Township of Plainfield, PA Part 7 OFF-STREET PARKING AND LOADING

§ 27-701 Required Number of Off-Street Parking Spaces.

[Ord. 275, 2/9/2000, § 701 as amended by Ord. 290, 3/9/2005, § 2; and by Ord. 379, 2/8/2017]

1. Requirement.

A. Each use established, enlarged, or altered in any district shall provide and satisfactorily maintain off-street parking spaces in accordance with Table 27-701.1 and the regulations of this Part.

B. Uses not specifically listed in Table 27-701.1 shall comply with the requirements for the most similar use listed in Table 27-701.1.

C. Where a proposed use contains or includes more than one type of use (regardless of whether each use is listed in Table 27-701.1 or is an unlisted use), the number of parking spaces required shall be the sum of the parking requirements for each separate use.

D. Where the computation of required parking spaces results in a fractional number, the fraction of one-quarter or more shall be counted as one.

2. Conditional Reduction in Off-Street Parking Areas.

A. The Township recognizes:

(1) The importance of providing adequate, well-designed off-street parking areas.

(2) The need to limit the amount of paved parking areas to preserve open space and limit stormwater runoff.

(3) That unique circumstances associated with a land use may justify a reduction in the parking requirements of Subsection 1.

B. The Zoning Hearing Board may permit a reduction, through a variance of the number of parking spaces to be initially developed as required by Subsection 1, provided each of the following conditions are satisfied:

(1) The applicant shall demonstrate to the Board, using existing and projected five years employment, customer or other relevant data, that a reduction in the off street parking spaces to be initially developed as required by Subsection 1 is warranted.

(2) Plans of Parking Lot.

(a) The applicant shall submit plans of the parking lot(s) which designate a layout for the total number of parking spaces needed to comply with the parking requirement in Subsection 1.

(b) The plans shall clearly designate which of these parking spaces are proposed for immediate use and which spaces are proposed to be conditionally reserved for potential future use.

(c) The portion of the required parking spaces conditionally reserved for potential future use shall not be within areas for required buffer yards, setbacks, or areas which would otherwise be unsuitable for parking spaces due to the physical characteristics of the land or other requirements of this Chapter.

(d) Areas conditionally reserved for potential future use shall be attractively landscaped and remain in open space.

(3) Agreement With Township.

(a) The applicant shall enter into an agreement with the Township requiring the applicant to:

1) Maintain each conditionally reserved area as attractively landscaped open space as determined by the Board after site plan review.

2) Convert some or all of the conditionally reserved area to additional off street parking if at any time the Board finds (based upon the results of field investigations and recommendations of the Township Engineer) that additional parking is needed.

(b) This agreement shall be recorded to the deed as a covenant running with the land.

[Amended by Ord. No. 388, 6/13/2018 ]

Table 27-701.1
Off-Street Parking Requirements
Use			One Off-Street Parking Space Required For Each	Plus One Off-Street Parking Space Required For Each
A.	Agricultural Uses
	1.	Agriculture	Employee
	2.	Animal Hospital/Veterinarian	Employee	0.25 doctor (4 spaces per doctor)
	3.	Animal Husbandry	Employee
	4.	Greenhouse/Nursery	Employee[1] minimum of 5 parking spaces
	5.	Kennel	Employee	4–12 animals of capacity minimum of 4 parking spaces
	6.	Riding Stable	Employee	4 animals of capacity minimum of 4 parking spaces
	7.	Seasonal Roadside Produce Stand	Employee	150 square feet[2]
B.	Residential Uses
	1.	Dwelling with
	3	Bedrooms or Less	0.5 dwelling unit (2 spaces per dwelling unit)	—
	4	Bedrooms or More	0.33 dwelling unit (3 spaces per dwelling unit)	—
	2.	Home Occupation	150 square feet[3]	Nonresident employee
	3.	Housing for the Elderly	1 parking space for every 1 dwelling unit or rental unit	2 employees on shift rental units of highest employment
	4.	Rooming/Boarding House; Fraternity; and Other Similar places	0.5 dwelling unit or rental unit	1 space for each employee
	5.	Bed-and-Breakfast	Rentable room	Nonresident employee on shift of highest employment and the proprietor of the bed-and-breakfast
	6.	Short-Term Residential Rental(s)	.5 dwelling unit (2 spaces per dwelling unit)	Bedroom rented out
C.	Public or Private Recreational Uses
	1.	Indoor Recreation (Bowling Alley; Membership Club)	45 square feet[4]	1 parking unit for each employee
	2.	Theater; Auditorium	1 parking space for every 3 seats	1 parking unit for each employee
	3.	Library; Community Center	1 parking space for every 300 square feet	1 parking unit for every employee
	4.	Outdoor Recreation (Golf Course, Ball fields, Stadium)	4 persons of total designed capacity	1 parking unit for every employee
D.	Institutional and Educational Uses
	1.	Churches or other Places of Worship	40 inches of pew or bench or every 4 seats	1 parking unit for every employee
	2.	Hospital/Nursing Home	2 beds/4 beds	Staff or visiting doctor plus 1 space for each 2 employees on shift of highest employment
	3.	Day-Care Facility/Nursery	6 children	Employee
	4.	Adult Life Care	Rental unit	2 employees on shift of highest employment
	5.	Medical or Dental Office	0.25 doctor	4 spaces employee clinic per doctor
	6.	School	1 Faculty and other	4 students aged 16 years full-time employees or older
	7.	Utility Substation	Vehicle normally required to service such facility	—
	8.	Coileges, Universities, Technical or Fine Arts School and Post-Secondary Schools	Faculty member and each employee	1.5 students who attend class at peak time
E.	Retail and Commercial Service Uses
	1.	Auto, Taxi, Bus, Gas/Service/Repair	0.5 service bay (2 spaces per bay)	Employee on shift of highest employment
	2.	Auto, Recreational Vehicle or Boat Sales	10 vehicles on display	Employee on shift of highest employment
	3.	Banks, Savings & Loan, Other Financial Institution	150 square feet[5]	Employment on shift of highest employment
	4.	Fast Food Restaurant		1 for every employee on shift of 2 seats highest employment
	5.	Funeral Home	4 seats for patron use	Employee on shift of highest employment
	6.	Hotel/Motel	Rental unit	Employee on shift of highest employment
	7.	Laundromat	3 washing or dry-cleaning machines	Employee on shift of highest employment
	8.	Office with Floor Area
		400 square feet or Less	150 square feet[6]	—
		More than 400 square feet	135 square feet[7]	—
	9.	Personal Service Business (Barber Shops, Photo Shops, Appliance Repair)	150 square feet[8]	Employee on shift of highest employment
	10.	Restaurant, Tavern	1 for every 3 seat	Employee on shift of highest employment
	11.	Retail Store, General Merchandise Store convenience store, video store, gasoline retail center, adult store	150 square feet[9]	2 employees on shift of highest employment
	12.	Shopping Center of more than 100,00 SF of Gross Floor Area[10]	250 square feet[11]	—
	13.	Shopping Center of more than 100,000 SF of Gross Floor Area[12]	225 square feet[13]	—
	14.	Brewery	100 square feet	Employee on shift of highest employment.
	15.	Brew Pub	100 square feet	Employee on shift of highest employment.
	16.	Microbrewery	100 square feet	Employee on shift of highest employment.
	17.	Distillery	100 square feet	Employee on shift of highest employment.
	18.	Microdistillery	2 seats in tasting room or public area	Employee on shift of highest employment.
	19.	Winery	100 square feet	Employee on shift of highest employment
	20.	Public Special Event Use Accessory to a Brewery, Brew Pub, Distillery, Microbrewery, Microdistillery, Vineyard or Winery use.	100 square feet	Employee on shift of highest employment
F.	Industrial, Wholesale and Warehouse Uses
	1.	Industrial, Wholesale	1 employees on the largest shift	Company vehicle based at the plant motor freight or truck terminal warehousing units

[1] Note: Of all area occupied by equipment, furnishings, or inventory accessible to customers or patrons, but not including corridors, toilet rooms and other such accessory rooms as may be provided.

[2] Note: Of all area occupied by equipment, furnishings, or inventory accessible to customers or patrons, but not including corridors, toilet rooms and other such accessory rooms as may be provided.

[3] Note: Of all area occupied by equipment, furnishings, or inventory accessible to customers or patrons, but not including corridors, toilet rooms and other such accessory rooms as may be provided.

[4] Note: Of all area occupied by equipment, furnishings, or inventory accessible to customers or patrons, but not including corridors, toilet rooms and other such accessory rooms as may be provided.

[5] Note: Of all area occupied by equipment, furnishings, or inventory accessible to customers or patrons, but not including corridors, toilet rooms and other such accessory rooms as may be provided.

[6] Note: Of all area occupied by equipment, furnishings or inventory accessible to employees, but not including corridors, toilet rooms, and other such accessory rooms as may be provided.

[7] Note: Of all area occupied by equipment, furnishings or inventory accessible to employees, but not including corridors, toilet rooms, and other such accessory rooms as may be provided.

[8] Note: Of all area occupied by equipment, furnishings, or inventory accessible to customers or patrons, but not including corridors, toilet rooms and other such accessory rooms as may be provided.

[9] Note: Of all area occupied by equipment, furnishings, or inventory accessible to customers or patrons, but not including corridors, toilet rooms and other such accessory rooms as may be provided.

[10] Note: Only that portion of seasonal attached outdoor garden centers which exceeds 25% of the principal store shall be included in this gross floor area calculation. Parking for structures which typically are constructed on shopping center sites as individual outbuildings such as restaurants, banks, etc., shall be accounted for separately based upon the requirements of this Chapter, for their proposed use.

[11] Note: Only that portion of seasonal attached outdoor garden centers which exceeds 25% of the principal store shall be included in this gross floor area calculation. Parking for structures which typically are constructed on shopping center sites as individual outbuildings such as restaurants, banks, etc., shall be accounted for separately based upon the requirements of this Chapter, for their proposed use.

[12] Only that portion of seasonal attached outdoor garden centers which exceeds 25% of the principal store shall be included in this gross floor area calculation. Parking for structures which typically are constructed on shopping center sites as individual outbuildings such as restaurants, banks, etc., shall be accounted for separately based upon the requirements of this Chapter, for their proposed use.

[13] Only that portion of seasonal attached outdoor garden centers which exceeds 25% of the principal store shall be included in this gross floor area calculation. Parking for structures which typically are constructed on shopping center sites as individual outbuildings such as restaurants, banks, etc., shall be accounted for separately based upon the requirements of this Chapter, for their proposed use.

§ 27-702 General Regulations Applying To Required Off-Street Parking Facilities.

[Ord. 275, 2/9/2000, § 702]

1. Existing Parking. Structures and uses in existence at the effective date of this Chapter shall not be subject to the requirements of this Part; provided, that the kind or extent of use is not changed and that any parking facility now serving such structures or uses shall not in the future be reduced to an amount less than that required by this Chapter.

2. Changes in Use. Whenever a building or use (including those specified in Subsection 1) is changed or enlarged in floor area, number of employees, number of dwellings, seating capacity or otherwise to create a need, based upon the requirements of § 27-701 for an increase of 10% or more in the number of existing parking spaces, the number of additional spaces to be provided shall be based upon the incremental change or enlargement so required.

3. Continuing Character of Obligation.

A. All required parking facilities shall be provided and maintained so long as the use which the facilities were designed to serve still exists.

B. Off-street parking facilities shall not be reduced in total extent except when such reduction is in conformity with the requirements of this Part in conjunction with a change in the nature of the use.

4. Conflict With Other Uses. No parking area shall be used for any other use that interferes with its availability for the parking need it is required to serve.

5. Location of Parking Spaces. Required off-street parking spaces shall be on the same lot or premises with the principal use served, except that in the Village Center District such spaces may be within 300 feet walking distance of the principal use.

6. Joint Use. In the Village Center District, two or more uses may provide for required parking in a common parking lot, provided that the total number of spaces in such lot shall not be less than the sum of the spaces required for each use individually and provided such parking lot is within 300 feet walking distance of all of the principal uses served by such lot.

7. Parking of Commercial Vehicles. No more than one commercial motor vehicle with more than six wheels may park on a residential lot within the Suburban Residential, Planned Residential, Village Residential and Village Center Districts.

§ 27-703 Design Standards for Off-Street Parking Facilities.

[Ord. 275, 2/9/2000, § 703; as amended by Ord. 290, 3/9/2005, § 3; and by Ord. 325, 9/12/2007, §§ 9–12]

1. General Requirements.

A. Every parking facility shall be designed so that its use does not constitute a nuisance, hazard, or unreasonable impediment to traffic.

B. Every parking area shall be arranged for orderly, safe movement.

C. No parking area shall be designed to require or encourage parked vehicles to back into a public street in order to leave a parking space, except those of a single-family or two-family dwelling where these dwellings obtain access from a local road.

D. Every parking area shall be designed so that each motor vehicle may proceed to and from the parking space provided for it without requiring the moving of any other motor vehicle, except those of a single-family or two-family dwelling.

E. No parking area shall be located in a required buffer yard, or within an existing or future street right-of-way.

F. All parking areas shall comply with the latest federal standards for handicap parking as developed by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

G. Parking facilities, including access drives and driveways shall be located at least 10 feet from the side and/or rear lot line or shall be screened from neighboring properties by a solid fence or planting screen at least four feet in height, excluding access drives and driveways built pursuant to § 27-406, Subsection 1E.

H. Adequate circulation shall be available for trucks the size expected to service the facility. Every parking area shall be designed so that the trucks can reach the loading/unloading areas without crossing parking spaces. The lanes and aisles shall be of adequate width to accommodate the trucks.

2. Parking Spaces.

A. Each parking space shall have a stall width of at least 10 feet.

B. Each parking space shall have a stall depth of

(1) At least 18 feet for all angle parking.

(2) At least 22 feet for parallel parking.

C. All spaces shall be marked so as to indicate their location, except those of a single-family or two-family dwelling.

3. Aisles.

A. Each aisle providing access to stalls for one-way traffic only shall be at least the minimum aisle width specified as follows:

	Angle of Parking	Minimum Aisle Width (feet)
	Parallel	12
	30°	12
	45°	14
	60°	18
	90°	20

B. Each aisle providing access to stalls for two-way traffic shall be at least 25 feet in width.

C. No aisle shall exceed 200 feet in length.

4. Access Drives and Driveways.

A. Each access drive shall have a minimum width of 12 feet and maximum width of 15 feet at the street line for one-way use only and a minimum width of 20 feet and maximum width of 30 feet at the street line for two-way use.

B. Adequate provisions shall be made to maintain uninterrupted parallel drainage along a public street at the point of driveway or access drive entry.

C. At least 50 feet shall be provided between any two access drives along one street for one lot.

D. No access drive or driveway shall be less than 30 feet from any street intersection.

5. Grading, Surface Drainage. Except for areas that are landscaped and so maintained, all portions of required parking facilities, including driveways, shall be graded, surfaced with asphalt or other suitable material, and drained to the extent necessary to prevent dust, erosion, or excessive water flow across streets or adjoining properties.

6. Nighttime Illumination.

A. Any parking area designed for use by six or more cars after dusk shall be adequately illuminated.

B. All lighting fixtures used to illuminate parking areas shall be arranged to prevent light from shining beyond the boundary of the property.

7. Landscaping.

A. All areas not serving as parking spaces, aisles, access drives or pedestrian walkways shall be permanently landscaped and maintained.

B. Except where entrance and exit drives cross street lines, all parking areas for any purpose other than single-family residences and two-family residences shall be physically separated from any public street by a raised curb or landscaped berm and an area not less than 10 feet in depth (measured from the future ultimate right-of-way line) which shall be permanently landscaped and maintained.

C. Any parking lot that would include more than 50 parking spaces shall be required to provide landscaped areas within the paved area. The required landscaped area shall be equal to a minimum of 5% of the total paved area. A maximum of 25 consecutive and contiguous parking spaces in a row shall be allowed without being separated by a landscaped area.

(1) One deciduous tree shall be required for every 3,000 square feet of paved area on the tract. This number of trees shall be in addition to any trees required by any other section of this Chapter or by the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance [Chapter 22]. It is the intent that at least one of the required deciduous trees shall be placed in each landscaped area, unless stormwater ground recharge areas or other conflicts exist.

(2) Trees required by this Section shall meet the standards for street trees listed in § 22-1019, Subsection 1. Landscaping shall not obstruct sight distances at intersections.

8. Screening. Any area of six or more spaces which is not within a building and abuts or is across a street from any lot in a Suburban Residential, Planned Residential or Village Residential District, shall be provided with a suitable fence, wall, or evergreen planting at least four feet in height, designed to screen visibility and headlight glare from such residential lot.

9. Parking of vehicles in private driveways located in the road right-of-way shall be prohibited. Although nothing in this Chapter shall serve to prohibit parking along the side of public rights-of-way where such parking is not prohibited by the Plainfield Township Traffic Ordinance [Chapter 15].

§ 27-704 Off-Street Loading.

[Ord. 275, 2/9/2000, § 704]

1. General Requirements. Each use shall provide off-street loading facilities sufficient to accommodate the maximum demand generated by the use (as determined by the Zoning Officer or another applicable review agent for the Township), which comply with the regulations contained in this Section.

2. Design and Layout of Off-Street Loading Facilities. Off-street loading facilities shall be designed to conform to the following specifications:

A. Each off-street loading and unloading space shall be at least 14 feet in width by 75 feet in depth.

B. Each space shall have sufficient maneuvering room separate from other parking to eliminate traffic conflicts within off street loading and parking areas.

C. Each space shall be located entirely on the lot being served and be so located that each space and all maneuvering room is outside of required buffer areas, yard areas, and rights-of-way.

D. An appropriate means of access to a street or alley shall be provided that the maximum width of driveways (measured at the street lot line) shall be 35 feet and that the minimum width shall be 20 feet.

E. All off street loading and unloading spaces, maneuvering areas, driveways, and entrance ways shall be graded, surfaced with asphalt or other suitable material and drained to the satisfaction of the Township Engineer to the extent necessary to prevent nuisances of dust, erosion, or excessive water flow across public ways and to protect adjoining property.

F. No such facilities shall be designed or used in any manner so as to constitute a nuisance, a hazard, or an unreasonable impediment to traffic.

G. All such facilities shall comply with the lighting requirements of § 27-703, Subsection 6, and the landscaping requirements of § 27-703, Subsection 7.