Township of Scott, PA Article IX Off-Street Parking; Off-Street Loading; Access Driveways

§ 135-76 Off-street parking requirements.

In all districts, in accordance with every use, there shall be provided at the time any new building or structure is erected or any existing building is converted to a new use or increased in capacity off-street parking spaces in accordance with the requirements of this section. The facilities required herein shall be available throughout the hours of operation of the particular business or use for which they are provided.

A. Each parking area shall contain at least 270 square feet of usable area per vehicle, including interior driveways. The net parking area per vehicle shall be not less than nine feet by 18 feet. No part of any street right-of-way shall be used in calculating the required area for parking.

B. All parking spaces and areas shall be graded for proper drainage and shall be surfaced so as to provide a durable, dustless wearing surface comprised of a base coat and a top coat of amosite and shall be so designed to provide for the orderly and safe parking or storage of vehicles. All such areas shall be maintained in good condition.

C. Parking spaces shall be located on the same lot as the principal use.

D. The required parking spaces for any number of separate uses may be combined in one lot, but the required spaces assigned to one use may not be assigned to another use at the same time.

E. Adequate provisions shall be made for ingress and egress to all parking spaces. Access to off-street parking areas shall be limited to a minimal number of well-defined locations. In no case shall unrestricted access along the length of a street upon which the parking abuts be permitted. Parking areas shall be designed so there will be no need for motorists to back over major thoroughfares. Whenever parking spaces are opposite each other in a parking area and are separated by a driveway, said driveway shall not be less than 20 feet in width.

F. A strip of land at least 10 feet in width shall be reserved as open space between any street right-of-way line and any parking area. The reserve strip shall be protected by wheel bumpers or curbs and shall be planted with grass, shrubs or trees.

G. Parking areas for public, semipublic or nonresidential purposes shall be effectively screened on each side which adjoins or faces a residential district. Such screening shall consist of a fence or wall or a building or shall meet the requirements for screen plantings set forth in § 135-56.

H. Any lighting which is used to illuminate off-street parking areas shall be mounted and shielded in such a manner that will effectively eliminate direct glare on adjacent properties or upon public streets.

I. Off-street parking shall be provided as set forth in Table 1. In the case of any building or premises, the use of which is not specifically mentioned herein, the provisions for a use so mentioned and to which said use is similar, in the opinion of the Zoning Hearing Board, shall apply. In the case of mixed uses, the total number of required parking or loading spaces shall be the sum of the required spaces for the various uses computed separately.

	Table 1
	Off-Street Parking Schedule
	Use Classification	Spaces Required
	Single- and 2-family dwelling units and conversion apartments	2 for each dwelling unit
	Multifamily dwelling units	3 for each dwelling unit
	Student housing facilities	1 for each resident, plus 1 for each 2 employees
	Boarding- or rooming houses	2 for each dwelling unit, plus 1 for each guest room
	Churches, theaters and places of public or private assembly	1 for each 4 seats
	Schools	1 for each 3 students, plus 1 for each employee
	Retail stores or business establishments	1 for each 150 square feet of retail floor area
	Food markets or grocery stores	1 for each 100 square feet of retail floor area
	Convenience markets	1 for each 200 square feet of gross floor area
	Restaurants and taverns	1 for each 2 customer seats, plus 1 for each employee
	Professional offices, including medical buildings and financial institutions	1 for each 200 square feet of gross floor area, plus 1 for each 2 employees
	Motels or transient lodging facilities	1 for each guest room, plus 1 for each 2 employees
	Automotive repair garages	1 for each 200 square feet of retail floor area or 2 for each service bay, as applicable
	Automotive sales lots and service stations	1 for each 150 square feet of retail floor area
	Nursing or personal care homes or similar institutional uses, including group homes	1 for each 3 beds, plus 1 for each employee, including medical personnel
	Funeral homes	1 for each 4 seats, plus 1 for each employee
	Industrial operations, including warehouses	1 for each employee in the maximum work shift
	Clubs, lodges or public entertainment facilities	1 for each 100 square feet of gross floor area
	Parks, playgrounds and public or semipublic recreational uses	1 for each 4 persons of total facility capacity

§ 135-77 Off-street loading requirements.

Off-street loading berths or other space shall be provided in connection with every commercial, industrial, institutional or other building or part thereof hereafter proposed to contain a gross floor area of 5,000 square feet. Such accommodations shall meet the standards of § 135-76 in addition to the following requirements.

A. Each off-street loading space or berth shall not be less than 12 feet in width, 50 feet in length and shall have an overhead clearance of no less than 14 feet, exclusive of drives or maneuvering area. The loading area shall be entirely located on the lot being served, either inside or outside of a building, and shall be designed so that there will be no need for drivers to use or back over public walkways or rights-of-way. No street right-of-way shall be used for loading or unloading area.

B. Loading areas and spaces shall be constructed at grade level whenever possible. When necessary, ramps may be permitted, with a grade not exceeding 5% and protection against water impoundment or drifting snow.

C. The number of loading spaces required shall be as set forth in Table 2.

	Table 2
	Off-Street Loading Schedule
	Type and Size of Use	Berths Required
	Retail operations containing 5,000 square feet of gross floor area	1
	Retail operations exceeding 5,000 square feet of gross floor area	1 for the first 5,000 square feet of gross floor area and 1 for each 10,000 square feet thereafter
	Office buildings, hotels and institutional uses	1
	Industrial operations	1 for each 5,000 square feet of gross floor area
	Any other building with gross floor area exceeding 5,000 square feet requiring receipt or distribution of merchandise or materials by vehicle	1

§ 135-78 Driveways and access drives.

To minimize traffic congestion and to control street access in the interest of public safety and to encourage the appropriate development of street and road access, the following standards shall apply to the construction or creation of all new driveways or access drives.

A. Every building or lot shall have access to a public street or an approved private street. Where possible, all residential lots shall access onto a local street rather than a collector road. Access shall require a driveway or highway occupancy permit in accordance with Pennsylvania Department of Transportation standards or Township driveway requirements.

B. All driveways or access drives shall be designed and constructed in accordance with the standards set forth in § 123-28 of Chapter 123, Subdivision and Land Development, or as may hereafter be amended. Proposed streets shall also meet the requirements of the applicable sections of Article V of that chapter.