The intent of this article is to prevent or alleviate congestion
on public streets and to promote the public safety and welfare by
establishing standards for the provision of off-street parking and
loading spaces.
Parking and loading spaces shall be located in accordance with
the following:
A. Parking areas setback from lot lines and streets. In all districts,
no part of any parking area, other than driveways for ingress and
egress, shall be located closer to a street or lot line than the minimum
setback required for a principal building in the relevant district.
B. Parking of motor vehicles is prohibited on sidewalks, areas between
the sidewalk and curb and median strips separating travel lanes as
defined in the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law.
C. For single-family detached, two-family, attached and accessory dwelling
units, off-street parking shall be provided on the same lot with the
building it serves.
D. For multifamily dwellings, required off-street parking shall be located
as close to the use as possible, given site conditions, and in no
case more than 200 feet from the building it is required to serve.
E. Access drives to any commercial or industrial district through any
residential or transitional district shall not be considered to be
a permitted use.
F. The location, dimensions and signage of handicapped parking shall
meet the requirements of the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention
and Building Code.
At the discretion of the Planning Board, uses within 800 feet
of a municipal parking lot or designated on-street parking may be
wholly or partially exempt from off-street parking requirements. Such
uses may be required to make a cash payment in lieu of providing off-street
parking, with such moneys dedicated to expansion or improvement of
public parking facilities within the same commercial district.
No building or lot alterations or change of use shall be allowed
which would increase the degree of nonconformity with the off-street
parking and loading regulations of this article.
The minimum required number of off-street parking spaces for
each facility or use shall be determined by application of the standards
noted in Table 1. In adopting
these standards, the City of Cohoes is providing guidance to future
developers, tenants and residents of uses requiring off-street parking.
From an environmental and cost perspective, it is always desirable
to construct the least number of parking spaces to accommodate a particular
use. The following general requirements apply to all off-street parking:
A. Applicants are encouraged to provide evidence of lesser parking demand
if appropriate.
B. The Planning Board, at its discretion, may require less off-street
parking if warranted based on the information presented. In any case
where less off-street parking is required, the Planning Board reserves
the right to require the set-aside of additional open space sufficient
to accommodate the amount of off-street parking which would ordinarily
be required.
C. The Planning Board also reserves the right to request additional
information, such as but not limited to expected number of employees,
expected attendance, or expected deliveries, relevant to judging the
adequacy of specified parking standards. Such information may result
in application of off-street parking standards higher than those specified
in Table 1.
D. For uses not specified in Table 1, the Planning Board shall apply
the standard for a specified use which the Board determines to be
most similar to the proposed use.
E. In all cases, provided off-street parking should be sufficient to
prevent frequent on-street parking by users or employees.
F. In addition to the off-street parking required based on the following
standards, one appropriately sized parking space shall be available
for each commercial vehicle used in any business conducted on or from
the premises.
G. The Planning Board reserves the right to require off-street parking
spaces suitable for vehicles with boats or trailers in the City.
H. Parking of any vehicle, bus, or tractor-trailer combinations which
exceed 35 feet, except those loading or unloading in conjunction with
provision of a commercial service to an owner or occupant of the property,
shall be prohibited in any district except industrial districts or
upon the written permission from the Police Department in which the
parking restriction would create an extreme hardship on the individual
or business using the vehicle. The Chief of Police shall have the
power to require such barricades, lighting and other safety measures
as he/she deems necessary. The parking of one tractor without an attached
trailer which is owned by or leased to the occupant of a dwelling
is allowed, subject to the availability of an off-street parking space
which meets all the requirements of these regulations.
I. Adequate off-street parking space(s) shall be provided for any commercial,
institutional or industrial use which involves receipt or distribution
of goods.
Table 1
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Off-Street Parking Space Requirements
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Use
|
Required Spaces
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Home occupation
|
1 per nonresidential employee and at least 1 client parking
space in addition to space(s) required for the dwelling
|
Hotels and motels
|
0.75 per guest room
|
Manufacturing
|
1 for each 1,000 square feet of gross floor area
|
Motor service station
|
3 per service bay, plus parking spaces as required for any accessory
retail uses
|
Office building
|
1 for each 400 square feet of net leasable area
|
Medical care offices
|
1 for each 400 square feet of office space
|
Place of worship
|
1 per 300 square feet of gross floor area
|
Dwelling, multifamily
|
1 per dwelling unit
|
Residential care facility
|
1 per every 3 beds
|
Dwelling, single-family
|
1 per dwelling unit
|
Dwelling, attached or row
|
2 per dwelling unit
|
Restaurant; bar; tavern; nightclub
|
1 for each 150 square feet of net leasable area (outdoor dining
area excluded)
|
Retail
|
1 for each 400 square feet of net leasable area
|
Shopping center
|
1 for every 250 square feet of leasable floor area
|
Warehouse
|
1 for each 2,000 square feet of floor area
|
Land banking allows for designating a portion of land on a site that would be required for parking to be held and preserved as landscape, in accordance with Article
IX, rather than constructed as parking. The Planning Board may permit land banking of parking spaces, subject to the following:
A. Evidence is provided by the applicant that supports the reduced parking
needs.
B. The area proposed for land banking of parking spaces must be an area
suitable for parking at a future time.
C. Landscaping of the land-banked area must be in full compliance with
this chapter and, at a minimum, be decompacted, and landscape with
native vegetation may not be used as a stormwater management area.
D. The land-banked area cannot be used for any other use and must be
part of the same zoning lot and all under the same ownership.
E. As part of the site plan review process, the applicant must show
the area to be banked on the site plan and marked as "Land-Banked
Future Parking."
F. The Zoning Officer, upon a determination of parking demand for the use, may require the conversion of all or part of the land-banked area to offset parking spaces. Where a property owner disagrees with a determination by the Zoning Officer, that decision may be reviewed by the Zoning Board of Appeals pursuant to §
285-12.