Town of Johnstown, NY Parking

Intent and purpose. The Town of Johnstown seeks to foster the construction of parking lots that promotes the safety of both pedestrians and vehicles, that creates a better experience of the Town and its businesses for people walking from the parking lot to surrounding destinations, and that minimizes or avoids adverse impacts to the natural environment of the Town. This article also provides for the orderly and safe conduct of business and appropriate access to the site for emergency vehicles. The Town recognizes that the conventional approach to parking lot design typified by unused expanses of asphalt is unsightly an inefficient use of land and undermines the desired character of the Town. As such, it is also the intent of this article to minimize such inefficiencies by providing a greater range of shared parking and maintenance options.

Applicability. Adherence to this article shall be required for all uses constructed, extended and enlarged in use after the effective date of this chapter.

Parking space area. Each parking space, exclusive of circulation area, shall consist of no more than 200 square feet and shall be no larger than 10 feet wide by 20 feet long (note: all ADA requirements shall apply).

Compact cars. Parking lots shall contain not less than 10% of their spaces that are 8 1/2 feet wide by 18 feet long. These may be labeled for "Compact Cars Only" at the discretion of the property owner.

Access. Each parking space shall be reached by an access driveway no wider than 22 feet clear in width.

Landscaping. For proposed parking lots having more than 24 spaces, 20 square feet of landscaping shall be required for every parking space in excess of 24. For very large parking lots, the creation of multiple smaller parking lots separated by natural vegetation and bioretention areas is preferred and may be advised to minimize grading on hilly sites.

(1)

Landscaping required to satisfy the requirements of this article should be designed and suitably landscaped to function as bioretention areas, as groundwater infiltration areas, as snow storage, or any combination of these functions.

Orientation. Parking lots shall be placed behind or to the side of buildings as measured from the facade facing the primary road right-of-way. Natural landscaping or decorative fencing of at least two feet and not more than four feet high shall be placed between parking lots and public ways. Chain-link and other similarly styled and constructed fencing shall be insufficient for purposes of this subsection. Pubic ways shall mean to include sidewalks and roads.

Residential screening. All parking areas shall be screened from adjoining residential areas by natural landscaping, of at least eight feet high, and consisting of preferably evergreen species.

Display of merchandise. Lots intended for the display of merchandise including, but not limited to automobiles, recreational vehicles, or boats, shall adhere to applicable landscaping and lighting requirements of this article.

Parking lot lighting. All lighting fixtures shall be fully shielded light fixtures.

(1)

In the RA, AUZ, R-1, and R-2 Zones, all site and building-mounted light fixtures shall produce a maximum initial illumination no greater than 0.01 horizontal and 0.01 vertical footcandles at the site boundary.

(2)

In all other zones, all site and building-mounted light fixtures shall produce a maximum initial illumination no greater than 0.20 horizontal and 0.20 vertical footcandles at the site boundary.

Target number of parking spaces. Parking spaces shall be provided as described Appendix C: Target Parking.

(1)

Fewer spaces allowed. The Planning Board, at its discretion, may allow for fewer spaces than prescribed in Appendix C of this chapter. This is desirable as long as the resulting number of spaces meets the intent of this article and provides a reliable basis for orderly development and satisfactory provision of parking.

(2)

Request for additional spaces. If an applicant desires parking spaces in excess of 15% of applicable figures identified in Appendix C of this chapter, then the applicant shall provide documentation recording actual utilization of parking for two or more similar establishments in markets comparable to the Town of Johnstown. The Planning Board may elect to reject such documentation if the use, location, activity, period of study, or target markets are not deemed by the Board to be sufficiently comparable to the proposed use in the proposed location. The Planning Board may likewise choose to rely on third party assessments at the applicant's expense to either approve, decline, or modify the applicant's request.

(a)

The applicant shall first demonstrate the lack of available shared spaces as prescribed in Subsection L.

(b)

The Planning Board should consider the likelihood that the additional spaces will be utilized. Utilization shall be expressed as a ratio of parking days utilized versus days of operation in a year. Generally, such ratios should exceed 17% for the proposed use and hours. Ratios below this figure should discourage the consideration of additional parking spaces.

(c)

For any additional parking spaces granted by the Planning Board, the applicant shall ensure that 100% of the runoff from the additional spaces is detained on-site. This may be achieved through the use of pervious asphalt, pervious pavers, landscaped detention ponds, or any combination thereof.

Multitenant parking lots. For any building or development having more than one tenant, the number of spaces to be provided shall be calculated in the method defined in this subsection.

(1)

Calculate parking for each use. Calculate the number of spaces required for each use per the figures established in Appendix C, Target Number of Off-Street Parking Spaces.

(2)

Establish primary use. The use requiring the most spaces shall be deemed the primary use for purposes of calculating parking only.

(3)

Calculate modified figures. Recalculate the number of parking spaces for each nonprimary use by multiplying each nonprimary figure by the sharing factor identified in Table 5.1. The Planning Board shall make any final determinations regarding the use category of proposed uses.

(4)

Calculate total parking. Total parking shall be the sum of the primary use parking allotment and each modified nonprimary use allotment.

(5)

Availability. All parking spaces shall be available to all uses which contributed to the total allotment of parking spaces. There shall be no restrictions with the exception of handicapped parking.

(a)

If land within a multiuse development is to be subdivided, the Planning Board may require a parking covenant be recorded for each subdivided parcel and that documents the Town-approved parking allotment for the site and any obligations thereto.

(6)

Example calculation. A mixed-use project proposes both residential and office uses. It is estimated beforehand that the residential use will demand 50 parking spaces and it has been determined that the residential use will be the primary use. The office use will require 50 spaces, however it is a secondary use and a sharing factor of 0.6 is applied, resulting in a modified figure of 30 parking spaces for the office use. The total number of spaces for the project is 50 plus 30, for a total of 80.

Separated parking lots. Allotted parking may be designated across differing lots of record if requested by the applicant or by the Planning Board. Allocated parking spots may be so provided if such lots satisfy each of the following requirements:

(1)

Is within a reasonable walking distance of the proposed use;

(2)

The two lots have or will have a shared parking covenant; and

(3)

There is safe pedestrian access to the proposed uses.

Shared parking. The Planning Board is encouraged to apply the shared parking formulas found in Subsection L of this article to approve the joint use of a parking facility and a reduction in the parking requirement by two or more principal buildings or uses, either on adjacent or nearby parcels. There shall be a covenant on the separate parcel or lot guaranteeing the maintenance of the required off-street parking facilities during the existence of the use. Such covenant shall:

(1)

Be executed by the owner of said lot or parcel of land and the parties having beneficial use thereof;

(2)

Be enforceable by either of the parties having beneficial use thereof and the Town; and

(3)

Be enforceable against the owner, the parties having beneficial use, and their heirs, successors and assigns.

Change in use of building. If a change of use of any building or site increases parking by 10 or more spaces above existing available spaces and as approved by the Planning Board for the changed use, then such additional parking shall conform with the requirements of this article. If fewer than 10 spaces are required for said change, then the provisions of this article shall not apply.

Bicycle racks. Any use having 25 or more parking spaces are strongly encouraged to supply one bicycle rack suitable for at least three bicycles per 25 parking spaces.