Orange City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XVIII
Off-Street Parking and Loading
§ 383-171 Purpose.
It is the purpose and intent of this article to assure that parking and loading spaces are provided off the street in such number and location and with suitable design and construction to accommodate the motor vehicles of occupants, employees, customers, suppliers and other persons normally visiting or servicing a use at any one time.
§ 383-172 Definitions.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
The entire floor area of a structure including exterior walls with the following deductions:
The GFA defined above with the following deductions:
A.
Permanently designed atriums, courtyards, accessways, common areas, public lobbies and plazas.
§ 383-173 Parking requirements.
A.
Off-street parking and loading spaces, required to be provided by this article, shall be permanently maintained and made available for occupancy in connection with and for the full duration of the use of land, buildings and other structures for which such structures are herein required.
B.
If any existing use of land, buildings or other structures, conforming to the requirements of this article, is changed to a use requiring additional off-street parking or loading spaces to comply with this article, the additional spaces shall be provided for the new use in accordance with the standards hereinafter specified unless a special permit for a temporary change of use exemption in accordance with § 383-175F is granted by the Commission.
C.
When the calculation of the number of required off-street parking or loading spaces results in a requirement of a fractional space, any fraction shall be interpreted as one whole space with a minimum of one space for any use that requires the provision of parking or loading spaces.
D.
Parking spaces shall be located on the same lot with the use they are intended to serve except that:
(1)
The following uses may, with approval of the Commission, utilize parking spaces on a lot that is in a commercial or industrial district and not more than 500 feet distant as measured along the line of public access:
(2)
Joint parking areas may be established by the owners of separate lots in order to provide the total number of off-street parking spaces required for the following uses provided that evidence as to the permanency of jointly provided parking spaces shall be provided by the applicant:
(a)
Shopping centers, retail stores, and garden center.
(b)
Motor vehicle service stations and repair garages.
(c)
Funeral parlor.
(d)
Business and professional offices.
(e)
Financial institutions and similar institutions.
(f)
Medical and dental clinics.
(g)
Restaurants and other food or beverage service establishments.
(h)
Hotels and motels.
(i)
Funeral parlor.
(j)
Places of amusement.
(k)
Establishments for manufacture, processing, assembling of goods.
(l)
Warehouses, wholesale businesses, truck terminals.
E.
Where the parking standards provided in § 383-174 are based on legal occupancy, such legal occupancy shall be determined by the Fire Marshal.
F.
Whenever two or more classifications provided in § 383-174 shall apply to a use of land, buildings or other structures, the standard requiring the larger number of parking spaces shall apply, but where separate parts of a building or structure are used for purposes requiring a different number of parking spaces, the number of required spaces shall be determined by adding the number of spaces required for each part.
G.
All required parking spaces shall be available for use at all times. No sales or servicing or dead storage of automobiles, trucks, or automotive equipment shall be carried on in any parking or loading space.
§ 383-174 Number of spaces required.
[Amended 6-7-2022; 1-7-2022]
Unless otherwise authorized in accordance with § 383-175 or any other section of these regulations, the following number of parking spaces shall be provided:
A. | If Uses Not Listed Below | |
1. | Other uses not listed in this § 383-174 | Off-street parking spaces as approved by resolution of the Commission as sufficient to preserve the purpose and intent of this article |
B. | Residential-Type Uses | Minimum Parking Requirement |
1. | Structures containing one dwelling unit | 2.0 spaces |
2. | Structures containing two dwelling units | 2.0 spaces per dwelling unit |
3. | Structures containing three or more dwelling units (when not part of a Planned Residential Development) | 1.5 spaces per dwelling unit |
4. | Multiple dwelling units (in a Planned Residential Development) | 2.0 spaces per dwelling unit |
5. | Rooms to rent in a dwelling unit | 1.0 space per two beds offered for rent |
C. | Institutional-Type Uses | Minimum Parking Requirement |
1. | Churches and places of worship | 1.0 space for each four legal occupants |
2. | Educational facilities including vocational, trade, business schools, colleges and similar types of secondary or post-secondary educational facilities | 1.0 space for each nonresident student plus 1.0 space per each four resident students plus 1.0 space for each two employees |
3. | Hospitals; and healthcare facilities with inpatient beds | 1.0 space for each three beds for patients and 1.0 space per each 1.5 employees during the largest daily work shift period |
D. | Public Assembly-Type Uses | Minimum Parking Requirement |
1. | Theaters, including movie theaters and assembly halls, or stadium | 1.0 space for each four legal occupants |
2. | Places of amusement, including bowling alleys, recreational facilities, arcades and similar | 1.0 space for each three legal occupants. The Commission may, by special permit, allow a lesser number of parking spaces than required above, if it finds that the applicant has demonstrated that the peak demand for parking would not require this number of spaces, or that adequate off-street parking exists elsewhere that can be utilized by the visitors or patrons |
E. | Retail/Service Type Uses | Minimum Parking Requirement |
1. | Shopping centers and retail stores up to and including 10,000 square feet of gross leasable area | 4.50 spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross leasable area |
2. | Shopping centers and retail stores of 10,001 to 25,000 square feet of gross leasable area | 4.00 spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross leasable area but not less than 45 spaces |
3. | Shopping centers and retail stores of 25,001 square feet or more of gross leasable area | 3.75 spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross leasable area but not less than 100 spaces |
4. | Garden center: stand-alone, with a permanent roof, or when comprising 20% or more of the ground floor area of the retail establishment it is attached to and part of | 4.00 spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross leasable area. |
5. | Garden center: without a permanent roof and when comprising less than 20% of the ground floor area of the retail establishment it is attached to and part of | No additional spaces required |
6. | Motor vehicle service stations and repair garages | 4.0 spaces for each service bay |
7. | Funeral parlor | 1.0 space for each three legal occupants |
8. | Electric vehicle showroom | 2.0 spaces per 1,000 square feet of showroom, plus 4 spaces for each service bay |
9. | Community travel center | 4.0 spaces per 1,000 square feet for retail area, plus 8 spaces per 1,000 square feet of restaurant area |
10. | Self-storage facility | 1.0 spaces per 10,000 square feet of gross floor area and 1.0 loading space for each 100,000 square feet or portion thereof |
F. | Office-Type Uses | Minimum Parking Requirement |
1. | Business and professional offices | 4.0 spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area |
2. | Financial institutions and similar institutions | 4.0 spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area |
3. | Medical and dental clinics | 5.0 spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area |
G. | Hospitality-Type Uses | Minimum Parking Requirement |
1. | Restaurants and other food or beverage service establishments | 10 spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area |
2. | Hotels and motels | 1.0 space for each sleeping room plus 1.0 space per employee on the largest shift plus any spaces as required for restaurant and/or banquet or conference facilities |
H. | Industrial Uses | Minimum Parking Requirement |
1. | Establishments for the manufacture, processing or assembling of goods | 2.0 spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area |
2. | Warehouses, wholesale businesses, truck terminals | 4.0 spaces per each 1,000 square feet of office space plus 3.0 spaces per loading bay |
I. | Other Uses | Minimum Parking Requirement |
2. | Day-care facilities | 1.0 space per employee plus 1.0 space per eight licensed client capacity |
§ 383-175 Potential reduction of parking requirement.
The Commission may authorize a reduction in the number of parking spaces as follows:
A.
Permanent parking exemption. The Commission, after due notice and public hearings as required for adoption or amendment of these regulations, may delineate areas which shall be exempt from the required provisions of off-street parking spaces under § 383-174. Such delineation shall be shown on the Zoning Map and be made only after the Commission determines that the Town of Orange, or a combination of the Town and property owners, will provide sufficient and permanent off-street parking spaces to carry out the purpose and intent of this article.
B.
Permanent parking reduction for one property. The Commission may, by special permit, reduce the cumulative number of required parking spaces for one property provided the Commission finds one or more of the following based on information provided by the applicant:
(1)
Peak parking demands among uses occur at different hours of the day and this offset results in a lower net peak parking demand;
(2)
Synergistic relationships among uses allow patrons to park once while accessing multiple locations or allow for multiple purpose trips to occur within the development(s); or
(3)
The uses are likely to generate transit, bicycle or pedestrian trips and accommodations have been made to support these alternative forms of transportation.
C.
Permanent parking reduction for multiple properties. The Commission may, by special permit, reduce the cumulative number of required parking spaces for two or more properties provided that a functional and interconnected parking arrangement is provided within and between the properties, that an agreement for joint access and parking, in perpetuity, acceptable to the Commission is filed on the land records, and further provided the Commission finds one or more of the following based on information provided by the applicant:
(1)
Peak parking demands among uses occur at different hours of the day and this offset results in a lower net peak parking demand;
(2)
Synergistic relationships among uses allow patrons to park once while accessing multiple locations or allow for multiple purpose trips to occur within the development(s); or
(3)
The uses are likely to generate transit, bicycle or pedestrian trips and accommodations have been made to support these alternative forms of transportation.
D.
Permanent mixed-use development reduction. In a development with mixed-use buildings designed and built in a walkable and pedestrian friendly configuration, the Commission may consider the following shared parking factors in reviewing a special permit application requesting a reduction of the number of parking spaces (the shared parking factor is applied to the sum of the individual parking requirements):
Shared Parking Factor | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Residential | Lodging | Office | Retail | ||
Residential | 100% | — | — | — | |
Lodging | 90% | 100% | — | — | |
Office | 70% | 60% | 100% | — | |
Retail | 80% | 75% | 80% | 100% | |
E.
Permanent compact space parking reduction. In parking lots in excess of 50 spaces in the OP, BOP, LI-1, LI-2, or LI-4-Zone, the Commission may, by special permit, allow the installation of compact spaces, not to exceed 10% of the total number of spaces installed, at eight feet by 16 feet. These spaces shall be clearly designated as compact car parking. This reduction may only be considered for single-tenant buildings where there is reasonable assurance of private control of these areas.
F.
Temporary change of use exemption. In the event that no new buildings or structures are being established and the land area, structures or permitted uses are simply being changed from one permitted use to another permitted use allowed under these regulations, no additional parking spaces shall be required, provided that:
G.
Temporary parking installation reduction. The Commission may, by special permit, waive the immediate installation of up to 25% of the required parking spaces where sufficient evidence has been presented, in the judgment of the Commission, to show that the reduced parking facilities will adequately serve the proposed use. The special permit shall be applicable only to the particular use or occupancy of land, buildings, or other structures specified in the application, and such special permit and certificate of zoning compliance issued for the use shall become null and void in the event that such use or occupancy is changed to another use or occupancy. Before approval of a waiver by the Commission, the applicant shall show upon the site development plan the complete layout for the full parking requirements and the design of the complete stormwater management system designed to handle the deferred parking pavement. The owner shall file the plan approved by the Commission in the Office of the Town Clerk, stipulating that:
(1)
The complete stormwater management system shall be installed at the time of initial development; and
(2)
The owner, or the successor and assigns of the owner, will install as many of the waived parking spaces as the Commission deems necessary within six months of the Commission's request, when, in the opinion of the Commission, such installation is needed.
§ 383-176 Loading spaces.
A.
Each building having a ground floor area in excess of 5,000 square feet shall have one off-street loading space for each 40,000 square feet of gross floor area, or fraction thereof, excluding basements, and located on the same lot with the building.
B.
The Commission may, by special permit, authorize the installation of fewer off-street loading spaces if the Commission determines that:
§ 383-177 Design and construction standards.
All off-street parking and loading spaces hereafter established, whether required to be provided by this article or not, shall conform to the design and construction standards specified in this section as well as to any standards and conditions for approval of a site plan or special use under these regulations.
A.
Configuration of nonhandicapped parking spaces. Parking stalls and driveways shall be of appropriate shape, vertical clearance, access and slope to accommodate one automobile and shall conform to the following standards except that a parking space located in or on a building or structure may be eight feet wide:
Parking Area Dimensions | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A. | Parking angle | 0° | 30° | 45° | 60° | 90° | ||
B. | Curb length (feet) | 22 | 16 feet 6 inches | 12 feet 9 inches | 10 feet 5 inches | 9 | ||
C. | Stall depth (feet) | 8 | 18 feet | 19 feet | 19 feet | 18 | ||
D. | Driveway width | |||||||
One-way (feet) | 12 | 13 feet | 15 feet | 18 feet | 20 | |||
Two-way (feet) | 20 | 20 feet | 20 feet | 22 feet | 24 | |||
E. | Parking space width (feet) | 8 | 9 feet | 9 feet | 9 feet | 9 | ||
F. | Parking space length (feet) | 22 | 18 feet | 18 feet | 18 feet | 18 | ||
 |
B.
Configuration of handicapped parking spaces. Parking shall be provided for the physically handicapped in accordance with the Basic Building Code of the State of Connecticut, as may be amended from time to time.
C.
Configuration of loading space. Each loading space shall have a shape, vertical clearance, access and slope to accommodate the type of trucks regularly serving the premises but each loading space shall be at least 12.0 feet in width, 30 feet in length and have a 14 feet vertical clearance to accommodate a truck. No off-street loading space shall be located in the area required for building setback from a street line or residence district boundary line.
D.
Access to spaces.
(1)
Entrances and exits from parking areas and loading spaces into streets shall be located and arranged in such a manner as to minimize hazards to pedestrian and vehicular travel in the street.
(2)
Each parking space shall be provided with adequate area for aisles and access lanes, so that an automobile, having an overall length of 18 feet, can approach the space and execute any necessary backing and turning movements without need to use any part of the right-of-way of a street and can exit onto the street in a frontward direction; the requirement for frontward exit shall not apply to parking spaces provided in connection with a dwelling containing one or two dwelling units, or rooms to rent in a dwelling unit, when the exit from such spaces is onto a street that is not a state highway.
(3)
No loading space, including any truck loading bay, ramp or dock, shall be arranged in a manner that trucks must back within any part of the right-of-way of a street in order to use such space.
E.
Improvements.
(1)
All parking and loading spaces shall be suitably improved, graded, stabilized and maintained so as to cause no nuisance or danger from dust or from stormwater flow onto any street.
(2)
In other than residence districts, all off-street parking and loading spaces shall be paved with an all-weather surface, shall be suitably marked to conform to required minimum dimensions and shall be maintained in such a manner that, in the opinion of the Commission, allows convenient occupancy for the duration of the use for which the spaces are required.
(3)
Marking between the sides of adjacent parking spaces shall be by printed double lines unless the Commission approves an alternate marking method, taking into account the size and layout of the parking area.
(4)
Any parking or loading spaces, and any aisles and access lanes in connection therewith, located within 10 feet of any street or property line, other than a property line authorized by grant of a special use under §§ 383-21A, 383-23G and 383-24A and Article XIV, shall be separated from such street or property line by a concrete curb, a fence or a wall or by an embankment not less than 24 inches in height, and shall be provided with the curb, fence, wall or embankment in such a manner that vehicles will not overhang the street or property line.
§ 383-178 Provision of trees and shrubs in parking areas.
In addition to the landscaping provisions of Article XIII of these regulations, any parking area for 30 or more vehicles shall be landscaped with the following items per every 10 vehicles accommodated by the parking area unless modified by the Commission by special permit:
A.
One landscape island at least nine feet wide by 18 feet in length (incorporating low-impact development approaches to stormwater runoff is strongly encouraged within such islands);
B.
One deciduous tree planted and maintained at 3.0 to 3.5 inches in caliper; and
C.
Low plantings (including shrubs) which will not obstruct sight lines (incorporating low-impact development approaches to stormwater runoff is strongly encouraged with such planting).
§ 383-179 Access management.
B.
Where the Commission determines it necessary in order to protect public safety and/or to promote orderly development, the Commission may require that the applicant make provisions to:
C.
The applicant shall consult with the Orange Traffic Authority and District 3 of the Connecticut Department of Transportation for any application or activity which involves a cut or modification in the curb line of a State Route.