The requirements and regulations of this chapter shall apply to any development or redevelopment of/and within the City of Norwalk.

It shall be the intent of this chapter to prevent traffic congestion and to provide for proper traffic safety by preserving the public thoroughfares for the unimpaired movement of pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Therefore, it shall be recognized that the requirements of this chapter are minimum and that in certain uses of land, these requirements may be inadequate. Where review of the site plans and intended land use indicate through the application of proven standards or experienced statistics that the requirements herein are inadequate for the specific land use adaptation, a greater requirement for off-street parking space is justified and may be required to preserve the intent of this chapter.

In any zoning district in connection with every building or part thereof hereafter erected, having a gross floor area of ten thousand (10,000) square feet or more, which is to be occupied by manufacturing, storage, warehouse, goods display, retail store, wholesale store, market, hotel, hospital, mortuary, office buildings, or other similar commercial or industrial uses which require the receipt or distribution by vehicles of material or merchandise, there shall be provided and maintained on the same lot with such building, at least one (1) off-street loading space, and for multiple tenant commercial/retail shopping centers, one (1) additional such loading space for each twenty thousand (20,000) square feet or major fraction thereof of gross floor area so used in excess of ten thousand (10,000) square feet, provided the total number of loading spaces is not required to be more than the total number of occupying tenants.

   1.   Each loading space shall not be less than nine (9) feet in width and nineteen (19) feet in length for loading spaces not requiring loading dock access, and twelve (12) feet in width and fifty (50) feet in length for loading dock access for trucks. All loading areas shall be designed in a manner acceptable to the City and provide adequate space for loading access.

   2.   Such loading area may occupy part of a required yard or court space, except required open space under Chapter 175D, and provided the loading area and access roadways meet all setbacks required of off-street parking areas as set forth in this chapter.

   3.   Loading yards and loading docks shall be located and buffered from general public view, public streets, public buildings, recreation facilities, parks, schools, places of assembly for worship, residential zoning districts and uses, C-O and PC Zoning Districts, and screened from all other adjoining properties where it is determined said loading areas are considered offensive to more restrictive uses.

   4.   All loading yards and accesses to loading yards and loading docks shall be paved with asphaltic or Portland cement concrete pavement in accordance with surfacing requirements set forth in this chapter.

   1.   In all zoning districts in connection with every industrial, commercial, business, trade, institutional, recreational, or dwelling use, and similar uses, space for parking and storage of vehicles shall be provided in accordance with the following schedule.

   2.   Change of Use. Any lot with a change of use upon its premise shall provide an adequate number of parking spaces required by the new use in accordance with the standards set forth within this chapter. For buildings which are designed to accommodate a use permitted in the zoning district which can create a greater demand for parking than the initial use of the property, additional open space can be required by the City Council to accommodate additional parking, if a change of use occurs.

   3.   Mixed Uses. For multiple use buildings and/or sites which are not multi-tenant retail shopping centers, space for parking and storage of vehicles shall be provided in accordance with parking requirements of each use.

   4.   Uses Not Listed Herein. In case the parking requirement of a building or use is not specifically mentioned herein, the parking space requirements for a use which is listed above and to which said use is similar, shall apply as determined by the Zoning Administrator. If no similar use is listed, the parking space requirements shall be determined based upon other available references or qualified sources of information to adequately determine parking demand.

   5.   Parking Area Dimensions. A parking stall reserved for the parking of automobiles shall have a dimension of not less than nine (9) feet in stall width and nineteen (19) feet in depth for 90º parking without front-end overhang over an open space area, plus such additional parking bay stall aisle width based on proven traffic engineering standards acceptable to the City of Norwalk and conforming to the minimum standards for parking lot dimensions set forth herein necessary to afford adequate ingress and egress. Where there is front end overhang over an open space area, the minimum stall depth for a parking space may be reduced two (2) feet. The following dimensions are minimum standards for the design of a parking lot for parking stalls without an overhang over an open space area:

 

      Two-Way Traffic Parking Bay Aisles and Access Roadways. All two-way traffic parking bay aisles and access roadways shall have a minimum 24' width.

      Note: The stall depth is the distance perpendicular to the parking bay aisle from the edge of the aisle to the most distant point of the parking stall, and stall width is the distance between the parking stall lines measured perpendicular to the lines.

   6.   Performance Standards. Every parcel of land hereafter used as a public or private off-street parking area shall be developed and maintained in accordance with the following requirements:

      A.   Setback Requirements. No part of any parking space shall be closer than fifteen (15) feet to any established public street right-of-way or public street easement, except as hereinafter required for the following uses and zoned districts, and as shall be necessary to provide adequate landscaped screening as required by Paragraph D below:

         (1)   Single family and townhouse residences. Parking on driveways for single family and townhouse residences shall not encroach into the public street right-of-way.

         (2)   In the PC and IC Zoning Districts: twenty (20) feet.

Greater setbacks for off-street parking lots from public street right-of-ways may be required by the City for parking lots fronting planned arterial streets and collector streets which are proposed to be widened in the future. No part of any parking space shall be closer than eight (8) feet to an established alley line or five (5) feet from an adjoining lot line, unless the parking space adjoining a lot line is part of a common parking lot of joint usage between adjoining lots or within the driveway of a single family residence. Parking on driveways in all zoned districts shall not be permitted within the public street right-of-way or across public sidewalks. Driveways and associated off-street parking areas for single family residences shall not be located closer than one (1) foot from an adjoining residential lot line, unless such driveway is of joint usage by adjoining residential lot owners. Driveway approach returns shall not extend beyond the side lot line as extended, unless such driveway is of joint usage by the adjoining lots.

      B.   Surfacing Requirements. All off-street parking areas, loading areas, driveways, and access roadways shall have a durable and dustless surface paved with asphaltic or Portland cement concrete pavement in accordance with the latest published version of the Statewide Urban Design and Specifications (SUDAS), with the following exception:

Lots over 3 acres in size that are designated in the A-R, Agricultural Reserve District, shall be allowed granular surface driveways and access roadways that are designed in accordance with the latest published version of SUDAS.

The City may grant special use of other hard surface materials for off-street parking areas, loading areas, driveways, and access roadways provided that the materials are reviewed by City staff for durability and suitability and that the alternative material is approved for use by the Planning and Zoning Commission and the City Council. In all zoning districts, off-street parking of automobiles, vans, construction equipment, and any other mobile vehicles equipped for street and highway travel shall be on an asphaltic or Portland cement concrete paved off-street parking area as required herein and not parked or stored within the landscaped open space area of the front yard between the building and public street right-of-way, except however, the storage of a recreational vehicle, a camper, and boat within the rear yard upon an unpaved area shall be permitted. Paved driveways and any associated off-street parking areas within the front yard of a single-family detached residence shall not occupy greater than fifty (50) percent of the area between the building setback line and public right-of-way, and shall not provide greater than one (1) parking space in addition to that provided in the traveled portion of the driveway. Driveways shall not be greater than 20 feet in width between the public street roadway and a point on private property which is setback five (5) feet from the street right-of-way. Driveways shall be so graded and drained to dispose of the surface water to the street or public designated storm water drainage easements or facilities. Parking a vehicle in violation of this Section shall constitute a nuisance and the specific fine for violation of this Section is contained in Chapter 177 Rates and Fees.

      C.   Lighting. Any lighting used to illuminate any off-street parking or loading area shall be so arranged as to divert the light away from adjoining residential uses or premises, and away from the traveled roadway of public streets.

      D.   Landscaping, Screening and Open Space Requirements. It is desired that all parking areas be aesthetically improved to reduce obtrusive characteristics which are inherent to their use. Therefore, wherever practical and except for single family detached and townhouse style residential parking in driveways, all new parking areas shall be screened as practical from public street view by incorporating natural landscape and topography with the introduction of permanent earth berming of an adequate height, and additional landscape plantings to accomplish this desire. In any case, all parking areas shall include landscape areas and islands within the boundaries of the paved parking area equal to not less than five (5) percent of the total paved area. Landscaped islands within the parking area shall have ground cover of grass (i.e. sod), shrubs, or other acceptable plant life, unless an alternate ground cover is specifically approved as part of the site plan review by the City. Landscape islands within the parking area shall not be less than a minimum of eight (8) feet in width from back of curb to back of curb, and a minimum area of two hundred fifty (250) square feet, and no parking space shall be greater than seventy-five (75) feet from a landscaped open space. Parking spaces shall be separated from any adjoining roadway, except the roadway or parking bay aisle providing direct access to the parking space, by a landscaped island or elevated separation (i.e. sidewalk) of a minimum of nine (9) feet in width.

      E.   Off-Street Parking Access to Public Streets and Internal Traffic Circulation. Off-street parking or loading facilities shall be designed so as to permit entrance and exit by forward movement of the vehicle for all uses, except single-family detached or townhouse dwellings which shall be permitted backward movement from a driveway. The backing or backward movement of vehicles from a driveway, off-street parking or loading area onto a major thoroughfare, including all thoroughfares designated as arterial streets or major collector streets on the Major Streets Plan shall be strictly prohibited for all uses. The number of ingress/egress access points to public streets from off-street parking areas shall be approved by the City and located to limit vehicular conflicts, provide acceptable location of driveway accesses to public streets, preserve proper traffic safety and, as possible, not impair movement of vehicular traffic on public streets. The permitted number of ingress/egress driveway approaches to public streets for an off-street parking lot shall be dependent upon the projected future average daily traffic (ADT) for the public street. As possible, public street accesses shall be located in alignment with driveway approaches gaining access to the same public street from property on the opposite side of the street. The design of off-street parking and loading facilities shall provide traffic circulation for the internal forward movement of traffic within the parking lot, so designed, limiting any impairment of vehicular movement on public streets, or backing of vehicles from an off-street parking or loading area to a public street. Single-family residential lots shall be permitted one (1) driveway approach for ingress and egress for each increment of one hundred (100) feet of frontage per street. Landscaped separations between ingress and egress lanes for driveway approaches serving single-family detached residences shall not be less than twenty (20) feet.

      F.   Handicap Accessible Parking Requirements. Provision of handicapped parking spaces within off-street parking areas shall be in accordance with applicable federal, state and local regulations, properly identified with signage and provided with accessible ramps and walks in accordance with federal and state regulations and comply with the following parking space minimum requirements:

 

Access space or aisle adjacent to a handicap accessible parking space shall be a minimum five (5) feet wide. One in every eight handicap accessible spaces, but not less than one shall be served by an access space or aisle eight (8) feet wide minimum and shall be designated “van accessible.”

      G.   Satellite Parking Areas. Satellite parking areas shall not be permitted except by special use permit.

The City Council reserves the right to waive or modify to a lesser requirement any provision or requirement of off-street parking and loading areas contained in this chapter, provided a recommendation on such change is submitted by the Planning and Zoning Commission, and further provided said waiver or modification does not adversely affect the intent of these regulations to adequately safeguard the general public and surrounding property. Exceptions will only be considered for those uses where special circumstances warrant a change and whereby the modification or waiver is determined to be in the best interest of the general public.