Borough of Downingtown, PA Article XVIII Off-Street Parking and Loading

§ 287-102 General requirements.

A. Applicability.

(1) Except where specifically stated to the contrary in this article, off-street parking facilities shall be provided whenever:

(a) A building is constructed or a new use is established.

(b) The use of an existing building is changed to a use requiring more parking facilities, as determined by this article.

(c) An existing building is altered so as to increase the amount of parking space required, as determined by this article.

(2) Structures and uses in existence at the date of adoption of this chapter shall not be subject to the requirements of this article, so long as the use is not changed nor its extent or intensity increased. No parking facility now serving structures or uses shall, in the future, be reduced below the requirements of this chapter.

(3) All required parking facilities shall be provided and maintained for as long as the use which they are designed to serve remains in existence.

B. Increased parking demand. When any building or structure undergoes a change of use or any increase in the number of dwelling units, employment, gross floor area, seating capacity or other unit of measurement specified hereinafter as a means for determining required off-street parking or loading facilities, and when such a change or increase would, through application of the provisions of these standards, result in a requirement for greater total off-street parking or loading spaces, such off-street parking or loading facilities shall be increased or, where applicable in the C-1 and C-2 Districts and in accordance with the terms of § 287-107E of this article, equivalent off-site parking or a fee in lieu of parking shall be provided, to equal or exceed the off-street parking or loading requirements resulting from application of the provisions of these standards to the entire building or structure, as modified in use or capacity.

C. Use of residential parking facilities. Parking facilities accessory to a residential use in any district shall be used for the parking of passenger automobiles and not more than one commercial vehicle of not more than two tons' gross weight utilized by occupants of the dwelling to which such facilities are accessory or by guests of such occupants. No motor home, travel trailer, boat or boat trailer shall be parked within the front yard; parking of such vehicles or trailers shall be permitted within any rear yard, but not closer than five feet to the rear property line, and within any side yard, but not closer than three feet to the side property line.

D. Repair, service or sales use of parking facilities. It shall be unlawful to utilize any required off-street parking or loading facilities for motor vehicle repair work, service, display or sales of any kind, except as expressly permitted elsewhere in this article.

§ 287-103 Location.

[Amended 9-3-1997 by Ord. No. 97-8; 1-20-1999 by Ord. No. 99-1]

A. Except for the R/C Infill Development District, no parking or paved area, except for permitted driveways or accessways, shall directly abut a street. Each such area shall be separated from the street by a curb, planting strip, wall or other suitable barrier against vehicles.

B. Except for the R/C Infill Development District, a garage may be located entirely or partly inside the walls of the principal building or may be attached to the outer walls. If detached from the principal building, the garage shall conform to all requirements of § 287-74 of this chapter.

C. Except for the I-3 Multipurpose District and the R/C Infill Development District, areas devoted to parking may occupy no more than 50% of any required front, side or rear yard.

§ 287-104 Size.

A. An individual parking space shall be not less than nine feet by 18 feet, except when in accordance with other applicable provisions of this section.

B. The minimum width of any parking space serving a shopping center, as provided in §§ 287-51 and 287-107D(2)(a), or a supermarket, as provided in § 287-107D(2)(h), shall be 10 feet.

C. Parking space and layout standards.

[Amended 10-10-1990 by Ord. No. 90-16]

(1) Except as stipulated in Subsection B above, parking lots and similar facilities with a required minimum capacity of three spaces shall be designed in accordance with the following schedule of parking space and layout standards:

		Angle of Parking Row to Driveway Aisle
		30°	45°	60°	90°
	Depth of parking row (feet)	17	20	21	18
	Width of parking space (feet)	9	9	9	9
	Width of aisle, one-way (feet)	11	13	18	24 (1- or 2-way)

(2) Parallel parking spaces shall be at least 24 feet in length and eight feet in width.

D. Wheel stops. The use of individual wheel stops within required parking spaces generally shall be permitted. In addition, the Borough Council may approve the use of a continuous curb as a wheel stop. In the latter case, the size of the parking spaces may be measured as two feet less in length than otherwise required; the parking layout, however, should allow for the vehicle to overhang the curb by two feet, and such overhang area must be clear of all obstructions (signs, trees, etc.) and may not be regarded as required landscape area or pedestrian circulation space.

§ 287-105 Design and maintenance standards.

[Amended 9-3-1997 by Ord. No. 97-8]

The following standards, as deemed applicable by the Borough, shall be met by any parking area with a minimum required capacity of three spaces. For the I-3 Multipurpose District, it is the responsibility of the developer to adhere to the streetscape criteria.

A. General on-site circulation design standards.

(1) There shall be an adequate, safe and convenient arrangement of pedestrian circulation facilities, roadways, driveways, off-street parking and loading space. Pedestrians moving between buildings shall not be unnecessarily exposed to vehicular traffic.

(2) Roads, pedestrian walks, bicycle facilities and open space shall be designed as integral parts of an overall site design. They shall be properly related to existing and proposed buildings and appropriately landscaped.

(3) Landscaped, paved and comfortably graded pedestrian walks, appropriate also for use by wheelchairs, shall be provided along the paths of the most intense use, particularly from building entrances to parking areas and adjacent buildings. Such walks shall have a minimum width of four feet.

(4) The materials used in the design of paving, lighting fixtures, retaining walls, fences, curbs and benches shall be of good appearance, easily maintained and appropriate to their function.

(5) Ramps shall be provided, giving access from parking areas to the building served, for disabled persons utilizing wheelchairs.

(6) 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. To assist in traffic channelization, raised islands shall be placed at the ends of parking bays so that the end of the bay adjacent to a driving aisle or ring road is clearly delineated. Such islands shall be designed and landscaped so as not to impair visibility needed for traffic flow and turning movements.

(7) The design of access and traffic control and of interior circulation shall, in all other respects, comply with the requirements of §§ 287-80 and 287-81, respectively, of this chapter.

(8) Parking areas shall be designed so that each vehicle may proceed to and from the parking space provided for it without requiring any other vehicle to be moved except for parking in the garages of traditional neighborhood townhouse multiplex dwelling units.

[Amended 2-2-2005 by Ord. No. 2005-4]

B. General on-site parking design standards.

(1) Parking spaces shall have a dust-free, all-weather surface; this requirement shall be met by paving unless otherwise approved by the Borough Council. Pervious surfaces, such as porous paving, concrete lattice blocks or gravel, may be substituted if approved by the Borough Council, e.g., for reserve or overflow parking. Pervious surfaces shall be the only permitted means of providing parking within the Floodplain District.

(2) Parking areas shall have a minimum slope of 1% in any direction to provide for drainage and a maximum slope of 5% in any direction for safety, user convenience and stormwater management.

(3) 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 assure efficient and safe traffic operation.

(4) Lighting shall be provided to illuminate any off-street parking spaces to be used at night. Lighting facilities shall comply in all applicable respects with the standards in § 287-82 of this chapter.

(5) Parking area landscaping and screening shall be accomplished in accordance with § 287-78 of this chapter.

(6) Any person operating or owning a parking lot shall keep it free, as may be practical, of dust and loose particles and shall promptly remove snow and ice from the surface of the parking lot. Such person shall also keep all adjacent sidewalks free from dirt, ice, sleet and snow and shall keep the sidewalks in a safe condition for use by pedestrians.

(7) All signs, markers or any other methods used to indicate direction of traffic movement and location of parking spaces shall be maintained in a neat and legible condition. Any walls or landscaping, as well as surfacing and curbing of the parking lot, shall be maintained in good condition throughout their use, and the Borough Council shall have the authority to prohibit the use of the area for parking purposes unless and until proper maintenance, repair or rehabilitation is completed.

§ 287-106 Handicapped parking.

A. In any parking area where the total number of parking spaces exceeds five, a minimum of one space for each 25 spaces or fraction thereof shall be designed and designated for physically handicapped persons.

B. Each such space or group of spaces shall be identified with a clearly visible marking displaying the international symbol of access.

C. Each space shall be 12 feet wide and located on a level, paved surface as close to the building entry as possible. Such spaces shall be located so that physically handicapped persons need not travel behind parked cars in order to reach the building entry.

§ 287-107 Schedule of required parking spaces.

[Amended 2-2-2005 by Ord. No. 2005-4; 4-15-2009 by Ord. No. 2009-02; 7-15-2009 by Ord. No. 2009-05]

A. The following shall be the minimum number of off-street parking spaces required for each land use, activity, building or structure permitted by this chapter. When the determination of the number of off-street parking spaces results in a requirement of a fractional space, any fraction of 1/2 space or less should be disregarded, and any fraction over 1/2 space shall count as one space.

B. Parking spaces required on the basis of building floor area shall apply to gross area, unless otherwise specified. "Gross area" will be defined as total floor area used for business purposes, excluding unoccupied basements, mechanical equipment rooms, and porches. Where required parking is determined by sales area, that term shall mean all space on the first floor on which goods are displayed and/or business transacted, as well as such space on other floors on which one or more sales persons are regularly stationed.

C. Parking spaces required on an employee basis shall be based on the projected maximum number of employees on duty or residing, or both, on the premises at any one time. Where employment is on a shift basis, the maximum number of employees shall be determined on the basis of the shift with the most employees.

D. For all uses other than residential [as stipulated in Subsection D(1) below], one off-street parking space shall be required per employee, in addition to the requirements for specific uses contained in this section.

(1) Residential uses.

(a) Single-family, two-family, quadraplex and townhouse dwellings: two parking spaces for each dwelling unit.

(b) Apartments and similar multifamily dwellings:

[1] Two-and-one-half parking spaces for each dwelling unit.

[2] Parking required for senior citizen housing, as defined by this chapter one space per dwelling unit.

(c) Nursing home or life care facility: 1.5 parking spaces for every two beds that can be provided at maximum design capacity of the facility.

(d) Retirement community: one space for each dwelling unit.

(2) Retail and service uses.

(a) Retail businesses (shops and department stores):

[1] Parking or storage spaces for all vehicles used directly in the conduct of such business shall be provided, plus one parking space for each 250 square feet of gross area devoted to sales and/or customer service functions.

[2] For a shopping center or mall as provided in § 287-47D, parking requirements shall be as stipulated in § 287-110 below.

(b) Theaters, recreation centers and amusement facilities:

[1] One parking space for every three seats, or patrons, shall be required, computed on the basis of maximum servicing capacity at any one time, as shall be determined by the Borough.

[2] Specific provisions over and above this standard may be required for uses, such as movie theaters, involving successive changes of patrons with a corresponding overlap in parking required.

(c) Bowling alleys: five parking spaces per lane.

(d) Banks, credit unions and related retail financial service organizations: one parking space per 75 square feet of floor area devoted to customer service and related circulation, plus parking for the balance of the facility used for office purposes, at a ratio of one parking space per 250 square feet of gross area.

(e) Restaurant, tavern, cafe or similar use: one space per 150 square feet gross area.

(f) Carry-out, drive-in, drive-through or other fast-food restaurant:

[1] One parking space shall be provided for every 50 square feet of gross area.

[2] Fast-food restaurants providing drive-through window service shall be sited in such a manner that at least 10 vehicles can stand in line awaiting such service without blocking access to otherwise required parking spaces.

(g) Gasoline and automobile service stations: parking or storage space for all vehicles used directly in the conduct of the business, plus one parking space for each gas dispenser and three spaces for each service bay or similar facility.

(h) Grocery store or supermarket:

[1] One space per 250 square feet of sales area.

[2] Where part of a shopping center containing an additional 50,000 square feet or more of retail space, this requirement shall be considered to be met through compliance with the overall shopping center requirements, as stipulated in Subsection D(2)(a)[2] and § 287-110.

(i) Funeral home: one space for every 50 square feet of gross area.

(3) Offices:

(a) General offices: one parking space per 250 square feet of gross floor area for business, professional, governmental or institutional offices.

(b) Medical or dental offices or clinics: one parking space per 250 square feet of gross floor area, including associated storage areas for files, equipment or medical supplies.

(4) Industrial, manufacturing, and warehouse uses:

(a) One parking space for every employee on combined two largest adjacent shifts.

(b) Additional parking, as deemed necessary and in an amount deemed sufficient by the Borough, to accommodate visitors and service personnel.

(5) Community service uses and places of assembly:

(a) General places of assembly:

[1] One space per four seats for of auditoriums, churches, stadiums, banquet facilities, dance halls, exhibition halls and other similar places of assembly at maximum Building Code occupancy shall be required.

[2] The maximum capacity shall be determined as allowed by applicable Fire Code or Building Code standards.

(b) Schools:

[1] Private vocational or similar adult trade school or training center: one space per student.

[2] Elementary school: one space per 15 students, plus one space per 10 fixed seats in an auditorium.

[3] Middle or junior high school: one space per 10 students, plus one space per 10 fixed seats in an auditorium.

[4] High school: one space per four students, plus one space per 10 fixed seats in an auditorium.

[5] Private nursery school, day-care or family-care center one space per four students.

(6) Miscellaneous uses:

(a) Libraries, museums, galleries and similar uses: parking or storage space for all vehicles used directly in the operation of such establishment, plus one parking space for each 250 square feet of gross floor area.

(b) Private clubs, lodges or other organizations of a fraternal, civic, union-related, religious or similar nature: one space per 150 square feet used for assembly, dining, meetings or other specific use of the club facilities.

(c) Hospitals: parking spaces for visitors on the basis of one space for every two hospital beds.

(d) Research and development facility: one parking space per 350 square feet of gross area occupied by research and development uses, such as laboratories and testing facilities.

(e) Indoor and outdoor recreation business: one space per 1,500 square feet of gross area.

(f) Self-serve laundromat: one space per 50 square feet of gross floor area.

(g) Automobile sales (new and used): one space per 200 square feet of sales floor area, and one per each service bay or lift.

(h) Health club/spa: one space per 100 square feet of gross floor area.

(i) Car wash:

[1] One and one-half spaces per wash bay.

[2] Car washes shall be sited in such a manner that at least three vehicles can stand in line awaiting such service without blocking access to otherwise required parking spaces or services.

(j) Hotels/motels/inns/bed-and-breakfast establishments: one per rental room.

(7) Other uses: The Borough Council shall determine with which category of parking regulation any unlisted use shall comply.

E. Parking requirements and options in the C-1 and C-2 Districts.

(1) In the C-2 Central Commercial District, the off-street parking requirements of this section shall be applicable only on properties involving:

(a) New construction or expansion, where such new construction or expansion will result in total floor area which exceeds by at least 25% the floor area existing on the property at the time of enactment of this chapter; or

(b) Creation or extension of an outdoor use in an amount that exceeds by at least 25% the amount of the property devoted to any principal use at the time of enactment of this chapter; or

(c) Any change from a residential use to a nonresidential use.

(2) Uses in the C-2 Central Commercial District to which the parking requirements of this section are applicable may seek a reduction in those requirements, in accordance with Subsection E(3) below.

(3) An applicant for any use permitted in the C-2 District which is required to provide off-street parking under the terms of this section may request conditional use approval for a reduction of as much as 50% of the required amount of parking. The Borough Council shall review and act upon such requests in accordance with the terms of § 287-137 of this chapter; in so doing, the Council shall evaluate the application against the following criteria:

(a) The proposed use for which reduced parking is sought shall be in harmony with the development pattern and character of the C-2 District in which it is located.

(b) The proposal shall not be for a land use type that is significantly dependent upon automobile or truck traffic, as compared to the predominant pattern of uses existing within the district.

(c) The health, safety and convenience of persons residing or working in the vicinity will not be adversely affected by the reduced off-street parking.

(d) The site design, layout of buildings and impact from impervious surfaces would be substantially improved through a reduction in required parking.

(e) Parking demand generated by the proposed use will not represent a substantial increase over that generated by current and prior uses of the site.

(f) Options for meeting the full off-street parking requirement, such as off-site parking, shared facilities and/or a fee in lieu of parking, are, in the opinion of the Borough Council, relatively unavailable and/or unreasonable.

(4) Off-site parking alternative. In the C-1 and C-2 Districts, an applicant for any use for which off-street parking is required under the terms of this section may request conditional use approval from the Borough Council to allow some or all of the required parking to be provided on a parcel separate from that on which the use is proposed. The Borough Council shall review and act upon such requests in accordance with the terms of § 287-137 of this chapter; in so doing, the Council shall evaluate the proposal to utilize off-site parking against the following criteria:

(a) The parking spaces to be located off site shall be intended for employee use only and thus shall be in an amount relating to the requirements for employee parking as stipulated by this section; approval of off-site parking for patrons, customers, visitors, service personnel and the like shall be considered by the Borough Council only where the proposed site of the parking is immediately contiguous to the parcel on which the proposed use is to be located.

(b) The parcel proposed to be used for off-site parking should be located not more than 600 feet from the boundary of the parcel on which the proposed use is to be located.

(c) There are no physical limitations or obstacles, e.g., separation by major through-traffic highway corridors or rail lines which prevent or severely restrict pedestrian crossings, potential concern for personal security, a perception of disproportionate distance between the parcels, more proximate on-street parking spaces, etc., that would make actual use of the designated off-street parking area unattractive and, therefore, unlikely to occur.

(d) The applicant shall present a management approach designed to assure that those for whom the off-site parking spaces are intended will, in fact, utilize such spaces.

(e) The applicant should be able to document how the use of the off-site parking alternative will result in a more positive use and/or design of the site on which the proposed use is to be located, e.g., improvements in access management, interior circulation, landscaping, stormwater management, etc.

(f) Where the off-site parking is proposed to be provided through use of Borough-owned or Parking-Authority-owned facilities, the applicant shall be required to pay an annual fee, in an amount as specified in the parking fee schedule adopted by resolution of the Borough Council or the Parking Authority, to cover the proportionate share of maintenance and operating costs of that facility.

(g) The applicant shall provide sufficient legal documentation, as required by the Borough Council, to assure the long-term availability of the parcel to be used for off-site parking. This may be in the form of a lease, contract, deed restriction, easement or similar instrument, the form and duration of which shall be subject to the review and approval of the Borough Solicitor.

F. Parking requirements and options in the TND District.

[Added 7-7-2013 by Ord. No. 2013-06[1]]

(1) In the TND Traditional Neighborhood Development District, uses may seek a reduction in the requirements of this section in accordance with Subsection F(2) below.

(2) An applicant for any use permitted in the TND District which is required to provide off-street parking under the terms of this section may request conditional use approval for a reduction of as much as 50% of the required amount of parking. The Borough Council shall review and act upon such requests in accordance with the terms of § 287-137 of this chapter; in so doing, the Council shall evaluate the application against the following criteria:

(a) The proposed use for which reduced parking is sought shall be in harmony with the development pattern and character of the TND District in which it is located.

(b) The proposal shall not be for a land use type that is significantly dependent upon automobile or truck traffic, as compared to the predominant pattern of uses existing within the district.

(c) The health, safety and convenience of persons residing or working in the vicinity will not be adversely affected by the reduced off-street parking.

(d) The site design, layout of buildings and impact from impervious surfaces would be substantially improved through a reduction in required parking.

(e) Options for meeting the full off-street parking requirement, such as off-site parking, shared facilities and/or a fee in lieu of parking are, in the opinion of the Borough Council, relatively unavailable and/or unreasonable.

[1] Editor's Note: This ordinance also redesignated former Subsection E(5), Fee in lieu of parking, as Subsection G.

G. Fee in lieu of parking.

(1) As an alternative to the direct provision of off-street parking, whether on site or off site, an applicant for a use in the TND, C-1, C-2 or C-3 District that will require such parking under the terms of this section may seek conditional use approval from the Borough Council to pay a fee in lieu of the required parking. In general, it shall be the preference of the Borough Council that all required parking is provided on site and that, where this proves infeasible and an applicant for a use in the C-1 or C-2 District can comply with the terms of Subsection E(4) above, the provision of off-site parking is the next-preferred option. Where, in the opinion of the Borough Council in response to the applicant's request for conditional use approval, neither on-site nor off-site parking presents a feasible and desirable means of providing all of the off-street parking required by this section, the Council may authorize the payment of a one-time fee in lieu of the actual creation of some or all of that required parking by the applicant.

[Amended 7-7-2013 by Ord. No. 2013-06; 10-1-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-09]

(2) Amount of fee.

(a) The amount of the fee in lieu of shall be as specified in the parking fee schedule defined by the formula below:

(b) If a business provides i) 75% to 100% of the amount of parking spaces required by ordinance, then the fee is "X" dollars per each parking space not provided; ii) 50% to 74% of the amount of parking spaces required by ordinance, then the fee is "X" dollars plus ("X" dollars times 0.25) dollars per each parking space not provided; iii) 25% to 49% of the amount of parking spaces required by ordinance, then the fee is "X" dollars plus ("X" dollars times 0.50) dollars per each parking space not provided; iv) 0% to 24% of the amount of parking spaces required by ordinance, then the fee is "X" dollars plus ("X" dollars times 0.75) dollars per each parking space not provided, where "X" equals a dollar value established by resolution of the Borough Council (or a Parking Authority formed to administer parking regulations in the Borough), as such schedule might be amended from time to time.

(3) All fees collected and all interest earned thereon shall be placed in the Borough Parking Fund. Such fees and interest shall be used only for studies relating to parking and parking facilities, the acquisition and/or lease of land for off-street parking purposes and the improvement or maintenance of land owned or leased by the Borough or the Parking Authority and utilized for off-street parking.

§ 287-108 Shared parking.

A. Up to 50% of the parking spaces required for a theater or other place of primarily evening entertainment, for a church or for multifamily dwelling units may be provided and used jointly by banks, offices, certain retail stores, repair shops, service establishments and similar uses which are not normally open, used or operated during evening hours (beyond normal business hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) if specifically approved by the Borough Council; provided, however, that written agreement assuring the retention for such purpose shall be properly drawn and executed by the parties concerned and approved, as to form and execution, by the Borough Solicitor and shall be filed and made part of the application for a building permit. Such approval may be rescinded by the Borough, and additional parking shall be obtained by the owners, in the event that the Borough determines that such joint use is resulting in a public nuisance or otherwise adversely affecting the public health, safety or welfare.

B. Upon the approval of the Borough Council, as prescribed in Subsection A above, two or more uses may satisfy their individual parking requirements in a common parking lot, provided that the number of parking spaces in the lot equals the sum of the parking spaces required for each use. Parking spaces shall be located so that no space is greater than 500 feet from the building or use it is intended to serve.

C. Shared or common parking lots shall be provided with appropriate signage indicating the buildings and/or uses for which the spaces have been made available.

§ 287-109 Parking reserve area.

Except as otherwise provided in § 287-107D(4) for the C-1 and C-2 Districts, in which districts the terms of this section regarding reserve parking shall not be applicable, the number of parking spaces to be constructed may be fewer than the number required by § 287-107 where the following conditions are met to the satisfaction of the Borough Council:

A. Evidence is submitted firmly documenting that the special nature of the proposed occupancy or use of the building requires less parking area or fewer spaces than that required by this article.

B. The land development plan submitted by the applicant indicates that the location and layout of that portion of the required parking area deemed unnecessary at the time of application can and will be constructed on the surface of the site, according to the requirements of this article, in the event that the Borough determines, at any time, that all or any additional portion of this parking area is necessary and in the interest of the public health, safety and welfare.

C. In no event shall that authorized portion of the required parking area which is not to be constructed, but reserved for possible future use, be counted as open space or other nonpaved area required by other provisions of this chapter.

D. The parking reserve area shall be designed so that any required minimum area of vegetative cover would be maintained in the event that the parking reserve area is subsequently developed.

E. The parking reserve area shall be landscaped according to an approved plan, in accordance with § 287-77 of this chapter.

F. The parking reserve area shall have no building, whether temporary or permanent, erected on it at any time, except as provided in § 287-110A.

§ 287-110 Shopping center parking.

[Amended 7-15-2009 by Ord. No. 2009-05]

A. Except as specified in Subsection B below, a minimum of one space shall be provided for each 200 square feet of gross area or fraction thereof within the proposed shopping center. In addition, a parking reserve area, consistent with the terms of § 287-109, shall be designed and shown on the plan so that, if developed, it would yield a ratio of one space for each 200 square feet of gross area. If, at the end of the sixth year, following full development of the tract, the parking reserve area or any part thereof has not been developed as an additional parking area, the applicant or the then present landowner may petition the Borough Council for permission to develop or otherwise utilize the parking reserve area in accordance with the terms of this chapter.

B. A minimum of one space shall be provided for each 250 square feet of gross area or fraction thereof devoted to office use. An initial reduction of up to 25% of this area may be permitted by the Borough Council, provided that sufficient land is reserved and properly identified as such to meet the full requirements of this chapter should the Borough subsequently deem it necessary.

§ 287-111 Off-street loading.

Adequate area shall be provided to accommodate the loading and unloading of trucks, tractors and trailers servicing any commercial, industrial or large-scale residential or institutional use. Loading area which is utilized for the location of trash collection or compaction units shall be in addition to the loading area requirements of this section.

A. Area of loading berths or spaces.

(1) A required off-street loading berth in the I-1 or I-2 Districts or in conjunction with any other use requiring tractor-trailer delivery shall be at least 12 feet in width and at least 65 feet in length, exclusive of aisle and maneuver space, and shall have a vertical clearance of at least 14 feet.

(2) Required loading spaces in the C-3 District shall be at least 12 feet in width and at least 35 feet in length and may be located parallel to the building served.

B. Access to loading area. Each required off-street loading space or berth shall be afforded appropriate means of vehicular access to a street, highway or alley in a manner which will least interfere with traffic movement.

C. Surfacing. All open off-street loading areas shall be improved with a compacted select gravel base and surfaced with an all-weather dustless material, suitably designed for the intended use to a standard approved by the Borough Engineer.

D. Screening. All loading berths or spaces and truck circulation areas which abut a residential district shall be set back at least 50 feet therefrom unless they are completely screened therefrom by building walls or a solid fence, wall or landscaping, or any combination thereof, not less than six feet in height; in no case shall such spaces or berths be closer than 15 feet thereto.

E. Minimum number of berths or spaces:

(1) Commercial, industrial or storage uses in the I-1 and I-2 Districts which exceed 6,000 square feet of gross leasable area shall be provided with a minimum of one off-street loading berth.

(2) Commercial uses in the C-3 District shall be provided with a minimum of one off-street loading space or, if dependent upon tractor-trailer deliveries, one off-street loading berth.

F. Location. Loading and unloading areas shall not be located between the building setback line and the street line. No delivery vehicle shall park on any sidewalk. In the C-3 District, a loading space may be situated so that vehicles may park parallel to the building.