New Orleans Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance

Printed: 3/28/2024 6:27:07 AM

23.7.A Required Parking Lot Landscape

1.  All parking lots of ten (10) or more spaces require a landscape plan as a condition of obtaining a building permit.

2.  Perimeter parking lot landscape is required for all parking lots, whether an accessory or principal use, and shall be established along the edge of the parking lot that abuts a public right-of-way, excluding alleys.

3.  Interior parking lot landscape, whether an accessory or principal use, is required for parking lots of ten (10) or more spaces.

4.  For existing parking lots that currently do not comply with the required parking lot landscape, such landscape shall be provided when any one (1) of the following occurs:

a.  A new principal building is constructed.

b.  A building addition is constructed that expands the building footprint by thirty percent (30%) or more.

c.  Over fifty percent (50%) of the total area of an existing parking lot is reconstructed.

d.  When an existing parking lot less than ten thousand (10,000) square feet in area is expanded by fifty percent (50%) or more in total surface area.

e.  When an existing parking lot over ten thousand (10,000) square feet in area is expanded by twenty-five percent (25%) or more in total surface area.

5. When an existing parking lot is required by this section to provide landscape, which would result in creating a parking area that no longer conforms to the parking regulations of this Ordinance, the existing parking lot is not required to install all or a portion of the required landscape. The applicant is required to show that landscape cannot be accommodated on the site. If only certain requirements can be accommodated on the site, only those elements are required. The Director of Department of Safety and Permits will make the determination that all or a portion of required landscape does not have to be installed.

6. An above ground sun lit parking lot stormwater detention BMP shall be worked into the interior or the perimeter of every parking facility to capture, filter, infiltrate and store the first flush coming off of the parking surface.  The detention BMP may be grassed or naturalized with ornamental wetland plants to reflect a Louisiana wetland environment.  Outflow facilities shall be included for all storm events over the capacity of the BMP and must be completely infiltrated and evaporated within 48 hours of the storm event.

7.  Nothing in this section prevents the applicant’s voluntary installation of additional parking lot landscape, so long as parking space requirements and parking lot design requirements are complied with. 

Ord. 27,683 MCS, ยง6, March 6, 2018, Zoning Docket 086-17