OFF-STREET PARKING, LOADING SPACE, AND ACCESS REQUIREMENTS
Ridgeland Zoning Ordinance § 37
in effectOFF-STREET PARKING, LOADING SPACE, AND ACCESS REQUIREMENTS
OFF-STREET PARKING, LOADING SPACE, AND ACCESS
SECTION
37
REQUIREMENTS
37.01 PURPOSE OF THIS SECTION: The purpose of this section is to establish
requirements regarding: (1) sufficient space for the off-street parking; (2) sufficient
space for loading (or unloading) of all motor vehicles; and (3) design standards for
access ways within the City of Ridgeland. The purpose of these requirements is to
reduce or avoid congestion of streets and to provide a more suitable living and
working environment. Such space for parking or loading of motor vehicles,
provisions for ingress and egress, and required landscaping shall be provided at the
time of the erection of any principal structure, or at the time any principal structure
is enlarged or increased in capacity by the addition of dwelling units, guest rooms,
floor area, or seats. The responsibility for meeting the requirements established by
this Ordinance shall be that of whoever establishes the use to which it is
appurtenant.
37.02 OFF-STREET PARKING:
A. General Requirements: Off-street parking and loading space shall be
provided in accordance with the following regulations:
1. Provision of Parking Space on the Same Lot with all Residential
Uses: Off-street parking space for all residential land uses shall be
provided on the same parcel of land as the residential use to which the
parking space is appurtenant. If the garage or carport of an existing
house is converted into living area, a new garage or carport (whichever
is consistent with what is being enclosed) must be added, which meets
the setbacks for the zoning district. If a carport is enclosed, a garage
may be constructed in lieu of a carport. If a residence on which a
garage or carport is enclosed is located on a lot of one (1) acre or
larger, the requirements of this section may be waived by the Mayor
and Board of Aldermen on a showing that adequate alternative
provisions for parking will be provided in such a manner as to protect
the safety, aesthetic and architectural integrity of the area in which
such waiver is granted.
(a) Level 1 and Level 2 Electric Vehicle Charging Facilities:
Level 1 and Level 2 Electric Vehicle Charging facilities may
be installed in garages and carports and are limited to
residential use only. Electric Vehicle Charging facilities at
residential structures shall not have utility service connections
separate from the principle dwelling.
2. Prohibited Parking or Storage of Vehicles in Front, Side, and
Rear Yards or Public Streets or Right-of-Ways:
(b) No vehicle shall be parked or stored in any FRONT or SIDE
yard in ANY residentially zoned district, except within a
garage or carport or on an apron or driveway. Driveway and
apron cannot cover more than 50% of the minimum lot
width and a driveway must be paved with stone pavers, brick,
asphalt, concrete, or gravel (crushed stone). Gravel may be
used only at locations which have existing gravel drives.
(c) No vehicle shall be parked or stored in any REAR yard
except:
i.
when the vehicle will not be visible from the street
and/or neighboring property in residentially zoned
districts; or
ii.
when the vehicle is located in R-E or R-EA zoned
property; or
iii.
if the vehicle is stored within a garage or carport or
on an apron or driveway; or
iv.
as hereinafter permitted.
(d) Recreational vehicles, transient trailers, travel trailers, motor
homes and the like may be parked in the driveway of the
front or the side yard for loading/unloading, cleaning or
minor repairs for a period not to exceed five consecutive days
and not more than thirty days per calendar year. Under
special circumstances, the Mayor and Board of Aldermen may
grant a permit to allow parking which would otherwise violate
this ordinance. The applicant must show special
circumstances and no adverse impact prior to receiving a
permit. Recreational vehicles, transient trailers, travel trailers,
motor homes and the like may be parked in the side or rear
yard if enclosed by 6-foot high solid fencing in a manner that
prevents direct visibility from the street.
(e) Trailers, boats, personal watercraft, and all-terrain vehicles
(ATV), shall be parked or stored within a garage or carport or
behind the back line of the building (rear yard).
EXCEPTIONS: Such items may be placed in the side yard if
enclosed by solid fencing in a manner that prevents direct
visibility from the street.
(f) No specialty vehicle shall be parked or stored in any
residentially zoned area, except when the same is actually in
use for its normal purposes. Specialty vehicles shall mean
those vehicles defined in Article II of this ordinance.
3. Non-residential Uses and Off-site Parking: Off-street parking
space for all non-residential land uses shall be provided on the same
parcel of land as the use to which the parking space is appurtenant;
PROVIDED, however, that, following site plan review in accordance
with Section 600.11 of this Ordinance, the Mayor and Board of
Aldermen may authorize in writing an alternative off-site location to the
required parking space for such non-residential land uses if:
(a) There are practical difficulties preventing the location of
parking space on the same parcel; and/or
(b) The public safety or the public convenience or both would be
better served by the location of the required space on a parcel of
land other than with the use to which it is appurtenant.
4. Provision of Access and Maneuver Space: In calculating any
required parking area, other than for parking spaces required for single
and two-family dwellings, sufficient access and maneuver space shall be
provided to permit the parking and removal of any vehicle without
moving other vehicles. Furthermore, all parking spaces shall be designed
regulated so that no parking or maneuvering incidental to parking shall
be on any public street, sidewalk, or alley.
5. Parking Space Near Fire Hydrants: Under no circumstances shall
any parking space be provided within fifteen (15) feet of a fire hydrant.
6. Limitations on Parking in Residential Districts: Commercial
vehicles in excess of 15,500 GVP (gross vehicle weight) shall be
prohibited from parking in all residentially zoned districts of the City,
except for deliveries, repairs or other temporary, legitimate
commercial activity.
7. Permit Required for Driveway Alteration, Construction, or
Expansion:
(a) No person, firm or corporation shall remove, alter or construct
any curb, driveway approach, gutter, pavement or perform any
other improvement in any public or private street or other
property owned by or dedicated to the City without first
obtaining a Building Permit from the Community
Development Department authorizing such improvements.
(b) Existing or proposed driveways within the right-of-way and/or
on private property shall not be altered, constructed or
expanded until a Building Permit is obtained. The maintenance
of driveways shall be the responsibility of the property owner
inclusive of the portions of the driveway located within the
right-of-way.
B. Schedule of Off-Street Parking Requirements: For the purpose of this
Ordinance, an "off-street parking space" shall consist of a space sufficient in
size to store one full size automobile (minimum of 162 square feet in area,
except as provided in Section 37.02.D) with room for opening doors on both
sides. When computing parking space requirements on the basis of the
number of persons expected to be on the premises of a particular land use,
the maximum number of occupants, practitioners, patrons or employees
anticipated to be on the premises at any one time shall be used. When the
application of the requirements of this Section would result in a fractional
space, any such fraction shall be counted as one space. In the case of mixed,
compatible subcategories of land use (e.g., as shopping centers containing a
grocery store, a furniture store, a motion picture theater, etc.), the parking
space required by the schedule below shall equal the sum of the requirements
for each of the various uses (subcategories) computed separately. Off-street
space for parking and storage of vehicles shall be provided in accordance
with Appendix A: Off-Street Parking Requirement Schedule.
C. Design Standards for Off-Street Parking: All off-street parking shall be
provided in accordance with the design standards for off-street parking as
prescribed in the latest edition of the Traffic Engineering Handbook, published by
the Institute of Transportation Engineers (formerly the Institute of Traffic
Engineers), Washington, D.C., or in accordance with other design standards
adopted by the Mayor and Board of Aldermen, City of Ridgeland, Mississippi.
See Appendix B: City of Ridgeland Parking Design Standards.
D. Parking Adjustments: During Site Plan review, the Mayor and Board of
Aldermen may grant an adjustment from the strict parking requirements set
forth in this Ordinance on a showing of:
1. A particular use or potential use of a property does not require
the parking spaces otherwise set out in this Ordinance. This
condition may be met by showing that the proposed use is
unique with regard to traffic generation and parking
requirements or that the availability of under-utilized off-street
parking is available for the use.
2. Mixed Use Developments that have anticipated overlapping
peak volumes where parking can be shared.
3. The size and spacing of parking spaces may be adjusted upon
any showing of any of the following:
(a) Unique topographical or lot geography conditions.
(b) Preservation of existing trees, green areas, or scenic
Features of a lot.
(c) Parking for specialized vehicles/motorcycles.
(d) Construction of a Parking Garage as designed per
industry standards.
4. Under no circumstances shall an adjustment in size and
spacing of parking spaces be granted without consideration of
the impact on the flow and safety of vehicular pedestrian
traffic.
37.03 OFF-STREET LOADING SPACE REQUIREMENTS: Adequate off-street
space for the loading and unloading of vehicles and for vehicles temporarily stopped
("standing") while waiting to be loaded, unloaded, or serviced, shall be provided and
maintained for all commercial and industrial uses and any other use involving the
receipt or distribution by vehicles of materials, merchandise or other matter on a
regular basis. Said space shall be provided and designated, so as not to be construed
as the otherwise generally required parking space on the same premises with the use
to which it is appurtenant, unless with a recommendation from the Director of
Community Development or his designee, the Mayor and Board of Aldermen
authorize in writing an alternative location for such loading or unloading. Unless
otherwise specified in this Ordinance, loading, unloading, or standing space shall be
provided according to the use as recommended by the Director of Community
Development or his designee.
37.04 ACCESS WAYS: Developers of public/quasi-public uses, multi-family residential
uses, all commercial uses and all industrial uses shall control access along streets
upon which the use abuts in accordance with the following regulations:
A. Access Barrier: Each lot, with its buildings, other structures and parking and
loading areas shall be physically separated from each adjoining street by a
curb or other suitable barrier against unchannelled motor vehicle ingress or
egress. Except for the accessways permitted below, such barrier shall be
continuous for the entire length of any lot line adjoining a street.
B. Number of Accessways per Lot: A minimum of one accessway per lot, or
one accessway for every 100 feet of street frontage.
C. Width of Accessways: The width of any accessway shall not be less than
twenty (20) feet. The alignment of accessways shall be approved in
accordance with Site Plan Review procedures specified under Section 600.12.
D. Distances between Accessways and Minimum Setbacks from Street
Intersections: The spacing of accessways shall conform to the
following:
1. At its intersection with the lot line, no part of any accessway
shall be nearer than twenty (20) feet to any other accessway on
the same lot, nor shall any part of the accessway be nearer
than ten (10) feet to any side or rear property line;
2. At intersections with other streets, no part of an accessway
shall be permitted within fifty (50) feet of the intersecting
streets right-of-way line; and
3. No part of an accessway shall be permitted within a corner
radius.
E. Reduction of Traffic Hazards at Accessways: Accessways shall be
constructed so that vehicles will not have to back into the roadway. In
addition, the location and number of accessways shall be so arranged that
they will reduce the possibility of traffic hazards as much as possible.
Source: Official City of Ridgeland published zoning PDFURL: https://www.ridgelandms.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Official-Zoning-Ordinance-Codified-2026_0507-2.pdf#page=54Fetched: 11/14/2026