Plymouth Township City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XVII
Off-Street Parking and Loading
Section 1700 Required off-street parking facilities.
[Ord. No. 379, § 10, 11-13-1961; Ord. No. 618, § 3, 2-8-1971; Ord. No. 935, § 4, 7-8-1985; Ord. No. 1019, § 7(B), 11-13-1989; Ord. No. 1253, § 7, 1-26-1998; Ord. No. 1553, 3-14-2011; Ord. No. 1558, § 5, 8-8-2011]
Any building or other structure erected, altered or used, and any lot used or occupied, for any of the following purposes shall be provided with minimum off-street parking spaces as set forth below, together with adequate passageways, driveways or other means of circulation and access to and from a street or way. Each parking space shall consist of a rectangular area having dimensions not less than nine (9) feet in width and eighteen (18) feet in length, except as permitted by section 1705. Aisles serving such parking spaces shall have a minimum width of twenty-six (26) feet, except as permitted by section 1705. In the event that individual zoning district regulations elsewhere in this ordinance conflict with the regulations in this article, the requirements of such individual zoning districts shall control.
A.
Dwelling: One (1) all-weather parking space per family on the same lot therewith; provided, that in D Residential District for any dwelling other than single-family or two-family the required space need not be located on the same lot if situated within three hundred (300) feet of such dwelling.
B.
Roominghouse dwelling: One (1) all-weather parking space for each room for rent on the same lot therewith or on land adjacent thereto.
C.
For any of the following uses the required parking space shall be all-weather and shall be located on the same lot therewith or on land adjacent thereto:
1.
Church, school, public auditorium, assembly or meeting room, or other similar place of public or private assembly; one (1) parking spaces for every four (4) seats provided for public assembly.
2.
Stadium or other similar place of assembly; one (1) parking space for every four (4) seats.
3.
Hospital, convalescent home or sanitarium; one (1) parking space for every four (4) beds.
4.
Community center, library, museum or other similar place; one (1) parking space for every eight hundred (800) square feet of floor area in public use.
5.
Institutional home; one (1) parking space for every ten (10) occupants.
6.
Club; one (1) parking space for each two (2) resident occupants, plus ten (10) parking spaces for every one thousand (1,000) square feet of floor area in active use.
7.
Communal living facility and sober living environment:
[Added by Ord. No. 1665, 12-14-2020]
a.
One (1) space for each nonresident staff working at the facility at the same time;
b.
Two (2) spaces for use by visitors and/or state or local inspectors; and
c.
One (1) space for every resident up to five (5) residents, and one (1) space for every two (2) residents over the initial five (5) residents, unless satisfactory proof is submitted to the Township that such individuals are incapable or not permitted to operate a motor vehicle during the period of residency at the facility.
D.
For any of the following uses the required parking spaces shall be an all-weather type, paved, and such parking spaces shall be located on the same lot as the principal use except as provided in section 1701 below:
1.
Retail Sales or Services:
Six (6) spaces per one thousand (1,000) square feet of gross leasable floor area up to and including fifty thousand (50,000) square feet. | |
Five (5) spaces per one thousand (1,000) square feet of gross leasable floor area in excess of fifty thousand (50,000) square feet. |
2.
Indoor Theater: One (1) parking space for every four (4) seats.
3.
Hotel, Inn, Automobile Court, Motel: A minimum of one and one-half (1 1/2) spaces per guest room or rental unit except in Planned Office Park, Mixed Use Planned Development or Business Park Districts where the minimum required parking shall be reduced to one and three-tenths (1.3) space per guest room or rental unit.
[Amended by Ord. No. 1665, 12-14-2020]
4.
Office Uses:
Four and one-half (4 1/2) spaces per one thousand (1,000) square feet of gross leasable floor area up to and including fifty thousand (50,000) square feet. | |
Four (4) spaces per one thousand (1,000) square feet of gross leasable floor area in excess of fifty thousand (50,000) square feet and up to one hundred thousand (100,000) square feet. | |
Three and one-half (3 1/2) spaces per one thousand (1,000) square feet of gross leasable floor area of one hundred thousand (100,000) square feet or greater. |
5.
Restaurant, Cafe or Tea Room: One (1) parking space for every fifty (50) square feet of gross leasable floor area.
6.
Industrial, Manufacturing, Fabricating or Research and Development Establishments: One (1) space for every eight hundred (800) square feet of gross leasable floor area.
7.
Service Stations and Automobile Repair Facilities: Six (6) spaces for the first lift, wheel alignment or similar work station, five (5) spaces for the second such work station, and three (3) spaces for each additional work station.
8.
Automobile, Truck or Similar Dealerships: One (1) space for every five hundred (500) square feet of gross leasable area of showroom and office space, spaces equal to the largest number of vehicles in inventory in the preceding twelve (12) months, plus parking spaces as required for body and vehicle repair.
9.
Open Areas Used for Commercial Purposes: One (1) parking space for every one thousand five hundred (1,500) square feet of gross leasable floor area.
10.
Apartment Hotel, Apartment House, Multifamily Dwelling: 1.6 spaces for every dwelling unit. Parking spaces may be located in a parallel parking space, surface parking lot, within a private or building garage, or on a paved area adjacent to a private garage.
11.
Warehouse and Wholesale Uses: One parking space per each one thousand (1,000) square feet or fraction thereof.
12.
Other Uses Not Specifically Stated Herein: Four and one-half (4 1/2) spaces for every one thousand (1,000) square feet of gross leasable floor area.
Section 1701 [Location of parking facilities; conditions.]
[Ord. No. 793, § 1, 3-13-1978]
The parking spaces required in section 1700.D. herein may be located elsewhere than on the same lot when authorized as a special exception, subject to the provisions of article XVII section 1701.B. herein and also subject to the following regulations:
A.
That the owners of two (2) or more establishments shall submit, with their application for special exception, a site plan showing joint use and location of a common off-street parking area;
B.
The some portion of the common off-street parking area lies within two hundred (200) feet of an entrance, regularly used by patrons, into the building served thereby; and
C.
That the zoning hearing board may, in its discretion, reduce the aggregate amount of required parking space upon determination that great efficiency is effected by joint use of a common parking area, but in no case shall the required off-street parking area be reduced more than twenty-five (25) percent.
Section 1702 Design requirements for "D" Residential, "D-1" Residential, "E" Residential, "RS" Residential Special, Commercial, Shopping Center, Office Laboratory, Campus Industrial, Industrial Park, Limited Industrial, Heavy Industrial, High Rise Apartment and Open Space Recreation parking lots.
[Ord. No. 738, § 1, 12-29-1975; Ord. No. 1133, § 14, 9-27-1993; Ord. No. 1195, § 1, 7-15-1996; Ord. No. 1233, § 5, 6-9-1997; Ord. No. 1303, §§ 7, 8, 10-18-1999]
All parking lots in "D" Residential, "D-1" Residential, "E" Residential, "RS" Residential Special, Commercial, Shopping Center, Office Laboratory, Campus Industrial, Industrial Park, Limited Industrial, Heavy Industrial, High Rise Apartment and Open Space Recreation districts, unless otherwise provided in the regulations pertaining to the particular zoning district, shall be operated and maintained in accordance with all the following conditions:
A.
They shall not be used for the sale, repair or dismantling of any vehicles, equipment, materials and supplies.
B.
They shall be designed, surfaced and properly graded for drainage in accordance with the subdivision and Land Development Ordinance.
C.
They shall be provided with entrances and exits so located as to minimize traffic congestion and the effect of headlight glare.
D.
Except in a shopping center district; they shall be provided with wheel or bumper guards so located and arranged that no part of any parked vehicles extend beyond the boundaries of the parking lot.
E.
Lighting facilities shall be so arranged that they neither unreasonably nor unnecessarily disturb occupants of adjacent residential properties nor interfere with traffic by either location or glare.
F.
A planting strip shall be provided along each property line which is opposite or adjacent to a residential district on which shall be planted hedge, evergreens or other suitable shrubbery so arranged as to minimize noise, glare and dust from all parking facilities.
G.
There shall be no more than one attendant shelter building containing not more than 50 feet of gross floor areas and set in a distance of not less than 20 feet from any boundary of the parking lot which abuts a residential district.
Section 1703 Reduction of facilities.
Off-street parking facilities existing at the effective date of this ordinance shall not subsequently be reduced to an amount less than required for a similar new building or new use. Off-street parking facilities provided to comply with the provisions of this ordinance shall not subsequently be reduced below the requirements of this ordinance.
Section 1704 Required off-street loading and unloading facilities.
In addition to required off-street parking spaces, the foregoing uses shall be provided with adequate off-street loading spaces.
Section 1705 Design requirements for parking structures.
[Ord. No. 1019, § 7(C), 11-13-1989; Ord. No. 1241, § 3, 9-22-1997; Ord. No. 1253, §§ 8—10, 1-26-1998; Ord. No. 1256, § 1, 3-30-1998; Ord. No. 1268, § 2, 8-17-1998]
A.
Parking structures shall not be located within any required yard, except as otherwise provided in this ordinance. Parking structures shall be constructed so as to preserve at least one side of the principal building for which said structure was designed to serve with an unobstructed visual access (excluding landscaping) to a public or private street or driveway.
B.
Maximum height limitations: 60% of the height of the tallest principal structure for which the parking structure serves as an accessory use, but in no event shall the height be greater than six levels of parking above grade, counting the rooftop as one level.
C.
Ramps for the movement of vehicles between parking levels shall be designed to provide an optimal movement of vehicular traffic within the parking structure.
D.
Parking structures shall be so designed to minimize blank concrete facades through the use of innovative architectural detail. The design of the exterior of the parking structure shall be compatible with the exterior design of the principal structure to the extent that the parking facility is clearly identified with the principal structure.
E.
Any parking structure or group of parking structures containing 300 parking spaces or more in total shall provide a grade-separated pedestrian walkway connecting the parking facility with the principal structure or structures.
F.
Parking structures shall be landscaped in accordance with and to the same extent as the overall landscape plan for the principal use and structure the parking structure shall serve.
G.
Within an enclosed parking structure or deck, the following aisle widths and parking space angles shall apply:
Parking Stall | Aisle Width | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Angle of Parking (degrees) | Depth (ft) | Width (ft) | One-Way (ft) | Two-Way (ft) | |
90 | 18 | 9 | * | 26 | |
60 | 21 | 9 | 18 | * | |
45 | 19 | 9 | 15 | * | |
30 | 19 | 9 | 12 | * | |
* NOTE: Not permitted | |||||
Parking layouts using ninety-degree parking spaces shall be designed for two-way travel. Parking layouts using less than ninety-degree parking spaces shall be for one-way travel only, clearly marked and signed as such. |
H.
Parking structures shall be designed to provide at least one (1) means of ingress and egress for each parking level, and dead-ends are prohibited.
I.
Parking spaces shall be delineated by a double striped line, closed at the aisle end.
J.
The parking angle design shall be the same for both parking structures and surface parking when used in the same development.
Section 1706 Buffering requirements.
[Ord. No. 1019, § 7(C), 11-13-1989; Ord. No. 1133, § 15, 9-27-1993; Ord. No. 1320; § 12, 4-10-2000]
All parking areas (parking lots, parking spaces and parking structures), unless otherwise provided in the regulations pertaining to the particular zoning district, shall have the following buffering requirements: Buffers shall consist of a double row of evergreens, 15 feet on center, with the rows 10 feet apart. The rows shall be staggered such that each tree is diagonally opposite a tree in the adjacent row. The evergreens shall be a minimum height of six to eight feet at installation and shall conform to the standards and specifications of the American Nurserymen's Association. In addition, opaque fencing or other screening material may be required at the discretion of the township council upon the recommendation of the planning agency. Buffers shall be required in the following areas:
Section 1707 Berming requirements.
[Ord. No. 1019, § 7(C), 11-13-1989; Ord. No. 1133, § 16, 9-27-1993; Ord. No. 1320, § 13, 4-10-2000; Ord. No. 1382, § 10, 8-12-2002]
All parking areas (parking lots, parking spaces and parking structures), unless otherwise provided in the regulations pertaining to the particular zoning district, shall have the following berming requirements: Berming shall consist of mounded earth a minimum of three feet above the finished grade elevation of the street for subsection A. or the property line for subsection B. of this section, appropriately landscaped with an acceptable ground cover, street trees, and low, interspersed shrubs, designed in such a manner as to not impede sight triangles and to visually screen parked vehicles from the traveling public. The Township Council may waive berming requirements pursuant to the provisions of the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance of 1980, Ordinance No. 837, as amended,[1] in the event sufficient difference in grade exists between adjacent properties. Berms shall be required at the following locations:
A.
Between any parking area and any public or private street.
B.
Adjacent to any residential district or residential use (in addition to any buffering requirements.)
[1]
Editor's Note: See Appendix C, Subdivision and Land Development.
Section 1708 Reserved parking.
[Ord. No. 1293, § 9, 6-15-1999]
Twenty-five percent of a required parking area may be held in reserve, provided that:
A.
Township Council, by resolution, grants an application for reserved parking area.
B.
The reserved parking area shall be fully engineered at the time of plan approval.
C.
The reserved parking area shall be paved and taken out of the reserve in the event that it is determined by Township Council, within the sole discretion of Township Council, that the then existing parking for the use of a property is not adequate.
D.
Township Council may designate a lesser percentage of reserved parking area than 25% and/or subsequently reduce the reserved parking percentage either partially or fully.
E.
When any portion of the reserved parking is not in active use for parking, the area shall be landscaped in accordance with the provisions of the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance.