Swatara Township Lebanon County
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
PART 16
OFF-STREET PARKING
§ 27-1601 Intent.
[Ord. 21A, 9/2/1982, § 16.01]
The regulations concerning off-street parking are intended to insure that adequate, well-designed parking facilities are provided for all new, altered, or expanded buildings and uses. The general intent shall be to require off-street parking spaces, loading and unloading areas, driveway and accessways to satisfy the minimum standards contained within this Part and to be designed to prevent overcrowding and congestion and impairment of traffic circulation and access.
§ 27-1602 Definitions.
[Ord. 21A, 9/2/1982, § 16.02]
For the purpose of determining accessory off-street parking requirements, definitions and standards shall be as follows:
The total area of all the floors measured from the exterior faces of the structure or, where set forth in the schedule in § 27-1605, only the floor area used by a specific use.
An open or enclosed area accessible from a street or alley for parking of motor vehicles for owners, occupants, employees, customers, or tenants of the principal structure or use. Each parking space shall be not less than 10 feet wide and not less than 20 feet long, exclusive of all drives, curbs and turning space.
The number of seating units installed or indicated, or each 24 lineal inches of benches, pews, or space for loose chairs or similar seating facilities; spacing of rows shall be 30 inches on center.
§ 27-1603 Requirement for Off-Street Parking Facilities.
[Ord. 21A, 9/2/1982, § 16.03]
1.
Accessory off-street parking facilities, including access driveways and loading/unloading areas, shall be required in accordance with the provisions of this Part as a condition precedent to the occupancy of such building or use. Facilities shall be provided for the entire building or use as follows:
§ 27-1604 General Standards.
[Ord. 21A, 9/2/1982, § 16.04; as amended by Ord. 44, 6/11/1998]
1.
Off-street parking facilities shall satisfy the following general requirements:
A.
Off-street parking areas shall have safe access to and from a street. However, no portion of any street right-of-way shall be utilized for off-street parking.
B.
Off-street parking spaces shall be designed to prevent maneuvering necessary to park a vehicle from intersecting any street right-of-way, alley or sidewalk. Parking spaces shall also be designed so that vehicles may have access to and from spaces without moving another vehicle.
C.
Off-street parking spaces shall be readily accessible to, and a reasonable distance from, the structures and uses served. Such spaces shall be on the same lot as the principal structure or use, except where otherwise permitted in accordance with § 27-1606.
D.
All parking spaces shall be available to patrons, customers or visitors throughout the hours of operation of the structure or use for which the spaces are provided. Carnivals, displays, promotions or other events held on parking lots shall not utilize parking spaces required for customers. Adequate additional parking spaces shall be available for the supplemental use.
E.
Parking spaces shall be improved and individually delineated in accordance with § 27-1610. Additionally, special purpose spaces and areas such as "handicapped" parking, "visitor only" parking, "limited time" parking, and fire and police spaces shall be clearly labeled.
F.
Off-street parking requirements will be considered to be met only when actual spaces meeting the requirements of this Part are provided and improved in accordance with § 27-1610. Parking spaces may not thereafter be reduced below the minimum requirements as long as the principal structure or use remains, unless an equivalent number of spaces if provided for use in another approved location.
G.
Unless otherwise specifically regulated, improved, hard surface off-street parking for all uses shall be limited to portions of the lot as follows:
(1)
Parking shall not be permitted within 25 feet of any street right-of-way. However, provided the minimum 25 feet is satisfied, up to 50% of the required front yard may be utilized for parking.
(2)
Required side and rear yards may be utilized for parking, provided that:
(a)
A minimum setback of 10 feet from the property line is maintained in all cases where more prohibitive regulations do not appear herein.
(b)
Minimum setbacks of 40 feet in all commercial districts and 100 feet in the industrial district are maintained in all yards abutting a residential district boundary.
(3)
Loading and unloading areas shall not be permitted in the required front yard.
§ 27-1605 Schedule of Required Off-Street Parking Spaces.
[Ord. 21A, 9/2/1982, § 16.05; as amended by Ord. 44, 6/11/1998; Ord. 2006-73, 4/13/2006; and by Ord. No. 2021-5, 4/8/2021]
The minimum number of off-street parking spaces required for a specific use is listed in the following chart. Where appropriate, when computing the number of required parking spaces, the Zoning Officer may exclude floor area of a structure (e.g., storage, employee lounge, bathroom) which does not bear any relationship to the parking needs of the use.
Structure or Use | Parking Spaces Required | |
|---|---|---|
INSTITUTIONAL | ||
1. | Civic and educational primary and secondary school; library; places for public assembly | 1 space for each employee plus 1 space for each 6 seats in assembly rooms |
2. | Governmental, municipal building used for administrative functions | 1 space for each 200 square feet of office floor area plus 1 space for each 4 seats in assembly rooms |
3. | Place of worship | 1 space for each 3 seats in principal assembly room |
4. | Welfare | |
Hospitals | 1 space per 2 beds plus 1 space for each employee | |
Health center | 1 space per 150 square feet of floor area | |
Home for the aging, nursing home | 1 space per each 4 guest rooms or apartment units plus 1 space for each employee | |
RESIDENTIAL | ||
5. | Group family dwelling | 2 spaces plus those required for resident vehicles |
6. | Bed-and-breakfast | 1 space per guest room, plus 1 space for each employee plus 2 spaces for manager/owner(s) |
7. | One- and two-family dwellings | 2 spaces per dwelling unit; must be off-street but need not be improved with hard surface |
8. | Multifamily residence (including townhouses and garden apartments) | 3 spaces per dwelling unit |
HOME OCCUPATION | ||
9. | Home occupation | In addition to parking required for the residence, 2 spaces plus 1 additional space for any assistant; must be off-street but need not be improved with hard surface |
10. | Day-care home, family | 2 spaces plus those required for the residence |
11. | Day-care home, group | 2 spaces plus 1 space for each assistant plus those required for the residence |
12. | Day-care center | See § 27-802, Subsection 2H |
COMMERCIAL | ||
13. | Medical and dental offices, clinics, professional offices and banks | 1 space per 150 square feet of floor area plus 1 space for each doctor and dentist |
14. | Other offices | 1 space per 200 square feet of ground floor area; 1 space per 300 square feet of floor area of upper floors |
15. | Motel, hotel | 1 space per guest room or unit |
16. | Mortuary | 1 space per 30 square feet of assembly rooms, or 1 space for each 4 seats, whichever requires the greater number, but in no case less than 20 spaces |
17. | Outdoor retail activities, flea markets, etc. | 1 space for each 200 square feet of stall space and customer circulation area |
18. | Retail stores, service establishments and shopping centers | 1 space per 300 square feet of ground floor, excluding any space for each employee; 1 space per 300 square feet of floor area of upper floors |
19. | Eating places, bars, taverns | 1 space per 50 square feet of floor area, or 1 space per 4 seats, whichever requires the greater number of spaces |
20. | Club, lodge, or other assembly halls | 1 space per 4 seats in building |
21. | Indoor theater | 1 space per 4 seats in building |
22. | Dance hall, skating rink, swimming pool | 1 space per 100 square feet of area used for dancing, skating or swimming |
23. | Carnivals, racetracks and other outdoor amusement or recreation uses | 1 space for each 4 seats or 4 visitors at maximum capacity |
24. | Bowling alley | 6 spaces per bowling lane |
25. | Service and storage establishments | 1 space for every 2 employees on the combined employment of the 2 largest successive shifts |
26. | Gas station, repair garage | 1 space per employee plus 1 space per 200 square feet of floor area |
27. | Auto body shop | 1 space per employee plus 2 spaces per repair bay |
28. | Golf course | 4 spaces for each green plus 50% of the requirement for any associated use |
MANUFACTURING | ||
29. | Service and storage establishments, laboratories, manufacturing plants, and other uses permitted in a manufacturing district | 1 space for every 2 employees on the largest shift |
30. | Executive offices, sales offices and outlet stores | 1 space per 200 square feet of executive and sales office floor area in addition to parking requirements for manufacturing area |
OTHER STRUCTURES OR USES | ||
31. | For a specific structure or use not scheduled, the Zoning Officer shall apply the unit or measurement of the above schedule deemed to be most popular to the proposed structure or use. | |
§ 27-1606 Separate or Combined Use of Facilities.
[Ord. 21A, 9/2/1982, § 16.06]
1.
A structure containing one use shall provide the off-street parking spaces as required for the specific use. A structure or group of structures containing two or more uses, operating normally during the same hours, and which have different off-street parking requirements, shall provide spaces for not less than the sum of the spaces required for each use. Where the applicant can demonstrate that adequate off-street parking capacity is not feasible on the same lot as the proposed nonresidential use or structure, the new use or structure may be permitted if the applicant:
A.
Provides written authorization from an adjoining or nearby property owner to allow establishment and/or use of parking facilities meeting the requirements of this Part on that property; and
B.
Obtains authorization on said other property to establish and use parking facilities which will be a maximum of 600 feet from the use or building proposed by the applicant.
§ 27-1607 Access Drives to Parking Areas and Curbing.
[Ord. 21A, 9/2/1982, § 16.07; as amended by Ord. 2012-32, 1/12/2012, § 5]
1.
The location and width of entrance and exit driveways to paved, hard-surface parking facilities shall be planned to interfere as little as possible with the use of nearby property and with pedestrian and vehicular traffic on the nearest streets. The center line of the access driveways on the frontage street shall be at least 80 feet from the right-of-way line of the nearest intersecting street or any other driveway. Where there is more than one driveway to a parking area, the driveways, whenever possible, shall be limited to one-way travel, either as an entrance to or exit from the parking area. Entrances and exits shall be limited to three lanes. The width of such entrances and exits, measured at the street property line, shall conform with the following schedule:
Width (feet) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Minimum | Maximum | ||
One lane | 12 | 14 | |
Two lanes | 20 | 28 | |
Three lanes | 30 | 40 | |
2.
Parking areas shall be designed in accordance with generally accepted engineering standards. Whenever parking spaces are located along a driveway or aisle, the width of said driveway or aisle shall be as required to facilitate entrance and exit from individual parking spaces, but in no case shall the width be less than 16 feet. Driveways and aisles serving parking spaces designed at an angle greater than 80° to the driveway or aisle shall provide to two-way traffic movement. Driveways and aisles serving parking spaces deigned at an angle of between 60° and 80° to the driveway or aisle shall provide for one-way traffic movement. Parking spaces designed at an angle of less than 60° shall be permitted on a case-by-case basis, only after approval by the Board of Supervisors and Township Planning Commission.
§ 27-1608 Loading and Unloading Space.
[Ord. 21A, 9/2/1982, § 16.08]
Each use in a commercial or industrial district shall provide off-street loading and unloading space at the side or rear of the principal structure according to the following table. Such space or spaces shall be not less than 660 square feet in area with dimensions of 12 feet by 55 feet per space, which shall be located exclusive of any public right-of-way. Each space shall have a vertical clearance of not less than 15 feet. Additionally, any loading and unloading spaces necessitated by uses in other districts shall also comply with the specifics of this section.
Gross Floor Area | Loading/Unloading Spaces Required |
|---|---|
0 to 2000 square feet | 0, provided all loading/unloading can be accomplished on-site without restricting traffic flow or disrupting off-street parking access |
2001 to 10,000 square feet | 1 space |
10,001 to 50,000 square feet | 2 spaces |
50,001 square feet and over | 3 spaces plus 1 additional space for each 40,000 square feet in excess of 50,000 square feet |
§ 27-1609 Illumination of Parking and Loading Areas.
[Ord. 21A, 9/2/1982, § 16.09]
Parking and loading areas shall be illuminated whenever necessary to protect the public safety. Such illumination shall be so designed and located that the light sources are shielded from adjoining residences and streets and shall not be of excessive brightness or cause a glare hazardous to pedestrians or drivers.
§ 27-1610 Improvements to Parking and Loading Areas.
[Ord. 21A, 9/2/1982, § 16.10; as amended by Ord. 44, 6/11/1998; and by Ord. 2012-32, 1/12/2012, § 5]
All parking areas, loading areas, and access driveways, except for single and two-family dwellings and home occupation, shall have an appropriate stabilized surface suitable for the use anticipated. For occasional use or overflow parking areas, the Township encourages the consideration of permeable surfacing to lessen runoff and promote groundwater recharge.
§ 27-1611 Approval of Parking and Loading Plans.
[Ord. 21A, 9/2/1982, § 16.11; as amended by Ord. 44, 6/11/1998]
Detailed, scaled drawings of off-street parking and loading areas (except for single- and two-family dwellings) shall be submitted to the Zoning Officer for approval prior to their construction. The drawings shall show each space, dimensions of driveways, aisles and other features required under the provisions of this chapter.