City of Coatesville, PA Article XIII Off-Street Parking and Loading

§ 224-63 Purpose.

Off-street parking and loading requirements have been established to:

A. Provide adequate parking and loading facilities for all permitted structures and uses.

B. Reduce traffic congestion on the streets, thereby maintaining traffic flow, increasing public safety and convenience and facilitating emergency access.

C. Minimize the amount of impervious coverage to prevent undesirable effects upon the environment, such as the alteration of drainage patterns, groundwater recharge areas and microclimatic conditions.

§ 224-64 Off-street parking.

A. Applicability.

(1) Off-street parking areas shall be provided whenever:

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

(b) The use of an existing structure is changed to a use requiring more parking facilities.

(c) An existing structure or use is altered or enlarged so as to increase the amount of parking spaces required.

(2) Structures and uses in existence on the date of adoption of this chapter shall not be subject to the requirements of this section, except as provided in Subsection A(1), above.

B. General provisions.

(1) Construction and maintenance. All parking areas required by this section shall be constructed and maintained for as long as the structure or use which they are designed to serve remains in existence.

(2) Location of required parking spaces.

(a) Required off-street parking spaces shall be located on the same lot as the principal use, unless otherwise provided in Subsection D below.

(b) Off-street parking shall be located in back of the front building line, with access to a street or alley or to an approved driveway. Where such access is to a major or minor collector street, adequate turnaround space should be provided on the lot.

(c) Off-street parking spaces shall be located outside of a public right-of-way.

(3) Parking area use restrictions.

(a) It shall be unlawful to utilize any required off-street parking facilities for motor vehicle repair work, service, display or sales of any kind.

(b) No parking area shall be utilized for any use that interferes with its availability for the parking need it is required to serve.

(4) Subdivision and land development. Parking stall and aisle dimensions shall be as required in § 197-44 of Chapter 197, Subdivision and Land Development.

(5) Design and landscaping. For those structures and uses subject to Chapter 197, Subdivision and Land Development, parking areas shall be designed and landscaped in accordance with § 197-44 contained therein.

C. Number of parking spaces required. The parking space requirements in the following table apply to all structures and uses in the City of Coatesville, except as provided for in § 224-64D and E. When determining the number of parking spaces required for a structure or use, the following standards shall apply:

[Amended 4-28-1997 by Ord. No. 1047-97]

(1) Where a choice of standards is listed as an "or" condition, the greater amount applies.

(2) Where the results are listed as a fraction, the number of parking spaces required is rounded to the next highest whole number.

(3) Requirements expressed in square footage, including indoor and outdoor facilities, refer to gross leasable area (gla). (NOTE:"Gross leasable area" is the total floor area designed for tenant occupancy and exclusive use, including basements, mezzanines and upper floors, if any, expressed in square feet.)

(4) Where a proposed structure or use includes more than one type of use, regardless of whether each use is listed in the table below, the number of parking spaces required shall be the sum of the parking requirements for each separate use.

(5) Where a use is not specifically listed in the table below, the requirements for the most similar use listed in the table shall apply.

(6) No required off-street loading area shall be used to satisfy the parking requirements listed in the table below.

[Amended 11-28-2022 by Ord. No. 1557-2022]

	Type of Structure or Use (spaces)		Parking Requirement
	Residential
		Single-family detached	2 per unit
		Single-family semidetached	2 per unit
		Single-family attached	2 per unit
		Multifamily
		Efficiency/studio	1 per unit
		1 bedroom	1.5 per unit
		2 or more bedrooms	2 per unit
		Multifamily developments consisting of 50 or more dwelling units	Parking requirement shall be increased by 15% to provide for visitor parking.
		Rooming House	1 per unit available for rent.
	Commercial
		Motel	1 per unit available for rent, plus the number of spaces required for ancillary uses
		Hotel	1 per unit available for rent, plus the number of spaces required for ancillary uses
		Movie theater	1 per 4 seats
		Restaurant	1 per 200 square feet (gla), plus 1 space per 3 employees on largest shift
		Restaurant, fast-food	1 per 100 square feet (gla), plus 1 per 3 employees on largest shift
		Restaurant, drive-through	1 per 100 square feet (gla), plus 1 per 3 employees on largest shift
		Retail store	1 per 250 square feet
		Retail center	(gla). Where an establishment is greater than 1 floor, floors other than the one closest to ground level shall be computed at 1 per 400 square feet
		Retail complex
		Variety store
		Department store	1 per 75 square feet of store sales floor area or other area serving customers
		Funeral home/mortuary	1 per 400 square feet (gla)
		Indoor commercial recreation	1 per 200 square feet (gla)
		Health/recreation spa	1 per 200 square feet (gla)
		Tavern	1 per 200 square feet (gla), plus 1 per
			3 employees on largest shift
		Nightclub	1 per 200 square feet (gla), plus 1 per
		Private club
		Adult entertainment use	3 employees on largest shift
		Amusement hall/arcade
		Day-care center	1 per caregiver, plus 1 for up to 6 children and 1 additional for each 3 children thereafter
		Auto sales	1 per every 200 square feet of floor and ground area devoted to sales and accessory service use, plus 1 for each employee
		Auto service	1 per pump, plus 2 stacking spaces per pump, plus 2 per bay
		Watering and gambling establishment	20 per every 1,000 square feet of gross floor area, plus 1 per each employee on largest shift
	Office
		Financial institution	1 per 200 square feet (gla)
		Office	1 per 250 square feet (gla)
		Government building/facility	1 per 250 square feet (gla)
		Medical clinic	1 per 250 square feet (gla)
		Veterinary/animal hospital	1 per 250 square feet (gla)
	Public/institutional
		Life-care facility	1 per dwelling unit, plus 1 per 3 beds, plus 1 per employee on largest shift
		Group quarters	1 per 3 residents, plus 1 per employee on largest shift
		Institution	1 per 3 beds, plus 1 per employee on largest shift
		Hospital	1 per 3 beds, plus
			1 per employee on largest shift
		Library	1 per 300 square feet
		Museum/gallery	1 per 300 square feet
		Church/religious use	1 per 4 seats or 1 per 8 linear feet of pews
		Playhouse	1 per 4 seats
		Indoor public recreation	1 per 200 square feet (gla)
		Active recreation	1 per 5,000 square feet of playing field area
		Mass transit terminal
		Bus and charter bus passenger station	1 per 200 square feet (gla)
		Railroad passenger station	1 per 150 square feet (gla)
		School
		Elementary and secondary	1 per classroom, (nonprofit) plus 1 per 500 square feet devoted to administrative use, plus 1 per 15 students in grades 10 through 12
		University, college and	1 per 3 students professional school plus 1 per 500 square feet devoted to administrative use
	Manufacturing
		Light industry/business	2 per 1,000 square feet (gla)
		Light industrial center	2 per 1,000 square feet (gla)
		Manufacturing	2 per 1,000 square feet (gla)
		Industrial park	2 per 1,000 square feet (gla)
		Distribution/ warehouse/ storage	1 per 1,000 square feet (gla)
		Recycling center	2 per 1,000 square feet (gla)

D. Off-street parking alternatives.

(1) On-street and public parking credit. Aside from a separate parcel being utilized for off-site parking in accordance with Section (2), below, on-street parking or a public parking lot can be credited towards the off-street parking requirements in accordance with the following provisions:

(a) Only commercial, professional, office, or similar and related uses within the RN-4, C-1, C-2 and PS districts shall be permitted to count on-street or public parking towards the off-street parking requirements. All other uses shall utilize off-street parking facilities on the same parcel as the proposed use.

(b) A maximum of 40% of on-street or public parking spaces may be counted towards meeting off-street parking requirements, provided that the spaces can be accessed without pedestrians crossing arterial or collector streets and the spaces are located within 400 feet of the building entrance regularly used by patrons.

(c) In the RN-4, C-1, C-2 and PS Districts, nonresidential uses meeting the criteria listed below shall be permitted to solely utilize on-street or public parking to meet their parking requirements:

[1] Such use shall have a gross leasable floor area of 850 square feet or less;

[2] Such use shall be located in an existing commercial building which occupies at least 90% of the lot, essentially precluding the provision of parking spaces on the same lot as the proposed use.

(2) Off-site parking lots. The number of required parking spaces may be located off-site within an existing parking area, provided that:

(a) The number of parking spaces required for all structures and uses may be accommodated in the lot.

(b) Pedestrian walkways or sidewalks for pedestrian safety are available.

(c) The lot is on the same side of a road or highway as the principal structure or use and within 400 feet of the principal use. This distance shall be measured as the shortest distance a pedestrian must walk from the off-site parking lot to a public entrance of the building.

(d) An agreement is established which includes, at a minimum, an easement which authorizes use of the tract permanently for parking and assigns maintenance responsibilities.

(e) Any subsequent change in use of any establishment with shared parking requires proof that sufficient parking will be available. Additional legal documentation shall be provided to the City of Coatesville where such a change is not covered by the initial legal agreement.

(3) Parking reserve area.

(a) In order to prevent the establishment of a greater number of parking spaces than may actually be needed, the City Council may grant permission to reserve construction of a percentage of the total required number of parking spaces required by this chapter for future parking needs consideration.

(b) In all cases where a percentage of the parking requirement will be held in reserve, the actual area needed to fulfill the parking space requirement shall be shown within the design on the land development plan. Reserve areas shall be restricted from development other than for parking purposes.

(c) In no case shall the required number of parking spaces held in reserve be greater than 20% of the total required number of parking spaces.

(d) The parking reserve area shall not include areas for required buffer yards, setbacks or yard areas, required common open space or areas which would otherwise be unsuitable for parking spaces due to physical or environmental constraints of the area.

(e) The City Council may require that additional parking spaces be constructed, in accordance with this article, where the Council determines that the spaces are necessary due to traffic congestion or parking overflow on the site.

(f) In the event that the total number of parking spaces are not required by the City Council, land not used for parking areas shall remain as open space and shall be deed restricted if necessary.

(4) Payment in lieu of providing off-street parking.  

[Added 4-28-1997 by Ord. No. 1047-97]

(a) Whenever the off-street parking required in § 224-64C cannot be provided because of the nonavailability of space on a lot in the RN-4, C-1, C-2 and/or PS Districts for a new building or structure, or for a structural addition to an existing building or structure, City Council, upon written application, may permit the payment of a fee by the applicant in lieu of the applicant's providing such required off-street parking. The fee to be charged shall be a fee per space in accordance with the fee schedule adopted by Council and on file at the administrative offices of the City and payable in accordance with administrative policies established by City Council.

(b) All fees collected hereunder and all interest earned thereon shall be placed in the Parking Facilities Fund to be established by City Council, and such funds shall be used only for studies relating to parking and parking facilities, the acquisition and/or lease of land and the improvement or maintenance of municipally owned or leased off-street parking facilities. Such collected fees shall be expended for the purposes set forth herein within 10 years of the receipt thereof.

E. Modification of required parking spaces. An applicant may request, through the special exception process, that the number of parking spaces required in Subsection C above be modified according to the following procedure:

[Amended 4-28-1997 by Ord. No. 1047-97]

(1) The applicant shall appear before the Planning Commission and present any plans, materials or other information which proves:

(a) That the parking requirements are excessive for the proposed use, based on a study prepared by a professional transportation engineer, including documentation from authoritative sources such as from the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) and/or the Urban Land Institute (ULI).

(b) That a plan is in place describing employee or customer/client trip-reduction strategies, in accordance with the provisions of the 1990 Federal Clean Air Act and amendments and state programs created to implement the federal guidelines.

(c) That the structure or use will be supported primarily by nondrivers, including but not limited to those using mass transit, bicyclists, pedestrians and children, based on a study prepared by a professional transportation engineer.

(2) The Planning Commission shall submit a recommendation to the Zoning Hearing Board concerning the approval or disapproval of the request and the reasons for such decision.

(3) The Zoning Hearing Board may reduce the number of spaces required for the proposed use or development; however, the Zoning Hearing Board shall not reduce the number of parking spaces required by more than 20%.

(4) The Board may require the applicant to design a parking reserve area, in accordance with Subsection D(3) above, for the number of additional spaces that would satisfy the parking requirements.

§ 224-65 Off-street loading requirements.

A. Applicability. Off-street loading facilities shall be provided for structures or uses which require the delivery or distribution of materials, supplies, merchandise or other goods, in accordance with the provisions of this section.

B. General provisions.

(1) Construction and maintenance. All off-street loading berths required by this section shall be constructed and maintained for as long as the structure or use which they are designed to serve remains in existence.

(2) Size.

(a) For those structures or uses which are served by pickup trucks and vans for loading, the minimum size for each loading berth shall be 10 feet in width and 20 feet in length, with minimum vertical clearance of 12 feet.

(b) For those structures or uses which are served by vehicles larger than those specified in Subsection A(2)(a) above, the minimum size for each loading berth shall be 12 feet in width and 45 feet in length, with a minimum vertical clearance of 14 feet.

(c) A loading space, as required in Subsection C below need not be a full berth but shall be sufficient to allow normal loading and unloading of a kind and magnitude appropriate to the premises served. The City Council shall determine the sufficiency of loading space, and in no case shall the use of such space hinder the free movement of vehicles and pedestrians over a street, sidewalk or alley.

(3) Location.

(a) All loading berths shall be located on the same lot as the use served, and no portion of the vehicles shall project into any traffic lane, parking space, driveway or sidewalk or within front, side or rear yard setbacks, except as provided in Subsection D below.

(b) Except as provided in Subsection D below, areas provided for loading and unloading of delivery trucks and other vehicles and for the servicing of shops by refuse collection, fuels and other service vehicles shall be so arranged that they may be used without blocking traffic or interfering with vehicular and pedestrian traffic, the use of accessways, parking facilities or pedestrianways. In addition, ingress and egress shall not require backing onto a street or lot.

(4) Access. All off-street loading berths shall be provided with safe and convenient access to a street or alley or from an aisle or drive connecting with a street or alley.

(5) Surfacing. The loading area, aisles and access drives shall be improved so as to provide a durable, dustless surface and shall be so graded and drained as to dispose of surface water without damage to private or public properties, streets or alleys.

(6) Repair and service. No storage or motor vehicle repair work, except in an emergency, shall be permitted within any loading berth.

C. Number of required berths. The off-street loading requirements in the following table apply to all structures and uses in the City of Coatesville. When determining the number of berths required for a structure or use, the following standards shall apply:

(1) If the results are listed as a fraction, the number of parking spaces required is rounded to the next highest whole number.

(2) Requirements expressed in square footage refer to gross floor area, unless otherwise specified (including indoor and outdoor facilities).

(3) Where a proposed structure or use includes more than one type of use, regardless of whether each use is listed in the table below, the number of parking spaces required shall be the sum of the parking requirements for each separate use, except as provided in Subsection C(5) below.

(4) Where more than one use is located on a site and the gross floor area of each use is less than the minimum required but the aggregate gross floor area is greater than the minimum for which loading berths are required, off-street loading berths shall be provided using the standard requiring the greatest number of loading berths.

(5) Where a use is not specifically listed in the table below, the requirements for the most similar use listed in the table shall apply.

Type of Use	Size (square feet)	Number of Berths Required
Wholesale and industrial	Less than 10,000	1 loading space
Retail and ground-floor nonresidential	Less than 20,000	1 loading space
Retail	Greater than 20,000	1 berth per 20,000 square feet
Office buildings, hospitals, hotels and motels	Greater than 100,000	1 berth per 100,000 square feet
Wholesale, industrial and storage	10,000 to 40,000	1 berth
	40,001 to 100,000	2 berths
	100,001 to 160,000	3 berths
	160,001 to 250,000	4 berths
	Each additional 90,000	1 additional berth

D. Off-street loading alternatives.

(1) Use of public alleys and streets. The City Council may approve the use of public alleys and streets for loading and unloading, provided that the following conditions are met:

(a) The structure or use is within the C-1, C-2 or PS District.

(b) The applicant demonstrates that loading and unloading may be conducted without blocking or interfering with vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

(c) Loading and unloading is limited to a total of three times per week.

(2) Common off-street loading facilities. Required off-street loading spaces may be provided cooperatively for two or more uses, provided that the following conditions are met:

(a) The structure or use is within the C-1, C-2 or PS District.

(b) Loading and unloading will be conducted in an existing structure or between existing structures which are adjacent to the property.

(c) The uses being served are within the same structure.

(d) The applicant demonstrates that loading and unloading may be conducted without blocking or interfering with vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

(e) An agreement is established which includes, at a minimum, language which authorizes use of the off-street loading facility and assigns maintenance responsibilities.

(f) Any subsequent change in use of any establishment with shared off-street loading facilities requires proof that sufficient loading facilities will be available. Additional legal documentation shall be provided to the City of Coatesville where such a change is not covered by the initial legal agreement.