Green Lane City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XIV
Off-Street Parking and Loading
§ 415-92 Declaration of legislative intent.
The specific intent of this article is to:
A.
Set reasonable standards and provide reasonable controls to ensure sufficient parking capacity for the uses or potential uses of land in the Borough;
B.
Provide flexibility in the implementation of these standards by permitting construction of a reduced number of parking spaces under appropriate conditions;
C.
Prevent hazards to public safety caused by the intrusion and congestion of parking upon public rights-of-way;
D.
Provide a pedestrian-friendly environment to foster a less vehicular-intensive linkage throughout the Commercial District;
E.
Provide safe and convenient vehicular access and parking.
§ 415-93 Off-street parking requirements.
Any building or other structure erected, altered or used and any lot used or occupied for any of the following purposes shall be provided with the minimum number of parking spaces as set forth below, together with adequate driveways and street access. When a use is not specifically listed below, the requirements of the most similar use shall apply. For any parking area (except those associated with single-family dwellings) exceeding a five-vehicle capacity; and in connection with which the combined lot coverage (building plus parking, maneuvering and driving areas) shall exceed 35% of the lot area; paving, if desired by the owner or occupant, shall be done with porous paving as defined and specified in Chapter 370, Subdivision and Land Development.
A.
Dwelling unit, single-family detached: two all-weather parking spaces for each dwelling unit, located on the same lot therewith.
B.
Dwelling unit, elderly housing, two-family, multifamily dwelling (studio, efficiency or one-bedroom units): two per dwelling unit; may be lowered to 1.5 per dwelling unit by conditional use.
C.
Rooming house: Two spaces, plus one space per rental unit all-weather parking space for each room for rent, located on the same lot therewith or on land adjacent thereto.
D.
For any of the following uses, the required parking spaces shall be located on the same lot therewith or on contiguous lots; provided, that the designated parking spaces shall not be a distance greater than 200 feet from the principal entrance:
[Amended 3-11-2004 by Ord. No. 2004-05]
(1)
Church, school, theater, public auditorium, assembly or meeting room or other similar place of public or private assembly: one parking space for every four seats provided for public assembly.
(2)
Stadium or other similar place of assembly: one parking space for every four seats.
(3)
Hospital, institutional home, convalescent home or sanatorium: one space per two beds, plus one per employee on largest shift.
(4)
Community center, library, museum or other similar place: one parking space for every 800 square feet of gross floor area.
(5)
Residential club: one parking space for every two occupants, plus one parking space for every 100 square feet of gross floor area in public use.
(6)
Medical/dental office: one space per 250 square feet of gross floor area.
(7)
Motor vehicle service/repair: three spaces per service bay.
E.
For any of the following uses, the required parking spaces shall be located on the same lot therewith:[1]
[Amended 3-11-2004 by Ord. No. 2004-05]
(1)
Retail store or shops: one space per 250 feet of gross floor area.
(2)
Department store or supermarket: one space per 250 square feet gross floor area.
(3)
Indoor theater: one parking space for every four seats.
(4)
Hotel, tourist homes, motel or automobile court: one parking space for each rental unit.
(5)
Office building: one space per 250 square feet of gross floor area.
(6)
Restaurant, café or tearoom: one parking space for every 80 square feet of gross floor space.
(7)
Laboratory or any industrial establishment: one space per 450 square feet of gross floor area.
(8)
Other commercial buildings: one parking space for every 1,000 square feet of gross floor area or fraction thereof, except when otherwise authorized as a special exception, consistent with the requirements set forth herein for comparable establishments.
(9)
Open areas used for commercial purposes: one parking space for every 1,500 square feet of area or fraction thereof.
§ 415-94 Parking held in reserve.
If the number of spaces required by § 415-93 of this article is substantially larger than the number of spaces anticipated by the applicant, then the concept of parking held in reserve may be used to avoid unnecessary paving while ensuring adequate area for potential parking demands.
B.
The number of spaces which must be paved initially may be reduced by up to 50% by the Borough Council, upon the recommendation of the Borough Engineer.
C.
Suitable area must be reserved for the balance of the total number of spaces required by § 415-93. The total number of spaces shall be constructed by the applicant if and when determined necessary by the Borough Council and recommendation of the Borough Engineer. The reserved spaces may be constructed with porous paving as defined in Chapter 370, Subdivision and Land Development. The Council may require the installation of these parking spaces under the following conditions:
D.
A financial guaranty shall be provided by the applicant to cover the cost of installation of the parking spaces held in reserve, for a period of one year following installation of the initially constructed parking spaces. The type and dollar value of the guaranty must be approved by the Borough Council upon recommendation of the Borough Solicitor and Engineer.
E.
To qualify for the use of the reserve parking concept, the applicant shall demonstrate that the number of spaces required by § 415-93 herein is substantially larger than the number of spaces anticipated by providing evidence supporting reduced parking needs to the Borough Planning Commission and Engineer for their review and recommendation to Borough Council.
§ 415-95 Reduction of nonresidential requirements by conditional use.
The parking spaces required in § 415-93D herein may be located elsewhere than on the same lot when authorized by the Borough Council, subject to the following conditions:
A.
The owners of two or more establishments shall submit with their application for conditional use a site plan showing joint use and location of a common off-street parking area.
B.
Some portion of the common off-street parking area shall lie within 250 feet of an entrance, regularly used by patrons, into the buildings served thereby. This distance may be increased by applying for a conditional use.
C.
The Borough Council may, at its discretion, reduce the required aggregate amount of required parking space upon determination that the greater efficiency is effected by joint use of a common parking area, but in no case shall the ratio of total off-street parking area to total sales floor area be reduced less than 25%.
[Amended 3-11-2004 by Ord. No. 2004-05]
§ 415-96 Design requirements for parking lots in all districts.
All parking lots in industrial, commercial, residential retail or shopping center districts shall be operated and maintained in accordance with all of the following requirements:
A.
They shall not be used for the sale, repair or dismantling of any vehicles, equipment, materials or supplies.
B.
They shall be properly graded for drainage and surfaced with concrete, asphaltic concrete, asphalt, porous paving, oil or any dust-free surfacing and shall be maintained in good condition, free of weeds, dust, trash and debris.
C.
They shall be provided with entrances and exits so located as to minimize traffic congestion and the effect of headlight glare.
D.
They shall be provided with wheel or bumper guards located and arranged so that no part of any parked vehicles will extend beyond the boundaries of the parking lot.
E.
Lighting facilities shall be so arranged that they neither unreasonably or unnecessarily disturb occupants of adjacent residential properties nor interfere with traffic by reason of either location or glare.
F.
A planting strip 15 feet in width shall be provided along each property line of a nonresidential district which is opposite or adjacent to a residential district, in which shall be planted a hedge of evergreens or other suitable shrubbery so arranged as to minimize noise, glare and dust from all parking facilities. Proposed landscaping shall meet all requirements as specified in Chapter 370, Subdivision and Land Development, of the Code of the Borough of Green Lane.
G.
There shall be no more than one attendant shelter building containing not more than 50 square feet of gross floor area and set in a distance of not less than 20 feet from any boundary of the parking lot which abuts a residential district.
H.
No parking area shall abut directly upon a public street unless that street is an alley.
I.
All parking areas shall be set back a minimum of five feet from the legal right-of-way.
J.
Each property shall have not more than one accessway on each street on which the property abuts; each accessway shall be not more than 30 feet wide.
§ 415-97 Required off-street loading and unloading space.
In addition to required off-street parking, off-street loading spaces shall be required for all commercial, wholesale and industrial uses requiring the regular delivery or shipping of goods, merchandise or equipment. Off-street loading areas shall comply with the following:
A.
Required loading areas shall not be used for the storage of vehicles or materials or for off-street parking.
B.
The location and size of loading areas shall be adequate for the safe parking of trucks, and maneuvering space shall be provided so that ingress and egress can be accomplished on the lot without backing onto a public street.