Potter Township Centre County
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
ARTICLE VII
Parking, Loading and Access Drives
§ 220-86 Off-street parking.
In all districts in connection with every business, institution, recreational, residential or any other use there shall be provided at the time any new building or structure is erected off-street parking spaces open to the public at no charge in accordance with the requirements of this section.
A.
Size. Each parking space shall consist of not less than an average of 180 square feet of usable area for each motor vehicle and have a minimum width of nine feet. Parking spaces may be located on a lot other than that containing the principal use. All required spaces shall be within 300 feet of the principal building.
B.
Access. Adequate provision shall be made for ingress and egress to all parking spaces. Access to off-street parking areas shall be limited to several, or as few as possible, well-defined locations. In no case shall unrestricted access along the length of a street or alley upon which the parking area abuts be permitted except where the parking area is less than 35 feet in depth.
C.
Surfacing. All required off-street parking spaces shall be graded for proper drainage and shall be surfaced so as to provide a durable and dustless surface and shall be designed to provide for orderly and safe parking of vehicles.
D.
Remote parking lots encumbered. Where provisions of required parking for a building or use established or enlarged subsequent to the adoption of this chapter involves one or more parcels of land that are not a part of the lot on which the principal use is situated, the applicant for a permit for the principal use shall submit, with his application for a zoning permit, an instrument duly executed and acknowledged, which subjects said parcels of land to parking uses in connection with the principal use to which it is accessory. The applicant shall deposit the necessary recording fee and, upon the issuance of a zoning permit, the Zoning Officer shall cause said instrument to be recorded in the office of the Recorder of Deeds.
E.
Screening. Parking areas for more than five vehicles and all loading areas shall be effectively screened on each side which adjoins or faces a Residential, Rural Residential or Forest/Open Space District. Screening shall consist of any combination of the following: a fence or wall not more than 40% open and at least three feet but not more than six feet in height, a building or a dense planting of evergreens at least three feet in height entirely within the lot.
F.
Lighting. Any lighting which is used to illuminate off-street parking or loading areas shall be mounted and shielded in such a manner to effectively eliminate direct glare on adjacent properties or upon public streets.
G.
Reservation of open space. A strip of land at least 10 feet wide shall be reserved as open space between any street line and any parking area or driveway. The reserve strip shall be protected by wheel bumpers or curbs and shall be planted in grass, shrubs or trees.
H.
Handicapped parking. All open off-street parking areas shall provide parking spaces for use by motor vehicles which transport physically disabled persons in accordance with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, as amended. Requirements include the following minimum standards:
(1)
At least one accessible route within the boundary of the site shall be provided from public transportation stops, accessible parking and accessible passenger loading zones and public streets or sidewalks to the accessible building entrance they serve. The accessible route shall, to the maximum extent feasible, coincide with the route for the general public.
(2)
Accessible parking spaces shall be at least eight feet wide and shall provide a passenger loading zone with an access aisle at least five feet wide and 20 feet long adjacent and parallel to the vehicle parking space. If there are curbs between the access aisle and vehicle parking space, then a curb ramp complying with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act shall be provided. Vehicle parking spaces and access aisles shall be level with surface slopes not exceeding 2% in all directions. One in every eight accessible parking spaces, but not less than one, shall be served by an access aisle eight feet wide minimum and shall be designated "van accessible" and shall have a minimum vertical clearance of 9 1/2 feet.
(3)
If parking spaces are provided for self-parking by employees or visitors, or both, then accessible parking spaces shall be provided in such parking area in conformance with the table below:[1]
Total Parking in Lot | Required Minimum Number of Accessible Parking Spaces | |
|---|---|---|
1 to 25 | 1 | |
26 to 50 | 2 | |
51 to 75 | 3 | |
76 to 100 | 4 | |
101 to 150 | 5 | |
151 to 200 | 6 | |
201 to 300 | 7 | |
301 to 400 | 8 | |
401 to 500 | 9 | |
501 to 1000 | 2% of total | |
1,001 and over | 20 plus 1 for each 100 over 100 |
(4)
Parking spaces designated as reserved for individuals with disabilities shall be marked by a sign showing the International Symbol of Accessibility and where van-accessible spaces are provided, an additional sign mounted below the symbol of accessibility shall state van-accessible and all such signs shall be located so that they cannot be obscured by a vehicle parked in the space.
(5)
Any other provision of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 shall apply where applicable.
I.
Required spaces. Off-street parking shall be provided as set forth in Table 1. In cases of any building, structure or premises, the use of which is not specifically mentioned herein, the provisions for a use so mentioned and to which said use is similar, in the opinion of the Zoning Officer, shall apply.
Table 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
Off-Street Parking Schedule | ||
Schools and similar places or private or public assembly | 1 for each 3 seats in an auditorium or 1 for each 17 classroom seats, whichever is greater | |
Community buildings, social halls or places of public assembly | 1 for each 200 square feet of floor area | |
Dwellings | 2 for each family or dwelling unit | |
Hotels, motels, bed-and-breakfasts, boarding and rooming houses | 1 for each sleeping room | |
Manufacturing, assembly or industrial plants, research or testing laboratories | 1 for each 3 employees in the maximum work shift; however, total parking area shall be not less than 25% of the building floor area | |
Restaurants or clubs | 1 per 100 square feet of floor space | |
Retail stores, store groups, shops, service stations, automotive sales, service outlets | 1 per 200 square feet of floor space | |
Wholesale establishments or warehouses | 1 for each 2 employees on the maximum work shift; however, total parking area shall not be less than 25% of the building floor area | |
Offices, general | 2 spaces for the first 2,000 square feet of floor area; when in excess of 2,000 square feet, as follows: 1 off-street parking space shall be provided for each 600 square feet of floor area exceeding the initial 2,000 square feet | |
Professional offices or clinics | 8 spaces per each doctor | |
Bowling alleys | 4 for each alley | |
Hospitals, nursing homes or convalescent homes | 1 for each 4 beds, plus 1 for each 2 employees | |
Funeral homes | Minimum of 12 spaces | |
Mineral extraction/surface mining operations or developments | 1 space per 2 employees on the maximum work shift; however, total parking area shall be not less than 24% of building and office floor area | |
Outdoor recreational facilities | 1 space per 2,000 square feet of gross recreational area | |
Campgrounds | 1 space per campsite and 1 extra space for every 3 campsites | |
Mobile home parks. | 2 spaces per mobile home lot and 1 extra space for every 2 mobile home lots | |
§ 220-87 Off-street loading.
A.
In any district, in connection with every building group or part thereof hereafter erected having a gross floor area of 4,000 square or more, which is to be occupied by manufacturing, commercial or other uses similarly requiring the receipt or distribution by vehicles of material or merchandise, there shall be provided and maintained on the same lot with such building, off-street loading or unloading berths as follows:
B.
The space required in each instance shall be not less than 12 feet in width, 45 feet in length, with 14 feet overhead clearance and may occupy part of a required yard (as specified in Article III) but shall not hinder the free movement of vehicles and pedestrians over a street, right-of-way or sidewalk. In addition, where such loading area is adjacent to a residential district, a minimum setback of 15 feet shall be maintained from any property line.
§ 220-88 Access drives.
All parking and loading areas and access drives shall be designed according to the following standards:
A.
Except in the case of single- and two-family dwellings, the general layout shall be such that there will be no need for motorists to back over public rights-of-way.
B.
Access drives shall be constructed of a durable, all-weather material and shall not exceed 35 feet in width, excepting as increased by the curb radii.
C.
The number of access drives shall not exceed two per lot on any one street frontage. The Zoning Hearing Board may grant permission for additional access drives, where required, to meet exceptional circumstances and where frontage of unusual length exists.
D.
Access drives shall not cross the street right-of-way line:
E.
Driveways shall be constructed in such a manner as not to impair the drainage within the street right-of-way or adjacent area. Where necessary, a drainage pipe of at least fifteen-inch diameter or equivalent shall be installed under the driveway at the property owner's expense.
F.
Access to the public highway or street shall be controlled in the interest of public safety. The off-street parking, loading and service areas on all properties used for any purpose other than single-family residences required by this article shall be physically separated from the highway or street by a curb, pipe, rail or fence and/or a planting strip.
G.
A scaled drawing of proposed off-street parking and loading areas, access drives and walks shall be submitted as part of any required plot plan. Any plan requiring access onto a state highway shall be approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation in addition to Township approval.
H.
In addition to the above, the following driveway design guidelines shall be met:
Driveway Design Guidelines | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Type of Development | Driveway Minimum Width (feet) | Maximum Grade | Minimum Curb Radius6 (feet) | Minimum Intervals (feet) | Minimum Sight Distance (feet) | |
Single-family residential | 10 | 15%1 | 10 | 402 | 1504 | |
Multifamily residential5 | 15 | 12%1 | 15 | 403 | 2004 | |
Nonresidential | 15 | 8%1 | 115 | 403 | 3004 | |
NOTES: | ||
|---|---|---|
1 | All driveways shall provide a stopping or leveling area which extends from the edge of the shoulder or curb to the right-of-way line. This leveling area shall not exceed a maximum of 5% in grade nor intersect the shoulder of roads so as to produce a change in grade exceeding 8%. The leveling area shall intersect the street or road at an angle of no less than 90°. | |
2 | Between an intersection and the first driveway only. | |
3 | Between any two points of access, including both driveways and public streets. | |
4 | Minimum sight distance shall be measured from the point of intersection of the driveway center line and the street right-of-way line to a point on the cartway center line. No significant obstructions or plantings higher than 30 inches or tree limbs lower than eight feet shall be permitted within this area. | |
5 | For the purposes of driveway design, the multifamily residential design criteria shall be used for driveways providing access to five or more dwelling units. | |
6 | Where dropped curbs are used to provide driveway access, the minimum width of the dropped curb shall be 20 feet for single-family residential use and 35 feet for multifamily and nonresidential uses. The transition from the normal driveway width to the width of the dropped curb shall begin 10 feet back from the edge of the curb for single-family residential and 15 feet back for multifamily and nonresidential. | |