Lower Towamensing Township
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
ARTICLE IX
Streets; Off-Street Parking and Loading
§ 450-109 Design standards for off-street parking.
A.
General requirements.
(1)
No parking area shall be designed to require or encourage parked vehicles to back into a street in order to leave a parking space, except for a single-family or two-family dwelling with its access onto a street.
(2)
Every required parking space 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 vehicle, except for spaces serving a single-family, twin or townhouse dwelling.
(3)
Parking areas shall not be located within a required buffer yard.
(4)
Except for parking spaces immediately in front of individual dwellings, all areas for off-street parking, off-street loading and unloading and the storage or movement of motor vehicles shall be physically separated from the street by a continuous grass or landscaped planting strip, except for necessary and approved vehicle entrances and exits to the lot.
(5)
Each lot shall provide adequate area upon the lot to prevent backup of vehicles on a street while awaiting entry to the lot or while waiting for service at a drive-through facility.
(6)
All off-street parking/loading areas shall be set back at least 10 feet from all property/street right-of-way lines.
C.
Aisles. All aisles shall provide for two-way traffic to access parking stalls and shall have a width of 26 feet. Exception: Where controlled ingress/egress with clearly defined traffic patterns and sufficient and appropriate signage is proposed, one-way traffic is permitted with an aisle width of 16 feet. In this situation, angle/parallel parking is permitted.
D.
Access drives.
(1)
All access drives shall have a width of 26 feet for two-way use and a width of 16 feet for one-way use, unless a different standard is required by PennDOT for an entrance to a state road, or the applicant proves to the satisfaction of the Zoning Officer that a wider width is needed for tractor-trailer trucks.
(2)
Adequate provisions shall be made to maintain uninterrupted parallel drainage along a street at the point of access drive entry. The Township may require an applicant to install an appropriate type and size of pipe at a driveway crossing.
(3)
No access drive shall be located within 10 feet of a property line.
E.
Paving, grading, drainage and painting.
(1)
Parking and loading facilities, including access drives, shall be graded and adequately drained to prevent erosion or water flow across streets or adjoining properties.
(2)
Except for landscaped areas, all portions of required parking, loading facilities and driveways shall be surfaced with asphalt or concrete or paving block.
(a)
However, private residential parking areas serving one- or two-family dwellings may be surfaced with gravel.
(3)
All parking/loading spaces shall be delineated with white paint markings, with the exception of ADA spaces which shall be painted blue. Paint marking shall be maintained.
§ 450-110 General regulations for off-street parking and loading spaces.
A.
General. Parking spaces and access drives shall be laid out to result in safe and orderly use, and to fully take into account all of the following: vehicular access onto and off the site, vehicular movement within the site, loading areas, pedestrian patterns and any drive-through facilities. No parking area shall cause a safety hazard or impediment to traffic off the lot.
B.
Existing parking. Any parking spaces serving such preexisting structures or uses at the time of adoption of this chapter shall not in the future be reduced in number below the number required by this chapter.
C.
Change in use or expansion. A structure or use in existence at the effective date of this chapter that expands or changes in use of an existing principal building shall be required to provide all of the required parking for the entire size and type of the resulting use, except as follows:
(1)
If an existing lawful use includes less parking than would be required, then that deficit of parking shall be grandfathered for new uses. For example, if an existing store included three parking spaces and was required to provide seven spaces, there is a deficit of four spaces. Therefore, if that store is converted to an office that would need 10 spaces, the office would need to provide a total of six spaces (10 minus the preexisting deficit of four).
(2)
If a use expands by an aggregate total maximum of 10% in the applicable measurement (such as building floor area) beyond what existed at the time of adoption of this chapter, then no additional parking is required.
D.
Continuing obligation of parking and loading spaces. All required numbers of parking spaces and off-street loading spaces shall be available as long as the building or use which the spaces serve still exist. Such spaces shall not be reduced in number below the minimum required by this chapter. No required parking area or off-street loading spaces shall be used for any other use (such as storage or display of materials) that interferes with the area's availability for parking.
E.
Location of parking. Required off-street parking spaces shall be located on the same lot with the principal use served or on an abutting lot, subject to the following:
(1)
An agreement shall be provided between the owners of the lot and the abutting lot stating said parking is available for the duration of the use to which it applies.
(2)
The agreement shall include terms of use, including but not limited to maintenance of the parking lot.
(3)
This agreement shall be recorded to both property deeds. Proof of recording shall be supplied to the Zoning Officer prior to the issuance of any zoning/building permits.
§ 450-111 Submission and approval of parking and loading areas.
A.
When parking and loading areas are not part of a subdivision or land development plan submission, detailed scaled drawings for off-street parking and loading areas shall be submitted to the Zoning Officer for review and approval prior to their construction.
B.
Drawings shall provide detailed information on dimensions of spaces, access aisles, driveways, traffic circulation and other features required. The Zoning Officer may request the Township Engineer review and comment on the proposal.
§ 450-112 Number of parking spaces.
[Amended 6-1-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-2]
A.
Overall requirements.
(1)
Number of spaces. Each use that is newly developed, enlarged, significantly changed in type or increased in number of establishments shall provide and maintain off-street parking spaces in accordance with Table 450-112 and the regulations of this article.
(2)
Uses not listed. Uses not specifically listed in Table 450-112 shall comply with the requirements for the most similar use listed in Table 450-112, unless the applicant proves to the satisfaction of the Zoning Officer that an alternative standard should be used for that use.
(3)
Multiple uses. Where a proposed lot contains or includes more than one type of use, the number of parking spaces required shall be the sum of the parking requirements for each separate use.
(4)
Wherever the off-street parking requirements refer to "employee on the largest shift," this shall be interpreted to mean the total number of employees on location at any one time.
Table 450-112 Off-Street Parking Requirements | ||
|---|---|---|
Use | Number of Off-Street Parking Spaces Required | Plus 1 Off-Street Parking Space for Each: |
Residential Uses: | ||
Dwelling unit | 2 per dwelling unit, except 1 per conversion apartment that only includes 1 bedroom or is an efficiency unit | |
Home occupation | None | Nonresident employee on largest shift |
Housing permanently restricted to persons 55 years and older and/or the physically handicapped | 1 per dwelling/rental unit, except 0.5 per dwelling/rental unit if evidence is presented that the nonphysically handicapped persons will clearly primarily be over 70 years old | Nonresident employee on largest shift |
Boardinghouse | 1 per rental unit or bed for adult, whichever is greater | Nonresident employee on largest shift |
Group home | 2 per dwelling unit | Employee on largest shift |
Manufactured/mobile home park | 2 per dwelling unit | Dwelling unit to accommodate visitors |
Institutional Uses: | ||
Place of worship or church | 1 per 4 seats in room of largest capacity | Employee on largest shift |
Hospital | 1 per 2 beds | Employee on largest shift |
Nursing home | 1 per 6 beds | Employee on largest shift |
Personal care home | 1 per 4 beds | Employee on largest shift |
Day-care center | 1 per 10 children, plus 2 spaces designed for safe and convenient dropoff and pickup | Employee on largest shift |
School, primary or secondary | 1 per 4 students aged 16 or older | Employee on largest shift |
Utility facility | 1 per vehicle routinely needed to service facility | |
College, university or trade school | 1 per student not living on campus who attend class at peak times (plus required spaces for on-campus housing) | Employee on largest shift |
Library, community center or cultural center or museum | 1 per 4 seats or 1 per 250 square feet of floor area accessible to patrons and/or users if seats are not typically provided; whichever is greater | Employee on largest shift |
Treatment center | 1 per 2 residents aged 16 years or older plus 1 per nonresident intended to be treated on site at peak times | Nonresident employee |
Swimming pool, nonresidential | 1 per 40 square feet of water surface, other than wading pools | Employee on largest shift |
Commercial Uses: | ||
All commercial uses, as applicable, shall provide additional parking or storage needed for maximum number of vehicles stored, displayed or based at the lot at any point in time; these additional spaces are not required to meet the stall size and parking aisle width requirements of this chapter | ||
Auction houses or flea markets | 1 per 100 square foot of total floor and vendor area | Vendor and employee on largest shift |
Auto service station or repair garage | 5 per repair/service bay and 1/4 per fuel nozzle with such spaces separated from accessways to pumps | Employee on largest shift, plus any parking needed for a convenience store under "retail sales" |
Auto, boat, recreational vehicle or manufactured home sales | 1 per 15 vehicles, boats, RVs or homes displayed; 1 per 10 recreational vehicles/manufactured home sales | Employee on largest shift |
Bed-and-breakfast use | 1 per rental unit plus the 2 per dwelling unit | Nonresident employee |
Bowling alley | 2 per lane plus 2 per pool table | Employee on largest shift |
Car wash | 2 per washing lane or stall, which may be located in drying or vacuuming areas | Employee on largest shift |
Financial institution (includes bank) | 1 per 200 square feet of floor area accessible to customers, plus 3 convenient spaces for each automatic banking transaction machine | Employee on largest shift |
Funeral home | 1 per 5 seats in rooms intended to be in use at one time for visitors | Employee on largest shift |
Miniature golf | 2 per hole | Employee on largest shift |
Haircutting/hairstyling | 2 per customer seat used for haircutting, hairstyling, hair washing, manicuring or similar work | Employee on largest shift |
Hotel or motel | 1 per rental unit plus 1 per 4 seats in any meeting room (plus any required by any restaurant) | Employee on largest shift |
Laundromat | 1 per 3 washing machines | On-site employee |
Offices or clinic, medical or dental | 4 per practicing professional | Employee on largest shift |
Offices, other than above | 1 per 300 square feet of total floor area | Employee on largest shift |
Personal service use, other than haircutting/hairstyling | 1 per 200 square feet of floor area accessible to customers (minimum of 2 per establishment) | Employee on largest shift |
Indoor recreation (other than bowling alley), membership club or exercise club | 1 per 4 persons of maximum capacity of all facilities | Employee on largest shift |
Outdoor recreation (other than uses specifically listed in this table) | 1 per 3 persons of capacity (50% may be on grass overflow areas with major driveways in gravel) | Employee on largest shift |
Restaurant | 1 per 4 seats | Employee on largest shift |
Retail sales (other than types separately listed) | 1 per 200 square feet of floor area of rooms accessible to customers | Employee on largest shift |
Retail sales of only furniture, lumber, carpeting, bedding or floor covering | 1 per 400 square feet of floor area accessible to customers | Employee on largest shift |
Short-term rental | 1 per each bedroom | Anticipated day guest |
Tavern | 1 per 30 square feet of total floor area | Employee on largest shift |
Theater or auditorium | 1 per 4 seats, 1/2 of which may be met by convenient parking shared with other business uses on the same lot that are typically not routinely open beyond 9:30 p.m. | Employee on largest shift |
Trade/hobby school | 1 per 2 students on site during peak use | Employee on largest shift |
Veterinarian office | 5 per veterinarian | Employee on largest shift |
Industrial Uses: | ||
All industrial uses (including warehousing, distribution and manufacturing) | In addition to parking or storage needed for maximum number of vehicles stored, displayed or based at the lot at any point in time (which spaces are not required to meet the stall size and aisle width requirements of this chapter), 1 per employee on largest shift | 1 visitor space for every 10 managers on the site |
Self-storage development | 1 per 20 storage units | Employee on largest shift |
§ 450-113 Driveways.
A.
Driveway entrances or exits shall be located a minimum of 40 feet from the intersection of any street.
B.
No entrance or exit for a driveway serving single-family dwellings shall be less than 10 feet or more than 20 feet in width, excluding radii.
D.
Adequate provisions shall be made to maintain uninterrupted parallel drainage along a street at the point of access drive entry. The Township may require an applicant to install an appropriate type and size of pipe at a driveway crossing.
E.
Driveways shall be maintained so that materials of which the driveways are made will not wash or be deposited into streets.
F.
Driveways shall be paved with bituminous paving for a minimum distance of 50 feet from the edge of shoulder of the intersecting street. This surfacing must be completed within one year of installation of the driveway.
G.
Driveways shall be installed according to the following profile detail:
 |
§ 450-114 Fire lanes.
Fire lanes shall be provided where required by state or federal regulations. The specific locations of these lanes are subject to review by Township Fire Officials.
§ 450-115 Highway frontage development for nonresidential and nonagricultural uses.
A.
All areas for off-street parking, off-street unloading and loading, and the storage or movement of motor vehicles shall be physically separated from streets by a raised curb, planting strip, or other suitable barrier against unchanneled motor vehicle entrance or exit, except for access drives which supply entrance to and egress from such parking, loading or storage areas.
B.
In no case shall a use with less than 100 feet of frontage on a street have more than one access drive to each such street. No use with 100 feet or more of frontage shall have more than two access drives.
C.
The width, excluding radii, of entrance to and exits from parking areas, measured at the street line, shall conform to the following schedule:
Width in Feet | ||
|---|---|---|
Street Type | Minimum (feet) | Maximum (feet) |
One-way | 12 | 24 |
Two-way | 24 | 36 |
D.
The location and width of exit and entrance access drives shall be planned to interfere as little as possible with the flow of vehicular traffic on adjacent streets. Access drives shall not be located in such a manner that they will cause a hazard to the movement of normal highway traffic or cause areas of undue traffic congestion on the highway. The center line of an access drive to any street shall be located at least 80 feet from the intersection of any street lines, except in the case of a street intersecting the road which the driveway intersects directly opposite from the driveway.
§ 450-116 Off-street loading.
A.
Each use shall provide off-street loading facilities, which meet the requirements of this section, sufficient to accommodate the maximum demand generated by the use and the maximum size vehicle in a manner that will not routinely obstruct traffic on a street or off-street parking areas.
B.
At the time of review under this chapter and/or under Chapter 390, Subdivision and Land Development, the applicant shall provide evidence to the Zoning Officer on whether the use will have sufficient numbers and sizes of loading facilities. The Planning Commission may provide advice to the Zoning Officer on this matter as part of any plan review. For the purposes of this section, the words "loading" and "unloading" are used interchangeably.
C.
Each space and the needed maneuvering room shall not intrude into buffer and landscaped areas.
§ 450-117 Street right-of-way widths.
B.
For existing street right-of-way designations within the Township, see Appendix A, Street Widths.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Said appendix is included as an attachment to this chapter.
C.
If an approved/recorded subdivision and/or land development plan exists, the street right-of-way shown on that plan shall prevail.
D.
If no existing street right-of-way can be documented, it shall be assumed to be 33 feet.
§ 450-118 Usage limitations.
All off-street parking and loading areas shall be reserved and used for parking and loading only. No sales, dead storage, repair work, dismantling or servicing of any kind shall be permitted.
§ 450-119 Visibility at street/access point intersections.
See § 450-99, Visibility at street/access point intersections.