The Commission may reduce the parking requirements no more than 50%
for sites where uses will be generating a demand for parking during periods
when other uses are not in operation in accordance with the following:
A. Joint-off street parking facilities provided by another
building or use shall be within 300 feet of the property it is intended to
serve.
B. A written affidavit of agreement, binding each participating
owner and successor in interest for the life of the joint use of the facility,
shall be signed by the owners of the properties involved and shall be recorded
in the land records prior to Commission endorsement of the plan.
C. The use of land in any residential zone for parking in
connection with and adjacent to a use in a nonresidential zone shall not be
extended into the residential zone more than 30 feet.
D. Any vacant parcel of land in a nonresidential zone intended
for use as a parking facility in connection with an off-site use shall be
designed and improved in accordance with these regulations;
E. Public parking facilities shall not be used to satisfy
parking requirements for residential uses.
On the same premises with every building devoted to retail trade, retail
and wholesale food markets, warehouses, supply houses, wholesale or manufacturing
trade, hotels, hospitals, laundry, dry cleaning establishments or other buildings
where large amounts of goods are received or shipped erected in any district
after the date of the adoption of these regulations shall provide loading
and unloading space as follows:
A. Loading space shall be not less than 12 feet wide, 30
feet long and 15 feet high.
B. Every building or block of buildings containing more
than 5,000 square feet of gross floor space: one loading space.
C. Every building or block of buildings containing more
than 20,000 square feet gross floor area: one loading space for each 20,000
square feet or fraction thereof.
D. No such space shall be located closer than 50 feet to
any other lot in any residence zone, unless wholly within a completely enclosed
building or unless enclosed on all sides by a wall or opaque fence not less
than six feet in height.
E. Such loading space, maneuvering space and all vehicles
using the loading space shall be contained within the lot.
All off-street automobile parking facilities shall be designed with
appropriate means of vehicular access to a street or alley as well as maneuvering
areas. The Commission shall determine the appropriate curb cut when a site
plan is submitted and detailed plans of driveway and curb cuts shall be submitted
to the State Highway Department as appropriate, for approval for all curb
cuts or driveway openings before a permit may be obtained therefor.
A. Parking spaces and loading facilities and access roadways
shall have adequate all-weather surfacing with proper drainage and shall be
capable of allowing free and safe movement of all vehicles customarily using
the facility.
B. Any parking area designed or intended for use by three
or more vehicles, which is located and adjacent to any public sidewalk or
the planned location of a public sidewalk, shall be separated from such sidewalk
by a suitable barrier so placed as to prevent the encroachment or parking
of automobiles on such public sidewalk or planned location thereof.
C. Lighting of parking areas and access driveways shall
have the light source shaded to substantially protect contiguous landowners
and public streets.
All off-street parking facilities shall be designed with appropriate
means of vehicular access to a street or alley as well as maneuvering areas.
The layout and traffic circulation of parking and loading areas shall be designed
so as to avoid unsafe conditions and traffic congestion in the streets upon
which the area has access according to the following standards:
A. Curb cuts. The Commission shall determine the appropriate
curb cut when the site plan is submitted. Detailed plans of driveway and curb
cuts shall be submitted to the State Highway Department, as required, for
approval of all curb cuts or driveway openings involving state roads before
a zoning permit is issued.
B. Fire lanes. Where required, fire lanes shall be designated
on the site plan. Fire lanes shall be at least 10 feet in width and shall
be marked "No Parking Fire Lane." No required parking or loading space shall
encroach on any required fire lane.
C. Adjoining lots. The interconnection of adjoining parking
lots shall be encouraged where said connections would result in improved circulation,
increased parking spaces, decreased curb cuts and/or signalized access. Parking
spaces lost or abandoned due to adjoining parking lots may be exempted from
the minimum parking requirements by the Commission.
D. Drainage.
(1) Off-street parking and loading facilities and access
roadways/driveways for all commercial and industrial uses shall be paved with
a durable and dustless surface consisting of three inches or bituminous concrete
over four inches of three-fourths- to one-and-one-fourth-inch processed aggregate
base and eight inches of rolled gravel base. Proper drainage shall be provided
as specified in Article V of these regulations. No surface water from any
parking lot shall be permitted to drain directly onto adjoining property without
drainage easements and/or rights to drain.
(2) Except for one- , two- and three-family dwellings, all
residential off-street parking facilities and access roadways/driveways shall
be paved with three inches of bituminous concrete over four inches of three-fourths-
to one-and-one-fourth-inch processed aggregate base and eight inches of rolled
gravel base. Proper drainage infrastructure shall be provided as specified
in Article V of these regulations. No surface water from any parking lot shall
be permitted to drain onto adjoining property.
(3) The Commission may waive the foregoing requirements with
respect to the type of surfacing and drainage infrastructure:
(a) For areas where existing drainage problems warrant use
of porous material;
(b) For groundwater recharge areas (or potential recharge
areas) where surfacing and change in drainage patterns will reduce or increase
groundwater levels;
(c) For areas where surfacing and change in drainage patterns
will be detrimental to the hydrology and wildlife of surface waterbodies,
streams or wetlands;
(d) For industrial uses not devoted to employee and/or public
parking and only when it is proven that any and all proposed uses will not
pollute potential ground and surface water supplies;
(e) For sites proposed for recreation activities; or
(f) For proposals located within a floodplain.
(4) Such conditions shall be documented in a detailed report
prepared by a licensed professional engineer, hydrogeologist and/or biologist,
where applicable. Said report shall be subject to review and approval the
City Engineer, Department of Public Works or any other agency the Commission
deems necessary to review the report, prior to Commission approval. A request
for waiver shall be submitted in writing and accompany the development application.
E. Marking. All required parking spaces, except for single-family
or two-family residences, shall be marked by painted lines, curbs or other
means to indicate individual spaces.
F. Landscape buffer.
(1) In cases where a nonresidential parking facility abuts
a residential use, a landscaped buffer area of up to 25 feet in depth and
located on the nonresidential parcel may be required by the Commission and
shall be maintained by the owner and/or occupants of such parcel. Landscaping
of such buffer area shall be in accordance with §
195-39E of these
regulations.
(2) The Commission may require that the area lying between
the front property line and the parking facility consist of a landscaped berm,
mound, wooden fence or masonry wall which may be planted with shrubs, hedges
and/or flowering plants, so as to provide effective screening from the street
and to improve the appearance of the site.
(3) For parking facilities containing 25 or more parking
spaces, a landscaped strip four feet in width shall be provided between each
two tiers of parking spaces. Such landscape strip shall include one shade
tree one and five-tenths inches in caliper and six feet in height for every
1,000 square feet of parking space area. The Commission may reduce the minimum
width of the landscaped strip in instances where a four-foot width is not
possible and/or would impede the flow of traffic.
G. Design. All off-street parking facilities shall be laid
out with standard size parking spaces. Such standard size spaces shall have
a width of 10 feet and a length of 18 feet.
(1) Ninety-degree parking. The overall wall-to-wall width
shall be 60 feet, including a two-foot allowance for bumper overhang. Aisle
width shall be 24 feet for two-way traffic.
(2) Sixty-degree parking. The overall wall to wall width
shall be 58 feet, including a two-foot allowance for bumper overhang. Aisle
width shall be 18 feet for one-way traffic.
(3) Forty-five-degree parking. The overall wall to wall width
shall be 51 feet, including a one-and-five-tenths-foot allowance for bumper
overhang. Aisle width shall be 13 feet for one-way traffic.
(4) Thirty-degree parking. The overall wall-to-wall width
shall be 45 feet, including a one-and-five-tenths-foot allowance for bumper
overhang. Aisle width shall be 12 feet for one-way traffic.
(5) Sidewalks. Concrete sidewalks a minimum of four feet
in width shall be installed on site and along the street frontages to provide
walkways between parking areas and building and/or principal or accessory
uses when deemed necessary and appropriate for pedestrian safety and convenience.
Such walkways shall provide handicapped access ramps in accordance with the
Connecticut General Statutes and the State Building Code.
(6) Lighting. Adequate lighting shall be provided in lots
of more than 10 spaces if off-street parking spaces are to be used at night.
The lighting shall be arranged and installed to minimize glare beyond the
property line.
The Commission may, depending on the specific parking needs of a particular
use, approve a phased development of the off-street parking area for a proposed
or an existing development, in accordance with the following conditions:
A. The total number of spaces required to be shown on the
site plan shall be determined in accordance with the standards for that particular
use, as specified in §
195-54 of these regulations;
B. The construction of the parking area and the installation
of the spaces may be phased according to short-term requirements as designated
on the plan, except that no less than 50% of the total spaces required shall
be constructed as part of the short-term requirement.
C. The balance of the spaces not constructed shall be designated
as "reserve spaces" on the site plan and laid out as an integral part of the
overall parking layout and must be located on land suitable for parking area
development and either left in its natural state or suitably landscaped.
D. Under any circumstances, the owner may construct the
total number of parking spaces required as per §
195-54 of these
regulations; or if the Zoning Officer determines that additional spaces, identified
as reserve spaces on the site plan, may be required, he shall notify the owner
of the property concerning his findings, and the owner shall construct the
required spaces within six months of such notification.