Chapter 175 ZONING.

Section 175-104 OFF-STREET PARKING.

A. There shall be provided at the time of erection of any main building or at the time any main building is enlarged or at the beginning or enlargement of any use minimum off street parking space with adequate provisions for entrance and exit.  One hundred sixty-two (162) square feet [nine by eighteen (9 x 18) feet] of lot or floor area shall be deemed to be parking space for one (1) vehicle.  All parking spaces and access driveways shall be covered with an all-weather surface, unless as otherwise herein provided, and shall be graded and drained to dispose of surface water.  However, no surface water from any parking area shall be permitted to drain onto adjoining property.

B.  A parking space shall be at least three (3) feet from a side or rear property line, and no parking space for multiple-family dwelling shall be less than ten (10) feet from a residential structure.

C.  There shall be provided at the time of the erection of any principal building or structure or at the time that any principal building or structure is altered, enlarged or increased in size not less than the parking space in amounts stated herein.  Minimum off-street parking space required may be reduced when the capacity and use of a particular building is changed in such a manner that the new use or capacity would require less space than before the change. Should a nonconforming structure or use be enlarged or extended or should a use or structure be nonconforming because of parking requirements, additional parking requirements need only be based on the requirements for the enlarged or expanded portion.

D. The parking spaces required for one- and two-family dwellings shall be located on the same lot as the dwelling; the parking spaces required for other land use shall be located on the same lot as the principal use or on a lot which is within three hundred (300) feet of the premises they are to serve, such distance to be measured along lines of public access to the property. However, before such off-site parking facilities are approved, a written agreement thereto  assuring their retention for such purposes shall be properly drawn and executed by the parties concerned, approved as to  form by the Town Attorney and shall be filed with the Zoning  Administrator.

E. Collective provisions of off-street parking facilities for two (2) or more structures or uses is permissible, provided  that the total number of parking spaces is at least equal to the sum of the minimum number of required spaces computed    separately for each use.  Collective parking is subject to all previously stated parking requirements.

F.  Specific requirements.

     1.  The parking requirement for the following uses shall be as follows:

a.  Residential: two (2) parking spaces per dwelling unit. Townhouse parking requirements shall be governed by the provisions of Town Code Section 175-112.

b.  Motels/hotels: one (1) parking space per room and  one (1) additional parking space for every ten (10) rooms.

c.  Lodging/boarding/bed and breakfast: one (1) parking space per room and an additional two (2) spaces for employees.

          d.  Shopping centers: as provided in Town Code Section 175-111.

          e.  Commercial/retail: one (1) parking space per two hundred (200) gross square feet.

f.   Furniture/appliance/lumber and building supply:  one (1) parking space per four hundred (400) gross square feet.

g.  Wholesale/storage and contractors facilities: one (1) parking space per one thousand (1,000) gross square feet for nonpublic areas; one (1) parking space per one hundred (100) net square feet for  public sales areas.

h.  Self-service storage facilities: one (1) parking space per twenty (20) individual units, and one  (1) additional space per three hundred (300) gross square feet of office area.

           i.  Art galleries/museums: one (1) parking space per three hundred (300) gross square feet.

           j.  Professional offices: one (1) parking space per  three hundred (300) gross square feet.

           k.  Medical/dental offices: one (1) parking space per  two hundred (200) gross square feet.

l.  Indoor recreation facilities: one (1) parking  space per two hundred (200) gross square feet.

           m.  Bowling alleys: three (3) parking spaces per alley.

n.  Outdoor recreation facilities: one (1) parking space per two hundred (200) net square feet of improved area.

 o.  Outdoor court game facilities: one (1) parking space for every two (2) players as designed. For example, a tennis court shall be considered to be designed for four (4) players.

p.  Personal service facilities: one (1) parking space per two hundred (200) gross square feet.

 q.  Churches/theaters/other assembly buildings/auditoriums: one (1) parking space per four  (4) fixed seats in the main assembly area or one (1) parking space per one hundred (100)  net square feet.

r.  Day-care/nursery facilities: one (1) parking space per employee and one (1) parking space for every ten (10) children.

s.  Nursing/convalescent homes: one (1) parking  space for every four (4) beds, and one (1)  parking space per employee.

t. Hospitals: one (1) parking space for every two (2) beds, and one (1) parking space for each employee, excluding medical doctors.

u.  Funeral homes: one (1) parking space for every four (4) fixed seats or one (1) parking space  per one hundred (100) square feet net visitation area, plus five (5) employee parking spaces.

           v.  Restaurants (sit-down): one (1) parking space  for every four (4) seats.

w.  Restaurants (carry-out): one (1) parking space per fifty (50) net square feet of customer service area.

x.  Restaurants (drive-through): three (3) parking spaces plus stacking lanes for six (6) vehicles.

y.  Industrial uses/office component: one (1) parking space per three hundred (300) gross  square feet of office area.

z.   Industrial uses/manufacturing/distribution areas: one (1) parking space per employee and one (1) space for every vehicle used on site, plus one (1) parking space per delivery/loading bay.

aa.  Automobile/motor vehicle service facilities: two (2) spaces per service bay or two (2) spaces for every three hundred sixty (360) square feet. Every such facility shall have a minimum of three (3) parking spaces.

bb.  Car sales/rental facilities: one (1) parking space per each two thousand five hundred (2,500) square feet of open sales display area and one (1) parking space per employee.  In addition, there shall be two (2) parking spaces per service bay or two (2) parking spaces for every three hundred sixty (360) square feet of service bay area.  There shall be a minimum of three (3)     spaces for the service bay areas of these facilities.

cc.  Car wash (self-service): one (1) parking space for drying vehicles, plus two (2) stacking spaces per car wash bay.

dd.  Car wash (automatic): two (2) parking spaces for drying vehicles, plus five (5) stacking spaces per car wash bay.

             ee.  Libraries: one (1) parking space per one thousand (1,000) gross square feet.

ff.  Public/private schools: one (1) parking space  per employee, plus parking space for school  auditoriums as required in Subsection F(l)(q).

gg.  Greenhouse and landscape nursery facilities: one (1) parking space per four hundred (400) square  feet of structured public selling area; one (1) parking space per one thousand (1,000) square feet of greenhouse/warehouse/plant  storage areas; and one (1) parking space for each company vehicle.  

(Ord. No. Z-1-95 Added “gg” 1-9-95-Effective Upon Passage)

hh.  Veterinary Hospitals and Kennels:  One (1) parking space per three hundred (300) gross square feet.

(Ord. No. Z-2-97 Added “hh” 4-14-97-Effective Upon Passage)

ii.  Any other commercial use not specifically enumerated  shall have one (1) parking space per two hundred (200) gross square feet.

2.   Every reference herein to a parking space per employee shall be calculated on the basis of the maximum number of employees on the site any one time.

3.   Gross square feet, as used herein and in Sections 175-111 and 175-112, shall be defined as the sum of the gross horizontal areas of the several floors of the building or buildings on a lot measured from the exterior faces of exterior walls or from the center line of party walls separating two (2) buildings.

4.   Net square feet, as used herein, shall be the gross square feet within a structure or facility that is relegated to a specific use.

5.  Every parking area shall be designed in accordance with the provisions and requirements of Town Code Section 148-48.

G. Parking space already provided to meet off-street parking  requirements for stores, office buildings and industrial establishments lying within three hundred (300) feet of the  place of public assembly, as measured along lines of public  access, which are not normally in use on Sundays or between  the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 12:00 midnight on other days may  be used to meet not more than seventy-five percent (75%) of  the off-street parking requirements of a church or other similar place of public assembly.

H. Any flea market, farmers' market or other open-air commercial activity not listed above shall provide one (1) parking space for each one hundred (100) square feet of land to be used by said flea market, farmers' market or other commercial activity in its open-air operations.  The amount of land to be used shall be designated by the respective open-air business in its application for a special permit. If no special permit is required under this chapter, the land to be used shall be designated in the application for a business license.  No business shall then use more land than has been designated in its application for special permit or business license without the filing of a new application for a special permit or business license as required herein and then complying with the parking space requirements of this section.

I.   For every commercial or industrial parking area located  within fifteen (15) feet of the side or rear boundary of a residentially zoned lot or a lot with a residential use, an  opaque ornamental fence or masonry wall with a minimum height of four (4) feet shall be erected and maintained. The provisions of this section shall not compel such fence or wall to extend into the required front yard of the premises.

J.   Every parcel of land hereafter used as a parking area shall have an all-weather surface.  It shall have appropriate guards where needed, as determined by the Zoning Administrator. Lights used to illuminate parking areas shall be so arranged and hooded as to confine all direct light rays entirely within the boundary lines of the parking area.

K. Off-street parking shall not be required on any lot fronting on that portion of Main Street which extends from Royal Avenue to Happy Creek or upon that portion of Jackson Street which extends between South Royal Avenue and Church Street.

L.  Off-street parking requirements may be waived by special permit on any lot fronting on that portion of Peyton Street which extends from Chester Street to Crescent Street.  In considering the special permit, the Council shall evaluate handicapped access, traffic patterns and the effect on surrounding properties.  As a condition to special permit approval, the Council may require a lesser number of off-street parking spaces to be supplied by the applicant than otherwise would be required under this section.

M. Off-street parking requirements may be waived by special permit for structures existing at the time of the adoption of this subsection on lots fronting the west side of Chester Street between East Main Street and Peyton Street.  In considering the special permit, the Council shall evaluate handicapped access, traffic patterns and the effect on surrounding properties. As a condition to special permit approval, the Council may require a lesser number of off- street parking spaces to be supplied by the applicant than otherwise would be required and may require that there be no reduction in existing off-street parking spaces for the  existing structure.

(Ord. No. Z-2-00 Amended “M” 1-10-00-Efective Upon Passage)

N. Off-street parking requirements shall be waived by the Zoning Administrator for expansion of an existing use for any property located within the Historic Front Royal District where the following criteria are met:

1.  The development activity proposed includes the retention and/or the substantial renovation of a contributing structure in the district.

2.  The square footage of additions or new construction shall not be more than twice that of the original structure.

3.  The proposed project has been found by the Board    of Architectural Review to be in keeping with the scale of development in the surrounding area and with the character of the district as a whole.

     4.    All efforts have been made to provide parking whenever possible.

 (Ord. No. Z-3-85 Amended “R” 8-26-85-Effective Upon Passage)

(Ord. No. Z-3-89 Added “W” 4-24-89-Effective Upon Passage)

(Ord. No. Z-11-90 Amended “G” 5-14-90-Effective Upon Passage)

(Ord. No. Z-4-92 Amended Entire Section “A-L” 11-25-91-Effective Upon Passage)

(Ord. No. Z-7-92 Amended “W” 6-23-92-Effective Upon Passage)

(Ord. No. 6-93 Added “N” 3-22-93-Effective Upon Passage)