It is the intent of this article to:
A.
Ensure adequate parking and loading facilities to serve the use or
uses of the property;
B.
Ensure that any parking facility is designed so as to provide proper
circulation, reduce hazards to pedestrians, and protect the users
of adjoining properties from nuisance created by the use of the facility;
C.
Reduce congestion in the streets and contribute to traffic safety;
and
D.
Encourage shared parking facilities and alternative modes of travel
that will reduce overall impervious coverage and reduce dependence
on the single-occupancy automobile.
Off-street parking and loading space shall be provided and maintained
for each use and structure hereafter established, erected, altered
or extended in accordance with the provisions of this article.
B.
Location. It is the intent of this chapter that newly constructed
and reconstructed parking spaces shall be located on the same lot
as the use they serve, except as provided for in the shared parking
provisions of this article.[2]
(1)
If the newly constructed or reconstructed off-street parking spaces
cannot be reasonably provided on the same lot as the building they
serve, such spaces may be provided on other property located not more
than 500 feet away from the subject property, as measured from lot
line to lot line along the nearest pedestrian route.
(2)
Up to 50% of nonresidential spaces may be provided at distances greater
than 500 feet if dedicated shuttle bus or van service is provided
from a remote parking facility.
(3)
Newly constructed or reconstructed off-site parking for any property
in the Central Business District may be provided in the Waterfront
Business District, and newly constructed or reconstructed off-site
parking for any property in the Waterfront Business District may be
provided in the Central Business District, regardless of distance
from lot line to lot line, provided that a minimum of 1.5 parking
spaces are provided for every one required parking space.
C.
In all instances, the total number of spaces provided shall not be
less than the sum of spaces required for all the uses.
D.
Means of pedestrian access from the parking space to the uses they
serve shall be provided such that pedestrians are not required to
traverse property owned by other than said property owners, except
where public sidewalks may provide the access. Pedestrians shall not
be required to cross an arterial street except at a signalized intersection
along the pedestrian pathway.
E.
A lease, easement or other form of agreement shall be executed among
said property owners assuring use of the required parking spaces are
located on the same lot as the use they serve and recorded in the
office for the recording of deeds of Centre County.[3]
F.
Unless utilizing the shared parking provisions on adjoining parcels,
all parking spaces and lots open to the sky (i.e., not in garages
or carports) shall be located no closer than 10 feet to any property
line, except for the Highway Commercial, which shall be located no
closer than 30 feet from the property line.
G.
All covered parking spaces and lots, including garages and carports,
shall not be located within any yard setback area.
H.
For any lot of record at the time of adoption of this subsection
which is divided by a zoning line and where said zoning line separates
commercial and residential zones, the owner of such lot may use the
area of the lot which is zoned residential to locate the parking required
or proposed for the commercially zoned portion of the lot. If the
owner elects to use the area zoned residential for parking, such parking
area shall not be within 100 feet of any property line adjacent to
the residential zoned portion. All other parking regulations for commercial
areas shall apply.
I.
In order to promote and provide for more flexibility within the current
zoning regulations and to maintain an aesthetically pleasing visual
appearance of both the road corridor and individual businesses and
properties, the front yard parking setback area for Highway Commercial
Districts may be reduced by 10 feet, at the discretion of the municipal
governing body, by reducing the maximum impervious surface coverage
ratio by 5%. This reduction may only be permitted when the developer
can demonstrate to the municipal governing body the following:
(1)
That the reduction in setbacks and impervious area will allow the
developer to provide open space in sensitive areas, such as wetlands
and steep slopes, or to provide additional buffering to adjacent properties.
(2)
That the reduction is not requested solely to help enhance the visibility
or desirability of the business.
J.
No parking shall be permitted in residential districts within the
front yard, as defined by the width of the residential structure,
less the width of a side attached garage. Parking is permitted in
the corner portion of the side yard located in the front yard setback.
K.
Parking of self-propelled motor vehicles (not including recreational
vehicles) is prohibited on the lawn or in yard areas for all residential
uses in all districts except for the rural zoning districts. This
does not include the incidental parking of vehicles for washing or
cleaning.
In an effort to reduce impervious coverage, traffic congestion
and allow an increase in landscaped green space area and/or building
size, the following shall be considered:
A.
Shared parking spaces that are accessible by neighboring properties
or uses may be permitted when use of the spaces does not occur during
the same daily time period. The applicant must provide justification
showing calculations of the peak parking use for the spaces that would
have overlapping users during their respective hours of operation
or a mix of uses with different peak hours of traffic generation (e.g.,
development proposals combining retail or professional office uses
with residential uses). The hours of operation must show that sufficient
spaces would be available for the shared parking purpose. As a result,
the number of parking spaces could be reduced no more than 1/2 of
the total required for the particular use(s) participating in shared
parking. Should the use change in the future and its associated off-street
parking, the parking must be provided as required or shared additional
parking be pursued.
B.
When increasing the passengers per vehicle to sites with high employment
would decrease parking demand, relief in the required parking spaces
may occur. The parking spaces may be reduced by a factor of 50% if
the applicant for land development plan approval provides a transportation
management program to utilize one or a combination of the following
modes to reduce single-occupant vehicles that is based on substantiated
projections of reduction in demand:
C.
To qualify for the above, the applicant must provide evidence to
the approval of the municipal governing body that:
(1)
The applicant shall establish an approved carpooling program;
(2)
Applicant will obtain or lease to qualified employees vans, buses
or high-passenger-capacity vehicles for the purpose of providing transportation
of additional passengers (vanpooling);
(3)
Applicant will operate or hire vans, buses or other high-passenger-capacity
vehicles to provide exclusive or nonexclusive commuter transportation
of employees from residential areas, other transit terminals, such
as park and ride; or
(4)
Applicant shall contribute to the public bus service to add routes,
shelters, amenities or fare contributions that would be generated
by those employees to utilize the bus service.
D.
Additional programs.
(1)
In addition to programs to increase vanpooling and carpooling are
examples that follow:
(2)
As a part of the request to reduce parking spaces, the applicant
shall show to the satisfaction of the Bellefonte Borough Council that
the actions proposed shall reduce the parking demand by the amount
requested. All shared parking arrangements are subject to the approval
of the Borough Council.
E.
At the option of the approval by the municipal governing body, a
reduction of off-street parking spaces may be considered as follows
that would pertain only to parking at the site fronting arterial and/or
highway roads:
(1)
The buffer yard in the front contains unique natural features, as
determined by the municipal governing body, that may require an area
to be wider than the minimum front buffer.
(2)
The buffer yard in the front contains features that contribute to
the community character of the municipality, as determined by the
governing body, that may require an area to be wider than the minimum
front buffer.
(3)
The requirements of a corridor overlay zone that may provide for
a wider than minimum buffer.
(4)
Opportunities to preserve stands of existing trees using creative
landscaping designs would be helpful to enhance the appearance of
pedestrian areas as well as breaking up the monotony of a large lot.
The Planning Commission may recommend, and the governing body may
approve, the reduction in off-street parking spaces associated with
increasing the front buffer yard. The area removed from parking must
be sufficient to provide the required parking. The area removed from
parking may be returned to parking at a future date should the operator
of the use experience a parking shortage based on demand after the
use has been in operation for a period exceeding two years. The requirement
of land development plan submission and approval must follow in order
to return the area to parking.
Parking spaces and lots serving structures and uses in existence
at the date of the adoption of this chapter shall not be subject to
the requirements of this article as long as the kind or extent of
use is not changed, provided that any parking facility now serving
such structures or uses shall not in the future be reduced below such
requirements, or if already below such requirements, be reduced further.
Whenever there is an alteration or extension of a use or structure
which increases the parking requirements according to the parking
calculation requirements below, the total additional parking required
for the alteration or extension shall be provided in accordance with
the requirements of that section.
A.
All newly constructed and reconstructed off-street parking spaces,
aisles and driveways shall be paved with an all-weather material.
For spaces and aisles which are not part of a parking lot, as herein
defined, this may include gravel or other crushed stone. However,
for parking lots, the paving material shall be limited to asphalt,
concrete or similar hard surface material with all parking spaces
designated with a four-inch contrasting stripe painted the entire
length of each space in accordance with the dimensional requirements
stipulated below.
B.
All newly constructed or reconstructed off-street parking spaces
and aisles for private recreational areas shall be constructed, at
a minimum, with six inches of crushed and compacted stone. Private
and/or public recreation areas shall be exempt from such other construction
regulations.
All uses and structures shall provide off-street parking spaces
in an amount equal to, or greater than, the number listed below. The
total number of parking spaces necessary for two or more uses on the
same lot shall be the sum of that required for each use.
A.
Dimensions. Each required off-street parking space shall be at least
9.5 feet wide and 18 feet long if set at an angle to the access aisle,
or eight feet wide and 24 feet long if parallel to the access aisle.
B.
Number and computation. In computing the required number of spaces,
all fractional numbers more than 1/2 shall be increased to the next
highest integer. When computation is based on the number of employees,
the number employed during the largest work shift shall be used.
(1)
Residential uses.
|
Table of Required Parking Spaces per Use — Residential
Uses
| |
|---|---|
|
Use
|
Parking Spaces Required (per dwelling unit unless otherwise
noted)
|
|
Single-family detached dwelling unit (on a lot less than 10,000
square feet)
|
2 spaces
|
|
Single-family detached dwelling unit (on a lot 10,000 square
feet or greater)
|
3 spaces
|
|
Duplex
|
2 spaces
|
|
Townhouse
|
2.25 spaces
|
|
Multifamily
|
2.5 spaces (1 space per unit in Central Business and Waterfront
Business Districts)
|
|
Age-restricted housing (55 and older, any type)
|
1 space per unit (plus additional spaces based on office and
other service areas if applicable)
|
|
Group home
|
1 space per 300 square feet gross floor area
|
|
Personal care boardinghome
|
1 space per unit
|
(2)
Commercial uses. Any portion of a building used for office, repair/service,
retail, and restaurants requires parking as pertains to that individual
use, as if it were a freestanding use.
|
Table of Required Parking Spaces per Use — Commercial
Uses
| |
|---|---|
|
Use
|
Parking Spaces Required (spaces per gross floor area unless
otherwise noted)
|
|
Retail (general)
|
1 space per 200 square feet (no spaces required in Central Business
and Waterfront Business Districts)
|
|
Supermarket/grocery stores
|
1 space per 200 square feet
|
|
Furniture, appliance, carpet, musical instrument stores
|
1 space per 350 square feet
|
|
Sales of construction equipment, farm equipment, feed, boat
and marine vehicles, mobile-/motor-home vehicles, motor vehicles,
and monument, burial vault and casket sales
|
1 space per 350 square feet of office, sales and service area
plus 1 space per 3,000 square feet of outside sales area
|
|
Automobile service station
|
1 space per pump, 6 spaces per repair/service bay, and additional
spaces based on retail space
|
|
Barbers and beauticians
|
2 spaces per chair
|
|
Car wash
|
4 spaces per stall, plus 1 space per vacuum if applicable
|
|
Funeral home
|
1 space per 3 seats based on maximum building occupancy
|
|
Bowling alley, miniature golf course
|
5 spaces per alley, 2 spaces per golf tee
|
|
Billiard parlors, amusement enterprises
|
2 spaces per table or machine
|
|
Business, professional and financial offices (including mail
order)
|
1 space per 250 square feet (1 space per 500 square feet in
Central Business and Waterfront Business Districts)
|
|
Medical, dental and veterinary offices/hospitals
|
1 space per 200 square feet
|
|
Arenas, stadiums, auditoriums, theaters, dance halls
|
1 space per 4 fixed seats; otherwise 1 space per 4 persons based
on maximum building occupancy
|
|
Eating and drinking establishments (apply dance hall to dance
floor area)
|
1 space per 50 square feet of inside seating area, plus 1 space
per 100 square feet of outside seating area (no spaces required in
Central Business and Waterfront Business Districts)
|
|
Hotels or motels
|
1.2 spaces per room
|
|
Radio and/or television studios
|
1 space per 250 square feet
|
|
Post office
|
1 space per 200 square feet
|
|
Mining and quarrying
|
1 space per 250 square feet of office use
|
|
Horse riding stables and academies
|
1 space per 2 stalls
|
|
Animal kennels
|
1 space per 500 square feet
|
|
Cemeteries
|
1 space per 350 square feet of public area in mausoleum or similar
structure
|
|
Caterers
|
1 space per 200 square feet
|
|
Shoe repair, tailors, seamstresses
|
1 space per 200 square feet
|
|
Public and private garages for the storage of motor vehicles
|
1 space per 250 square feet of office
|
|
Tanning salon
|
1 space per bed
|
|
Laundromat
|
1 space per three washers or dryers
|
|
Rural agricultural service establishments
|
1 space per 250 square feet
|
|
Greenhouses open to the public
|
1 space per 250 square feet of sales area
|
(3)
Industrial uses. Any portion of a building used for office, repair/service,
retail and restaurants requires the parking as pertains to that individual
use, as if it were a freestanding use, in addition to the following:
|
Table of Required Parking Spaces per Use — Industrial
Uses
| |
|---|---|
|
Use
|
Parking Spaces Required (spaces per gross floor area unless
otherwise noted)
|
|
All industrial uses except those specified below
|
1 space per 350 square feet plus 1 space per 1,000 square feet
of outdoor operations (excluding storage); (1 space per 1,000 square
feet in Central Business and Waterfront Business Districts)
|
|
Auto wrecking, junk and scrap establishments
|
1 space per 5,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor storage area
plus required office/repair/service area
|
|
Freight and trucking terminals, moving and storage, parcel delivery
and express transfer stations, depots and wholesale distribution warehouses
|
1 space per 2,000 square feet
|
(4)
Public, quasi-public, and transportation uses. Any portion of a building
used for office, repair/service, retail and restaurants requires the
parking as pertains to that individual use, as if it were a freestanding
use, in addition to the following:
|
Table of Required Parking Spaces per Use — Public,
Quasi-Public and Transportation Uses
| |
|---|---|
|
Use
|
Parking Spaces Required (spaces per gross floor area unless
otherwise noted)
|
|
Ambulance, emergency, fire and rescue, taxi and limousine service
|
2 spaces per vehicle plus 1 space per 350 square feet
|
|
Bus passenger station (park-and-ride lots, vanpooling lots,
etc.)
|
1 space per 200 square feet of gross floor area or lot area
sufficient to support program
|
|
Child day-care center
|
1 space per 350 square feet (minimum of 3)
|
|
Churches and other places of worship
|
1 space per 4 seats based on maximum occupancy
|
|
Clubs, lodges, fraternal organizations, community centers, health
and athletic clubs, studios for instruction in music, performing arts,
photographic and craft studios, martial arts, dance and gymnastics
facilities
|
1 space per 3 persons based on maximum occupancy
|
|
Golf courses and driving ranges
|
4 spaces per hole, 2 spaces per tee on driving ranges
|
|
Hospital
|
1 space per 400 square feet
|
|
Nursing homes, personal care homes, and other convalescent homes
|
1 space per room
|
|
Libraries, museums, art galleries, government buildings
|
1 space per 500 square feet with bus/van parking areas of 1
space per 2,000 square feet (apply auditorium standards to auditorium
areas); (no spaces required in Central Business and Waterfront Business
Districts)
|
|
Institutions of higher education, high schools, vocational/technical
and business training schools
|
1 space per 300 square feet for classrooms, offices, cafeteria,
plus additional spaces based on components (e.g., arena, theater,
etc.)
|
|
Nursery, kindergarten, elementary, and middle schools
|
1 space per 1,000 square feet
|
|
Private recreation areas
|
25 spaces per established field/activity area
|
C.
Handicapped parking. The size and number of these spaces shall be
required as specified in the municipal building code. The signage
for each space must contain the handicapped symbol, state that violators
will be towed or fined and the minimum and maximum fine.
For the purposes of this chapter, parking lots are defined as
facilities providing off-street parking space for five or more motor
vehicles. All parking lots shall meet the design and maintenance standards
specified below. All applications for a zoning permit to use land,
in whole or in part, as a parking lot as herein defined shall be accompanied
by a land development plan.
A.
Dimensions.
(1)
All parking spaces shall comply with the dimensions specified in § 575-99A above. The minimum dimensions of all aisles providing access to parking lot spaces shall be as follows:
|
Aisle Width
(feet)
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Angle of Parking Space to Aisle
(degrees)
|
One-Way
|
Two-Way
| |
|
Parallel
|
12
|
20
| |
|
30° (150°)
|
12
|
20
| |
|
45° (135°)
|
15
|
20
| |
|
60° (120°)
|
18
|
20
| |
|
90°
|
24
|
24
| |
(2)
No portion of any parking space shall intrude into the required
aisle width. For aisles providing access to parking spaces set at
angles other than those specified above, the required aisle width
shall be that of the nearest specified angle of parking. If equidistant
from specified angles, the greatest aisle width of the two nearest
angles shall apply.
B.
Obstructions. Parking lots shall be designed to permit each motor
vehicle to proceed to and from all unoccupied parking spaces without
requiring the moving of any other parked motor vehicle.
C.
Ingress and egress. Entrance and exit driveways and aisles linking parking lots to public streets shall comply with the standards for motor vehicle access stipulated in Article XVIII, Motor Vehicle Access, of this chapter. Parking spaces shall be designed to prevent motor vehicles from backing onto a two-way public street in order to leave the lot. Where access to the parking spaces is from a one-way street or lane, backing into the one-way public right-of-way in order to leave the lot is permissible.
Except in the Central Business District, space for the loading
and unloading of vehicles shall be provided when required below. Each
required space shall be at least 12 feet in width, 45 feet in length
and have a vertical clearance of at least 14 feet. Spaces shall be
located no closer than 10 feet from a public right-of-way and five
feet from any other lot line and shall be paved with an all-weather
material.
A.
One off-street loading space is required for all nonresidential uses
with a floor area of at least 5,000 square feet but less than 20,000
square feet or more; one additional space shall be provided for each
additional 20,000 square feet or fraction thereof.
B.
Required off-street parking spaces shall not be used for loading
and unloading purposes except during hours when business operations
are suspended.
C.
All required loading and unloading spaces shall be located on the
same property as the use they serve.
Motor vehicles, motorcycles, mobile homes, recreational vehicles,
boats and marine craft held for sale or rental may be displayed or
stored only in accordance with the terms of this section:
A.
Motor vehicles, motorcycles, mobile homes, recreational vehicles,
boats and marine craft held for sale or rental may be displayed or
stored only on the lot of the principal place of business of the owner
of the sale or rental business or on an adjacent separate lot, but
only if the adjacent separate lot is used for no other purpose than
the display or storage of said items.
B.
All areas used for such display or storage must be located in accordance
with the setback requirements set forth in this chapter for parking
lots. All screening required of parking lots shall apply to display
and storage parking areas.
C.
Areas used for display or storage of said items must be constructed
of an impervious surface, unless a pervious surface is approved by
the Municipal Engineer and, in both cases, in accordance with the
specifications of the Municipal Engineer.
D.
Areas used for display or storage of said items may not be used in
calculating required off-street parking.
E.
No motor vehicle, motorcycle, mobile home, recreational vehicle,
boat or marine craft may be displayed or stored in an area or manner
other than set forth on an approved land development plan.
