Harwich City Zoning Code
ARTICLE IX
Off-Street Parking and Loading Requirements
§ 325-37 Objective.
It is the intent of this article that adequate off-street parking and loading shall be provided to serve all parking demand created by new construction, whether through new structures or additions to existing ones or through change of use which creates higher parking demand.
§ 325-38 Applicability.
Existing buildings, structures and land uses are not subject to these off-street parking and loading requirements and may be rebuilt, changed or repaired but not enlarged, altered or subject to a change in use so as to increase demand without becoming subject to these requirements.
§ 325-39 Off-street parking schedule.
A.
These standards are the minimum requirement. The Planning Board, under site plan review, may vary the required number of spaces if the nature and scale of a proposed use warrant such a change. In determining the number of spaces required, only actual or delineated spaces shall be calculated. In the case of multiple uses on a single lot, the required number of parking spaces will be equal to the combined total of parking spaces for each use.
[Amended 5-2-2016 ATM by Art. 47; 9-26-2020 ATM by Art. 22]
Use | Parking Spaces |
|---|---|
Residential Uses | |
Single-family dwelling, two-family dwelling | 2 |
Single-family dwelling with accessory apartment or mixed-use development | 1.5 per unit |
Home occupation | 1 per employee/apprentice or 2 per 400 square feet of space dedicated to home occupation |
Dormitory | 1 per room |
Lodging house, hotel, motel, inn, bed-and-breakfast | 1.25 per guest room or suite |
Multifamily | 1.5 per studio, efficiency or 1-bedroom unit; 2 per 2-bedroom unit or greater |
Public and Quasi-Public Uses | |
School, municipal building, library, charitable institution or similar use | 1 per employee, plus 1 per 3 seats in area of public assembly |
Church, assembly hall, club or similar place of public or semipublic amusement or assembly | 1 per 3 seats, plus 1 per classroom and office |
Movie theater | 1 per 2 seats |
Nursing home and/or personal care facilities | 1 per 3 beds, plus 1 per employee maximum shift |
Recreational Uses | |
Standard golf, par 3, and other outdoor recreational uses, including but not limited to amusement parks and other similar attractions. | 1 per employee maximum shift, plus 1 per 3 patrons at maximum capacity of facility as determined by the Building Official |
Golf teaching facility | 1 per employee, plus 1 per student, maximum capacity |
Miniature golf course | 1 per employee maximum shift, plus 1 per 2 patrons at maximum capacity of facility as determined by the Building Official |
Playing fields (parking is per field) | 1 per 2 players, plus 1 per 2 bleacher seats, plus 20 |
Public swimming pools | 1 per employee maximum shift, plus 1 per maximum rated capacity for pool and any associated decks |
Stable; commercial or riding school | 1 per 2 stalls, plus 1 per employee maximum shift, plus area for storing trailers |
Indoor recreational uses, including but not limited to tennis clubs, health clubs | 1 per employee maximum shift, plus 2 per tennis court, plus 1 per 2 players for other court sport, plus 1 per 3 spectator seats |
Commercial Uses | |
Auction galleries, gift shops, arts and crafts, antique shops, general merchandise, apparel and accessories, other retail sales and customer service | 1 per 150 square feet of floor area dedicated to customer use or display, but not less than 70% of the total area |
Food stores and supermarkets | 1 per 200 square feet customer area, plus 1 per employee maximum shift |
Furniture and home furnishings, large appliances, lumber, showroom or other retail display of large items | 1 per 700 square feet |
Restaurant, lunchroom, bar, tavern, private club or other similar use | 1 per 4 seats, including outdoor seating, plus 1 per employee maximum shift |
Restaurant, fast-food/takeout | 1 per employee maximum shift, plus 6, plus 1 per 4 seats, indoor or outdoor |
Establishments offering entertainment, including public and private clubs and restaurant areas dedicated solely to entertainment | 1 per 2 patrons at maximum capacity of facility as determined by the Building Official, plus 1 per employee on maximum shift |
Medical office | 1 per employee maximum shift, plus 1 per 2 seats in waiting room, plus 1 per treatment room |
Professional or administrative office, bank or other financial institution and general business office | 1 per employee maximum shift, plus 1 per 250 square feet of floor area |
Funeral home | 1 per 2 seats at maximum capacity of facility as determined by the Building Official |
Animal hospital and animal kennel | 1 per employee maximum shift, plus 1 per 2 seats in waiting room, plus 1 per treatment room |
Motor Vehicle or Boat — Transportation Uses | |
Sales or rental of motor vehicles | 1 per 3,000 square feet of indoor or outdoor vehicle or boat display area, plus 1 per employee maximum shift |
Filling station, automotive service and repair facility, automobile service station | 1 per employee maximum shift, plus 2 per service bay, including spray paint booth, plus 2 per 150 square feet service waiting area, plus 1 per car stored overnight |
Car wash | 1 per employee maximum shift |
Other transportation uses | 1 per employee maximum shift, plus as determined by site plan approval |
Marina or boat yard use | 1 per employee maximum shift, plus 1 per slip, or 1 space per dry storage capacity, whichever is greater, and 1 per each 2 moorings assigned to the marina or boat yard |
Industrial, Utility and Other Uses | |
Light industry and manufacturing | 1 per employee maximum shift, plus 1 per 2,500 square feet of floor area |
Warehousing and wholesale trade | 1 per employee maximum shift, plus 1 per 1,000 square feet of floor area |
Other industrial | 1.3 per employee maximum shift, plus 1 per 200 square feet of office space |
B.
Parking company-owned vehicles. In addition to the requirements outlined above, one space will be required for each company-owned vehicle kept on the premises, including trailers and heavy machinery. The space provided must be of an adequate size to accommodate the equipment utilizing the space.
§ 325-40 Loading requirements.
[Amended 5-8-2012 STM by Art. 5]
Unless otherwise expressly authorized by the Planning Board through site plan review approval, loading and unloading areas shall be provided according to this section. Every building hereafter erected, altered, enlarged, or occupied for business, industrial or institutional purposes which has over 5,000 square feet of gross building area shall provide a minimum of one area for the loading and unloading of service vehicles. Loading and unloading areas shall be provided in addition to off-street parking spaces and shall not be considered as supplying required parking spaces. One additional area shall be provided for every additional 20,000 square feet of gross floor area in the building. Loading and unloading areas shall be located in the rear of the building.
§ 325-41 Location requirements.
A.
Parking and loading areas and garages shall be provided on the same lot as the use they are required to serve, except as provided in § 325-44A.
B.
No parking area/space shall be used for disposal containers (dumpsters). An additional area, outside, but adjacent to the parking area, shall be required for each disposal container.
§ 325-42 Design requirements.
[Amended 5-8-2012 STM by Art. 5]
Unless otherwise expressly authorized by the Planning Board through site plan review approval, all parking and loading areas shall be subject to the design requirements of this section.
A.
A parking area or loading area shall be designed to provide for adequate backing and turning movements for the type of vehicle being maneuvered and to eliminate the need to back a vehicle out onto any public or private street or way, except that single-family residences and single-family residences with accessory apartments which front on other than a state-maintained and/or designated roadway may provide for backing out of vehicles.
B.
The area and access driveways thereto shall be graded and drained so as to dispose of on site all surface water accumulation on the site.
C.
A substantial bumper of masonry, steel or heavy timber or a concrete curb or berm or curb which is backfilled shall be placed at the edge of paved parking areas, except driveways, in order to protect abutting structures, properties and sidewalks.
D.
Any fixture used to illuminate a parking area shall be so arranged as to direct light away from the street and away from adjoining properties used for residential purposes.
E.
There shall be no commercial repair of motor vehicles within the required parking or loading area.
F.
There shall not be any storage of materials or equipment or display of merchandise within the required parking or loading area. In addition, there shall be no placement of outdoor seating within the required parking or loading area.
G.
For any multifamily, commercial or industrial parcel of land, there shall be no more than two driveways per roadway frontage.
H.
Any entrance or exit driveway for a single- or two-family residential use shall not exceed 24 feet in width at its intersection with the front lot line. For any multifamily, commercial or industrial use, any entrance or exit driveway shall not exceed 50 feet in width when measured in the aforesaid manner. Should a driveway for a multifamily, commercial or industrial use require a width in excess of 50 feet, justification for this increase in width shall be provided by the applicant to the Planning Board for review, approval or denial as part of the site plan review process. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in any case where state regulations or requirements mandate a different driveway width or location, the provision of said regulations or requirements shall govern and supersede this provision. The radius of the access drive at the road shall be 25 feet. The radius of any access road shall not extend beyond the property line of the property which it serves. The minimum distance between the side lines of such drives and the side lines of any intersecting street and any other street access drive, measured between where such street and driveway side lines intersect the adjacent street line, shall be a follows:[1]
Minimum Distance (feet) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Types of Drive | From Intersecting Streets | From Other Drives | From Side Lot Line | |
Drives serving a dwelling | 50 | 20 | — | |
Drives serving a hotel or motel | 50 | 50 | — | |
Drives serving other permitted principal structures/uses in a | ||||
Residential district | 50 | 50 | 10 | |
Commercial district | 50 | 50 | 10 | |
Industrial district | 50 | 50 | 10 | |
[1]
Editor's Note: This subsection was amended 2-5-2009 STM by Art. 18.
I.
No parking spaces shall be established in the right-of-way of any road or way, except that the Town of Harwich may establish on-street parking spaces in accordance with the applicable provisions of state law.
J.
Parking and loading areas shall be graded, surfaced with a nondusting material, drained and suitably maintained to the extent necessary to avoid the nuisance of dust or erosion. The parking lot shall be designed such that no surface water is allowed to flow onto streets or adjoining property. Access drives serving unpaved parking areas shall be constructed with a paved apron meeting the minimum construction requirements described below. Said apron shall extend from the paved road edge to the street line. Paved or unpaved parking areas containing more than five spaces shall conform to construction requirements as follows:
(1)
Base: two feet of frost-free material.
(2)
Subbase: four inches of gravel as the subbase plus two inches of processed stone.
(3)
Pavement: a minimum depth of asphalt composed of a binder course of 1 1/2 inches plus a one-inch top course after rolling or compacting.
(4)
For all parking areas of five or more parking spaces, drainage systems serving the parking and vehicular access areas shall be designed in accordance with the Rational Method, or equivalent, based on a twenty-five-year storm frequency.
(5)
Calculations shall be made by using topographic maps for the entire drainage area, including those areas outside the site plan area. Copies of all drainage calculations shall be submitted with the site plans. Percolation tests shall be required at all proposed drainage locations (leaching areas). Subsurface leaching systems shall be utilized meeting the current Planning Board Subdivision Rules and Regulations standards.[2]
[2]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 400, Subdivision of Land and Site Plan Special Permits.
(6)
In addition, all paved parking areas containing more than five spaces shall utilize a system of absorbent pillows or similar device to absorb vehicle fluids in runoff. This system will be maintained twice a year, with written proof of maintenance provided to the Planning Board.
K.
Parking areas for passenger vehicles shall typically be laid out to meet the following design criteria:
Angle | Space Width (in feet) | Space Length (perpendicular to aisle) | Aisle Width (feet) | Total Width (feet) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
45° | 9 | 17.5 | 15 | 50 |
60° | 9 | 19 | 18 | 56 |
90° | 9 | 20 | 24 | 64 |
(1)
The above chart is for parking areas with double-loaded aisles. For single-loaded aisles, subtract the space length from the total width. Aisle widths for 45° and 60° are for one-way directional flow patterns.
(2)
The Board, at its discretion, may allow the use of a maximum two-foot overhang strip as part of the space length. This strip shall be solely designated for the purpose of vehicular parking and shall not be part of any walkway, planting area or front or side yard indicated in § 325-41B.
L.
Parking and loading zone setbacks for all uses except single-family, two-family and single-family with accessory apartment shall be as follows. For commercial structures, wheel stops for parking spaces perpendicular to or at an angle to a structure shall be located so as to provide a clear area of three feet between the end of a vehicle parked in the space and the nearest structure.
Parking Setbacks1 (feet) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Zone | Street | Side Line | Rear |
RR, RM, RL, RH-1, RH-2 and RH-3 | 20 | 10 | 10 |
CV, CH-1 and CH-2 | 20 | 10 | 10 |
IL | 15 | 5 | 5 |
MRL and MRL-1 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
Notes: | |
|---|---|
1 | No parking area containing more than four spaces or loading area shall be located within a required front yard, except that those buildings utilizing the provisions of § 325-51L (Village Commercial Overlay District) shall not locate any parking within the front yard. |
§ 325-43 Landscape requirements.
Unless otherwise authorized by the Planning Board on special permit under the site plan provision of this bylaw, all parking areas containing over five spaces, including automobile service and drive-in establishments, shall be either contained within structures or subject to the following:
A.
The parking area shall be effectively screened on each side which adjoins or faces the side or rear lot line of a lot situated in any residential district or any lot used for residential purposes. The screening shall consist of a solid fence or wall not less than three feet nor more than six feet in height or a planting screen which shall be composed of shrubs which are planted in such a manner so as to effectively screen the parking area from view of the adjoining residential lot or lots. Such shrubs shall be evergreen varieties which are no less than three feet in height upon planting. Either type of screening shall be at least two feet from a non-street line and 15 feet from any street lot line and all maintained in good condition. All planted materials shall be maintained in such a manner so as not to create an obstruction to motorists' vision of traffic and pedestrians.
B.
Parking areas containing more than five spaces shall include or be bordered within five feet of the spaces by at least one tree of three-inch caliper, measured six inches off the ground, for each five spaces. Trees within a parking area shall be in curb- or berm-protected plots of at least 90 square feet per tree. No such protective plot shall be paved with any impervious material.
C.
At least 10% of the interior area of any parking area containing 20 or more parking spaces shall consist of landscaped islands which shall be composed of shrubs and trees and other landscaping materials. The interior area of a parking area shall be derived by computing the area within the general perimeter of contiguous area containing parking spaces, maneuvering areas behind the spaces and landscaping areas within such perimeter, except that required parking setback areas and required buffers shall not be included in the interior area computation.
§ 325-44 Special cases.
A.
Parking space may be provided on lots separate from a nonresidential use they are to serve, and be credited to such use in meeting the requirements of this bylaw, provided that they are legally available, are not designated as off-site parking for another use, and are within 300 feet of the principal structure, measured within street rights-of-way. Proof of legal availability shall be required, and failure to retain the availability of such parking spaces for the need they are required to serve shall be sufficient cause to deny or revoke a special permit until such spaces are restored or replaced. When such parking spaces are part of Town-owned and Town-operated parking lots, the Planning Board shall determine availability based on Town need and the applicant shall not be required to furnish proof of such availability.
B.
The number of parking spaces required for a multiple dwelling may, by special permit, be reduced to not less than one per family for the duration of any special occupancy upon Planning Board determination that sufficient area is available and will be retained to provide such otherwise required spaces.
C.
No structure subject to site plan approval may be elevated to allow parking in the structure or open parking beneath the structure unless for each parking space so provided the site coverage is reduced by a minimum of 325 square feet.
D.
In certain cases the Planning Board may allow the applicant to delineate a number of parking spaces as a reserve area that is available to be constructed in the future as specified by the Planning Board. It is the responsibility of the applicant to provide documentation showing that the proposed use of the property does not require the number of spaces listed under § 325-39A. Plans shall incorporate and detail all design aspects of the reserve parking area. As it is the intent of this special delineation to preserve as much of the site's natural state as possible, the proposed reserve area shall be dedicated for parking only. In any case in which the Board permits an applicant to create a reserve parking area, in lieu of development of the required parking area, then the Board shall require, as a condition of approval, that the resulting site plan special permit shall be reviewed on a periodic basis in order to monitor the adequacy of the constructed parking and the need to construct all or a portion of the reserve area. After such review, if appropriate, the Board may require that all or a portion of the reserve area be actually constructed.