Change to use. Where a nonconforming use is increased in area or changed to a use requiring more parking than the present use according to § 8.3B, additional off-street parking shall be provided in the amount necessary so that said expansion or change in use will not result in any increased violation of the parking requirements of this article.

Change to building or lot. Any spaces lost by exterior alteration of a nonconforming building shall be replaced by the same number, or by enough to make up the total number required by § 8.3B for the use, whichever is less.

Exemption for small establishments. Off-street parking space shall not be required for nonresidential uses when the computed requirement results in six spaces or less for all the nonresidential uses on the lot.

Same lot. Except as provided below, required off-street parking areas shall be provided on the same lot, or in the same tract in the case of the planned unit development, multifamily development, and attached dwelling development, except that the applicable special permit granting authority may permit off-street parking areas to be provided on another lot in the same ownership as the principal use, but in no event shall the access to such areas be more than 200 feet distant from the street lot line of the lot they are designed to serve, nor shall any such parking lot be otherwise used or diminished in size unless the special permit granting authority finds the lot is no longer required by the principal use it serves.

Off-lot in Central Business District (CBD). Off-street parking facilities may be provided on a lot other than the lot or tract upon which the building or use requiring such facilities is located, provided the lot is located within 500 feet of the principal building or use, and that the owner shall execute, on behalf of himself, his successors and assigns in the ownership of said principal building or use, a written instrument in a form acceptable to the City Solicitor, covenanting that, in consideration of the issuance of a building permit for the principal building or use, the lot or portion of the lot on which the parking facility is located will be used and maintained solely for off-street parking purposes accessory to such principal building or use so long as the use or structures comprising such principal use continues to exist without sufficient parking elsewhere or upon the lot with the principal use. Said off-lot parking facilities shall be designated for the use of one principal use only, and shall be clearly marked as dedicated for such principal use on site in a manner to be approved by the Building Commissioner.

Required setbacks. The surfaced areas of off-street parking areas for commercial and industrial uses shall be set back a minimum of 7.5 feet from all buildings and lot lines, except that front yards in Business and Industrial Districts shall provide a fifteen-foot landscaped strip adjacent to the right-of-way line.

Interior of parking lot. At least 5% of the interior of any parking lot with 40 or more parking spaces shall be landscaped (i.e., off-street parking areas, with the exception of parking structures, shall be planted with shade trees of a species and size approved by the Methuen Building Commissioner. There shall be a minimum of one tree for each 2,000 square feet of parking area and located as approved by the Building Commissioner. Any trees surrounded on three or more sides by pavement shall be planted with a raised island, bound by a curb a minimum of six inches high, covered with a porous material for water drainage to the tree roots, and have a surface drainage area immediately around the tree a minimum of 30 square feet in area.), but planting or screening along the perimeter shall not be counted as part of this 5%.

Fractions. Where the computations of required spaces result in a fractional number, the nearest whole number shall be used.

Joint parking lot. The aggregate number of spaces required for each of several uses separately may be provided on a common parking lot serving all of these uses and, where it can be demonstrated that the combined peak parking needs of all the uses sharing the lot will, because of differences in peak hours or days, be less than the aggregate normally required for each use separately, the number of parking spaces to be provided may be reduced accordingly.

Size and location of space. Each required space shall be no less than 12 feet in width, 14 feet in height and 30 feet in length in a Business District and 50 feet in length in an Industrial District, exclusive of drives and maneuvering space, and such space, including necessary maneuvering areas, shall be entirely on the lot being served.

General design. Spaces, maneuvering areas and access drives shall be so designed and used as at no time to constitute a nuisance or a hazard or unreasonable impediment to traffic on public ways or in parking lots open to the public.