Unless a contrary intention clearly appears, the following words
and phrases shall have, for the purposes of this chapter, the meanings
given below:
A room or group of rooms located within a building and forming
a single, habitable unit with facilities used or intended to be used
for living, sleeping, cooking and eating, but shall not include tourist
homes, cabins, lodging houses, hotels, motels or other similar places
offering overnight accommodations for transients.
Reconstruction activities which increase the intensity of
use of a structure by an addition or additions of employees, dwelling
units, floor area, seating capacity or any other unit of measurement.
An on-the-property space for the standing, loading and unloading
of vehicles to avoid undue interference with the public use of streets
and alleys.
An area on a lot used for parking a vehicle, to which there
is access from a street.
The seating capacity of a particular building as determined
by the specifications and plans and filed with the Zoning Officer.
In the event individual seats are not provided, each 20 inches of
benches or similar seating accommodations shall be considered as one
seat for the purpose of this chapter.
Specifications duly adopted by the Board of Supervisors by
formal resolution for a specific purpose, copies of which are available
to the general public at the office of the Township Manager.
[Amended 8-18-1992 by Ord. No. 92-8; 2-11-1997 by Ord. No. 97-01; 5-20-2008 by Ord. No. 08-05]
In the use of land for residential, commercial, industrial or
any other purpose, no residential, commercial, industrial or any other
building or structure shall be erected and no major repairs made to
an existing residential, commercial, industrial or any other building
or structure unless there already is in existence upon the lot or
unless provision is made for the location on the lot concurrently
with such erection or major repairs off-street parking spaces on the
basis of the following minimum requirements. These requirements shall
not apply where another part of this chapter specifies a greater parking
requirement for a particular use. All driveways shall be constructed
of a durable material with a finished surface such as asphalt, concrete
or brick.
A.
Dwellings, including single-family, two-family and multifamily residences, townhouses, apartments and all other similar structures devoted to habitation: at least two off-street parking spaces for each dwelling unit. All off-street parking areas in the RA-1, RA-2, RA-3, R-1, R-2 and R-3 Districts shall be located at least 12 feet from the side-yard property line or shall meet the required side-yard setback, whichever is less, or shall meet the requirements of Chapter 440, Subdivision and Land Development. In the RA-1, RA-2, RA-3, R-1, R-2 and R-3 Districts, and for any single-family residence, two-family residence, multifamily residence, townhouse, apartment or other similar structure devoted to habitation, garage areas shall not be counted as and/or otherwise considered as off-street parking spaces.
B.
Hotels, including clubs, lodging houses, tourist homes and cabins,
motels, camps and parks, boardinghouses and rooming houses: at least
one off-street parking space for each guest room. If, in addition
to those spaces provided for guests, patrons or residents of the above-named
places, assembly halls, bars, restaurants, night clubs, retail shops
or rooms for other shops, service establishments or businesses are
provided, additional off-street parking spaces shall be required in
accordance with the regulations set forth herein for such uses. Dormitories,
sororities, fraternities and all other similar places: at least one
off-street parking space for each five beds.
C.
Hospitals, including convalescent homes, homes for the aged and infirmed,
and all other similar institutions: at least one off-street parking
space for each patient bed, plus at least one additional off-street
parking space for each employee (including nurses). Sanitariums, asylums,
orphanages: at least one off-street parking space for each five patient
beds, plus at least one additional off-street parking space for each
staff and visiting doctor, plus at least one additional off-street
parking space for each employee (including nurses).
D.
Restaurants, including bars, taverns, nightclubs, lunch counters, diners and all other similar eating and/or drinking establishments: at least one off-street parking space for each 50 square feet of total floor area. Where restaurants are located on the same lot with a shopping center or part of a shopping center development or easements exist for the use of parking on a shopping center lot, the requirement shall be as set forth in Article XXVII, § 500-2702G.
E.
Theaters, including motion-picture houses: at least one off-street
parking space for each four seats provided for patron use.
F.
Places of public assembly, including private clubs, lodges and fraternal
buildings not providing overnight accommodation; assembly halls, bowling
alleys, sports arenas, stadiums, gymnasiums, amusement parks, racetracks,
fairgrounds, circus grounds, churches, funeral homes and mortuaries,
community centers, libraries, museums, and all other similar places
of relatively infrequent public assembly: at least one off-street
parking space for each four seats provided for patron use or at least
one off-street parking space for each 50 square feet of total floor
area used or intended to be used for service to the public as customers,
patrons or clients, whichever requires the greater number of parking
spaces.
G.
Retail establishments.
(1)
Retail establishments, including personal service shops, equipment
or repair shops, gasoline or other motor fuel stations, motor vehicle
repair establishments, all retail stores and/or businesses, banks
and/or other financial and/or lending institutions, and medical marijuana
dispensaries: at least one off-street parking space for each 125 square
feet of total floor area used or intended to be used for service to
the public as customers, patrons and clients, plus at least one off-street
parking space for each employee of such establishments.
[Amended 1-17-2017 by Ord. No. 17-03]
(2)
Two or more such uses located on the same lot shall provide
the following minimum number of parking spaces:
H.
Office buildings, including business, government and professional
buildings; medical and dental offices and clinics: at least one off-street
parking space for each 200 square feet of total floor area.
I.
Wholesale, manufacturing and industrial plants, including warehouses
and storage buildings and yards, public utility buildings, contractor
equipment and lumberyards, research laboratories, business service
establishments such as blueprinting, printing and engraving, soft
drink bottling establishments, fabricating plants, medical marijuana
growers/processors, and all other structures devoted to similar mercantile
or industrial pursuits: at least one off-street parking space for
every two employees.
[Amended 1-17-2017 by Ord. No. 17-03]
J.
Terminal facilities, including airports, railroad passenger and freight
stations, bus depots, truck terminals and all other similar personal
or material terminal facilities: at least such off-street parking
spaces as the Board of Supervisors shall deem adequate to service
the public as customers, patrons, visitors and employees.
K.
Schools, including academies, colleges, universities, elementary
schools, junior high schools, high schools, prep schools, and all
other similar institutions of learning: at least one off-street parking
space for each employee, including administrators, teachers and building
maintenance personnel. In addition, for high schools or the equivalent:
at least one off-street parking space for each 20 classroom seats
or one off-street parking space for each 10 auditorium seats, whichever
formula will require the larger number of parking spaces.
L.
Motor vehicle sales establishments: at least one off-street parking
space for each 200 square feet of gross interior floor area used or
intended to be used for the sale of vehicles and at least one off-street
parking space for each 1,000 square feet of gross exterior vehicle
sales display area, plus at least one off-street parking space for
each employee of such establishments. No parking spaces shall be located
in the right-of-way of adjacent streets.
M.
Off-street parking areas shall conform to the minimum dimensional standards set forth in § 440-421 of Chapter 440, Subdivision and Land Development, as amended. The size of parking stalls shall be measured from the middle of the parking stall stripes required by § 500-2704F(2) below.
Any building or structure which is to be erected, substantially
altered or changed in use and which requires the receipt or distribution
of materials or merchandise by tractor-trailers or similar vehicles
shall be provided off-street loading berths which meet the minimum
requirements specified in this section.
A.
Every department store, supermarket, retail store, hospital, nursing
home, warehouse or wholesale establishment, manufacturing plant, or
medical marijuana grower/processor or medical marijuana dispensary
with a gross floor area of 25,000 square feet or more shall be provided
with at least one off-street loading berth.
[Amended 1-17-2017 by Ord. No. 17-03]
B.
Every office building, restaurant and hotel with a gross floor area
of 35,000 square feet or more shall be provided with at least one
off-street loading berth.
C.
In addition, the uses listed above shall provide at least one off-street
loading berth for each three tractor-trailers serving the facility
on an average day.
D.
Any proposed change in use or occupancy that would result in an increase
in the number of required off-street loading berths shall not receive
a use or occupancy permit from the Zoning Officer until the use complies
with the off-street loading requirements of this section.
E.
The Board of Supervisors may require any other building or structure
to provide off-street loading berths if it is determined that, due
to the volume or size of materials or merchandise that will be received
or distributed, such loading berths are necessary.
[Amended 8-18-1992 by Ord. No. 92-8]
A.
Continuing character of obligation.
(1)
Compliance with the schedule of requirements for off-street
parking space and off-street loading space applicable to newly erected
or substantially altered structures shall be a continuing obligation
of the owner of the real estate on which any such structure is located
so long as the structure is in existence and its use requiring vehicle
parking or vehicle loading facilities continues. It shall be unlawful
for an owner of any building affected by this chapter to discontinue,
change or dispense with, or to cause the discontinuance or change
of the required vehicle parking or loading space, apart from the discontinuance,
sale or transfer of such structure, without establishing alternative
vehicle parking and/or loading spaces which meet with the requirements
of and are in compliance with this chapter. It shall also be unlawful
for any person, firm or corporation to use a building without acquiring
such land for vehicle parking and loading spaces which meet with the
requirements of and are in compliance with this chapter.
(2)
All off-street parking and loading facilities shall be provided
and maintained so long as the use exists which the facilities were
designed to serve. No open area in an off-street parking area shall
be encroached upon by buildings, storage or any other use; nor shall
the number of off-street parking spaces be reduced in total extent
after their provision, except upon the approval of the Zoning Hearing
Board, and then only after proof that, by reason of diminution in
floor area, seating area, the number of employees, or change in other
factors controlling the regulation of the number of parking spaces,
such reduction is in conformity with the requirements of this article.
Reasonable precautions shall be taken by the owner or sponsor of a
use to assure the availability of required facilities to the employees
or other persons the facilities are designed to serve. Such facilities
shall be designed and used in such a manner as to at no time constitute
a nuisance, a hazard or an unreasonable impediment to traffic.
B.
Fractional measurements. If in determining the number of required
off-street parking and off-street loading spaces, the result is a
requirement of a fractional space, any fraction up to and including
1/2 shall be disregarded and any fraction over 1/2 shall require one
off-street parking or off-street loading space.
C.
Location of required parking and loading facilities. The off-street
parking facilities required by this chapter shall be located on the
same lot or parcel of land as the structure they are intended to serve.
When practical difficulties, as determined by the Board of Supervisors,
prevent their establishment on the same lot, off-street parking facilities
may be located within 400 feet of the premises to which they are appurtenant.
The off-street loading facilities required by this chapter shall,
in all cases, be on the same lot or parcel of land as the structure
they are intended to serve. In no case shall the off-street loading
space be part of the area used to satisfy the off-street parking requirements
of this chapter.
D.
Plan of required off-street parking and/or loading areas. For the
purpose of converting parking and/or loading spaces into the required
parking and/or loading areas, plans must be submitted to the Township
Zoning Officer to show how the required parking and/or loading spaces
shall be arranged in the area supplied for that purpose and to indicate
sufficient space for parking maneuvers, as well as adequate ingress
and egress to the parking and/or loading area. The applicant shall
state on his application, in writing, the area of off-street parking
and off-street loading he proposes to provide in square feet and shall
indicate on the plan submitted the calculations made to compute these
totals. Plans of required parking for motor vehicle sales establishments
shall also show areas to be used for display of cars, and such areas
shall be permanently marked on the establishment's premises by on-site
monuments.
E.
Use of required off-street parking by another building. No part of
an off-street parking area required for a building or use to comply
with the provisions of this chapter shall be included as a part of
an off-street parking area similarly required for another building
or use, unless the periods of usage by the buildings or uses will
not be simultaneous with each other. The applicant shall demonstrate
to the Board of Supervisors 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.
F.
Construction and maintenance of public off-street parking places.
(1)
All off-street parking facilities required pursuant to the provisions
of this article shall be paved, drained and lighted; all off-street
parking and loading spaces shall be painted so as to indicate their
location and periodically maintained by the owner in accordance with
Township specifications. Such facilities shall be arranged for convenient
access and safety of pedestrians and vehicles.
(2)
White or yellow paint shall be used to stripe all parking stalls. All parking stalls required by § 500-2702M shall be delineated and separated by two parallel stripes which are two feet apart, measured from the outside edge of each stripe. Each stripe shall be four inches in width. The requirements established in this section shall be in addition to those requirements established in § 500-2702M.
G.
Paved exceptions. When authorized as a special exception by the Zoning
Hearing Board, places of public assembly used less than 12 times per
year shall not be required to pave parking areas in accordance with
Township specifications.
H.
Collective action relative to off-street parking and loading. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prevent the joint use of off-street parking or off-street loading spaces by two or more buildings or uses if the total number of spaces provided is not less than the sum of the spaces required for each use individually, except as permitted in § 500-2704E.
I.
Mixed uses. In the case of mixed uses, the total requirements for off-street parking and off-street loading shall be the sum of the spaces required for each use individually. The off-street parking and off-street loading space for one use shall not be considered as providing the off-street parking or off-street loading space for another use, except as permitted in § 500-2704E.
J.
Nonconforming uses. Whenever there is an alteration of a structure or a change or extension of a use which increases the parking requirements according to the standards of this chapter, the total amount of parking required for the existing structure or use and the alteration, change or extension shall be provided in accordance with the requirements of § 500-2702.
In order to prevent the establishment of a greater number of
parking spaces than is actually required to serve the needs of nonresidential
uses, the Board of Supervisors, after consulting with the Planning
Commission and Township Engineer, may permit a conditional reduction
of parking space if the following conditions are satisfied:
A.
The design of the parking lot, as indicated on the land development
plan, must designate sufficient space to meet the parking requirements
of this chapter. The plan shall also illustrate the layout for the
total number of parking spaces.
B.
The conditional reduction shall provide for the establishment of
not less than 80% of the required number of parking spaces, as specified
in this chapter. This initial phase of the parking provision shall
be clearly indicated on the plan.
C.
The balance of the parking area conditionally reserved shall not
include areas for required buffer yards, setbacks or areas which would
otherwise be unsuitable for parking spaces due to the physical characteristics
of the land or other requirements of this chapter. This parking area
which is reserved shall be located and have characteristics so as
to provide amenable open space should it be determined the additional
parking spaces are not required. The developer shall provide a landscaping
plan for the reserved area with the land development plan.
D.
The developer shall enter into a written agreement with the Board
of Supervisors that, after one year following the issuing of the last
occupancy permit, the additional parking spaces shall be provided
at the developer's or owner's expense should it be determined that
the required number of parking spaces are necessary to satisfy the
need of the particular land development.
E.
At the time of the above-stated agreement, the developer or owner shall post a performance bond or other securities to cover the expense of a traffic study to be undertaken by a registered traffic engineer of the Board of Supervisors' choosing, who shall determine the advisability of providing the full parking requirement. Said study shall be undertaken one year after the issuance of the last occupancy permit pursuant to Subsection D above. With recommendations of the Traffic Engineer, the Township Engineer and the Planning Commission, the Board of Supervisors shall determine if the additional spaces shall be provided by the developer or if the area shall remain as open space.
F.
Land which has been determined and designated by the Board of Supervisors
to remain as open space rather than as required parking shall not
be used to provide parking spaces for any addition or expansion but
shall remain as open space.
