Ron Francioli - Responds to a Question About Parking Regulations
Full Description:
"Ron or anybody else:
What is the reason for the parking requirements in the first place?Why should township residents even care, isn’t that an issue for the businesses that choose to move in?i.e. that their business could suffer because there is not enough room for their customers to park.
Is that we would be concerned that there would be more parking on the street?Your explanation would be appreciated.
Kenneth Gaby-Biegel"
REPLY
Kenneth,
In Hanover and probably many other communities - cities, throughout the tri-state area, adequate parking has become more and more an issue.
Your statement is correct, Hanover has laws governing over-night street parking and street parking in general.
Why? First, in residential zones it is a means of locating and controlling unregistered vehicles and maintaining the residential character of the neighborhood. And, in the case of narrow streets, allowing for the safe passage of emergency vehicles.
Now for the retail, design shopping centers, corporate and industrial zones.
In Hanover it is the responsibility of the property owner(s), developers to demonstrate to the town that they can accommodate parking for all the customers they attract, and for the convenience of those customers.Pine Plaza, Cedar Knolls Mall, etc.A formula for the amount of parking spaces required in each zone has been calculated.
As an example, in an office zone it may be one space per every 250 square feet of office space, but a restaurant zone will need parking spaces based upon seating.
Although the township requires the property owner to show that he/she can accommodate all the required spaces for retail, industrial, warehouse, or in this case restaurant uses, on their filed plans (Known as ultimate parking), they do not have to build it.
What that means is they would only have to add parking spaces provided for in the plan as it became evident to the town, and them, that they needed the spaces.Evident may come in the form of parking spilling out onto the street, double parking on site, blocked fire zones - overflow.
In many cases parking on the street presents a serious problem of safety. Parking on Ridgedale Avenue, Hanover Avenue, Whippany Roads, Parsippany Roads, Route 10, as examples.
Why again?The streets have not been designed with adequate widths to allow for the safe passage of cars and trucks and the discharge of passengers - this is not to say that it can't be done with a study and re-design - costly.
A good example of proper street parking in a retail zone is Main Street in Madison. A lane of traffic along with a parking lane.Also serves, I might add, to slow down the speed through the town - we could use some of that.I and the planning board proposed that for Ridgedale Avenue in a mini-masterplan, yet to be drafted and approved.
I would imagine that if Hanover were able to support a main street, on street parking would be ideal for our retailers, but that as it stands, that is not the case.
Forgive the lengthly explanation, but we have to understand all the reasons for on-site parking in Hanover\'s retails zones, like it or not.
