2.   Location of Parking. Required off-street parking spaces shall be on the same lot with the principal use served, except as approved in § 27-811 or § 27-812.

   3.   Continuing Obligation of Parking and Loading Spaces. All required numbers of parking spaces and off-street loading spaces shall be available as long as the use or building which the spaces serve still exists, and such spaces shall not be reduced in number below the minimum required by this Chapter.

   4.   Non-Parking Use. Required off-street parking, loading, and unloading facilities and access ways shall not be used for any other purpose, including, but not limited to, sales, display or storage areas, or the parking of any vehicles for which the area was not approved (e.g., parking of tractor trailers in required passenger vehicle areas).

   5.   Existing Parking. Any parking spaces serving such pre-existing structures or uses at the time of the adoption of this Chapter shall not in the future be reduced in number below the number required by this Chapter. If a new principal nonresidential building is constructed on a lot, then any existing parking on such lot that serves such building shall be reconfigured to comply with this Chapter, including, but not limited to, required parking and areas reserved for additional parking if needed, requirements for channelization of traffic from adjacent streets, channelization of traffic within the lot, minimum aisle widths, paving and landscaping.

   6.   Garages and Carports. Garages and carports not in the public right-of-way may be considered parking spaces.

(Ord. 2-2011, 11/10/2011, Item 3)

   2.   General. Parking spaces, loading and unloading areas, and access ways shall be laid out to result in safe and orderly use and to fully address all of the following: vehicular access onto and off the site, vehicular movement within the site, pedestrian patterns and any drive-through facilities. No parking area shall cause a safety hazard or impediment to traffic on or off the lot.

   3.   Pedestrian Access and Circulation. The parking and access plan shall include details of pedestrian access to the site and pedestrian circulation within the site. The intent shall be to facilitate pedestrian access and provide safe and convenient circulation from parking areas to the structure or use.

   4.   Design. Off-street parking areas, loading and unloading areas, access ways, fire lanes, traffic flow signs, pavement markings, and other necessary facilities shall be designed and provided in accord with the most current Urban Land Institute or Institute of Transportation Engineers methodology, or other generally accepted methodology approved by the Township. Notwithstanding the above, all parking spaces and the overall design shall be ample in size for the vehicles for which use is intended.

(Ord. 2-2011, 11/10/2011, Item 3)

(Ord. 2-2011, 11/10/2011, Item 3)

(Ord. 2-2011, 11/10/2011, Item 3)

      A.   Number of Spaces. Off-street parking spaces shall be provided and maintained in accord with the following Parking Space Table and § 27-806.1.C and § 27-806.1.D.

 

 

      B.   Land Use Category. The parking provided for the proposed use shall be based on the most similar use listed as determined by the Zoning Officer.

      C.   Residential. The number of parking spaces provided for residential uses shall equal the number required by the Parking Space Table.

      D.   Nonresidential.

         (1)   85% Provided. The number of parking spaces provided shall be 85% of the spaces required by the Parking Space Table.

         (2)   Space Reserved. Space shall be reserved to allow for expansion to the total number of spaces required by the Parking Space Table.

   2.   Township Required Reduction. In the case of parking for new uses, if the Township determines that the number of parking spaces required by this Part 8 is not necessarily required to meet the immediate needs of the proposed use, the Township may require the number of spaces provided to be reduced by a maximum of 25 percent. The developer shall dedicate sufficient and suitable area to future parking to meet the normal standards in this Part 8.

   3.   Reserved Parking Disturbance and Stormwater. The reserve parking areas shall remain undisturbed or shall be landscaped, but shall be included in the calculations of lot coverage area and for stormwater management. The stormwater facilities shall be constructed in accord with the approved sequencing design as parking areas are constructed.

   4.   Form of Reservation. Each parking reservation shall be in a form acceptable to the Township Solicitor that legally binds current and future owners of the land to keep the reserved parking area in open space and, if the Township determines it is necessary, to provide the additional parking in the time and manner as stipulated in the reservation document. Proof of recording of the agreement shall also be provided to the Township before the issuance of a zoning permit for the project.

   5.   Multiple Uses (See also § 27-812.). For projects involving more than one use and/or structure the total number of parking spaces required shall be determined by summing the number of spaces for each individual use.

   6.   Handicapped Parking. Parking for the handicapped shall be provided in accord with the Americans With Disabilities Act and shall count as part of the spaces required for the use by this Part 8.

   7.   Applicant Proposed Reduction. The required number of parking spaces may be reduced subject to conditional use approval by the Board of Supervisors. The applicant shall provide evidence justifying the proposed reduced number of spaces, such as studies of similar developments during peak hours. The applicant shall also provide relevant data, such as number of employees and peak expected number of customers/visitors. Any conditional use approval to permit such decrease shall be subject to the following:

      A.   Ordinance and Plan Consistency. The project design and parking space decrease shall be consistent with the purposes contained in this Chapter and the goals and objectives of the Township Comprehensive Plan.

      B.   Quality of Design. The applicant shall demonstrate to the Board of Supervisors that the proposed decrease will result in an adequate number of parking spaces for the use based on a specific study of the parking demands for the proposed use or empirical data reported by a generally accepted source such as the Institute of Transportation Engineers, the Urban Land Institute, the American Planning Association, or similar entity.

      C.   Local Conditions. In making its determination the Board of Supervisors shall also consider, among others, the demographics and character of the neighborhood, demographics of targeted customers and employees, availability of mass transit, existing on-street parking conditions, and any employer instituted transportation demand management programs.

      D.   Burden; Conditions. If the Board of Supervisors, in its sole discretion, determines that the applicant has met the burden of proof, it may grant a conditional use for the decrease. The Board of Supervisors may impose such conditions as will, in its judgment, secure the objectives and purposes of this Chapter, including, but not limited to, reserving parking.

(Ord. 2-2011, 11/10/2011, Item 3)

 

 

   2.   Interior Travelways. The applicant shall demonstrate that travelways within the property are adequate to safely and efficiently serve vehicles which are reasonably expected to visit the property. Turning radius templates developed by the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) shall serve as the design standard.

(Ord. 2-2011, 11/10/2011, Item 3)

   1.   Width. Unless otherwise required by Penn DOT for access to a state road, the width of the driveway/access way onto a public street at the right-of-way shall be as follows:

 

 

   2.   Controlled Access. Each entrance and exit shall be clearly defined with curbing, fencing, landscaping or vegetative screening so as to prevent access to the area from other than the defined entrance and exit.

   3.   Highway Occupancy Permit. All new uses shall be required to obtain a highway occupancy permit from the Township or PA DOT, as the case may be. In the case of a change in use or the expansion of an existing use, the Township shall require the applicant to obtain a highway occupancy permit or a revised highway occupancy permit. Where a use accesses the public right-of-way via a private road, the highway occupancy permit requirement and criteria shall be applied at the public right-of-way intersection.

(Ord. 2-2011, 11/10/2011, Item 3)

      A.   Measurement. The width of the buffer shall be measured from property lines and from the curb line or from the legal right-of-way line after development if no curbs will be provided.

      B.   Uses Prohibited. The buffer area shall be maintained in natural vegetative ground cover and shall not include:

         (1)   Paving except for approved driveway/access way crossings

         (2)   Fences unless integral to landscaping

         (3)   Parking, storage or display of vehicles

         (4)   Items for sale or rent

      C.   Uses Permitted. The buffer area may include the following:

         (1)   Permitted freestanding signs

         (2)   Pervious storm water facilities

         (3)   Approved driveway/access way crossings

      D.   Sidewalks. Sidewalks, existing or proposed, may be included in the buffer area.

   2.   Buildings. Parking spaces serving principal nonresidential buildings and multi-family dwellings shall be located a minimum of 10 feet from any building wall, unless a larger distance is required by another ordinance provision. This distance does not apply at vehicle entrances into or under a building.

(Ord. 2-2011, 11/10/2011, Item 3)

   2.   Except for landscaped areas, all portions of required parking, loading facilities and access ways shall be surfaced with a durable surface of crushed stone, gravel, asphalt, concrete, paving block or porous pavement or pavers.

(Ord. 2-2011, 11/10/2011, Item 3)

(Ord. 2-2011, 11/10/2011, Item 3)

   1.   Documentation. The applicant shall provide information to establish that the shared spaces will be used at different times of the day, week, month, and/or year.

   2.   Reduction. Parking provided may be credited to both uses based on the extent that the uses operate at different times. However, the required parking shall not be reduced by more than 50 percent of the combined parking required for each use. (Example: If a church parking lot is generally occupied only to 10 percent of capacity on days other than a Sunday, another development not operating on a Sunday could make use of the unused church lot spaces on weekdays.)

   3.   Agreement. Joint use parking shall be secured in a form acceptable to the Township Solicitor that legally binds current and future owners of the land to maintain the parking. An attested copy of the agreement between the owners of record shall be provided to the Township. Proof of recording of the agreement shall also be provided to the Township before the issuance of a zoning permit for the project.

   4.   Common Property Line. The joint-use parking area may span a common property line thereby eliminating the setback required in § 27-809.

(Ord. 2-2011, 11/10/2011, Item 3)