Somerset Town City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XIV
Off-Street Parking and Loading Regulations
§ 205-50 Parking regulations.
[Amended 9-8-1998 by L.L. No. 3-1998; 6-13-2000 by L.L. No. 2-2000]
A.
All parking/loading areas shall be adequately drained with appropriate stormwater management facilities and subject to the approval of the Town Engineer.
B.
None of the off-street facilities that are required in this article shall be required for any existing building or use unless said building or use shall be enlarged or changed to a more intensive use requiring additional parking, in which case the provisions of this chapter shall apply.
C.
Off-street parking areas located in commercial zones and which provide parking for 20 or more vehicles shall be provided with a landscaped buffer strip along the highway or primary access drive planted with shade trees of a type approved by the Town Superintendent of Highways and located on the approved site plan as shown. Total green space in such parking areas shall be 25% of the total parking area and designated to provide for separation of parking areas, snow storage and organization of circulation in the parking area.
D.
Improvements. Every parcel used as a parking area (other than parking required for single- and two-family dwellings) shall be provided with safe and convenient access to a street and shall be improved in accordance with the following requirements:
(1)
Paving. The ground surface shall be paved with a durable, dust-free and hard material, such as bituminous hot mix or Portland cement concrete or some comparable material. Such paving shall be maintained for safe and convenient use at all times.
(2)
Curbs and delineation. Fixed and permanent wheel bumpers at least four inches high shall be installed for each parking space that faces a highway or slope declining down from the parking area. Parking spaces shall be delineated and periodically restored to maintain a clear identification of separate parking stalls.
(3)
Curb cuts. Driveway openings through the right-of-way shall be a minimum of 30 feet in width and a maximum of 50 feet in width, measured at the street line. There shall not be less than 25 feet between driveway openings, and there shall not be less than 10 feet from any driveway openings to any property line. All the above requirements may be superseded by the State of New York or the County of Niagara. All driveways located in the state highway right-of-way will be required to conform to the New York State Department of Transportation Policy and Standards for Entrances to State Highways.
(4)
Screening. Except between abutting R-zoned lots or where topography achieves the same effect, where any part of such parking area is located closer than 50 feet to a side or rear lot line of a lot in A or R Districts, or where such parking extends into A or R Districts as a permitted transitional use, a wall or fence shall be erected along the boundary thereof. Such wall or fence shall consist of durable material so arranged that direct light cannot penetrate the face thereof. Such wall or fence shall have a minimum height of 3 1/2 feet above the finished surface.
(5)
Lighting. Any lights used to illuminate any such area shall be so arranged and shielded as to confine all light rays entirely within the boundary lines of such area.
(6)
Plans. Any application for a building permit, or for a certificate of occupancy where no building permit is required, shall include plans in duplicate covering all the foregoing requirements, which shall be approved by the Code Enforcement Officer before work is commenced.
§ 205-51 Required off-street parking space.
[Amended 9-10-1996 by L.L. No. 2-1996; 6-13-2000 by L.L. No. 2-2000]
A.
Parking or standing spaces shall be provided for each use, as permitted in respective classifications, in not less than the amounts set forth as follows for every building, or addition thereto, and for all uses of land hereafter established or expanded. Parking or standing space required by this chapter shall be used only for those purposes. Any other use of said space, including any repair work or servicing of any kind, shall be deemed to constitute a separate commercial use of said space in violation of the provisions of this chapter.
B.
Residential uses.
(1)
Establishment with sleeping accommodation, other than dwellings, including hotels, motels, tourist homes and courts and lodging or rooming houses: one space for each room or unit and one space for each two employees or permanent residents.
C.
Commercial uses.
(1)
Offices.
(a)
One space for each 300 square feet of gross floor area for general administrative uses.
(b)
One space for each 200 square feet of gross floor area for physicians, surgeons and dentists.
(2)
Drive-in facilities (bank, restaurant, etc.): five standing spaces for each drive-in teller or customer window (plus any spaces required for non-drive-in facilities).
D.
Industrial, warehouse and wholesale uses.
(1)
One parking space for each employee, plus one space for each 1,000 square feet of gross floor area in the buildings for use by visitors to the building or buildings.
(a)
The employee ratio shall be applied to the shift of work activity that has the greatest number of employees.
(b)
Such parking area may be located in the required yard area but shall not be located within 50 feet of a public street or within a buffer area as required by this section.
(2)
Sufficient parking for trucks waiting for loading, unloading and transfer.
E.
Dimensions.
(1)
Minimum of all parking and maneuvering space. All parking (spaces) shall be a minimum of nine feet by 20 feet. The minimum aisle space for 90° parking shall be 24 feet in width. The minimum aisle space for 60° parking shall be 22 feet in width. The minimum aisle space for 45° parking shall be 20 feet in width.
(2)
Computation.
(a)
For the purpose of computing required off-street standing and parking or loading space in relation to floor area, the gross floor area shall be used.
(b)
When computing parking space requirements on the basis of the number of occupants, practitioners or employees, the total maximum number of said occupants on the premises at any one time shall be used.
(c)
When application of the requirements would result in a fractional space, any fraction shall be counted as one space.
(d)
If there is any uncertainty with respect to the amount of parking space(s) required by the provision of this chapter as a result of any indefiniteness as to the proposed use of a building or of land, the maximum requirement for the general type of use that is involved shall govern.
§ 205-52 Off-street loading regulations.
A.
For every building, structure or part thereof having over 5,000 square feet of gross building area erected and occupied for commerce, hospital, laundry, dry cleaning, places of public and quasi-public assembly, industry and other similar uses involved in the receipt and distribution by vehicles of materials or merchandise, there shall be provided and permanently maintained adequate space for standing, loading and unloading services in order to avoid undue interference with the public use of streets or alleys. Every building, structure or addition thereto having a use which complies with the above definition shall be provided with at least one truck standing, loading and unloading space to the rear or side of the premises not less than 12 feet in width and 35 feet in length. One additional truck space of these dimensions shall be provided for every additional 20,000 square feet, or fraction thereof, of gross area in the building.
B.
Access to truck standing, loading and unloading space shall be provided directly from a public street or alley or from any right-of-way that will not interfere with public convenience and will permit orderly and safe movement of truck vehicles.
C.
Loading space as required under this section shall be provided an area in addition to customer off-street parking space and shall not be considered as supplying off-street parking space.
D.
Off-street loading and unloading areas shall be surfaced with a dustless, all-weather pavement, which shall be adequately drained, subject to the approval of the Town Superintendent of Highways.
E.
Whenever an off-street loading and unloading area shall be located next to a residential zone, said loading and unloading area shall be screened and buffered.