Vertically stacked tandem parking using lift equipment may be used to meet minimum off-street parking requirements in any Zoning District provided that the parking lot or garage is attended with a lift operator at all times.
10. Parking garage stairwell. For each floor of the parking garage, on at least one wall of any stairwell at least 40% of the wall surface area between three feet and eight feet above the surface of each floor of the garage shall be of glass or other transparent materials and be maintained to allow visibility between the two areas.
11. Lighting of parking areas. See Chapter 744, Article VI Street and Exterior Lighting
12. Landscaping of parking areas. See Chapter 744, Article V Landscaping and Screening.
(G.O. 64, 2015, § 2; G.O. 37, 2018, § 10; G.O. 23, 2023, § 8)
Source: Consolidated City of Indianapolis and Marion County, Revised Code (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/in/indianapolis_-_marion_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TITIIIPUHEWE_CH744DEST_ARTIVPALODRRO_S744-404LODEPAFAFetched: 10/27/2026