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Jackson Township Lebanon County
City Zoning Code

PART 15

OFF-STREET PARKING

§ 27-1501 Intent.

[Ord. 8, 4/3/1972, § 15.1; as amended by Ord. 6/4/1984, 6/4/1984, § 14.01]
The regulations concerning off-street parking are intended to insure that adequate, well-designed parking facilities are provided for all new, altered, or expanded buildings and uses. The general intent shall be to require off-street parking spaces, loading and unloading areas, driveways and accessways to (1) satisfy the minimum, standards contained within this Part and (2) be designed to prevent overcrowding and congestion and impairment of traffic circulation and access.

§ 27-1502 Definitions.

[Ord. 8, 4/3/1972, § 15.3; as amended by Ord. 6/4/1984, 6/4/1984, § 14.02]
For the purpose of determining accessory off-street parking requirements, definitions and standards shall be as follows:
FLOOR AREA
The total area of all the floors measured from the exterior faces of the structure or, where set forth in the schedule in § 27-1505, only the floor area used by a specific use.
PARKING SPACE
An open or enclosed area accessible from a street for parking of motor vehicles of owners, occupants, employees, customers, or tenants of the principal structure or use. Each parking space shall not be less than 10 feet wide and not less than 20 feet long, exclusive of all drives, curbs, and turning space.
SEAT
The number of seating units installed or indicated, or each 24 lineal inches of benches, pews, or space for loose chairs or similar seating facilities; spacing of rows shall be 30 inches on center.

§ 27-1503 Requirement for Off-Street Parking Facilities.

[Ord. 8, 4/3/1972; as amended by Ord. 6/4/1984, 6/4/1984, § 14.03]
Accessory off-street parking facilities, including access driveways and loading/unloading areas, shall be required in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter as a condition precedent to the occupancy of such building or use. Facilities shall be provided for the entire building or use as follows:
A. 
Whenever a structure is constructed or a new use established.
B. 
Whenever the use of an existing structure is changed to a use requiring more parking facilities.
C. 
Whenever an existing structure is altered or enlarged so as to increase the amount of parking spaces required under this Chapter.

§ 27-1504 General Standards.

[Ord. 8, 4/3/1972; as amended by Ord. 6/4/1984, 6/4/1984, § 14.04]
Off-street parking facilities shall satisfy the following general requirements:
A. 
Off-street parking areas shall have safe access to and from a street. However, no portion of any street or road right-of-way shall be utilized for off-street parking.
B. 
Off-street parking spaces shall be designed to prevent maneuvering necessary to park a vehicle from intersecting any street, road right-of-way, alley or sidewalk. Parking spaces shall also be designed so that vehicles may have access to and from spaces without moving another vehicle.
C. 
Off-street parking spaces shall be readily accessible to, and a reasonable distance from, the structures and uses served. Such spaces shall be on the same lot as the principal structure or use, except where otherwise permitted in accordance with § 27-1506.
D. 
All parking spaces shall be available to patrons, customers or visitors throughout the hours of operation of the structure or use for which the spaces are provided. Carnivals, displays, promotions or other events held on parking lots shall not utilize parking spaces required for customers. Adequate additional parking spaces shall be available for the supplemental use.
E. 
Parking spaces shall be improved and individually delineated in accordance with § 27-1509. Additionally, special purpose spaces and areas such as "handicapped" parking, "visitor only" parking, "limited time" parking, and fire and police spaces shall be clearly labeled.
F. 
Off-street parking requirements will be considered to be met only when actual spaces meeting the requirements of this Chapter are provided and improved in accordance with § 27-1509. Parking spaces may not thereafter be reduced below the minimum requirements as long as the principal structure or use remains, unless an equivalent number of spaces is provided for use in another approved location.
G. 
Unless otherwise specifically regulated, improved, hard surface off-street parking for all uses shall be limited to portions of the lot as follows:
(1) 
Parking shall not be permitted within 25 feet of any street or road right-of-way. However, provided the minimum of 25 feet is satisfied, up to 50% of the required front yard may be utilized for parking.
(2) 
Required side and rear yards may be utilized for parking provided:
(a) 
A minimum setback of 10 feet from the property line is maintained in all cases where more prohibitive regulations do no appear herein.
(b) 
Minimum setbacks of 40 feet in all Commercial Districts and 100 feet in the Industrial District are maintained in all yards abutting a Residential District boundary.
(3) 
Loading and unloading areas shall not be permitted in the required front yard.

§ 27-1505 Schedule of Required Off-Street Parking Spaces.

[Ord. 8, 4/3/1972; § 15.4; as amended by Ord. 4-1975, 12/15/1975, § 16; by Ord. 6/4/1984, 6/4/1984, § 14.05; and by Ord. No. 1-2018, 2/5/2018]
The minimum number of off-street parking spaces required for a specific use is listed in the following chart. Where appropriate when computing the number of required parking spaces, the Zoning Administrator may exclude floor area of structures (e.g., storage, employee lounge, bathroom) which do not bear any relationship to the parking needs of the use.
Building or Use
Parking Spaces Required
Institutional
1.
Civic and educational; primary and secondary school; library, places for public assembly
1 space for each employee, plus 1 space for each 6 seats in assembly rooms
2.
Governmental; Township building used for administrative functions
1 space for each 200 square feet of office floor area, plus 1 space for each 4 seats in assembly room
3.
Place of worship
1 space for each 3 seats in principal assembly rooms
4.
Welfare
Hospital
1 space per 2 beds, plus 1 space for each employee
Health Center
1 space per 150 square feet of floor area
Home for the aging; nursing home
1 space per each 4 guest rooms or apartment units, plus 1 space for each employee
Residential
5.
1- and 2-family dwellings
2 spaces per dwelling unit; must be off-street, but need not be improved with hard surface
6.
Multifamily residence (including townhouses and garden apartments)
2 spaces per dwelling unit
Home Occupation
7.
Home occupation
In addition to parking required for the residence, 2 spaces for any assistant; must be off-street, but need not be improved with hard surface
Commercial
8.
Medical and dental offices clinics, professional offices and banks
1 space per 150 square feet of floor area, plus 1 space for each doctor and dentist
9.
Other office
1 space per 200 square feet of ground floor area; 1 space per 300 square feet of floor areas of upper floors
10.
Motel, hotel
1 space per guest room or unit
11.
Mortuary
1 space per 30 square feet of assembly rooms, or 1 space for each 4 seats, whichever requires the greater number, but in no case less than 20 spaces
12.
Retail stores, banks, service establishments
1 space per 200 square feet of ground floor area; 1 space per 300 square feet of floor area of upper floors
13.
Eating places, bars, taverns
1 space per 50 square feet of floor area, or 1 space per 4 seats, whichever requires the greater number of spaces
14.
Club, lodge, or other assembly hall
1 space per 4 seats in the building
15.
Indoor theater
1 space per 4 seats in the building
16.
Dance hall, skating rink, swimming pool
1 space per 100 square feet of area used for dancing, skating, or swimming
17.
Carnivals, racetracks and other outdoor amusements or recreation uses
1 space for each 4 seats or 4 visitors at maximum capacity
18.
Bowling alley
6 spaces per bowling lane
19.
Service and storage establishments
1 space for every 2 employees on the combined employment of the 2 largest successive shifts
20.
Gas station, repair garage
1 space per employee plus 2 spaces per 200 square feet of floor area
21.
Auto body shop
1 space per employee plus 2 spaces per repair bay
21.1.
Self-storage facility
1 space per 250 square feet of office space, with a minimum of 3 spaces required regardless of size
Manufacturing
22.
Service and storage establishments, laboratories, manufacturing plants, and other uses permitted in a manufacturing district
1 space for every 2 employees on the largest shift
23.
Executive offices, sales offices and outlet stores
1 space per 200 square feet of executive and sales office floor area in addition to parking requirements for manufacturing area
Other Structures or Uses
24.
For a specific structure or use not scheduled, the Township Supervisors shall apply the unit of measurement of this schedule deemed to be most similar to the proposed structure or use.

§ 27-1506 Separate or Combined Use of Facilities.

[Ord. 8, 4/3/1972, § 15.5; as amended by Ord. 6/4/1984, 6/4/1984, § 14.06]
A structure containing one use shall provide the off-street parking spaces as required for the specific use. A structure or group of structures containing two or more uses, operating normally during the same hours, and which have different off-street parking requirements, shall provide spaces for not less than the sum of the spaces required for each use. Where the applicant can demonstrate that adequate off-street parking capacity is not feasible on the he same lot as the proposed nonresidential use or structure, the new use or structure may be permitted if the applicant.
A. 
Provides written authorization from an adjoining or nearby property owner to allow establishment and/or use of parking facilities meeting the requirements of this Part on that property.
B. 
Obtains authorization on said other property to establish and use parking facilities which will be a maximum of 600 feet from the use or building proposed by the applicant.

§ 27-1507 Access Drives to Parking Areas.

[Ord. 8, 4/3/1972, § 15.7; as amended by Ord. 6/4/1984, 6/4/1984, § 14.07; by Ord. 6-2014, 10/6/2014]
1. 
The location and width of entrance and exit driveways to paved, hard surface parking facilities shall be planned to interfere as little as possible with the use of nearby property and with pedestrian and vehicular traffic on the nearest streets. The center line of the access driveways on the frontage street shall be at least 80 feet from the right-of-way line of the nearest intersecting street, or any other driveway. Where there is more than one driveway to a parking area, the driveways, whenever possible, shall be limited to one-way travel either as an entrance to or exit from the parking area.
2. 
Entrances and exits shall be limited to three lanes. The width of such entrances and exits, measured at the street property line, shall conform with the following schedule:
Width
(feet)
Minimum
Maximum
One lane (local road)[1]
10
24
Two lanes
20
28
Three lanes
30
40
[1]
Editor’s Note: Arterial and collector roads, as identified in the Township’s Access Management Ordinance, shall be governed by the provisions contained in said ordinance, which is located in Chapter 22, Part 5, § 22-511.
3. 
In all cases, the radius of the edge of the driveway apron shall be at least 15 feet unless otherwise required by the Township's Access Management Ordinance located in Chapter 22, Part 5, § 22-511, so that a car entering or leaving may not obstruct the vehicles in other traffic lanes in the driveway or street.
4. 
Whenever parking spaces are opposite each other and separated by a driveway or isle, said area shall be a minimum of 24 feet in width.

§ 27-1508 Illumination of Parking and Loading Areas.

[Ord. 8, 4/3/1972, § 15.9; as amended by Ord. 6/4/1984, 6/4/1984, § 14.09]
Parking and loading areas shall be illuminated whenever necessary to protect the public safety. Such illumination shall be so designed and located that the light sources are shielded from adjoining residences and streets, and shall not be of excessive brightness or cause a glare hazardous to pedestrians or drivers.

§ 27-1509 Improvements to Parking and Loading Areas.

[Ord. 8, 4/3/1972, § 15.8; as amended by Ord. 6/4/1984, 6/4/1984, § 14.10]
All parking areas, loading areas, and access driveways, except for single and two-family dwellings, shall have an asphalt, concrete, or other similar hard surface, in accordance with ordinance requirements of the Township Supervisors. Improved hard surface off-street parking areas for three or more automobiles shall have individual spaces painted or marked. Surface water shall not be permitted to discharge over the public sidewalks or roadways or onto other premises. The maximum grade of the parking areas shall not exceed 2%. Appropriate bumper guards or curbs shall be provided in order to define parking spaces or limits of paved areas and to prevent vehicles from projecting into required yards. The Township Supervisors may require landscaping in accordance with Part 27 of this Chapter, loading area and a side or rear lot line of a residential use or district. All curbs and bumper guards shall be constructed in accordance with standards established by the Township Supervisors.

§ 27-1510 Approval of Parking and Loading Plans.

[Ord. 8, 4/3/1972, § 15.10; as amended by Ord. 6/4/1984, 6/4/1984, § 14.11]
Detailed scaled drawings of off-street parking and loading areas (except for single and two-family dwellings) shall be submitted to the Zoning Administrator for approval prior to their construction. The drawings shall show each space, dimensions of driveways, aisles, and other features required under the provisions of this Chapter.