Shaler Township City Zoning Code
ARTICLE VI
Off-Street Parking, Loading and Unloading Requirements
§ 225-35 Required space.
[Amended 3-11-2025 by Ord. No. 1987]
To encourage vehicular circulation and avoid congestion on public streets, there shall be provided, at the time of the erection or increase by units or dimensions of any building or structure or at the time of creation or change of any use not involving a building or structure, minimum off-street motor vehicle parking spaces, plus adequate space for ingress, egress and general vehicular circulation. Minimum off-street spaces and other such provisions shall be provided in all districts for the following listed uses:
Required Parking Space Table | |
|---|---|
Land Use/Activity | Minimum Vehicle Spaces |
Residential Dwelling Types | |
One-family dwelling or two-family dwelling | 2 parking spaces for each family dwelling unit; no vehicle parking in front or side yard areas except in an improved driveway |
Multifamily dwelling or apartment | 1 parking space for each family dwelling unit, plus 1 additional parking space for every two dwelling units |
Education | |
Junior and senior high schools | 1 parking space for every 6 seats available at maximum capacity in the assembly hall, auditorium, stadium or gymnasium of greatest capacity on the school grounds or campus. If the school has no assembly hall, auditorium, stadium or gymnasium, 1 parking space shall be provided for each person regularly employed at such school, plus 2 additional spaces for each classroom. |
Public or private elementary schools | 1 parking space for each person regularly employed at such school, plus 1 additional space for each classroom |
Universities, colleges, academies, and similar institutions of higher learning | 1 parking space for every 6 seats occupied at maximum capacity in the assembly hall, auditorium, stadium or gymnasium of greatest capacity on the campus. If the institution has no assembly hall, auditorium, stadium or gymnasium, 1 parking space shall be provided for each person regularly employed at such institution, plus 5 additional spaces for each classroom. |
Recreation | |
Bowling alley, outdoor commercial recreation enterprise, recreation center, swimming pool, skating rink, or other recreation and amusement facilities | 1 parking space for every 4 customers, computed on a basis of a maximum servicing capacity at any one time, plus 1 additional space for every 2 persons regularly employed during the peak shift on the premises |
Social | |
Clubhouse or meeting place for veterans, business, civic, fraternal, labor, or similar organizations | 1 parking space for every 50 square feet of aggregate floor area in the auditorium, assembly hall, and dining room of such building, plus 1 additional space for every 2 persons regularly employed during the peak shift on the premises |
Other Miscellaneous Uses | |
Drive-in facilities | 5 parking spaces per 100 square feet of floor space |
Funeral homes and undertaking establishments | Parking or storage space for all vehicles used directly in the conduct of the business, plus 1 parking space for every 2 persons regularly employed on the premises during peak shift and 1 space for every 100 square feet of floor area used in the conduct of the business |
Hospital | 1 parking space for each 4 beds intended for patients, excluding bassinets, plus 1 per doctor, plus 1 per 2 employees on the peak shift, plus 1 per hospital vehicle |
Indoor rental business | Parking or storage space for all vehicles used directly in the conduct of such business, plus 1 parking space for each 250 square feet of total building area |
Industrial plants and facilities | Parking or storage space for all vehicles used directly in the conduct of such industrial use, plus one parking space for every three employees on the premises at maximum employment on the peak shift |
Libraries, museum, and post office | Parking or storage space for all vehicles used directly in the operation of such establishment, plus 1 parking space for each 250 square feet of total floor area |
Medical and dental clinics or offices | 1 parking space for each doctor, plus 1 additional parking space for every 2 chairs in the waiting room, plus 1 space for each examining room, plus 1 additional space for every staff member |
Motels, hotels, boardinghouses, rooming houses, or group care facilities | 1 parking space for each sleeping room offered for occupancy, plus 2 spaces for each dwelling unit on the premises, plus 1 additional space for every 2 persons regularly employed on the premises during the peak shift |
Nursing home | 1 parking space for every 500 square feet of floor area, plus 1 parking space for every 2 employees on the peak shift |
Offices, professional or public buildings | 1 parking space for every 200 square feet of office space |
Public garages | Indoor or outdoor parking or storage space for all vehicles used directly in the conduct of such business, plus 3 parking spaces for each person regularly employed on the premises |
Repair shops, plumbing shops, electrical shops, roofing shops, and other service establishments | Parking or storage space for all parking vehicles used directly in the conduct of the business, plus 2 parking spaces for each person regularly employed on the premises at maximum employment on a single shift |
Restaurants, nightclubs, or other eating and/or drinking establishments | 1 parking space for every 2 seats at the bar or counter, plus 1 parking space for every 2 employees on the peak shift |
Service stations | Parking or storage space for all vehicles used directly in the conduct of the business, plus 1 parking space for each gas pump, 3 spaces for each grease rack or similar facility and 1 space for every 2 employees on the peak shift |
Theaters, auditoriums, churches, stadiums, and other places of public assembly | 1 parking space for every 4 seats available at maximum capacity |
Warehouses, freight terminals, trucking terminals | Parking or storage space for all vehicles used directly in the conduct of the business, plus 1 parking space for each 2 employees |
Any and all uses, buildings or structures not specifically provided for in this table | 1 parking space for every 200 square feet of floor area |
§ 225-36 Parking for multiple uses.
In cases involving more than one of the foregoing enumerated items, the off-street parking facilities for individual uses shall be computed separately in accordance with this article.
§ 225-37 Location of facilities.
Off-street parking facilities required in this article may be provided either on the same lot or premises with the parking generator or on premises abutting said parking generator, provided that the abutting lot or premises is in an equally or less restricted zoning designation.
§ 225-38 Adequacy of facilities.
Every building or structure used for apartment houses, business, trade or industry shall provide space for loading and unloading of vehicles sufficient to avoid the use of any street or public alley for loading or unloading of vehicles. Such space shall have access to a public alley or, if there is no alley, to a street. Off-street loading and unloading space shall include space for the vehicle to be loaded or unloaded and shall be in addition to and not considered as meeting part of the requirements for off-street parking space. Off-street loading and unloading space shall not be used or designed, intended or constructed to be used in a manner to obstruct or interfere with the free use of any street, alley or adjoining property. For the following specific uses, a minimum one off-street loading and unloading space of at least 12 feet by 50 feet shall be provided for the square footage of total floor area, as follows:
A.
For apartment houses containing five or more dwelling units, one space for every 25,000 square feet of total floor area.
B.
For retail businesses, retail or wholesale food markets, supply houses, hospitals, laundries and dry-cleaning establishments, one space for every 200 square feet of total floor area.
C.
For industrial plants when parking bays directly abut a public street, one space for every 10,000 square feet of total area.
D.
For warehouses and wholesale storage facilities when parking bays directly abut a public street, one space for every 7,500 square feet of total area.
E.
For freight terminals and trucking terminals when parking bays directly abut a public street, one space for every 5,000 square feet of total area.
§ 225-39 Changes in requirements.
When an existing building, structure or use undergoes any change in number of dwelling units, gross floor area, seating capacity or other unit of measure specified hereinbefore for required off-street parking or loading facilities and, further, when said change would result in a requirement for different total off-street parking or loading spaces through application of the provisions of this chapter, parking and loading facilities shall be increased or may be decreased so that the facilities will at least equal or exceed the off-street parking or loading requirements resulting from application of the provisions of this chapter to the entire building, structure or use as modified.
§ 225-40 Design standards.
A.
All off-street parking facilities shall be designed with appropriate means for vehicular access to a street or alley in such manner as will least interfere with the movement of traffic. No driveway or curb cut in any district shall exceed 25 feet in width for one-way movement or 35 feet in width for two-way movement.
B.
A required off-street space shall be an area of not less than 180 square feet, not less than nine feet wide by 20 feet long measured perpendicularly to the sides of the parking space. Aisles between vehicular parking spaces shall be not less than 13 feet in width when serving automobiles parking at a forty-five-degree angle in one direction, not less than 25 feet in width when serving automobiles parked perpendicularly for two-way aisle movement, and not less than 25 feet in width when serving automobiles parked perpendicularly for one-way aisle movement. See Exhibit E, Parking Area Design Standards, attached hereto.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Exhibit E is located in "Street and Building Details" attached to this chapter.
C.
A required off-street loading and unloading space shall be a hard-surfaced area, open or enclosed, other than a street or public way, used principally for the standing, loading or unloading of motor trucks, tractors and trailers so as to avoid undue interference with the public use of streets and alleys. A required loading space shall be not less than 12 feet in width, 14 feet in height and 50 feet in length.
D.
No parking space or portion thereof shall be located within a street right-of-way.
E.
All open off-street parking areas and loading and unloading spaces, except those accessory to single-family dwellings, shall be improved with a compacted base and surfaced with all-weather dustless material of adequate thickness to support the weight of full-loaded vehicles anticipated for the proposed use.
F.
Adequate storm sewers and drainage facilities shall be installed as required by the stormwater management provisions of Chapter 190, Stormwater Management, and related county and state requirements. All off-street parking facilities shall be designed to provide drainage for parking areas in accordance with the applicable stormwater performance standards and approved stormwater management plan for the development site.
G.
Any lighting used to illuminate an off-street parking area shall be so arranged as to direct the light away from all adjoining properties.
H.
Wherever an off-street parking area abuts a public street, sidewalk or alley, a structurally sound barrier, wall or planting strip, sufficient to prevent entrance or exit except at designated places of entrance or exit, shall be installed. Adequate retaining walls and other walls along abutting property to provide proper retention and screening to abutting properties shall also be constructed.
§ 225-41 Parking for physically handicapped persons.
A.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, every parking lot servicing each entrance described in Zoning Districts R-4, R-5, PRD, C, P, NS, GC and I, including conditional uses in Zoning Districts R-1, R-2 and R-3, shall have the number of level parking spaces set forth in the below table identified by an above-grade sign as reserved for physically handicapped persons as required by and in accordance with Act 45 of 2012, the Uniform Construction Code (UCC), as currently adopted and as from time to time amended. Each reserved parking space shall be not less than 12 feet (3,658 millimeters) wide.
B.
Accessible parking spaces. Accessible parking spaces shall be provided as follows:
Total Parking in Lot | Required Minimum Number of Accessible 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 1,000 | 2% of total | |
1,001 and over | 20, plus 1 for each 100 over 1,000 |
C.
Parking spaces. Parking spaces for the physically handicapped shall be located as close as possible to elevators, ramps, walkways and entrances. Parking spaces should be located so that physically handicapped persons are not compelled to wheel or walk behind parked cars to reach entrances, ramps, walkways and elevators.