These regulations are intended to create and maintain off-street parking and loading that is adequate in size and sufficient in the number of parking spaces for a particular use prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy. These regulations are also intended to address safe vehicular and pedestrian access to and within sites. Shared parking within a development will be utilized along with parking lots that are properly designed to meet the range of parking needs and demands associated with the existing and future land uses within the Township.

A.

General requirements.

1.

Single family residential and duplex parking. Off-street parking spaces for single family detached units or duplexes on individual lots shall consist of a parking strip, driveway, garage or combination thereof, and shall be located on the premises they are intended to serve.

2.

Parking for all other uses. Parking areas for uses other than single-family detached units or duplexes on individual lots shall be approved and constructed as part of a site plan. Minor changes to the parking layout, as determined by the Zoning Administrator, shall require a submittal of a parking plan.

3.

Off-street parking shall be provided for a principal use erected, altered, or expanded after the effective date of this Ordinance. Required off-street parking shall be maintained so long as the principal use remains, unless an equivalent number of such spaces are provided elsewhere in conformance with this Ordinance.

4.

No off-street parking which exists at the time this Ordinance becomes effective which is provided for the purpose of complying with provisions of this Ordinance shall thereafter be reduced below the requirements established by this Ordinance.

5.

The requirements of this section are not intended to apply to farms and farming operations. Parking requirements associated with Farm Markets are included in Section 10.13, Farm Markets.

6.

Within non-residential districts, off-street parking for continuous periods of more than twenty-four (24) hours shall be prohibited with the following exceptions:

a.

Parking in conjunction with an automobile sales and service facility, major and minor automobile repair facility, and automobile towing service, as permitted and regulated by this Ordinance.

b.

Automobiles and commercial vehicles owned and operated in conjunction with the principal use of the property.

B.

Parking location and setbacks.

1.

Parking spaces shall be provided either on the same lot, within lots under the same ownership or where a shared parking easement is provided on an adjacent lot within three hundred (300) feet of the building it is intended to serve, measured from the nearest public building entrance to the nearest parking space of the off-street parking lot.

2.

Off street parking is allowed in all yards and must be setback a minimum of twenty five (25) feet from the ordinary high water mark and must be maintained.

3.

Paved areas shall be ten (10) feet from any side or rear lot lines that abut an adjacent residentially zoned or used property and five (5) feet from any side or rear lot lines that abut an adjacent non-residentially zoned or used property. Paving setbacks between non-residentially zoned or used property may be waived by the Planning Commission for cross-access and joint parking with an approved joint parking easement agreement.

C.

Units and methods of measurement. For the purpose of determining off-street parking requirements, the following units of measurement shall apply:

1.

Floor area. Where floor area is the unit for determining the required number of off-street parking spaces, said unit shall mean the net floor area, as defined by this Ordinance.

2.

Employees. For requirements stated in terms of employees, the calculation shall be based upon the maximum number of employees likely to be on the premises during the largest shift.

3.

Places of assembly. In stadiums, sports arenas, auditoriums and other places of assembly, seating capacity shall be based upon the building code requirements currently in effect. In cases where a place of assembly has both fixed seats and open assembly areas, requirements shall be computed separately for each type and added together.

D.

Shared parking.

1.

The developed parking for adjacent parcels may be shared provided an approved joint parking easement agreement and the applicant(s) demonstrates that the peak usage will occur at different periods of the day. Each parcel must include adequate space to allow for development of the required parking.

2.

Side or rear parking lot setbacks may be reduced or waived by the Planning Commission where a shared access driveway, connected parking lots, and/or internal service drives are provided.

E.

Flexibility in application.

1.

The Township recognizes that, due to the specific requirements of any given development, inflexible application of the parking standards may result in development with inadequate parking or parking far in excess of that which is needed. The former situation may lead to traffic congestion or unauthorized parking on adjacent streets or neighboring sites. The latter situation may result in excessive paving and stormwater runoff and a waste of space which could be left as open space.

2.

The Planning Commission may allow an applicant to defer development of some off-street parking spaces based upon a finding that such deferment will provide a sufficient number of parking spaces to accommodate the specific characteristics of the use in question. The site plan shall indicate an area for future development of "reserve parking", with a fully dimensioned layout. Where an area is set aside for reserve parking, it shall be easily developed, not devoted to a use other then open space, and shall be designed to accommodate attendant facilities such as maneuvering lanes and drainage.

3.

Should the Zoning Administrator document that actual demand exceeds the developed parking capacity from time to time, the Zoning Administrator may direct the owner to construct some or all of the reserved parking as shown on the site plan. The owner shall agree to construct additional parking spaces within six (6) months of being informed of such request in writing by the Zoning Administrator as a condition of site plan approval.

4.

The Zoning Administrator may require development of reserve parking spaces as a condition of land use approval for change of use of any site.

4.

It is the intent of this Ordinance to minimize excessive areas of pavement which reduces aesthetic standards and contributes to high rates of storm water runoff. Exceeding the minimum parking space requirements by more than twenty percent (20%) shall only be allowed with approval by the Planning Commission. In granting such additional space, the Planning Commission shall determine that such parking will be required, based on documented evidence, to accommodate the use on a typical day.

F.

Fractional requirements. When the number of required parking or loading spaces result in a fractional space, then the fraction shall be counted as one (1) additional space.

G.

Schedule of required off-street parking spaces. The minimum number of off-street parking spaces shall be determined by the type of use in accordance with Table 11.1. For uses not specifically listed below, the required parking shall be in accordance with that of a similar use as determined by the Zoning Board of Appeals.

TABLE 11.1. SCHEDULE OF REQUIRED OFF-STREET PARKING SPACES

H.

Off-street parking lot design standards and requirements.

1.

Barrier free parking. Off-street parking lots are required to provide Barrier Free Parking spaces in accordance with the Michigan Department of Labor, Construction Code Commission Barrier Free Design Division. Table 11.2 below is the minimum number of accessible spaces required per the total number of parking spaces provided.

TABLE 11.2. SCHEDULE OF BARRIER-FREE PARKING

2.

Pavement. All driveways and parking lots, shall be hard surfaced with concrete or asphalt. Suitable provisions shall be made to prevent vehicles from encroaching on adjoining landscape areas or pedestrian walkways and to contain vehicles in designated parking areas. Bumper blocks may be used only in the case of retrofit of existing parking areas. The Planning Commission may approve alternative paving materials, such as permeable grass pavers, for overflow, seasonal or low usage parking, based upon the review and recommendation of the Township Engineer.

3.

Drainage. All parking lots shall be graded or drained to dispose of stormwater runoff. The Planning Commission may permit openings in the curbing for drainage purposes. No surface water shall be permitted to drain directly onto adjoining property unless a drainage easement has been obtained. Discharge of drainage into a public right-of-way, County Drain or Municipal storm sewer shall require written approval from the, the appropriate local, County or State agency.

4.

Dimensions.

a.

All parking spaces and maneuvering aisles shall be designed in accordance to the Barrier Free standards adopted by the State of Michigan and shall adhere to the following:

i.

The minimum size for all parking spaces shall be one hundred eighty (180) square feet or nine (9) feet by twenty (20) feet. The minimum size may be increased based on parking angles, Off-Street Parking Standards are illustrated in Figure 11.1.

b.

All spaces shall be provided adequate access by means of maneuvering lanes. All maneuvering lane widths shall permit one way traffic movement, except that the ninety (90) degree pattern may permit two (2) way movements.

i.

The minimum width for all maneuvering lanes shall be twelve (12) feet for a one-way lane and twenty four (24) feet for a two-way lane.

c.

Required stacking spaces shall be a minimum ten (10) feet wide and twenty (20) feet in length.

I.

Illumination. All illumination of parking lots or display areas shall be designed and installed to comply with the requirements of Article 13, Lighting.

J.

Landscaping. The parking area shall provide screening, greenbelts, buffers and parking lot landscaping in accordance with Article 12, Landscaping. Parking spaces adjacent to required landscaping or open space areas shall be curbed to prevent any vehicle overhang into those landscaped or open space areas.

K.

Parking abutting sidewalks. Where a parking space overhangs a sidewalk, the minimum sidewalk width shall be seven (7) feet.

L.

Construction and maintenance.

1.

Plans and specifications for parking areas shall be submitted and approved following the site plan review requirements of Article 5, Site Plan Review.

2.

Required parking lots shall be installed and completed before issuance of an occupancy permit.

3.

Any area once designated as required off-street parking shall not be changed to any other use unless and until equal facilities meeting the standards of this Article are provided elsewhere or the parking requirements of the site are changed.

4.

Pavement shall be maintained in good condition. The visibility of pavement markings delineating parking spaces and directional control shall be maintained.

5.

All off-street parking and loading facilities required by this Article shall be maintained free of accumulated snow, debris or other materials which prevent full use and occupancy of such parking facilities, except for temporary periods of no more than five (5) days in the event of heavy rainfall or snowfall.

6.

The storage of and/or the repair of merchandise, materials, equipment or vehicles are prohibited on required off-street parking or loading spaces.

(Ord. No. Z-014, § 4, 6-12-2019; Ord. No. Z-032, § 2, 12-9-2024)

The Planning Commission may require a traffic impact analysis to analyze the effect of development upon existing street traffic. The traffic impact analysis shall be paid for by the applicant and shall examine existing and proposed traffic flow, trip generation studies, impacts on major intersections, turning movement analysis, roadway capacity, parking generation and site ingress/egress. The traffic impact analysis shall be prepared by a registered professional engineer or transportation planner.

A.

General requirements.

1.

Adequate ingress and egress to the parking facility shall be provided by clearly defined driveways. Access to public roads shall be controlled in the interest of public safety. Each building or group of buildings used for non-residential purposes, and its parking or service area, shall be physically separated from public roads by a greenbelt, curb, or other suitable barrier against unchanneled motor vehicle access or egress, except for access ways authorized herein.

2.

Driveway design and placement must be in harmony with internal circulation and parking design such that the entrance can absorb the maximum rate of inbound traffic during a normal peek traffic period. Parking lots shall be designed to prevent vehicles from backing into the street or requiring use of the street for maneuvering between parking rows.

3.

Marginal access is required and shall be located to provide a direct connection with the existing or future marginal access of the abutting non-residential properties. The Planning Commission may approve a site plan without marginal access when it can be demonstrated that there are either physical limitations or functional circumstances that would prevent such access from being installed.

4.

There must be sufficient on-site storage to accommodate at least three (3) queued vehicles waiting to park or exit without using a portion of the public right-of-way obstructing exiting vehicle sight distance, or otherwise interfering with street traffic.

5.

Driveways shall be designed to accommodate all vehicle types having occasion to enter and exit the site, including delivery vehicles. There shall be clear delineation and/or separation, where appropriate, of entry and exit lanes within driveways.

6.

Ingress and egress to an off-street parking lot for all uses other than single-family residential shall not cross land zoned for single-family.

B.

Location and spacing.

1.

Ingress and egress from an off-street parking lot located in an area zoned for all uses other than single-family residential shall be at least twenty-five (25) feet from adjacent property zoned single-family residential.

2.

The number of access points shall be limited to the minimum needed to provide reasonable access. Access points shall be designed and located to minimize conflicts with traffic operations along the street and be placed as far from intersections as practical, but no closer than one hundred twenty-five (125) feet as measured from centerline to centerline. The minimum separation between driveways shall be based upon the posted speed limit of the street.

In any district, no fence, wall, shrubbery, sign or other obstruction of vision above a height of thirty-six (36) inches from the established road or street grade shall be permitted within a triangular area formed at the intersection of the right-of-way lines by drawing a straight line between such right-of-way lines along each line twenty-five (25) feet from the point of intersection. Clear Vision Area shall also apply to the intersection of driveways and shall require a ten (10) foot line to form the triangle.

A.

Where required. On-premises space for standing, loading and unloading vehicles shall be provided for each use involving the receipt or distribution of goods. The Planning Commission may permit central loading areas to be shared by multiple uses, such as in a retail shopping center or office park.

B.

Traffic flow location. The location of the loading area shall be sufficient to prevent undue interference with adjacent, required parking spaces, maneuvering aisles, or traffic flow. Loading and unloading is not permitted in public roads or right-of-ways. Loading/unloading areas and docks shall not be provided in the front yard. Where possible, loading areas shall be integrated into the design of the building to minimize visibility.

C.

Alleys. Where an alley exists at the rear of the building, the required loading area may be computed from the centerline of the alley.

D.

Size. The size of all required loading/unloading spaces shall be at least ten (10) feet by fifty (50) feet or five hundred (500) square feet in area, with a clearance of at least fourteen (14) feet in height. The Planning Commission may modify this requirement for uses that will involve smaller delivery trucks such as offices.

E.

Pavement. Loading dock approaches shall be constructed of an asphalt or concrete with a base sufficient to accommodate expected vehicle weight.

F.

Number. The minimum number of loading spaces shall be provided in accordance with the following Table 11.3:

TABLE 11.3. OFF-STREET LOADING REQUIREMENTS
INSTITUTIONAL, COMMERCIAL AND OFFICE USES

A.

General standards. The parking and circulation system within each development shall accommodate the movement of vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians and transit throughout the proposed development and to and from surrounding areas, safely and conveniently, and shall contribute to the attractiveness of the development. The on-site pedestrian system must provide continuity, street crossings, visual interest and security as defined by the standards in this Section.

B.

General requirements. External public multi-purpose paths shall be required for all developments subject to site plan review unless waived by the approving body based on priorities within the approved Non-Motorized Pathway Master Plan. Such paths may also be required under a land use permit or special land use review. In addition, an internal pedestrian circulation system shall be developed for any single family residential development as required for compliance with the Land Division Ordinance. All paths shall be constructed in accordance to the Engineering Design Standards as adopted by Highland Township.

1.

Residential. The size, type and location of paths shall be determined by the Planning Commission during site plan review.

2.

Non-residential. For new development, the size, type and location of paths shall be determined by the Planning Commission during site plan review, in conformance with the Non-Motorized Pathway Master Plan. For existing developments, the Zoning Administrator shall require installation of paths in accordance with the approved site plan of record.

3.

Required easements. All public paths not within a road right-of-way shall be placed in a permanent easement for the construction, operation maintenance, repair and/or replacement of the path, and will allow pedestrian and non-motorized traffic access to adjacent properties.

C.

Safety considerations. To the maximum extent feasible, pedestrians shall be separated from vehicles.

1.

Minimizing pedestrian/vehicular conflicts. Physical separation of pedestrian and vehicular access is the most effective means of avoiding conflicts and unsafe conditions. Where complete separation of pedestrians and vehicles is not possible, potential hazards shall be minimized by the use of techniques such as special paving, grade separations, pavement marking, signs or striping, bollards, pedestrian safety island, landscaping, lighting or other traffic calming measures to clearly delineate pedestrian areas, for both day and night use.

2.

Multi-purpose paths. Where multi-purpose paths are required or are specifically part of a site plan and pedestrians and bicyclist share walkways, the pedestrian/bicycle system shall be designed to be wide enough to easily accommodate the amount of pedestrian and bicycle traffic volumes that are anticipated. A minimum width of eight (8) feet shall be required and shall meet American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) guidelines and applicable Township Engineering design standards.

Additional width of up to four (4) feet may be required to accommodate higher volumes of bicycle and pedestrian traffic.

3.

Curb cuts and ramps. Curb cuts and ramps shall be located at convenient, safe locations for the physically disabled, for bicyclists and for people pushing strollers or carts. The location and design of curb cuts and ramps shall meet the requirements of the Michigan Barrier Free Code and the American With Disabilities Act and, to the extent possible, shall avoid crossing or funneling pedestrian traffic through loading areas, drive-through lanes and outdoor trash storage/collection areas.

4.

Site amenities. Development plans shall include site amenities that enhance safety and convenience and promote walking or bicycling as an alternative means of transportation. Site amenities may include bike racks, drinking fountains, canopies and benches. However, all sites with parking of ten (10) spaces or greater shall provide a bike rack for at least two (2) bicycles within fifty (50) feet of the building entrance.

5.

Internal pedestrian paths.

a.

Pedestrian paths within the site shall be located and aligned to directly and continuously connect areas or points of pedestrian origin and destination. Such paths shall not be located and aligned solely based on the outline of a parking lot configuration that does not provide such direct pedestrian access. Such connecting paths shall either be grade separated from the parking lot or clearly delineated as to avoid pedestrian/vehicular conflicts with a paved surface not less than six (6) feet in width. Drive aisles leading to main entrances shall have walkways on at least one (1) side of the drive aisle.

b.

Where it is necessary for the pedestrian access to cross maneuvering aisles or internal roadways, the crossings shall emphasize and place priority on pedestrian access and safety. The pedestrian crossings must be well-marked, using such measures as pavement treatments, signs, striping, signals, lighting, pedestrian safety islands, landscaping and other traffic calming techniques.

FIGURE 11.1. OFF-STREET STANDARDS