Size. Each parking space be designed in accordance with Chapter 119, Subdivision and Land Development, unless a larger size is required under federal handicapped parking requirements.

Access. Parking facilities shall be designed so that each vehicle may proceed to and from the parking space provided for it without requiring the moving of any other vehicle. Parking space within a garage shall be considered a parking space meeting the requirements of this article if access can be provided in accordance with the requirement of this section.

Surface requirements.

Location.

Residential uses.

Social/institutional uses.

Commercial uses.

Industrial uses.

Recreational uses.

For uses and establishments other than those specifically mentioned herein, sufficient parking shall be provided to accommodate the vehicles of all persons to be employed on the premises and to have business thereon. Studies such as those of the Institute of Transportation Engineers Parking Generation Manual, or approved equivalent, shall be sufficient in determining whether ample parking is provided. Traffic studies of similar uses shall also be sufficient in determining parking demand. The anticipated peak hour of vehicles using the site and the largest shift for employees shall be used in determining parking demand for the use.

An applicant may, by special exception, reduce the number of off-street parking spaces calculated in accordance with this section if the applicant demonstrates by clear and convincing evidence that a lesser number of off-street parking spaces are required for such use. The applicant for such special exception shall present written studies based upon existing uses of the same type and size in Pennsylvania, and/or surrounding states, identifying the location of each use, the size of each use, the number of off-street parking spaces present at such location, the date, day of week, and time when the parking lot was observed, and the number of parking spaces available for customers or patrons when the parking lot was observed. The applicant may, by special exception, count off-street parking spaces available in a designated park-and-ride lot toward the required number of off-street parking spaces if the applicant can demonstrate that the times of peak customer traffic will occur at times when the park-and-ride lot will not be used.

In commercial shopping centers over three acres in size, joint parking lots may be permitted. These joint facilities can reduce the total number of parking spaces required by a maximum of 20%. Therefore, the resulting joint parking lot will be required to provide at least 80% of the total number of spaces required by the sum of all of the shopping center's tenants. Such reduced parking spaces must be appropriately distributed upon the lot to provide convenient walking distance between every vehicle and each of the shopping center's stores.

Required parking spaces may be provided in spaces designated to jointly serve two or more establishments or uses, provided that the number of required spaces in such joint facility shall be less than the total required separately for all such establishments or uses. Where it can be conclusively demonstrated that one or more such uses will be generating a demand for parking spaces, primarily during periods when the other use(s) is not in operation, the total number of required parking spaces may be reduced to:

If joint parking areas are to be utilized to serve multiple uses, and the parking areas are located on lots that are owned by separate entities, a cross access easement and maintenance agreement shall be provided to the Township in a form acceptable to the Township Solicitor.

Under no circumstances shall joint parking areas cause the need for pedestrians to cross a street to access a use or establishment that is to utilize the joint parking area.

Parking spaces that are to be utilized as a joint parking area shall be located no more than 500 feet from the lot or building which contains the use or establishment that is to be served by the joint parking area.

The sale, display or storage of automobiles or other merchandise, except as permitted for an approved transient retail business, approved roadside produce stand or for approved fundraising activities by a nonprofit organization.

Performing services (including services to vehicles).

Required off-street parking space shall not be used for loading and unloading purposes except during hours when business operations are suspended.

Except in specifically designated areas, the parking of recreational vehicles as defined herein.

Adequate documentation shall be submitted to the Township that demonstrates that the proposed off-street loading areas will not interfere with the free movement of vehicles and pedestrians over a public street, through internal parking areas, walkways, access drives and driveways. Sufficient documentation may include turning exhibits portraying the movement of the largest vehicle that would have access to the site or through the submission of similar site plans as approved by the Township Zoning Officer.

All off-street loading facilities, including access drives, shall be constructed and maintained with a paved surface of concrete or bituminous materials.

Unless otherwise indicated, off-street loading areas shall be placed in a side or rear yard. All off-street loading areas shall be surrounded by a fifteen-foot-wide landscape strip. The landscape strip may overlap any other required landscape strip and setback required by this chapter. All off-street loading facilities adjacent to an agricultural or residential zoned property, a property that is available for residential use, and/or adjoining public street rights-of-way shall be surrounded by a landscape screen that is at least 10 feet wide in addition to the required landscape strip.

Every loading space shall be connected to a street by means of an access drive. The access drive shall be at least 24 feet wide for two-way traffic, or 18 feet wide for one-way traffic. See Chapter 119, Subdivision and Land Development, for other access drive requirements.

No abandoned, junked, or dismantled motor vehicles and/or motor vehicles without current license plates and current inspection stickers shall be parked or stored in any zoning district outside of an enclosed building, except as permitted by § 135-238.

The storage or parking of any commercial motor vehicle upon any lot within a residential zone or any other lot that is used principally for residential purposes is prohibited. For purposes of this section, commercial trucks shall include those that exceed a one ton capacity. In addition, the parking or storage of any trailer other than those accessory to a principal residential use is expressly prohibited on any residentially zoned lot or lot used principally for residential purposes.

Recreational vehicles, boats, campers, and trailers. Within any residential zone, or upon any property used principally for residential purposes, the storage of recreational vehicles, travel trailers, trucks, boats and trailers used solely for the transport of the residents' recreational vehicle(s) is permitted only according to the following requirements:

The requirements of this section shall not be applicable to agriculturally used lots that are parking and storing farm implements and other farm vehicles not normally used as a means of conveyance upon public streets.

Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to authorize the parking or storage of any motor vehicle, recreational vehicle, boat or trailer in any agricultural or residential district unless such motor vehicle, recreational vehicle, boat or trailer is an accessory use to the present use of the lot.

Purpose. The intent of this section is to promote nonautomobile transportation modes to access nonresidential uses within the Township. In recognition of the ability for employees and customers to reach the site without the need to park an automobile, a reduction of the required number of off-street parking spaces is available.

Qualifying criteria. In order to be eligible for the reduction of required off-street parking spaces, a use must contain two or more of the following elements:

Required parking reduction. If the qualifying criteria in Subsection B above are met, the required number of off-street parking spaces calculated in accordance with § 135-343 may be reduced by up to 10%.