Suffield City Zoning Code
ARTICLE VII
Parking and Loading Requirements
§ 315-74 Statement of purpose.
The purpose of this regulation is to provide for sufficient off-street parking and loading facilities to accommodate the safe movement of motor vehicles and their occupants, pedestrians, employees, customers, delivery services, and other persons normally visiting the premises at any one time; to protect and maintain property values; and to assure that parking and loading facilities do not degrade water quality.
§ 315-75 General parking and loading provisions.
A.
With the exception of parking associated with a dwelling, joint use of off-street parking facilities is permitted provided the parking requirements of all uses are satisfied according to approved site plans and the parking spaces required of a use on a lot are within a five-hundred-foot radius of any part of any building which they are intended to serve and safely accessible from said building. In such cases, the owner of the property where the parking is to be located shall be required to submit an application for site plan approval for the provision of shared parking. The owner of the property utilizing off-site shared parking shall present an easement in recordable form to the Commission establishing permanent and irrevocable rights to the parking spaces. In addition the site plans for each property shall contain a note indicating the existence of the parking easement.
[Amended 7-5-2007]
B.
No parking spaces shall be permitted within the required front yard for a special permit use in a residential zone or within 25 feet of an abutting property line.
C.
In the Industrial (I) or Planned Development Industrial Park (PDIP) Zones, no part of any parking or loading facility shall be permitted within 50 feet of any residential zone boundary, except where in the opinion of the Commission additional safeguards are in place to adequately buffer the more intensive zone from the less intensive zone.
D.
A stormwater management plan shall be submitted with each application that encourages infiltration and incorporates the landscaping islands and vegetated areas in stormwater management when required by the Commission.
E.
Vehicles shall not overhang walkways.
F.
The Commission may require a sidewalk within the public right-of-way if in its opinion circumstances warrant such facility.
G.
Painted lines and/or wheel stops shall delineate parking and loading spaces, which shall be maintained in perpetuity.
H.
All parking spaces shall be located at least 10 feet from any building.
I.
Lighting used to illuminate parking or loading areas shall be designed according to § 315-19 of these regulations.
J.
Parking and loading areas shall be constructed with a minimum 2 1/2 inch pavement in two courses on eight inch processed aggregate base on hard stable subgrade, unless heavy truck traffic is anticipated in which case a heavier pavement structure and base shall be required.
K.
Any area of 100 square feet or more in a parking lot which is not required for a parking space, loading space, aisle, driveway or walkway shall be landscaped.
L.
In every parking area at least one tree shall be provided for each 10 parking spaces provided in said parking area. The trees shall be distributed over the entire parking lot.
M.
Parking areas shall be planted and screened according to the landscaping requirements of Article VIII of these regulations.
N.
Adequate locations for snow removal storage shall be provided.
§ 315-76 Dimensions of parking spaces and aisles.
A.
Parking spaces. Each off-street parking space shall be nine by 20 feet.
B.
Aisle widths. Aisle widths shall be as follows, except that the main entrance to a development shall be at least 24 feet wide.
One-way* | Two-way | |
|---|---|---|
Parallel parking or < 46° angle parking | 12 feet | 20 feet |
46° to 79° angle parking | 18 feet | 20 feet |
> 79° angle parking | 20 feet | 24 feet |
* | One-way aisles located between a parking area and building requires a twenty-foot minimum width. |
§ 315-77 Parking space requirements in any zone.
A.
Assisted living or personal care facility, convalescent or nursing home, or similar. At least one space per bed plus one per employee.
B.
Day-care centers. At least one per employee, plus one per 10 enrollees, plus five in a clearly delineated dropoff/pickup area. In addition, a separate area for school bus dropoff may be required.
C.
Dwellings. At least two spaces for each dwelling unit.
D.
Dwelling with professional office/occupation. At least four spaces, including the dwelling unit plus one space per employee. The final number of parking spaces shall be approved by the Commission as part of the special permit application.
E.
Funeral home. At least 40 spaces, plus 20 spaces for each parlor or chapel in excess of one.
F.
Hotel, motel, bed-and-breakfast, or lodging/boarding house. At least one space for each room for rent plus two additional spaces. Additional spaces are required for restaurants and conference rooms.
G.
Industrial. At least two spaces per three employees in the largest working shift. The Commission may waive the immediate installation of up to 1/2 the industrial parking requirement and retain the right to require the installation of the full parking requirement according to these regulations, if it finds that:
(1)
Sufficient evidence has been presented to determine that the reduced parking supply will adequately serve said land use;
(2)
The applicant has provided in his application plans for the installation of the full parking requirement according to these regulations; and
(3)
Before approval, the applicant has filed an agreement with the Commission stating that he will install such additional parking facilities within one year after the date of the Commission's vote to require such installation when deemed necessary by the Commission.
H.
Office. At least one space per 250 square feet of gross floor area excluding storage, utility, stair and hall areas. In the case of medical offices, at least one space per doctor and one space per employee plus two spaces per examining room.
I.
Places of assembly, including church, theater, auditorium. At least one space per each three seats.
J.
Restaurant. At least one space per three seats or one parking space per 100 square feet of gross floor area, whichever is greater, plus one space per employee per shift.
K.
Retail, including bank. At least five spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area.
L.
When multiple uses are present on the premises the Commission may consider overlapping use of parking spaces based upon the various hours of operation and peak usage for each use. For all other uses, the Commission shall determine the minimum number of parking spaces.
§ 315-78 Loading space requirements.
A.
One off-street loading space shall be required for 2,000 to 9,999 square feet of gross floor area for nonresidential uses, which shall measure not less than 12 feet wide by 25 feet long.
B.
One off-street loading space shall be required for each 10,000 square feet of gross floor area for nonresidential uses, which shall measure not less than 12 feet wide by 55 feet long and have 14 feet of clearance in height.
§ 315-79 Submission and approval of plans.
Applications for building and/or zoning permits, except for one-family houses, shall be accompanied by a site plan according to § 315-116B of these regulations showing the location, size and arrangement of parking and loading facilities required by these regulations and the means of access to said facilities from the public street and any separate egress from such facilities. Such plan shall also show all proposed screening, landscaping, lighting fixtures, drainage and other improvements required by these regulations, as well as the location of all existing buildings and drives within 200 feet. The parking plan shall be submitted to the Commission for approval as complying with the Zoning Regulations, including adequate relationship of entrances and exits to the flow of traffic on the public streets, safeguarding of pedestrians on public sidewalks and in the parking facility itself and to the adequacy of access and circulation of the vehicles and pedestrians using the parking facility. The parking plan shall be approved before a building and/or zoning permit is issued. When the scale or complexity of a proposed use warrants, according to § 315-121B of these regulations, the Commission may require that an outside independent professional study be conducted at the applicant's expense.
§ 315-80 Restrictions on unregistered motor vehicles.
[Amended 11-19-2004]
Parking or storage of unregistered motor vehicles shall not be permitted in any zone except within an enclosed building. Vehicles used on a farm or those stored on a Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles licensed premises are exempt, but in no event shall such vehicles be kept in front of any building or front building line.