Design of Off-Street Parking Facilities

Baltimore City Code art. 32, tit. 16, subtit. 4

in effect

Baltimore City Code, Article 32, § 16-401 Location of off-street parking.

§ 16-401. Location of off-street parking. (a) On-site of use or structure served. Unless otherwise permitted by this title, all off-street parking facilities must be located on the same lot as the use or structure served. (b) Yard and building line restrictions. (1) Residential districts. In all detached and semi-detached zoning districts identified in § 6-203 {“Detached and Semi-detached Residential Districts”} and in the R-5, R-6, R-7, and R-8 zoning districts, off-street parking is prohibited in the required front or corner yard and forward of the front building line. (2) Commercial districts. In the C-1, C-1-E, C-1-VC, and C-2 Districts, off-street parking is prohibited in front of the front building line. (c) Off-site facilities. (1) Off-street parking facilities may be located off-site if: (i) the parking facilities are located in a zoning district where this parking is permitted or allowed as a conditional use; (ii) the land on which the off-site parking facilities are located is within 600 feet of the lot line of the use or structure served; and (iii) the off-site parking facilities are on a lot possessed by the record titleholder of the lot occupied by the structure or use to be served by the parking facilities. (2) For the purposes of this subsection, possession of the facilities may be by either: (i) deed; or (ii) 20-year or longer recorded deed restriction. (3) The location of the off-site parking facilities and the term and contents of the deed or deed restriction permitting the owner of the use or structure served to use the off-site facilities are subject to the approval of the Zoning Administrator. The deed or deed restriction must be recorded in the Land Records of Baltimore City, binding the owner of that lot and the owner’s heirs and assigns to maintain the required number of parking spaces for the duration of the use served or the term of the deed or deed restriction, whichever first terminates. (d) Valet service. Notwithstanding the restrictions of subsections (a), (b), and (c) of this section, a use may utilize a valet service in accordance with City Code Article 31, Subtitle 14 {“Valet Parking”}. However, the off-site parking facility must provide the required number of spaces. The use must certify that valet service will be used and that the required number of spaces has been provided. (Ord. 25-064 Section 2; Ord. 17-015; Ord. 16-581.)

Baltimore City Code, Article 32, § 16-402 Minimum dimensions of off-street parking spaces.

§ 16-402. Minimum dimensions of off-street parking spaces. Off-street parking spaces must either be designed: (1) in accordance with Table 16-402: Off-Street Parking Dimensions; or (2) as reviewed by the Site Plan Review Committee and approved by the Director of Planning. (Ord. 25-064 Section 2; Ord. 22-181; Ord. 18-171; Ord. 17-015; Ord. 16-581.)

Baltimore City Code, Article 32, § 16-403 Access.

§ 16-403. Access. (a) In general. (1) Parking space connection to aisle or driveway. Each off-street space must open directly onto an aisle or driveway wide enough to provide adequate means of vehicular access to the parking space. (2) Least interference with other vehicles. All off-street parking facilities must provide appropriate means of vehicular access in a manner that least interferes with traffic movement and in a way that permits vehicles to enter or leave the parking spaces without having to move any other vehicle. (b) Access to be from street, alley, driveway, or easement. All off-street parking facilities must have vehicular access from a street, an alley at least 10 feet wide, a driveway, or cross-access easement connection. (c) When access from alley required. In the residential and commercial districts, if off-street parking areas can be accessed from an alley at least 15 feet wide, access from the alley is required and new curb cuts along the public right-of-way are prohibited. (d) One-way traffic aisles as in Table. Within off-street parking facilities, one-way traffic aisles must either be designed: (1) in accordance with Table 16-402{: Off-Street Parking Dimensions}; or (2) as reviewed by the Site Plan Review Committee and approved by the Director of Planning. (Ord. 25-064 Section 2; Ord. 22-181; Ord. 16-581.)

Baltimore City Code, Article 32, § 16-404 Driveways.

§ 16-404. Driveways. (a) Conformance with DoT Book of Standards. The design of every driveway with access onto a City-owned roadway must conform to the City Department of Transportation’s Book of Standards. (b) Distance from side lot line. (1) Driveways must be located at least 1 foot from the side lot line. (2) However, a residential driveway may be located on the lot line if it physically abuts a driveway on the adjoining lot. This location will only be allowed if agreed to by the owners of each lot and that agreement is recorded as a shared driveway easement on each survey plat. (Ord. 25-064 Section 2; Ord. 18-171; Ord. 17-015; Ord. 16-581.)

Baltimore City Code, Article 32, § 16-405 Curb cuts.

§ 16-405. Curb cuts. (a) Permit required. (1) Curb cuts for driveways require a curb-cut permit from the Department of Transportation, subject to review by the Department of Planning. (2) No person may construct, widen, remove, or alter any driveway or curb cut without a permit issued by the Department of Transportation. (b) Considerations. (1) For residential-, commercial-, and industrial-zoned properties, curb cuts will be considered for the following situations: (i) for access to parking garages (principal use); (ii) for access to parking lots with more than 5 parking spaces; (iii) for dwelling units without rear or side access, where no on-street parking is allowed along the front lot line; (iv) for dwelling units that are capable of securing side street access to a garage or parking space; and (v) in cases where the proposed private parking will provide a net gain over the displaced amount of on-street parking. (2) Existing curb cuts or abandoned curb cuts do not guarantee approval for reuse unless there is an existing permit. In addition, existing curb cuts lawfully established in the immediate vicinity do not guarantee approval of any given request. (3) The City reserves the right to deny a curb cut request regardless of the availability or unavailability of side and rear access. (Ord. 25-064 Section 2; Ord. 17-015; Ord. 16-581.)

Baltimore City Code, Article 32, § 16-406 Drive-through facility stacking spaces.

§ 16-406. Drive-through facility stacking spaces. (a) Number required. Every drive-through facility shall provide at least 4 stacking spaces per bay or lane, unless otherwise required by this Code. (b) Standards. Stacking spaces provided for drive-through uses must: (1) be at least 9 feet wide, as measured from the outermost point of any service window to the edge of the drive aisle, and at least 18 feet long; (2) be placed in a single line behind the drive-through facility; (3) be located so that, when in use, they do not obstruct ingress or egress to the site and do not obstruct access to required parking or loading spaces; (4) begin behind the vehicle parked at a last point of service, such as a window or car wash bay; and (5) comply with any additional standards in § 14-311 {“Drive-through facilities”}. (Ord. 25-064 Section 2; Ord. 16-581.)

Baltimore City Code, Article 32, § 16-407 Surfacing.

§ 16-407. Surfacing. (a) In general. Unless otherwise permitted by this title or in subsections (b) or (c) of this section, parking spaces must be surfaced and maintained with a dustless all-weather material in accordance with the Baltimore City Building Code. (b) Parallel paved wheel strips. For single-family detached and semi-detached dwellings, a parking space may consist of 2 parallel paved parking strips, each of which is at least 18 inches wide and at least 18 feet long. (c) Semi-pervious materials. For single-family detached, semi-detached, and rowhouse dwellings, driveways may be constructed of semi-pervious materials, such as grass-crete, pervious pavers, and gravel. (Ord. 25-064 Section 2; Ord. 18-171; Ord. 16-581.)

Baltimore City Code, Article 32, § 16-408 Pavement markings.

§ 16-408. Pavement markings. (a) Multi-space area. Off-street parking areas of 5 or more spaces must delineate the parking spaces with paint or other permanent materials, which must be maintained in clearly visible condition. (b) Accessible parking spaces. Accessible parking spaces must be identified with the appropriate sign and must be visible at all times of the year. (Ord. 25-064 Section 2; Ord. 16-581.)

Baltimore City Code, Article 32, § 16-409 Curbing and wheel stops.

§ 16-409. Curbing and wheel stops. Wheel stops or curbing must be provided to prevent vehicles from damaging or encroaching on an adjacent parking or loading space, sidewalk, landscaped area, or parking lot island, fence, wall, or building. Curbing must be at least 6 inches in height, in accordance with Building Code § 3116.5 {“Curbs or bumpers”}. (Ord. 25-064 Section 2; Ord. 20-361; Ord. 16-581.)

Baltimore City Code, Article 32, § 16-410 Lighting.

§ 16-410. Lighting. Parking lot lighting must comply with § 15-505 {“Exterior lighting”} of this Code. Illumination of an off-street parking area must be arranged so as to deflect light away from adjacent properties and streets. (Ord. 25-064 Section 2; Ord. 16-581.)

Source: City of Baltimore Department of Legislative Reference, City of Baltimore Law Library (codes.baltimorecity.gov; Open Law Library bulk XML)URL: https://codes.baltimorecity.gov/us/md/cities/baltimore/code/32/16/4Fetched: 10/25/2026