Township of Unity, PA Off-Street Parking and Loading

Off-street parking in commercial, industrial and manufacturing districts, when located in the front yard, shall not be closer than 35 feet to the edge of the travelled roadway. Except for the entrance or exit, the area between the edge of the berm and the beginning of the parking area shall be planted and maintained with grass; provided, however, that any grassy area shall be not less than 15 feet in width. There shall be at least one entrance and one exit onto a public highway. Off-street parking spaces shall be provided in accordance with the specifications in this section whenever any new use is established or existing use is enlarged.

Off-street parking facilities shall be provided as listed in the Table of Off-Street Parking attached hereto in Appendix A.[1] For other uses that do not fit into one of the categories listed below, the determination of the appropriate parking space requirements shall be recommended by the Planning Commission based on a parking needs study.

[1]

Editor's Note: Said table is included as an attachment to this chapter.

Alternate parking. The Township may require or approve alternate design standards for off-street parking in response to unusual conditions such as dead car storage, attendant parking, indoor parking, interaction between different abutting uses in the same development district or a clearly documented difference between expected parking loads and required parking spaces, provided that any reduction in the number of required spaces so granted shall be offset by a reserved area for future installation of a like number of spaces to be so improved at the discretion of the Township.

Every off-street parking space shall have a rectangular area of not less than nine feet by 18 feet. If parking spaces are indicated by lines other than 90°, then traffic lanes shall be restricted to one way, permitting head-in parking only. All one way parking lanes shall be not less than 12 feet wide. All two way parking lanes shall be not less than 24 feet wide.

Every off-street parking lot shall be graded for proper drainage and paved in accordance with Township standards. Continuous six-inch curbing shall be installed to assure safe and efficient flow of traffic, prevent encroachment onto required yards and direct stormwater, and such curbing shall be installed in compliance with an approved site plan. Parking aisle separators, sidewalks and landscape plantings shall be provided as required and approved by Township. Parking perpendicular to the grade shall be permitted up to a grade of 5%; parking parallel to the grade shall be permitted up to a grade of 7%; no parking shall be permitted on a grade in excess of 7%.

Parking spaces suitable for the needs of the handicapped will be provided as approved on the site plan, and signs, railings and ramps will be provided as appropriate to the site.

Any lighting used to illuminate an off-street parking lot shall be arranged so as to reflect light away from adjoining premises in any R, C or A District.

When determination of off-street parking results in a requirement of a fractional space, any fraction shall be counted as one parking space.

Off-street parking spaces shall be located on the same development lot as the principal use.

A multiple-family dwelling or multi-story dwelling designed and operated as housing for the elderly shall require a minimum of one parking space on the same lot with the main structure or structures for each two dwelling units.