[Added 6-10-1991 by Ord. No. 27156]
Off-street parking shall be provided in accordance with the standards set forth in Section 5.21, Table of Off-Street Parking Requirements.
5.11. 
Lots in two municipalities. Where a City boundary line divides a lot, all calculations which are based, in whole or in part, on gross floor area in determining the number of parking spaces which are required under the provisions of Article V of this chapter shall use only the floor area that is located within the boundaries of the City of Waltham.
[Added 12-9-1991 by Ord. No. 27265 3-3-1999 by Ord. No. 28735; 4-28-2008 by Ord. No. 30876; 5-28-2002 by Ord. No. 29513; amended 4-28-2008 by Ord. No. 30876]
5.21. 
Table of Off-Street Parking Requirements. (e)
Use
Required Parking Spaces
One-family dwelling
2 per dwelling unit
Two-family dwelling
2 per dwelling unit
Multifamily (3 or more per structure)
2 per dwelling unit
Rooming houses, lodging houses
1 per rented bed
Assisted living facilities
[Added 3-3-1999 by Ord. No. 28735]
3 for every 4 dwelling units
Theaters, stadiums, auditoriums, halls, membership clubs, function rooms and places of assembly
1 for each 3 fixed seats and 1 for each 36 square feet of unseated public floor area, not including corridors or other service areas
Restaurants, taverns, and other types of eating establishments, but excluding fast-food establishments
[Amended 4-14-2014 by Ord. No. 33066]
11 per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area of interior area and 1 space for every 6 seasonal outdoor seats (a)
Restaurant facilities, cocktail lounges and function rooms associated with hotels and motels, but excluding fast-food establishments
[Amended 4-14-2014 by Ord. No. 33066]
11 per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area of the interior area and 1 space for every 6 seasonal outdoor seats (a)
Fast-food establishments
[Added 4-14-2014 by Ord. No. 33066]
The greater of 1 parking space for every 3 seats in customer food service areas, including seasonal outdoor seats, or 6 spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area of interior of the establishment (f)
Recreational Activities:
Tennis courts (in/outdoor)
6 per court
Handball and/or racquetball
3 per court
Swimming pools (in/outdoor)
3 for each 5 feet or portion thereof in width or 3 per 150 square feet, whichever produces the greater number of spaces
Other recreational activities
1 for every 2 participants and 1 for every 3 spectators
Conservation/nature activities
1 for every 3 participants
Hotels, motels, hotels-motels
1 per bedroom
Stores/shops (retail business)
[Amended 10-26-1992 by Ord. No. 27451]
6 per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area
Offices
1 per 300 square feet of gross floor area
Banks
1 per 200 feet of banking floor space open to the general public
Mixed occupancy
See Footnote (c)
Industrial, manufacturing establishments and laboratory spaces, as defined herein, and animal shelters as defined by Section 3.226D (b)
[Amended 6-1-2015 by Ord. No. 33240]
1 per 2 workers, based on peak employment
Hospitals
1 per 350 square feet of gross floor area
Medical offices, outpatient only
1 per 150 square feet of gross floor area
5.22. 
Footnotes.
(a) 
For the purpose of determining the total number of seats for any seasonal outdoor seating areas, only seating located at tables, counters, or other such surfaces shall be included in the calculation of the parking requirement. Such seating shall be included in the calculation of the parking requirement whether fixed in place or not. Where benches are located at tables, counters, or other such surfaces, such bench seating shall be counted at the rate of 1 seat for every two feet of bench length.
[Amended 4-14-2014 by Ord. No. 33066]
(b) 
The Inspector of Buildings shall estimate peak employment that will occur after occupancy, and he shall issue a building permit based on this judgment. However, in no instance shall off-street parking requirements be required at a rate of less than one space per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area.
(c) 
Notwithstanding any other parking requirements set forth in this chapter for individual land uses, when any land or building is used for two or more distinguishable purposes (i.e., joint or mixed use development), the minimum total number of parking spaces required to serve the combination of all uses shall be determined in the following manner:
Multiply the minimum parking requirement for each individual use (as set forth in the applicable section of this chapter for each use) by the appropriate percentage (as set forth below in the Parking Credit Schedule Chart) for each of the five designated time periods and then add the resulting sums from each vertical column. The column total having the highest total value is the minimum shared parking space requirement for that combination of land uses.
Parking Credit Schedule Chart
Weekday
Weekend
Uses
Night Midnight to 7:00 a.m.
(percent)
Day 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
(percent)
Evening 5:00 p.m. to Midnight
(percent)
Day 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
(percent)
Evening 6:00 p.m. to Midnight
(percent)
Residential
100
60
90
80
90
Office/industrial
5
100
10
10
5
Commercial retail
[Amended 10-26-1992 by Ord. No. 27451]
5
80
90
100
70
Hotel
70
70
100
70
100
Restaurant
10
50
100
50
100
Restaurant associated with hotel
10
50
60
50
60
Entertainment/ recreation (theaters, bowling alleys, cocktail lounge and similar)
10
40
100
80
100
Day-care facilities
5
100
10
20
5
All other
100
100
100
100
100
(d) 
Parking shall be permitted, for use and convenience of the residents, guests, and staff only of an elderly assisted living unit residence, in the front yard, provided that it is set back at least 10 feet from the lot line.
(e) 
For the parking requirements for the Business C District, see Section 5.23.
(f) 
Customer food service areas include only those portions of a fast-food restaurant used for customer seating for the purpose of consuming food and/or drink on the premises of the facility, including outdoor seating areas. Customer food service areas do not include kitchen, waiting areas, walkways, aisles, restrooms, take-out counters or other portions of the premises where customers are not seated for the purpose of consuming food and/or drink on the premises.
[Added 4-14-2014 by Ord. No. 33066]
5.23. 
Parking requirements for the Business C District.
5.231. 
Parking requirements for all uses permitted as of right or by special permit, except residential, shall not be required for the first 20,000 square feet of gross floor area for structures on individual lots within the Business C District. New development in excess of 20,000 square feet or additions to structures already over the 20,000 square feet or additions that will cause the structure to exceed 20,000 gross square feet shall be subject to a parking standard of one space per 500 gross square feet for all building area in excess of 20,000 square feet.
5.232. 
Parking standards for residential dwelling units, newly constructed or designed from existing commercial space, shall have 1 1/4 parking spaces per dwelling unit.
5.233. 
Where private off-street parking exists in conjunction with a structure on an individual lot or on a separate lot, the existing structure can be removed and a new structure constructed having up to 20,000 square feet of gross floor area without being subject to parking standards. However, at least the previous number of private off-street parking spaces must be redesigned into the new site plan. Similarly, existing structures of under 20,000 square feet of gross floor area may be enlarged up to 20,000 square feet of gross floor area, and provided that the resulting structure does not exceed 20,000 square feet of gross floor area. If the enlarged structure exceeds 20,000 square feet of gross floor area, the portion over 20,000 square feet of gross floor area shall be subject to off-street parking requirements. However, after temporary removal to facilitate enlargement or reconstruction, the previous number of private off-street parking spaces must be redesigned onto the existing parcel.
5.234. 
Seasonal outdoor seating shall not be included in the calculation of the parking requirement in the Business C Zoning District, provided that there are fewer than 50 outdoor seats, seating and tables are not permanently fixed in place, and seating and tables are removed between the last day of October and the first day of April.
[Added 3-14-2016 by Ord. No. 33407]
5.24. 
Parking requirements for the Hope Avenue Redevelopment Districts.
5.241. 
With respect to residential and hospital uses, notwithstanding the provisions of Section 5.21 to the contrary, the parking requirements for those two uses shall be as follows: 1 1/2 parking spaces per dwelling unit for residential dwelling units and one parking space per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area for hospital uses.
5.242. 
Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 5.41 and 5.47 to the contrary, up to 50% of all parking spaces, whether or not required, may be designed for small cars, i.e., sixteen-by-eight-foot parking spaces, as of right.
5.243. 
Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 5.8 to the contrary, off-street parking spaces, whether or not required, may be located on other land in either the HR1 or HR2 Zoning District so long as the distance between an entrance of the building being served by such off-street parking and a pedestrian entrance to the parking lot or parking structure within which such parking spaces are located is not more than 600 feet.
5.244. 
The loading requirements of Section 5.91 shall apply to HR1 and HR2 Zoning Districts.
[Amended 10-25-1999 by Ord. No. 28892]
Parking areas, whether or not required, shall be designed and built according to the following standards:
5.31. 
No cars shall be parked on untreated earth, it being required that areas shall be surfaced with tar, hot-top, concrete, belgian block or other substantial paving material.
5.32. 
No such paved parking area shall be placed within five feet of the front of any building, excluding garages, said area being reserved for landscaping treatments and access. In Residence B and C Districts, no such parking area shall be placed within five feet of any street line, said area being reserved for landscape treatments and access.
5.33. 
No driveway connecting such a parking area to the street shall be in excess of 20 feet in width as it crosses the five-foot reserve strip noted in Section 5.32 above, but where two such driveways are provided on a single lot, they shall not exceed 12 feet in width in the reserve strip.
5.34. 
Where such parking areas are required under the terms of Section 5.21, Table of Off-Street Parking Requirements, they shall be designed with available stalls nine feet wide by 18 feet long and so arranged that entrance to and exit from each car space may be made without the need to move other cars.
5.35. 
Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, in Residence B and C Districts, parking of motor vehicles is prohibited in that portion of the front yard lying between the building and the street line where five or fewer cars are required.
[Added 4-27-1992 by Ord. No. 27350; 4-28-2008 by Ord. No. 30876; amended 6-10-1991 by Ord. No. 27156; 6-25-1974 by Ord. No. 23683]
Parking areas, whether or not required, shall be designed and built according to the following standards:
5.41. 
Parking areas shall be developed in a manner which will allow cars to maneuver easily and exit in a forward direction within prescribed driveways. Stalls shall be a minimum of nine feet in width and 18 feet in length. Twenty-five percent of the stalls may be 16 feet by 8 feet and shall be appropriately designated as restricted for use by small cars. Where stalls head into a curb which bumpers can overhang, the length of an eighteen-foot stall may be reduced by one foot and a sixteen-foot stall by one foot. All parking aisle widths shall have the following minimum dimensions: parallel parking: 10 feet; angled parking 45° or less: 13 feet; angled parking from 46° to 60°: 18 feet; and angled parking 61° or more: 20 feet, all related to the direction of line of flow of traffic in the aisle. Where stall widths are wider than eight and one-half (8 1/2) feet, the aisle width may be narrowed by a percentage equal to the percentage increase in width. Entrance and exit drives shall not exceed 25 feet in width and shall not be greater in number than deemed reasonable by the Inspector of Buildings with such advice and assistance as he may obtain from the Traffic Engineer. The Board of Survey and Planning (Board) may grant a special permit for a driveway opening greater than 25 feet if the Board finds that said driveway will benefit public safety and traffic flow. The slopes of aisles and parking areas shall not exceed 5% for surface parking areas, and 8% for above or below grade parking structures. No new driveway shall be opened within 100 feet of an intersection, except where the entire lot is within 100 feet of the intersection and there is no alternate access available, in which case the driveway may be opened, provided that a special permit therefor has been granted by the Board of Survey and Planning, and such permit may only be granted provided that the driveway is as far from the intersection as deemed feasible after consultation with the Traffic Engineer; and in no instance shall the driveway be located on the radius of the intersection.
5.411. 
Lots near schools.
(1) 
Where any lot or portion of a lot, except residential lots containing up to four dwelling units, is within 200 feet of public or private school property serving any grades kindergarten through grade twelve, a new driveway may only be allowed where a special permit has been granted by the Board of Survey and Planning, and such permit may only be granted provided that the new driveway shall be located in accordance with the standards described in Subsections (2) through (5), inclusive, of this section. In no instance shall any new driveway be located closer than five feet from the side boundary line bordering the lot on which the school building is located.
(2) 
The applicant shall make every effort to design the safest and most efficient access which meets the standards described in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), as amended, by the Massachusetts Department of Public Works, Standards for Roadway Design, and any City of Waltham standards, regulations or ordinances. Every application for a special permit for a driveway shall be reviewed by the City of Waltham Traffic Engineer, who shall provide the Board of Survey and Planning with a written report on the application prior to the hearing on the application, indicating whether or not the proposal complies with the above-mentioned standards, regulations or ordinances. In preparing the necessary information for said review by the City of Waltham Traffic Engineer, the applicant shall comply with the guidelines as established by said Traffic Engineer as those guidelines relate to the scope and specific type of information and to any other reasonable criteria which the Traffic Engineer deems to be necessary, to be submitted and made a part of the application for special permit for such new driveway opening. Any firm providing such information under the provisions of this section and subsection shall also be required to meet certain objective standards of experience established by said Traffic Engineer.
(3) 
Every driveway shall be located so as to provide adequate sight and stopping distance for vehicular traffic. Consideration shall be given to the proximity of the school and the age of children attending the school.
(4) 
All permit applications shall be reviewed in the context of the entire section of roadway corridor that is affected by the traffic generated by the proposed development. The purpose of this review is to facilitate safe and efficient traffic flow within the corridor as a whole and to avoid or minimize any conflict with the school property. Where possible, when two or more developments proposed have overlapping review periods and are being located in proximity to each other, the access points and mitigation for each of the developments will be coordinated.
(5) 
The Board of Survey and Planing may place conditions on any special permit as necessary to facilitate safe and efficient traffic flow, to mitigate traffic impacts and to avoid impacts on the school property and the children attending it both during construction and throughout the term of the special permit. Such conditions may include but shall not be limited to the following:
(a) 
Limitations on turning movements.
(b) 
A restriction on the number of access points per development.
(c) 
Trip reduction techniques, including phased or limited trip generation requirements.
(d) 
Flexible work hours.
(e) 
Participation in transportation management organization.
(f) 
All necessary and reasonable efforts to maintain the existing traffic level of service both during construction and throughout the term of the special permit.
5.42. 
No paved area, excluding entrances and exits, shall extend within five feet of any lot or street line, nor into any front yard; and an area equal to 40 square feet per car space shall be provided on which snow cleared from parking areas may be placed, but said area may be provided in whole or in part by the five feet referred to above or other yard space.
5.43. 
Trees with a minimum size of 3 1/2 inches in diameter (measured six inches from ground level) shall be provided at the rate of one for every 10 cars.
5.44. 
The area shall be graded, paved and drained with on-premises catch basins or appropriate dry wells or connection to the street drainage system.
5.45. 
The area shall be lighted in such a manner that no direct light shall fall on adjacent residential properties.
5.46. 
The area shall be fenced and/or landscaped in a manner which will minimize headlight glare on adjacent residential properties.
5.47. 
Up to 25% of all parking spaces may be designed for small cars, i.e., sixteen-by-eight-foot parking spaces. Further, the Board of Appeals may grant a special permit allowing up to 50% of the spaces to be 16 feet by eight feet where it can be shown that up to 50% of the cars will be, in all probability, 85 square feet or less in area, subject, however, to the restriction that such a special permit can only be granted for lots in excess of 25 cars and that said spaces shall be appropriately designated as restricted for use by small cars.
5.48. 
Parking stall design standard in parking structures. All off-street parking spaces for all uses located in parking structures below, above or at grade shall conform to the criteria set forth in Section 5.41 except that stall width may be reduced to 17 1/2 feet by 8 1/2 feet.
5.49. 
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Zoning Ordinance to the contrary, where parking is being provided for development occurring as part of an intensity of use special permit, and where the number of residential parking spaces being provided exceeds the number of parking spaces required under Article V, the excess spaces may be combined in tandem with any required spaces, provided that a) each of the tandem spaces shall otherwise comply with all of the design criteria in Section 5.4; and b) tandem spaces shall not be more than two spaces deep; and c) such spaces may only be used in tandem if both of such spaces are for the exclusive use of the occupants of the same residential unit or their temporary guests or visitors and the parking spaces are so designated and assigned; and d) the Special Permit Granting Authority finds a need for such spaces and approves the location and safety of such spaces, and further provided all such tandem spaces shall only be allowed in structured parking facilities as defined by Subsection 2.3432, and shall not be allowed in surface parking areas.
[Amended 6-25-1974 by Ord. No. 23683]
The construction and operation of nonaccessory off-street parking areas for private passenger cars in Residence B and C Districts, to be designed and constructed in accordance with the standards set forth in Sections 5.3 through 5.48, inclusive, and any other requirement it may deem necessary for benefit to the neighborhood, is permitted when a special permit for a period not in excess of five years therefor has been granted by the City Council. Any use of said facility beyond a five-year period shall require a new special permit from the City Council.
[Amended 6-25-1979 by Ord. No. 24550]
Off-street parking which is accessory to a use allowed in a Business A, Business B, Limited Commercial, Commercial or Industrial District is permitted in a residential district when a special permit therefor has been granted by the City Council after a finding that the parking space is necessary and that such action will not be injurious to the neighborhood and will serve the public good; provided, however, that no such special permit shall be granted unless the subject parking area abuts other lots used in conjunction with the use to be served and unless all of any such lots are within 300 feet of the building in which the principal use to be served is located. All other elements of this chapter, including Section 5.7, shall be strictly adhered to.
When such off-street parking space cannot be reasonably provided for on the same lot or in accordance with the provisions of Section 4.225, the Board of Appeals may grant a special permit therefor on any land in the same zoning district which is within a radius of 600 feet.
[Added 12-28-1992 by Ord. No. 27481; amended 10-25-1999 by Ord. No. 28892; 3-3-1999 by Ord. No. 28735; 4-28-2008 by Ord. No. 30876]
Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 3.7 in its entirety, the parking requirements provided for in Article V in its entirety as they pertain to mixed occupancy and stores/shops (retail) shall not apply to change of an existing business use in an existing building to another business use permitted in the zoning district in which it is located.
5.91. 
Loading and unloading of motor vehicles. In any Residential or Business District used for assisted living facilities, as provided in Section 3.218A, and in a Business, Commercial or Industrial District, any building erected for commercial purposes shall be designed in such a way as to provide for an area comprising not less than 70 feet by 12 feet immediately adjacent to the building, or as more specifically located when development occurs as part of an intensity of use special permit, for off-street loading and unloading of motor vehicles delivering or receiving goods at such premises in accordance with the following schedule:
Use
Loading Area at 25 x 70 Feet
Loading Area at 12 x 70 Feet
Retail/Shopping Centers
15,000 to 50,000
—
1
50,000 to 150,000
1
1
150,000 to 300,000
1
2
More than 300,000
2
4
Office
2,000 to 50,000
—
1
50,000 to 150,000
1
—
150,000 to 300,000
1
1
More than 300,000
1
2
Manufacturing
0 to 50,000
1
50,000 to 100,000
1
—
100,000 to 200,000
1
2
More than 200,000
1
3
Warehouse
0 to 50,000
1
1
50,000 to 100,000
1
2
100,000 to 200,000
1
4
More than 200,000
1
6
Assisted living facility
[Added 3-3-1999 by Ord. No. 28735]
Up to 50,000
—
1
50,000 to 100,000
—
2
100,000 to 200,000
—
3
More than 200,000
—
4
5.92. 
Special permit for reduced parking requirements for retail uses in Business, Commercial and Industrial Zones. A special permit allowing the construction or use of a building or portion thereof for retail use in a Business A, Business B, Commercial or Industrial Zone, where the petitioner will provide fewer than the minimum number of parking spaces required in that zone, may be issued by the City Council after a finding that the proposed number of spaces to be provided is sufficient to satisfy the demand typically generated by similar uses and that granting such special permit will not be injurious to the neighborhood and will serve the public interest; provided, however, that no such special permit shall be issued unless a minimum of four spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area is to be provided. In making its decision, the City Council may consider, among other things, the availability of public transit services, the provision of ride-sharing programs by the petitioner, shared parking arrangements, the provision of off-site parking and contributions to the Traffic Safety and Infrastructure Maintenance Fund in lieu of parking. The City Council may issue a special permit providing the following determinations are met: Sections 3.531, 3.532, 3.533, 3.534, 3.535, 3.536, and 3.538, and if the City Council grants a special permit for a decrease in parking, said Council shall require the applicant to make a contribution into a Traffic Safety and Infrastructure Maintenance Fund ("fund") for each parking space reduced by this special permit. The rate of contribution for retail buildings less than 30,000 gross square feet shall be $250 per parking space. The rate of contribution for retail buildings greater than 30,000 gross square feet shall be $1,500 per parking space, this "fund" being the same as established in Section 3.539 and following the same provisions of said section.