This article shall apply to all site plan applications.
The following standards shall be used to prepare and review
any development plan that involves the construction of a new parking
lot or loading area or repair of an existing parking lot or loading
area:
A. Layout. All parking lots and loading areas shall be designed for
the safety, control, efficient movement and convenience of motor vehicle
circulation within a site. Traffic circulation shall be designed to
minimize the use of aisles serving parking areas as access drives.
For all uses except single- and two-family dwellings, parking lots
or individual spaces shall be prohibited within front yard areas.
For nonresidential uses, parking areas with more than 25 spaces shall
have separate entrances and exits, where possible.
B. Construction and repair specifications. All parking lots and loading
areas shall be constructed or repaired to specifications as approved
by the Borough Engineer.
C. Striping and signage. Surface painted aisle, stall and directional striping and directional and traffic safety signs shall be provided throughout the parking, loading and circulation areas, pursuant to Article
48 of this chapter and in accordance with the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices.
D. Parking space dimensions. Standard parking spaces shall measure nine
feet wide by 18 feet long. Handicapped parking spaces shall measure
12 feet wide by 18 feet long.
E. Aisle dimensions. Parking lot aisles shall measure as follows:
Angle of Parking Stall
(degrees)
|
Width of One-Way Traffic Aisle
(feet)
|
Width of Two-Way Traffic Aisle
(feet)
|
---|
0 (parallel)
|
11
|
22
|
30
|
12
|
Not permitted
|
45
|
13
|
Not permitted
|
60
|
18
|
Not permitted
|
90 (perpendicular)
|
24
|
24
|
F. Handicapped parking spaces. The number, location, size and marking of handicapped parking spaces shall be pursuant to the requirements specified in N.J.S.A. 55:32-12. However, where handicapped accessible or adaptable dwelling units are provided in accordance with §
110-132B, a minimum of one handicapped parking space shall be provided in a location within closest proximity to such dwelling unit.
G. Loading areas. Standards for the location, dimensions and design
of loading areas shall be determined by the Board separately for each
application providing for such.
[Amended 12-16-1996 by Ord. No. 96-18; 9-15-1997 by Ord. No.
97-20; 3-17-2003 by Ord. No. 2003-4; 9-3-2013 by Ord. No. 2013-12]
A. General provisions. The total number of off-street parking spaces required for all uses or combination of uses shall be provided as specified in Subsection
B below. Any building or site containing more than one use shall meet the combined parking requirements for all uses, based on the area utilized for each separate use. The parking schedule in Subsection
B below represents general parking requirements acceptable to the Borough. Since a specific use may generate parking usage that varies from the requirements enumerated in Subsection
B below, documentation and testimony shall be presented to the Board as to the anticipated parking usage. The parking requirements for any use not specifically indicated shall be determined by the Board based on evidence presented at the time of the application and based on requirements for similar type uses. Based upon the above, the Board may take action as follows:
(1)
Grant a waiver of parking requirements to permit a lesser number
of spaces.
(2)
Grant a waiver of parking requirements to permit a lesser number
of spaces; provided, however, that adequate provision is made for
construction of the additional required spaces in the future, if needed.
(3)
Grant a waiver of parking requirements to permit a lesser number
of spaces; provided, however, that spaces shall be shared by two or
more separate uses with nonconflicting parking usage schedules.
(4)
Grant a waiver of parking requirements contingent upon the applicant
obtaining a specified number of reserved off-street parking spaces
from another source, including, but not exclusively, the Metuchen
Parking Authority.
(5)
Require construction of a greater number of spaces.
B. Requirements. The number of off-street parking spaces required for
all uses or combinations of uses shall be as follows:
[Amended 8-12-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-12]
Parking requirements for residential uses shall be governed
by the Residential Site Improvement Standards promulgated by the New
Jersey Department of Community Affairs.
|
---|
Nonresidential Uses
|
Required Spaces
|
---|
ºAutomobile repair establishments
|
4.0 per bay plus 1.0 per service vehicle
|
Automobile washing establishments
|
3.0 per establishment for employees
|
Banks and other financial institutions
|
4.0 per teller window plus 1.5 spaces per nonteller work station
or 1.0 per 180 square feet of floor area, whichever is greater
|
Churches and other places of worship
|
1.0 per 3 seats or 1.0 per 72 linear inches of seating when
benches are used
|
Day-care centers and nursery schools for more than 5 children
|
1.0 per teacher or staff member plus 1.0 per every 3 children
|
Dry-cleaning establishments
|
1.0 per 180 square feet of floor area
|
Eating and drinking establishments
|
1.0 per 200 square feet of floor area or 1.0 per every 3 seats,
whichever is greater
|
Funeral homes
|
10.0 per viewing room plus 1.0 per 300 square feet of public
floor area
|
Gasoline service stations
|
1.0 per pump
|
Hotels, inns and motels
|
1.0 per guest room plus 2.5 per 1,000 square feet of floor area
plus 75% of the requirement for any eating and drinking establishment
on the premises
|
Laboratory and research uses
|
3.0 per 1,000 square feet of floor area
|
Light industrial uses, except manufacturing
|
1.0 per 800 square feet of floor area
|
Machine shops and manufacturing uses
|
1.0 per 500 square feet of floor area
|
Offices
|
|
Business and professional, including clinical psychologists
and mental health counselors not engaged in group counseling on a
regular basis
|
1.0 per 250 square feet of floor area
|
Medical, dental, veterinary, clinical psychologists
engaged in group counseling on a regular basis
|
1.0 per 250 square feet of floor area plus 4.0 per professional
on duty
|
Real estate
|
1.0 per 150 square feet of floor area
|
Personal service businesses and physical fitness studios
|
1.0 per 180 square feet of floor area
|
Retail uses
|
1.0 per 180 square feet of floor area where the total floor
area per use or occupant is less than 2,000 square feet; 1.0 per 200
square feet of floor area where the total floor area per use or occupant
is 2,000 square feet or greater
|
Shops and stores
|
|
Appliance and furniture stores
|
1.0 per 300 square feet of floor area plus 1.0 per 500 square
feet of accessory storage area
|
Schools
|
|
Elementary and middle
|
2.0 per classroom plus 1.0 per every 6 seats in an assembly
hall
|
Secondary
|
3.5 per classroom plus 1.0 per every 6 seats in an assembly
hall
|
Social halls, clubs, lodges, and places of public assembly
|
1.0 per 2 seats
|
Warehouses and storage uses
|
1.0 per 1,000 square feet of floor area
|
C. Exceptions. The parking requirements of Subsection
B above shall not apply to the following:
(1)
The continuation of any lawfully nonconforming use or any use that does not conform to the requirements of this article in existence prior to the adoption of this chapter, so long as the current use is not substantially changed or intensified. If the use is changed or intensified to the extent that Subsection
B above requires additional parking, the applicant shall provide the additional parking equal to the difference between that required by the proposed use or building and that previously applicable to the use in existence at the time this chapter was adopted.
(2)
Any storage area in a basement or attic that is accessory to
a permitted principal use located elsewhere in such building.
D. Handicapped parking. Every use shall provide handicapped parking
spaces as a portion of its total required parking in accordance with
the Uniform Construction Code.
E. Parking in residential areas. The following regulations shall apply
to motor vehicle parking on any lot located in a residential district
or used for residential purposes:
(1)
Permitted motor vehicles. Motor vehicles registered as passenger
vehicles, livery vehicles and commercial vehicles having a gross weight
of 7,000 pounds or less shall be permitted to be parked on such lots,
with the following exceptions:
(a)
One passenger or livery vehicle having a gross weight in excess
of 7,000 pounds, but not exceeding 10,000 pounds, may be parked in
a garage or a driveway in a side or rear yard, provided that such
is substantially screened from view from all adjacent lot lines and
the street line. Such screening shall consist of a six-foot-high solid
wooden fence and/or minimum six-foot-high evergreen shrubs or trees.
Any such screening shall be approved by the Zoning Officer prior to
installation to ensure that such will provide necessary screening
to satisfy the intent of this provision.
(b)
One commercial vehicle having a gross weight in excess of 5,000
pounds, but not exceeding 8,000 pounds, may be parked in a wholly
enclosed garage. Such vehicle shall be stored in the garage at all
times when such is parked on the lot. In no instance shall any person
other than the resident of the property on which the commercial vehicle
is parked operate such vehicle. Additionally, no materials, tools,
equipment or other items used in connection with the business that
such commercial vehicle is associated with shall be stored anywhere
on the residential property, except in or on the commercial vehicle
itself.
(2)
Permitted motor vehicle dimensions. No motor vehicle shall be
parked on such lot with linear dimensions exceeding the following:
(b)
Eight feet in width, excluding rearview mirrors.
(c)
Eight feet in height, excluding radio antennas.
(3)
Prohibited motor vehicles. Trucks, tractors, trailers, semitrailers,
tow trucks and buses are hereby prohibited from any such lot.
(4)
Recreational vehicles, trailer coaches, campers and boats. One
recreational vehicle, trailer coach, camper and/or boat may be stored
or parked on any lot used solely as a single-family residence, provided
that such vehicle shall be stored in a garage or in a rear yard at
least 15 feet from any lot line and substantially screened from view
from all adjacent lot lines and the street line. In the case of corner
lots, said vehicle must be screened from view from all street lines
bounding the lot. No such vehicles shall be occupied for living, sleeping
or recreational purposes while stored or parked on such lot.
(5)
Driveways. No motor vehicle shall be parked in the side or front yards of such lot, except in a driveway located pursuant to Article
35 of this chapter.
(6)
Corner lots. Nothing herein shall permit the parking or storage
of any vehicle on a corner lot property which obstructs, impairs or
obscures vision of motor vehicle traffic at an intersection, as determined
by the Chief of Police.
F. Parking in the downtown area. The following regulations shall apply
to parking in the B-1 Central Business District, B-3 Office Business
District and D-1 Downtown Development District:
[Added 3-16-2015 by Ord.
No. 2015-04]
(1)
Reduced parking requirements. The minimum parking requirements of §
110-154B shall be reduced by 50% for all uses. For residential uses where parking is governed by the Residential Site Improvement Standards (RSIS), the Board may grant alternative parking standards in accordance with N.J.A.C. 5:21-4.14(c).
(2)
Maximum parking requirements. The parking requirements of §
110-154B shall be considered maximum permitted parking standards, and exceeding such standards shall require an exception to be granted by the Board.
(3)
Payments in lieu of parking (PILOP). The Board may allow applicants whose application for development has insufficient on-site parking to meet the reduced parking requirements of Subsection
F(1) above, provided the following are satisfied:
(a)
Prior to granting a PILOP agreement to an applicant as part
of final approval, the Board shall determine that circumstances exist
which make the granting of a PILOP appropriate based on the type of
use proposed and after due consideration of the impact that granting
of a PILOP will have on the area surrounding the development site.
(b)
Nothing in this subsection shall be deemed to serve as an automatic
requirement to grant a PILOP agreement, nor in any way diminish the
Board's ability to grant full or partial parking exceptions.
(c)
The entry into a PILOP agreement with the Borough of Metuchen
shall be a condition of any approval by the appropriate Board. Such
agreement shall indicate that the Metuchen Parking Authority has established
that there are adequate available parking resources to provide any
parking required under the PILOP.
(d)
The PILOP payment shall be established at $5,000 per required
parking space for all uses and $2,500 per required parking space for
any affordable housing unit. The established fees herein shall be
reexamined, and may be modified, from time to time, in intervals no
greater than once every two years, to ensure that the fees are appropriate
for intents and purposes of the PILOP program.
(e)
The PILOP shall be paid in full to the Borough of Metuchen prior
to the issuance of any certificate of occupancy by the Borough in
order to effectuate the goals and objectives of the Master Plan, Downtown
Parking Plan and Complete Streets policies as it relates to circulation,
accessibility, traffic and pedestrian safety and related issues in
the Borough. The proceeds shall be deposited into a fund established
solely for the acquisition, development, expansion or capital repair
of public and municipal parking facilities, traffic- or transportation-related
capital projects, the provision or operating expenses of transit facilities
designed to reduce reliance on private automobiles, programs to facilitate
carpooling or ride sharing, and creating a consistent streetscape
for all user groups utilizing all modes of transportation by introducing
context-sensitive design elements at intersections and corridors,
such as parking meters, wayfinding signage, kiosks, trails, sidewalks,
crosswalks, streets and similar improvements that connect users to
public and municipal parking facilities throughout the Borough. The
proceeds of such fund shall not be considered a part of the municipal
general fund.
(f)
The PILOP shall not relieve the applicant or any users of the
parking spaces covered under a PILOP agreement from paying any required
parking fees to the Metuchen Parking Authority.