No land shall be used or occupied and no structure shall be erected or used unless the off-street parking spaces required herein are provided. Uses and structures which are nonconforming by parking are controlled by Section 2-12. While it is the intent of this section to require minimum off-street parking and loading facilities, excessive paving of land that supplies significantly more than the minimum numbers of spaces is discouraged.

(a) Location of required parking spaces

The off-street parking spaces required by this Ordinance shall be on the same lot as the structure or use they are intended to serve or on an abutting lot provided that such off-street parking spaces for commercial or industrial uses shall not be located in any residence or agricultural district where such commercial or industrial use is prohibited. Within any A or R Zone, there shall be no parking within the required front yard.

(b) Minimum size of parking spaces

Each parking space shall be marked by painted lines and contain the following minimum dimensions affecting the width and length of individual parking stalls and the width of aisles in all districts, exclusive of necessary drives and other access ways. A driveway may be considered a required parking space only for a detached single or two family dwelling and need not contain painted lines.

(c) Setbacks of parking spaces

No parking space or aisle (back-up space) shall be less than ten (10) feet from any front or comer side yard line. No parking space or aisle shall be less than five (5) feet from any building, except where greater setbacks are required. Parking spaces less than ten (10) feet from any building shall be separated from such building by raised curb, bumper or wheel guards. The requirements of this subsection shall not apply to detached single or two family dwellings.

(d) Entrance and exit

Each parking space shall be designed with adequate off-street area for approach, turning, and exit without the need or ability to use any part of a street. All driveways shall be a minimum of twelve (12) feet in width for each lane of traffic using such driveway. The width of any driveway shall not exceed thirty (30) feet. The requirements of this subsection shall not apply to detached single or two family dwellings.

(e) Shared parking

No part of an off-street parking area required for any building or use for the purpose of complying with the provisions of this section shall be included as a part of an off-street parking area similarly required for another building or use unless allowed by the Board pursuant to Section 514 (f).

(f) Construction requirements

Every parcel of land which, after the effective date of this Ordinance or any amendment thereto, is changed to a parking area for more than ten (10) vehicles, or to a drive-in business or motor vehicle sales or service establishment, shall be developed as follows, subject to the approval of plans thereof by the Building Official.

1) Such parking area shall be treated with bituminous or other surfacing and shall have appropriate bumper or wheel guards where needed. However, use of pervious materials such as gravel, is allowed and encouraged within two hundred (200) feet of the Blackstone River or other water bodies and wetlands.

2) The interior of parking areas shall be suitably landscaped with trees, shrubs, vegetation or ground cover. At least one (1) landscaped area shall be provided for every twenty (20) parking spaces. Such areas shall be appropriately located to prevent long, uninterrupted rows of parking spaces. Landscaped areas shall be separated and protected from parking areas by curbing or other means.

3) Any light used to illuminate said parking area shall be so arranged as to reflect the light away from adjoining premises and streets.

4) Border screening using dense shrubbery or solid fence of at least four (4) feet in height shall be required wherever parking areas abut residential uses or A or R zones.

(g) Off-street parking space requirements

The number of off-street parking spaces required for each use shall be as set forth in the following table. Where the resulting number of spaces includes a fraction thereof, the required number of spaces shall be rounded up to the next highest integer.

Subsection 8-1 (g) Parking Requirements