North Adams City Zoning Code
SECTION 6
OFF-STREET PARKING REQUIREMENTS.
[Ord. of 1-12-2016; Ord. of 10-22-2019; 6-10-2025]
6.1.
Parking facilities required: Off-street parking facilities shall be provided to serve all buildings and uses erected, moved, established, altered, enlarged or which change in use except when located in the CBD. Such facilities shall be sufficient to accommodate the motor vehicles of all occupants, employees, customers and other persons normally visiting such building or premises at any one time.
6.2.
Commercial vehicles and/or equipment in residential zones: No commercial vehicle or pieces of equipment, including but not limited to commercial delivery vehicles, box trucks, dump trucks, long haul trucks, semitrailers or tractors, excavators, bulldozers, backhoes, etc., with a gross vehicle weight of over 26,000 pounds shall be parked or stored in a residential zone.
6.3.
Location of required parking facilities: Required parking facilities shall be located on the same lot as the building or other use which they serve, except that by special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals required parking facilities may be located not more than 200 feet from such building or use, measured in a straight line to the nearest space for vehicular parking.
6.4.
Required minimum area and number of parking spaces: Unless otherwise specifically approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals or provided for in Section 3.3.1, required parking facilities shall contain not less than the minimum areas set forth below, exclusive of driveways and ramps necessary for access. Rooftop or indoor parking may be included in the required area. For single-family dwellings, the driveway may be included in the required area. A parking space is defined as having dimensions measuring 9 by 20 feet or 9 1/2 by 19 feet for a total square footage of 180 square feet.
Use | Minimum Number of Required Parking Spaces | |
|---|---|---|
2-family structure | 4 spaces | |
3-family structure | 6 spaces | |
4 family structure | 8 spaces | |
5 family structure | 10 spaces | |
6 family structure | 12 spaces | |
Multifamily dwelling with more than 6 dwelling units | 2 spaces for each dwelling unit | |
Industrial and manufacturing establishments | 1 space per 500 square feet of gross floor area or 1 1/2 spaces for each employee on the maximum work shift, whichever is less | |
Wholesale and distribution, businesses, warehousing and businesses, truck terminals, and other enclosed nonindustrial storage uses | 1 space for each 1,000 square feet of gross floor area or 1 space for each 1 1/2 employees on the maximum work storage shift, whichever is less | |
Medical and dental offices | 1 space for each 150 square feet of office area | |
Business offices and financial institutions | 1 space for each 300 square feet of gross floor area | |
Eating establishment, taverns and cocktail lounges | 1 space for each 200 square feet of gross floor area, but not less than 5 spaces for each separate enterprise | |
Automotive services, including but not limited to gas stations, auto dealers, auto accessories, auto repair, overhaul shops and car wash | 1 space for each 500 square feet of gross floor area; or 3 spaces per bay, lift or equivalent, whichever is greater. An attendant-operated or self-service car wash shall have at least 5 waiting positions for each bay between the street line and such bay for cars approaching and at least 2 waiting positions for cars leaving said bays. | |
Appliance, carpet, furniture, electrical, heating, and plumbing retail sales | 1 space for each 750 square feet of gross floor area, but not less than 5 spaces per separate enterprise | |
Other retail sales and services | 1 space for each 200 square feet of gross floor area, but not less than 5 spaces for each separate enterprise | |
Bed-and-breakfast | 1 space for each guest room, plus 2 spaces for residents | |
Artistic studio or shop for custom work or making of articles | 1 space for each employee | |
Any other use not listed in this table | As may be determined by the Planning Board, but not less than 1 space for each 250 square feet of gross floor area |
6.5.
Conversion of preexisting nonconforming multifamily structures: A preexisting nonconforming multifamily structure (two or more units) which is converted to a multiple-family structure with fewer units than existed prior to such conversions does not need any additional parking spaces than existed prior to such conversion.
6.6.
Truck loading space: In the case of hospitals, institutions, hotels, retail, wholesale and industrial buildings, space shall be provided for loading and unloading of trucks at the rate of one space not less than 500 square feet in area for each 15,000 square feet of floor area or fraction thereof less than 30,000 square feet, and 500 square feet for each 30,000 square feet of floor area or fraction thereof in excess of 30,000 square feet. Minimum dimension of loading areas is 10 feet by 50 feet.
6.7.
Design and improvement requirements.
6.7.1.
General:
(1)
The general layout and traffic circulation of parking and loading areas shall be designed so as to avoid unsafe conditions and traffic congestion in the street upon which the area has access and to provide for the safety and adequacy of access for vehicles and pedestrians using the area.
(2)
Parking areas and spaces are to be designed to permit safe access and exit of vehicles and to prevent vehicles from backing onto accessways or streets.
(3)
Any enclosed loading space shall be located at least 30 feet from any street line, and any open loading space shall be so designed that trucks when loading or unloading will not project over any street line.
(4)
Individual parking and loading spaces, maneuvering areas, entrances and exits shall be suitably identified with lines and arrows, as deemed necessary by the Building Inspector.
(5)
No access drive, aisle or maneuvering area shall have a turning radius of less than 20 feet.
(6)
Where vehicles will be located adjacent to sidewalks, fences, walls, required buffer strips, trees, landscaping or similar construction, a suitable bumper or curb (not less than five inches in height) shall be provided in such a location so that the vehicle cannot overhang or otherwise damage said obstruction.
(7)
All parking areas with 10 or more spaces, along with any loading areas and accessways, shall be surfaced with an asphaltic bituminous cement or other properly bound pavement so as to provide a durable and dustless surface, and shall be so graded and drained as to dispose of all surface water and accumulation within the area.
(8)
Parking areas for 10 or more vehicles shall be constructed to the standards for construction as set forth in the North Adams Subdivision Rules and Regulations. Drainage design and construction shall include interconnected catch basins with oil and grease traps.
(9)
Parking areas for 10 or more vehicles shall be delineated so the parking spaces are apparent.
(10)
All parking areas of less than 10 spaces shall be constructed of adequate all-weather surfacing, capable of allowing free and safe movement of all vehicles customarily using the facility.
(11)
Access drives shall be arranged for the free flow of vehicles at all times, and all maneuvering spaces and aisles shall be so designed that all vehicles must exit from and enter into a public street by being driven in a forward direction.
(12)
All portions of all parking spaces and maneuvering aisles shall be set back a minimum of five feet from any wall of a building, except in residential districts.
(13)
Each required off-street parking space shall be designed so that any motor vehicle may proceed to and from said space without requiring the moving of any other vehicle or by passing over any other parking space.
(14)
Paved portions of parking areas shall not be constructed within minimum front yard, rear yard or side yard setback areas.
6.7.2.
Lighting:
(1)
Any lighting used to illuminate any off-street parking, access drive or loading area shall be shielded and so arranged as to prevent direct glare from the light source onto adjoining premises and public rights-of-way.
(2)
Lighting shall be of such a design or level of illumination so as to minimize the amount of ambient lighting perceptible at adjacent properties.
6.7.3.
Parking lot landscaping:
(1)
Parking requirements shall be met by utilization of parking lot cells having a maximum of 50 parking spaces per parking lot cell. There shall be a minimum separation distance or 30 feet between parking lot cells or an equivalent alternative that meets the objective of visually breaking up the paved area.
(2)
Perimeter landscaping requirements. All parking areas with more than 10 spaces and all loading areas shall be boarded on all sides, with the exception of accessways, with a ten-foot-wide buffer strip on which shall be located and maintained appropriate landscaping of suitable type, density and height to effectively screen the parking area.
(3)
Interior area landscaping requirements. A minimum of 10% of the interior area, exclusive of perimeter landscaping, of a parking lot cell containing 25 or more spaces must be planted as landscaped island areas. The interior area of the lot shall be computed as the paved area excluding all parking spaces abutting the perimeter of the parking lot. The landscaped islands shall be so located that some part of every parking space is not more than 45 feet from either a landscaped island or the perimeter planting area. Curbing, at least five inches in height, shall surround each landscaped island as protection from vehicles.
(4)
Plantings for perimeter and interior area landscaping requirements shall consist of:
(a)
At least one shrub or tree per 30 linear feet of landscaped island area shall be provided, unless the Planning Board determines during a site plan review that there exists sufficient existing vegetation to allow for a different amount of vegetation.
(b)
Trees shall be of a species tolerant to the climatic conditions of the City and parking area conditions and be at least two-inch caliper (measured four feet above grade level).
(c)
Shrubs shall be a mix of deciduous and evergreen varieties, tolerant to the climatic conditions of the City, and be at least one foot in height at time of planting.
(d)
Remainder of the landscaped areas shall be planted with ground surface cover, such as lawn grass or live ground cover, over at least four inches of topsoil.
(e)
Wherever possible, the above requirements shall be met by retention of existing vegetation.
(f)
Planting shall be done in accordance with accepted landscaping practices.
(g)
Trees which die or become diseased shall be replaced, and all landscaping shall be maintained.
6.7.4.
Access drive:
(1)
No driveway or access road to or from any property shall be so located at its juncture with a street as to create a danger or menace to the community or to the convenience or proper use of the adjoining property.
(2)
No driveway shall provide access to a lot located in another zoning district, if said lot is used for any use, principal or accessory, not permitted in the district in which such driveway is located. The driveway or access road to a lot shall be through its frontage.
(3)
No driveway shall be located closer than 25 feet to any street intersection measured along the street lines. In any nonresidential district, no two driveways on the same lot shall be located closer than 75 feet to each other at their closest limits.
(4)
No lot having less than 200 feet of street frontage shall have more than two driveway entrances and/or exits on each street abutting the lot. Lots with more than 200 feet of street frontages may have up to one driveway entrance and/or exit for each 200 feet of additional street frontage.
6.8.
Highway buffer areas: Any new required parking area, other than one servicing a single- or two-family residential use, on a site which abuts Route 2 between the Williamstown town line and Hillside Cemetery, or Route 8 between the Adams town line and Hooker Street, or Route 8 from the Clarksburg town line to Miner Street, shall maintain a buffer area between such parking area and the highway. Such buffer area shall be of a width not less than the required front setback and shall be landscaped or maintained in a natural vegetated state. One accessway of not more than 25 feet in width shall be permitted within the buffer area.
6.9.
Waivers: Strict compliance with the requirements of this Section 6 may be waived by the Zoning Board of Appeals when in the judgment of said Board such waiver or waivers are consistent with the general intent and purpose of this ordinance.