North Reading City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XIII
Off-Street Parking and Loading
§ 200-68 Applicability.
After the effective date of this Zoning Bylaw, off-street parking and loading spaces shall be provided for every new building, the enlargement of an existing building, the development of a new land use or any change in an existing use in its entirety in accordance with the Table of Off-Street Parking and Loading Requirements. These regulations shall be considered additive.
§ 200-69 Table of Off-Street Parking and Loading Requirements.
A.
Off-street parking requirements.
[Amended 10-17-2016 OTM by Art. 13, approved 2-27-2017]
Use | Minimum Number of Off-Street Parking Spaces Per Unit | ||
|---|---|---|---|
1. | Dwelling, single | Two (2) per unit | |
2. | Dwelling, multi-family | Two (2) per dwelling unit | |
3. | Theater, restaurant, gymnasium, stadium, auditorium, church or similar place of public assembly with seating facilities | One (1) for each four (4) seats of seating capacity | |
4. | Automotive retail and service establishment and other retail and service establishments utilizing extensive display areas, either indoor or outdoor, which are unusually extensive in relation to customer traffic | One (1) per one thousand (1,000) square feet of gross floor space. In the case of outdoor display areas, one for each one thousand (1,000) square feet of lot area in such use. | |
5. | Hotel, motel, tourist court or lodging house | One (1) for each sleeping room | |
6. | Medical office | Four (4) for each one thousand (1,000) gross square feet of floor space | |
7. | Other retail, service, finance, insurance or real estate establishments | One (1) per each three hundred (300) square feet of gross floor space | |
8. | Wholesale establishment, warehouse or storage establishment | One (1) per each one thousand (1,000) square feet of gross floor space | |
9. | Manufacturing or industrial establishment | One (1) per each six hundred (600) square feet of gross floor space or 0.75 per each employee of the combined employment of the two (2) largest successive shifts, whichever is larger | |
10. | Hospital | Two (2) per bed at design capacity | |
11. | Nursing home | One (1) per bed at design capacity | |
12. | Business, trade or industrial school, college or university | One (1) for each two hundred (200) square feet of gross floor area in classrooms and other teaching stations, plus space for gymnasium or auditorium, whichever has the larger seating capacity | |
13. | Other school | Two (2) per classroom in an elementary and junior high school; four (4) per classroom in a senior high school, plus space for auditorium or gymnasium, whichever has the larger seating capacity | |
14. | Community facility (town building, recreation, etc.) | One (1) per each four hundred (400) square feet of gross floor space | |
15. | Public utility | One (1) for each four hundred (400) square feet of gross floor area devoted to office use | |
16. | Transportation terminal establishment | One (1) for each eight hundred (800) square feet of gross floor area per other use | |
17. | Mixed use | One (1) for each six hundred (600) square feet of gross floor area. Sum of various uses computed separately. | |
18. | Any use permitted by this Zoning Bylaw not interpreted to be covered | Closest similar use as shall be determined by the Zoning Board of Appeals | |
B.
Loading requirements:
Use | Minimum Loading Spaces | ||
|---|---|---|---|
1. | Retail trade, manufacturing and hospital establishment with over five thousand (5,000) square feet of gross floor area | One (1) per twenty thousand (20,000) square feet or fraction thereof of gross floor area up to two (2) spaces; one (1) additional space for each sixty thousand (60,000) square feet or fraction thereof of gross floor area over forty thousand (40,000) square feet; space used for ambulance receiving at a hospital is not to be used to meet these loading requirements | |
2. | Business services, other services, community facility (school, church, town building, recreation, etc.) or public utility establish- ment with over five thousand (5,000) square feet of gross floor area | As above except one (1) additional space for each two hundred thousand (200,000) square feet or fraction thereof of gross floor area over one hundred fifty thousand (150,000) square feet | |
§ 200-70 Computation of spaces.
When the computation of required parking or loading results in the requirement of a fractional space, any fraction over one-half (1/2) shall require one (1) space.
§ 200-71 Existing spaces.
Parking or loading spaces being maintained in any district in connection with any existing use on the effective date of this Zoning Bylaw shall not be decreased so long as said use remains, unless a number of parking or loading spaces is constructed elsewhere such that the total number of spaces conforms to the requirements of § 200-69.
§ 200-72 Spaces acquired by town.
Required off-street parking or loading spaces which, after development of the lot, are later acquired by the Town, for off-street parking or loading purposes, shall continue to be applied towards the requirements of this article for the use of the lot.
§ 200-73 Location of loading spaces.
The loading spaces required for the uses listed in the Table of Off-Street Parking and Loading Requirements, pursuant to § 200-69, shall in all cases be on the same lot as the use they are intended to serve. In no case shall the required loading spaces be part of the area used to satisfy the parking requirements of this Zoning Bylaw.
§ 200-74 Parking and loading space standards.
All parking and loading areas containing over five (5) parking or loading spaces shall be either contained within structures or subject to the following:
A.
The area shall be effectively screened with suitable planting or ornamental fencing on each side which adjoins or faces the side or rear lot line of a lot situated in any R District (see also § 200-64);
B.
The area and access driveways thereto shall be surfaced with bituminous or cement concrete material and shall be graded and drained so as to dispose of all surface water accumulation in accordance with acceptable engineering practices;
C.
A substantial bumper of masonry, steel or heavy timber, or a concrete curb or berm curb which is backed shall be placed at the edge of surfaced areas except driveways in order to protect abutting structures, properties and sidewalks;
D.
Any fixture used to illuminate any area shall be so arranged as to direct the light away from the street and away from adjoining premises used for residential purposes;
E.
There shall not be any storage of materials or equipment or display of merchandise within required parking area except as part of construction operations pursuant to a building permit;
F.
Parking shall not be located within applicable setback requirements in any district except for single-family residence use. Exception: Parking may be permitted within the side and rear setback areas in the Highway Business District subject to specific site plan approval by the Community Planning Commission or Zoning Board of Appeals, whichever is acting as the permit granting authority.
[Amended 10-3-1994 OTM by Art. 21, approved 1-18-1995]
G.
Any portion of any entrance or exit driveway shall not be closer than fifty (50) feet to the curbline of an intersecting street;
H.
Any two (2) driveways leading to or from a street, or to or from a single lot shall not be within thirty (30) feet of each other at their intersections with the front lot line for an interior lot and forty (40) feet for a corner lot; and
I.
Any entrance or exit driveway shall not exceed twenty-four (24) feet in width at its intersection with the front lot line except for automotive service stations, in which case the width may be increased to forty (40) feet.
§ 200-75 Exceptions.
A.
The Zoning Board of Appeals may, by special permit, allow the substitution of space within municipal parking lots in lieu of the parking requirements of this article, provided they are located within one thousand (1,000) feet of the building or use which is intended to be served.
B. 
The Zoning Board of Appeals may grant a special permit to allow the reduction of the parking space requirements to eighty (80) percent of that required in the Table of Off-Street Parking and Loading Requirements where conditions unique to the use will reasonably justify such a reduction.
