Parking in front yards. No driveway or parking area shall be established in the area bounded by the extension of the side building lines of a principal structure to the front property line of that lot unless the driveway leads to a garage built into or attached to the principal structure.

Limits on paving in front yards. Paving using brick, asphalt, concrete, gravel, shale, stone, or other similar materials in front yards shall only be for the purposes of providing a driveway/parking area [as permitted in Subsection A(1)] or walkways. Walkways shall be limited to five feet in width and may connect a driveway or sidewalk to a front door, porch or deck steps. No walkway parallel to a public sidewalk shall be permitted unless the distance between any structure and the public sidewalk exceeds 10 feet and the distance between the private walkway and the public sidewalk exceeds five feet. Gravel, shale, stone or other similar materials may be used only on level surfaces.

Access to a parking area or space shall be via a driveway which has a curb cut approved by the City Engineering Department. The driveway shall be set back two feet (except as provided in § 264-43D below) from any abutting property line and must be at least 8 1/2 feet wide, except as hereinafter provided. Where a driveway was legally established prior to the effective date of this amendment, it is grandfathered and may be repaired or replaced in its present location, or where adjoining property owners have filed the necessary legal easements of access with the Schenectady County Clerk to establish a common or shared driveway, then the required driveway setback of two feet from abutting property lines shall be waived.

For all residential uses with five or more parking spaces and all parking areas for mixed uses (residential and nonresidential in the same building) or nonresidential uses, unobstructed access to and from a street, designed so as not to require the backing of any vehicle across a sidewalk or into a street right-of-way, shall be provided for all parking and loading spaces. Every parking garage or parking area containing 25 or more spaces shall be provided with a two-way driveway at least 20 feet in width or two one-way driveways, each at least 12 feet in width.

Each off-street parking space shall have the following minimum dimensions in feet:

Parking spaces for compact automobiles shall be permitted only in parking lots or garages having 10 spaces or more, shall be appropriately and clearly marked and shall comprise not more than 30% of the spaces provided.

Handicapped-accessible parking shall be provided in accordance with Section 1106 of the Building Code of New York State.

When determination of the number of required parking spaces results in the requirement of a fractional space, any fraction up to and including 1/2 shall be disregarded, and fractions over 1/2 shall require one parking space.

When parking spaces are required on the basis of the number of employees or staff, the maximum number present at any one time shall govern.

For uses not expressly listed in Schedule F, parking spaces shall be provided on the same basis as required for the most similar use listed or as determined by the Zoning Officer.

Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent the collective provision of off-street parking spaces for two or more nonresidential uses, provided that in such case the total requirements for off-street parking spaces shall meet the shared parking standards of § 264-46.

Minimum parking standards. Required off-street parking spaces shall be calculated using the standards outlined in Schedule F. Required spaces represent the minimum required number of spaces except as otherwise stated in Subsection A(6) of this section. All vehicle parking standards are based on gross square feet of building area, unless otherwise noted.

Nonresidential uses located in the C-4 Downtown Mixed Use District or within 500 feet of a municipally owned parking lot shall be exempt from the minimum parking space requirements of § 264-44.

Parking facility location. Parking facilities may be provided either on the same premises with the parking generator or in any parking facility, the property line of which is located within 500 feet of the primary entry area to the building.

In all residential districts and in the I, C-1, C-2, C-3 and C-4 Districts, parking lots may not have more than 110% of the number of spaces identified in Schedule F, not including accessible space.

In the C-5, M-1, and M-2 Districts, parking lots may not have more than 120% of the number of spaces identified in Schedule F, not including accessible space.

Authority. In order to eliminate multiple entrances and exits, to reduce traffic hazards, to conserve space and to promote orderly development, the Zoning Officer is authorized to group cooperative parking facilities in such a manner as to obtain the maximum efficiency in parking and vehicular circulation.

Agreement. If authorized by the Zoning Officer, an agreement establishing shared or combined use of a parking area, approved by the Corporation Counsel, shall be recorded with the County Clerk. Such agreements shall run with the land for all properties with shared or combined parking and require City approval for any change or termination.

Termination of combined or shared use. Sufficient parking, pursuant to Schedule F of § 264-44, must be provided for all partners in a combined or shared agreement or that portion of the use out of compliance with this chapter shall be terminated.

Shared parking allocation. For land uses in close proximity of each other that operate or are used at entirely different times of the day or week, the Zoning Officer may allow shared parking facilities to satisfy the parking requirements of such uses if the parking facilities are within 500 feet of all primary entry areas to buildings being served by such facilities.

Combined parking allocation. Two or more uses which have similar hours of operation and combine parking facilities may qualify to decrease the number of parking spaces. The combined parking facility must be cooperatively established and operated in accordance with Subsection B above. The Zoning Officer may require a parking demand study to ensure sufficient parking is provided.

Each loading space shall have the following minimum dimensions:

Where a loading space will be used primarily by tractor-trailers, the length of the space shall be increased to a minimum of 55 feet.