Driveway and Parking Lot Guidelines - City of White Bear Lake

CITY OF WHITE BEAR LAKE

BUILDING INSPECTION DEPARTMENT
4701 Highway 61, White Bear Lake, MN 55110

651-429-8518/Fax: 651-429-8503

Driveway and Parking Lot Guidelines

Single Family, Two-Family, Townhome
and Quadraminium Uses

General Provisions

1) ALL new driveways, or additions to existing driveways shall require a permit at a cost of
$30.00 per permit.

2) Only in cases of lots platted prior to the effective date of the Code (12/13/83) and having a
lot width of seventy-five (75) feet or less, the required parking spaces serving one and two
family dwellings may be designed for parking not more than two (2) vehicles in tandem
arrangement for each dwelling unit in order to comply with requirements of the Code.

3) No curb cut access shall be located less than forty (40) feet from the intersection of two (2) or
more street rights-of-way. This distance shall be measured from the intersection of lot lines.

4) No curb cut shall exceed twenty-four (24) feet in width in single and two family
developments unless approved by the City Engineer. Please refer to Appendix A for
Residential Curb Opening Standards.

5) All properties shall be entitled to at least one (1) curb cut. Each property shall be allowed
one (1) curb cut for each one-hundred twenty-five (125) feet of street frontage, except for
single family uses. Single family uses shall be limited to one (1) curb cut access per
property, unless a Conditional Use Permit is reviewed by the Planning Commission and
approved by the City Council.

6) All areas intended to be utilized for parking areas, driveways, and loading areas shall be
surfaced with blacktop, concrete or another hard surface material. The design and materials
used shall be approved by the City Engineer.

7) Parking shall be prohibited in any portion of the front or side yard except designated
driveways leading directly into a garage, or one (1) open, hard surfaced space located on the
side of a driveway or garage. Such hard surface space shall not be located in front of the
principal living area. Said space shall be surfaced with blacktop, concrete or other hard
surface material approved by the City Engineer.

8) Off-street parking shall be provided for all vehicles concerned with any use on the lot.

9) The boulevard portion of the street right-of-way shall not be used for parking, except when
leased or otherwise conveyed by the City to the adjoining property owner.

10) Driveways shall be designed to drain such that they do not adversely affect adjacent
parcels.

Single Family, Two-Family, Townhome and Quadraminium Uses (Cont’d):

Driveway Setbacks for single, two-family, townhomes and quadraminimums

1) Residential lots platted prior to the effective date of the Code (12/13/83), and having a lot
width of seventy-five (75) feet or less, shall maintain a minimum side yard driveway setback
of one (1) foot in all districts.

2) Residential lots platted after the effective date of the Code (12/13/83), or having a lot width
greater than seventy-five (75) feet shall maintain a minimum side yard driveway setback of
five (5) feet in all districts.

3) Driveway side yard setbacks may be reduced with special approval of the City Zoning
Administrator.

4) There shall be no off-street parking within fifteen (15) feet of any street curbline or pavement
edge and no off-street parking within a five (5) foot setback from the nearest street right-of-
way line, whichever is the greatest setback from the pavement edge.

All Other Uses Including Commercial and Industrial Uses:

General Provisions

1) ALL new driveways, alterations, or additions to existing driveways shall require a permit at a
cost of $30.00 per permit.

2) Each parking space shall be not less than eight and one-half (8 ½) feet wide and twenty (20)
feet in length, exclusive of aisles, and each space shall be served adequately by access aisles.

3) Parking areas shall be designed so that the circulation between parking bays or aisles occurs
within the designed parking lot and does not depend upon a public street or alley. Parking
area design, which requires backing into the pubic right-of-way, is prohibited.

4) No curb cut access shall be located less than forty (40) feet from the intersection of two (2) or
more street rights-of-way. This distance shall be measured from the intersection of lot lines.

5) No curb cut shall exceed thirty-two (32) feet unless approved by the City Engineer. Please
refer to Appendix B for Commercial Curb Opening Standards.

6) All properties shall be entitled to at least one (1) curb cut. Each property shall be allowed one
(1) curb cut for each one-hundred twenty-five (125) feet of street frontage. The distances
between driveway access curb openings onto a public street shall not be located less than
forty (40) feet from one another.

7) All driveways and parking areas, except those for less than five (5) vehicles, shall be graded
according to a drainage plan, which has been approved by the City Engineer. The grade
elevation of any parking area shall not exceed five percent (5%). In all cases, a grading permit
shall be required.

8) All areas intended to be utilized for parking areas, driveways, and loading areas shall be
surfaced with blacktop, concrete or another hard surface material. The design and materials
used shall be approved by the City Engineer.

All Other Uses Including Commercial and Industrial Uses (Cont’d):

9) All parking areas shall be marked with white or yellow lines not less than four (4) inches
wide.

10) Any lighting used to illuminate an off-street parking area shall be hooded and so arranged as
to reflect the light away from adjoining property, abutting residential uses and public rights-
of-way, and be in compliance with Section 1302.030, Subd. 9 of the White Bear Lake Zoning
Code.

11) All off-street parking of five (5) or more spaces shall have a poured, six (6) inch concrete curb
and gutter barrier around the entire parking lot perimeter. The City standard is MnDot
approved B6-18 curb and gutter.
a) Curbing shall be required around parking lot islands.
b) Curb cuts and ramps for the handicapped shall be in accordance with State law.
c) The City may exempt curbing

1. Where the parking lot directly abuts a sidewalk, which is sufficiently higher than the
grade of the parking lot and satisfies the curbing requirement.

2. Where the City has approved future expansion.

12. All open off-street parking areas of five (5) or more spaces shall be screened from abutting or
surrounding residential views and views from the public right-of-way in compliance with
Section 1302.030, Subd. 6 and Subd. 7 of the City of White Bear Lake Zoning Code. All
parking facilities of one hundred (100) contiguous spaces or more shall be subject to interior
landscaping.

13. Head-in parking, directly off of and adjacent to a public street, with each having its own
direct access to the public street, shall be prohibited.

Parking Lot Setbacks

1) All exterior parking and hard surface areas (except that portion of the driveway crossing the
public right-of-way to give access to the street) shall be:

a) No closer than fifteen (15) feet from any street right-of-way or street easement.
b) No closer than five (5) feet from any side or rear lot line unless adjacent to an alley, then

the setback shall be increased to fifteen (15) feet.
c) No closer than five (5) feet from the main building.

A DRIVEWAY PERMIT IS REQUIRED FOR ANY NEW DRIVEWAY OR ADDITION TO AN
EXISTING DRIVEWAY. A SITE PLAN (IN DUPLICATE) MUST BE SUBMITTED ALONG
WITH THE BUILDING APPLICATION. THE SITE PLAN MUST INCLUDE THE
FOLLOWING:

1. Lot lines
2. Location of the principle structure and any other relevant structure
3. Location of proposed driveway
4. Dimensions of lot, structures and driveway
5. Type of driveway (concrete, blacktop, etc)
6. Any other additional information which may be required