Ogdensburg City Zoning Code
§ 30-508
OFF-STREET PARKING, LOADING AREAS AND DRIVEWAYS.
A.
Landscaping.
1.
A screen planting, berm, fence, wall or combination thereof, no less than five feet in height, shall be provided between the off-street parking areas for more than 10 vehicles and any lot line or street line except where a building intervenes or where the distance between such areas and the lot line or street line is greater than one maintained in good condition and without advertising.
2.
All loading areas shall be landscaped and screened sufficiently to obscure the view of the loading vehicles and platforms from any public street, adjacent residential district(s), or on-site parking areas, throughout the year. Such screening shall be by an extension of the building, a fence, berm, wall, evergreen planting or combination thereof and shall not be less than five feet in height.
3.
Each off-street parking area shall have a minimum area equivalent to one parking space per every 25 spaces landscaped with approximately one-half said area having shrubs no higher than three feet and the other half having trees with branches no lower than seven feet. Such landscaped areas shall be distributed throughout the parking area in order to break the view of parked cars in a manner not impairing visibility.
B.
Lighting.
Lighting used to illuminate off-street parking areas shall be arranged to reflect the light away from residential premises and public streets and shall be in accordance with Section 30-504. All parking facilities providing five or more parking spaces shall be lighted.
C.
Paving and Curbing.
1.
All parking and loading areas and access drives shall be paved as outlined below unless said requirement is otherwise waived by the appropriate municipal agency and approved as part of the development application approval. All parking areas, regardless of size and location, shall be suitably drained and maintained.
a.
Areas of ingress or egress, loading and unloading areas, parking areas, interior driveways or access aisles and other areas likely to experience heavy traffic shall be paved with not less than six inches of soil aggregate base course prepared and constructed in accordance with Division 3, Road and Bridge Construction, 1983, as prepared by the New Jersey State Department of Transportation, and any supplements, addenda and modifications thereto. A minimum of two inch compacted wearing surface of bituminous concrete (FABC) shall be constructed thereon in accordance with Division 3, Section 10, of the aforesaid New Jersey State Department of Transportation specifications and amendments thereto.
b.
Where subgrade conditions of proposed parking and loading areas are wet, springy or of such a nature that surfacing would be inadvisable without first treating the subgrade, the treatment of the subgrade shall be made in the following manner: The areas shall be excavated to a suitable depth below the proposed finished grade and filled with a suitable subgrade material as reasonably determined by the Borough Engineer. Where required by the Borough Engineer, a system of porous concrete pipe subsurface drains or an alternate solution approved by the Borough shall be constructed beneath the surface of the parking area and connected to a suitable drain. After the subbase material has been properly placed and compacted, the parking area surfacing material, as described herein above, shall be spread thereon.
2.
All off-street parking lots shall have adequate designations to indicate traffic flow and parking spaces.
3.
Parking spaces shall be dimensional in accordance with the definition of "parking space" in Section 30-200 of this chapter.
4.
All off-street parking and loading areas shall be provided with curbing or curb stops so that vehicles cannot be driven onto required perimeter landscaped areas, buffer zones and street rights-of-way and so that each parking and loading area has controlled entrances and exits and drainage control. Curbing or wheel stops shall be located to prevent any part of a vehicle from overhanging internal sidewalks or landscaped areas. Parking and loading spaces shall not be an extension of any street right-of-way.
5.
An evergreen planting strip not less than five feet in width and six feet in height shall be provided as a buffer between any property line which abuts a residential use or district and any parking area with five or more parking spaces.
D.
Access.
Each lot developed with a detached single-family dwelling unit shall provide an on-site driveway turnaround and shall be permitted only one curb cut per each lot; each curb cut shall be a minimum 10 feet wide and the curb cut and access drive shall be located on the side property line. Each lot developed with other than a detached single- family unit shall not be so restricted, however, curb cut access shall be limited by the Borough Planning Board, as deemed necessary, and no curb cut shall be more than 24 feet in width. In all instances, due consideration to the proposed width, curbing, direction of traffic flow, radii of curves and method of dividing traffic lanes shall be given. Curbing, where required, shall be depressed at the driveway and the curbing may be rounded at the corners. Driveways and access to any public street, except for single-family dwelling units, shall be located at least 35 feet from the intersection of the street at the curb line, and shall be designed in a manner conducive to safe ingress and egress.
E.
Location of Parking and Loading.
Required off-street parking and loading spaces shall be located on the same lot or premises as the use served, regardless of the number of spaces required by this chapter, except that in cases when it is determined during site plan review that the requirements for on-site off-street parking cannot be met because of existing conditions, the location and adequacy of off-site parking spaces to service the use shall be specified on the site plan for approval by the Planning Board. No parking of vehicles shall be permitted in fire lanes, streets, driveways, landscaped areas, aisles, buffer areas, sidewalks or turning areas. Parking may occupy front, side and rear yard areas subject to site plan approval, unless otherwise specified in this chapter. Where different specific activities with different parking requirements share the parking area, the total number of required parking spaces shall be the sum of the individual requirements for each activity.
F.
Type of Facility.
1.
Parking spaces may be on, above or below the surface of the ground. When parking spaces are provided within a garage or other structure, said structure shall adhere to the proper accessory or principal building setbacks, as applicable.
2.
The provision of parking and loading spaces shall also include adequate driveway and necessary turning areas for handling the vehicles for which provision is made. Parking areas shall be designed to permit each motor vehicle to proceed to and from the parking space provided for it without requiring the moving of any other motor vehicles. Aisles providing access to parking areas shall have the following minimum dimensions:
Angle of Parking Space | One-Way Aisle | Two-Way Aisle |
|---|---|---|
90° | 24 feet | 24 feet |
60° | 18 feet | N/A |
45° | 15 feet | N/A |
30° | 15 feet | N/A |
Parallel | 15 feet | N/A |
Where the angle of parking is different on both sides of the aisle, the larger aisle width shall prevail. |
3.
Where the separate designation of a specific loading space is not required for an activity, the required off-street parking area shall not be used for loading and unloading purposes except during hours when normal business operations are suspended.
4.
Parking lots shall not exceed a maximum grade of 6% and shall be so graded that storm water runoff flows from aisles to parking stalls and does not cross drives or roads in a concentrated flow.
G.
Driveways.
[Added 3-28-2022 by Ord. No. 02-2022]
1.
General Standards. In order to protect traffic upon the public thoroughfare within the Borough of Ogdensburg, the Borough deems it necessary to regulate the grade, materials and design standards of driveways that provide entrances and exits from the public thoroughfare. The following standards are applicable for single-family residences:
a.
Within 20 feet of the near street right-of-way line, all driveways shall be constructed in accordance with the following specifications:
(1)
Base material: a minimum of four inches of soil aggregate, Dense Graded Aggregate Base Course (DGA), in accordance with New Jersey Department of Transportation specifications or an approved equal combination of material and thickness.
(2)
Surface material: a minimum two-inch thickness of HMA Surface Course, as per New Jersey Department of Transportation specifications.
b.
Driveway construction beyond 20 feet of the near street right-of-way line shall be constructed with a minimum of four inches of HMA Base Course, as per New Jersey Department of Transportation specifications, except that the Borough Engineer may require extension of the HMA Surface Course material if it is required to prevent erosion and debris on the roadway.
c.
All driveways constructed or modified shall be constructed so as to be as near perpendicular to the existing pavement or traveled way. Any curving alignment of the driveway for aesthetic or topographic reasons shall be accomplished beyond the Borough right-of-way.
d.
All driveways shall be constructed and maintained in such a manner as to prevent erosion of the soil and its deposit upon the street or road, gutters, catch basins, inlets, drains or traveled way. The owner of the property shall be responsible for any debris, soil, water or ice accumulating on the roadway as a direct result of the construction of the driveway.
e.
All driveways constructed or altered shall be constructed in such a manner as to not interfere with the drainage along the proposed or existing pavement or traveled way, nor shall runoff from a driveway discharge beyond an existing ditch onto the traveled way. Under no circumstances shall the driveway be allowed to extend beyond the edge of the existing pavement and traveled way, thereby creating an uneven driving surface on the pavement or traveled way.
f.
The installation of a suitably sized pipe or culvert will be required in the event that the existing flow line or ditch cannot be crossed with a dish-type gutter. The size of the pipe or culvert required shall be determined by the Borough Engineer or his authorized agent.
g.
No cars shall be parked on site except as located within an approved driveway in accordance with this subsection.
h.
No residential zoning lot shall have more than one driveway cut for the purpose of accessing said lot.
2.
Permitting and Design Criteria.
No driveway entrance may be constructed or existing driveway entrance altered within an existing or future street or road right-of-way without first obtaining an approved driveway construction permit from the Borough Zoning Officer. If necessary, the application would need to be submitted to the Borough Engineer.
a.
Applications for new driveways or modifications shall be directed to the Borough Engineer. Plans and profiles as required below for the proposed driveway, prepared in a workmanlike and professional manner, shall be submitted to the Borough Zoning Officer. If necessary, the application would need to be submitted to the Borough Engineer.
b.
Design criteria. All driveways shall conform to the following criteria:
(1)
No portion of the grade of a driveway may exceed 15%.
(2)
To prevent erosion, the side slopes of driveways shall be topsoiled, seeded, fertilized and mulched in accordance with the Sussex County Soil Conservation District standards. If banks exceed a one-foot rise in a two-foot horizontal grade, retaining walls shall be required.
(3)
Turning radii measured on the inside curve of the driveway shall not be less than 25 feet.
(4)
Within 25 feet of the centerline of an existing Borough road, the finished grade of a driveway shall not exceed 2%.
(5)
Profiles of the centerline of the driveway, both existing and proposed, shall be submitted for the entire length of the driveway from the centerline of the Borough road to the garage floor for an existing slope in excess of 10%.
(6)
Within 20 feet of the garage, the grade shall not exceed 3%. Downhill grades must have the drainage directed away from the dwelling.
(7)
The Borough Engineer shall have the authority to reasonably direct the owner to construct the driveway at such a location as to maximize sight distance.
(8)
The plan must indicate the method of discharge of stormwater drainage from the driveway into the Borough drainage system.
(9)
All driveways shall have a minimum width of 10 feet for single-family homes.
(10)
Adequate vertical transition for all grade changes shall be provided.
(11)
Where a site occupies a corner of two intersecting roads, no driveway shall, where possible, be located within 100 feet of the centerline intersection and shall, where possible, connect to the less trafficked street.
(12)
The entire length of all driveways having a grade in excess of 10% from the road pavement to the terminus of the driveway shall be required to be paved in accordance with the standards with reference to pavement within the first 50 feet of the street right-of-way line. Alternative pavement material can be used if approved by the Borough Engineer. There shall be a minimum centerline radius on all curves within any driveway of not less than 25 feet. Upon good cause shown, upon application to the Land Use Board or an approving authority before which an application is pending, the approving agency has the right to waive this requirement, in whole or in part, in its sole discretion.
(13)
Driveway openings shall not exceed more than 24 feet in width.
(14)
All driveways on residential lots shall maintain a minimum setback of five feet from the adjacent lot.
(15)
Where a driveway is longer than 500 feet, unless otherwise determined by the Borough Engineer, a pull-off shall be provided at least every 300 feet along the driveway, so as to permit emergency vehicles to pass each other safely. Where pull-offs are required, they shall become part of the driveway design.
c.
Plans showing a proposed disturbed area in excess of 5,000 square feet may be sent, at the Engineer's discretion, to the Sussex County Soil Conservation District for recommendations on soil erosion control prior to application approval.
d.
An as-built driveway plan shall be required if, in the judgment of the Borough Engineer, the finished driveway does not conform to the driveway design as approved.
e.
A Certificate of Occupancy shall not be issued by the Construction Code Official until the driveway construction is completed in accordance with the approved application to the satisfaction of the Borough Engineer.
3.
Permit Fee.
All applications for new driveways or modifications made to existing driveways that change slope, contour, material to construct driveway or footprint shall be submitted to the Zoning Officer with an application fee of $50.
4.
Exceptions.
a.
The property owner may apply to the Borough Council for an exception from provisions of this section if the literal enforcement of such provision is impracticable or will exact undue hardship because of peculiar conditions pertaining to the land. Such application shall present an alternative, which is within the general purpose of this section.
b.
The Borough Council shall consider the recommendations of the Borough Engineer in such cases. The decisions of the Council shall be made by resolution. Applicant is required to post escrow fee in amount of $500 for the Borough's professional(s) to review the proposal.
5.
Violations and Penalties.
Any person or persons violating the provisions of this section shall be punished by a fine not to exceed $500 or by imprisonment for a term not to exceed 90 days, or both.