Rock Hall City Zoning Code
ARTICLE VIII
Off-Street Parking and Off-Street Loading
§ 225-8-1 Table of General Requirements: Parking.
Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, when any structure is hereafter erected or structurally altered or any structure hereafter erected is converted for the uses listed in Column 1 of the chart below, accessory off-street parking spaces shall be provided as required in Column 2 or Column 3 or as required in subsequent sections of this article.
Use Category | Spaces Required per Basic Measuring Unit | Additional Requirements |
|---|---|---|
1-, 2-, 3-family dwelling unit | 1 1/2 per dwelling unit | 1/2 per unit in elderly housing |
Church or temple, auditorium, or place of assembly | 1 per 5 seats or bench seating spaces | (seats in main auditorium only) |
College or high school | 1 per 5 seats in main auditorium | or 8 per classroom, whichever is greater |
Elementary, junior high, or nursery school | 1 per 10 seats in main assembly room | or 1 per classroom, whichever is greater |
Country club or golf club | 1 per 5 members | |
Public library, museum, art gallery, or community center | 10 per use | Plus 1 additional for each 300 square feet of floor area in excess of 1,000 square feet |
Townhouse or dwelling with more than 3 dwelling units | 1 1/2 per dwelling unit | |
Private clubs, fraternities, sororities and lodges, with sleeping rooms | 2 per 3 sleeping rooms or suites | Or 1 per 5 active members, whichever is greater |
Private clubs, fraternities, sororities and lodges, with no sleeping rooms | 1 per 10 active members | |
Sanitarium, convalescent home, home for the aged, or similar institution | 1 per 5 patient beds | |
Tourist home, hotel, motor hotel, motor lodge, or hotel | 1 per sleeping room or 2 per suite | |
Rooming, boarding or lodging house | 1 per sleeping room | |
Hospital | 1 per 2 patient beds | |
Office or office building, post office, studio, or clinic | 1 per 400 square feet of floor area | 3 spaces minimum; 10 space minimum for a clinic |
Funeral home | 1 per 50 square feet of floor area excluding storage and work area | 30 spaces minimum |
Restaurant or other establishment for the consumption of food or beverages on the premises | 1 per 100 square feet of floor area or 1 per table (both interior and exterior used space) | 3 spaces minimum |
Retail store or personal service establishment or bank | 1 per 200 square feet of floor area | Retail food stores over 4,000 square feet; 1 per 100 square feet of floor area |
Furniture or appliance store or machinery, equipment, automobile, and boat sales and service | 1 per 300 square feet of floor area | 2 space minimum; automobile sales and service 10 minimum |
Auditorium, theater, gymnasium, stadium, arena, or convention hall | 1 per 5 seats or seating spaces | |
Bowling alley | 5 per alley | |
Amusement place, skating rink, swimming pool, or exhibition hall without fixed seats | 1 per 100 square feet of floor area | Does not apply to accessory use |
General service or repair establishment, printing, publishing, plumbing, heating, etc. | 1 per employee on the premises | |
Animal hospital | 1 per 400 square feet of floor area | 4 spaces minimum |
Manufacturing or industrial establishment, research or testing laboratory, creamery, bottling plant, wholesale, warehouse or similar establishment | 1 per employee on maximum working shift | Plus space for storage of trucks or other vehicles used in connection with the business or industry |
Marina | At the ratio of a minimum of 65% of approved slips |
§ 225-8-2 Interpretation of parking table.
A.
The use regulations for each district are not affected by the arrangement of uses in the chart.
B.
The parking requirements in the chart are in addition to space for the storage of trucks or other vehicles used in connection with any use.
C.
The parking requirements in the chart do not limit other parking requirements contained in the district regulations.
D.
The parking requirements in the chart may be adjusted by the Zoning Administrator or the Planning Commission in certain special situations and after proper hearing. The parking requirements in the chart do not limit special requirements which may be imposed with performance standards or conditional uses.
F.
Where fractional spaces result, the parking spaces required shall be construed to be the next highest whole number.
G.
Except as otherwise provided, the number of employees shall be compiled on the basis of the maximum number of persons employed on the premises at one time on an average day or average night, whichever is greater. Seasonal variations in employment may be recognized in determining an average day.
H.
The parking space requirements for a use not specifically listed in the chart shall be the same for a listed use of similar characteristics of parking demand generation as determined by the Planning Commission.
I.
In the case of mixed uses or uses with different parking requirements occupying the same structure or premises or in the case of joint use of a structure or premises by more than one use having the same parking requirements, the parking space required shall equal the sum of the requirements of the various uses computed separately.
J.
When a structure or use is changed or enlarged in floor area, number of employees, number of dwelling units, seating capacity or otherwise, a need may be created under the requirements of this article for an increase in parking spaces. A change or enlargement that produces a need for a 10% or more increase in the number of spaces shall be provided. A change or enlargement that produces a need for a parking space increase of less than 10% need not be provided. This exception shall not apply to a series of changes or enlargements which together result in a need for an increase in parking spaces of 10% or more. The Zoning Administrator shall track these cumulative changes and require compliance when the ten-percent level has been reached.
§ 225-8-3 Joint use and off-site facilities: parking.
A.
All parking spaces required herein shall be located on the same lot with the structure or use served, except that where an increase in the number of spaces is required by a change or enlargement of use or where such spaces are provided collectively or used jointly by two or more structures or establishments, the required spaces may be located and maintained at a distance not to exceed 500 feet from an institutional structure or other nonresidential structure served.
[Amended 7-10-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-05]
B.
Up to 50% of the parking spaces required for
(1)
Theaters, public auditoriums, bowling alleys, dance halls and night clubs, and up to 100% of the parking spaces required for a church auditorium, may be provided and used jointly by:
(2)
Banks, offices, retail stores, repair shops, service establishments and similar uses not normally open, used or operated during the same hours as those uses listed above in Subsection B(1), and up to 100% of parking spaces required for schools may be provided and used jointly by a church auditorium; provided, however, that written agreement thereto is properly executed and recorded as specified in Subsection C below.
C.
In any case where the required parking spaces are not located on the same lot with the structure or use served or where such spaces are collectively or jointly provided and used, such parking space shall be established by a recorded covenant or agreement as parking space to be used in conjunction with the principal use and shall be reserved as such through an encumbrance on the title of the property to be designated as required parking space, such encumbrance to be valid for the total period the use or uses for which the parking is needed are in existence. A certificate of recording of the covenant or agreement shall be furnished to the Administrator.
§ 225-8-4 Design standards; parking.
A.
Minimum area. For the purpose of these regulations, an off-street parking space is an all-weather surfaced area not in a street or alley and having an area of not less than 200 square feet, exclusive of driveways, permanently reserved for the temporary storage of one vehicle and connected with a street or alley by a paved driveway which afford ingress and egress for an automobile without requiring another automobile to be moved.
B.
Drainage and maintenance. Off-street parking facilities shall be drained to eliminate standing water and prevent damage to abutting property and/or public streets and alleys and surfaced with erosion-resistant material in accordance with applicable Town specifications. Off-street parking areas shall be maintained in a clean, orderly and dust-free condition at the expense of the owner or lessee and not used for the sale, repair or dismantling or servicing of any vehicles, equipment, materials or supplies.
C.
Separation from walkways and streets. Off-street parking spaces shall be separated from walkways, sidewalks, streets or alleys by a wall, fence, curbing or other approved protective device or by distance so that vehicles cannot protrude over publicly owned areas.
D.
Entrances and exits. The location and design of entrances and exits shall be in accord with the applicable requirements of Town traffic regulations and standards. Landscaping, curbing or approved barriers shall be provided along lot boundaries to control the entrance and exit of vehicles or pedestrians.
E.
Interior drives. Interior drives shall be of adequate width to serve the particular design arrangement of parking spaces.
F.
Marking. Parking spaces in lots of more than 10 spaces shall be marked by painted lines or curbs or other means to indicate individual spaces. Signs or markers shall be used as necessary to ensure efficient traffic operation of the lot.
G.
Lighting. Adequate lighting shall be provided if off-street parking spaces are to be used at night. The lighting shall be arranged and installed to prevent glare on property in any residential district.
H.
Screening. When off-street parking areas are located adjacent to a residential use and where such parking areas are not entirely screened visually from such use by an intervening structure or structures, there shall be provided a continuous visual screen with a minimum height of six feet. Such screen may consist of a compact evergreen hedge or foliage screening or a louvered wall or earth berm.
I.
Compact spaces. Ten percent of the total required parking may be provided by compact parking stalls measuring nine feet by 18 feet and clearly marked for use.
J.
No parking space shall be more than 25 feet distant from a tree.
§ 225-8-5 Table of required spaces; loading.
Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, when any structure or structure is hereafter erected or structurally altered to the extent of increasing the floor area by 25% or more or any structure or structure hereafter erected is converted for the uses listed in Column 1 of the chart below, when such structures contain the floor areas specified in Column 2, accessory off-street loading spaces shall be provided as required in Column 3 or as required in subsequent sections of this article.
Use Category | Floor Area as Defined in Article XIV (square feet) | Loading Spaces Required |
|---|---|---|
Retail store, department store, restaurant, wholesale house, warehouse, or general service, manufacturing or industrial establishment | 2,000 to 10,000 10,000 to 20,000 20,000 to 40,000 40,000 to 60,000 Each 50,000 over 60,000 | 1 2 3 4 1 Additional |
Motel, hotel, offices, or office building, hospital or similar institution or place of public assembly | 5,000 to 10,000 10,000 to 100,000 100,000 to 200,000 Each 100,000 over 200,000 | 1 2 3 1 Additional |
Funeral home or mortuary | 2,500 to 4,000 4,000 to 6,000 Each 10,000 over 6,000 | 1 2 1 Additional |
§ 225-8-6 Interpretation of loading table.
A.
The loading space requirements apply to all districts but do not limit the special requirements which may be imposed in the district regulations.
B.
The loading space requirements in this article do not limit special requirements which may be imposed in connection with special loading exceptions.
C.
The Planning Commission may reduce the loading space requirements whenever the character of the use is such as to make unnecessary the full provision of loading facilities, where provision is made for community loading facilities or where provision of loading space requirements is impractical under certain conditions for uses which contain less than 10,000 square feet of floor area.
§ 225-8-7 Mixed-use requirements: loading.
Where a structure is used for more than one use or for different uses and where the floor area used for each use for which loading space is required is below the minimum for required loading spaces but the aggregate floor area used is greater than such minimum, then off-street loading space shall be provided as if the entire structure were used for that use in the structure for which the most spaces are required. In such cases, the Administrator may make reasonable requirements for the location of required loading spaces.
§ 225-8-8 Design standards: loading.
A.
Minimum size. For the purpose of these regulations, a loading space is a space within the main structure or on the same lot providing for the standing, loading or unloading of trucks, having minimum area of 540 square feet, minimum width of 12 feet, minimum depth of 45 feet, and vertical clearance of at least 14 1/2 feet.
B.
Loading space for funeral homes. Loading spaces for a funeral home may be reduced in size to 10 by 25 feet and vertical clearance reduced to eight feet.
C.
Drainage and maintenance. Off-street loading facilities shall be drained to eliminate standing water and prevent damage to abutting property and/or public streets and alleys and surfaced with erosion-resistant material in accordance with applicable Town specifications.
(1)
Off-street loading areas shall be maintained in a clean, orderly and dust-free condition at the expense of the owner or lessee and not used for the sale, repair or dismantling or servicing of any vehicles, equipment, materials or supplies.
D.
Entrances and exits. The location and design of entrances and exits shall be in accord with the applicable requirements of Town traffic regulations and standards. Where the entrance or exit of a structure is designed for truck loading and unloading, such entrance or exit shall be designed to provide at least one off-street loading space.
§ 225-8-9 Modifications to parking and loading requirements.
[Amended 7-10-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-05]
A.
To promote the usefulness of these regulations as instruments for interpretation, application and adjustment and to supply the necessary elasticity to their efficient operation, special adjustments in the parking and loading requirements are permitted by the terms of these regulations. The following are permitted as adjustments if the Planning Commission finds that, in its opinion, such adjustments will not substantially affect adversely the uses of adjacent and neighboring property:
(1)
The location of off-street parking areas on property adjacent to or less than 500 feet distant from the premises on which parking areas are required by the parking regulations of Article VIII where difficulties are encountered in locating such parking areas on the premises and where the purpose of these regulations to relieve congestion in the streets would best be served by permitting such parking off the premises. All other conditions of § 225-8-3 of this article shall be met.
(2)
A reduction of 20% in the parking and loading requirements in any district, whenever the character or use of the structure is such as to make unnecessary the full provision of parking or loading facilities.
(3)
A reduction of 20% in the loading space requirements, where adequate community loading facilities are provided.
(4)
A reduction of loading space requirements for uses which contain less than 10,000 square feet of floor area, where construction of existing structures, problems of access or size of lot make impractical the provision of required loading space.
(5)
A waiver of the off-street parking requirement in the C-3 (Town Center Commercial) District if evidence is presented that adequate public parking is available within a reasonable distance.