It is the intention of this chapter that all
structures and land uses be provided with a sufficient amount of off-street
motor vehicle parking to meet the needs of persons employed at or
making use of such structures or land uses and sufficient off-street
loading and unloading facilities to meet the needs of such structures
or land uses, properly paved, drained and lighted. At least 5% of
the parking area shall be suitably landscaped. No part of the parking
area shall exist in any required front, side or rear yards unless
the Planning Board shall grant a waiver therefor upon a finding that
such use will not unduly interfere with traffic safety in the public
street and safe access and egress to parking spaces, and that such
use will not detract from the compatibility of the use with uses in
or on abutting districts or properties, in which event the Planning
Board shall grant a waiver for a parking area not in excess of 50%
of the required yard depth.
The plans for any new building or any expansion
of an existing building, when submitted for a zoning permit, shall
show specifically the location and size and type of improvement of
the off-street parking and loading areas required to comply with this
chapter, and the means of access to parking spaces and loading platforms
from the public streets or highways. Except for residences, no zoning
permit shall be issued until such plan for parking and loading space
and access to it and required improvement is approved in the appropriate
case by the Planning Board or the Building Inspector, as the case
may be. They shall determine that traffic access, traffic circulation
and general layout of the parking facility are planned with regard
to safety to traffic on the public street and safety and adequacy
of access for cars and pedestrians using the parking facility. No
certificate of compliance shall be issued for any building or land
use until the required, improved off-street parking area has been
established.
Required off-street parking facilities may be
enclosed in structures or may be open, except as required specifically
for multifamily dwellings, provided that all required parking facilities
shall be graded, paved, surfaced according to Town specifications
and suitably maintained to the extent necessary to avoid disintegration
of pavement, erosion or excessive water flow across the parking area,
access driveways, public ways or adjacent lands or water standing
thereon. In appropriate situations, the Building Inspector may require
the plan to provide for suitable markings to indicate individual parking
spaces, maneuvering area, entrances and exits. The Planning Board,
in approving site plans, shall require such markings.
Required off-street parking facilities shall
be maintained as long as the use or structure exists which the facilities
are designed to serve. Required parking areas developed for specific
structures and uses shall be reserved at all time to those persons
who are employed at or make use of such structures and land uses,
except when dedicated to and accepted by the Town as public parking
areas.
Driveways, service roads and other means of
access to every lot and parcel in Town shall be designed and located
with respect to the public street system so as to avoid unsafe conditions
and traffic congestion and so as to provide a convenient and practical
means of ingress and egress.
Off-street loading and unloading facilities,
as defined in this chapter and located on the same site with the use
to be served, shall be provided as follows:
A. For retail and service business establishments, restaurants
and other places serving food and beverages: one space for the first
4,000 square feet of floor area or major portion thereof used for
business purposes, and one additional spare for each additional 10,000
square feet of business floor space or major portion thereof. At least
one loading space shall be required for each separate store.
B. For wholesale business, storage warehouse, manufacturing
or industrial establishments, light manufacturing assembly or processing:
one space for the first 10,000 square feet or portion thereof and
one additional space for each 25,000 square feet or major portion
thereof used for such purpose.
[Amended 4-14-1976]
C. Reasonable and appropriate off-street loading requirements
for structures and land uses which do not fall within the categories
listed above shall be determined in each case by the Board of Appeals,
which shall consider all factors entering into the loading and unloading
needs of such use and shall fix requirements in conformity with the
general requirements of this chapter.
D. For laboratories
devoted exclusively to research, design and experimentation, one space
per 75,000 square feet of gross floor area or part thereof, provided
that the number of required spaces may be reduced if spaces are shared
between contiguous buildings, subject to Planning Board approval.
[Added 9-13-2011]