Upper Providence Township
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
CHAPTER 1262
Off-Street Parking and Loading
1262.01 General.
[Ord. No. 321, passed 12-10-1998]
A.
Each use established, enlarged or altered shall provide and maintain off-street parking and/or loading facilities in accordance with the provisions of this article.
B.
The parking standards for uses not specifically listed shall be the standards for the most similar use listed.
C.
Where a proposed use contains or includes more than one type of use, the number of parking and/or loading spaces required shall be the sum of the parking and/or loading standards for each separate use.
D.
Two or more uses may provide for required parking in a common parking lot if the total space provided is not less than the sum of the spaces required for each use individually; provided, however, that if it can be demonstrated to the Zoning Hearing Board that the hours or days of peak parking needed for the uses are so different that a lower total will provide adequately for all uses served by the facility, the number of spaces required in a common parking facility may be reduced below this total by special exception.
E.
Where the computation of required parking and/or loading spaces results in a fractional number, the fraction of 1/4 or more shall be counted as one.
F.
Areas provided for loading and unloading of delivery trucks and other vehicles and for use by refuse collection, fuel and other service vehicles shall be adequate in size and shall be so arranged that they may be used without blockage or interference with the use of accessways or automobile parking facilities.
1262.02 Off-street parking.
[Ord. No. 321, passed 12-10-1998; Ord. No. 353, passed 12-12-2001]
The off-street parking requirements for each use permitted in the Township are as specified in Table D, Off-Street Parking Requirements,[1] unless specifically stated for a particular use under Section 1256.04. (NOTE: Requirements relating to number of employees are based on largest shift.)
[1]
Editor's Note: Table D: Off-Street Parking Requirements, is included as an attachment to this chapter.
1262.03 Conditional reduction in off-street parking area.
[Ord. No. 321, passed 12-10-1998]
A.
B.
Following a review and recommendation by the Planning Commission, the Zoning Hearing Board may permit a reduction, through the variance process, of the number of parking spaces to be initially developed as required by this Chapter, provided each of the following conditions is satisfied:
1.
The Applicant shall demonstrate to the Board, using existing and projected employment, customer, resident or other relevant data, that a reduction in the number of off-street parking spaces to be initially developed as required by this Chapter is warranted.
2.
The Applicant shall submit plans of the parking lot which designate a layout for the total number of parking spaces needed to comply with the parking requirements of this Chapter.
3.
The plans shall clearly designate which of these parking spaces are proposed for immediate use and which spaces are proposed to be conditionally reserved for potential future use.
4.
The portion of the required parking spaces conditionally reserved for potential future use shall not be within areas which would otherwise be unsuitable for parking spaces due to the physical characteristics of the land or other requirements of this Ordinance.
5.
The Applicant shall enter into an agreement with the Township requiring the Applicant to maintain each conditionally reserved area as attractively landscaped open space and convert some or all of the conditionally reserved area to additional off-street parking if at any time the Board finds that additional parking is needed.
6.
This agreement shall be included in the deed as a covenant running with the land, and recorded in the Recorder of Deeds Office.
7.
The Zoning Officer shall submit the parking reduction agreement to the Board for reconsideration if the Zoning Officer determines that the reduced number of parking spaces is not meeting actual needs, based upon field investigations.
8.
This agreement shall include provisions for financial security and for the timing of the improvements.
1262.04 Special design and development requirements for off-street parking.
[Ord. No. 321, passed 12-10-1998]
The following special design and development requirements apply to off-street parking areas within the B Business, LI Limited Industrial, and POC Planned Office Campus Districts, and to off-street parking areas of eight or more vehicles serving any permitted use within a residential district.
A.
Location.
1.
Required off-street parking spaces shall be on the same lot or premises as the principal use served or, where this requirement cannot be met, by providing privately owned parking, dedicated to the new use, within 300 feet of the site measured along continuous sidewalks and designated crosswalks that are accessible to the disabled.
B.
Access.
1.
Any lot or area used for off-street parking or for the storage or movement of motor vehicles shall provide an accessway clearly marked and designated by a raised curb, planting strip, wall or other suitable barrier against unchanneled motor vehicle entrance or exit. Curb cuts shall be placed to maximize safe access. Curb cuts shall be reduced to the minimum required, and the use of a single curb cut to serve multiple lots is encouraged.
3.
Any such parking lot or area shall be designed so as to discourage vehicles from backing out onto the street. The capacity and arrangement of the lot shall be adequate for all related uses and sufficient to prevent the backup of vehicles on a street while awaiting entry into the lot.
4.
In the B Business District, all access except emergency access shall be from an arterial road, as defined in the Township Code.
C.
Interior circulation.
1.
Interior drives shall be designed so as to prevent blockage of vehicles entering or leaving the site.
2.
The minimum width of the aisles providing access to stalls for two-way traffic shall be 24 feet.
The minimum width of the aisles providing access to stalls for one-way traffic only shall vary with the angle of parking as follows:
Angle of Parking | Minimum Aisle Width (feet) | |
|---|---|---|
Parallel | 12 | |
30° | 12 | |
45° | 14 | |
60° | 18 | |
90° | 24 |
D.
Parking stalls. Unless otherwise specified, parking stalls shall conform to the following minimum dimensional standards as based upon their intended function:
Type | Width (feet) | Depth1 (feet) | |
|---|---|---|---|
Conventional | 9.0 | 18.0 | |
Handicapped2 | 14.0 | 18.0 | |
Parallel | 8.0 | 22.0 |
NOTES: | |||
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Stall depth shall be measured from the curb, if provided. | ||
2 | Any parking lot having a capacity of at least 10 parking spaces shall include a minimum of one handicapped space. A minimum of 3% of all off-street parking spaces required for the proposed use shall be handicapped spaces. | ||
E.
Arrangement of parking spaces. Parking spaces shall be arranged so that not more than 20 spaces adjoin each other, and each such group shall be separated by a five-foot wide planting area.
F.
Outdoor lighting. All driveways, parking and pedestrian areas, and vehicle maneuvering areas shall be adequately illuminated, and all exterior or outdoor lighting shall be arranged in such a manner so as to protect adjoining property and traffic from any glare or hazardous interference of any kind. All such lighting shall be equipped with glare shielding devices and be not more than 20 feet in height. The parking, pedestrian, and ingress and egress areas shall be provided with a minimum of 0.75 lumen at any point.
G.
Landscaping of parking areas. No less than 10% of the entire paved area used for parking and drive areas must be landscaped with appropriate trees and shrubs and continually maintained. Planting along the perimeter of a parking area, whether for required screening or general beautification, will be considered as part of the 10% landscaped parking area. In complying with the 10% landscaping requirement, the planting beds must be distributed throughout the parking area as evenly as possible and in a manner that maintains proper sight distances. The landscape plan must show a satisfactory method of irrigating all planted areas.
1262.05 Off-street loading.
[Ord. No. 321, passed 12-10-1998]
The following minimum number of off-street loading spaces shall be provided on any lot with specified building types exceeding 6,000 square feet of gross floor area.
A.
For any retail establishment, truck terminal, warehouse, wholesale establishment, industrial or manufacturing use:
Gross Floor Area of All Buildings on Lot (square feet) | Minimum Required Number of Off-Street Loading Spaces | |
|---|---|---|
6,000 up to 19,999 | 1 | |
20,000 up to 79,999 | 2 | |
80,000 up to 127,999 | 3 | |
128,000 up to 191,999 | 4 | |
192,000 up to 255,999 | 5 | |
256,000 up to 319,999 | 6 | |
320,000 up to 391,999 | 7 | |
For each additional 72,000 | 1 additional space |
B.
For any auditorium, office building, restaurant, hotel or motel:
Gross Floor Area of All Buildings on Lot (square feet) | Minimum Required Number of Off-Street Loading Spaces | |
|---|---|---|
30,000 up to 44,999 | 1 | |
45,000 up to 119,999 | 2 | |
120,000 up to 197,999 | 3 | |
198,000 up to 290,999 | 4 | |
291,000 up to 389,999 | 5 | |
390,000 up to 488,999 | 6 | |
489,000 up to 587,999 | 7 | |
588,000 up to 689,999 | 8 | |
For each additional 105,000 | 1 additional space |
1262.06 Design and layout of off-street loading facilities.
[Ord. No. 321, passed 12-10-1998]
Off-Street loading facilities shall be designed to conform to the following specifications:
A.
Each off-street loading space shall be at least 14 feet in width by 60 feet in depth for a tractor-trailer, and 12 feet in width and 35 feet in depth for smaller trucks.
B.
Each space and the needed maneuvering room shall be located entirely on the lot being served and be located outside of required off-street parking setbacks and street rights-of-way.
C.
No such facilities shall be designed or used in any manner so as to constitute a significant nuisance, public safety hazard or an unreasonable impediment to traffic.
D.
Fire lanes shall be provided where required by State or Federal regulations or other local ordinances. The specific locations of these lanes are subject to review by the Township Fire Officials.