Hopewell Township Washington County
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
ARTICLE IX
Parking and Loading Requirements
§ 320-901 Minimum parking and loading requirements.
A.
General requirements for parking.
(1)
Minimum dimensions.
(a)
Each parking space in a parking lot shall be at least nine feet wide and 18 feet long. Each handicapped parking space shall be 13 feet wide by 18 feet long. The dimensions of van accessible spaces shall be provided in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act[1] or equivalent provisions.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq.
(b)
The minimum dimension, including access lane, across a double-loaded parking bay with parking spaces at right angles to the access lane shall be 62 feet and for a single-loaded bay 44 feet. Where parking spaces form a 45° angle with the access lane, the dimension across a double-loaded bay shall be at least 50 feet and across a single loaded bay 31 feet. Where parking spaces form a 60° angle with the access lane, the dimension across a double-loaded bay shall be at least 56 feet and across a single-loaded bay 36 feet.
(c)
A parking bay, for purposes of this chapter, shall include the area within a parking lot containing an access lane and the parking spaces to which the lane provides access. A double-loaded parking bay denotes parking spaces on both sides of an access lane.
(2)
Maximum distances of parking from use.
(a)
Parking to serve any multiple-family residential building shall be located so that no required space is more than 200 feet from the building such space is designed to serve.
(b)
Parking to serve any nonresidential use shall be located so that no required space is more than 400 feet from the building or use such space is designed to serve.
(3)
Enlargement or change of structure or use.
(a)
Whenever a structure or use is enlarged or changed, whereby 25% or more additional parking area is required to serve such enlargement or change, all parking areas shall be in accordance with this article.
(b)
Any change from a residential to commercial or industrial use shall comply in full with the requirements of this article.
(4)
Where a structure or lot is of mixed uses, the total parking requirements for the various uses shall be added together to determine the total parking required on the lot.
(5)
On a single-family lot or townhouse lot a garage and the access drive to it may count as required parking areas. Where dwelling units and/or commercial uses share parking and/or garage space, parking designated for one dwelling or commercial use shall not block that designated for other dwellings or commercial uses. No required parking space shall occur wholly or partly in a public right-of-way or be utilized for other than vehicle parking. Driveway entrances shall be located to create maximum sight distances in both directions at the street, and embankments, vegetation or other physical obstructions shall be cut back or removed to enhance the driver's view of the street.
(6)
Design of parking lots.
(a)
All parking areas serving any commercial, industrial, public or semi-public use or any residential development where more than two dwelling units share the same parking area shall be surfaced.
(b)
Parking lot surfaces shall be constructed in accordance with applicable municipal construction, subdivision/land development and stormwater management standards and approved by the Municipal Engineer.
(c)
Where interconnections between parking lots of two independent developments are provided, a landowner and/or developer may be entitled to one of the following incentives upon municipal elected officials approval:
(7)
The number of handicap-accessible parking spaces shall be in accordance with the following table unless otherwise defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act or equivalent provisions. The percentage of van accessible spaces shall also be provided in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act or equivalent provisions.
(8)
Parking in residential districts.
(a)
Private off-street parking area shall be used exclusively for the parking of noncommercial vehicles and motorcycles owned and used by the occupants of the premises, including residents, tenants, employees and employers.
(b)
No more than five unenclosed private off-street parking spaces for boats, vehicles operated for any commercial purpose or any use otherwise not typically associated with a private residence, construction implements, recreational vehicles and/or trailers owned and used by the occupants of the premises, including residents, tenants, employees and employers shall not be permitted on a lot.
(c)
No such items as identified above shall be stored outside on a residential lot unless it is in condition for safe and working performance of its intended function. Items shall not be parked in such a manner as to create a dangerous or unsafe condition on the lot where stored or parked, and must be supported to retard tipping or rolling.
B.
General requirements for off-street loading.
(1)
For retail and service commercial uses and apartment buildings that do not accommodate large trucks (registered maximum gross vehicle weight of 40,000 pounds or more) each loading space shall be at least 12 feet by 35 feet in dimension with a clear height of 14 feet six inches. For all industrial uses, large product commercial uses (car sales, major appliance and furniture, etc.) planned nonresidential development, and office buildings that accommodate trucks with a registered maximum gross vehicle weight of 40,000 pounds or more, each loading space shall be at least 14 feet by 60 feet in dimension with a clear height of 15 feet. All other uses with loading should provide a ten-foot by twenty-five-foot loading space with a clear height of eight feet.
(2)
Maneuvering space shall be provided adjacent to the loading area, if necessary, so that vehicles may change direction and leave as well as enter the loading area moving in a forward direction. Public roads adjacent to a loading area shall not be used for maneuvering. Areas established for off-street parking shall not be utilized for off-street loading or vehicle repair work.
(3)
Where there are multiple uses within a development, shared loading areas shall be used among as many uses as practical. Loading areas shall be adjacent to the use or building served except that in a group of buildings in the same use on the same lot, one building may be designated to receive and dispatch goods, provided the total applicable floor area in all buildings on the lot is aggregated in determining the total required loading spaces.
(4)
Whenever a use is enlarged or changed, the additional loading required to serve such enlargement or change shall be in accordance with the requirements of this chapter.
(5)
Loading areas and adjacent maneuvering space shall be surfaced with a permanent all-weather material placed over at least six inches of well compacted base course, capable of bearing the weight of vehicles ordinarily traveling over or parking upon the surface, and shall be sloped to assure positive drainage to an approved stormwater management facility.
(6)
Loading areas may be lighted but such lighting shall not create glare conditions on adjacent residential properties or streets.
(a)
Access to the loading area on any lot shall be via a road or lane at least 12 feet in width for one-way traffic or 22 feet wide for two-way use, with a clearance of at least 14 feet six inches its entire length.
(b)
When a loading area is to occur on a lot that abuts a residential zoning district, the edges of such loading area between the residential zone and the loading area uninterrupted by buildings or screening topography shall be planted in accordance with the bufferyards defined by this chapter. A solid fence or wall at least 6 1/2 feet in height may be constructed in lieu of hedging as required by the bufferyard requirements provided such fence or wall is maintained in good condition.
(7)
Nothing in this section shall compel uses existing prior to passage of this chapter to comply with these loading requirements except that any additions or intensifications of use upon the same lot shall be provided with loading areas in accordance with these requirements.
C.
Review and approval of parking and/or loading applications.
(1)
Any proposal for constructing or expanding a building or changing its use shall be accompanied by a plan to provide off-street parking and/or loading in accordance with this chapter, as a condition of receiving approval for a building or occupancy permit.
(2)
The Zoning Officer, in addition to satisfying himself that the requirements of this chapter are met, shall also determine that safe access to parking and/or loading areas is provided and that advantage is given the pedestrian in the parking area.
(3)
The submission shall show on a scaled drawing the layout of the parking and/or loading areas, including each parking and/or loading space, access lanes, stop bars and/or curbs, circulation in truck maneuvering area, lighting, sidewalks, proposed grading at two-foot contour intervals, storm inlets, stormwater management facility to existing drainageway or storm sewer, location of buildings on the lot, access from the public highway and section through the pavement and base showing construction and materials.
§ 320-902 Minimum parking requirements.
Minimum off-street parking and other such provisions shall be provided as follows. If the minimums cannot be met, the applicant may apply for a conditional use related to development subject to Township review and determination:
A.
For one- and two-family dwellings, one off-street parking space for each family dwelling unit. As single- and two-family dwellings, no vehicle parking shall be allowed in front yard areas or side yard areas except in an improved driveway on the interior side of the front lot line.
B.
For any other type of land use that is residential, one parking space for each family dwelling unit, plus one additional parking space for every two dwelling units.
C.
For nonresidential uses in all other districts but the Ind-1 district, parking shall not exceed one parking space per 300 square feet of development or one space for each four seats within an establishment serving food and/or beverages or one seat for each four seats within the main congregational space of a place of worship as applicable.
D.
For nonresidential uses in the Ind-1 district, parking shall not exceed one parking space per 500 square feet or one space per peak hour employee, whichever is greater.