The purpose of this article is to establish standards ensuring
the availability and safe use of parking areas. It is intended that
any use of land involving the arrival, departure, long-term or temporary
parking of motor vehicles (not for automobile sales), and all structures
and uses requiring the delivery or shipment of goods as part of their
function, be designed and operated to:
A.
Promote traffic safety by assuring adequate places for parking of
motor vehicles off the street and for their orderly access and egress
to and from the public way;
B.
Prevent the creation of surplus amounts of parking spaces contributing
to unnecessary development and additional generation of vehicle trips,
resulting in traffic congestion and traffic service level deterioration;
C.
Reduce unnecessary amounts of impervious surface areas from being
created;
D.
Reduce hazards to pedestrians and increase pedestrian connectivity
between and within sites;
E.
Promote access and convenience, in compliance with regulations of
the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Massachusetts Architectural
Board (AAB), for people with disabilities;
F.
Increase the mobility and safety for bicyclists;
G.
Protect adjoining lots and the general public from nuisances and
hazards such as:
H.
Reduce other negative impacts.
The following definitions shall apply to this Parking Bylaw.
Additional terms which have commonly accepted denotations and connotations
may also be utilized in this bylaw.
Full-service eating establishment with typical turnover rates
of approximately one hour or less; moderately priced; occasionally
belongs to a restaurant chain; generally serves lunch and dinner;
may serve breakfast or be open extended hours; generally does not
take reservations; may or may not contain a bar.
Convenience markets that sell convenience foods, newspapers,
magazines, etc.; may be open 24 hours.
Stores, such as home improvement, department, clothing, housegoods,
toy, sporting goods, and pet supply stores, that offer a variety of
customer services, centralized cashiering and a wide range of products
advertised at discount prices; long store hours typically seven days
a week; some may have a garden center and/or service station; superstores
may have a grocery department under the same roof that shares the
same entrance and exits with the discount store area.
Indoor or outdoor spaces for leisure activities, including
but not limited to golf courses, bowling facilities, movie theaters,
sports complexes, fitness or health clubs, and recreational community
centers.
Characterized by large carry-out clientele; long hours of
service; high turnover rates for eat-in customers; no table service
by wait staff; typically pay at cash register before eating; may or
may not have a drive through. Generally considered to be hamburger,
sub/sandwich, pizza, (in some circumstances) ethnic (i.e. Thai, Chinese,
sushi, middle-eastern), coffee/donut shop, ice cream parlor, etc.
Full-service eating establishment with typical turnover rates
of at least one hour or longer; generally do not serve breakfast and
sometimes do not serve lunch; all serve dinner; usually requires a
reservation and is generally not part of a chain; may have function
space.
Freestanding, single-use retail structure. Retail uses include,
but are not limited to: convenience stores, freestanding discount
store/superstores, personal care services, specialty retail, pharmacy
and/or drugstore, bank, dry cleaners.
The primary business is the fueling of motor vehicles; may
have ancillary facilities for servicing and repairing motor vehicles
and commonly sold convenience items such as newspapers, coffee or
other beverages, and snack items usually consumed in the car or off-location.
Freestanding facilities with an emphasis on light industrial
and/or manufacturing activities, including printing, material testing,
assembly of data processing equipment, and/or the conversion of raw
materials or parts into finished products; may also contain warehouse,
office, and research functions.
The area within the perimeter of the exterior walls of a
building as measured from the inside surface of the exterior walls,
with no deduction for interior hallways, stairs, closets, thickness
of interior partition walls, columns, or other interior features.
A mix of industrial, manufacturing, service and warehouse
facilities with a wide variation in the proportion of each type of
use from one location to another.
One thousand square feet [ratios are determined as x spaces/1,000
square feet (ksf)].
An institution or place providing medical, surgical, dental,
restorative, or mental services to persons not residing there.
Use of parking spaces by vehicles generated by two or more
individual land uses that share a parking lot, with or without conflict
or encroachment, as a result of variations in the accumulation of
vehicles by hours, by day or by season, at the individual land use;
and/or relationships among the land uses that result in visiting multiple
land uses on the same auto trip. May include, but is not limited to,
a mix of uses, including retail, dining/entertainment, office space
or industrial, manufacturing, office, wholesale, and warehouse.
Any use that is not specified herein.
Locations where affairs of business, commercial or industrial
organizations or professional persons or firms are conducted; may
contain a mixture of tenants or be a single-use tenant; no larger
than three stories above grade.
Spas, hair salons, nail salons, barbers, etc.
An integrated group of retail, service or commercial establishments
that is planned, developed, owned and managed as a unit. Provides
on-site parking facilities sufficient to serve its own parking demands.
Retail uses including, but not limited to, apparel, hard
goods and services such as real estate offices, dance or martial arts
studios, florists, personal care services.
Outdoor parks used for nonprofessionals; may consist of one
or more fields and field sizes may vary to accommodate games for different
age groups; ancillary facilities may include a fitness trail, activities
shelter, aquatic center, picnic grounds, basketball/tennis courts
and a playground.
A.
Basic requirements.
(1)
Off-street parking must be provided to service all increases in parking demand resulting from new construction, additions or change of use to one requiring more parking, without counting any existing spaces needed to meet requirements for any retained building or use. The number of spaces indicated in § 240-59 shall be the basis for determining adequacy of provisions. Any existing spaces removed shall be replaced in kind unless they are either in excess of the number required or removed at the request of the Town. Parking spaces also serving as loading areas shall not be credited.
(2)
For the purpose of computing the parking requirements of different
uses, the number of spaces required shall be the largest whole number
obtained after calculating the required parking, any fractional space
should be rounded up to the next whole number.
(a)
Example #1: A 4,999 interior square foot freestanding retail
structure has 4.999 ksf GFA (4,999/1,000 = 4.999); at four spaces
per ksf GFA, the structure is required to have 19.96 parking spaces,
which will then be rounded up to the next whole number. Therefore,
the number of parking spaces required is 20.
(b)
Example #2: A 25,150 interior square foot medical clinic has
25.15 ksf GFA (25,150/1,000 = 25.15); at five spaces per ksf GFA,
the structure is required to have 127.75 spaces, which will then be
rounded up to the next whole number. Therefore, the number of parking
spaces required is 128.
(c)
Example #3: A 1,300 interior square foot freestanding fast-food
restaurant has 1.3 ksf GFA (1,300/1,000 = 1.3); at 17 spaces per ksf
GFA, the structure is required to have 22.1 parking spaces, which
will then be rounded up to the next whole number. Therefore, the number
of parking spaces required is 23.
B.
Future changes must demonstrate the ability to meet parking standards.
A.
B.
Places of public assembly.
(1)
Religious centers: 0.5 parking space for each person capacity based
on the Massachusetts State Building Code.
(2)
General public assembly: 0.25 per person in permitted capacity.
(3)
The number of seats in benches, pews, or other continuous seating
arrangements shall be calculated at 24 inches per seat.
C.
Hotels, motels, room and board, other commercial accommodations.
(1)
One parking space for each guest unit, plus one parking space for
each eight units or fraction thereof.
E.
Entertainment/commercial recreation.
F.
Auto service/fuel station.
(1)
One space per pump, plus four spaces per ksf GFA for all other space,
including service areas, convenience store areas, etc.
(2)
Motor vehicle sales and service: three spaces per ksf GFA of interior
sales area, plus two per ksf GFA of interior storage or display area,
plus two per service bay.
(3)
Car washes: one space per ksf GFA.
G.
Retail businesses/other service establishments.
(1)
Freestanding general retail/other service establishments: four spaces
per ksf GFA.
(2)
Shopping centers.
(a)
For retail-only shopping centers, including specialty retail,
use chart below.
(b)
For retail with additional uses, that may include any combination
of dining, entertainment, or offices, in which the total additional
uses are up to but not greater than 10% of the total GFA of the shopping
center, use chart below.
(c)
For retail with additional uses [uses as listed in Subsection G(2)(b) above], in which the total additional uses exceed 10% of the total GFA of the shopping center, the parking spaces may be calculated either:
[2]
Under § 240-60A, Allowed reductions for multi-use parking.
|
Shopping Center Parking Spaces Chart
[for use with § 240-59G(2)(a) and (b)]
| ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Building GFA
|
Less than 30,000 GFA
|
30,000 to 99,999 GFA
|
100,000 to 399,999 GFA
|
Greater than 400,000 GFA
|
|
Spaces per ksf GFA
|
4 ksf GFA
|
4.5 ksf GFA
|
5 ksf GFA
|
5.5 ksf GFA
|
I.
Convalescent, nursing or rest home, hospital or sanitarium: five
spaces per ksf GFA.
Parking may be further reduced upon application for and grant
of a special permit from the Planning Board, to account for additional
factors as listed in Subsections A and B below. The number of spaces
may be reduced to less than that stipulated in this bylaw, if the
Planning Board determines that a smaller number would be adequate
for all parking needs because of such special circumstances as multi-use
parking for uses having peak parking demands at different times, unusual
age or other characteristics of site users or user-sponsored demand
reduction devices such as carpooling, or land use or parking studies
from similar establishments show parking requirements are less than
what is required in this bylaw; or other reasons that are adequately
supported.
A.
Multi-use (aka "shared") parking.
(1)
Determine the number of originally required parking spaces for different
uses/facilities sharing the same parking lot.
(2)
Determine the percentages of maximum parking needed for different
uses at different days and times determined either by a study of local
conditions or the Parking Occupancy Rates Table below.
(3)
Apply the percentages from Step 2 to the numbers from Step 1.
(4)
Add up the totals and select the total with the highest value.
|
Parking Occupancy Rates Table
This table defines the percent of the basic minimum
needed during each time period for shared parking. (M-F = Monday to
Friday)
| ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
M-F
|
M-F
|
M-F
|
Sat. and Sun.
|
Sat. and Sun.
|
Sat. and Sun.
| |
|
Uses
|
8:00 a.m. — 5:00 p.m.
|
5:00 p.m. — 12:00 a.m.
|
12:00 a.m. — 8:00 a.m.
|
8:00 a.m. — 5:00 p.m.
|
5:00 p.m. — 12:00 a.m.
|
12:00 a.m. — 8:00 a.m.
|
|
Residential
|
60%
|
100%
|
100%
|
80%
|
100%
|
100%
|
|
Office and business
|
100%
|
20%
|
5%
|
5%
|
5%
|
5%
|
|
Retail/service
|
90%
|
80%
|
5%
|
100%
|
70%
|
5%
|
|
Hotel/motel
|
70%
|
100%
|
100%
|
70%
|
100%
|
100%
|
|
Dining
|
70%
|
100%
|
10%
|
70%
|
100%
|
20%
|
|
Movie theater
|
40%
|
80%
|
10%
|
80%
|
100%
|
10%
|
|
Entertainment
|
40%
|
100%
|
10%
|
80%
|
100%
|
50%
|
|
General public assembly
|
100%
|
20%
|
5%
|
10%
|
10%
|
5%
|
|
Religious centers
|
10%
|
5%
|
5%
|
100%
|
50%
|
5%
|
B.
Flexible parking options.
(1)
Employment density (number of employees per acre): reduce requirements
10% to 15% in areas with 50 or more employees per acre of site.
(2)
Land use mix (range of land uses located within convenient walking
distance): reduce requirements 5% to 10% in mixed-use developments.
(3)
Walkability (walking environment quality): reduce requirements 5%
to 15% in walkable locations and more if walkability allow more shared
and off-site parking.
(4)
Parking and mobility management: reduce requirements 10% to 20% at
worksites with effective parking and mobility management programs.
(5)
Other factors that with adequate support may warrant a reduction
of parking spaces.
A.
Surfacing. All required parking areas and their access driveways, except those facilities serving single-family residences, shall be paved, unless exempted by the Planning Board in acting under § 240-16, Development plan approval, for cases such as seasonal or periodic use where unpaved surfaces will not cause dust, erosion, hazard or unsightly conditions. Permeable or porous paving is encouraged in low traffic areas such as reserve parking, painted parking lines, parking pullouts, crosswalks, etc.
B.
Setback. No off-street parking area for five or more cars shall be
located within 20 feet of a street right-of-way. When shopping cart
corrals are proposed, the location of such corrals shall be next to
handicap parking spaces.
C.
Backing. Parking areas for five or more cars shall not require backing
into a public way.
D.
Proximity. Parking spaces more than 300 feet from the building entrance they serve may not be counted towards fulfillment of parking requirements unless, in acting under § 240-16, the Planning Board determines that circumstances justify a greater separation of parking from use.
E.
Egress spacing. The following shall apply to entrances or exits to
all parking areas having 20 or more spaces, except those located in
the B-1 District, which are exempted:
(1)
Entrance or exit center lines shall not fall within 100 feet of an
intersection of street sidelines or within 250 feet of the center
line of any other parking area entrance or exit on the same side of
the street, whether on the same parcel or not, if serving 20 or more
parking spaces. Users shall arrange for shared egress if necessary
to meet the requirements.
F.
Regulations. The Planning Board may adopt regulations for the administration
of these design and location requirements.
G.
Driveways. All required parking spaces shall be provided with unobstructed
access to and from a street and shall be properly maintained so as
to permit them to be used at all times.
(1)
A shared driveway shall be considered to provide adequate access
to more than two lots or more than four dwelling units only if the
Planning Board, in acting on a definitive subdivision plan or development
plan, or if the Board of Appeals or other special permit granting
authority, in acting on a special permit, determines that such shared
access provides some community benefit, such as environmental protection
or improvement of egress safety, and does not circumvent the intent
of the Subdivision Regulations,[1] as well as meeting the requirements of Subsection G(2).
(2)
Driveways, whether shared or not, must meet the following standards
if more than 200 feet in length or serving five or more parking spaces.
(a)
The traveled way shall be paved (unless paving is waived by the Planning Board as provided at § 240-58A) at least 10 feet wide, and tree and shrub branches less than 13 feet above driveway grade must be cleared or trimmed to provide 12 feet wide for unobstructed travel.
(b)
Center line radius shall be at least 80 feet, and grade shall
not exceed 8%.
(3)
Driveways serving corner lots shall gain access from that street
designated by the Planning Board in performing development plan review,
if applicable. In cases where development plan review is not required,
corner lot driveways shall gain access from that street determined
by the Building Inspector to have the lower daily traffic volume,
unless, following consultation with the Planning Board and the Police
Safety Officer, the Building Inspector determines that allowing egress
onto the busier street would be no less safe.
(4)
Driveways/egresses serving 10 or more parking spaces shall provide
stopping and intersection sight distances based on the recommendations
provided in AASHTO - Geometric Design of Highways and Streets, as
most recently amended. Stopping site distance is defined as the minimum
sight distance required for a driver on the major roadway to perceive
an obstruction in the roadway and to react by braking and safely stop
the vehicle to avoid collision. Intersection sight distance is defined
as the minimum sight distance for a driver on the stopped approach
to perceive a vehicle approaching and to react by turning onto the
major roadway and accelerate to the 85th percentile speed of the major
roadway while not requiring the driver on the major roadway to reduce
their speed to less than 70% of their initial speed. In the event
intersection sight distance cannot be achieved, then the proponent
must provide documentation that safe sight distance is achieved. The
Planning Board shall consult with the Bellingham Police Department
and, if necessary, a traffic consultant, to make a determination as
to whether a reduced intersection sight distance is acceptable. Such
a reduction of intersection sight distance shall be at the sole discretion
of the Planning Board. Stopping sight distance cannot be waived.
Adequate off-street loading facilities and space must be provided
to service all needs created by new construction, whether through
new structures or additions to old ones, and by change of use of existing
structures. Facilities shall be so sized and arranged that no trucks
need back onto or off of a public way, travel against one-way traffic,
obstruct drive-through traffic or be parked on a public way while
loading, unloading or waiting to do so.
One bicycle parking space shall be provided for every 20 off-street
automobile spaces required. Racks shall be securely anchored and wherever
possible located within view of the building entrances or windows.
Bicycle spaces shall be clearly marked as such.
In order to reduce overall impervious surface of larger paved
off-street parking, small vehicle and motorcycle parking spaces may
have reduced dimensional requirements and still count toward the overall
number of spaces required as follows:
A.
In off-street parking facilities with more than 50 parking spaces,
a maximum of 10% of the spaces may be dedicated for small car and/or
motorcycle use. Small car and/or motorcycle parking shall be grouped
in one or more contiguous areas and with appropriate signage.
