Town of Southold, NY Article XVIII Parking and Loading Areas

[Added 1-10-1989 by L.L. No. 1-1989]

§ 280-77 Purpose.

Regulations for off-street parking and truck loading areas are imposed in order to minimize traffic congestion, air pollution and the risk of motor vehicle and pedestrian accidents and to address aesthetic considerations.

§ 280-78 Off-street parking areas.

A. Off-street parking spaces, open or enclosed, are permitted accessory to any use specified below. Any land which is developed as a unit under single ownership and control shall be considered a single lot for the purpose of these parking regulations. Reasonable and appropriate off-street parking requirements for structures and uses which do not fall within the categories listed below shall be determined by the Planning Board upon consideration of all factors entering into the parking needs of each use. For those uses not specified in the schedule, there shall be a periodic monitoring of off-street parking conditions to ensure that the purpose of this article is satisfied. In addition, the Planning Board may waive all or a portion of these requirements within the Hamlet Business District where it shall find that municipal parking facilities within 300 feet of the proposed use will adequately serve the proposed use.

[Amended 5-16-1994 by L.L. No. 9-1994; 4-22-2008 by L.L. No. 4-2008; 11-4-2009 by L.L. No. 14-2009]

	Type of Use		Required Number of Parking Spaces
	Accessory apartment in existing 1-family dwelling		1 per accessory apartment in addition to 2 for 1-family dwelling
	Antique shop, auction gallery, arts and crafts shop and workshop		1 per 250 square feet of sales area
	Apartment over store		1 per apartment in addition to business requirements
	Auditorium, meeting hall		1 per 50 square feet of seating area, but not less than 1 per 4 seats where provided
	Automobile laundry		1 per employee, plus a 10-space queuing line area for each laundry bay
	Bank		10 spaces or 1 space for each 100 square feet of gross floor area or 3 spaces per teller, whichever is greatest, plus a 5-space queuing area for each drive-in teller
	Beach club or swim club		2 spaces per 3 members
	Bed-and-breakfast enterprise		1 space per guest room in addition to residential requirements
	Boardinghouse or tourist house		1 space per guest room in addition to residential requirements
	Boat and marine engine repair and sales, if separate from marina		1 space per 250 square feet of gross floor area
	Boatyard, including boat sales and rentals		Sales and rental portion, 3 spaces, in addition to marina requirements
	Bowling lane		At least 4 spaces per lane
	Building, electrical or plumbing contractor's business or yard		1 space for each employee, plus 2 spaces
	Cold storage plant		3 spaces or 1 per 800 square feet of gross floor area
	College		0.5 space per student, plus 0.75 space per staff member
	Conference facilities		1 space per 4 seats in the largest assembly hall or meeting area, plus 1 space for each 4 seats in classroom facilities
	Convenience stores		At least 1 space per 100 square feet of gross floor area of the retail store, including storage and counter space
	Drinking establishment		1 space per 3 seats or 1 space per 100 square feet of floor space, whichever is greater
	Fish market, including wholesale and retail sale of finfish and/or shellfish		1 space per 200 square feet of gross floor area
	Food processing and packaging including fish processing		0.75 space per employee or 1 space per 500 square feet of gross floor area, whichever is greater
	Fraternal or social office or meeting hall		See "office"
	Funeral home		1 space for each 3 seats provided therein or 1 space for each 100 square feet of space available for public use, whichever is greater, with a minimum of 25 spaces
	Gasoline service station, partial self-service		3-space queuing area for each pump, plus 1 space for each employee
	Gasoline service station with minor indoor repair facility		Same as gasoline service station above, plus 2 for each bay
	Greenhouse, floral shop, flower shop, nursery or similar facility, either enclosed or unenclosed		1 space per employee, plus 3 spaces, or 1 space per 200 square feet of sales and/or display area, whichever is greater
	Home occupation, including home professional office, except physician or dentist		3 spaces per home occupation, plus 2 spaces required for single-family residence
	Hospital		1 space for each bed
	Hotel or motel, resort and transient		1 space for each guest room and 1 for each employee or 1 space per guest room, whichever is greater, plus accessory use parking as required
	Indoor dog and cat care facilities		1 space per 400 feet of gross floor area
	In-service training facilities for employees		See "conference facilities"
	Laundry plant or dry-cleaning plant		1 per employee, plus 1 per 200 square feet of customer service area
	Laundromat		0.75 space per washing machine
	Library, museum or art gallery		See "auditorium"
	Light industrial uses		1 per employee or 1 per 500 square feet of floor area, whichever is greater
	Mariculture/aquaculture business		See "light industrial"
	Marina		1 space per boat slip, mooring, dock space or similar unit of capacity, plus 1 space per employee
	Membership club, country club, golf club or public golf course, tennis club		At least 1 for each 2 members or accommodations (such as lockers), whichever is greater, plus 1 for each employee
	Motor vehicle or mobile home salesroom or outdoor sales lot, including rental of equipment		1 per each 600 square feet of showroom and sales lot area, plus 1 per employee
	Multiple dwelling (3 or more families)
		Studio	1.5 per dwelling unit
		1-bedroom	1.5 per dwelling unit
		2-bedroom	2.0 per dwelling unit; 0.25 space is required for each bedroom in excess of the first 2 bedrooms
	Nursing home or proprietary rest home		1 for each bed
	Office, business, governmental and professional, except physicians or dentists		1 per 100 square feet of office floor area
	Office for physician or dentist		5 spaces per physician or dentist
	1-family detached dwelling		2 spaces per dwelling
	Personal service shop, barbershop or beauty parlor		2.5 spaces per service chair
	Philanthropic, eleemosynary or religious institution		1 space per bed
	Place of worship		See "auditorium"
	Printing or publishing plant		See "light industrial"
	Professional studio or travel agency		See "office"
	Recreational facility, fully enclosed, commercial		1 space for each 300 square feet of gross floor area, except court sports, 5 spaces per court, and rink sports, 1 space per 200 square feet of rink area
	Repair garage		4 spaces per bay, plus 1 space per employee
	Repair shop for household, business or personal appliances		1 space per 200 square feet of customer service area
	Research, design or development laboratory		See "light industrial"
	Restaurant, drive-in, curb service take-out or formula food		1 space per 2 seats or 1 space per 50 square feet of gross floor space, whichever is greater
	Restaurant, except drive-in		1 space per 3 seats or 1 space per 100 square feet of floor space, whichever is greater
	Retail sale or rental of fishing, diving or bathing supplies or equipment; ship's loft or chandlery		If separate use, see "retail shop"; if accessory use, 1 space for each employee, plus 2 spaces in addition to primary use
	Retail shop or store, other than those listed herein		At least 1 per 200 square feet of gross floor area
	Roadside farm stand		Minimum of 4 spaces per stand
	School, elementary		2 spaces per classroom, plus auditorium requirement
	School, secondary		2 spaces per classroom, plus 1 per 10 students, or auditorium requirement, whichever is greater
	Shop for custom work and for making articles to be sold at retail on the premises		See "retail store"
	Storage yard		1 space per employee, plus 4 spaces, or 1 space for each 5,000 square feet of storage area, whichever is greater
	Theater or cinema, other than outdoor		See "auditorium"
	Tourist camp		1 space for each accommodation, plus 1 space for each employee, plus 3 spaces for visitors
	Townhouse		See "multiple dwelling unit"
	2-family detached dwelling		3 spaces per dwelling
	Veterinarian and animal hospital		2 spaces per employee or 1 space per 200 feet of gross floor area, whichever is greater
	Warehouse or storage building		1 per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area
	Wholesale business, including lumber and other building products		1 per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area
	Wholesale/retail beverage distribution		1 space per 150 square feet of gross floor area
	Wholesale/retail nursery and/or sale of plants		1 space for each 200 square feet of gross floor area for retail use or 1 space for each employee, plus 3 spaces for wholesale use, with minimum of 4 spaces
	Yacht club		Same as "marina"

B. Areas computed as parking spaces. Areas which may be computed as open or enclosed off-street parking spaces include any private garage, carport or other area available for parking, other than a street or a driveway. However, a driveway within a required front yard for a one-family or two-family residence may count as one parking space.

C. Size of spaces. Three hundred fifty square feet shall be considered one space (to provide room for standing area and aisles for maneuvering). Aisles between rows of parking spaces shall be not less than 22 feet wide, unless reduced for sixty-degree-angle parking, in which case the aisle space should be not less than 16 feet wide. Entrance and exit lanes shall not be computed as parking space except for driveways for one-family and two-family residences. The minimum parking stall width shall be nine feet, and the minimum length shall be 19 feet.

D. Access. Unobstructed access to and from a street shall be provided. Such access shall consist of at least one fifteen-foot lane for parking areas with more than four spaces but less than 20 spaces, and at least two ten-foot lanes for parking areas with 20 spaces or more. No entrance or exit for any off-street parking area shall be located within 50 feet of any street intersection nor exceed a grade of 6% within 25 feet of any street line nor 10% at any other point. All points of ingress or egress shall be appropriately signed, unless such signing is considered unnecessary by the Planning Board.

E. Drainage and surfacing. All open parking areas shall be properly drained within the premises, and all such areas shall be provided with a dustless surface, except for parking spaces accessory to a one-family or two-family residence. Curbs, paving, sidewalks and drainage facilities shall comply with standards established in Town ordinances, regulations or specifications and shall be approved and constructed under the supervision of the Superintendent of Highways or his agent.

F. Joint facilities. Required parking spaces, open or enclosed, may be provided in spaces designed to serve jointly two or more establishments, whether or not located on the same lot, provided that the number of required spaces in such joint facilities shall be not less than the total required for all such establishments.

G. Combined spaces. When any lot contains two or more uses having different parking requirements, the parking requirements for each use shall apply to the extent of that use. Where it can be conclusively demonstrated that one or more such uses will be generating a demand for parking spaces primarily during periods when the other use or uses is not or are not in operation, the Planning Board may reduce the total parking spaces required for that use with the least requirement.

H. Location and ownership. Required accessory parking spaces, open or enclosed, shall be provided upon the same lot as the use to which they are accessory or elsewhere, provided that all spaces therein are located with 200 feet walking distance of such lot. In all cases, such parking spaces shall conform to all the regulations of the district in which parking spaces are located, and in no event shall such parking spaces be located in any residence district unless the use to which the spaces are accessory is permitted in such residence district or upon approval by the Board of Appeals. Such spaces shall be in the same ownership as the use to which they are accessory and shall be subject to deed restrictions approved by the Board, binding the owner and his heirs and assigns to maintain the required number of spaces available either throughout the existence of such use to which they are accessory or until such spaces are provided elsewhere (unless municipally owned spaces are utilized in accordance with § 280-78A above).

I. Lots divided by district boundaries. When a parking lot is located partly in one district and partly in another district, the regulations for the district requiring the greater number of parking spaces shall apply to all of the lot. Parking spaces on such a lot may be located without regard to district lines, provided that no such parking spaces shall be located in any residence district unless the use to which they are accessory is permitted in such district or upon approval of the Board of Appeals.

J. Parking regulations in multiple-dwelling or attached-dwelling developments.

(1) Wherever space is provided for the parking of five or more vehicles in the open, such spaces shall be individually identified by means of pavement markings.

(2) No parking space shall be located in any front yard nor within 10 feet of any lot line in side or rear yards.

(3) The parking of motor vehicles is prohibited within 15 feet of any wall or portion thereof of a two- or more family dwelling, which wall contains windows (other than bathroom or kitchen windows) with a sill height of less than eight feet above the level of said parking space.

(4) No service of any kind shall be permitted to be extended to users of the lot, including automobile service, repair or fueling, and no gasoline, oil, grease or other supplies shall be stored or sold in any such lot or in any garage on such lot.

(5) Parking areas shall be screened by a substantial wall, fence or thick hedge, approved by the Planning Board. Generally, such screening shall not be less than four feet nor more than eight feet in height.

K. Regulations for parking spaces adjacent to lots in any residence district.

(1) Wherever a parking area of over five spaces abuts or is within 15 feet of the side or rear lot line of a lot in any residence district, said parking lot shall be screened from such adjoining lot by a substantial wall, fence or thick hedge approved by the Planning Board. Generally, such screen shall be not less than four feet nor more than eight feet in height.

(2) Whenever a parking area of over five spaces is located across the street from other land in any residence district, it shall be screened from the view of such land by a thick hedge, wall or fence, approved by the Planning Board, located along a line drawn parallel to the street and a distance of 20 feet therefrom, such screening to be interrupted only at points of ingress and egress. Generally, no such screening shall be less than four feet nor more than six feet in height. The open area between such screening and the street shall be landscaped in harmony with the landscaping prevailing on neighboring properties fronting on the same street. Two identification and directional signs located on the street side of such screening shall be permitted; however, they shall not exceed an area of three square feet each.

L. Driveways. No driveway shall provide access to a lot located in another district, which lot is used for any use prohibited in the district in which such driveway is located.

M. Parking for special exception uses. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, the Planning Board may increase the parking requirements for special exception uses by up to 150% of the minimum parking requirements if it determines that such additional parking requirements are necessary by reason of the nature of the use and/or the characteristics of the site.

N. Traffic storage. All uses shall provide sufficient space on the same lot so that any storage lanes for traffic will be provided for and will not obstruct traffic or utilize public rights-of-way.[1]

[1] Editor's Note: Former Subsection O, dealing with the illumination of off-street parking areas, which immediately followed this subsection, was repealed 12-27-1994 by L.L. No. 30-1994.

O. Connections between abutting parking areas. Where appropriate, the Planning Board may require paved connections between abutting parking areas in different ownerships so as to facilitate the flow of traffic.

P. Supplemental regulations for private garages and off-street parking areas in residence districts.

(1) Commercial vehicles.

(a) One commercial vehicle not exceeding 20 feet in length may be parked in the driveway on an occupied lot in any residence district except that one commercial vehicle not exceeding 25 feet in length may be parked in the driveway on an occupied lot in any residence district, provided that the owner of the occupied lot has continuously maintained title to such vehicle since the date of the enactment of this amendment.[2]

[Amended 3-26-1991 by L.L. No. 6-1991; 7-17-1991 by L.L. No. 16-1991]

[2] Editor's Note: "This amendment" refers to L.L. No. 16-1991, adopted 7-17-1991.

(b) One commercial vehicle not exceeding 25 feet in length may be parked within a private garage in any residence district.

(c) Commercial farm vehicles are permitted as accessory to a commercial farm use in any residence district.

(2) Trailers and recreation vehicles. The storage or parking and use of a travel trailer or a recreation vehicle by any person or persons, except as hereinafter provided, is prohibited in all residential districts, except that:

(a) The keeping or storing of one camp-type travel trailer or recreation vehicle is permitted on a premises if it is either owned or rented by the occupants of such premises and is not kept for purposes of sale or rental and is used solely for the personal use of such occupants. Such camp-type travel trailer or recreation vehicle shall not be occupied as living quarters at any time and shall be secured in place in the rear yard not nearer than 15 feet to a side or rear lot line or to the street, and the doors thereof shall be kept securely locked.

(b) Such vehicle may not be parked within 10 feet of a one- or two-family dwelling or 15 feet of a multiple dwelling.

(3) Boats. One boat may be parked in the rear yard of any occupied lot not nearer than 15 feet to a rear or side line or to any street.

§ 280-79 Off-street loading areas.

Off-street loading berths, open or enclosed, are permitted accessory to any use (except one- or two-family residences), subject to the following provisions:

A. Uses for which required. Accessory off-street loading berths shall be provided for any use specified below. Any land which is developed as a unit under single ownership and control shall be considered a single lot for the purpose of such loading requirements.

(1) For a public library, museum or similar quasi-public institution, governmental building, community center, hospital or sanatorium, nursing or convalescent home, institution for children or the aged or school:

(a) With a floor area of 5,000 to 25,000 square feet, one berth.

(b) For each additional 25,000 square feet or fraction thereof, one additional berth.

(2) For buildings with professional, governmental or business offices or laboratory establishments:

(a) With a floor area of 5,000 to 25,000 square feet, one berth.

(b) For each additional 25,000 square feet or fraction thereof up to 100,000 square feet, one additional berth.

(c) For each additional 50,000 square feet or fraction thereof, one additional berth.

(3) For buildings with offices and retail sales and service establishments: one berth for 5,000 to 25,000 square feet of floor area, and one additional berth for each additional 25,000 square feet of floor area or fraction thereof to be used.

(4) For undertakers and funeral homes: one berth for each chapel.

(5) For hotels: one berth for each 2,500 square feet of floor area.

(6) For manufacturing, wholesale and storage uses and for dry-cleaning and rug-cleaning establishments and laundries: one berth for 5,000 to 10,000 square feet of floor area in such use, and one additional berth for each additional 10,000 square feet of floor area or fraction thereof so used. In addition, adequate reserved parking for waiting trucks shall be provided.

B. Size of spaces. Each required loading berth shall be at least 15 feet wide, 14 feet high and 45 feet long and in no event smaller than required to accommodate vehicles normally using such berths.

C. Location and access. Unobstructed access at least 15 feet wide, to and from a street, shall be provided. Such access may be combined with access to a parking lot. All permitted or required loading berths shall be on the same lot as the use to which they are accessory, except as provided in Subsection D below. No entrance or exit for any off-street loading area shall be located within 50 feet of any street intersection. No off-street loading berth shall be located in any required front yard.

D. Joint facilities. Permitted or required loading berths, open or enclosed, may be provided in spaces designed to serve jointly two or more adjacent establishments, provided that the number of required berths in such joint facilities shall not be less than the total required for all such facilities.

E. Lots divided by district boundaries. When a lot is located partly in one district and partly in another district, the regulations for the district requiring the greater number of loading berths shall apply to all of the lot. Loading berths on such lot may not be located in any residence district unless the use to which they are accessory is permitted in such district or upon the approval of the Board of Appeals.