Lower Gwynedd Township
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
CHAPTER 1294
Off-Street Parking and Loading
§ 1294.01 Required off-street parking facilities.
[Ord. 223. Passed 12-10-1985; Ord. 252. Passed 2-16-1988; amended 5-28-2019 by Ord. No. 523; 12-9-2025 by Ord. No. 552]
Any building or other structure erected or used, and any lot used or occupied in any district in which the following uses exist or are permitted, shall be provided with minimum off-street parking spaces as set forth in this section, together with separate loading space, if applicable, and shall be provided with adequate passageways, driveways or other means of vehicular circulation and access to and from a street or way.
(a)
For a dwelling, two all-weather parking spaces per family are required, provided that for multifamily dwellings and townhouse dwellings, such spaces shall be paved in accordance with the Subdivision Regulations.
(b)
For any of the following uses, the required spaces shall be paved and curbed:
(1)
Church, school, public auditorium, conference center, assembly or meeting room, or other similar place for public or semi-public assembly. One space for every three seats provided for assembly;
(2)
Stadium or theater. One space for every three seats;
(3)
Hospital or convalescent home. One space for every three beds, plus one space for every employee on the two largest shifts;
(4)
Community center or library. One space for every 500 square feet of floor space in public use;
(5)
Institutional home. One space for every three occupants, plus one space for every employee on the two largest shifts;
(6)
Retail store or shop.
A.
An individual establishment which is not a large drugstore, department store or supermarket, and which is not in a group of other stores shall have one space for every 100 square feet of sales area.
B.
A combination of not more than three of such establishments served by common off-street parking space shall have parking spaces as follows:
(7)
Shopping center. For four or more retail establishments using common off-street parking space: five and one-half spaces for every 1,000 square feet of sales area;
(8)
Department store, supermarket or large drugstore selling a variety of merchandise, as an individual establishment and not as part of a combination of other stores or shopping centers. One parking space for every 250 square feet of sales area;
(9)
Hotel or motel. One space for every rental unit, plus one space for every employee on the two largest shifts, plus one space for every three seats in the meetings. Parking for dining rooms shall be as set forth in Paragraph (b)(11) below;
(10)
Office building. One space for every 250 square feet of office rental space, excluding halls and lavatories in common usage, shafts, elevators, stairs and utility rooms;
(11)
Restaurant, cafe, diner or tearoom. Two parking spaces for every 50 square feet of floor space devoted to patron use;
(12)
Laboratory or industrial establishment. One parking space for every employee on the two largest shifts, but not less than one parking space for every 1,000 square feet of floor area; and
(13)
Other commercial buildings. One parking space for every 1,000 square feet of floor area or fraction thereof, except when otherwise authorized as a special exception consistent with the requirements of this section for comparable establishments.
(14)
Gasoline service station or public garage. One parking space for every employee on the two largest shifts and six spaces per service bay.
(15)
Gasoline service station with accessory convenience store. One parking space for every employee on the two largest shifts, six spaces per service bay, and one space for every 100 square feet of floor area.
(16)
Automobile sales agency. One parking space for every employee on the two largest shifts and two spaces for every 500 square feet of showroom area and six spaces per service bay.
(17)
Self-storage facility. One parking space for each 10,000 square feet of gross floor area.
§ 1294.02 Location; combination of facilities.
[Ord. 223. Passed 12-10-1985]
Off-street parking for uses listed under Section 1294.01 shall be located on the same lot as the use to which it refers, provided that two or more establishments in any commercial district may combine their off-street parking areas, and, where five or more establishments are so combined, the total of such combined spaces may be reduced in number by 10%, the requirements of Section 1294.01 to the contrary notwithstanding.
§ 1294.03 Ingress and egress.
[Ord. 223. Passed 12-10-1985]
Off-street parking areas shall be so designed and so located that:
(a)
No vehicle is required to back out directly onto a nonresidential street.
(b)
For single-family detached dwellings and single-family semidetached dwellings on a corner lot, the driveways shall be located as far away from the street intersection as possible and shall enter onto the lower classification street.
(c)
Driveways for nonresidential uses shall be located not less than 30 feet from a street intersection, measuring from the near side of the driveway to the near curb line of such street.
§ 1294.04 Required off-street loading and unloading facilities.
[Ord. 223. Passed 12-10-1985]
In addition to required off-street parking spaces, every use permitted in this Zoning Code shall be provided with off-street loading and unloading space, which space, except for single-family detached, single-family semidetached and townhouse dwellings, shall be completely separate and distinct from the required off-street parking spaces.
§ 1294.05 Reduction of facilities.
[Ord. 223. Passed 12-10-1985]
Facilities for off-street parking and off-street loading and unloading existing on the effective date of Ordinance 1A, passed August 4, 1941, shall not subsequently be reduced to an amount less than that required in this chapter. Such facilities provided to comply with this chapter shall not subsequently be reduced below the requirements of this chapter.
§ 1294.06 Construction standards.
[Ord. 223. Passed 12-10-1985]
(a)
Facilities required under this chapter shall be constructed in accordance with the standards set forth in the Subdivision Regulations, with respect to size, arrangement, construction specifications, layout, drainage and provisions for the handicapped.
(b)
Enclosed facilities shall conform to the standards set forth in the Building and Housing Code.
(c)
Where a contradiction arises in the application of such standards, the most stringent requirement shall govern.
§ 1294.07 Reserve areas.
[Ord. 223. Passed 12-10-1985]
The Board of Supervisors may approve as a conditional use the placing of open space in reserve for use as future parking areas. Under such conditions, the applicant may construct reduced parking facilities in accordance with his or her demonstrated needs, provided that space is reserved for the construction of the parking facilities necessary to satisfy the requirements of this Zoning Code.