Oswego City Zoning Code

Residential uses.

Hotels, motels, tourist homes, boardinghouses, dormitories, fraternities, sororities or nursing homes: three parking spaces, plus one space for every guest room or person.

Hospitals: three parking spaces, plus one space for every two beds.

Places of public assembly: one parking space for every five seats; or one parking space for every 100 square feet of floor area.

Business, professional and medical offices; three parking spaces, plus one space for every 200 square feet of office area.

Commercial and business uses in groups over 20,000 square feet of business floor area: one parking space for every 100 square feet of business area.

Commercial and business uses as individual establishments on separate lots; one parking space for every 300 square feet of business area, plus one parking space for every motor vehicle used directly in the business.

Restaurants and eating and drinking establishments: one parking space for every 100 square feet of floor area.

Industrial, wholesale, warehouse, storage, freight and trucking uses: one parking space for every motor vehicle used directly in the business, plus additional parking as required by the Board.

Unspecified uses: as required by the Planning Board based upon use intensity, turnover, customers, employees and vehicles used.

Unless specified otherwise, the regulations in this article apply to districts not covered by the Design Standards.

The Planning Board, under its powers of site plan review and approval, may modify requirements for parking and loading spaces and:

The Planning Board shall take into account existing parking spaces in the vicinity of the proposed development.

Required parking shall be provided within 500 feet of the use for which it is intended. If provided on a separate lot, such parking areas shall be held in the same ownership as the lot containing the use.

A parking plan shall be submitted to the Planning Board for approval for any parking area in Residential TN1, TN2, SR and UR Districts containing more than two required parking spaces, or in the case of any property which is required to obtain a rental permit as provided for elsewhere within the Code of the City of Oswego. The paved area of the property shall not exceed 25% of the total area of the property, except in the TN1 and TN2 Districts where the paved area of the property shall not exceed 12.5%, or a maximum of 17.5% should, in the opinion of the Permit Administrator, a hardship exist that requires a larger paved area. Such hardship must be related to the size of the vehicle, a demonstrated medical need for a larger paved area to accommodate the size of the vehicle. This plan shall be a part of a site plan, in which case it shall be reviewed and approved in accordance with §§ 280-35 through 280-38. The location and dimensions of all access roadways shall be approved by the Permit Administrator.

Off-street parking for one-family, two-family and multiple-family residences.

Unobstructed and direct access shall be provided between every parking area and a public street. Access roadways shall cross front yards approximately perpendicular to the street line. The minimum width of access roadways shall at least conform to the following schedule:

Parking spaces shall be at least 8 1/2 feet wide and 18 feet long.

If a parking area is attendant controlled, the parking plan may not show aisles, driveways and spaces, but shall show landscaping, lighting and access to public streets. The plan shall also show the location, dimensions and elevations of the attendant's structure and the waiting areas for patrons. Parking in an attendant-controlled facility shall be provided at a rate of 250 square feet of parking area for each space required.

Open or enclosed parking areas shall not encroach on any required yard or usable open spaces, except that in residential districts open parking areas may be located within three feet of any lot lines in side or rear yards.

Open parking areas may be permitted in front yards by special permit if it can be shown to the satisfaction of the Board of Appeals that such areas will benefit the public, not impede pedestrian movement, be aesthetically suitable and be adequately landscaped.

Open parking spaces, in public space, between the curb and sidewalk and between the sidewalk and property line, as well as between the curb and property line in cases where there are no sidewalks, shall be prohibited.

All off-street loading areas shall be located on the same lot as the use for which they are permitted or required and shall not be located within required front yards, side yards, off-street parking areas or accessways.

Each required loading space shall be at least 35 feet long, 12 feet wide and 14 feet high.

Accessways, at least 12 feet in width and 14 feet of vertical clearance, shall connect all loading spaces or areas with a street. Such accessways may be coincidental with access roadways or driveways to parking areas.

All parking or loading areas shall be paved with concrete, asphalt or brick and shall be adequately drained.

In residential districts, parking areas for three or more vehicles adjoining side or rear lot lines shall be screened from adjacent residential lots by walls, fences or hedges to prevent the viewing of parked automobiles from the minimum side yard or rear yard of such adjacent lots.

In nonresidential districts, parking or loading areas shall be visually screened so that vehicles parked therein shall not be visible at ground level from any residential lot within 100 feet. Lighting for parking areas shall not be directed toward any residential lots or buildings.

At least 10% of the total required off-street parking area shall be landscaped according to a landscaping plan approved as a part of site plan approval.