Every commercial property in Fairfax County must provide a minimum number of off-street parking spaces based on the land use. This applies to new development projects as well as existing buildings and parking lots. On new development projects, this zoning requirement is met during the site plan design and review process. On commercial properties with an established use, this requirement was met when the property was developed/built. However, a Parking Study will still be required on an existing property if the land use changes. This is due to the fact that the Fairfax County Zoning Ordinance has minimum off-street parking requirements that can change based on differing land uses and gross floor area.
What Is a Parking Study?
A Parking Study is a study of the existing property land use(s) and a Parking Tabulation to show the parking provided on-site meets the minimum parking rate required by the zoning ordinance. This study must be performed by a Licensed Civil Engineer or Licensed Land Surveyor to be submitted to Fairfax County for review and approval.
When Is a Parking Study Required?
Whenever there is a change in land use such as an existing warehouse use changing to a gym, a parking study will be required before issuing a Non-RUP (Non-Residential Use Permit) for the new gym use. This can become more complicated if there are multiple tenants/uses in one building on the same property. Even if there already is a previously approved Parking Study (PKS) on file for the property, anytime there is a change in use, a new Parking Study will have to be submitted. This also applies to buildings with multiple tenants and even if only one of those tenants is changing their occupancy use. The entire property and all of the existing uses must be verified as part of the Parking Study process. This ensures that an existing building will remain in compliance with the proper occupancy permits and adequate parking for the current building use. Our firm has licensed and experienced professionals on-staff to help you navigate through this process.
What Is a Parking Redesignation Plan?
A Parking Plan or Parking Redesignation Plan is an Existing Conditions Plan & Site Plan that shows the existing parking layout on a property and any proposed changes to that layout. The parking plan shows the parking space dimensions, travel aisle width, loading spaces, handicap parking, and pedestrian access aisles. The purpose of this plan is to demonstrate that an existing or proposed parking lot meets all of the minimum geometric dimensions and quantities per the Zoning Ordinance and Fairfax County Public Facilities Manual.
In the project example below, a Parking Redesignation Plan was prepared by DeMarr Engineering to add four more parking spaces to the property. A Parking Tabulation was also prepared to confirm all the existing land uses and parking provided on the property.
The Parking Redesignation Plan must meet the Parking Redesignation Review Checklist requirements for county review and approval.
Do I Need a Parking Redesignation Plan?
Any changes to the configuration, size, or quantity of parking spaces on an established/ developed commercial property in Fairfax County, VA will require a Parking Redesignation Plan as part of the Parking Study/Tabulation submission, as shown in the example above.
If the existing parking layout is not changing and you have an original approved parking layout plan when the property was developed, or an existing survey of the property, then a Parking Redesignation Plan won’t be required as part of the Parking Study submittal.
In the project example below, a previously approved Parking Layout Plan was utilized by DeMarr Engineering to field verify the existing building uses and existing parking layout. Once the site visit and parking study confirmed the parking provided on-site met the zoning requirements and that no changes were proposed to the existing parking layout, we were able to complete the Parking Study without a Parking Redesignation Plan.
Conclusion
Our firm has both Licensed Civil Engineers and Licensed Land Surveyors on-staff who are experienced in providing Parking Study services in Fairfax County, VA. We can help keep your property/building in compliance or bring an out of compliance property back into compliance with the zoning ordinance regulations. Contact us for an initial consultation and a quote for our services.
The post Do I Need a Parking Study in Fairfax County, VA? first appeared on DeMarr Engineering.