Town of Williamstown, MA Article VI Other General Regulations

§ 70-6.1 Off-street parking and loading.

A. Purpose. The purpose and intent of this section is to limit the amount of pavement coverage within the Town to the minima set forth. Special event and overflow parking shall be permitted on grass, fields, and where legally authorized, streets. Any increase in parking beyond the minima prescribed shall be allowed only by special permit issued by the Planning Board in conformance to the standards set forth in § 70-8.4.

[Added 5-20-2003 ATM, Art. 26;[1] amended 11-14-2017 STM, Art. 5]

[1] Editor's Note: This article also redesignated former Subsections A through C as B through D, respectively.

B. Number of spaces. Off-street parking and loading spaces required to meet the following standards shall not hereafter be reduced, nor shall one be counted as or substituted for the other. Off-street parking and loading spaces shall be required as follows:

(1) Single-family and two-family dwellings, mobile homes and mobile home parks: one parking space for each dwelling unit therein and sufficient off-street parking for visitors and employees.

(2) Multifamily dwellings: one off-street space per dwelling unit, plus an additional off-street space for every three dwelling units within a building.

[Amended 5-20-2003 ATM, Art. 26; 5-16-2017 ATM, Art. 34]

(3) Places of public assembly.

(a) All districts except Village Business: one parking space for each three seats therein or one space for each 60 inches of bleachers or benches, plus one space for every two employees thereof.

(b) Village Business Districts: The number of spaces shall be determined by the Planning Board according to the same criteria as § 70-6.1A(11), Nonlisted uses.

(4) Schools: one parking space for each classroom and office therein, plus one parking space for each three seats in the auditorium thereof.

(5) Hotels, motels and other places providing overnight accommodations: one parking space for each room accommodation therein, plus one space for each two employees, and adequate spaces for delivery vehicles.

(6) Restaurants: 1-1/2 parking spaces for every four seats or fraction there of, plus one space for each two employees, and adequate spaces for delivery vehicles.

(7) Other service and retail establishments: Parking areas, exclusive of driveways, shall be in a minimum ratio of one space to 250 square feet of gross floor area, exclusive of storage areas, plus one space for each two employees, and adequate loading spaces.

(8) Offices, research and development facilities and similar facilities: one space for each 250 square feet of gross floor area, plus adequate loading spaces.

(9) Warehouses, industrial and manufacturing establishments: one space for each 1,000 square feet of gross floor area, plus adequate loading spaces.

(10) Assisted living residences: 0.6 space per dwelling unit or seven spaces, whichever is greater.

(11) Nonlisted uses: such parking and loading spaces as may be required by the Planning Board, to provide a comparable level of service as is required of listed uses.

[Amended 5-19-2015 ATM, Art. 38]

C. Development standards.

(1) Space equivalents. For all required off-street parking spaces, open or enclosed, each 300 square feet of net standing and maneuvering area shall be considered one space. However, if such spaces are located in a completely enclosed building, each 250 square feet of net standing and maneuvering area shall be considered one space.

(2) Location.

(a) All required parking spaces shall be located on the same lot as the use with which such spaces are connected, or, in the case of unenclosed spaces, within 200 feet of the lot, except that two or more businesses may jointly provide the required spaces on one or more of their lots. The number of spaces in any such joint facilities shall at least equal the total number required under the provisions of this article for their individual uses, provided that the distance between the businesses and joint parking facilities shall not exceed 250 feet.

(b) Parking areas for five or more cars shall not be located within 15 feet of any street right-of-way, nor shall they be located in any required side yard. Parking areas shall not be located in any yard required in § 70-4.3 to be increased because of abutting a residential district. Required side yards may be used for access between parking areas in the front and rear of the building or from parking in the rear to the street.

(c) In the Planned Business District, not more than 1/3 of all parking provided on the premises shall be located closer to the street than the front building line of the building on the premises closest to the street.

(d) In the Village Business Districts, parking shall not be located between the front building line and the street line.

(3) Access. All required parking spaces shall be provided with unobstructed access to and from a street and shall be properly maintained in such a manner as to permit them to be used at all times. Parking areas for five or more cars shall not require nor permit vehicles to back into any public way. They shall be served by one or more driveways satisfying the following standards:

(a) Driveways to be a minimum of 10 feet wide if one way and a minimum of 18 feet wide if two way and a maximum of 40 feet wide.

(b) Entrance or exit center lines shall not fall within 50 feet of an intersection of street side lines or within 75 feet of the center line of any other parking area entrance or exit on the same side of the street whether on the same parcel or not.

(c) Driveways to be defined by nonmountable curb of at least four inches reveal and of granite or other suitable material that will not deteriorate under winter conditions.

(4) Surfacing. Parking areas for five or more cars shall be surfaced by suitable materials and methods. A surface cross section of six inches of suitable base material with 3 1/2 inches of bituminous concrete Type l-1 over compact subgrade or equivalent shall be deemed sufficient. Where approved by the Planning Board, grasscrete or other suitable porous pavement, including well graded crushed stone, may be substituted for some or all of the parking area. Porous pavements shall have a suitable base of at least eight inches of well graded compacted gravel. Crushed stone surface layers shall be at least six inches thick. In all cases, entrance- and/or exit ways shall be paved with bituminous concrete. The parking surface shall be smooth and have a minimum slope of 1% and a maximum slope of 5%.

(5) Drainage. Drainage shall be by means of catch basins with suitable inlets and underground pipes except where overland flow distance is less than 300 feet or porous surfaces are employed. Runoff must be managed as required at § 70-5.3B. Erosion must be controlled as required at § 70-5.3C.

[Amended 5-17-2011 ATM, Art. 34]

(6) Lighting. Parking areas to be used at night shall be illuminated with lights so designed and placed as to provide sufficient illumination of the ground below, for the safe passage and identification of vehicles and pedestrians in immediate areas and so as to meet the standards of § 70-5.4D. An average of from 0.3 to 0.5 footcandle lighting level throughout the parking area shall be required for safe and sufficient illumination. Where lighting levels in excess of the above average are deemed necessary by owners, lessees or others exercising control of said parking areas, a lighting level in excess of 0.5 footcandle may be authorized on special permit by the Board of Appeals upon its determination that the standards of § 70-5.4D will still be met, and that the increased level is important to safety.

D. District parking exceptions.

(1) On-street spaces.

(a) In the Limited Business Districts, legal on-street parking shall be credited towards meeting parking requirements if located between the premises side lot lines on the same side of the street.[2]

[2] Editor’s Note: Former Subsection D(1)(b), regarding parking in the Village Business District on properties abutting Spring Street, as amended, which immediately followed this subsection, was repealed 5-18-2010 ATM, Art. 30.

(2) Village Business District parking requirements: Off-street parking shall not be required for properties located in the Village Business District, except for the following uses:

[Added 5-18-2010 ATM, Art. 30; amended 5-19-2015 ATM, Art. 40]

(a) Multifamily dwellings: one off-street space per dwelling unit.

[Amended 5-16-2017 ATM, Art. 34]

(b) Places of public assembly: The number of spaces shall be determined by the Planning Board according to the same criteria as § 70-6.1B(11), Nonlisted uses.

§ 70-6.2 Signs.

Signs are permitted in accordance with the Chapter 53, Signs, adopted by the Town of Williamstown at its Annual Town Meeting on May 17, 1994, and any amendments thereto.