Township of West Amwell, NJ Site Plan Design Standards

Number of spaces.

An adequate number of off-street parking spaces shall be required in all developments.

For residential developments, off-street parking shall be provided as set forth in Exhibit 1.

EXHIBIT 1
Off-Street Parking Requirements for Residential Land Uses
Housing Unit Type/Size		Off-Street Parking Requirements
Single-family detached
	2-bedroom	2.0
	3-bedroom	2.0
	4-bedroom	2.5
	5-bedroom	3.0
Two-family, each unit
	2-bedroom	2.0
	3-bedroom	2.0
	4-bedroom	2.5
Garden apartment
	1-bedroom	2.0
	2-bedroom	2.0
	3-bedroom	2.3
Townhouse
	1-bedroom	2.0
	2-bedroom	2.3
	3-bedroom	2.5
Senior citizen unit		1.0

	NOTES:
	a.	When determination of the number of parking spaces required by this exhibit results in a requirement of a fractional space, any fraction of 1/2 or less may be disregarded, while a fraction in excess of 1/2 shall be counted as one parking space.
	b.	Requirements for attached units include provision for guest parking.

(3)

For nonresidential developments, the parking standards shown in Exhibit 2 shall be provided.

EXHIBIT 2 Off-Street Parking Requirements for Nonresidential Land Uses
Nonresidential Land Uses		Required Off-Street Parking Spaces Per Indicated Area
Agricultural support		1 per 1,000 square feet of retail services sales area
Assembly hall		1 per 4 seats or per 100 square feet of GFA, whichever is greater
Assembly operations		1 per 800 square feet GFA or 1 per employee on maximum shift plus 10%, whichever is greater
Bar		1 per 2 seats
Bowling alley		4 per alley
Car wash		10 per washing lane
Cemeteries
	Accessory buildings	1 per 200 square feet
	Chapels	1 per 3 seats
	Church/Synagogue	1 per 3 seats, or per 8 feet of seating space if provided in benches
Congregate care center		1.25 spaces per dwelling unit
Day-care center, preschool		1 space per 5 children
Eleemosynary uses		1 per 50 square feet GFA
Farm stand		5 or 1 per 150 feet of GFA, whichever is greater
Farmers' market		1 per 125 square feet GFA
Fiduciary institutions		1 per 300 square feet GFA
Finishing operations		1 per 800 square feet GFA
Funeral homes		1 per 300 square feet GFA
Golf course		1 per 4 people of total design capacity including accessory uses
Group homes		1 per employee on maximum shift plus 1 per 2 residents
Guest house		1 per guest room plus 1 space per employee, plus 2 spaces for the owners
Home occupation		Minimum of 2, plus 2 per employee
Industrial		1 per 800 square feet GFA, or 1 per employee on maximum shift plus 10%, whichever is greater
Intermediate care center		1 per 3 beds
Library		1 per 300 square feet GFA
Manufacturing		1 per 800 square feet GFA
Medical center		1 per 250 square feet GFA
Motel; hotel		1.5 per rental unit, plus additional spaces required for other uses on the property, such as restaurants and meeting rooms
Municipal buildings		1 per daytime employee plus 1 per 2 meeting room seats
Neighborhood convenience center
	Under 400,000 square feet GLA	4 per 1,000 square feet GLA
Nursing home		1 per 3 beds
Offices
	Under 49,999 square feet GFA	4.5 per 1,000 square feet GFA
	50,000 - 99,999 square feet GFA	4 per 1,000 square feet GFA
	100,000+ square feet GFA	3.5 per 1,000 square feet GFA
Office, medical and dental		4 per doctor or dentist, plus 1 per 300 square feet of GFA
Public building		As deemed appropriate and adequate by the Board
Quasi-public building		1 per 400 square feet of GFA
Quasi-public and outdoor commercial recreation area		As deemed appropriate and adequate by the Board
Receiving		1 per 5,000 square feet GFA
Research lab		1 per 1,000 GFA, or 1 per employee on maximum shift, plus 10%, whichever is greater
Restaurant		1 per 2 seats
	Quick-food establishments	1 per 30 square feet GFA
Retail and personal service		1 per 200 square feet GFA
Schools
	Elementary and middle	2 per classroom; but not less than 1.5 per teacher
	High school	2.5 per classroom, but not less than 1.5 per teacher
Service station		4 per bay and work area per employee for gas stations
Shipping		1 per 2,500 square feet GFA
Shopping center		4 per 1,000 square feet GLA
Storage areas		1 per 2,500 square feet GLA
Tavern		1 per 2 seats
Theater		1 per 3 seats
	In shopping center	1 per 4 seats
Trades		1 per 500 square feet GFA plus 1 per company vehicle
Warehouse		1 per 2,500 square feet GFA
Wholesale establishments		1 per 200 square feet of sales floor or display area, plus 1 per employee during a normal workday

	NOTES:
	GFA = Gross floor area
	GLA = Gross leasable area

(4)

Required parking spaces shall not be encroached upon or reduced in number in any manner.

(5)

Alternative off-street parking standards to those shown in Exhibit 2 shall be accepted if the applicant demonstrates that these standards better reflect local conditions. (For instance, factors affecting minimum number of parking spaces include household characteristics, availability of mass transit, urban versus suburban location, and available parking resources such as on-street parking.) In such case a landscaped area shall be preserved, that can readily be converted to off-street parking should the condition allowing fewer spaces ever change.

[Amended by Ord. No. 98-11]

(6)

A one-car garage and driveway combination shall count as 1.75 off-street parking spaces, provided the driveway measures a minimum of 25 feet in length between the face of the garage door and the sidewalk or 30 feet to the curbline. A two-car garage and driveway combination shall count as 3.5 off-street parking spaces, provided the minimum width of the driveway is 20 feet and its minimum length is as specified above for a one-car garage.

(7)

For developments determined by the Planning Board as mixed-use developments, a shared parking approach to the provision of off-street parking shall be permitted following the methodology described in the publication Shared Parking (Urban Land Institute and Barton Aschman Associates, Inc., Urban Land Institute, 1984).

(8)

Where the total number of off-street parking spaces required may not be immediately required for a particular use, a staged development plan may be permitted which requires that only a portion of the parking area, but not less than 65% of the required spaces, be completed initially, subject to the following regulations:

(a)

The site plan shall clearly indicate both that portion of the parking area to be initially paved and the total parking needed to provide the number of spaces required.

(b)

The site plan shall provide for adequate drainage of both the partial and total parking areas.

(c)

The portion of the parking area not to be paved initially shall be landscaped in accordance with this chapter.

(d)

The applicant shall post separate performance guarantees, in addition to the performance guarantees required by this chapter, which shall reflect the cost of installing the additional parking facilities necessary to provide the total number of parking spaces required.

(e)

In lieu of a permanent certificate of occupancy, a temporary certificate of occupancy shall be issued for a period of two years. Prior to the expiration of the two-year period, the applicant may either install the additional parking shown on the site plan and apply for issuance of a permanent certificate of occupancy or apply to the Planning Board after the use has been in operation a minimum of 18 months for a determination as to whether or not the initial parking area provided is adequate. If the Planning Board determines that the parking facility is adequate as originally constructed, the performance guarantees shall be released and a permanent certificate of occupancy issued. If, however, the Planning Board determines that the partial off-street parking area is not adequate, the applicant shall be required to install the additional parking facilities in accordance with the terms of the performance guarantees prior to issuance of a permanent certificate of occupancy.

(f)

Any change of use on a site for which the Planning Board may have approved a partial paving of off-street parking areas to a use which requires more parking spaces than are provided on the site shall require submission of a new site plan.

Size of spaces. Each off-street space shall measure nine feet in width by 18 feet in length. A minimum of two feet of clear overhang must be provided along the end of each space. Parking spaces reserved for visitor use, in high turnover conditions or in connection with a retail use, must measure 10 feet in width.

Handicapped parking. Parking spaces for the physically handicapped must measure 12 feet in width and shall be provided at appropriate locations and in conformance with the following minimum standard:

	Total Parking	Required Handicapped Spaces
	Up to 50 spaces	1 space
	51 to 200 spaces	2 spaces
	Over 200 spaces	2 spaces plus 1% of the number of spaces over 200

Parking areas.

(1)

Off-street parking areas shall be oriented to and within a reasonable walking distance of the buildings they are designed to serve: a maximum of 1,000 feet for employee parking; 500 to 800 feet for shoppers; 250 feet for nonelderly residents; 150 feet for elderly residents; and 300 feet for guests.

(2)

Access to parking lots shall be designed so as not to obstruct free flow of traffic. There shall be adequate provision for ingress to and egress from all parking spaces to ensure ease of mobility, ample clearance, and safety of vehicles and pedestrians.

(3)

The width of all aisles providing direct access to individual parking stalls shall be in accordance with the requirements specified below. Only one-way traffic shall be permitted in aisles serving single-row parking spaces placed at an angle other than 90°.

	Parking Angle (degrees)	Aisle Width (feet)
	30	12
	45	13
	60	18
	90	24

(4)

Parking spaces, driveways, aisles and pedestrian walkways shall be clearly marked and delineated on the finished pavement in traffic paint.

(5)

All sidewalks shall be a minimum of four feet in width. Where sidewalks occur in parking areas, parked vehicles shall not overhang or extend over the sidewalk unless an additional two feet is provided in order to accommodate such overhang.

(6)

No commercial vehicle registered for over 6,000 pounds gross weight shall be parked out of doors overnight in a residential zone.

(7)

Parking areas in commercial or industrial zones may be located in the required yard space, but shall be a minimum of 20 feet from any property line, a minimum of 1/2 the building setback requirement from any street right-of-way, and a minimum of 50 feet from any residential zone boundary. Parking areas shall be a minimum of 10 feet from any building or structure.

(8)

Parking areas shall be suitably landscaped to minimize noise, glare and other nuisance characteristics in accordance with the landscaping standards of Part 5. Parking areas shall be screened from the street and adjacent properties with berms, hedges or low walls, along with trees and shrubs, so as to minimize the visibility of parked cars. Large parking lots shall be broken down into sections according to type and size of development, separated from other sections by landscaped dividing strips, berms, and similar elements.

(9)

All paved areas shall be bound by curbs. Where a paved area is adjacent to a vegetated or other pervious surface area, Belgian block curbing shall be utilized.