East Allen Township
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
ARTICLE VII
Off-Street Parking and Loading
§ 250-67 (((-701.))) Required number of off-street parking spaces.
A.
Requirement.
(1)
Each use established, enlarged, or altered in any district shall provide and satisfactorily maintain off-street parking spaces in accordance with Table 7.1[1] and the regulations of this article.
[1]
Editor's Note: Table 7.1 is included at the end of this ordinance.
(2)
Uses not specifically listed in Table 7.1 shall comply with the requirements for the most similar use listed in Table 7.1.[2]
[2]
Editor's Note: Table 7.1 is included at the end of this ordinance.
(3)
Where a proposed use contains or includes more than one type of use (regardless of whether each use is listed in Table 7.1[3] or is an unlisted use), the number of parking spaces required shall be the sum of the parking requirements for each separate use.
[3]
Editor's Note: Table 7.1 is included at the end of this ordinance.
(4)
Where the computation of required parking spaces results in a fractional number, the fraction of one-quarter (1/4, 0.25) or more shall be counted as one.
B.
Conditional reduction in off-street parking areas.
(1)
The Township recognizes.
(a)
The importance of providing adequate, well-designed off-street parking areas;
(b)
The need to limit the amount of paved parking areas to preserve open space and limit storm water runoff; and
(c)
That unique circumstances associated with a land use may justify a reduction in the parking requirements of § 250-67A.
(2)
The Zoning Hearing Board may permit a reduction, through the special exception review process of § 250-25, of the number of parking spaces to be initially developed as required by § 250-67A, provided that each of the following conditions are satisfied:
(a)
The applicant shall demonstrate to the Board, using existing and projected (five years) employment, customer, or other relevant data, that a reduction in the off-street parking spaces to be initially developed as required by § 250-67A is warranted.
(b)
Submission of plans.
[1]
The applicant shall submit plans of the parking lot(s) which designate a layout for the total number of parking spaces needed to comply with the parking requirement in § 250-67A.
[2]
The plans shall clearly designate which of these parking spaces are proposed for immediate use and which spaces are proposed to be conditionally reserved for potential future use.
[3]
The portion of the required parking spaces conditionally reserved for potential future use shall not be within areas for required buffer yards, setbacks, or areas which would otherwise be unsuitable for parking spaces due to the physical characteristics of the land or other requirements of this ordinance.
[4]
Areas conditionally reserved for potential future use shall be attractively landscaped and remain in open space.
(c)
Agreement.
[1]
The applicant shall enter into an agreement with the Township requiring the applicant to:
[a]
Maintain each conditionally reserved area as attractively landscaped open space; and
[b]
Convert some or all of the conditionally reserved area to additional off-street parking if at any time the Board finds (based upon the results of field investigations and recommendations of the Township Engineer) that additional parking is needed.
[2]
This agreement shall be recorded to the deed as a covenant running with the land.
§ 250-68 (((-702.))) General regulations applying to required off-street parking facilities.
A.
Existing parking. Structures and uses in existence at the effective date of this ordinance shall not be subject to the requirements of this article, provided that the kind or extent of use is not changed and that any parking facility now serving such structures or uses shall not in the future be reduced to an amount less than that required by this ordinance.
B.
Changes in use. Whenever a building or use (including those specified in § 250-68A is changed or enlarged in floor area, number of employees, number of dwellings, seating capacity or otherwise to create a need, based upon the requirements of § 250-67 for an increase of 10% or more in the number of existing parking spaces, the number of additional spaces to be provided shall be based upon the incremental change or enlargement so required.
C.
Continuing character of obligation.
(1)
All required parking facilities shall be provided and maintained so long as the use which the facilities were designed to serve still exists.
(2)
Off-street parking facilities shall not be reduced in total extent, except when such reduction is in conformity with the requirements of this article in conjunction with a change in the nature of the use.
D.
Conflict with other uses. No parking area shall be used for any other use that interferes with its availability for the parking need it is required to serve.
E.
Location of parking spaces. Required off-street parking spaces shall be on the same lot or premises as the principal use served, and the distances between the parking spaces and the principal uses served shall average no more than 150 feet. In the Village Center District, spaces may be provided on another lot so long as they are within 300 feet, walking distance, of the principal use and a perpetual agreement is provided between the property owners to maintain the shared parking area.
[Amended 1-13-2016 by Ord. No. 2015-07]
F.
Joint use. In the Village Center District, two or more uses may provide for required parking in a common parking lot, provided that the total number of spaces in such lot shall not be less than the sum of the spaces required for each use individually and provided such parking lot is within 300 feet walking distance of all of the principal uses served by such lot.
G.
Parking of commercial vehicles. No more than one commercial motor vehicle with more than six wheels may park on a residential lot within the Suburban Residential, Planned Residential, and Village Center Districts.
§ 250-69 (((-703.))) Design standards for off-street parking facilities.
A.
General requirements.
(1)
Every parking facility shall be designed so that its use does not constitute a nuisance, hazard, or unreasonable impediment to traffic.
(2)
Every parking area shall be arranged for orderly, safe movement.
(3)
No parking area shall be designed to require or encourage parked vehicles to back into a street in order to leave a parking space, except those of a single-family dwelling, two-family dwelling or multiple-family dwelling (which shall not include apartments, which shall remain subject to this provision).
[Amended 1-13-2016 by Ord. No. 2015-07]
(4)
Every parking area shall be designed so that each motor vehicle may proceed to and from a parking space provided for it without requiring the moving of any other motor vehicle, except those of a single family or two-family dwelling.
(5)
No parking area shall be located in a required buffer yard.
(6)
All streets and access drives shall be designed so as to accommodate access by emergency vehicles.
[Added 1-13-2016 by Ord. No. 2015-07]
B.
Parking spaces.
(1)
Each parking space shall have a stall width of at least 10 feet.
(2)
Each parking space shall have a stall depth of:
(a)
At least 20 feet for all angle parking; or
(b)
At least 22 feet for parallel parking.
(3)
All spaces shall be marked so as to indicate their location, except those of a single family or two-family dwelling.
C.
Aisles.
(1)
Each aisle providing access to stalls for one-way traffic only shall be at least the minimum aisle width specified as follows:
Angle of Parking | Minimum Aisle Width (feet) | |
|---|---|---|
Parallel | 12 | |
30º | 12 | |
45º | 14 | |
60º | 18 | |
90º | 20 |
(2)
Each aisle providing access to stalls for two-way traffic shall be at least 25 feet in width.
(3)
No aisle shall exceed 200 feet in length.
D.
Access drives and driveways.
(1)
Each access drive shall have a minimum width of 12 feet and maximum width of 15 feet at the street line for one-way use only and a minimum width of 20 feet and maximum width of 30 feet at the street line for two-way use.
(2)
Adequate provisions shall be made to maintain uninterrupted parallel drainage along a public street at the point of driveway or access drive entry.
(3)
At least 50 feet shall be provided between any two access drives along one street for one lot.
(4)
No access drive or driveway shall be less than 30 feet from any street intersection.
E.
Paving, grading, and drainage.
(1)
Except for areas that are landscaped and so maintained, all portions of required parking and off-street loading facilities, including access drives and driveways, shall be graded, surfaced with bituminous paving or concrete and adequately drained to prevent dust, erosion, or excessive water flow across streets or adjoining properties.
(2)
Gravel or another surface other than asphalt may be allowed by the Zoning Officer or Board of Supervisors for parking areas that are used primarily for long-term storage or used less than 10 days in any calendar year.
F.
Nighttime illumination.
(1)
Any parking area designed for use by six or more cars after dusk shall be adequately illuminated.
(2)
All lighting fixtures used to illuminate parking areas shall be arranged to prevent glare into public streets and adjoining properties.
G.
Landscaping.
(1)
All parking spaces, access drives, and driveways shall be at least five feet from any side or rear lot lines, unless a larger distance is required by applicable buffer yard provisions.
(2)
All areas not serving as parking spaces, aisles, access drives or pedestrian walkways shall be permanently landscaped and maintained.
(3)
Except where entrance and exit drives cross street lines, all parking areas for any purpose other than single family residences and two family residences shall be physically separated from any public street by a concrete curb and an area not less than 10 feet in depth (measured from the right-of-way line) which shall be permanently landscaped and maintained.
H.
Screening. Any area of six or more spaces which is not within a building and abuts or is across a street from any lot in a Suburban Residential or Planned Residential District, shall be provided with a suitable fence, wall, or evergreen planting at least four feet in height, designed to screen visibility and headlight glare from such residential lot.
§ 250-70 (((-704.))) Off-street loading.
A.
General requirements. Each use shall provide off-street loading facilities sufficient to accommodate the maximum demand generated by the use (as determined by the Zoning Officer or another applicable review agent for the Township), which comply with the regulations contained in this § 250-70.
B.
Design and layout of off-street loading facilities. Off-street loading facilities shall be designed to conform to the following specifications:
(1)
Each off-street loading and unloading space shall be at least 14 feet in width by 75 feet in depth.
(2)
Each space shall have sufficient maneuvering room separate from other parking to eliminate traffic conflicts within off-street loading and parking areas.
(3)
Each space shall be located entirely on the lot being served and be so located that each space and all maneuvering room is outside of required buffer areas, yard areas, and rights-of-way.
(4)
An appropriate means of access to a street or alley shall be provided that the maximum width of driveways (measured at the street lot line) shall be 35 feet and that the minimum width shall be 20 feet.
(5)
All off-street loading and unloading spaces, maneuvering areas, driveways, and entranceways shall be graded, surfaced with asphalt or other suitable material, and drained to the satisfaction of the Township Engineer, to the extent necessary to prevent nuisances of dust, erosion, or excessive water flow across public ways and to protect adjoining property.
(6)
No such facilities shall be designed or used in any manner so as to constitute a nuisance, a hazard, or an unreasonable impediment to traffic.
(7)
All such facilities shall comply with the lighting requirements of § 250-69F and the landscaping requirements of § 250-69G.
