Franconia Township City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XIX
Off-Street Parking and Loading 1
§ 145-122 General regulations.
[Amended 1-20-2020 by Ord. No. 409; 1-20-2020 by Ord. No. 409; 5-19-2025 by Ord. No. 430]
The regulations of this article for off-street parking and loading shall apply when a building, structure or lot is used or occupied.
A.
All parking and loading requirements listed herein shall be provided on the lot containing the use or occupancy. In no case shall parking on public roads, streets or thoroughfares be credited toward meeting the requirements of this article.
B.
In no case shall parking be located in required buffer areas, in wetlands and in floodplain areas.
C.
Off-street parking facilities existing at the effective date of this chapter shall not subsequently be reduced to an amount less than required hereunder for a similar use or occupancy. Off-street parking facilities provided to comply with the provisions of this chapter shall not subsequently be reduced below the requirements of this chapter.
D.
All parking facilities shall be designed to comply with the requirements of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania with regard to the Americans with Disabilities Act and the current standards of ANSI 117.1.
F.
Residential parking facilities, other than in the RR District, shall be used solely for the parking of passenger automobiles and not more than one commercial vehicle of not more than two tons gross vehicle weight. Such vehicle shall be utilized by the occupants of the dwelling.
G.
Nonresidential parking spaces and driveways shall be a minimum of 20 feet from any building or structure except as required for loading and drive-through facilities, and except as permitted otherwise elsewhere in this chapter.
H.
All parking spaces, driveway and access aisles provided under this article shall be all-weather and shall be paved per Township specifications with the exception of the RR Residential Districts and Agricultural uses where only the all-weather requirement shall apply. Six inches of crushed, modified stone on a firm, well-drained base or its equivalent shall satisfy the all-weather requirement, subject to the Township Engineer's approval. A minimum of 50 feet of any driveway shall be paved from the existing street into the lot.
I.
Parking for a nonresidential use or in a nonresidential district may be permitted within the minimum required side and/or rear yard setbacks when the side and/or rear yard abuts a district zoned industrial and/or commercial. However, no parking shall be permitted within five feet of a side or rear property line unless common parking facilities are approved at the sole discretion of the Board of Supervisors. Parking setbacks for uses within the Institutional District shall be in accordance with the Dimensional Regulations set forth in Article XVI.
J.
In commercial and industrial districts, provision of common parking facilities is hereby encouraged in recognition of their increased flexibility and efficiency. Subject to a shared parking easement and agreement between the proposed users of the common parking facilities, and if satisfactory to the Township, the Board of Supervisors may reduce the aggregate amount of required parking space upon determination from a traffic engineer that the proposed number of parking spaces is adequate for the proposed use and that greater efficiency is effected by joint use of the common parking area. This determination shall be subject to a review by the Township Engineer. When common parking facilities are approved, side and/or rear yard setback requirements shall not apply at the property line(s) being crossed in order to establish unified and continuous parking areas. In such cases, access drives and sidewalks shall be so aligned as to maximize parking efficiency and minimize traffic congestion. Entrances and exits must have adequate sight distance in accordance with PA Code 441.8, Driveway design requirements.[2]
[2]
Editor's Note: See 67 Pa. Code § 441.8.
§ 145-123 Schedule of required parking.
[Amended 1-20-2020 by Ord. No. 409; 5-19-2025 by Ord. No. 430]
A.
The following uses and occupancies shall provide off-street parking in the amounts as indicated below. Parking spaces shall be designed such that each motor vehicle may proceed to and from the parking space provided for it without the possibility of requiring the moving of any other vehicle.
Use/Occupancy | Parking Space Requirement |
|---|---|
Airport | One space per 100 square feet of gross floor area plus one space per employee |
Animal hospital | One space per eight animals of capacity |
Athletic club, indoor | One space per 100 square feet of total floor area |
Bank or financial institution | One space per 200 square feet of floor area: institutions with drive-through facilities shall provide a minimum of five stacking spaces per service window |
Bowling alley | Five spaces per alley plus one per employee |
Broadcast studio | One space per employee plus requirements of auditorium or theater |
Business, professional, trade and/or technical schools | One space for each full-time employee and student |
Campground | One space per campsite or sleeping unit |
Car wash | One space per employee plus 20 waiting spaces per washing lane and 1,000 square feet of finishing area per lane |
Cemetery | One space per five persons of chapel capacity or eight lineal feet of pews, whichever is greater |
Church, place of worship | One off-street parking space for each four seats provided for patron use, or at least one off-street parking space for each 40 square feet of gross floor area intended to be used for service of patrons, guest or members, whichever requires the greatest number of off-street parking spaces, plus one additional space for each full-time employee |
Clubs and clubhouses | One space per 150 square feet of gross floor, building and ground area devoted to this use |
Child, adult and senior citizen day centers, nursery school | Three spaces per 1,000 square feet |
Commercial pool | One space per 50 square feet of pool area plus one space per full-time employee |
Community center, senior citizen community center or other similar facility | Three off-street parking spaces for each 1,000 square feet of gross floor area |
Contractor, craftsman's or general service shop | One space per employee, both shop and field, and one per 500 square feet devoted to patron use |
Convenience store | One space per 100 gross square feet of floor area plus one per employee |
Convention center | One space per room and one per employee for lodging facilities and one per five fixed seats plus one space per 35 square feet of gross assembly area without seating |
Dancing schools | One space per student, calculated on maximum building capacity, as determined by the Fire Marshal |
Dining and lodging facilities | One space per unit plus an additional two per seat or one per 50 square feet of floor space and one per employee, whichever is greater |
Dispensary | One space per 200 square feet of gross floor area |
Drive-in | One space per car of capacity |
Duplex dwellings | Two spaces per dwelling unit |
Electric and communication substation | One off-street space of sufficient size to accommodate the largest anticipated service vehicle |
Emergency service center | One space per 50 square feet of meeting area plus two spaces per emergency vehicle |
Funeral home | One space per 50 square feet of space for patron use or four seats for patron use, whichever is greater |
Golf course | Ten spaces per hole |
Greenhouse, nursery, garden center | Five spaces per 1,000 square feet of indoor and/or outdoor space devoted to patron use and display of stock |
Group home, impatient rehabilitation center | One space per bed |
Guest house | One space per guest room and one space for each employee on the largest shift |
Gymnasiums, stadiums, auditoriums serving educational facilities | One space per five seats |
Home occupation | One space per 400 square feet of space used for occupation |
Hotel or motel | One space per each guest room plus any required additional spaces for permitted uses within the hotel or motel plus one per employee on the largest shift |
Industrial uses, manufacturing | One space per employee per largest shift who works either within the facility or who serves as a driver or other outside activity, or one space per 750 square feet of gross floor area, whichever is greater |
Indoor entertainment, amusement | One space per 100 square feet of patron use or three seats, whichever is greater |
Kennel, commercial | One space per 12 animals of capacity |
Kindergarten, elementary, middle or junior high school | Three spaces for every 10 students |
Laboratories | One space per 200 square feet of gross floor area |
Laundry | One space per two washing machines |
Libraries or museums | Three off-street parking spaces for each 1,000 square feet of gross floor area |
Lodging facilities | One space per unit plus one per employee |
Motor vehicle: service station, repair shop, public garage | One space per employee plus five per service bay |
Motor vehicle: sales agency (also includes such items as boats and trailers) | One space per 100 square feet of floor area devoted to office, sales or showroom use plus one per employee |
Municipal buildings | Requirements shall be computed based on the combined uses within the buildings |
Newspaper publishing | One space per employee per largest shift who works either within the facility or who serves as a driver or other outside activity |
Multiple-family dwelling | 2 spaces per unit |
Music schools, professional schools | One off-street parking space per student or per faculty member plus one per student calculated on maximum building capacity, as determined by the Fire Marshal |
Office: business services and professional, including veterinarian | Three spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area |
Office: professional - medical, pharmaceutical | Four spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area |
Outdoor entertainment | One space per three persons of capacity plus one per employee on one shift |
Park and outdoor/rural recreation | Parking shall be based upon the number and type of playing fields, and any other physical improvements; a percentage of the spaces may be all-weather, as approved by the Township Engineer; the total number of spaces shall be supported by a parking study that shall be reviewed and approved by the Township Engineer |
Personal service or custom shops | One space per 100 gross square feet of floor area devoted to patron use and performance of the service |
Pet resort | One space per eight animals of capacity plus one space per every two employees |
Rental rooms | Two spaces for resident family plus one for each guest room |
Research | One space per 250 square feet of total floor space plus one space per vehicle normally stored on the premises |
Restaurant, including eating place, social club and drive-through | One space per 80 square feet of gross floor area and a minimum stacking lane of five spaces per drive-through window |
Retail stores including strip shopping center | Five spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area |
Retirement home, assisted living | Two spaces per dwelling unit |
Riding academy/stable | One space per eight animals of capacity |
Roadside agricultural stand | Sufficient spaces to accommodate seasonal sale; surface may be crushed stone in lieu of paving and curbing, at the discretion of the Township |
Rural inn | Two spaces for resident family plus one for each guest room |
Sanitariums, convalescent homes, hospitals | One space for every two beds plus one per maximum number of employees on a shift |
Senior high school, junior college | One off-street parking space per faculty member and employee plus one space per three students calculated on maximum building capacity, as determined by the Fire Marshal |
Shopping Center, standard/major | One space per employee per largest shift who works either within the facility or who serves as a driver or other outside activity, or one space per 750 square feet of gross floor area, whichever is greater |
Single-family detached, semi-detached, quadriplex, or townhouse | 2 spaces per unit |
Special citizens housing | One space per two beds plus one per maximum number of employees on a shift |
Stock, piggery or slaughterhouse | One space per employee |
Tennis courts | Two spaces per court |
Terminal | One space per 100 square feet |
Theater, auditorium, or other place of public assemblage, excluding churches | One space for every three seats |
Townhouses | Two and one-half spaces per dwelling unit |
Two-family duplex | 2 spaces per unit |
Used car lot | One space per employee plus one space per 1,000 square feet of lot area; such areas shall be marked and reserved for patron use |
Utilities | One space per employee |
Waste or recycling center | One space per employee |
Wholesale business, wholesale storage, warehousing | One space per 500 square feet of gross floor area plus one space for each business vehicle normally stored on the premises |
Wholesale office and showroom including outside yard for distributing and building materials and/or similar materials | One per employee plus five per 1,000 square feet of space devoted to patron use display stock |
Wildlife sanctuary | One space per employee plus one or 0.25 spaces per acre, whichever is greater |
B.
For uses and occupancies not clearly covered by the above table, the most current edition of the Institute of Transportation Engineers Parking Generation Manual may be used or a study from a Traffic Engineer may be used to support the proposed parking requirement. In either case, the Township shall have sole authority with respect to establishing the parking requirement. When there are multiple uses on a lot, the sum of the requirements for all uses may be reduced by 10%.
§ 145-124 Reserve parking.
As a conditional use, the Board of Supervisors may approve the provision of less than the number of parking spaces required under this article when the following requirements are met:
A.
A parking study prepared by a professional traffic engineer shall be prepared and submitted; it shall support the requested reduction, it shall be reviewed by the Township, and it must be accepted.
B.
An area on the site shall be designed to accommodate the reduced number of parking spaces per this article, and that area shall be placed in reserve.
C.
The stormwater system and any other support feature as determined by the Township Engineer shall be designed and constructed to accommodate the required number of parking spaces per this article.
D.
The property owner shall agree to construct the spaces placed in reserve at any time in the future should the Board of Supervisors determine, in its sole discretion, that the spaces are needed. This agreement shall be in a form satisfactory to the Township Solicitor with the following conditions:
[Amended 1-20-2020 by Ord. No. 409]
(1)
The area shall be maintained as temporary open space or unobstructed so that the reserve parking may be installed at any time at the discretion of the Board of Supervisors.
(2)
This agreement shall be recorded as a covenant running with the land.
(3)
The Zoning Officer shall bring the parking reduction agreement to the Board of Supervisors for reconsideration if the Zoning Officer determines, in his sole discretion, that the reduced parking is not meeting actual property needs, based upon field investigations.
(4)
The applicant shall provide financial security to the Township to cover the cost of installing the parking area for a specified time period as noted in the parking reduction agreement, but shall be no less than five years.
§ 145-125 Landscape requirements.
Any parking facility for 10 or more automobiles constructed under the terms of this article shall meet the following landscape requirements, or the requirements of the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance,[1] whichever is greater.
A.
10% of the area of all paving for parking and access driveways shall be devoted to landscaping within the outer boundaries of the paved area with the intent to mitigate the heat island effect by providing shade over the impervious surfaces. In addition, planting trees creates more attractive parking environments making communities greener and healthier, so effort shall be taken to provide shade, realizing that the trees would need to reach mature growth to maximize the benefits. For all parking lots with 10 or more stalls, planting islands shall be provided in accordance with the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance[2] and shall be large enough to accommodate the proposed landscaping.
[Amended 1-20-2020 by Ord. No. 409]
B.
The landscaped area may incorporate stormwater management facilities, and it shall be designed so that the landscaping is distributed throughout the parking area.
C.
All aspects of the design of the landscaped area shall be subject to the requirements of the Land Development and Subdivision Ordinance of Franconia Township and to the approval of the Township.
§ 145-126 Off-street loading.
Adequate space shall be provided to accommodate the loading and unloading of trucks, tractors and trailers, including parcel delivery vans, servicing any commercial, industrial, institutional or other use for which there is a need for such facilities. The Zoning Officer in his sole discretion shall determine the need.
§ 145-127 Trash facilities.
Adequate space shall be provided to accommodate the storage and collection of trash and refuse. The Zoning Officer in his sole discretion shall determine the need.
§ 145-128 Construal of provisions.
Nothing contained in this article shall be construed to authorize or permit the establishment of a parking, loading or trash facility in conjunction with a commercial, industrial or institutional use in other than a like-zoning district.