Permanent off-street parking spaces shall be provided in accordance with the following requirements prior to the completion of construction of any building or structure, or at the time any building or structure is enlarged or increased in capacity by adding dwelling units or before conversion from 1 zoning use or occupancy to another.
(A) Yards. No parking lot shall be located closer than 10 feet to a public right-of-way. The area between the parking lot and street right-of-way shall be planted and maintained in lawn or other appropriate planting or shall be improved otherwise as approved in the site plan review.
(B) Curb bumpers. The required front and side yards shall be set off from the parking area by a fixed curb approved by the Zoning Administrator, not less than 8 inches nor more than 2 feet high. Allowances shall be made for 2 feet of overhang within the parking space so that no part of any motor vehicle can be located within the required yard.
(C) Lighting. Any lighting shall be so arranged as to direct light and glare away from streets and adjacent property in accordance with § 156.127 below.
(D) Surfacing. All parking lots shall be improved with asphalt, concrete, pavers, porous pavement or similar dust proof surface. Surfacing shall be provided in accordance with the guidelines established in § 156.112.
(E) Drainage. Parking lots shall be designed so as not to drain onto or across public roads, streets, or sidewalks or into adjacent property, except into a natural watercourse or a drainage easement in accordance with state and federal rules, laws, or regulations. Site plans for parking lots must demonstrate adequate drainage facilities designed in accordance with § 156.113 below.
(F) Markings. Each parking space shall be permanently marked and maintained so as to be distinguishable.
(G) Entrances. No entrance or exit shall exceed 30 feet in width at the property line or 40 feet at the curb line. On all corner lots, no vehicular openings shall be located at closer than 15 feet from the point of intersection of the established street right-of-way lines. There shall be a minimum distance between 1-way driveways of 25 feet, measured along the curb line.
(H) Internal circulation. The internal circulation plan or parking lots shall be approved by the Zoning Administrator.
(I) Solid waste. Sufficient space shall be provided on the premises for the location of solid waste containers as required by town code. The solid waste container location may be in a required parking lot; provided, that the location does not occupy required parking space or maneuvering space; provided, further, that the solid waste container location shall provide convenient and safe access to the servicing vehicle.
(J) Maneuvering. Sufficient maneuvering space shall be provided so that no vehicle will be required to back into a public or private right-of-way.
(K) Permanent areas. Required off-street parking spaces are permanent areas and shall not be used for any other above ground purpose.
(L) Each application for a building permit or certificate of occupancy submitted to the Zoning Administrator shall include information as to the location and dimensions of off-street parking and loading space and the means of ingress and egress to the space. This information shall be in sufficient detail to enable the Zoning Administrator to determine whether or not the requirements of this subchapter are met.
(M) The required parking space for any number of separate uses may be combined in 1 lot, but the required space assigned to 1 use may not be assigned to another use; except, that ½ of the parking space required for churches, theaters or assembly halls whose peak attendance will be at night or on Sundays may be assigned to other uses at non-peak times.
(N) If the off-street parking space required by this subchapter in any district except a residential district cannot be reasonably provided on the same lot on which the principal use is located, the space may be provided on any land within 400 feet of the main entrance to the principal use. The land shall be located on the same side of North Carolina Highway 12 as the principle use unless there is a pedestrian crosswalk traversing North Carolina 12 within 350 feet of the main entrance to the principal use. The land shall not be used for other purposes unless adequate provisions for parking have been made for the principal use thereon, unless otherwise permitted by this subchapter. In those cases, the applicant for a permit for the principal use shall submit with his or her application for a building permit an instrument duly executed and acknowledged, which subjects the land to parking use in connection with the principal use for which it is made available for a period of 20 years, with an option for renewal for an additional period of 10 years. The applicant shall deposit the necessary fee, and upon the issuance of a building permit, the Zoning Administrator shall cause the instrument to be registered in the office of the Register of Deeds of the county.
(O) Any off-street parking space required by any use permitted in any residential district shall be provided on the same lot with the use by which it is required. Off-street parking space in conjunction with commercial and industrial uses in other districts shall not be permitted in a residential district.
(P) Where off-street parking is provided between the building line and the street right-of-way line for any business use, a buffer strip of at least 10 feet in width shall be provided adjacent to the street right-of-way line. Curb cuts through the buffer strips shall be located no closer than 30 feet, unless otherwise approved during the site plan approval process.
(Ord. 04-21, passed 10-6-2004, § 40; Am. Ord. 14-02, passed 6-4-2014; Am. Ord. 23-11, passed 9-6-2023)