A. 
Since our society is heavily based on the use of motor vehicles, parking for these vehicles will be required for all uses of property within the Town. This is for the purpose of lessening roadway congestion and decreasing safety hazards. If such is required for a particular use, facilities and space for the loading and off-loading of vehicles will be required in addition. The provision of parking facilities for bicycles and other conveyances is encouraged. The layout of parking spaces, the number and size of spaces required will vary by use and by zoning district. While all required parking may be provided on-site, other parking options will be considered as provided in this article.
B. 
Any variations from or interpretation of the requirements of this article will require site plan review by the Planning Board even if such review is not otherwise required. In this article, the word "Board" shall mean the Planning Board.
A. 
The required parking may be located on the same site as the use by right. Parking spaces inside garages or other structures shall be counted.
B. 
The use of shared parking, off-site parking, and on-street parking where such parking is available is encouraged so as to reduce the number of required on-site parking spaces and thus the amount of impervious surface. Permission to count such spaces as meeting the parking requirement will be determined by site plan review. (See Figure A.8.2.[1])
[1]
Editor's Note: Figure A.8.2 can be found in the Appendix, which is included as an attachment to this chapter.
C. 
Shared parking. In the R10, C1, C2, I, and PD Districts, the Town encourages shared parking for different structures or uses, or for mixed uses. At the applicant's request, the Board may permit shared parking, subject to the following conditions:
(1) 
A reciprocal agreement shall be executed by all parties concerned that ensures the long-term joint use of such common parking, and that a copy has been submitted, and is acceptable to the Board.
(2) 
The Board may require the applicant to provide a parking study with all information it deems necessary to render a decision. The study shall include:
(a) 
The hours of operation and parking demand for each use;
(b) 
The hours of operation and peak demand for parking;
(c) 
The number of spaces required for each individual use pursuant to § 300-8.4 of this bylaw;
(d) 
A description of the character of the land use and the parking patterns of adjacent uses;
(e) 
An estimate of the anticipated turnover in parking space use over a twenty-four-hour period of time; and
(f) 
A site plan showing the shared use spaces in the lot and the walking distance to the uses sharing the lot.
(3) 
Uses sharing the parking facility do not need to be contained within the same lot, but shall be a maximum of 500 feet from the closest parking space.
(4) 
The applicant shall demonstrate that vehicles occupying a particular number of spaces are unlikely to require the use of those spaces at the same time of day or same day of the week.
(5) 
In making its decision on shared parking, the Board shall consider the degree to which the applicants are committed to implementation of transit demand management measures, such as those to promote car and van pooling, bicycling, and public transit.
(6) 
In the event that the conditions for shared parking change, or if the shared parking arrangement is discontinued, the applicant shall notify the Board within 10 days. The Board may then require the applicant to meet the applicable parking requirements found in this bylaw without credit for the shared parking.
D. 
Off-site parking. Off-site off-street parking may be provided on another lot. The spaces may be owned by the user or rented. It shall be within walkable distance of the use for which it is provided. For the purposes of this section, a walkable distance is defined as 500 feet. The Planning Board may reduce or increase this distance because of topographical or street layout conditions. If municipal or other public parking lots are available, consideration will be given to counting some or all of such spaces toward meeting the parking requirement.
E. 
On-street parking. On-street parking spaces may be counted as part of the required parking for a particular use if the Board so allows. A user will have the first claim to count spaces in front of his/her premises. Counting spaces in front of other uses may require the consent of the other user. In general, 22 feet of available street frontage will count as one space. Time of use differentials will be given consideration.
A. 
The current guidelines of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) will be used in determining the number of spaces required. These figures will be considered as a maximum and any proposal to provide more than this number plus 10% will require Board approval. If a proposed use is not listed in the ITE standards, the Board will set the requirements for the use. (See Figure A.8.3.[1])
[1]
Editor's Note: Figure A.8.3 can be found in the Appendix, which is included as an attachment to this chapter.
B. 
In zoning districts R80, R40, C1, C2, and I, each use of property shall be provided with parking spaces in accordance with the ITE guidelines, with an allowed variance of plus or minus 10%. Alternately, two parking spaces may be provided for each dwelling unit of more than 500 square feet floor area and one space for smaller units.
C. 
Because of the walkable distances expected in these districts, in zoning districts R10 and PD, each use of property shall be provided with parking spaces at 75% of the ITE guidelines, with an allowed variance of plus or minus 10%. In these districts, the Board may modify or waive minimum parking requirements when, in its judgment, standard parking is not required.
A. 
In general, parking for business or commercial uses must accommodate, as a minimum, the number of the employees on a given shift plus two extra spaces for security purposes. Off-street parking shall meet the ITE standards for sizes and layout of parking spaces. Up to 25% of the total number of parking spaces required may be designed for compact cars. A compact car space shall not be less than eight feet in width and 16 feet in length. Alternately, the applicant may use a layout as shown in the Design Standards for Off-Street Parking included in this bylaw. (See Figure A.8.5.1.[1])
[1]
Editor's Note: Figure A.8.5.1 can be found in the Appendix, which is included as an attachment to this chapter.
B. 
Parking spaces for the exclusive use of handicapped individuals shall be provided in accordance with the most recent rules and regulations of the Architectural Access Board (ADA or 521 CMR).
A. 
All parking areas shall be shown on a plan which shall be filed with the Building Commissioner if site plan review is not required, otherwise with the Board, indicating the layout of the parking area, including access, location of trees and shrubs, and provisions for lighting and drainage, if any. The parking spaces and aisles shall conform to the ITE suggested design requirements. (See Figures A.8.2 and A.8.5.[1])
[1]
Editor's Note: The figures can be found in the Appendix, which is included as an attachment to this chapter.
B. 
All proposed curb cuts, access drives and parking areas shall comply with all applicable requirements of the Department of Public Works.
C. 
Off-street parking and loading areas shall have durable and dustless surfaces and shall be so graded and drained as to dispose of all surface water accumulation. The surface of the parking area shall be delineated so that the parking spaces are apparent.
D. 
Surface materials shall be asphalt, bituminous concrete, concrete, or other properly bound pavement. As impervious pavement surfaces are included in the maximum allowed impervious surface for a lot, special consideration will be given to pervious paving systems. Provided there is a proper stormwater handling and maintenance system in place:
(1) 
Parking areas covered with a pervious paving system shall be considered as being 50% of its actual area when calculating total impervious lot coverage.
(2) 
Parking areas covered with managed gravel shall be considered as being 90% of its actual area when calculating total impervious lot coverage.
E. 
Illumination shall be required for any parking area to be used at night. All parking areas which are proposed to be illuminated shall provide an illumination level of at least one footcandle (10 lumens). All illumination shall be shielded so as not to shine directly onto a public or private way or onto any property in a residential district (not to exceed 20 lumens at lot line unless agreed to in writing by abutters).
F. 
For all parking lots requiring 10 or more spaces, landscaped areas shall be provided. Such areas shall be at least 5% of the total parking area and shall include trees and shrubs. One tree shall be provided for every 10 spaces or fraction thereof. Such trees shall be located within the lot and shall be at least two inches in trunk diameter. Not less than 40 square feet of soil or other permeable surface area must surround each tree. Planting beds shall be at least four feet wide.
A. 
Adequate off-street loading facilities and space with unimpeded access shall be provided for all new construction and for all building additions greater than 200 square feet of net floor area for businesses, commercial or public buildings.
B. 
The necessity for loading and unloading facilities will be determined by the Building Commissioner unless the use is undergoing site plan review, in which case it will be part of the review.
A. 
Any establishment installing a drive-up window or service must provide for the safe stacking of vehicles and an escape lane from the drive-up lane. (See Figure A.8.7.[1])
[1]
Editor's Note: Figure A.8.7 can be found in the Appendix, which is included as an attachment to this chapter.
B. 
An escape lane shall be adjacent to the stacking lane so as to allow a patron to exit from the stacking lane prior to reaching the service area. Multiple service areas may use common escape lanes.
C. 
Both stacking and escape lanes shall be a minimum of 10 feet in width, except that curved sections shall be a minimum of 12 feet wide.
D. 
All drive-up and escape lanes must be laid out in a way so as not to block or interfere with the parking lot internal traffic circulation and parking spaces.
Table 8.7
Stacking and Escape Lane Requirements
Principal Use
Number of spaces
Fast-food restaurant
Stacking per window
10
Escape lane per window
1
Bank - automated or full-service
Stacking per window/machine
5
Escape lane per window/machine
1
Pharmacy/retail services/offices
Stacking per window
5
Escape lane per window
1
Gas station (Note 1)
Stacking per service lane
3
Escape lane per service lane
1
Note 1: Stacking requirements start at end of service island and do not include the space directly in front of the service area.
All driveways shall meet the following standards:
A. 
All driveway work may be subject to the review of the DPW Director or his designee at any point. The DPW Director may impose other conditions at his discretion that are necessary to ensure safe access to the public way and to prevent any damage or dangerous situation because of drainage, icing, pooling, etc.
B. 
All driveways shall be a minimum of 12 feet in width and be kept clear of branches and other obstructions above said width to a height of 12 feet. The internal radius of any curve shall be no less than 32 feet to allow for safety vehicle access.
C. 
All driveways shall have an apron from the pavement to the property line. This apron shall be composed of Type I bituminous concrete over two inches of processed gravel over 10 inches of four-inch or smaller gravel.
D. 
No nonresidential driveway slope shall be greater than 10% at any point, and the apron shall not exceed 4% positive slope.
E. 
No residential driveway slope shall be greater than 20% at any point, and the apron shall not exceed 4% positive slope.
F. 
Dust, debris, excess runoff or other nuisance shall not be allowed to enter the paved way. Any such occurrence shall require prompt remediation by the property owner.
G. 
The driveway drainage system design shall be approved by the DPW Director. If the Wetland Protection Act applies to the driveway area, the proposed driveway shall meet all conditions imposed by the Conservation Commission.
If development shall occur outside of areas targeted for a given type of development, or a given development is larger than two acres, a traffic impact study may be required and any adverse impacts may require redress or remediation at the expense of the applicant or developer.
All developments shall be designed so that there will be pedestrian, bicycle and ADA-friendly access to all structures or it may trigger a review by the Board and remediation or redress at the expense of the applicant may be required.