Minimum parking requirements. In all districts except the CB and CB1 Districts, off-street parking spaces with adequate access to a public street or alley shall be required in accordance with the following table for any building or use which is hereafter erected, extended, changed in use, enlarged or increased in capacity. The numbers of required spaces listed below are the minimum number of spaces. Surface parking lots exceeding the minimum number shall be permitted, provided that parking lots meeting the threshold for required interior landscaping shall contain interior landscaped areas and trees as provided for in § 300-42F. The required minimum number of spaces shall be provided at no separate charge or fee specifically related to access and use of the parking to occupants, tenants, employees, patrons, customers or other users of the required parking spaces. When computing parking spaces based on floor area, areas within buildings used for parking are not counted as part of gross floor area. When the computation of any required off-street parking spaces results in a fractional space, any fraction up to 49.9% shall be disregarded, and fractions 50% and over shall be rounded up; provided, however, that in no case shall the computation result in less than one parking space.

Bicycle parking. In all districts, including the CB and CB1 Districts, bicycle parking facilities with access to a public street or alley shall be required in accordance with the following table for any building or use which is hereafter erected, expanded in gross floor area, or where there is a change in use. The numbers of required spaces listed below are the minimum number of spaces. When the computation of any required bicycle parking spaces results in a fractional space, any fraction up to 49.9% shall be disregarded, and fractions 50% and over shall be rounded up; provided, however, that in no case shall the computation result in less than one bicycle parking space.

Commercial storefronts. See § 300-11C, which may allow reduced parking for existing commercial storefronts in the R3, R4, C1 and C2 Districts.

All off-street parking facilities shall have a minimum parking space (stall) per vehicle dimension of 8 feet 6 inches by 18 feet, except that parking facilities containing in excess of 20 spaces may provide spaces for compact cars and/or motorcycles and scooters, provided that the number of compact car and motorcycle/scooter spaces shall not exceed 15% of the total number of spaces. Compact stall sizes shall be a minimum of 7 feet 6 inches by 15 feet, and motorcycle and scooter spaces shall be a minimum of 4 feet by 8 feet. Compact and motorcycle/scooter parking spaces shall be clearly marked with appropriate signage and markings. See Figure VIII-1.

Except in the case of single-family lots, parking facilities shall be designed so that each motor vehicle may proceed to and from the parking space provided for it without requiring the moving of any other motor vehicle, provided that the Zoning Hearing Board, by special exception, may permit stacking of vehicles (parking that involves moving of certain vehicles in order to move other vehicles) for nonresidential uses if the applicant proves that such parking will operate without hardship or delay for vehicle operators and without causing congestion on public streets.

All parking facilities hereafter constructed or existing parking facilities which are hereafter expanded or reconstructed shall conform to the minimum standards of the City of Lancaster Parking Lot Ordinance, Chapter 202 of the Code of the City of Lancaster, including the requirement for paved surfaces.

All entrance and exit drives requiring a City of Lancaster driveway permit must be approved by the City Engineer and, where appropriate, by the City of Lancaster Traffic Commission and/or the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

Perimeter landscaping shall be provided along the edge of a parking lot where the parking lot is visible from a public street or alley and/or residential property and may be located in the required yard setback. Perimeter landscaping shall be a minimum five feet in width, shall consist of shrubbery at least two feet in height, and shall be maintained at a height no greater than that allowed in § 300-25. Where the length of the landscaping area exceeds 25 feet, deciduous trees shall be planted at intervals of 25 feet, except that parking lots of 40 or more spaces meeting the interior landscaping provision of Subsection F shall be required to provide deciduous trees at fifty-foot intervals in the perimeter landscaping area. Such trees shall be planted and maintained in accordance with Chapter 273, Trees, of the Code of the City of Lancaster, as amended. Perimeter planting shall conform with § 300-24, Visibility at intersections.

Interior landscaping, consisting of landscaped areas and interior planting of deciduous trees, shall be provided in parking lots (excluding garages) containing 40 or more spaces. (See Figure VIII-2.) Landscaped areas shall encompass at least 5% of the parking lot. For the purpose of computing total parking lot area, only the areas used for parking stalls and access aisles along parking stalls shall be included. Not included in the parking lot area calculation are service roads, loading/unloading areas, and perimeter landscape areas. Landscaping shall be designed to break up the broad expanse of pavement and guide the circulation of vehicles and pedestrians. Landscape islands shall be provided at the end of rows. Landscaped areas shall be a minimum of five feet in width, excluding curbing, and shall include tree wells, landscaping and grass areas, but exclude the perimeter landscape area. The numbers of interior trees that shall be planted are as follows:

At the time of planting, all trees shall have a minimum trunk diameter of two inches, as measured four feet from the ground. A tree well of at least five feet by five feet shall be provided. The species of trees to be planted shall be acceptable to the City Arborist or to a certified licensed landscape professional designated by the City to review landscape plans.

Bumper protection, when necessary, shall be provided for all trees, shrubs, fences, and walls. Protection may include secure and durable curbing, wheel stops, bollards or guide rails, as shown in Figure VIII-3.

A 10-foot sight triangle measured 10 feet along the property line and intersecting driveway edge, with a third line forming the triangle, shall be established, within which nothing shall be erected, placed, planted, or allowed to grow in such a manner as to block vision between a height of 3 feet and 10 feet above the ground; however, deciduous trees may be planted, provided only the trunk (no limbs/leaves except during the early growing years) is within the sight triangle and the trunk does not obstruct vehicular visibility. Planting at intersections shall comply with § 300-24, Visibility at intersections.

Parking lots shall be designed to allow for the safe flow of vehicles and pedestrians, with traffic control measures at the intersections of drive lanes and at intersections with pedestrian crossings, and with design features to facilitate pedestrian access to entrances of structures by providing delineated walkways through the use of materials, pavement markings, signage, or other appropriate means when pedestrians must cross travel aisles to reach entrances.

Access to parking facilities within all districts shall include proper aisle, alley or street width to accommodate vehicular turning movements as identified on Table 1 and Figure VIII-4, which contain minimum standards.

All parking facilities for multifamily dwellings and nonresidential uses shall include handicapped-accessible spaces in accordance with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).[1] If any of the standards below are inconsistent with the ADA, as amended, the current ADA standards shall be applicable.

Any parking structure shall be regulated as a "building" for the purposes of this chapter and in determining whether land development approval is needed.

Parking in nonresidential districts. In nonresidential districts, all parking spaces shall be located back of the front, secondary front, and side yard setback lines as now or hereafter established for the district in which such parking spaces are located, except that parking lots may have a ten-foot front yard and five-foot secondary front and side yard setback in districts with greater setback requirements, unless specifically prohibited elsewhere in this chapter.

Parking in Historic Resource Overlay District. In the Historic Resource Overlay District, a certificate of zoning compliance for parking facilities shall be issued only if the following conditions are met:

Residential district parking location and design. In residential districts, except R1, parking must be in the rear yard and/or building area to the rear or side of the building. Parking spaces shall be improved with materials capable of supporting the weight of parked vehicles and designed in accordance with the City of Lancaster Stormwater Management Ordinance.[2] The use of stone or gravel for residential parking spaces and driveways is not permitted. Access for on-site parking shall be from the rear lot line of the property or from the secondary front yard or side yard, in the case of corner lots, provided that the driveway does not eliminate any on-street parking. Minimum access shall consist of a ten-foot-wide public, common, or private right-of-way improved with surface materials capable of supporting the weight of vehicles, but excluding stone or gravel, except that existing stoned rights-of-way in a mud-free or otherwise permanently passable condition may continue to provide access to on-site parking. In all residential districts, including R1, the edge of any parking space and associated driveway shall be located a minimum three feet from any side lot line.

Parking location alternatives.

Reduction of residential district parking. In residential districts where parking cannot be provided in accordance with Subsections C and D for single-family lots or for lots with an existing single-family dwelling where a second residential unit is proposed in a separate building as per § 300-28A, the applicant may file for a special exception to reduce or waive the number of required off-street parking spaces and shall provide a parking study in order to prove that the granting of the special exception will not adversely affect parking availability in the immediate neighborhood. The person who conducted the parking study shall be present at the special exception hearing to testify that the study is accurate. The Zoning Hearing Board, in making its determination, shall consider, in addition to the parking study provided by the applicant, any projects, developments or other factors which may have an impact on future availability of on-street parking in the immediate neighborhood. The study shall include the following information:

Off-site nonresidential parking. Required parking spaces shall be provided on the lot where the principal use is located, except that by special exception of the Zoning Hearing Board, all or part of the required number of spaces for nonresidential uses may be provided on a separate lot or lots within 600 feet, walking distance, from the pedestrian entrance to the structure containing the use, subject to the condition that the applicant produces evidence of ownership of the off-premises parking location or a minimum one-year lease with the tenant having the unconditional option to renew (with the exception of a condition for rent adjustment) for a minimum five years. Should this off-site parking no longer be available for the principal use, the owner of the principal use shall lease the required number of off-street parking elsewhere, subject to the distance and conditions stated above and shall provide evidence of the new leased parking to the Zoning Officer prior to the expiration of the current parking lease. If this replacement parking is not provided, the owner of the principal building shall apply to the Zoning Hearing Board for a variance. In all cases, the area of the separate lot shall not be considered as a portion of the lot area on which the maximum permitted lot coverage, as specified in Article VI, is calculated.

Off-site multifamily parking. Required parking spaces shall be provided on the lot where the principal use is located, except that all or part of the required number of spaces for new multifamily dwelling buildings may be provided by right on a separate lot or lots within 600 feet, walking distance, from the pedestrian entrance to the structure containing the use, subject to the condition that the applicant produces evidence of common ownership of the off-premises parking location and certifies, in writing, to the Zoning Officer that the required parking shall be provided at no separate charge or fee specifically related to access and use of the parking to the occupants of the dwellings for the life of the multifamily dwellings. If the owner of the principal use ceases to own the off-site parking or if the off-site parking will be located on a lot not owned by the owner of the principal use, the required parking spaces, subject to special exception approval of the Zoning Hearing Board, may be provided in accordance with the lease stipulations in Subsection F above. In all cases, the area of the separate lot shall not be considered as a portion of the lot area on which the maximum permitted lot coverage, as specified in Article VI, is calculated.

It shall be unlawful for an owner of any property affected by this chapter to discontinue, change or dispense with, or to cause or allow the discontinuance, change or dispensation, of required vehicle parking or loading spaces without establishing alternative parking or loading facilities which meet the requirements of and are in compliance with this chapter.

Whenever a Zoning Hearing Board approval or a certificate of zoning compliance has been granted and the plans so approved contain off-street parking and loading provisions, the subsequent use of such property shall be deemed to be conditional upon the availability of the parking and loading space provisions contained in such plans.

Should any use of a property be expanded so as to increase the number of off-street parking or loading spaces required under this article or by Zoning Hearing Board decision, it shall be unlawful and a violation of this article to begin or maintain such expanded use until such increased off-street parking and/or loading spaces are provided in a manner in compliance with this chapter and an amended certificate of zoning compliance is obtained from the Zoning Officer.

Where the occupancy of a multifamily building is limited to a special group, such as persons age 62 or older or disabled persons, not normally requiring off-street parking to the extent of other uses, such building shall be exempted from the regular number of required parking spaces in this article; provided, however, that in no instance shall less than one off-street space be provided for each four units in such building.

When a use is expanded in size or when a change of use occurs requiring a greater number of off-street parking and/or loading/unloading facilities than the existing use, the owner and/or occupant shall be required to provide only that number of additional off-street parking and/or loading or unloading facilities required by the new use or the expanded portion of the existing use; provided, however, no existing off-street parking and/or loading/unloading facilities shall be eliminated unless all applicable off-street parking and loading requirements are met.

Purposes. In order to facilitate appropriate nonresidential development, the Zoning Hearing Board may approve by special exception adjustments in the required number of parking spaces or modifications in the parking lot dimension and landscaping standards if an applicant provides specific proof that such reductions or modifications are justified. This section is intended to allow for reasonable reuse of underutilized lots, existing building space and existing small infill lots in a manner that ensures that new shortages of parking in neighborhoods will not be created.

Reduction in the number of parking spaces. As a special exception, the Zoning Hearing Board may approve a reduction in the number of required off-street parking spaces for nonresidential uses only if the applicant submits written documentation in the form of a parking study pursuant to § 300-44E or other acceptable form of written documentation, including, but not limited to, where applicable, total number of spaces to be provided, maximum number of employees on duty at any given time, number of employees for which bus transit or car/van pooling will be provided, estimated number of customers/clients/participants/etc., driving to the site daily, and other pertinent data, and proves to the satisfaction of the Zoning Hearing Board that one or more of the following conditions will exist:

Modification of parking lot dimensions and landscaping requirements. As a special exception, the Zoning Hearing Board may approve modifications of the parking lot dimension and landscaping requirements contained in § 300-42 for residential and nonresidential uses, provided that the applicant proves to the satisfaction of the Zoning Hearing Board that the proposed design and landscaping will be superior to the design that would result from the strict adherence to the standards and that the landscaping design has been reviewed and found to be acceptable by the City Arborist. If the modification shall impact required trees, the applicant shall submit the application to the Shade Tree Commission (STC) for review and recommendation prior to the Zoning Hearing Board hearing and shall bring the STC recommendation to the hearing.