Township of Pequannock, NJ Off-Street Parking and Loading

Different zone. No access drive, driveway, pathway or other means of egress or ingress shall be located in any residential zone to provide access to uses other than those permitted in any such residential zone.

Crossing sidewalks. All driveways shall cross sidewalk areas at grade.

Distance from intersection. No driveway to or from a parking area shall be located closer than 25 feet to the nearest right-of-way line of any intersecting street.

(4)

Driveway widths. Driveways shall have a minimum width of 14 feet for one-way traffic and 24 feet for two-way traffic.

(5)

Aisle widths. Aisles from which cars directly enter or leave parking spaces shall not be less than:

Twenty-four feet wide for perpendicular parking or two-way aisles.

Eighteen feet wide for angle parking of 60°.

Fourteen feet wide for angle parking of 30° and 45°.

Sidewalks and curbing. Sidewalks with a minimum width of four feet shall be provided in all parking areas for four or more vehicles between parking areas and principal structures. Sidewalks must be raised six inches above the adjacent paved area, except where crossing streets or driveways, and shall be curbed as a protection to pedestrians using the walks. Sidewalks and parking areas must be arranged to prevent cars from overhanging or extending over the required four-foot sidewalk area. Use of wheel bumpers is prohibited. No asphalt curbing shall be used.

General standards for parking areas. The following design and maintenance standards shall apply to all accessory commercial parking facilities:

There shall be an adequate, safe, and convenient arrangement of pedestrian circulation facilities, roadways, driveways, off-street parking, and loading space.

Roadways, pedestrian walks, and handicapped areas shall be designed as integral parts of an overall site design. They shall be properly related to existing and proposed buildings and the public right-of-way.

Buildings, vehicular circulation, and pedestrian walks shall be arranged so that pedestrians moving between buildings are not unnecessarily exposed to vehicular traffic.[1]

[1]

Editor's Note: Original § 189.09.020D(4) of the 1997 Code, which immediately followed this subsection, was repealed 4-27-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-05.

(4)

Ramps and parking spaces specially designed for handicapped persons using wheelchairs shall be provided, giving access from parking areas to the building served in accordance with N.J.S.A. 39:4-197, 39:4-197.5 and 39:4-138.

[Amended 4-27-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-05]

(5)

All open off-street parking areas, except those accessory to one- or two-family dwellings, should be improved with a compacted select gravel base surfaced with an all-weather, dustless material suitably designed for the intended use to a standard approved by the Township Engineer. Parking and loading facilities shall be provided with adequate stormwater drainage facilities to prevent damage or inconvenience to abutting property and/or public streets and alleys. Parking and loading areas shall be maintained in a clean, orderly, and dust-free condition at the expense of the owner or lessee. The retention of stormwater runoff shall be subject to further regulations in accordance with Chapter 307, Stormwater Management.

(6)

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 the lot.

(7)

Lighting shall be provided to illuminate any off-street parking or loading spaces to be used at night in accordance with § 360-47P. If provided, lighting shall be arranged and maintained to deflect and focus lights away from adjacent properties. The height, type, spacing and degree of cutoff of a light standard may be further regulated by the Planning Board in relation to specific site conditions or types of development.

(8)

All parking and loading areas shall be properly screened and landscaped as hereinafter set forth. It is the purpose and intent of this subsection to require adequate protection for contiguous property against any undesirable effects from the creation and operation of parking or loading areas, to reduce the amount of reflected heat, and to eliminate monotony and unsightliness due to concentrations of parked cars.

The landscaping shall include, to the extent necessary to further the intent of this subsection, shrubs, bushes, hedges, trees, decorative walls, or fencing as set forth below.

The frontage along the entire parking or loading area adjacent to any public or private street shall be provided with an eight-foot-wide landscaped area planted with shade or ornamental trees and a hedge or wall so as to separate and screen any parking area from the adjacent street or streets.

Interior landscaping shall include landscaped strips between rows of parking or parking islands to the extent that landscaped areas amount to 5% of the total parking area. All interior landscaped areas shall be raised and curbed or provided with alternative protection and delineation as approved by the Township Engineer and shall include shrubbery, deciduous shade trees and ground cover as approved by the Planning Board. All trees shall have a minimum caliper of 2.5 inches measured four feet above the ground. The number of such trees shall be determined by the application of the following formula: one tree for each five parking spaces. Shrubs and hedging shall not be less than three feet in height, except no shrub or hedge shall exceed 2.5 feet in height within a sight triangle.

[Amended 11-23-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-16]

(d)

When off-street parking or loading areas are located adjacent to a residential zone or residentially used property, a solid fence or masonry wall shall be provided along the property line. The fence or wall shall be a minimum of four feet high but shall not exceed six feet in height and shall be limited so as not to obscure the vision of motorists entering the public right-of-way.

(e)

All landscaping shall be permanently maintained in good condition such that the same quality and quantity of landscaping as initially approved is sustained.

(9)

Joint facilities. Any two or more nonresidential establishments may collectively join in providing required off-street parking spaces, provided that they are within 400 feet of the entrance of the use or structure requiring the parking, and the total of such parking facilities shall equal the sum of the required parking for each participating establishment. Cross-easements or cross-licensing agreements shall be required. These shall be prepared by the applicant and approved by the appropriate board attorney and recorded in the Morris County Courthouse at the expense of the applicant. For uses in the CBD-1 and CBD-2 Zones, follow the shared parking standards at § 360-58J.

[Amended 11-23-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-16]

Location of parking facilities.

Separate lot. Parking facilities shall be located on the same lot as the principal structure, except that space for the required off-street parking may be provided within 400 feet of the entrance of the use or structure requiring the parking, provided that a legal agreement ensuring that the parking will be available shall run with the land. These agreements shall be prepared by the applicant and approved by the appropriate board attorney and recorded in the Morris County Courthouse at the expense of the applicant. This shall differ from the requirements of a parking study identified in § 350-58G.

[Amended 11-23-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-16]

Parking in rear. Whenever parking is provided in the rear of any nonresidential structure or use, a suitable rear entrance to the structure or use shall be provided and clearly marked by a sign approved by the Planning Board.

Enclosed facilities. Required parking may be constructed within or under any portion of a main building or in an accessory structure constructed for parking purposes, provided that the access driveway does not, at any point, have a grade in excess of 10%.

(4)

Parking in floodplain. Where parking is provided in a structure within a flood hazard area, at least 30% of all parking spaces shall be located at least one foot above the flood level.

(5)

Parking in residential front yards. No parking facilities for conditional uses permitted in residential zones may be established within the front yard setback in the zone.

§ 360-56 Responsibility of owner.

It shall be the responsibility of the owner of the property to maintain all off-street parking, loading and unloading areas, driveways, aisles and accessways in good condition, free of sagging conditions, potholes and cracked pavement. All lighting, bumpers, marking, signs, drainage and landscaping shall be similarly kept in workable, safe and good condition. If the owner fails to undertake repairs, after proper notification by the Zoning Officer, the governing body may authorize repairs to be made at the owner's expense if, in the governing body's opinion, conditions constitute a hazard to the safety and welfare of the Township residents and visitors. The costs incurred by these repairs shall be added to the property owner's taxes and shall be paid in the same manner.

§ 360-57 Off-street loading and unloading.

All commercial and industrial uses shall have provisions for off-street loading and unloading adjacent to the building or as approved by the Board. All such spaces shall be designed and planned in accordance with generally accepted engineering principles and as required by the Township Engineer. Each loading space shall be at least 10 feet in width and 35 feet in length and shall have a minimum height clearance of 14 feet and may not occupy the front yard. The equivalent of one loading space shall be provided for each 12,000 square feet of gross area or part thereof.

§ 360-58 Minimum required off-street parking spaces.

[Amended 10-25-2005 by Ord. No. 2005-21; 10-24-2006 by Ord. No. 2006-30; 4-27-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-05; 11-23-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-16]

Except in the case of one-family houses, no parking areas shall be established for fewer than four spaces.

Required spaces.

Institutional Land Uses	Required Off-Street Parking Spaces per Indicated Area
Animal hospital/kennel	1 per 200 square feet GFA
Assembly, manufacturing, fabrication, or uses which package, treat or convert products	1 per 800 square feet GFA
Bar	1 per 2 seats
Bowling alley	2 per alley, plus 1 per employee at maximum staff
Brewery/Distillery	1 per 1,100 square feet GFA or 1 for every 2 customers allowed based upon the number of seats in the tasting room, whichever is greater, plus 1 per employee
Car wash	5 employee spaces plus off-street storage (stacking) space equal to at least 5 times the number of cars that can be in the wash process at 1 time. For self-wash or self-service car washes, the requirement for employee parking shall be eliminated.
Commercial entertainment	1 per 75 square feet of usable visitor floor space
Commercial recreation	1 per 100 square feet of building
Data processing, warehousing, and wholesale distribution centers	1 per 5,000 square feet GFA
Dealership	1 per 1,000 square feet of showroom and 1.5 per service bay
Dwellings
Up to 6 units	2 per unit
Over 6 units	1 1/2 per unit
Fiduciary institutions	1 per 500 square feet GFA
Finishing operations	1 per 800 square feet GFA
Fitness centers	1 per 100 square feet GFA
Funeral home	1 per 100 square feet GFA
Hospital	1 per 3 beds, plus 1 per employee on maximum shift
Hotel	1 per guest room, plus 1 per employee on maximum shift; 1 per 200 square feet for meeting rooms and commercial use (Up to 50% of spaces for commercial use can be counted from guest room parking spaces per Board's discretion.)
Houses of worship	1 per 4 seats¹
Industrial	1 per 800 square feet GFA
Laboratories and research facilities	1 per 1,000 square feet GFA
Library	1 per 300 square feet GFA
Manufacturing	1 per 800 square feet GFA
Medical office	1 per 200 square feet GFA
Neighborhood convenience center less than 400,000 square feet GFA	4 per 1,000 square feet GFA
Nightclub	1 per 3 seats
Offices	3 per 1,000 GFA
Quick-food establishment	1 per 30 square feet GFA
Receiving	1 per 5,000 square feet GFA
Research	1 per 1,000 square feet GFA
Restaurant	1 per 3 seats
Retail shops and services	1 per 300 square feet GFA
Schools
Elementary	2 per classroom, plus 1 per staff
Intermediate	1.5 per classroom, plus 1 per staff
Secondary	2.5 per classroom, plus 1 per 10 students
Service station	4 per bay, plus 1 per 2 employees
Shipping	1 per 5,000 square feet GFA
Shopping center	3 per 1,000 square feet GLA
Storage areas	1 per 5,000 square feet GFA
Theater	1 per 5 seats, based on maximum seating capacity
Warehouse	1 per 5,000 square feet GFA

Notes:
GFA = Gross floor area; GLA = gross leasable area
¹	For a prayer hall/sanctuary without seating, the number of persons shall be calculated at one person per 11 square feet of gross hall/sanctuary area.

There shall be no additional parking requirement for any square footage devoted solely to ancillary storage, office or employee lunchrooms/eating clinic facilities on any mezzanine space within that portion of a building occupied by the individual use to which the storage, office and/or employee lunchroom/eating clinic facility is ancillary.

For any building that meets the definition of flex-space as defined in these regulations and that exceeds a 10% office cap, there shall be an additional parking requirement for any square footage devoted above the 10% office cap.

In the event that the number of parking spaces results in a fraction of a space, one more parking space shall be provided.

In cases of uses not specifically mentioned, the requirements for off-street parking facilities of similar uses shall apply. If no use can be described as similar to the proposed use, parking shall be required in accordance with the judgment of the Planning Board or the Zoning Board of Adjustment.

In the event of a mixed use, the required off-street parking shall be the sum of the required off-street parking for each use.

The gross floor area shall mean the total floor area at all floors and levels.

Variance.

If the applicant can clearly demonstrate to the Planning Board or Board of Adjustment that, because of local conditions and factors such as the nature of the operation of the permitted use, household characteristics, mass transit options, downtown versus suburban location, and off-street parking resources, the above parking requirements are unnecessary and excessive, the Board may approve parking plans showing less parking area than required. In this case, the Planning Board or Zoning Board of Adjustment may require a landscaped area to be reserved that can readily be converted to off-street parking if the conditions for allowing lesser parking ever change.

Where the applicant can demonstrate there is an adequate supply of publicly available parking to meet the business' needs, the applicant for preliminary site plan approval may request the Planning Board or Zoning Board of Adjustment to waive the requirement for the parking spaces, for businesses located in the CBD-1 and CBD-2 Zones. The applicant must show publicly available parking through a parking study detailing the number of open parking spaces within the CBD-1 and CBD-2 Zone Districts only and within 300 feet of the building entrance. Any area where on-street parking is not permitted shall not be counted. The parking study submission shall include existing utilization of applicable parking spaces during the following times:

Weekday afternoon (1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.).

Weekday night (7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.).

Weekend afternoon (1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.).

If, in the opinion of the Board, because of the unusual nature of the applicant's business, the set forth parking standards are insufficient, the Board may require a greater number of parking spaces.

On-street parking shall not be counted towards the parking requirements.

Required spaces. Single-family, two-family and duplex residences shall provide two spaces, one of which must be provided in an enclosed garage.

Shared parking. Shared parking is encouraged within the CBD-1 and CBD-2 Zone Districts. The parking spaces required in the above standards may be reduced when two or more establishments share the same parking area, whether on the same lot or on abutting lots, subject to the following conditions:

That some portion of the shared off-street parking area lies within 300 feet of an entrance, regularly used by patrons, into the buildings served by the shared parking facilities.

That access and parking easements are prepared and recorded for each property affected by the shared parking.

The minimum amount of shared parking required shall be calculated according to the following formula:

Calculate the minimum amount of parking required for each land use as if it were a separate use.

To determine peak parking requirements, multiply the minimum parking required for each proposed land use by the corresponding percentage in the table below for each of the five time periods.