(a)

In connection with any building or structure which is to be erected or substantially altered, and which requires the receipt or distribution of materials or merchandise by trucks or similar vehicles, there shall be provided off-street loading berths not less than the minimum requirements specified below:

(1)

All required loading berths shall be located on the same lot as the use to be served and no portion of the vehicles shall project into a street or alley. In the M1 district, no loading berth for vehicles of more than two-ton capacity shall be located less than fifty (50) feet from any residential district. No permitted or required loading berth shall be located within twenty-five (25) feet of the nearest point of intersection of any two (2) streets, nor shall it be located in a required front yard or side yard.

(2)

A required off-street loading berth shall be at least ten (10) feet in width by at least fifty (50) feet in length, exclusive of aisle and maneuvering space, and shall have vertical clearance of at least fourteen (14) feet.

(3)

Each required off-street loading berth shall be designed with appropriate means of vehicular access to a street or alley in a manner which will least interfere with traffic movements, and shall be subject to approval of the community development director of the Town of Merrillville.

(4)

All open off-street loading berths shall be improved with a compacted hot asphalt concrete base designed in accordance with the bearing capacity of the native soil, surfaced with not less than two (2) inches of asphalt concrete or some comparable all-weather, dustless material design to be approved by the town engineer.

(5)

No storage of any kind nor motor vehicle repair work or service of any kind shall be permitted within any required loading berth.

(6)

Space allowed to any off-street loading berth shall not, while so allocated, be used to satisfy the space requirements for any off-street parking facilities or portions thereof.

(7)

For the uses here listed, loading berths shall be provided as specified:

a.

Auditorium; banks, business and professional offices of public administration buildings; bowling alleys; hospitals, schools, colleges, sanitariums, and other similar institutional uses; and hotels or private clubs and lodges. For such a building containing ten thousand (10,000) to one hundred thousand (100,000) square feet of floor area or fraction thereof in such a building, one loading berth. For each additional one hundred thousand (100,000) square feet of floor area or fraction thereof in such a building, one additional loading berth.

b.

Manufacturing, fabricating, assembly, disassembly, warehousing, storing, cleaning, servicing, testing, and repairing establishments. For such a building containing five thousand (5,000) to forty thousand (40,000) square feet of floor area, one loading berth. For such a building containing forty thousand (40,000) to one hundred thousand (100,000) square feet of floor area, two (2) loading berths plus one additional loading berth for each additional one hundred thousand (100,000) square feet of floor area or fraction thereof.

c.

Retail stores, furniture and appliance stores, food sales and service, automobile service, household equipment and furniture stores, repair shops, wholesale stores, and establishments handling the sale and consumption of food on the premises. Loading berths in accordance with the following schedule:

For each additional one hundred thousand (100,000) square feet of floor area or fraction thereof in such a building, one additional loading berth.

d.

Amusement establishments. For such a building containing eight thousand (8,000) to twenty-five thousand (25,000) square feet of floor area, one loading berth. For each additional fifty thousand (50,000) square feet of floor area or fraction thereof, one additional loading berth.

e.

Other uses. Off-street loading berths shall be provided in accordance with requirements determined by the community development director based upon requirements heretofore set forth for the most similar cases.

(Ord. No. 02-03, § 1, 2-12-02; Ord. No. 06-18, § 4, 7-11-06)

(a)

Definitions.

Commercial vehicle is defined as any self-propelled or towed vehicle or other vessel used for the storage and/or transportation of goods or paying passengers, and shall include but not be limited to a semi tractor, semi-trailer, cargo trailer, utility trailer, hitch trailer.

Dumpster is defined as a large trash receptacle or other container designed to be hoisted and emptied into a truck or other vehicle.

Flexible parking structure or facility is defined as any garage or other enclosed facility comprised of fabric or textile material and designed for the storage of motorized vehicles, off-road vehicles and/or machinery as defined in section 12-91.

Storage container is defined as a reusable container which is designed to house and maintain residential or commercial materials or products.

(b)

Off-street parking space or parking structure or facility in connection with existing buildings or structures on the effective date of this chapter shall not be removed, enlarged, or altered except in conformance with the requirements of this chapter. In connection with any building or structure which is to be erected or substantially altered, and which requires off-street parking spaces, there shall be provided such off-street parking space in accordance with the regulations set forth hereinafter.

(1)

Except as may otherwise be provided for the parking of trucks or for special exception uses, required accessory off-street parking facilities, required as accessory to uses listed herein, shall be solely for the parking of passenger vehicles of patrons, occupants or employees.

(2)

Parking spaces shall be located on the same lot as the use served except uses other than single or two-family dwellings which are in existence on the effective date of this chapter, and which are subsequently altered or enlarged; and new uses in the C2 and C3 commercial districts and M1 light industrial district may be served in accordance with requirements of this chapter by parking facilities located on land other than the lot on which the building or use served is located; provided such facilities are located within three hundred (300) feet walking distance from the main entrance to the use served.

(3)

Determination of the number of off-street parking spaces required by this chapter results in a requirement of a fractional space, any fraction of one-half (1/2) or less may be disregarded; while a fraction in excess of one-half (1/2) shall be counted as one parking space.

(4)

Off-street parking facilities for separate uses may be provided collectively if the total number of spaces so provided is not less than the sum of the separate requirements of each such use; and if all regulations governing the location of accessory parking spaces in relation to the use served are observed. But no parking space, or portion thereof, shall serve as the required space for more than one use unless otherwise authorized in accordance with this chapter.

(5)

No motor-vehicle repair work of any kind shall be permitted in parking lots.

(6)

A required off-street parking space shall be at least nine (9) feet in width and at least nineteen (19) feet in length, exclusive of access drives, aisles, ramps, columns, and office or work area. Such space shall have vertical clearance of at least seven (7) feet.

(7)

Each required off-street parking space shall open directly upon a parking lot aisle or a driveway of such width and design as to provide safe and efficient means of vehicular access to such parking space. Each aisle or driveway shall have a minimum width as shown in section 21-243 (Figure 18).

All off-street parking facilities shall be provided with appropriate means of vehicular access to a street, alley, or driveway in a manner which will least interfere with traffic movements. All parking area regardless of spaces shall have vehicular access to it over a street, alley, or driveway containing all-weather, hard-surfaced pavement and the location and route of access to such a parking area shall be identified. No driveway approach area within the public street right-of-way shall have a width exceeding twenty-four (24) feet exclusive of curb returns except that at the discretion of the community development director, the width may be increased to thirty-six (36) feet to accommodate truck traffic. An improvement location permit shall be obtained prior to construction, reconstruction or removal of a driveway approach within the public street right-of- way.

(8)

Off-street parking spaces may be located in any yard provided they conform to subsection (b)(14) and (15) of section 21-12 of this Code, meet all screening and buffer yard requirements, and comply with the following provisions:

a.

Areas and access drives must be paved, except for agricultural uses and single-family uses on five (5) or more acres which must only pave driveways between a location twenty-five (25) feet from the street right-of-way and the public pavement within the public street right-of-way;

b.

Cement wheel stops or concrete curbing must be provided along the perimeter of the parking area;

c.

All maintenance and snow removal must be the responsibility of the owner;

d.

Access to parking spaces must be obtained through ramps or aisles and not over the curbing or provided parkway (see section 21-21);

e.

The owner is responsible for the replacement of parking area paving, necessitated by the town's repair of underground facilities.

(9)

All open automobile parking areas containing more than four (4) parking spaces, except for those on single-family residential lots, shall be effectively screened on each side adjoining or fronting on any residential or any institutional property by a wall or fence not less than six (6) feet high, or more titan eight (8) feet high, or a densely planted compact hedge not less than five (5) feet in height; and cement wheel stops shall be placed not nearer than ten (10) feet from the front line or from side lot lines. Also, where parking areas adjoin a public street, a planted buffer, at least ten (10) feet wide, shall be provided between the parking areas and the adjoining street right-of-way line. (See Figure 7.) Other planted buffers shall be provided in conformance with the yard requirements of the applicable zoning district.

(10)

All open automobile parking areas containing more than four (4) parking spaces shall be effectively screened on each side adjoining or fronting on any residential or any institutional property by a wall or fence not less than six (6) feet high, or a densely-planted, compact hedge not less than five (5) feet in height; and cement wheel stops shall be placed not nearer than ten (10) feet from the front line or from side lot lines. (See Figures 15, 16 and 17.)

(11)

A system of light fixtures shall be installed to provide an adequate standard of illumination over the entire parking lot during business hours and minimum-security illumination during nonbusiness hours. All lighting shall meet requirements of the town engineer and section 21-20.

a.

Detailed drawings are to be submitted with respect to lighting of all parking areas containing eight (8) or more spaces. Said drawings shall be submitted at the time application is made for a building permit in R3, R4 and R5 zoning districts. If a parking area containing less than eight (8) spaces, when added to a contiguous area of parking which would result in a total parking area of more than eight (8) spaces, said drawings shall be required.

b.

Said drawings shall show location of light supports (which may be affixed directly to the building), direction of light beams, heights, and number of lights.

c.

Parking lots in R3, R4 and R5 districts shall be illuminated from sunset to sunrise and shall be triggered with photoelectric cells or other automatic means as approved by the community development director.

(12)

Barrier free parking shall be provided and marked in accordance with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and may be increased by the plan commission for uses where the expected number of physically disabled would be more than required (e.g. hospitals, halls, churches, etc.).

(13)

No flexible parking structure or facility shall be constructed or otherwise situated within a residential zone.

In residential zoning districts, the parking of commercial vehicles (over six thousand (6,000) pounds) or commercial equipment on public streets is prohibited. Commercial vehicles or commercial equipment (such as bobcats, backhoes, etc.) may be parked in a private driveway only for the time necessary to complete work or construction at the residence, but shall not exceed seventy-two (72) hours.

Storage containers shall not be situated or maintained on any public street or place or business without the permit required by this section, but may be stored or located in a private driveway upon a hard-surfaced pavement per section 21-172(a)(7) of this chapter, for a period necessary to accommodate work or construction at an adjacent residence, but shall not exceed thirty (30) days, which period of time may be extended in accordance with a permit granted pursuant to the provisions of this section.

Dumpsters shall not be stored or placed on any public street, but may be stored or located in a private driveway upon a hard-surfaced pavement per section 21-172(a)(7) of this chapter, for a period necessary to accommodate work or construction at an adjacent residence, but shall not exceed fourteen (14) days, which period of time may be extended in accordance with a permit granted pursuant to the provisions of this section.

No semi-trailer, cargo trailer, storage box, dumpster or any other container in excess of eighteen (18) square feet shall be utilized for storage in any residential zone.

Commercial vehicles are prohibited from parking upon any public street or private driveway in a residential zone. The parking of vehicles or vehicles with equipment on a public street for the performance of a service on the adjacent property is allowed, but for only a reasonable time to complete the service. Trailers, boats, campers, recreational vehicles, or similar vehicles must be stored in a structure or location other than the front yard or driveway between the dates of October 31 and the following March 31. Trailers, boats, campers, recreational vehicles, or similar vehicles shall not be parked or stored on any public street, and must be parked, stored or located upon a hard-surfaced pavement per section 21-172(a)(7) of this chapter.

(13)

Off-street parking spaces accessory to designated uses shall be provided as follows:

a.

Single-family dwellings. At least two (2) parking spaces for each dwelling.

b.

Two-family dwellings. At least two (2) parking spaces for each dwelling unit

c.

Multiple family dwellings. At least two (2) parking spaces for each dwelling unit.

d.

Motels, hotels and apartment hotels. At least one space per employee, but no less than five (5) spaces of employee parking, plus one for each separate lodging room.

e.

Boarding and lodging houses (bed and breakfast). One parking space for each person for whom living accommodations are provided plus two (2) additional parking spaces for owner/operator.

f.

Private clubs and lodges. One parking space for each two (2) seats supplied throughout facility plus two (2) additional parking spaces per employee or officer.

g.

Schools, adult, business or trade. At least one space per instructor and employee, plus one for each student.

h.

Schools, elementary or junior high, public or private. Three (3) parking spaces per classroom.

i.

Schools, high, public or private. At least one parking space of design capacity for each four (4) students, plus one for every employee in facility.

j.

Churches. At least one parking space for each two and one-half (2½) seats of seating capacity in main auditorium or congregational room.

k.

School and institutional auditoriums. At least one parking space for each two (2) persons employed on the premises, and an additional parking space for each five (5) seats, or for each one hundred (100) inches of seating space in the main auditorium or assembly hall.

l.

Theaters. At least one parking space for each two (2) seats in the theater.

m.

Hospitals. At least one parking space for each two (2) hospital beds, plus one parking space for each three (3) employees, other than doctors, plus one parking space for each two (2) doctors assigned to the staff.

n.

Libraries and museums. At least one parking space for each one thousand (1,000) square feet of the floor area.

o.

Recreational buildings or community centers. At least one parking space shall be provided for each three (3) employees, plus one space for each three hundred (300) square feet of floor area in building.

p.

Medical and dental offices and clinics. At least three (3) parking spaces for each examining or treatment room, plus one for each doctor and employee in the building.

q.

Public utility and public service uses. At least one parking space for each three (3) employees, plus spaces in adequate number as determined by the community development director to serve the visiting public.

r.

Establishments handling the sale and consumption on the premises of food and refreshment. At least one parking space for every seventy-five (75) square feet of floor area or one parking space for every two (2) seats of seating capacity, whichever standard results in the higher requirement. In addition, there shall be provided one parking space for every employee during the major shift operation.

s.

Bowling alleys. At least six (6) parking spaces for each alley which includes affiliated uses, such as restaurants, bars, etc.

t.

Banks, savings and loans, and financial institutions. At least one parking space for each three hundred (300) square feet of floor area.

u.

Business and professional offices or public administration buildings exclusive of medical or dental offices. At least one parking space per each two hundred (200) square feet of floor area for business offices; and at least one parking space per each four hundred (400) square feet of floor area for professional offices or public administration buildings.

v.

Automobile service business. At least one parking space for each employee, plus two (2) for each service stall.

w.

Furniture and appliance stores, motor vehicle sales, wholesale stores, store for repair of household equipment or furniture. At least one parking space for each six hundred (600) square feet of floor area.

x.

Undertaking establishments and funeral parlors. At least one parking space per fifty (50) square feet of floor area, plus one parking space for each funeral vehicle maintained on the premises.

y.

Retail stores. At least one parking space for each two hundred (200) square feet of floor area.

z.

Manufacturing, fabricating, and processing plants not engaged in retail trade. At least one parking space for each two (2) employees.

aa.

Warehouse and storage establishments and freight terminals. At least one parking space for each two (2) employees or two thousand (2,000) square feet of floor area, whichever is the greater number of spaces.

bb.

Other uses. Parking spaces on the same basis as required herein for the most similar use determined by the community development director.

cc.

Outdoor amusement establishments such as golf driving range, miniature golf courses, par 3 golf courses, kiddie parks and other similar amusement centers. At least one parking space per: Golf hole, putting hole, driving range station, batting cage and one per five hundred (500) square feet of open public space, i.e., porches, decks, verandas, midways, common areas. Additionally, if amusement rides and booths are provided, there shall be three (3) spaces per ride; two (2) spaces per game booth if applicable, and one space per five hundred (500) square feet of open public space, i.e., midways, etc., plus one space per each employee per shift.

dd.

Intermediate day care center. At least one space per adult supervising children at facility, and one space per five (5) children.

ee.

Large day care center. At least one space per adult supervising children at facility, and one space per each staff nurse, doctor or other technician and one space per five (5) children.

Employee parking calculations shall be determined by the maximum number of employees working during the major shift operation.

Drive-up establishments, i.e. restaurant drive thru, bank, cars wash, requires stacking for five (5) vehicles.

(c)

Permit process. An applicant for the permit required by this section shall execute an application form at the office of the clerk-treasurer at least thirty (30) days prior to placement of any donation box, storage container or dumpster within the town. Such application form shall contain the information found to be necessary by the clerk-treasurer in order to issue a permit, including liability insurance.

(Ord. No. 02-03, § 1, 2-12-02; Ord. No. 06-17, § 1, 7-11-06; Ord. No. 06-18, § 4, 7-11-06; Ord. No. 10-53, § 1, 11-9-10; Ord. No. 24-10, § 1, 4-23-24)

(a)

Purpose and intent. By adopting this section, the town council has adopted standards that will enhance addressing procedures within the town. The objective of these addressing procedures is to ensure that all citizens receive vital services at their homes and businesses, particularly emergency response as administered through the Emergency 911 Communications System. Merrillville utilizes a grid system established prior to the incorporation of the town and which is designed to assist the police, fire, and ambulance services in locating property quickly in cases of emergency. Postal, utility and other services benefit from an accurate addressing assignment system.

(b)

Administration and enforcement. The community development director or his/her designated assistant shall be responsible for assigning and/or reassigning addresses and street names within the town.

(c)

Address assignment standards.

(1)

The primary categories of information in an assigned address are street name, number designation and direction prefix.

a.

Street name and number designation. Street names shall follow the established pattern of names from the center street of Broadway which runs north and south. The street names on the east side of Broadway are to be named for the states and counties in Indiana. The streets on the west side of Broadway are to be named for Presidents, Vice Presidents, and Supreme Court Judges of the United States.

Number streets shall follow the established grid system of consecutive numbering from north to south; starting at 53rd Avenue on the north border of the town and numbered consecutively south to 93rd Avenue on the west side of Broadway and from 53rd Avenue on the east side of Broadway to 101st.

Established Grid North-South Streets East of Broadway

Southeast Section of Town

(1993 Annexed Property North of 85th)

Established Grid North-South Streets West of Broadway

Existing Diagonal Roads (Approximates)

b.

Directional prefix. Numbered streets shall have a prefix of either east or west of Broadway. Example:

500 East 81st Avenue vs.

500 West 81st Avenue

Highway designations and abbreviations which may be adopted as the street names include:

Interstate Highway I-65

U.S. Highway Route 30 also known as Lincoln Highway or 81st Avenue

State Highway Route 51 also known as Grand Boulevard

State Highway Route 53 also known as Broadway

State Highway Route 55 also known as Taft Street south of 61st and Cleveland north of the Grand Trunk Railroad

Street names should be carried across intersections without change. Streets which change directions shall change names and addressing direction. An exception may be made if the change of direction does not exceed one block or the change in direction does not occur at an intersection.

(2)

Number designation.

a.

General guidelines. The following general principles apply to address numbering:

1.

Even and odd numbers should be on the opposite sides of the street. Even numbers shall be assigned on the north and west sides of the street and odd numbers on the south and east sides of the street.

2.

The address numbers on parallel streets should be comparable, and consecutive, but allow for possible future changes in development.

3.

The address number to be assigned is determined by the location of the approved entrance/access on a recognized existing or proposed street, relative to the address assignment grid system.

4.

Address assigned to corner lots should be the street name and number assigned to the shortest distance along a public street. However, if the lot is square or almost square, the owner may choose the most recognized street.

5.

For structures with more than one access, such as an apartment complex, the name, suffix and direction of a location to be assigned an address is determined by the location of a single approved entrance/access that is from a recognized existing or proposed name street.

Unit numbers/letters (which include floor designation) may be assigned by the builder/developer to identify each individual apartment, office or suite within the building after the community development director or his/her designated assistant has assigned the building address.

6.

On commercial buildings with several tenants, whenever possible, each unit should have a separate numbered address.

(3)

Last word. The last word of the street name must be chosen from the following approved list:

Words Approved for Use as Last Words and their Abbreviation

The last word should reflect the character or use of the street. For example, Parkway or Boulevard should only be used on streets having more than fifty (50) feet of right-of-way and that serve either as a thoroughfare or as a collector to a thoroughfare. Parkway should only be used on streets at least one thousand five hundred (1,500) feet in length and shall be reserved for streets in which the majority of adjacent land use is for a designated park or open space.

The last word Court will in the future be reserved for cul-de-sacs. All cul-de-sacs will use the Court last name unless the cul-de-sac is a continuation of a street.

Circular/loop streets are streets that circle an open or common area. Said area cannot be subdivided, built upon or addressed.

(4)

Display. It is the responsibility of the property owner, agent or person in possession of any building, house or other structure on a parcel of real estate which has been assigned a street number by the community development director or his/her designated assistant, shall have displayed and properly maintain thereon, the assigned street number on a portion of the structure on or near the main entrance, which is plainly and readily visible by the naked eye from the street or other public way which adjoins said parcel.

(Ord. No. 02-03, § 1, 2-12-02; Ord. No. 06-18, § 4, 7-11-06)