Borough of Aldan, PA Article VII Off-Street Parking and Loading

§ 256-48 Required number of off-street parking spaces.

A. Requirement.

(1) Each use established, enlarged or altered in any district shall provide and satisfactorily maintain off-street parking spaces in accordance with Table I,[1] the regulations of this chapter and the Delaware County Land Development and Subdivision Ordinance.

[1] Editor's Note: Table I is included as an attachment to this chapter.

(2) Uses not specifically listed in Table I shall comply with the requirements for the most similar use listed in Table I.

(3) Where a proposed use contains or includes more than one type of use (regardless of whether each use is listed in Table I or is an unlisted use), the number of parking spaces required shall be the sum of the parking requirements for each separate use.

(4) Where the computation of required parking spaces results in a fractional number, the fraction of 1/4 or more shall be counted as one.

B. Conditional reduction in off-street parking areas.

(1) The Borough recognizes:

(a) The importance of providing adequate, well-designed off-street parking areas;

(b) The need to limit the amount of paved parking areas to preserve open space and limit stormwater runoff; and

(c) That unique circumstances associated with a land use may justify a reduction in the parking requirements of Subsection A above.

(2) The Zoning Hearing Board may permit a reduction, through the special exception review process of § 256-16B, of the number of parking spaces to be initially developed as required by Subsection A above, provided that each of the following conditions are satisfied:

(a) The applicant shall demonstrate to the Board, using existing and projected (five years) employment, customer or other relevant data, that a reduction in the off-street parking spaces to be initially developed as required by Subsection A above is warranted.

(b) Submission of plans.

[1] The applicant shall submit plans of the parking lot(s) which designate a layout for the total number of parking spaces needed to comply with the parking requirement in Subsection A above.

[2] The plans shall clearly designate which of these parking spaces are proposed for immediate use and which spaces are proposed to be conditionally reserved for potential future use.

[3] The portion of the required parking spaces conditionally reserved for potential future use shall not be within areas for required buffer yards, setbacks or areas which would otherwise be unsuitable for parking spaces due to the physical characteristics of the land or other requirements of this chapter.

[4] Areas conditionally reserved for potential future use shall be attractively landscaped and remain in open space.

(c) Agreement.

[1] The applicant shall enter into an agreement with the Borough requiring the applicant to maintain each conditionally reserved area as attractively landscaped open space and convert some or all of the conditionally reserved area to additional off-street parking if at any time the Board finds (based upon the results of field investigations and recommendations of the Borough Engineer) that additional parking is needed.

[2] This agreement shall be recorded to the deed as a covenant running with the land.

§ 256-49 General regulations applying to required off-street parking facilities.

A. Existing parking. Structures and uses in existence at the effective date of this chapter shall not be subject to the requirements of this chapter, provided that the kind or extent of use is not changed and that any parking facility now serving such structures or uses shall not in the future be reduced to an amount less than that required by this chapter.

B. Changes in use. Whenever a building or use (including those specified in Subsection A above) is changed or enlarged in floor area, number of employees, number of dwellings, seating capacity or otherwise to create a need, based upon the requirements of § 256-48, for an increase of 10% or more in the number of existing parking spaces, the number of additional spaces to be provided shall be based upon the incremental change or enlargement so required.

C. Facilities for the disabled. At least 5% of the parking spaces, within parking areas containing 26 to 50 spaces, should be set aside and identified for use by individuals with physical disabilities. For every 100 spaces thereafter, the number of spaces may be reduced by 1%. Parking spaces for individuals with physical disabilities, when placed between two conventional, diagonal or head-on parking spaces, shall be 12 feet wide.

D. Continuing character of obligation.

(1) All required parking facilities shall be provided and maintained so long as the use which the facilities were designed to serve still exists.

(2) Off-street parking facilities shall not be reduced in total extent except when such reduction is in conformity with the requirements of this chapter in conjunction with a change in the nature of the use.

E. Conflict with other uses. No parking area shall be used for any other use that interferes with its availability for the parking need it is required to serve.

F. Location of parking spaces. Required off-street parking spaces shall be on the same lot or premises with the principal use served or, where this requirement cannot be met, within 400 feet walking distance of the principal use.

G. Joint use.

(1) Two or more uses may provide for required parking in a common parking lot; the total number of spaces in such lot shall not be less than the sum of the spaces required for each use individually, unless such lot is provided as specified in Subsection G(2) below.

(2) Up to 50% of the parking spaces for bowling alleys, theaters, auditoriums or private clubs and up to 100% of the parking spaces required for churches or meeting halls may be provided collectively and used jointly by banks, offices, retail stores, repair shops, service establishments and similar uses not normally open, used or operated during the same hours as bowling alleys, theaters, auditoriums or private clubs, churches or meeting halls; provided, however, that a written agreement assuring the continued availability of such parking areas shall be properly drawn and executed by the Borough Solicitor and filed with the application for the zoning permit.

H. Parking of commercial vehicles. Only one commercial motor vehicle may park on a residential lot within a residential district, provided that it does not exceed 11,000 pounds gross vehicle weight.

I. Temporary parking for civic and charitable events. Parking will be provided at the rate of one space for every three persons expected to attend the event, estimated from attendance in previous years, if available, and one space for every two workers. Also, the proper law enforcement officials shall be contacted and safe access and traffic control provided.

§ 256-50 Design standards for off-street parking facilities.

A. General requirements.

(1) The design standards specified in this section shall be mandatory for all new off-street parking facilities with a capacity of six or more vehicles.

(2) Every parking facility shall be designed so that its use does not constitute a nuisance, hazard or unreasonable impediment to traffic.

(3) Every parking area shall be arranged for orderly, safe movement.

(4) No parking area shall be designed to require or encourage parked vehicles to back into a public street in order to leave a parking space.

(5) Every parking area shall be designed so that each motor vehicle may proceed to and from the parking space provided for it without requiring the moving of any other motor vehicle.

(6) No parking area shall be located in a required buffer yard.

B. Parking spaces.

[Amended 6-13-2001 by Ord. No. 478]

(1) Each parking space shall have a stall width of at least nine feet.

(2) Each parking space shall have a stall depth of:

(a) At least 18 feet for all angle parking; or

(b) At least 23 feet for parallel parking.

(3) All spaces shall be marked so as to indicate their location, except those of a single-family or two-family dwelling.

C. Aisles.

(1) Each aisle providing access to stalls for one-way traffic only shall be at least the minimum aisle width specified as follows:

	Angle of Parking	Minimum Aisle Width (feet)
	Parallel	12
	30°	14
	45°	16
	60°	18
	90°	20

(2) Each aisle providing access to stalls for two-way traffic shall be at least 25 feet in width.

(3) No aisle shall exceed 200 feet in length.

D. Entrance and exit drives.

(1) Each entrance and exit drive shall have a minimum width of 18 feet at the street line for one-way use only and a minimum width of 30 feet at the curbline for two-way use.

(2) Adequate provisions shall be made to maintain uninterrupted parallel drainage along a public street at the point of driveway or access drive entry.

(3) At least 40 feet shall be provided between any two access drives along one street for one lot.

(4) No access drive or driveway shall be less than 30 feet from any street intersection. Clear sight triangle provisions as described in Article IV, § 256-22C(2), shall apply to these access points.

(5) Where sidewalks and curbing exist on adjoining property or are required for the subject property, adequate provisions shall be made for continuous curbing and sidewalks across the entrance and exit drives.

E. Grading; surface drainage. Except for areas that are landscaped and so maintained, all portions of required parking facilities, including driveways, shall be graded, surfaced with asphalt or other suitable material and drained to the extent necessary to prevent dust, erosion or excessive water flow across streets or adjoining properties, in a manner approved by the Borough Engineer.

F. Nighttime illumination.

(1) Any parking area designed for use by four or more cars after dusk shall be adequately illuminated.

(2) All lighting fixtures used to illuminate parking areas shall be arranged to prevent glare into public streets and adjoining properties.

G. Street separations. Except where entrance and exit drives cross street lines, all parking areas for any purpose other than single-family residences shall be physically separated from any public street by an approved curb and by a planting strip which shall not be less than 10 feet in depth. This planting strip shall be parallel to the right-of-way line and shall be measured from the right-of-way line.

H. Screening and landscaping. Any parking area of six or more spaces which is not within a building and abuts or is across a street from any lot in an R-1, R-2 and R-3 Residence District shall be provided with a suitable fence, wall or evergreen planting at least four feet in height, designed to screen visibility and headlight glare from such residential lot. Said plantings shall be maintained.

§ 256-51 Off-street loading.

A. General requirement. Off-street loading sufficient to accommodate the maximum demand generated by the use of the lot and with proper access from the street or alley as determined by the Zoning Officer or another applicable review agent for the Borough shall be provided on any lot on which a building for business or industry is hereafter erected. All off-street loading and unloading spaces shall be graded, surfaced with asphalt or other suitable material and drained to the satisfaction of the Borough Engineer to the extent necessary to protect adjoining property.

B. Minimum size. Each off-street loading and unloading space shall be a minimum of 14 feet by 75 feet and, in addition, have sufficient maneuvering room separate from other parking to eliminate traffic conflicts within off-street loading and parking areas.

C. Driveways. In the Business, Industrial and multiple-family residential (R-3 Residence) Districts, the maximum width of driveways and sidewalk openings measured at the street lot line shall be 35 feet; the minimum width shall be 20 feet. In all other residential districts (R-1, R-2), the maximum width of driveways and sidewalk openings measured at the street lot line shall be 18 feet; the minimum width shall be 10 feet.