Township of Thornbury, PA Off-Street Parking and Loading

Off-street parking and loading facilities shall be provided whenever:

A new building is constructed or new use established.

An existing use is changed to a use requiring different parking or loading facilities than the prior use.

An existing building or use is altered or enlarged so as to change the amount of parking and loading spaces required.

Buildings and uses in existence on the date of adoption of this chapter shall not be subject to the provisions of this article, except as provided in § 155-1800B(1), above.

Location of required parking spaces.

Required off-street parking spaces shall be located on the same lot as the principal use, unless otherwise provided by this article.

Off-street parking spaces shall be located outside of the public right-of-way.

Use of parking facilities. Parking facilities shall not be used for any purpose that interferes with the availability for the parking need it is required to serve, unless otherwise provided in this article.

Off-street parking and loading facilities existing at the effective date of this chapter shall not subsequently be reduced below the requirements of this article.

All parking and loading facilities required by this article shall be constructed and subsequently maintained in an attractive, safe, and functional manner for as long as the building or use which they are designed to serve remains in existence.

§ 155-1801 General standards.

General standards.

Off-street parking spaces, with proper and safe access from a street or aisle, shall be provided on each lot to serve the respective uses adequately.

Buildings, vehicular circulation, and open space shall be arranged so that pedestrians moving between buildings and parking areas are not unnecessarily exposed to vehicular traffic.

The proposal of any off-street parking in conjunction with a subdivision or land development shall be in accordance with this chapter as well as with Chapter 115, Subdivision and Land Development.

A change in any off-street parking strictly based on a change of use shall be in accordance with this chapter.

Any proposed lighting shall be in accordance with § 155-1505.

Any proposed driveway shall be in accordance with Chapter 108, Article I, for private driveways.

Location.

All parking spaces must be provided on the lot for which they are intended unless satisfactory evidence is presented to the Zoning Officer that an agreement exists which provides for sufficient permanent off-street parking spaces on another lot.

The owners of two or more nonresidential establishments proposing to share parking spaces shall submit a sketched drawing with their application for a zoning permit, or a site plan with a preliminary or final plan application in the case of a subdivision or land development, showing the location of the proposed common off-street parking area, along with a signed agreement stating agreement of joint use (such as hours of operation) and maintenance responsibilities.

Some portion of a common off-street parking area shall lie within 200 feet of an entrance, regularly used by patrons, into the buildings served thereby.

In no case shall any portion of a public or private street be utilized in complying with the parking requirements of this section.

Parking spaces shall be setback a minimum of 20 feet from any street right-of-way line.

Each parking lot shall have not more than two accessways to any one public street or highway for each 500 feet of frontage.

Where practicable, access to parking areas shall be provided by a common service driveway or minor street in order to avoid direct access on a major street or highway.

Size.

Parking Space Requirements

Design.

Parking facilities shall be designed with careful regard to orderly arrangement, topography, landscaping, and ease of access, and shall be developed as an integral part of an overall site design.

Parking lots for over 20 vehicles shall be so divided by permanent raised curbing that access lanes are clearly defined and that moving traffic will be confined to designated access lanes.

All parking spaces shall be marked by durable painted lines at least four inches wide and extending the length of the space or by curbs or other means to indicate individual spaces. Signs or markers located on the surface within a parking lot shall be used as necessary to ensure efficient and safe traffic operation of a lot.

Parking spaces shall have an approved all-weather surface and shall have a safe and convenient access in all seasons. Parking areas shall be maintained in a clean and orderly condition. Parking areas shall have a minimum slope of 1% to provide for drainage and a maximum of slope of 5% for safety, user convenience, and stormwater runoff. Parking areas shall be provided with adequate stormwater drainage facilities to prevent damage or inconvenience to abutting property and/or public streets and alleys.

Handicapped parking shall be identified with a clearly visible marking displaying the international symbol of access and be in accordance with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, as amended, and applicable Pennsylvania regulations.

Parking lot landscaping.

In any case in which screening of a parking lot is required, such screening shall include appropriate planting, such as compact evergreen hedges or a masonry wall or ornamental structure not more than four feet in height. Any such wall or similar structure shall enclose the parking lot and shall be in harmony with the general architectural design of the principal building or buildings.

All parking lots with 10 or more stalls shall be landscaped as follows:

[1]

No less than 10% of a proposed parking lot must be landscaped and continually maintained.

[2]

One tree shall be provided for every 10 parking stalls.

[3]

No more than 20 parking spaces shall be permitted in a contiguous row without an intervening landscaped planter island.

[4]

The ends of all parking rows shall be separated from drive aisles by planter islands.

[5]

Parking lots shall be divided by planting strips into smaller parking areas of no more than 100 stalls.

[6]

Planter islands shall be a minimum of nine feet by 18 feet in area. Each planter island shall contain one shade tree, shrubs plus low-growing shrubs and/or ground cover to cover the entire area.

[7]

All parking lot planting strips shall be a minimum of 10 feet wide, exclusive of required walkways. Planting strips shall contain plantings of shade trees at intervals of 30 feet or less, plus shrubs and/or ground cover to cover the entire area.

[8]

All parking lot planting strips and planter islands shall be underlain with soil, graded for proper drainage, and protected by curbing, wheel stops, or bollards.

[9]

The placement of light standards shall be coordinated with the landscape plan to avoid a conflict with the effectiveness of the light fixtures.

(7)

Electric vehicle charging stations.

Electric vehicle charging stations may utilize existing, on-site parking spaces only after the applicant demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Zoning Officer their designation will not result in the use failing to have the required number of parking spaces for the use as required under § 155-1801E(1).

These vehicle charging stations shall not impact any required accessible spaces.

Permitting and approval from the Township Code Enforcement Officer is required for the electrical connection.

Parking requirements.

Except for parking requirements for single-family detached dwellings defined under § 155-1801E(2), parking calculations utilized for all other uses shall be either from the most recent edition of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Trip Generation Manual or another standard deemed appropriate by the Township Engineer. Full documentation of these calculations shall be provided to the Township for review by the Township Engineer. Where a structure or use includes more than one type of use, the number of spaces required shall be the sum of the requirements for each separate use. If a range of parking spaces is identified, the Township Engineer shall make the determination for the required number of spaces.

Residential single-family detached and two-family dwellings.

For every single-family detached or two-family dwelling in a residentially zoned district hereafter erected there shall be provided at least one parking area situated completely off the right-of-way of the street or road upon which said premises abuts. The parking area shall be at least 400 square feet in area and have an outlet to a street or road abutting the property.

Residential garages shall not be counted as off-street parking spaces.

Parking spaces shall have an approved all-weather surface and shall have safe and convenient access in all seasons.

Recreational vehicles - conditions for parking and storing. A recreational vehicle may be parked or stored within the Township only by the owner or lessee thereof on real property owned or leased by him/her on which he/she resides and subject to the following conditions:

The recreational vehicle shall be owned or leased only for the personal use of the person parking or storing the same.

At no time shall such parked or stored recreational vehicle be occupied or used for living or housekeeping purposes for a longer period than five days in any one month.

A recreational vehicle shall be stored on an approved all-weather surface, and shall not be located within any front yard when stored on a residential property.

Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsection E(3)(b), a recreational vehicle may be parked anywhere on the premises for loading or unloading purposes.

§ 155-1802 Interior circulation.

Unless otherwise specified, the following regulations shall apply to all uses except single-family and two-family dwellings.

Access aisles and drives.

Interior drives shall be designed to prevent blockage of vehicles entering or leaving the site. Drives may be one-way or two-way. Areas designed for loading and unloading, refuse collection, fuel delivery, and other service vehicles shall be arranged as to prevent blocking or interfering with accessways or the use of automobile parking facilities or pedestrian ways, and shall have adequate turnaround surface so egress to the street is in a forward direction.

Accessways, parking areas, and loading areas shall have clearly defined parking bays and traffic circulation lanes, designated by markings, curbs, barriers and/or landscaped islands, so that operators of vehicles intending to patronize such parking areas shall not impede traffic as a result of any confusion as to location of entrances and exits and manner of reaching them.

All interior drives and accessways shall have an approved all-weather surface, and shall be graded, properly drained, and maintained in good condition. Interior drives shall have a maximum grade of 10%.

Minimum width of interior circulation lane cartway within parking areas shall be in accordance with § 155-1801C.

(e)

Minimum entrance and exit drive widths shall be in accordance with § 108-1B and § 115-47D.

Shared access. Common or shared access driveways to parking and loading areas are permitted and encouraged. Landowners proposing such an arrangement shall submit a site plan and a proposed access easement indicating the extent and location of joint use; the area subject to the access easement shall be delineated on the site plan. Terms of the access easement also shall include the extent of common ownership and the method of assessing repair and maintenance costs. Common or shared access driveways to parking and loading areas are encouraged, provided landowners shall submit a site plan and recorded agreement indicating the extent of joint use and maintenance responsibility.

Fire lane easements.

Every use, building, or structure located on a lot shall be designed to provide safe and convenient access for emergency service vehicles. Fire lane easements may be required by the Board of Supervisors to ensure access. When required, fire lane easements shall extend from a public road and have a minimum right-of-way width of 25 feet; the Board may require a right-of-way width of 50 feet where future public dedication of the easement area is seen as a possibility. The area within the easement shall be graded, maintained obstruction-free, and have sufficient stability for use by emergency vehicles. The design of such fire lane easements shall be approved by the Board of Supervisors upon the recommendation of the local fire company.

Dead-end fire lane easements shall not exceed 400 feet in length and shall be terminated with an unobstructed vehicular turnaround or cul-de-sac with a minimum surface radius of 35 feet.

Fire lane easements which curve, turn, or change directions shall have a minimum center line tangent length of 50 feet between curves.

The location of fire lane easements shall conform to plans for the extension of streets, sanitary sewers, water mains, storm sewers and other drainage facilities and public utilities as contained in this and other ordinances of the Township and shall provide adequate access to buildings by emergency responders.

Pedestrian circulation. The following standards shall apply to all uses, as applicable:

Pedestrian facilities such as sidewalks, trails, pathways or others shall be maintained or installed as necessary and desirable to achieve the following:

[1]

Logically continue, link or expand existing pedestrian facilities on, across, and abutting the site.

[2]

Provide pedestrian access to existing and planned public transportation pickup points, public parks, community facilities and commercial areas.

[3]

Where a walkway abuts the width of parking spaces and the vehicle may overhang the walkway, such walkway shall be a minimum of six feet wide. Alternatively, wheels tops shall be installed to prevent excessive vehicle overhang. Any walkway shall provide convenient and logical connections between the entrances of a principal building and its required parking spaces, preferably in conjunction with landscaped planting islands.

Maximum separation of pedestrian and vehicular routes shall be encouraged for safety and well-being of pedestrians. Separation can be in the form of any one or combination of the following: horizontal distance; vertical distance (level changes, such as overpass, underpasses and embankments); and street trees, landscaping, sidewalks and other barriers, such as bollards and fences.

§ 155-1803 Loading and unloading.

The intent of these provisions is to provide adequate loading areas for permitted structures and uses and reduce traffic congestion. Off-street loading for uses, buildings, or structures that require the distribution or receipt of materials or goods by trucks or similar vehicles shall provide a sufficient number of off-street loading and unloading spaces for the intended use as follows.

Applicability. Off-street loading areas shall be provided whenever:

A new structure is constructed or new use established in an existing structure.

The use of an existing structure is changed to a use requiring more loading.

An existing structure or use is altered or enlarged so as to increase the amount of loading spaces required.

Required spaces. The following off-street loading and unloading requirements shall apply to all uses and structures in the Township:

Every retail store, hospital, warehouse or wholesale use, industry or manufacturing use shall have at least one off-street loading space of suitable size. Where there is an aggregate gross floor area of 20,000 square feet or more for such use, one additional off-street loading space shall be provided for each additional 20,000 square feet of gross floor area or part thereof.

Every community center or auditorium, funeral home, office, restaurant or institutional use shall have at least one off-street loading space. Where there is an aggregate gross floor area of 30,000 square feet or more for such use, one additional off-street loading space shall be provided for each additional 30,000 square feet of gross floor area of part thereof.

Where a structure or use includes more than one type of use, the number of spaces required shall be the sum of the requirements for each separate use.

Where a use is not specifically listed in Subsection C(1) or C(2) above, the requirements for the most similar use shall apply as determined by the Township Engineer.

The number of berths may be less than that specified herein if evidence is submitted firmly documenting that the special nature of the proposed use requires less loading and unloading spaces than required by this section.

Layout.

Location.

All loading berths shall be located on the same lot as the use served, and no portion of the vehicle shall project into any traffic lane; parking space; driveway sidewalk; or within the front, side or rear yard setbacks. Loading and unloading operations, including arrival and departure, shall not interfere with traffic and pedestrian circulation on public streets or within required off-street parking areas.

Loading and unloading areas shall not be located between the building setback line and the street line.

All off-street loading berths shall be provided with safe and convenient access to a street or alley or from an aisle or drive connecting with a street or alley. The ingress and egress of loading operations shall not require backing into a street or lot.

Loading areas specifically for private automobiles for the picking up product(s) ordered online may utilize existing, on-site parking spaces only after the applicant demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Zoning Officer their designation will not result in the use failing to have the required number of parking spaces for the use as required under § 155-1801E(1). These loading areas shall be located in close proximity to the adjacent building, and shall not impact any required accessible spaces.

Size.

For structures and uses that are served by trucks, tractor trailers, or larger vehicles, the minimum size for each loading space shall be 12 feet in width and 50 feet in length, exclusive of aisle and maneuvering space, with a minimum vertical clearance of 16 feet.

For structures and uses that are served by smaller vehicles such as vans and in which no deliveries will be made by large trucks or tractor trailers, the minimum size for each berth shall be 10 feet in width and 20 feet in length, with a minimum vertical clearance of 14 feet.

Loading areas specifically for private automobiles for the picking up product(s) ordered online shall conform to the appropriate dimensions for parking spaces as defined under § 155-1801C.

Access.

All required off-street loading spaces shall be designed with appropriate means of vehicular access to an interior accessway in a manner which will least interfere with traffic movements and shall be subject to Township approval. Areas provided for loading and unloading and for servicing of establishments by garbage collections, fuels, and other service vehicles shall be arranged that they may function without blocking or interfering with the use of the accessways, automobile parking areas, or pedestrian access.

Surfacing and maintenance.

All loading areas shall have a dust-free surface over the entire area used by delivery vehicles for parking and maneuvering as approved by the Township Engineer.

All off-street loading spaces shall be constructed and maintained for as long as the structure or use for which they are designed to serve remains in existence.

Screening. All loading areas which abut a residential use or a public right-of-way shall incorporate buffer planting strips in accordance with § 155-1504C. This section shall not apply to loading areas specifically for private automobiles that are picking up product(s) ordered online.

Use. Loading and unloading activities shall be prohibited between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.

(7)

Common loading and unloading facilities. Required off-street loading spaces may be provided cooperatively for two or more uses provided the following conditions are met:

The uses being served are in the same structure.

Loading and unloading will be conducted in an existing structure or between existing structures adjacent to one another.