285 Prospect 350-8.8A.
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City of Northampton, MA
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
Chapter 350. Zoning
§ 350-8.8. Parking and loading space standards.
All parking and loading areas shall comply with the following:
A parking space shall be at least 8 1/2 feet in width and 18 feet in length, with at least 18 feet of backing-up
and maneuvering area directly behind the space (which may be shared with other spaces). Except for
parking spaces for the same residential housing unit, each space must be laid out so that it does not block
access to another parking space.
The layout of the parking area shall allow suécient space for the storage of plowed snow without reducing
the number of required parking spaces, unless removal by some other means is provided.
Any çxture used to illuminate any parking area shall be so arranged as to direct the light away from the
street and away from adjoining premises used for residential purposes and shall be in conformance with
§ 350-12.2.
Parking shall not be located within çve feet from the front lot line for residential uses, 15 feet for uses in M
District, nor 10 feet for other uses. For all residential uses in all residential districts except for URC, parking
for more than two vehicles shall not be permitted within the front yard setback. Parking is not permitted
within any of the setbacks in the Business Park or Planned Village Districts.
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Parking and loading spaces, other than those required for single- and two-family dwellings, shall be so
arranged as to prohibit backing of vehicles onto any street.
Unless directly opposite an intersecting street, no portion of a driveway entrance or exit shall be closer than
50 feet to the curbline of an intersecting street nor shall it be closer than 50 feet to any portion of an
existing driveway located in a business or industrial district.
There shall be a maximum of one driveway curb cut per lot. In CB, GB, EB and HB Districts, a special permit
from the Planning Board is required for more than one curb cut. The Planning Board may only issue a
second curb cut if the applicant can show that there is something unique about the property that would
otherwise render èow to and from the property unsafe and unmanageable. If the Board çnds that more than
one curb cut is necessary for traéc safety purposes, then additional oæ-site traéc mitigation may be
required by the Planning Board to address pedestrian safety within the abutting street network. In all other
districts, the Planning Board may, as part of site plan approval, allow additional driveways/curb cuts if, and
only if, such permit will promote and improve safe and eécient traéc circulation. Residential driveways
shall generally be over the front lot line directly from the street. Residential driveways may be constructed
across side and rear lot lines directly from the street, however, when the Department of Public Works çnds,
or the Planning Board issues a site plan approval, that the driveway will not degrade safety. Driveways shall
not cross lot lines of adjoining properties without Planning Board site plan approval.
A driveway's entrance or exit shall not exceed, at its intersection with the front lot line, a width of 15 feet for
single- , two- and three-family uses and 24 feet for all other uses, except that the Planning Board may, as part
of site plan approval, allow a thirty-foot width if, and only if, such approval will promote safe and eécient
traéc circulation.
The parking area and access driveways thereto shall be graded and drained so as to dispose of all surface
water accumulation in accordance with acceptable engineering practices.
Except on a farm, not more than one commercial vehicle, and said vehicle shall not exceed a weight of
10,000 pounds gross weight shall be garaged or in any way stored on any lot in any Residential (R) District.
No private access street or driveway serving a parking lot for nonresidential use shall cross property in a
residential district except with a special permit granted by the Planning Board.
No more than two unregistered motor vehicles (any vehicle that does not have a valid registration legally
issued by a governmental authority), and no motor vehicle accessories which are not parts of said two
vehicles may be parked, stored or otherwise placed on a parcel of land in the City of Northampton without a
special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals. This section shall not apply to the parking, storage or
otherwise placing of unregistered motor vehicles and/or motor vehicle accessories where such parking,
storage or placement is in connection with a legally established business selling new and/or used
automobiles and trucks, or automotive repair or automobile service stations. This section shall also not
apply to trucks and tractors which are in use for bona çde agricultural purposes.
All permitted unregistered motor vehicles and/or motor vehicle accessories shall be screened from the view
of the public and from abutting public ways and from abutting properties by being enclosed within a
structure or sight impervious fencing or screening.
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A zoning permit must be received from the Building Commissioner and a driveway permit from the
Department of Public Works, for all new or relocated driveways or parking lots.
Any use (drive-ins, etc.) which requires the "stacking" of vehicles waiting in line must be able to provide for
the stacking of at least çve vehicles in each line without the cars exceeding the boundaries of the lot.
No portion of individual, private driveways shall exceed a slope of 10% with switchbacks and turns
reasonable for emergency vehicle access. However, driveways between 10% and a maximum of 12% on
south-facing slopes with no curves may be approved by the Oéce of Planning and Development in
consultation with the Fire Department when it is determined that no public safety issues will be created with
such driveways. However, the Planning Board may allow steeper grades by special permit, when it is
determined that no public safety issues will be created with such driveways.
For all driveways with grades greater than 8% or longer than 500 feet and which do not result in total site
disturbance of one acre or more triggering a Department of Public Works stormwater permit, a drainage
plan shall be submitted to the Oéce of Planning and Development for review and approval.
Shared driveways for residential access in residential districts require site plan approval from the Planning
Board and:
Shall not service more than three lots (six lots for common driveways that loop to a road in two
locations and are not dead-ends in any location).
Shall provide the only vehicular access to the lots being serviced by it, and shall be so stated in the lot
deeds.
Shall be of suitable construction, grade, length and location, in the opinion of the Planning Board, for
the access and turnaround of cars, trucks, ambulances, çre, and police, which will be utilizing such
driveway. At a minimum, a common driveway shall not exceed grade of 10%, shall have a width of a least
15 feet, shall have passing turnouts providing a total width of at least 20 feet along a distance of at least
25 feet, spaced with no more than 300 feet between turnouts, and with the çrst such passing turnout
being located within 10 feet of the driveway connection to the street, and shall conform to all other
driveway requirements of this chapter.
Shall be described on easements and easement plans approved with the site plan