The purpose and intent of the requirements in this article is to:
A. 
Ensure that any parking lot or area is designed to provide proper circulation, reduce hazards to pedestrians, and protect the users of adjacent properties from nuisances caused by the noise, fumes, and glare of headlights which may result from the operation of vehicles;
B. 
Ensure there are adequate amounts of parking and loading spaces to serve the use(s) and users of the property; and
C. 
Encourage alternative parking designs and modes of transportation to reduce dependence on single-occupancy vehicular trips and improve efficiency during travel.
D. 
Ensure safe, well-planned multi-modal access can be made to all commercial and residential properties within the Town while minimizing potential vehicular and pedestrian conflicts.
E. 
Reduce stormwater runoff and its negative impacts to the environment through implementation of appropriate drainage structures and use of impervious surfaces.
F. 
Improve the Town's resiliency to significant weather events caused by climate change through the implementation of green infrastructure and adherence to sustainable design principles.
A. 
Vehicle reference. The term "vehicle," as used in this section, shall include, but not be limited to automobiles, motorcycles, trucks, recreational vehicles, campers and trailers, including recreational and boat trailers.
B. 
New or moved buildings and uses. Parking and loading spaces as required, shall be provided for all buildings and uses constructed, established or moved to new sites.
C. 
Increase in intensity of use. An increase in the intensity of use of a building or premises shall mean the addition of dwelling units, gross floor area, occupancy or any other unit of measurement used as a basis for determining required parking and loading areas. Additional parking and loading spaces, as required, shall be provided for any such increases in an existing use.
D. 
Change in use. When the use of any building or premises is changed to a different use; parking and loading spaces, as required, shall be provided for the different use.
E. 
Existing parking and loading areas. Off-street parking and loading areas in existence on the effective date of this article shall not be reduced below the requirements for an equivalent new building or use. In no case shall it be necessary to continue parking and loading spaces in excess of those required by this article.
F. 
Nonconforming parking and loading areas. A building, use or occupancy lawfully existing at the time this article or any amendment thereto becomes effective, but which does not conform with the off-street parking and loading requirements, may be occupied or continued without such spaces being provided. Any such spaces that may be provided thereafter shall comply with the requirements of this article. If an existing building, use or occupancy is altered so that there is an increase in the number of dwelling units, seating capacity, employees or floor area, or if the use is changed to one requiring more off-street parking and loading spaces, the number of such spaces shall be provided at least equal to the number required for the increased area of the building or use in accordance with all provisions of this article.
G. 
Provision and maintenance. The provision and maintenance of private off-street parking and loading spaces is a continuing obligation of the property owner.
Off-street parking and loading areas required by this article shall conform to the following requirements:
A. 
Areas computed.
1) 
Areas that may be considered as off-street parking space include any private garage, carport or other area available for parking other than a street, entrance and exit lanes, or driveway. A driveway may only be used to meet the requirements of this article where it adequately serves a single-, two-, or multiple-family dwelling up to four units.
2) 
No vehicle shall be parked or stored in any required fire lane.
3) 
For single-family, two-family, and mobile homes, no more than 50% of the lot width for lots less than 60 feet in width or 30% for lots equal or greater than 60 feet may be used for parking.
4) 
Loading and unloading space as required under this article shall be provided in addition to off-street parking space and shall not be considered as supplying off-street parking space.
B. 
Location of spaces.
1) 
All parking spaces and loading spaces shall be on the same lot as the use they are intended to serve unless otherwise specified in this chapter.
2) 
Parking areas shall not be located within 15 feet of a residential district.
3) 
Loading areas shall not be located within 30 feet of a residential district.
4) 
Parking and loading areas may not be located within 10 feet of street frontage unless proper screening or decorative fencing is installed.
5) 
Off-street parking and loading spaces in the GC and HC Districts shall be prohibited in the front yard area, with the exception of a single bay of convenience parking approved as part of site plan review. Spaces located within other commercial or industrial districts may be located in any yard area.
6) 
Off-street parking spaces in residential districts may be provided in any yard except the front yard. However, parking in the front yard shall only be allowed on single-family and two-family lots on an approved, hard-surfaced driveway compliant with this article.
7) 
Loading spaces and delivery areas, such as loading docks, shall be located so as not to be visible from the street or public right-of-way. If not practical, landscaping and buffering to screen such areas shall be provided to the extent required in site plan review.
C. 
Paving, grading and marking.
1) 
All parking and loading areas, except those located in industrial districts, shall be hard-surfaced concrete or asphalt paved and maintained in good condition. Such surface shall be permanent and capable of being kept free of snow, dust, and dirt and must be permanently marked.
2) 
The use of permeable paving materials is strongly encouraged to reduce impacts of stormwater runoff and help facilitate proper drainage.
3) 
All spaces shall be clearly marked with a minimum painted strip of four inches in width.
4) 
All parking and loading areas and their access driveways shall be graded so as to provide for the proper mitigation of stormwater and runoff.
5) 
All landscaped areas shall include concrete, masonry or other permanent barriers to contain and protect landscaping.
6) 
In locations where curbing is not required or feasible, wheel stops shall be used. Wheel stops shall be provided adjacent to any building, wall, fence, walkway, landscaped area or property line to protect people, property and other vehicles.
7) 
Fire lanes. All parking and loading areas shall be constructed in such a way to accommodate emergency vehicle access as required by the Manchester Fire Department.
D. 
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance.
1) 
All new or upgraded parking and loading areas must meet the requirements of the ADA. Upgrading shall include reconstruction or repaving, but not resealing an existing surface.
2) 
All parking lots shall provide the minimum number of handicap spaces in accordance with ADA requirements. Each such space may be included in the computation of required number of spaces by use.
E. 
Landscaping, screening, and buffer regulations. All parking and loading areas shall be in accordance with the regulations specified in Article 54 of this chapter.
F. 
Lighting. All parking and loading areas and their appurtenant passageways and driveways shall be illuminated in conformance with the standards in Article 55. Adequate shielding shall be provided by uses to protect adjacent residential zones from the glare of such illumination and from that of automobile headlights.
G. 
Snow removal. For off-street parking and loading areas greater than 20 spaces, a dedicated area independent of required parking and loading spaces for the placing and storage of snow shall be required.
A. 
Benefit. Joint and shared off-street parking areas that extend across property lines are encouraged as parking can be more efficiently organized in larger areas than in smaller areas, resulting in more parking capacity with less land devoted to parking.
B. 
Joint parking. Joint off-street parking areas by two or more buildings or uses located on the same lot or adjacent lots is permitted, provided that the total of such spaces shall not be less than the sum required of the various buildings or uses computed separately. The land upon which the joint parking spaces are located shall be owned or leased by one or more of the collective users.
C. 
Shared parking. Shared off-street parking areas for two or more uses that are located on the same lot or adjacent lots is permitted, provided they have differing peak parking demands or operating hours. Shared parking areas shall conform to the following:
1) 
The minimum number of spaces provided is at least that of the use with the greatest parking requirement.
2) 
The parking area is located within 1,000 feet of the building(s) or use(s) it is intended to serve.
3) 
The applicant demonstrates that the uses have different peak hour parking demands or that the total parking demand at one time would be adequately served by the total number of parking spaces proposed.
4) 
A shared parking agreement is executed documenting the shared uses and property owners and must be reflected in a deed, lease, contract, easement or other appropriate legal document.
5) 
A maintenance agreement is executed documenting the responsibility of each user in the maintenance and upkeep of said shared parking lots.
The purpose of this section is to ensure proper and well-planned access roads and driveways that provide safe travelling conditions for both vehicles and pedestrians to surrounding businesses and residential neighborhoods. It is the intent of the Town of Manchester to make sure that safe access can be made to all commercial and residential properties while minimizing potential traffic and pedestrian conflicts. All parcels that fall within the Route 96 Overlay District must also comply with the access management requirements as identified in Article 31.
A. 
Access roads and driveways. Access road development shall apply to all districts with adjoining property boundaries where points of ingress or egress are separated by a distance of less than 500 feet and shall conform to the following standards:
1) 
The Town Engineer or their designee shall review all access roads and driveways to ensure the safety and welfare of the public. The Town may engage the services of other engineers, planners, or other professionals to assist in such review all costs at the expense of the applicant.
2) 
Shared access agreements will be required by the first developer and/or owner of a site and shall be established in a continuum to adjoining properties as a contingency of site plan approval.
3) 
All direct access driveways to public highways shall be minimized and meet or exceed the minimum spacing requirements, excluding single-family residences, listed in the table below. Minimum driveway spacing is to be measured from the closest edge of the driveway to the closest edge of the nearest driveway.
Table 51-1: Minimum Driveway Spacing
Speed Limit
Minimum Spacing
(feet)
35 mph or less
125
36 to 44 mph
250
45 mph or greater
500
4) 
Each site shall have an access driveway into the parking area that complies with the dimensions of the table below:
Table 51-2: Access Driveway Dimensions By Use
Use
Required Width
(feet)
Single-family
10 (min.)
25 (max.)
Multiple-family
16 (min.)
30 (max.)
Other, one-way access
12 (min.)
25 (max.)
Other, two-way access
20 (min.)
30 (max.)
5) 
All parking spaces, except those required for single- or two-family dwellings, shall have access to a public street or alley in such a manner that any vehicle leaving or entering the parking area from or into a public street or alley shall be traveling in a forward motion.
6) 
No driveway providing access to an off-street parking area shall be located closer than 60 feet to the intersection of public streets.
B. 
Driveway permit required.
1) 
The paving of new driveways or driveway expansions in any residential district shall require the issuance of a driveway permit by the CEO, unless otherwise approved by the Planning Board as part of the site plan review process.
2) 
Driveway permit applications shall consist of a to-scale drawing of the parcel indicating the location and dimensions of the proposed driveway. Said driveway application shall be submitted to the CEO on forms provided by the Town Clerk and shall be accompanied by a current survey map completed by a professional land surveyor depicting the proposed location and dimensions of the driveway.
3) 
Proposed driveways or driveway expansions must meet the following requirements in order to be considered for approval:
i. 
The driveway shall be at least one foot away from side and rear property lines;
ii. 
The driveway shall not cause the parcel's total lot coverage to exceed the maximum amount permitted as stated in Article 20 (Residential Districts);
iii. 
The driveway width must be in conformance with this article; and
iv. 
The paving of said driveway shall not obscure or in any way alter existing public sidewalks.
C. 
Bicycle and pedestrian accommodations.
1) 
All parking areas which contain more than 20 spaces must include clearly identified pedestrian route from the parking area to the main building entrance and to the public sidewalk along the street, where applicable. See figure below.
325 Pedestrian Accommodations .tif
2) 
All pedestrian walkways shall be clearly marked through the combination of paint, signage, and/or change in paving materials.
3) 
Bicycle parking shall be provided with all multiple-family and nonresidential development at a rate of at least 10% of off-street parking requirements. However, in no case shall a single use provide less than two spaces, nor be required to provide more than 10 spaces.
A. 
The minimum number of parking spaces for all uses and structures shall be provided in accordance with the table below.
Table 51-3: Minimum Parking Space Requirements By Use
Land Use
Minimum Spaces
Residential
Single- or two-family dwelling
2 per dwelling unit
Multiple-family dwelling
1.5 per dwelling unit
Upper floor dwelling unit
1 per dwelling unit
Bed-and-breakfast
1 per room
Home occupation, residential
1 per nonresident employee, in addition to residential use requirement
Home occupation, agricultural
1 per 1,000 square feet1
Nursing home or adult care facility
0.50 per room + 0.50 per employee2
Commercial
Retail or entertainment use
3 per 1,000 square feet1
Service or office use
2 per 1,000 square feet1
Lodging
1 per guest room + 0.50 per employee2
Day-care facility
1 per employee2
Vehicle sales3
2 per employee2
Industrial/agricultural
All uses
1 per employee2
Other
Hospital
1 per bed + 1 per employee2
Recreational use
3 per 1,000 square feet1
Religious institution
3 per 1,000 square feet1
Educational institution
1 per 3 students + 1 per employee2
NOTES:
(1)
As measured by the gross floor area dedicated to the proposed use.
(2)
"Per employee" requirements shall be based on the maximum shift.
(3)
Minimum parking requirement does not include the spaces devoted to storage of vehicles to be sold.
B. 
Should the minimum parking space requirement result in a fractional number of spaces based on the previous calculations, the requirement shall be rounded to the next highest whole number.
C. 
The maximum number of parking spaces allowable is not to exceed 125% of the requirement as outlined in this article, unless otherwise approved via special permit by the Planning Board.
D. 
Where no requirement is designated, and the use is not comparable to any of the listed uses, parking requirements shall be determined by the CEO based upon the capacity of the facility and its associated uses. The CEO may consult with any Town board, commission, department, agency, and/or official it deems advisable. The CEO may also engage the services of engineers, planners, or other professionals to aid in their determination. The applicant shall reimburse all costs incurred by the CEO for such professional services to the Town.
E. 
The Planning Board may require additional off-street parking spaces in excess of those required by this article as part of site plan review if such additional spaces are deemed necessary to protect the health, safety, and general welfare of the public.
A. 
Aisle widths. Aisle widths shall follow the minimum dimensions of the table below:
Table 51-4: Minimum Aisle Widths
Angle of Parking
Minimum Aisle Width
Two-Way Traffic
(feet)
One-Way Traffic
(feet)
90° parking
24
22
60° parking
23
18
45° parking
21
13
Parallel parking
19
13
B. 
Size of parking spaces. The size of the parking spaces shall follow the minimum dimensions of the table below, and each space shall be separated by four inches from an adjoining space.
Table 51-5: Minimum Size of Parking Spaces
Angle of Parking
Minimum Width
(feet)
Minimum Length
(feet)
90° parking
9
18
60° parking
9
18
45° parking
9
18
Parallel parking
8
22
Whenever the normal operation of any development requires that good, merchandise, or equipment be routinely delivered to or shipped from that development, a sufficient off-street loading and unloading area must be provided in accordance with this section to accommodate the delivery or shipment operations in order to avoid undue interference with the public use of streets or alleys.
A. 
Access. Access to a loading space shall be provided directly from a public street or alley or from any right-of-way in such a way that it will not interfere with public convenience and will permit orderly and safe movement of delivery vehicles.
B. 
Maneuvering. Loading and unloading areas shall be so located and designed that the vehicles intended to use them can maneuver safely and conveniently to and from a public right-of-way and complete the loading and unloading operations without obstructing or interfering with any public right-of-way.
C. 
Shared loading spaces. Off-street loading spaces for separate uses within the same building may be provided jointly if the total number of spaces so provided is not less than the sum of the separate requirements for each use and provided, that the use complies with all regulations governing the location of accessory spaces in relation to the use served are adhered to.
D. 
Minimum space dimensions. Loading spaces shall conform to the minimum dimensions of the table below:
Table 51-6: Minimum Space Dimensions
Class of Loading Space
Minimum Width
(feet)
Minimum Length
(feet)
Minimum Height
(feet)
A (for semi-truck vehicles)
14
50
15
B (for other vehicles)
12
25
14
E. 
Minimum number of spaces. The minimum required number and class of loading spaces shall be determined by the gross floor area of the use that it will serve as listed in the table below:
Table 51-7: Number of Loading Spaces Required
Gross Floor Area
(square feet)
Minimum
Less than 4,000
—
4,000 to 15,000
1 - Class B
15,000 to 30,000
1 - Class A
OR
2 - Class B
4. 30,000 or greater
1 - Class A
AND
1 - Class B
5. Each additional 50,000; or fraction thereof
+ 1 - Class A