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North Strabane Township Washington County
City Zoning Code

PART 15

OFF-STREET PARKING AND LOADING

Sec. 27-1500.- Applicability.

1.

Off-street parking spaces shall be provided in accordance with the specifications in this Part in any district whenever any new use is established or any existing use is changed or enlarged.

2.

All parking areas established prior to the effective date of this chapter that are not in conformance with all provisions of this Part shall be allowed to continue as previously laid out. Any change or alteration to these existing nonconforming parking areas shall require that the portions to be altered be upgraded in accordance with all provisions of this Part.

3.

Any change in use or in floor area of an existing building that would require a greater number of off-street parking spaces than the previous use or floor area did shall provide additional off-street parking for the new use in accordance with this Part. If the number of additional required parking spaces results in more than a 25% increase in the total number of parking spaces currently provided on the lot or requires the addition of at least five more spaces, whichever is greater, then all existing parking is also required to meet or exceed all provisions of this Part, including surfacing.

(Ord. No. 376, 7/24/2018)

Sec. 27-1501. - Off-Street Parking Design.

1.

Parking areas and driveways in parking areas in all zoning districts shall comply with the following standards:

A.

Size. Each off-street parking space shall have an area of not less than 180 square feet, exclusive of access drives or aisles, shall have minimum dimensions of nine feet in width and 20 feet in length and shall be maintained free from obstruction. Except in the case of residential dwellings, parking areas shall be designed to provide sufficient turnaround area so that vehicles are not required to back onto the cartway of any public street.

B.

Design. The minimum dimensions of aisles and driveways for all uses other than single-family dwellings and two-family dwellings shall be as follows:

(1)

Minimum width of aisles providing two-way travel shall be 22 feet.

(2)

One-way aisles shall not be dead-ended. Minimum width of aisles providing one-way travel shall vary with the angle of parking, as follows:

Angle Minimum width (feet)
Parallel 12
30° 14
45° 16
60° 20
90° 22

 

(3)

Two-way aisles may be dead-ended in off-street parking areas, provided that they are designed according to the following minimum standards:

(a)

Depth of turnaround area: 13 feet.

(b)

Width of turnaround area: 25 feet.

(4)

The minimum width of entrance and exit drives shall be:

(a)

For one-way travel: a minimum of 12 feet.

(b)

For two-way travel: a minimum of 22 feet.

(c)

A maximum of 35 feet at the street right-of-way line and 54 feet at the curbline.

(5)

Adequate sight distance shall be provided, subject to review and approval by the Township Engineer. Driveways shall not exceed a slope of 10% within 12 feet of the street right-of-way line.

(6)

Fire lanes shall be provided in accordance with the requirements of the Township Fire Code and the Volunteer Fire Departments.

C.

Handicapped Parking Spaces. Handicapped-accessible parking spaces, marked in accordance with Commonwealth of Pennsylvania regulations and measuring 12 feet by 20 feet for automobiles and measuring 18 feet by 20 feet for vans, must be provided for all buildings designed for public occupancy in accordance with the following table:

Total Parking Spaces Required
by Section 27-1502.1.C. 		Number of Required Spaces That
Must Be Accessible Spaces
Up to 25 1*
26 to 50 2
51 to 75 3
76 to 100 4
101 to 150 5
151 to 200 6
201 to 300 7
301 to 400 8
401 to 500 9
501 to 1,000 2% of total
Over 1,000 20, plus 1 for each 100 over 1,000

 

*  NOTE: If only one accessible space is required, it shall be van-accessible. If more than one space is required, at least one space shall be van-accessible.

D.

Access. Access to parking areas shall be provided in accordance with the following requirements:

(1)

When an existing lot does not adjoin a public or private street, an easement of access and an access driveway shall be provided leading to the parking areas.

(2)

Access to off-street parking areas shall be limited to well-defined locations, and in no case shall there be unrestricted access along the length of a street. In any district other than an R Residential District, the street frontage shall be curbed to restrict access to the lot, except where the access drives are proposed.

(3)

The number of access drives from a single lot or development to any public street shall not exceed two for every 400 feet of street frontage.

(4)

Except on corner lots, access drives shall be located at least 200 feet from the intersection of any two street right-of-way lines.

(5)

Where a site has frontage on more than one street, secondary access from the street with the lower traffic volume shall be considered, and the Township may require the secondary access based on the findings of the traffic impact study, if such study is required.

(6)

Access drives entering state highways are subject to a highway occupancy permit issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT).

(7)

Access driveways entering Township streets shall comply with the requirements of the Pennsylvania Code, Title 67, Chapter 441, Access to and Occupancy of Highways by Driveways and Local Roads.

(8)

Each parking space shall have access directly to a driveway. Interior circulation of traffic shall be designed so that no driveway providing access to parking spaces shall be used as a through street. Interior traffic circulation shall be designed to ensure safety and access by emergency vehicles.

E.

Safety Requirements. The Board of Supervisors shall consider whether safety requirements are warranted to reduce traffic hazards that endanger public safety. The developer shall be responsible for construction of any required islands, acceleration, deceleration or turning lanes and shall bear the cost of installing any required traffic control devices, signs or pavement markings within and adjoining the boundaries of the development site.

F.

Marking. In parking areas that contain five or more spaces, all parking spaces shall be clearly delineated by painted lines, marked with durable white or yellow paint, in stripes a minimum of four inches wide, extending the length of the parking space. All vehicular entrances and exits to parking areas shall be clearly marked for all conditions. Short-term visitor parking spaces shall be differentiated from long-term employee spaces by suitable markings. Handicapped parking shall be appropriately marked.

G.

Curbs and Wheel Stops.

(1)

All outdoor hard-surfaced off-street parking areas shall be curbed, unless sheet drainage of surface water can be achieved, subject to approval by the Township Engineer.

(2)

Wheel stops shall be provided along boundaries of adjoining properties, public rights-of-way, sidewalks or landscaped areas, unless curbs are provided in that portion of the parking lot.

H.

Surfacing.

(1)

All outdoor off-street parking areas and access driveways shall be paved with asphalt, concrete or similar material of adequate thickness to support the weight of fully loaded vehicles that customarily park or travel on them. The exceptions to this requirement are:

(a)

Single-family dwellings and two-family dwellings in plans with less than five dwelling units.

(b)

Parking areas in the rear lots of the industrial districts, which shall, as a minimum, have a dust-free slag or stone surface parking area.

(2)

It shall be the responsibility of the property owner to ensure that driveway surface materials and stormwater runoff do not discharge onto any public street.

I.

Location of parking areas.

(1)

Required parking spaces shall be located on the same lot with the principal use. In the case where adequate lot area does not exist on the same lot to meet the parking requirements, the Zoning Hearing Board may approve off-site parking as a use by special exception, provided that it is located no more than 400 feet from the principal entrance to the building it is intended to serve and evidence of a lease agreement or cross-easement is submitted for any property under different ownership proposed to be used for off-site parking. If the off-site parking is not located on property contiguous to the use it serves, the off-site parking shall be used for employee parking, and a means of safe pedestrian access shall be provided.

(2)

Parking spaces accessory to nonresidential uses that are adjacent to a property line in a residential district shall be setback at least 25 feet from the property line. Parking authorized in front yards shall be located at least ten feet from the street right-of-way line. All other parking areas containing five or more spaces shall be setback at least ten feet from a side or rear property line.

J.

Landscaping. Parking areas containing more than 20 spaces shall provide landscaping as required below:

(1)

In parking areas containing 50 or more parking spaces, at least 5% of the interior paved area shall be landscaped.

(2)

The area of the front yard between the street right-of-way and parking located in a front yard shall be seeded with grass or planted with ground cover and shall be landscaped with trees and/or shrubs that comply with the requirements for visibility of Section 27-1403.1.D.

(3)

In the event that a parking area containing 20 or more spaces is not already screened by a buffer area, then Buffer Area C, as defined by Section 27-1402, Subsection 1., shall be provided along any property line where the parking adjoins property in an R Residential Zoning District.

K.

Shopping Cart Return Areas. One shopping cart return area shall be provided for each 10,000 square feet of gross floor area in retail stores that provide shopping carts. Shopping cart return areas shall measure nine feet by 20 feet and shall provide containment on three sides and shall be identified by an above-grade sign secured to the containment structure. The surface area of the sign shall not exceed four square feet.

L.

Lighting. If parking areas are proposed to be used during evening hours, lighting shall be provided. Any lighting used to illuminate off-street parking areas shall be designed to reflect the light away from the adjoining premises of any residential zoning district or residential use and away from any streets or highways. The lighting system shall furnish a level of not less than 0.5 footcandle during hours of operation and shall be designed with cutoff luminaires that have a cutoff angle of 60° or less. (See Illustration in Appendix B.) There shall be no spillover of illumination at any property line in excess of 0.2 footcandle.

M.

Stormwater Management. All paved areas shall be designed so that stormwater runoff shall not adversely affect adjacent properties. Surface drainage shall be connected to the existing or proposed drainage system. The method of stormwater management and the design of the proposed facilities shall be subject to the requirements of the Township Stormwater Management Regulations in the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance and to review and recommendation by the Township Engineer.

N.

Slope. The maximum permissible slope of any parking area accessory to any use other than single-family or two-family dwellings shall be 7%. If parking spaces are provided in areas that exceed 3% slope, all such spaces shall be parallel to the contour lines of the area.

(Ord. No. 376, 7/24/2018)

Editor's note— Said Appendix B is included as an attachment to [the ordinance to which this chapter derived].

Sec. 27-1502. - Off-Street Parking Requirements.

1.

Any new use or change of use in any zoning district shall comply with the following minimum requirements for the provision of off-street parking spaces:

A.

When the calculation of required parking spaces results in a requirement of a fractional parking space, any fraction shall be counted as one parking space.

B.

Where more than one use exists on a lot, parking requirements for each use shall be provided. All calculations for total parking to be provided on a lot shall be cumulative whereas each land use's parking requirements shall be determined and added together for said total regardless of the hours of operation. If uses are undefined at the time of an application to the Township, then the most restrictive ratio identified on the Table of Parking Requirements as found in the following subsection shall be utilized as part of the applicable parking calculation.

C.

The following Table of Parking Requirements specifies the number of spaces required for various categories of uses in any zoning district:

Use Parking Spaces Required EV Required
X = Yes
Single-family and two-family dwellings 2 parking spaces per dwelling unit
Triplex, quadruplex, garden apartments, townhouses 2 parking spaces per dwelling unit, 1 of which must be in an enclosed garage, plus 0.5 space per dwelling unit for visitors located within 300 feet of the units they are intended to serve X
Non-family facility type 1, non-family facility type 2 1 parking space per dwelling unit, plus 1 parking space for each employee on peak shift, plus 0.5 space per dwelling unit for visitors X
Mobile home park 2 parking spaces per dwelling unit, plus 0.5 space per dwelling unit for visitors located within 300 feet of the units they are intended to serve X
Community centers in a planned residential development 1 space for each 10 dwelling units in the development or subdivision X
Agriculture 1 space per employee
Agricultural sales or commercial greenhouse 1 space per employee, plus 1 space for each 400 square feet of growing and display area accessible to the public
Kennel 1 space per employee, plus 1 space for each 4 individual kennel spaces
Surface mining, coal mine facilities 1 space for each employee on the 2 largest shifts combined
Place of worship 1 space per 4 fixed seats or 80 lineal inches of pew, or, if there are no pews or seats, 1 per 75 square feet of net floor area used for assembly X
Day-care center, nursery school 1 space for each teacher and/or employee on largest shift, plus 1 space per each 6 students X
Public utility building or structure 1 space per employee on peak shift, plus 1 space for each service vehicle stored on the lot X
Schools, elementary and intermediate 1 space for each employee or faculty member, and 1 space for each 3 seats in the principal place of assembly with fixed seats or 1 space for each 75 square feet of net floor area used for assembly, if there are no fixed seats, whichever is greater X
Schools, secondary and postsecondary 1 space for each employee or faculty member, plus 1 space for each 5 students or 1 space for each 3 seats in an auditorium and 1 space for each 80 lineal inches of bleacher seating, whichever is greater X
Dormitories, fraternity houses, sorority houses 1 space for each bed at maximum capacity, plus 1 space for each employee, and 0.5 space per bed for guests X
Theater, auditorium or gymnasium 1 space per 3 fixed seats, or, if there are no fixed seats, 1 space for each 75 square feet of net floor area used for assembly, plus 1 space for each 80 lineal inches of bleacher seating X
Hospitals and nursing homes 1 space per 3 beds, and 1 space for each employee on the peak working shift X
Hotel/motel 1 space per employee on peak shift, plus 1 space per sleeping unit, plus 1 space for each 75 square feet of floor area accessible to the public, including lobbies, restaurants, shops, meeting rooms and the like X
Professional office (other than medical), business 1 space for every 300 square feet of net floor area office, business services X
Medical offices, clinics 1 space for each 100 square feet of gross floor area X
Banks and financial institutions 1 space per 300 square feet of gross floor area, plus 1 space per employee on peak shift, plus 5 off-street waiting spaces per drive-through service position
Group-care facility, personal care boarding home, transitional dwelling 1 space for each employee on peak shift, plus 1 space for each resident authorized to drive, plus 1 space for each 6 beds X
Retail business not otherwise listed in this table 1 space for each 250 square feet of gross floor area
Personal service establishments 1 space for each 250 square feet of gross floor area
Furniture store, appliance store 1 space for each 1,500 square feet of display and sales area
Vehicle sales 1 space for each 500 square feet of showroom and indoor sales area X
Shopping center 1 space for each 200 square feet of gross floor area X
Fast-food restaurants 1 space per 75 square feet of net floor area, plus 1 space per employee on peak shift X
Fast-food restaurants with drive-through facilities 1 space per 100 square feet of net floor area, plus 1 space per employee on peak shift, plus the waiting spaces required by Section 27-1406 for drive-through service positions
Nightclubs 1 space for each 30 square feet of net floor area X
Other restaurants, bars or taverns, including catering halls 1 space for each 75 square feet of net floor area, plus 1 space for each employee on peak working shift X
Casinos, gaming facilities, betting parlors 1 space for each 3 seats or playing positions in a casino, gaming facility or betting parlor, plus the number of spaces required for a restaurant or nightclub if those uses are included X
Racetrack 1 space for each 3 seats or lineal inches of bleacher seating in the grandstand or other viewing area, plus the number of spaces required for a restaurant or nightclub if those uses are included X
Bowling alleys 5 spaces for each alley
Tennis, racquetball and handball courts 1 space per employee, plus 4 spaces for each court
Golf courses 8 spaces for each hole, plus 1 space for each employee X
Playing fields, play courts 2 parking spaces for each team member on the field or court during regulation play, plus 1 space for each 3 seats in bleachers or viewing stands or for each 80 lineal inches of bleacher seating X
Swimming pools, public/commercial 1 space for each 50 square feet of surface water area
Amusement or video arcade 1 space for each 100 square feet of net floor area
Billiard parlors 3 spaces for each table
Dance halls, skating rinks 1 space for each 100 square feet of net floor area X
Amusement park 1 space for each 1,500 square feet of gross lot area X
Health clubs, private clubs 1 space for each 100 square feet of net floor area
Funeral homes 1 space for each 50 square feet of floor area in the parlors, plus 1 space for each 300 square feet of remaining gross floor area
Indoor places of assembly (without fixed seats) 1 space for each 75 square feet of net floor area used for assembly X
Indoor places of assembly (with fixed seats) 1 space for each 3 seats X
Outdoor places of assembly (without fixed seats) 1 space for each 1,500 square feet of gross lot area X
Outdoor places of assembly (with fixed seats) 1 space for each 3 seats or 80 lineal inches of bleacher seating X
Libraries/museums 1 space for each 500 square feet of gross floor area, plus the requirement for indoor assembly, if applicable X
Service stations/vehicle repair garages 4 spaces for each bay, plus 1 space for each employee on peak shift, plus 1 space for each business vehicle
Repair shops 1 space for each 350 square feet of gross floor area
Manufacturing 1 space for each 1,500 square feet of gross floor area or 1 space for each employee on the peak working shift, whichever is greater
Warehousing, truck terminals, wholesaling 1 space for each 2 employees on peak working shift or 1 space for each 2,000 square feet of gross floor area, whichever is greater X
Mini-warehouse self-storage facility, self-storage interior 1 space for each employee, plus 1 space for each 300 square feet devoted to office X
Flex space Each portion of the floor area used for office, manufacturing and/or warehousing shall meet the minimum requirements of this section for that specific use
Medical marijuana dispensary 1 space for each 200 square feet of net floor area
Medical marijuana grower/processor 1 space for each 2 employees on peak shift X
All other uses 1 space for each 3 occupants at maximum permitted occupancy under the Township Fire Code or 1 space for each 300 square feet of gross floor area, whichever is greater

 

(Ord. No. 376, 7/24/2018; Ord. No. 402, 10/25/2022)

Sec. 27-1503. - Off-Street Loading.

1.

In all zoning districts, whenever a new use is established or an existing use is structurally altered, converted or enlarged, off-street loading spaces shall be provided in accordance with the requirements of this section.

A.

Off-street loading design.

(1)

Size. Each loading berth shall be at least 60 feet in length and 14 feet in width with an overhead clearance of 15 feet. The area used for loading berths shall not be used to satisfy parking area requirements and shall not block any driveway used for circulation through the site.

(2)

Access. Loading berths shall be designed to provide sufficient turnaround area so that vehicles are not required to back onto public streets, and the design shall be subject to review and approval by the Township Engineer. Loading berths shall have direct access to a driveway and shall be maintained free from obstruction.

(3)

Location. All loading berths shall be located on the same lot with the principal use they are intended to serve. No loading berth shall be located in the minimum required front yard setback. Loading berths shall be located at least 25 feet from the nearest point of intersection of any two streets.

(4)

Screening. Loading berths shall be screened by a minimum eight-foot-high wall or opaque fence on all sides that face a residential use or an R Residential Zoning District classification in addition to the buffer area required by Section 27-1402, Subsection 2.

(5)

Surfacing. All loading berths shall have a paved, concrete or bituminous surface, with adequate thickness to support the weight of a fully loaded vehicle and graded with positive drainage to dispose of surface water.

(6)

Lighting. Any lighting used to illuminate loading berths shall be designed to reflect from any adjoining residential use or zoning classification and away from any street or highway. Spillover lighting shall not exceed 0.2 footcandle at any property line.

B.

Off-street loading requirements. In all zoning districts, every use that requires the receipt or distribution, by tractor-trailer, of material or merchandise shall provide off-street loading berths in accordance with the following requirements:

Gross Floor Area Number of Berths Required
Under 5,000 square feet None
5,000 to 49,999 square feet 1 berth
50,000 to 99,999 square feet 2 berths
100,000 to 160,000 square feet 3 berths
For each additional 80,000 square feet 1 additional berth

 

C.

In addition to required off-street parking and loading facilities, adequate storage areas for vehicles awaiting loading and unloading shall be provided. Under no circumstances shall vehicles be stored on or block access to a public right-of-way.

(Ord. No. 376, 7/24/2018)