Township of Union, PA Article XVIII Off-Street Parking and Loading

§ 280-116 Applicability.

Off-street parking spaces shall be provided in accordance with the specifications in this article in any district whenever any new use is established or existing use is enlarged.

§ 280-117 Off-street parking design.

Parking areas in all zoning districts shall comply with the following standards.

A. Size. Each off-street parking space shall have an area of not less than 180 square feet, exclusive of access drives or aisles; shall have minimum dimensions of nine feet in width and 20 feet in length; and shall be maintained free from obstruction. Parking areas shall be designed to provide sufficient turnaround area so that vehicles are not required to back onto the cartway of any public street.

B. Design. The minimum dimensions of aisles and driveways shall be as follows:

(1) Minimum width of aisles providing two-way travel shall be 24 feet.

(2) Minimum width of aisles providing one-way travel shall vary with the angle of parking, as follows:

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

(3) The minimum width of entrance and exit drives shall be:

(a) For one-way travel, a minimum of 12 feet.

(b) For two-way travel, a minimum of 24 feet.

(c) A maximum of 35 feet at the street line and 54 feet at the curbline.

(d) Adequate sight distance shall be provided, subject to review and approval by the Township Engineer. Driveways shall not exceed a slope of 10% within 12 feet of the street right-of-way line.

C. Access. Access to parking areas shall be provided in accordance with the following requirements:

(1) Where an existing lot does not adjoin a public or private street, alley or easement of access, an access drive shall be provided leading to the parking areas.

(2) Access to off-street parking areas shall be limited to well-defined locations, and in no case shall there be unrestricted access along the length of a street. In any district, other than a residential district, the street frontage shall be curbed to restrict access to the lot, except where access drives are proposed.

(3) The number of access drives from a single lot or development to any public street shall not exceed two for every 400 feet of street frontage.

(4) Except on corner lots, access drives shall be located at least 200 feet from the intersection of any two street right-of-way lines. Where a site has frontage on more than one street, access shall be provided from the street with the lower traffic volume, if physically practical.

(5) Access drives entering state highways are subject to a highway occupancy permit issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). Access drives entering county roads and Township streets shall be graded to conform to existing topography and shall be designed so that drainage will not adversely impact the street or adjoining properties.

(6) Each parking space shall have access directly to a driveway. Interior circulation of traffic shall be designed so that no driveway providing access to parking spaces shall be used as a through street. Interior traffic circulation shall be designed to ensure safety and access by emergency vehicles.

D. Joint use of facilities. Two or more uses may provide the required parking in a common parking lot, if the total spaces provided are not less than the sum of the spaces required for each use individually. However, the number of spaces required in a common parking facility may be reduced below the total as a use by special exception to be granted by the Zoning Hearing Board, provided it can be demonstrated that the hours or days of operation or peak parking needed for the uses are so different that a lower total will provide adequately for all uses served by the facility.

E. Safety requirements. The Board of Supervisors shall consider whether safety requirements are warranted to reduce traffic hazards which endanger public safety. The developer shall be responsible for construction of any required islands, acceleration, deceleration or turning lanes and shall bear the cost of installing any required traffic control devices, signs or pavement markings within and adjoining the boundaries of the development site.

F. Marking. In parking areas which contain five or more spaces, all parking spaces shall be clearly delineated by painted lines or markers. Parking spaces shall be provided with bumper guards or wheel stops, where necessary, for safety or protection to adjacent structures or landscaped areas. All vehicular entrances and exits to parking areas shall be clearly marked for all conditions. Short-term visitor parking spaces shall be differentiated from long-term employee spaces by suitable markings. Handicapped parking shall be appropriately marked.

G. Parking areas serving residential dwellings. Parking requirements for single-family, two-family and townhouse dwellings shall be met by providing the required spaces in an enclosed garage or in a private driveway on the lot. Parking for garden apartments shall be provided in a paved, striped and curbed off-street parking area.

H. Parking areas serving uses other than residential dwellings. Parking requirements for all uses other than residential dwellings shall be met by providing a paved, striped and curbed off-street parking area.

I. Location of parking areas. Required parking spaces shall be located on the same lot with the principal use. No parking area containing more than five parking spaces shall be located closer than 10 feet to any adjoining property line, and parking authorized in front yards shall be located at least 10 feet from the street right-of-way line.

J. Screening and landscaping:

(1) Parking areas containing more than five parking spaces shall be effectively screened by a Buffer Area "C," as defined by § 280-105B of this chapter, along any property line which adjoins a residential use or residential zoning district classification.

(2) In addition, a planting strip at least five feet wide shall be provided between the edge of the right-of-way and any parking area authorized in any yard which fronts on a street. Planting strips between the right-of-way and the parking area shall be suitably landscaped and maintained in grass, ground cover or other landscaping material not in excess of three feet in height, which shall not obstruct visibility for traffic entering or leaving the lot or travelling on the public street.

K. Surfacing. With the exception of parking areas serving single-family dwellings and two-family dwellings, all parking areas and access drives shall have a paved, concrete, interlocking brick or stone or bituminous surface, graded with positive drainage to dispose of surface water.

L. Lighting. Any lighting used to illuminate off-street parking areas shall be designed to reflect the light away from the adjoining premises of any residential zoning district or residential use and away from any streets or highways. Lighting units shall be located not more than 80 feet apart, and the lighting system shall furnish an average minimum of two footcandles during hours of operation.

M. Stormwater management. All paved parking areas shall be designed so that stormwater runoff shall not adversely affect adjacent properties. The method of stormwater management and the design of the proposed facilities shall be subject to the requirements of Chapter 242, Subdivision and Land Development, and to review and recommendation by the Township Engineer.

§ 280-118 Off-street parking requirements.

Any new use or change of use in any zoning district shall comply with the following minimum requirements for the provision of off-street parking spaces:

A. When the calculation of required parking spaces results in a requirement of a fractional parking space, any fraction shall be counted as one parking space.

B. Where more than one use exists on a lot, parking requirements for each use shall be provided.

C. The following table of parking requirements specifies the number of spaces required for various categories of uses in any zoning district:

	Use	Parking Spaces Required
	Single-family and two-family dwelling	2 parking spaces per dwelling unit
	Garden apartments, townhouses	2 parking spaces per dwelling unit plus 0.5 space per dwelling unit for visitors, located within 300 feet of the units they are intended to serve
	High-rise apartment	1 1/2 spaces per dwelling unit provided indoors
	Churches	1 per 4 seats or 80 lineal inches of pew, or if there are no pews or seats, 1 per 15 square feet of floor area used for assembly
	Day-care center, nursery school	1 for each teacher and/or employee on largest shift plus 1 space per each 6 students
	Public utility installation	1 per employee on peak shift plus 1 for each service vehicle stored on lot
	Schools, elementary and junior high	1 for each employee or faculty member
	Schools, secondary and postsecondary	1 for each employee or faculty member plus 1 for each 10 students
	Theater, auditorium or gymnasium	1 per 4 seats
	Hospitals and nursing homes	1 per 3 beds and 1 for each employee on the peak working shift
	Hotel/motel	1 per employee on peak shift plus 1 per sleeping unit
	Professional office business office business services	1 for every 300 square feet of net floor area
	Banks and financial institutions	1 per 300 square feet of gross floor area plus 1 per employee on peak shift plus 5 off-street waiting spaces per drive-in window
	Clinics	1 for each staff plus 3 for each examining or treatment room or other patient service position
	Group care, personal care, transitional dwelling	1 for each employee on peak shift plus 1 for each resident authorized to drive plus 1 for each 6 beds
	Retail businesses, personal service establishments	1 for each 250 square feet of gross floor area
	Fast food establishments	1 per 50 square feet of gross floor area plus 1 per employee on peak shift
	Other eating and drinking establishments	1 for each 75 square feet of gross floor area plus 1 for each employee on peak working shift
	Bowling alleys	5 for each alley
	Tennis, racquetball and handball courts	1 per employee plus 4 for each court
	Golf courses	8 for each hole plus 1 for each employee
	Swimming pools, public/commercial	1 for each 50 square feet of surface water area
	Funeral homes	25 for the first parlor plus 10 for each additional parlor
	Indoor places of assembly	1 for each 75 square feet of net floor area
	Libraries/museums	1 for each 250 square feet of gross floor area
	Service stations/vehicle repair garages	4 for each bay plus 1 for each employee on peak shift plus 1 for each business vehicle
	Manufacturing	1 for each 1,500 square feet of gross floor area or 1 for each employee on the peak working shift, whichever is greater
	Warehousing, freight terminals, wholesaling	1 for each 2 employees on peak working shift
	Flex space	Each portion of the floor area used for office, manufacturing and/or warehousing shall meet the minimum requirements of this section for that specific use
	All other uses	1 for each 3 occupants at maximum permitted occupancy or 1 for each 300 square feet of gross floor area, whichever is greater

§ 280-119 Off-street loading.

In all zoning districts, whenever a new use is established or an existing use is structurally altered, converted or enlarged, off-street loading spaces shall be provided in accordance with the requirements of this section.

A. Off-street loading design.

(1) Size. Each loading berth shall be at least 65 feet in length and 12 feet in width with an overhead clearance of 14 feet. The area used for loading berths shall not be used to satisfy parking area requirements and shall not block any driveway used for circulation through the site.

(2) Access. Loading berths shall be designed to provide sufficient turnaround area so that vehicles are not required to back onto public streets, and the design shall be subject to review and approval by the Township Engineer. Loading berths shall have direct access to a driveway and shall be maintained free from obstruction.

(3) Location. All loading berths shall be located on the same lot with the principal use they are intended to serve. No loading berth shall be located in a required front yard. Loading berths shall be located at least 30 feet from the nearest point of intersection of any two streets.

(4) Screening. Loading berths shall be screened by a six-foot hedge, wall or opaque fence on all sides which face residential use or zoning district classification.

(5) Surfacing. All loading berths shall have a paved, concrete or bituminous surface, graded with positive drainage to dispose of surface water.

(6) Lighting. Any lighting used to illuminate loading berths shall be designed to reflect from any adjoining residential use or zoning classification and away from any street or highway.

B. Off-street loading requirements. In all zoning districts, every use which requires the receipt or distribution, by vehicle, of material or merchandise shall provide off-street loading berths in accordance with the following requirements:

(1) Uses. Department stores, freight terminals, industrial or manufacturing establishments, retail or wholesale stores, personal or business service establishments, storage warehouses or any similar uses which receive deliveries:

	Gross Floor Area (square feet)	Number of Berths Required
	Under 10,000	None
	10,000 to 19,999	1
	20,000 to 39,999	2
	40,000 to 65,000	3
	For each additional 20,000	4

(2) Uses. Auditoriums, convention or exhibit halls, sports arenas, hotels, office buildings, restaurants, nursing homes, hospitals, schools, apartment buildings, public buildings and similar uses which receive deliveries:

	Gross Floor Area (square feet)	Number of Berths Required
	Under 40,000	None
	40,000 to 59,999	1
	60,000 to 99,999	2
	100,000 to 160,000	3
	Over 160,000	4

C. In addition to required off-street parking and loading facilities, adequate storage areas for vehicles awaiting loading and unloading shall be provided. Under no circumstances shall vehicles be stored on or block access to a public right-of-way.