New Hope City Zoning Code
ARTICLE VIII
Off-Street Parking
§ 275-56 Required off-street parking spaces.
Off-street parking spaces shall be provided and satisfactorily maintained for each use as defined in Article IV, in accordance with the following requirements.
A.
Agricultural and forestry uses.
(1)
Commercial nursery or greenhouse (§ 275-13A): one off-street parking space for each employee, plus one space per 500 square feet of indoor retail sales area, if applicable.
B.
Residential uses.
(7)
Dwelling in combination with a business (§ 275-14G): one off-street parking space per dwelling unit, plus parking requirements for the nonresidential use(s) shall be met in addition to this.
(8)
Bed-and-breakfast (§ 275-14H): one off-street space for each guest room, plus one for each employee.
(9)
(Reserved)
C.
Institutional, recreational, and educational uses.
(1)
Religious use (§ 275-15A): one parking space per five seats, or at least one space for every 300 square feet of floor area intended to be used by patrons, guests, members, parishioners, clients or customers, whichever requires the greater number of off-street parking spaces, plus one space per two employees on the premises at any one time.
(2)
School (§ 275-15B):
(a)
Kindergarten, elementary school, junior high school: one off-street parking space for each faculty member and employee, plus one space per two classrooms or offices.
(b)
Senior high school: one off-street parking space per faculty member and employee, plus one space per four students at projected building capacity.
(3)
Library/museum (§ 275-15C): one space per five seats, or at least one space for every 300 square feet of floor area intended to be used by patrons, guests, members, clients or customers, whichever requires the greater number of off-street parking spaces, plus one space per two employees on the premises at any one time.
(4)
Day-care center (§ 275-15D): one off-street parking space for each teacher, administrator, and maintenance employee plus one space for every five persons that can be accommodated at the center.
(5)
Public recreational facility (§ 275-15E): in accordance with needs as determined by the Borough Council.
(6)
Private club (§ 275-15F): one space per five seats, or at least one space for every 300 square feet of floor area intended to be used by patrons, guests, members, clients or customers, whichever requires the greater number of off-street parking spaces, plus one space per two employees on the premises at any one time.
(8)
Personal care facility (§ 275-15H): one off-street parking space for each patient or client bed.
(9)
Nonfamily community residential facility (§ 275-15I): See § 275-15I(5) of this chapter for parking requirements.
D.
Business and office uses.
(1)
Business office (§ 275-16A): one off-street parking space for every 300 square feet, or fraction thereof, of gross floor area devoted to office use.
(2)
Government office (§ 275-16B): one off-street parking space for every 300 square feet, or fraction thereof, of gross floor area devoted to office use.
E.
Retail and consumer services uses.
(1)
Retail shop (§ 275-17A): one space for every 400 square feet of gross use area, including the area outside a building that is used for sales, seating, display, or other activities associated with the use.
(2)
Service business (§ 275-17B): one space for every 400 square feet of gross use area, including the area outside a building that is used for sales, seating, display, or other activities associated with the use.
(3)
Repair service (§ 275-17C): one space for every 400 square feet of gross floor area, including the area outside a building that is used for sales, seating, display, or other activities associated with the use.
(4)
Restaurant (§ 275-17D), formula restaurant (§ 275-17R), and village restaurant (§ 275-175): one space for every 100 square feet of gross use area used for seating or service or one space for each five seats, whichever is greater, plus one additional space for each employee on site at any one time. Gross use area shall include all areas outside a building used for seating or service.
[Amended 6-15-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-03]
(5)
Restaurant with drive-through service (§ 275-17E): one off-street parking space for each four seats provided for patron use, plus one additional space for each employee on site at any one time.
(6)
Mortuary or funeral home (§ 275-17F): one off-street parking space for each four seats provided for patron use, plus one additional space for each employee.
(7)
Commercial recreation (§ 275-17G): one off-street parking space for each four seats provided for patron use, plus one additional space for each employee.
(8)
Theater (§ 275-17H): one off-street parking space for each four seats provided for patron use, plus one additional space for each employee.
(9)
Inn (§ 275-17I): one off-street parking space for each rental room or suite, plus one space for each two employees.
(10)
Vehicle sales and automotive service (§ 275-17J): two off-street parking spaces for each service bay plus one for each employee on site.
(11)
Shopping center (§ 275-17K): one space for every 300 square feet of gross floor area, including an area outside a building that is used for sales, seating, display, or other activities associated with the use.
(12)
Retail food shop (§ 275-17L): one space for every 400 square feet of gross use area, including the area outside a building that is used for sales, seating, display, or other activities associated with the use.
(13)
Commercial school (§ 275-17M): one space for every 400 square feet of gross use area, including the area outside a building that is used for sales, seating, display, or other activities associated with the use.
(15)
Limited personal service (§ 275-17O): one space for every 400 square feet of gross use area, including the area outside a building that is used for sales, seating, display, or other activities associated with the use.
(16)
Financial establishment (§ 275-17P): one off-street parking space for each 200 square feet of gross floor area used or intended to be used for servicing customers.
F.
Automotive services uses.
(2)
Motor vehicle gasoline station (§ 275-18B): one off-street parking space for every 300 square feet of gross floor area, or two off-street parking spaces for each service bay, whichever is greater, plus one space for each employee. Off-street parking spaces are not to be part of, nor interfere with, the accessways to the pumps.
G.
Transportation facilities and utilities.
(1)
Railway station/railway service (§ 275-19A): one space for each employee working at the site; additional parking for customers or visitors shall be determined on the basis of a parking study and needs analysis prepared by a qualified traffic engineer, approved by the Borough, at the expense of the applicant.
I.
J.
Accessory uses.
K.
Combined development uses (§ 275-23):
[Amended 6-11-2008 by Ord. No. 2008-03]
(1)
Coordinated development use (§ 275-23A).
(a)
All requirements of Article VIII, Off-Street Parking, of Chapter 275 of the Code shall be satisfied for individual uses, except that the total number of parking spaces required for all uses may be reduced if the proposed uses have different use characteristics and the reduction of total required spaces is associated with specific uses having peak parking at different times of the day as proven by the applicant through traffic studies to the satisfaction of the Borough Council. The traffic study shall be prepared by a qualified traffic engineer approved by the Borough. Every requested reduction must be demonstrated with projected employment, customer, resident, or other relevant data. Any future change in the proportion of uses accompanying the coordinated development use shall require a conditional use, including revised analysis of the need for off-street parking.
(b)
In addition, one off-street parking space shall be required for each 50 square feet of total floor area devoted to any banquet facilities, gift shops, entertainment or conference facilities, events centers, taverns, newspaper or periodical stands, or any other accessory use on the premises.
§ 275-57 General regulations applying to required off-street parking facilities.
A.
Existing use and permitted change of use. Any change of a permitted use to another use or any increase in the area of a use, which, by this chapter requires a greater number of parking spaces than existing conditions, shall meet the requirements of this chapter. All extensions, expansions, or changes of existing uses or structures shall meet the requirements of this chapter for the additional space proposed to be added or for the new use proposed.
B.
For the purposes of this chapter, expansion of a use shall include an increase in the number of uses within the original area of the existing use and an increase in floor area or outside area devoted to a use. All existing parking spaces shall be continued and maintained unless equivalent spaces are found elsewhere on the lot.
C.
A zoning permit must be secured from the Zoning Officer before any parking area is established or changed, if such change would result in a parking area of three or more spaces or deletion of any spaces. Application for a permit shall be made to the Zoning Officer in accordance with the following rules and regulations.
(1)
The applicant shall submit the required number of copies of the information requested on the application and shall pay New Hope Borough an application fee and an escrow amount set by resolution of the Council when the application is submitted.
(2)
The Zoning Officer shall forward copies of the application to the Borough Engineer for review. All engineering expenses incurred by the Borough in connection with the Borough Engineer's review of the application and inspection of the construction work shall be reimbursed by the applicant.
(3)
The Zoning Officer and/or the Borough Engineer shall inspect the work periodically to determine the degree of compliance with the regulations and permit governing the work.
D.
Conflict with other uses. No parking area or space shall be used for any use that interferes with its availability for the parking need it is required to serve.
E.
Multiple uses. Where two or more uses occupy a common structure, building, or lot, the total number of parking spaces provided and maintained will be calculated as the sum of the parking spaces required for the individual uses that occupy the structure, building or lot or as the combined gross floor area or number of seats devoted to customer or patron use.
F.
Joint use. Two or more uses may provide for required parking in a common lot, if the total spaces provided are not less than the sum of the spaces required for each use individually.
G.
(Reserved).
H.
Fractional spaces. Where the computation of required parking spaces results in a fractional number, any fraction of the next highest number shall be counted as one.
I.
Location of parking spaces. Required off-street parking spaces shall be on the same lot or premises with the principal use served. If this requirement cannot be met, the standards for alternative parking in Subsection M shall be met.
[Amended 5-19-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-02; 12-21-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-03]
J.
Maintenance of parking areas. Parking areas shall be graded, surfaced and drained to the extent necessary to prevent dust, erosion, or water flow across streets or adjoining properties. All off-street parking spaces shall be marked to indicate their location and shall conform to the requirements of the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act, providing an adequate number of sized, marked and signed spaces. All off-street parking spaces shall be kept free of potholes, weeds, trash and debris.
K.
Fees for required off-street parking. No establishment shall charge a fee for parking in spaces that are required to meet the off-street parking requirements for the establishment or use.
L.
Off-street parking spaces required for one use cannot be sold or leased as parking spaces for another use. Where a parking space is required to meet chapter requirements, it may not be sold or leased for another use.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Subsection M, which immediately followed this subsection and provided for alternatives to on-site parking in the Central Commercial, Highway Commercial, Mixed Use, Limited Commercial, and Light Industrial Districts, was repealed 5-19-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-02.
M.
Alternative parking. Within the Central Commercial, Highway Commercial, Mixed Use, Limited Commercial and Light Industrial zoning districts, any use existing as of the effective date of this chapter which can be lawfully expanded, or any new use that cannot meet the parking requirements of this chapter within the lot or boundary lines of the principal use may meet the parking requirements of this chapter in the manner listed below.
[Added 12-21-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-03]
(1)
The applicant shall pay New Hope Borough a fee-in-lieu for each required parking space. Said fee shall be based on the most current national median for cost/space as calculated by WGI Engineering Firm, or a comparable publication as determined by Borough Council, for the acquisition, construction, and maintenance of public parking and for related parking management services. This option may be used to meet up to 100% of the parking requirement.
§ 275-58 Design standards for off-street parking facilities.
§ 275-59 Driveways.
A.
Residential properties may have a maximum of one driveway per 100 feet of property frontage, or as may be required by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation for state roads.
B.
Nonresidential properties may have a maximum of one driveway per 50 feet of property frontage, or as may be required by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation for state roads.
C.
Street opening permits are required for all driveways, issued by either the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation or New Hope Borough.
D.
Driveway standards. The standards of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation shall apply for state roads, where applicable.
(1)
All driveways must be located a minimum of 10 feet from a property line.
(2)
All driveways must be a minimum of 10 feet in width, with a maximum width of 20 feet.
(3)
The minimum separation distance for driveways on residential properties is 50 feet, and on nonresidential properties, 10 feet.
(4)
All driveways must meet or exceed the AASHTO standards for speed of road and class of highway.