Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
..=.3 <br /> • <br /> FEB12 <br /> 1981 <br /> DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION <br /> 611iii4. <br /> STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA RALEIGH <br /> February 11, 1.981 <br /> MEMORANDUM <br /> TO: Lacy Presnell <br /> FROM: Charles Reed <br /> Subject: Orange County Zoning <br /> RE: Parking Lot Screening <br /> Assume an area of 540 square feet for 2 cars and an aisle. Ten <br /> cars would need 5400 square feet. A planting area of 180 square feet <br /> is 0.0.33% of the total area. This does not seem to me to be unreason- <br /> able where there is lots of ground area available for parking. It <br /> could even be considered somewhat less than minimum for a small park- <br /> ing lot. The 180 square feet is the equivalent of one 9 feet by 20 <br /> feet parking space. <br /> If this requirement is considered along with requiring 5 feet high <br /> screen walls for every 5 cars, then it could be restrictive. The 5 foot <br /> screen will not always be effective for a large area. Parking lots are <br /> not always of uniform elevation or seen from a seated position. Some- <br /> times adjacent roads and buildings are higher than the parking lots. <br /> No amount of screen wall or planting will conceal autos which are next <br /> to high elevation surroundings. <br /> Also, the ordinance should allow for other kinds of screening if <br /> screening is required. For instance, earth berms and sunken areas <br /> should be permitted and parking behind buildings. <br /> Re: Number of Cars Per Person <br /> Elementary school children do not drive cars. Very few, if any, <br /> junior high pupils drive cars. High school is another matter. I have <br /> no suggestion for the high school ratio without any factual information <br /> to relate too. Maybe DPI has some facts and figures. How about driver <br /> education? They should know something about this. <br /> CR:bm <br />