Tonawanda, NY Parking Rules: EV Charging (2026)

Section 215-24.12.C is the Town of Tonawanda's stand-alone charging-station standard, layered on top of the chapter's general fueling-station rules in Subsections A and B. It reaches any charging station or electric vehicle supply equipment set up as a primary use, such as a dedicated charging lot, or as part of an approved accessory off-street parking area serving another use; a home charger that is purely accessory to a single- or two-family dwelling is exempt and does not need this review. Paragraph (1) requires compliant EVSE to also meet Article 30's circulation, access and parking standards.

Paragraph (2) permits Level 1, 2 and 3 charging equipment. Paragraph (3) requires outlets and connectors to meet local and state building and energy codes and to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Paragraph (4) bars pedestal-, post- or bollard-mounted equipment from impeding pedestrian travel or creating a trip hazard on a sidewalk. Paragraph (5) requires cords to be retractable, or to hang at least three feet off the ground, and forbids routing a cord across a driveway, sidewalk or passenger-unloading area. Paragraph (6) requires the pedestal design to resist accident and vandalism damage and to function safely in bad weather.

Paragraph (7) bars EVSE from encroaching into a parking space's required length, width or height clearance, and Paragraph (8) requires a maintenance contact number posted on the unit. Paragraph (9), the accessibility floor, requires EVSE at at least one accessible parking space, or 25% of the ADA-required accessible spaces, whichever number is higher.