Borough of Folcroft, PA Article XIII Parking

§ 600-80 Purpose.

The primary purposes of this article are to adequately provide for the parking needs of all uses in the Borough and to reduce traffic congestion on public streets by allowing provisions for off-street parking facilities in order to support faster emergency access to all districts. The secondary purposes include providing for the special parking needs of handicapped drivers, allowing flexibility in meeting parking needs by utilizing methods such as off-site and shared parking arrangements, and creating requirements for all loading, landscaping, and parking design.

§ 600-81 Applicability.

A. Off-street parking shall be provided in accordance with the requirements in § 600-83 below. All such off-street parking areas shall be provided on the same parcel of land as the use or building they serve, except as modified by § 600-85. The minimum off-street parking requirements in § 600-83 shall apply to all districts.

B. No building or use lawfully in existence prior to the effective date of this chapter shall be subject to the requirements of § 600-83, so long as the kind or extent of use is not changed so as to require additional parking.

C. All required parking facilities should be provided and maintained so long as the use which the facilities were designed to serve exists. Off-street parking facilities shall not be reduced, except when such reduction is in conformity with this article.

D. Within all districts, whenever a structure is altered or a use is changed or extended, then the total additional parking required for the alteration, change, or extension shall be provided in accordance with § 600-83 as long as the use remains.

§ 600-82 General regulations for off-street parking.

A. Where a use is not specifically listed in this chapter, the Zoning Hearing Board (ZHB) shall apply the standards of the most similar use listed to determine the number of parking spaces required.

B. If the computation of the parking ratios listed in § 600-83 results in a fraction, an additional parking space shall be required.

C. All parking areas of 10 spaces or more and subject to vehicular traffic, loading areas, and driveways shall be graded and surfaced with bituminous, concrete, or equivalent surfacing and graded to properly dispose of all surface water accumulation within the parking area in conformance with municipal standards so as to minimize drainage onto any adjoining property.

D. In off-street parking areas with five or more spaces, each space shall be clearly line-striped and maintained.

E. Freestanding establishments located within shopping centers shall have adequate parking as required in § 600-83 and will not rely on common parking to meet the aforementioned requirements, except where the conditions of § 600-85 are met.

F. All parking areas with five or more spaces shall be adequately lighted so as to assist in the safe maneuvering of motor vehicles and to provide security for users of the lot. All lighting shall be arranged to avoid glare on adjacent properties.

G. Parking or storage of disabled, partially dismantled, or junked cars, trucks, boats, or other vehicles shall be permitted on a lot for a continuous period of not more than five days.

H. Front-yard parking, as defined in Article II, is prohibited. No unpaved, front-yard parking shall be permitted.

I. Except for light maintenance, heavy repair work shall not be permitted in parking areas.

J. Expansion of the driveway or parking pad into an area otherwise utilized for the front yard is considered front-yard parking and is not permitted.

K. All off-street parking lots shall comply with provisions of the latest Delaware County Land Development and Subdivision Ordinance as it now exists or may be adopted in the future, for any standards not explicitly stated within the Borough Zoning Ordinance.

L. Any new or existing structure or use located in the GB General Business and RS Retail Service districts may use adjacent on-street and/or public parking spaces within 200 feet, if sufficient off-street parking is not available in the amounts necessary to meet the requirements of § 600-83.

M. In addition to meeting parking requirements in § 600-83, districts may supplement these standards with bicycle racks or lockers for persons, residents, and customers who choose to travel by bicycle.

N. Where off-street parking lots abut walkways, walls, fences, buildings, or public rights-of-way, bumper guards, curbs, or wheel stops shall be installed to ensure that vehicles will not strike or obstruct them.

O. No commercial motor vehicle, as defined in Article II, may park overnight on an on-street parking space.

P. Common driveways shall not be permitted.

§ 600-83 Required parking ratios.

Use			Off-Street Parking Requirement
Residential Uses
	Single-family detached or single-family semidetached dwelling		2 spaces for every dwelling unit
	Townhouse		2 spaces for every dwelling unit
	Multifamily dwelling		2 spaces per dwelling unit, plus 1 space for every 4 dwelling units for guests in developments/buildings of 12 or more units
	Community residence facility		1 space for every 2 bedrooms, plus 1 space for each employee
Public or Private Recreational Uses
	Private clubs		1 space for every 100 square feet of floor area
	Bowling alley		4 spaces for each lane
	Outdoor commercial recreation		1 space for every 2,000 square feet of area devoted to such use
	Indoor recreation		1 space for every 100 square feet of gross floor area
Governmental, Institutional, and Educational Uses
	Auditoriums, churches, and other places of public assembly		1 space for every 5 seats, plus 1 space for every 150 square feet of meeting room area
	Community center, municipal building, library, or similar use		1 space for every 300 square feet of gross floor area
	Child day-care center		1 space for every 500 square feet of gross floor area, plus 1 space for each adult attendant or teacher. This shall be in addition to the parking requirements of the primary use, such as a school or church, if applicable
	Nursery, primary, and secondary schools		1 space for each faculty member or other full-time employee, plus 2 spaces for each classroom, and 1 space for every 12 students aged 16 years or older
Retail, Commercial, and Other Business Uses
	Retail store or shop		1 space for every 200 square feet of gross floor area
	Furniture or appliance store		1 space for every 400 square feet of gross floor area
	Convenience store		1 space for every 125 square feet of gross floor area
	Supermarket		1 space for every 125 square feet of gross floor area
	Personal service businesses such as barber shops, tailors, shoe repair, etc.		1 space for every 150 square feet of gross floor area
	Shopping center		1 space for every 250 square feet of gross leasable floor area
	Professional and other office area		1 space for every 300 square feet of gross floor area
	Banks, credit unions, and savings and loan institutions		1 space for every 200 square feet of gross floor area
	Medical, dental, or veterinary offices or clinics		1 space for every 100 square feet of waiting room space, plus 2 spaces for each practitioner
Restaurant
		Sit-down	1 space for every 150 square feet of gross floor area, plus 1 space for every 2 employees on the shift of greatest employment
		Restaurant with drive-through	1 space for every 75 square feet of gross floor area, plus 1 space for every 2 employees on the shift of greatest employment
	Bar, tavern		1 space for every 150 square feet of gross floor area
	Movie theater or amusement venue		1 space for every 3 seats, plus 1 space for every employee on the shift of greatest employment
	Funeral home		1 space for every 75 square feet of floor area in viewing rooms or parlors, plus 1 space for each official funeral car, and 1 space for every 2 employees, exclusive of the resident family members
	Hotel, motel, or inn		1 space for every guest room, plus 1 space for every 2 full-time employees, plus the required parking for accessory uses such as restaurants and bars
Car wash
		Standard	10 spaces per bay for stacking, plus 4 spaces for standing between the exit of the facility and the street, plus 1 space for each employee on the shift of greatest employment
		Self-service	4 spaces per bay for stacking, plus 1 space for standing between the exit of the facility and the street
	Laundromat, self-service		1 space for every 2 washing machines
	Automobile service and repair		2 spaces, either within or outside the structure, for every 200 square feet of floor or ground area devoted to repair or service facilities and, in addition, such space as is necessary for vehicles purchasing gasoline or being stored. In no case shall the spaces for permitted motor vehicle storage in conjunction with a service station be fewer than 5
	Repair or tradesman shop (e.g., carpenter, plumber, etc.)		1 space for every 400 square feet of gross floor area
	Temporary uses such as sales of Christmas trees, flowers, produce, and other goods		1 space for every 200 square feet of sales area
	Health club and spa		1 space for each staff member, plus 1 for every 500 square feet of gross floor area
Industrial and Other Related Uses
	Research and development, light manufacturing, and assembly		1 space for every 750 square feet of gross floor area, plus 1 space for every employee on the shift of greatest employment
	Storage, manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, wholesale, heavy industry, and air freight		1 space for every 1,000 square feet of gross floor area, plus 1 space for every employee on the shift of greatest employment

§ 600-84 Design regulations.

A. The size of a standard parking space shall be nine feet wide by 18 feet long, an area of 162 square feet.

B. Parking spaces for the handicapped shall be 12 feet wide by 18 feet long, an area of 216 square feet, or meet the most recently adopted ADA standards. Parking spaces for the handicapped must be located as close as possible to public entrances and ramps to buildings. Each space must be clearly marked with proper signage.

C. Handicapped spaces shall be provided in the amounts required below:

Total Parking Spaces	Number of Required Handicapped Spaces
10 to 25	1
26 to 50	2
51 to 75	3
76 to 100	4

D. All parking areas for five or more vehicles shall be designed so that vehicles need not back directly into a public street but can enter and leave the parking area in a forward motion.

E. All parking shall be accessible to and from a street, driveway, and/or alleyway.

F. Every parking lot or area with 10 or more off-street spaces shall be separated from the street or highway by a raised curb, planting strip, wall, or other suitable barrier against unchanneled motor vehicle entrance or exit, except for necessary accessways.

G. Drive-through establishments such as fast order and pickup, automatic bank teller, and similar uses shall provide no fewer than five waiting spaces for each drive-through lane. This is in addition to the space for the car being serviced.

H. Where possible, surface parking shall preferably be located at the rear of the building or, if not feasible, at the side.

§ 600-85 Off-site and shared parking.

A. Nothing in this article shall be construed to prevent the collective off-site parking facilities for two or more nonresidential buildings or uses. However, the total of such off-site parking spaces shall be not less than the sum of requirements for the various uses compiled separately and provided that such off-site parking is not farther than 500 feet from the use in question. The parties entering the partnership must enter a formal, written agreement to be approved by the Borough Solicitor.

B. Two or more nonresidential uses may provide for required parking in a shared parking area, provided that such area is on or adjacent to such uses. The number of spaces required in such a shared parking area may be reduced below the sum of the total requirements if it can be demonstrated to the Zoning Officer that the hours or days of peak parking demand for the uses are so different that a lower overall total of parking spaces will adequately provide for the uses to be served. In such case, sufficient parking shall be provided to meet the minimum needs of the use that requires the greater parking area.

§ 600-86 Design of off-street loading facilities.

A. The minimum size loading space shall be 50 feet long by 12 feet wide, with an overhead clearance of 14 feet, exclusive of drives and maneuvering space, and located entirely on the lot being served. Any overhead canopy should extend a minimum of four feet beyond a loading dock.

B. All loading spaces shall have adequate access from a street or way that does not block or interfere with required parking as specified in § 600-83. This required space must be provided in addition to the established requirements for patron and employee parking.

C. Every building or use of land consisting of over 5,000 square feet of gross floor area designed or used for commercial or industrial uses shall be provided with a loading space as follows:

Total Gross Floor Area	Number of Loading Spaces Required
Up to 15,000 square feet	1 space
15,000 to 50,000 square feet	2 spaces
50,000 to 100,000 square feet	3 spaces
Each additional 100,000 square feet	1 additional space

D. In no case shall public rights-of-way be used for loading or unloading of materials. Furthermore, no loading dock or space shall be located or arranged in such a way that it is necessary to back any vehicle into or off any public right-of-way or require the use of any public right-of-way maneuvering space.

E. All off-street loading berths shall be provided on either the side or rear of the lot. In no case shall off-street loading berths be provided in the front of the lot.

F. All off-street loading shall be designed so as to minimize the nuisance, hazard, or impediment to pedestrian travel and traffic flow on public streets.

§ 600-87 Screening and landscaping requirements.

A. Screening between any parking area and the street line shall be effective at the time of occupancy, subject to the following provisions:

(1) All off-street parking areas that provide more than five parking spaces shall be screened from any abutting property in a residential or other more restrictive zoning district.

(2) Effective screening may be accomplished through the use of the following: plant materials, fencing or walls, and/or mounding through the use of an earthen berm forming a continuous visual buffer.

(3) The area for planting and fencing, walls, or earthen berms shall not extend beyond the street line.

(4) When planted visual screens are employed, the following shall apply:

(a) A buffer planting strip shall be provided. It shall be a minimum of five feet in width, unless specifically required otherwise in this chapter.

(b) Planted visual screens, as defined in Article II, shall be of sufficient height and density to constitute a continuous visual screen six feet in height at the time of planting except as provided below.

[1] Whenever fencing or walls are employed, the effective height of the continuous visual screen shall be not less than five feet nor more than six feet.

[2] Whenever earthen berms are employed, the effective height of the continuous visual screen shall be not less than eight feet.

B. Landscaping within any parking area which provides 20 or more parking spaces shall be subject to the following provisions:

(1) Off-street parking areas shall be landscaped to reduce wind and air turbulence, heat, noise, and the glare of automobile lights; to reduce the level of carbon dioxide; to provide shade; to improve stormwater drainage problems; to replenish the groundwater table; and to provide for a more attractive setting.

(2) The interior of each parking lot constructed or enlarged after the effective date of this chapter shall have at least one three-inch-caliper deciduous shade tree for every 15 parking spaces, if there are no existing shade trees to satisfy this requirement. Use of shrubs and other plant materials is encouraged to complement the trees, but they shall not be the sole contribution to the landscaping. These trees shall be in addition to those required as an effective screen. Trees selected for landscaping in parking areas shall be of a species proven to be salt- and dust-resistant.

(3) Landscaped areas at least five feet wide shall be provided along all street frontages in parking lots with 20 or more parking spaces.

(4) Planted landscaped islands between every 20 parking spaces or at the end of each parking row, whichever is less, shall be provided and shall be the length and width of the parking spaces.

(5) Existing plant material and trees with a caliper of six inches or more shall be preserved wherever possible during construction. Such existing plants may be credited toward the amount of required plantings.