Bell Acres City Zoning Code
ARTICLE V
Off-Street Parking and Loading
§ 165-68 Parking for existing uses.
Structures and uses in existence at the date of adoption of this chapter shall not be subject to the requirements of this article so long as the kind or extent of use is not changed and provided that any parking facility now serving such structures or uses shall not in the future be reduced below such requirements.
§ 165-69 Changes in structure or use.
Whenever there is an alteration of a structure or a change or extension of a use which increases the parking requirements according to the standards of §§ 165-25 through 165-31 the total additional parking required for the alteration, change or extension shall be provided in accordance with the requirements of that section.
§ 165-70 Use of parking areas for other purposes.
No parking area shall be used for any use that interferes with its availability for the parking need it is required to serve, except that it may be used for a stormwater retention basin of a maximum depth of six inches.
§ 165-71 Required facilities.
[Amended 11-11-2002 by Ord. No. 226]
A.
Any new use or change of use in any zoning district shall comply with the following minimum requirements for the provision of off-street parking spaces.
B.
When the calculation of required parking spaces results in a requirement of a fractional parking space, any fraction shall be counted as one parking space.
C.
Where more than one use exists on a lot, parking requirements for each use shall be provided.
D.
The following Table of Parking Requirements specifies the number of spaces required for various categories of uses in any zoning district:
Bell Acres Zoning Chapter | |
|---|---|
Table of Parking Requirements | |
Use | Parking Spaces Required |
Apartment [Amended 3-9-2020 by Ord. No. 302] | Two per dwelling unit, plus 0.5 per dwelling unit for visitors located within 300 feet of the units they are intended to serve |
Automobile rental, sales and services | Two per employee on the peak working shift. These spaces shall not be used for the display of vehicles for sale or lease. |
Bed-and-breakfast | Two, plus one for each sleeping room |
Business and professional office, business | One for every 300 square feet of gross floor area |
Business and professional office, medical or dental | Four for each exam room |
Cemetery | One for each employee on the peak working shift. If the cemetery has facilities for internment services, the church parking requirements shall apply. |
Church | One for each three seats in the main assembly room |
Communication tower | Two |
Community center [Amended 9-13-2021 by Ord. No. 309] | One for each three seats in a place of assembly or one for each 400 square feet of assembly area. The required spaces for schools or churches may serve as community center parking spaces. |
Community clubhouse, private [Added 9-13-2021 by Ord. No. 309] | One for each 200 square feet of gross floor area of the building. The parking for a private community clubhouse may not be counted towards the required parking for a private community swimming pool. |
Community swimming pool, private [Added 9-13-2021 by Ord. No. 309] | One for each 100 square feet of swimming pool area. The parking for a private community swimming pool may not be counted towards the required parking for a private community clubhouse. |
Construction business | One per employee on a peak working shift, plus one per 1,000 square feet of showroom floor area |
Convenience store | One per 500 square feet of gross floor area |
Conversion | For commercial use, one per 200 square feet of gross floor area. For residential use, 1.5 for each dwelling unit |
Day care | One per employee on a peak working shift, plus one off-street dropoff space for each eight children |
Duplex [Amended 3-9-2020 by Ord. No. 302] | Two per dwelling unit, one of which shall be provided inside a garage |
Entertainment facility (fixed seating) | One for each four seats |
Entertainment facility (indoor entertainment area) | One for each 150 square feet of gross floor area |
Entertainment facility (outdoor entertainment area) | One for each 250 square feet of lot area dedicated to public activity |
Family day care | Two, plus one off-street dropoff space for each three children |
Financial establishment | One for each employee per peak working shift, plus one for each 500 square feet of customer service area. Each drive-through facility shall have sufficient room for the stacking of four cars. |
Funeral home | One for each 50 square feet of floor area in the parlors, plus one for each 300 square feet of remaining gross floor area |
Gasoline service station | Two for each service bay, plus one for each employee per peak working shift |
Private club | One for each employee per peak working shift, plus one for each 150 square feet of gross floor area |
Greenhouse | One for each employee per peak working shift, plus one for each 300 square feet of sales area |
Group care facility | One for each employee per peak working shift, plus 0.5 per resident |
Hospital | One for each employee per peak working shift, plus 0.5 per resident |
Kennel | One for each employee per peak working shift, plus 0.25 per animal holding facility |
Manufacturing | One for each 1,500 square feet of gross floor area or one for each employee on the peak working shift, whichever is greater |
Mobile home | Two per dwelling unit |
Motel-hotel | One per employee on peak shift, plus one per sleeping unit |
Nursery | One for each employee per peak working shift, plus one for each 300 square feet of sales area |
Nursing home | One for each employee per peak working shift, plus 0.5 per resident |
Personal service | One for each 250 square feet |
Personal care facility | One for each employee per peak working shift, plus 0.5 per resident |
Private recreation | One for each 250 square feet of lot area dedicated to public activity |
Public utility building and storage yard | One per employee on a peak working shift, plus one per 1,000 square feet of gross building area |
Repair shop | One per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area |
Research and development | One for every 300 square feet of gross floor area |
Restaurant | One for each three seats provided for patron use, plus one for each employee on a peak working shift |
Retail store | One per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area |
School, commercial | One for each two students, plus one space for each teacher |
School, public and private elementary | One and one half for each classroom and administrative office |
School, public and private secondary | Three for each classroom and administrative office |
Self-storage facility | One for each 10 storage units |
Service business | 1 for each 250 square feet |
Sexually oriented business | One for each 30 square feet of gross floor area, plus one for each employee, including performers |
Shopping center | One for each 200 square feet of sales area |
Single-family dwelling | Two per dwelling unit, one of which shall be provided inside a garage |
Tavern and bars | One for each 75 square feet of gross floor area, plus one for each employee on a peak working shift |
Townhouse | Two per dwelling unit, one of which shall be provided inside a garage |
Transitional dwelling | One-half for each resident |
Truck sales | Two per employee on the peak working shift. These spaces shall not be used for the display of vehicles for sale or lease. |
Truck terminal | One for each two employees on a peak working shift, plus one for each 2,000 square feet of gross floor area |
Vehicle repair | Three for each service bay, plus one for each employee on a peak working shift |
Vehicular accessories, sales and installation | Three for each service bay, plus one for each employee on a peak working shift |
Veterinary facility | One for each employee per peak working shift, plus 1 per animal holding facility and exam room |
Warehousing | One for each two employees on a peak working shift, plus one for each 2,000 square feet of gross floor area |
Wholesale | One for each two employees on a peak working shift, plus one for each 2,000 square feet of gross floor area |
All other uses | One for each three occupants at maximum permitted occupancy or one for each 300 square feet of gross floor area, whichever is greater |
§ 165-72 Joint use of lot.
Two or more uses may provide for required parking in a common parking lot if the total space provided is not less than the sum of the spaces required for each use individually. However, the number of spaces required in a common parking facility may be reduced below this total by variance if it can be demonstrated that the hours or days or peak parking needed for the uses are so different that a lower total will provide adequately for all uses served by the facility.
§ 165-73 Location of required spaces.
Required off-street parking spaces shall be on the same lot or premises with the principal use served or, where this requirement cannot be met, within 300 feet of the same lot if the use is nonresidential.
§ 165-74 Maintenance of facilities.
For parking areas of three or more vehicles, the area not landscaped and so maintained, including driveways, shall be graded, surfaced with all-weather paving and drained, to the satisfaction of a professional engineer selected by the municipality, to the extent necessary to prevent dust, erosion or excessive water flow across streets or adjoining property. All off-street parking spaces shall be marked so as to indicate their location. Failure to keep parking areas in satisfactory condition, i.e., free from holes, shall be considered a violation of this chapter.
§ 165-75 Commercial and recreational vehicles on residential lots.
A.
Commercially licensed vehicles of greater than one ton gross vehicle weight shall not be parked on residential lots.
B.
Recreational vehicles, including those that are not self-propelled, shall not be stored in the front yard of a residential property between a street and the wall of the dwelling nearest the street.
§ 165-76 Design standards.
The design standards specified below shall be required for all off-street parking facilities with a capacity of three or-more vehicles built after the effective date of this chapter:
A.
The minimum dimensions of stalls and aisles shall be as follows:
(1)
Stall widths shall be as follows for the following uses:
Use | Width (feet) |
|---|---|
Residential | 9 |
Retail | 9 |
Office | 8.5 |
Parking deck | 8.25 |
(2)
Stall depth shall be at least 18 feet with said dimension measured on the angle for all parking and 20 feet for parallel parking.
(3)
Minimum width of aisles providing access to stalls for one-way traffic only, varying with the angle of the parking, shall be:
Angle of Parking | Minimum Aisle Width (feet) |
|---|---|
Parallel | 12 |
30° | 14 |
45° | 16 |
60° | 20 |
90° | 20 |
(4)
Minimum width of aisles providing access to stalls for two-way traffic shall be 24 feet.
B.
Parking areas shall be designed to permit each motor vehicle to proceed to and from the parking space provided for it without requiring the moving of any other motor vehicles.
D.
For the purpose of servicing any property held under single and separate ownership, entrance and exit drives crossing the street lot line shall be limited to two along the frontage of any single street, and their center lines shall be spaced at least 80 feet apart. On all corner properties, there shall be a space of a minimum of 60 feet, measured at the curb line, between the center line of any entrance or exit drive and the street line of the street parallel to said access drive.
E.
In no case shall parking areas be designed to require or encourage cars to back into a public street in order to leave the lot.
F.
All parking spaces and access drives shall be at least five feet from any side or rear lot line.
G.
All parking areas for any purpose other than single-family residences shall be physically separated from any public street by a planting strip which shall be not less than five feet in depth.
H.
Stormwater management plans that retain and infiltrate water on site shall be submitted as part of the application. It should be noted that on-site stormwater retention is the preferred option and that the developer must show why this is not feasible if such plans do not include such a solution.[1]
[Added 12-11-2006 by Ord. No. 247]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Subsection H, regarding lighting, was repealed 3-13-2022 by Ord. No. 313. This ordinance also redesignated former Subsection I as Subsection H.
§ 165-77 Off-street loading requirements.
Off-street loading requirements, as specified below, shall be provided on any lot on which a building exceeding 6,000 square feet of gross floor area for business or industry is hereafter erected.
A.
Every retail establishment, storage warehouse or wholesale establishment exceeding 6,000 square feet shall have at least one off-street loading space. Where there is an aggregate gross floor area of 20,000 square feet or more arranged, intended or designed for such use, there shall be provided off-street truck loading or unloading berths in accordance with the following table:
Aggregate Gross Floor Area Devoted to Each Use (square feet) | Required Number of Berths |
|---|---|
6,000 up to 19,999 | 1 |
20,000 up to 79,999 | 2 |
Each additional 50,000 | 1 |
B.
Every auditorium, funeral home, apartment building of 20 units or more, office building, restaurant or hotel exceeding 6,000 square feet shall have at least one off-street loading space. Where there is an aggregate gross floor area of 30,000 square feet or more arranged, intended or designed for such use, there shall be provided off-street truck loading and unloading berths in accordance with the following table:
[Amended 3-9-2020 by Ord. No. 302]
Aggregate Gross Floor Area Devoted to Each Use (square feet) | Required Number of Berths |
|---|---|
6,000 up to 29,999 | 1 |
30,000 up to 44,999 | 2 |
Each additional 75,000 | 1 |
§ 165-78 Off-street loading design standards.
Off-street loading facilities shall be designed to conform to the following specifications:
A.
Each required space shall be no less than 14 feet wide, 55 feet long and 17 feet high, exclusive of drives and maneuvering space and located entirely on the lot being served.
B.
There shall be appropriate means of access to a street or alley as well as adequate maneuvering space.
C.
The maximum width of driveways and sidewalk openings measured at the street lot line shall be 35 feet; the minimum width shall be 20 feet.
D.
All accessory driveways and entranceways shall be graded and all-weather surfaced and drained to the satisfaction of the Borough Engineer, to the extent necessary to prevent nuisances of dust, erosion or excessive water flow across public ways.
§ 165-79 Maintenance of off-street loading facilities.
All required loading facilities shall be provided and maintained in accordance with the following requirements:
A.
They shall be provided and maintained as long as the use exists which the facilities were designed to serve.
B.
They shall not be reduced in total extent after their provision except when the reduction is in conformity with the requirements of this article.
C.
Reasonable precautions shall be taken by the owner or sponsor of particular uses to assure the availability of required facilities to the delivery and pickup vehicles they are designed to serve.
§ 165-79.1 Refuse dumpsters.
[Added 8-9-2010 by Ord. No. 260; 3-9-2020 by Ord. No. 302]
Except as provided in § 165-26EE, refuse dumpsters shall only be permitted and shall be maintained with the following requirements:
A.
On properties developed with single-family dwellings, duplexes, or vacant lots in all zoning districts, one refuse dumpster shall be permitted on a lot for a period of up to 30 consecutive days in any three-hundred-sixty-five-day period commencing on the date the dumpster is placed on the lot.
B.
On properties developed residentially, other than with single-family dwellings and duplexes, and on properties developed nonresidentially, in all zoning districts, one refuse dumpster shall be permitted provided it is located in an enclosure which will screen its view from streets and adjoining properties.