Bellingham City Zoning Code
ARTICLE X
Parking and Loading Requirements
§ 240-56 Purpose.
The purpose of this article is to establish standards ensuring the availability and safe use of parking areas. It is intended that any use of land involving the arrival, departure, long-term or temporary parking of motor vehicles (not for automobile sales), and all structures and uses requiring the delivery or shipment of goods as part of their function, be designed and operated to:
A.
Promote traffic safety by assuring adequate places for parking of motor vehicles off the street and for their orderly access and egress to and from the public way;
B.
Prevent the creation of surplus amounts of parking spaces contributing to unnecessary development and additional generation of vehicle trips, resulting in traffic congestion and traffic service level deterioration;
C.
Reduce unnecessary amounts of impervious surface areas from being created;
D.
Reduce hazards to pedestrians and increase pedestrian connectivity between and within sites;
E.
Promote access and convenience, in compliance with regulations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Massachusetts Architectural Board (AAB), for people with disabilities;
F.
Increase the mobility and safety for bicyclists;
G.
Protect adjoining lots and the general public from nuisances and hazards such as:
H.
Reduce other negative impacts.
§ 240-57 Definitions.
The following definitions shall apply to this Parking Bylaw. Additional terms which have commonly accepted denotations and connotations may also be utilized in this bylaw.
Full-service eating establishment with typical turnover rates of approximately one hour or less; moderately priced; occasionally belongs to a restaurant chain; generally serves lunch and dinner; may serve breakfast or be open extended hours; generally does not take reservations; may or may not contain a bar.
Convenience markets that sell convenience foods, newspapers, magazines, etc.; may be open 24 hours.
Stores, such as home improvement, department, clothing, housegoods, toy, sporting goods, and pet supply stores, that offer a variety of customer services, centralized cashiering and a wide range of products advertised at discount prices; long store hours typically seven days a week; some may have a garden center and/or service station; superstores may have a grocery department under the same roof that shares the same entrance and exits with the discount store area.
Indoor or outdoor spaces for leisure activities, including but not limited to golf courses, bowling facilities, movie theaters, sports complexes, fitness or health clubs, and recreational community centers.
Characterized by large carry-out clientele; long hours of service; high turnover rates for eat-in customers; no table service by wait staff; typically pay at cash register before eating; may or may not have a drive through. Generally considered to be hamburger, sub/sandwich, pizza, (in some circumstances) ethnic (i.e. Thai, Chinese, sushi, middle-eastern), coffee/donut shop, ice cream parlor, etc.
Full-service eating establishment with typical turnover rates of at least one hour or longer; generally do not serve breakfast and sometimes do not serve lunch; all serve dinner; usually requires a reservation and is generally not part of a chain; may have function space.
Freestanding, single-use retail structure. Retail uses include, but are not limited to: convenience stores, freestanding discount store/superstores, personal care services, specialty retail, pharmacy and/or drugstore, bank, dry cleaners.
The primary business is the fueling of motor vehicles; may have ancillary facilities for servicing and repairing motor vehicles and commonly sold convenience items such as newspapers, coffee or other beverages, and snack items usually consumed in the car or off-location.
Freestanding facilities with an emphasis on light industrial and/or manufacturing activities, including printing, material testing, assembly of data processing equipment, and/or the conversion of raw materials or parts into finished products; may also contain warehouse, office, and research functions.
The area within the perimeter of the exterior walls of a building as measured from the inside surface of the exterior walls, with no deduction for interior hallways, stairs, closets, thickness of interior partition walls, columns, or other interior features.
A mix of industrial, manufacturing, service and warehouse facilities with a wide variation in the proportion of each type of use from one location to another.
One thousand square feet [ratios are determined as x spaces/1,000 square feet (ksf)].
An institution or place providing medical, surgical, dental, restorative, or mental services to persons not residing there.
Use of parking spaces by vehicles generated by two or more individual land uses that share a parking lot, with or without conflict or encroachment, as a result of variations in the accumulation of vehicles by hours, by day or by season, at the individual land use; and/or relationships among the land uses that result in visiting multiple land uses on the same auto trip. May include, but is not limited to, a mix of uses, including retail, dining/entertainment, office space or industrial, manufacturing, office, wholesale, and warehouse.
Any use that is not specified herein.
Locations where affairs of business, commercial or industrial organizations or professional persons or firms are conducted; may contain a mixture of tenants or be a single-use tenant; no larger than three stories above grade.
Spas, hair salons, nail salons, barbers, etc.
An integrated group of retail, service or commercial establishments that is planned, developed, owned and managed as a unit. Provides on-site parking facilities sufficient to serve its own parking demands.
Retail uses including, but not limited to, apparel, hard goods and services such as real estate offices, dance or martial arts studios, florists, personal care services.
Outdoor parks used for nonprofessionals; may consist of one or more fields and field sizes may vary to accommodate games for different age groups; ancillary facilities may include a fitness trail, activities shelter, aquatic center, picnic grounds, basketball/tennis courts and a playground.
§ 240-58 Number of spaces.
A.
Basic requirements.
(1)
Off-street parking must be provided to service all increases in parking demand resulting from new construction, additions or change of use to one requiring more parking, without counting any existing spaces needed to meet requirements for any retained building or use. The number of spaces indicated in § 240-59 shall be the basis for determining adequacy of provisions. Any existing spaces removed shall be replaced in kind unless they are either in excess of the number required or removed at the request of the Town. Parking spaces also serving as loading areas shall not be credited.
(2)
For the purpose of computing the parking requirements of different uses, the number of spaces required shall be the largest whole number obtained after calculating the required parking, any fractional space should be rounded up to the next whole number.
(a)
Example #1: A 4,999 interior square foot freestanding retail structure has 4.999 ksf GFA (4,999/1,000 = 4.999); at four spaces per ksf GFA, the structure is required to have 19.96 parking spaces, which will then be rounded up to the next whole number. Therefore, the number of parking spaces required is 20.
(b)
Example #2: A 25,150 interior square foot medical clinic has 25.15 ksf GFA (25,150/1,000 = 25.15); at five spaces per ksf GFA, the structure is required to have 127.75 spaces, which will then be rounded up to the next whole number. Therefore, the number of parking spaces required is 128.
(c)
Example #3: A 1,300 interior square foot freestanding fast-food restaurant has 1.3 ksf GFA (1,300/1,000 = 1.3); at 17 spaces per ksf GFA, the structure is required to have 22.1 parking spaces, which will then be rounded up to the next whole number. Therefore, the number of parking spaces required is 23.
B.
Future changes must demonstrate the ability to meet parking standards.
§ 240-59 Schedule of requirements.
A.
B.
Places of public assembly.
(1)
Religious centers: 0.5 parking space for each person capacity based on the Massachusetts State Building Code.
(2)
General public assembly: 0.25 per person in permitted capacity.
(3)
The number of seats in benches, pews, or other continuous seating arrangements shall be calculated at 24 inches per seat.
C.
Hotels, motels, room and board, other commercial accommodations.
(1)
One parking space for each guest unit, plus one parking space for each eight units or fraction thereof.
E.
Entertainment/commercial recreation.
F.
Auto service/fuel station.
(1)
One space per pump, plus four spaces per ksf GFA for all other space, including service areas, convenience store areas, etc.
(2)
Motor vehicle sales and service: three spaces per ksf GFA of interior sales area, plus two per ksf GFA of interior storage or display area, plus two per service bay.
(3)
Car washes: one space per ksf GFA.
G.
Retail businesses/other service establishments.
(1)
Freestanding general retail/other service establishments: four spaces per ksf GFA.
(2)
Shopping centers.
(a)
For retail-only shopping centers, including specialty retail, use chart below.
(b)
For retail with additional uses, that may include any combination of dining, entertainment, or offices, in which the total additional uses are up to but not greater than 10% of the total GFA of the shopping center, use chart below.
(c)
For retail with additional uses [uses as listed in Subsection G(2)(b) above], in which the total additional uses exceed 10% of the total GFA of the shopping center, the parking spaces may be calculated either:
[2]
Under § 240-60A, Allowed reductions for multi-use parking.
Shopping Center Parking Spaces Chart [for use with § 240-59G(2)(a) and (b)] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Building GFA | Less than 30,000 GFA | 30,000 to 99,999 GFA | 100,000 to 399,999 GFA | Greater than 400,000 GFA |
Spaces per ksf GFA | 4 ksf GFA | 4.5 ksf GFA | 5 ksf GFA | 5.5 ksf GFA |
I.
Convalescent, nursing or rest home, hospital or sanitarium: five spaces per ksf GFA.
§ 240-60 Allowed reductions.
Parking may be further reduced upon application for and grant of a special permit from the Planning Board, to account for additional factors as listed in Subsections A and B below. The number of spaces may be reduced to less than that stipulated in this bylaw, if the Planning Board determines that a smaller number would be adequate for all parking needs because of such special circumstances as multi-use parking for uses having peak parking demands at different times, unusual age or other characteristics of site users or user-sponsored demand reduction devices such as carpooling, or land use or parking studies from similar establishments show parking requirements are less than what is required in this bylaw; or other reasons that are adequately supported.
A.
Multi-use (aka "shared") parking.
(1)
Determine the number of originally required parking spaces for different uses/facilities sharing the same parking lot.
(2)
Determine the percentages of maximum parking needed for different uses at different days and times determined either by a study of local conditions or the Parking Occupancy Rates Table below.
(3)
Apply the percentages from Step 2 to the numbers from Step 1.
(4)
Add up the totals and select the total with the highest value.
Parking Occupancy Rates Table This table defines the percent of the basic minimum needed during each time period for shared parking. (M-F = Monday to Friday) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
M-F | M-F | M-F | Sat. and Sun. | Sat. and Sun. | Sat. and Sun. | |
Uses | 8:00 a.m. — 5:00 p.m. | 5:00 p.m. — 12:00 a.m. | 12:00 a.m. — 8:00 a.m. | 8:00 a.m. — 5:00 p.m. | 5:00 p.m. — 12:00 a.m. | 12:00 a.m. — 8:00 a.m. |
Residential | 60% | 100% | 100% | 80% | 100% | 100% |
Office and business | 100% | 20% | 5% | 5% | 5% | 5% |
Retail/service | 90% | 80% | 5% | 100% | 70% | 5% |
Hotel/motel | 70% | 100% | 100% | 70% | 100% | 100% |
Dining | 70% | 100% | 10% | 70% | 100% | 20% |
Movie theater | 40% | 80% | 10% | 80% | 100% | 10% |
Entertainment | 40% | 100% | 10% | 80% | 100% | 50% |
General public assembly | 100% | 20% | 5% | 10% | 10% | 5% |
Religious centers | 10% | 5% | 5% | 100% | 50% | 5% |
B.
Flexible parking options.
(1)
Employment density (number of employees per acre): reduce requirements 10% to 15% in areas with 50 or more employees per acre of site.
(2)
Land use mix (range of land uses located within convenient walking distance): reduce requirements 5% to 10% in mixed-use developments.
(3)
Walkability (walking environment quality): reduce requirements 5% to 15% in walkable locations and more if walkability allow more shared and off-site parking.
(4)
Parking and mobility management: reduce requirements 10% to 20% at worksites with effective parking and mobility management programs.
(5)
Other factors that with adequate support may warrant a reduction of parking spaces.
§ 240-61 Parking area design and location.
A.
Surfacing. All required parking areas and their access driveways, except those facilities serving single-family residences, shall be paved, unless exempted by the Planning Board in acting under § 240-16, Development plan approval, for cases such as seasonal or periodic use where unpaved surfaces will not cause dust, erosion, hazard or unsightly conditions. Permeable or porous paving is encouraged in low traffic areas such as reserve parking, painted parking lines, parking pullouts, crosswalks, etc.
B.
Setback. No off-street parking area for five or more cars shall be located within 20 feet of a street right-of-way. When shopping cart corrals are proposed, the location of such corrals shall be next to handicap parking spaces.
C.
Backing. Parking areas for five or more cars shall not require backing into a public way.
D.
Proximity. Parking spaces more than 300 feet from the building entrance they serve may not be counted towards fulfillment of parking requirements unless, in acting under § 240-16, the Planning Board determines that circumstances justify a greater separation of parking from use.
E.
Egress spacing. The following shall apply to entrances or exits to all parking areas having 20 or more spaces, except those located in the B-1 District, which are exempted:
(1)
Entrance or exit center lines shall not fall within 100 feet of an intersection of street sidelines or within 250 feet of the center line of any other parking area entrance or exit on the same side of the street, whether on the same parcel or not, if serving 20 or more parking spaces. Users shall arrange for shared egress if necessary to meet the requirements.
F.
Regulations. The Planning Board may adopt regulations for the administration of these design and location requirements.
G.
Driveways. All required parking spaces shall be provided with unobstructed access to and from a street and shall be properly maintained so as to permit them to be used at all times.
(1)
A shared driveway shall be considered to provide adequate access to more than two lots or more than four dwelling units only if the Planning Board, in acting on a definitive subdivision plan or development plan, or if the Board of Appeals or other special permit granting authority, in acting on a special permit, determines that such shared access provides some community benefit, such as environmental protection or improvement of egress safety, and does not circumvent the intent of the Subdivision Regulations,[1] as well as meeting the requirements of Subsection G(2).
(2)
Driveways, whether shared or not, must meet the following standards if more than 200 feet in length or serving five or more parking spaces.
(a)
The traveled way shall be paved (unless paving is waived by the Planning Board as provided at § 240-58A) at least 10 feet wide, and tree and shrub branches less than 13 feet above driveway grade must be cleared or trimmed to provide 12 feet wide for unobstructed travel.
(b)
Center line radius shall be at least 80 feet, and grade shall not exceed 8%.
(3)
Driveways serving corner lots shall gain access from that street designated by the Planning Board in performing development plan review, if applicable. In cases where development plan review is not required, corner lot driveways shall gain access from that street determined by the Building Inspector to have the lower daily traffic volume, unless, following consultation with the Planning Board and the Police Safety Officer, the Building Inspector determines that allowing egress onto the busier street would be no less safe.
(4)
Driveways/egresses serving 10 or more parking spaces shall provide stopping and intersection sight distances based on the recommendations provided in AASHTO - Geometric Design of Highways and Streets, as most recently amended. Stopping site distance is defined as the minimum sight distance required for a driver on the major roadway to perceive an obstruction in the roadway and to react by braking and safely stop the vehicle to avoid collision. Intersection sight distance is defined as the minimum sight distance for a driver on the stopped approach to perceive a vehicle approaching and to react by turning onto the major roadway and accelerate to the 85th percentile speed of the major roadway while not requiring the driver on the major roadway to reduce their speed to less than 70% of their initial speed. In the event intersection sight distance cannot be achieved, then the proponent must provide documentation that safe sight distance is achieved. The Planning Board shall consult with the Bellingham Police Department and, if necessary, a traffic consultant, to make a determination as to whether a reduced intersection sight distance is acceptable. Such a reduction of intersection sight distance shall be at the sole discretion of the Planning Board. Stopping sight distance cannot be waived.
§ 240-62 Loading requirements.
Adequate off-street loading facilities and space must be provided to service all needs created by new construction, whether through new structures or additions to old ones, and by change of use of existing structures. Facilities shall be so sized and arranged that no trucks need back onto or off of a public way, travel against one-way traffic, obstruct drive-through traffic or be parked on a public way while loading, unloading or waiting to do so.
§ 240-63 Bicycles.
One bicycle parking space shall be provided for every 20 off-street automobile spaces required. Racks shall be securely anchored and wherever possible located within view of the building entrances or windows. Bicycle spaces shall be clearly marked as such.
§ 240-64 Alternative dimensional requirements.
In order to reduce overall impervious surface of larger paved off-street parking, small vehicle and motorcycle parking spaces may have reduced dimensional requirements and still count toward the overall number of spaces required as follows:
A.
In off-street parking facilities with more than 50 parking spaces, a maximum of 10% of the spaces may be dedicated for small car and/or motorcycle use. Small car and/or motorcycle parking shall be grouped in one or more contiguous areas and with appropriate signage.