Off-street automobile parking and loading spaces shall be provided, as specified in this Article, for uses and structures hereafter established in all districts at the time of initial construction of any principal building, unless otherwise exempted from this Article. For developments phased in timing, parking and loading requirements may also be phased in accordance with the requirements applying for each particular time phase of development.

Any building or use that is subsequently enlarged or converted to another use shall meet the off-street parking and loading space requirements of this Article, for the enlarged or new use.

Required parking and loading spaces shall be maintained and shall not be encroached upon by refuse containers, signs or other structures, unless an equal number of spaces are provided elsewhere in conformance with these regulations.

Required parking and loading spaces shall be provided with vehicular access to a public street or alley.

Off-street parking and loading facilities required shall be located contiguous to the principal building or use. However, as much as twenty-five (25) percent of the required number of parking spaces may be located within two hundred (200) feet of the principal building or use, provided proof of ownership of such premises is provided to the Zoning Administrator. Such distance shall be measured between the nearest point of the parking facility and the nearest point of the principal building or use. If this option of utilizing nearby parking is utilized, then the parking area may not be discontinued or otherwise converted to another use, unless other nearby parking is utilized to meet the minimum required number of off-street parking spaces for the principal building or use.

The minimum number of required off-street parking spaces for each type of permitted use shall be as indicated below. For uses not specifically listed, the off-street parking requirements shall be those of the most similar use as determined by the Zoning Administrator. When the application of these parking requirements results in a fractional space requirement, the fractional space requirement shall be construed to mean one (1) additional space.

Whereas a suggested minimum number of off-street parking are suggested for each use, consideration and documentation will be required so as to insure that storm water management and environmental concerns are addressed and supported to show the minimum and maximum need for any proposed ratio. Such documentation will support and establish an avg. daily need for an annual and daily parking needs. Consideration shall be given to the applicant for avg. daily need and the governing body can require a reduction of parking spaces, setting aside a percentage of parking area development for future use if deemed necessary. Such area shall be designed and constructed as vegetated islands allowing for storm water and environmental impact improvements to be lessened.

Each parking area of six (6) or more spaces devoted to uses other than residential shall provide handicapped parking spaces (a minimum of twelve feet in width) counted as a part of the total parking required, in accordance with the following scale:

Individual parking spaces shall be a minimum of 150 square feet. The angle of design for parking spaces and parking lots may be 30, 45, 60, 90 degrees or parallel to the curb, provided that sufficient maneuvering isle width is provided subject to the approval of the Zoning Administrator.

Design shall include consideration of reduction of heat islands and environmental impact, specific detail shall be required identifying the reduction and the application of vegetation to support these concerns.

All off-street parking in excess of 10 parking spaces and/or establishments dispensing petroleum based products shall be required to have an oil/waste separator device designed and constructed and shown in the storm water management plan. Such device shall be approved by the governing body and/or its designee and shall be the responsibility of the property owner for maintenance and operation.

On the same lot with every building, structure or part thereof, erected or occupied for manufacturing, storage, warehouse, truck freight terminal, goods display, department store, wholesale store, market, hotel, hospital, mortuary, laundry, dry cleaning, retail business or other uses similarly involving the receipt or distribution of vehicles, materials or merchandise, there shall be provided and maintained on the lot adequate space for the standing, loading and unloading services to avoid undue interference with public use of streets and alleys.

Such loading and unloading space, unless otherwise adequately provided for, shall be an area twelve (12) feet by sixty (60) feet, with fourteen (14) foot height clearance, and shall be provided according to the following schedule.

For the above-described uses, one (1) loading space shall be provided for the first 25,000 square feet of gross floor area or fractional part thereof. Uses in excess of 25,000 square feet shall provide loading spaces according to the following schedule:

All plans for off-street loading area shall be subject to the approval of the Zoning/ Building Administrator.

For any sites or developments that include significant amounts of parking, site design should avoid a "sea of parking" impression from the fronting streets (i.e., where vast amounts of surface parking dominate the view(s) from the fronting street(s) to the site's primary buildings). This design guideline is particularly applicable to shopping centers. Again design should be applied and supported to show the reduction of environmental concerns.

The presence of vast parking lots between the fronting street and the buildings results in the principal buildings being set back from the roadway to such an extent that it discourages pedestrian access to the site and will frustrate any future transit connections to the site. Streetscapes that are dominated by parking lots detract from the character proposed to be created by the activity center. Single, very large parking lots should be avoided. Rather than facing a single, very large contiguous parking area between the fronting street and the buildings, the parking should be broken up into smaller lots or fields of 40-60 cars by landscape strips, peninsulas, or grade separations. Generous amounts of parking should be directed to the rear and sides of the buildings or site. This guideline does not mean that there should be no parking area between the fronting street(s) and the principal buildings in shopping centers or other large nonresidential or multifamily developments. The intent is to significantly reduce the amount of large surface parking between the fronting street(s) and the principal buildings, allowing the buildings to be brought closer to the fronting street(s), in support of a more attractive and pedestrian-friendly environment.

Parking lots that face a street should be partially screened from the street by a low fence, wall, hedge, berm, or vegetated buffer. If a parking lot fronts an arterial or major collector, and is of such a size that it dominates views from the fronting arterial/collector and detracts from the overall streetscape and community appearance, then it is recommended that the parking lot be screened or buffered in its entirety from view along the fronting roadway(s).

Parking aisles should be separated from one another by planted medians with shade trees. When possible, it is recommended that parking aisles and their shade trees be aligned in a solar orientation to cast shade on parked cars during the summer months, if such an orientation does not compromise other design criteria in this article.

606.1 Improvement of Parking Lots

All parking areas containing more than five (5) spaces shall meet the following requirements:

a.

They shall be graded to insure proper drainage, surfaced with concrete or asphalt, and maintained in good condition free of obstructions.

b.

Parking areas shall not be used for the sale, repair, dismantling or serving of any vehicle, equipment, materials or supplies.

c.

Each parking space shall be clearly marked, and directional arrows or signs shall be provided wherever necessary. Markers, directional arrows and signs shall be properly maintained at all times.

d.

A parking lot pavement setback of fifteen (15) feet from any public street right-of-way and ten (10) feet from any exterior property line shall be provided, except where access points and interconnections to other parcels have been approved. The parking lot pavement setback shall be increased to twenty-five (25) feet where such lot abuts a residential district. Concrete or other suitable curb stops shall be installed so as to prevent vehicle encroachment onto setback areas.

e.

Not less than thirty (30%) percent of the total area devoted to parking shall be landscaped open space of which fifty (50%) percent shall be shade trees.

f.

Parking lots that face a street or are adjacent to residential properties shall be partially screened.

g.

Any lighting facilities installed shall be so arranged to prevent the direct illumination of adjacent residential properties or public streets.

h.

Drainage facilities should be designed to capture first flush runoff pollutants and to store and time runoff discharge in the Town's stormwater system.

i.

A site plan indicating property lines, parking areas, location of parking spaces, pavement setbacks, drainage facilities, paving materials, access and other features required to ensure compliance with this Article shall be submitted to the Zoning Administrator. A permit shall be required prior to the construction of new parking areas, or for the expansion or alteration of existing parking areas.

Where the parking requirement for a particular use is not described in this chapter, and where no similar use is listed, the Zoning Administrator shall determine the number of spaces to be provided based on requirements for similar uses, location of the proposed use, the number of employees on the largest shift, and the expected demand and traffic generated by the proposed use.

When a building includes a combination of uses, the required number of parking spaces shall be the sum of the required parking for each use, when the multiple uses operate simultaneously. For non-simultaneous use, the parking requirements for the use requiring the greater number of parking spaces will govern.

The Zoning Administrator may authorize a reduction in the total number of required off-street parking spaces for two or more uses jointly providing parking facilities when their respective hours or need of maximum parking do not normally overlap, provided that the developer submits sufficient data to demonstrate that the hours of maximum demand for parking at the respective uses do not normally overlap.

The Zoning Administrator may in individual cases administratively authorize a reduction in the minimum number of parking spaces for projects that are directly served by public transit and for projects that provide bicycle parking, provided that it can be shown that such available alternative travel modes will reduce the overall need for parking on the site proportional to the requested reduction in parking spaces.

The Zoning Administrator may in individual cases administratively authorize a reduction in the minimum number of parking spaces for projects that are directly served by on-street parking approved by the Town Engineer.

To avoid excessive surpluses which increase development costs and impervious surfaces, parking shall not be provided in quantities greater than twenty five (25) percent above the required minimum; provided, however, the following:

a)

The Zoning Administrator may allow parking at a rate in excess of twenty five (25) percent area the required number of spaces, on a case-by-case basis based upon the scale and impacts of the request, for good cause shown. The applicant shall make said request in writing which shall include documentation from an acceptable industry publication (e.g., Institute of Transportation Engineers, Urban Land Institute, American Planning Association, etc.) or by a study prepared by a traffic engineering firm that documents parking requirements.

b)

The Zoning Administrator may allow a land area for parking that exceeds twenty five (25) percent above the required number of spaces to be designed and reserved for future parking use. In such a case, said reserved parking area shall not be developed except by written permission from the Zoning Administrator demonstration by the applicant that:

(1)

Existing parking spaces are occupied at a rate of ninety (90) percent or higher for twenty five (25) percent or more of the regular business hours in which the business or use operated during a non-holiday week;

(2)

Additional parking areas will be constructed of well-known permeable or pervious materials and design.

Parking areas, parking lots or parking garages which constitute the principle use of a lot shall only be permitted in NS, HB, CBD, CB, M-I, and M-II zoning districts. In cases where parking areas, parking lots or parking garages exist or are proposed to serve as accessory parking for a particular building or use, regardless of whether such parking is required by this Article, such land, area or lot, including all access drives, shall require the same or less restrictive zoning district as that within which such building or use it serves is located. Similarly, in cases where accessory parking serves a building or use which requires, or was approved as, a conditional use, such parking area and access drives shall require the same conditional use approval as that for which such conditional use or building it serves.