pdf. 4MB - Ku-ring-gai Council

3.7 LOADING ZONES
Loading zones should not be provided unless off-street loading facilities
are not available, and the competition for kerbside space results in
parking not readily being available for goods vehicles.
Figure 3.7-1:
Typical loading zones sign.
There are currently a large number of retail sites in town centres that do
not have dedicated on-site loading facilities. These sites are frequently
small strip shops, where the space or access at the rear of the site may
be restricted. Some of the larger sites, such as the Gordon Centre, St
Ives Shopping Village and Turramurra Plaza, have dedicated on-site
loading facilities. Some centres also have high demand for short term
on-street parking, while others have sufficient spare capacity.
Town Centre redevelopment generally entails consolidation of sites,
which would enable the provision of on-site loading and unloading
facilities. For commercial sites, it may be sufficient to provide for courier
space in accordance with Councils DCP43 (Car Parking), while larger
retail and commercial sites will invariably be required to have on-site
servicing for the largest vehicle expected to service the site.
Therefore, Council will be seeking the inclusion of on-site loading/
servicing facilities as part of any retail or commercial development
application, which would reduce the need for on-street loading areas.
However, the presence of an existing on-street loading zone will not be
considered as loading space for a new application.
A goods vehicle can park in a Loading Zone for 30 minutes and a
station wagon can park for 15 minutes, whilst actually loading or
unloading goods. Loading zones are typically approximately 9m long (or
approximately 2 vehicle spaces), enough to accommodate a medium rigid
truck, and are usually located at the approach end of a row of parallel
parking spaces, for ease of entry and exit.
For smaller sites where a need for a loading area can be demonstrated
and where competition for kerbside parking is high, consideration could
be given to introducing loading zones (subject to technical and safety
criteria). However, it is likely that loading zones would be available for a
limited time only, to maximise the reduction in kerbside space and short
term parking. Should requests for loading zones in a town centre arise,
they should be evaluated on a centre-wide basis to maximise sharing, so
as to avoid a proliferation of these spaces.
It is unlikely that the RTA will agree to installation of loading zones
on Pacific Highway, Mona Vale Road/Ryde Road or Boundary Street/
Babbage Road, or in areas signposted as No Parking or No Stopping.
Recommendation
• That on-site loading space and facilities be incorporated in future retail/
commercial/mixed use developments in the Town Centres.
• That requests for loading zones be evaluated on a centre-wide basis.
p-24
Ku-ring-gai Town Centres Parking Management Plan 2010