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City of South Bend and St. Joseph County Historic Preservation Guidelines 94 <br />For More Information: Parking Lots and Parking Decks <br />Parking, either in a residential setting or commercial use, is a necessary part of modern life . The challenge comes with incorporating that modern use in a way that balances the historic look and feel of the building and site with the design for the parking area . <br />Hard surfaces include those parts of the site used for parking as well as sidewalks, paths, patios, and other areas that have a high foot or <br />vehicle traffic requiring a hard-wearing surface. <br />Best Practices <br />• Minimize the visibility of parking areas—creating them in rear yards and installing landscaping to shield the area . <br />• Where possible factor in on-street parking options to minimize the need for the construction of hard surface parking areas on the site. <br />• Access through alleys is the preferred path to create an off-street parking area. <br />• Utilize existing side yards, screened where appropriate, if no rear yard is available . <br />• In commercially designed districts, parking lots should be created at the rear of the building or combined with other buildings for a <br />shared lot on the interior of a block whenever possible . <br />• Do not demolish a building to create a parking lot . <br />• Concrete should be finished in a flat—not broom or another rough surface pattern. <br />• Gravel would be appropriate for a path or rear parking area in a residential district—but not a main entrance sidewalk or driveway . <br />Parking Garages <br />A parking structure should be compatible with traditional buildings in the surrounding area . Respect the regular opening patterns, massing, scale, and other architectural elements of adjacent buildings . Maintain the alignments and rhythms of architectural elements as seen along the street . Express the traditional widths of buildings in the area . Continue the use of similar building materials . <br />Return to the Table of Contents <br />Parking Lots and Parking Decks <br />DRAFT