Unless stated otherwise, the regulations contained in Article XI shall apply to all uses in all districts, with the exception of individual single-family residences and agricultural uses in state-certified county-adopted agricultural districts.
Where a site plan proposes a nonresidential use adjacent to residential uses or districts, the Planning Board shall require an appropriately designed and engineered buffer area 20 feet in depth meeting the criteria of § 158-68.
At its discretion, the Planning Board may also require a buffer area
meeting these requirements between multifamily uses and single-family
uses or between any uses deemed incompatible by the Planning Board.
The Planning Board, in assessing the degree and necessity of requiring
a buffer area greater than and/or different from the foregoing criteria,
shall consider such aspects as the proposed development's effect on
the adjacent neighboring residential community, noise levels, traffic
inflow and outflow, environmental and pollutant effects.
Buffer areas shall be planted with a variety of evergreen and deciduous
vegetation consisting of trees and upright shrubs, forming a dense
screen at the time of planting. Vegetation shall be complementary
in scale and massing to the adjacent development both at the time
of installation and at maturity.
The use of undulating earthen berms and mounds is permitted to improve
the aesthetics of the buffer zone while also enhancing the effectiveness
of the screen. Slopes shall not exceed a grade of 33% and shall be
vegetated and regularly maintained by the owner.
The minimum height at the time of installation of any opaque screen
shall be six feet, inclusive of berming, vegetation and fencing. A
lesser height may be permitted at the discretion of the Planning Board
upon the determination that such installation shall meet the screening
needs of adjacent lots or public rights-of-way.
All shrub and perennial plantings, regardless of location, shall
be contained within a defined and edged planting bed containing mulch
no less than three inches in depth.
Planting unit requirements shall be calculated in 0.5 increments,
and rounded up to the nearest whole number or 0.5 increment, but in
no case shall be less than one.
At the discretion of the Planning Board, the retention of healthy
existing vegetation within the limits of disturbance may be utilized
to satisfy up to 50% of required planting units.
Within the limits of disturbance, each existing mature shade tree
with a trunk diameter of six inches or more when measured at breast
height (dbh) may satisfy the requirement for up to two planting units.
Other existing trees within the limits of disturbance with a diameter
between two inches and six inches dbh may satisfy requirements for
up to 0.5 planting unit.
All individual specimens to be retained under § 158-71 shall be photo documented at the time of site plan review, and their location, height, diameter and botanical name shall be included on the final site and/or landscaping plans.
Existing vegetation must be adequately protected during and after
construction and must survive a minimum of two years beyond the completion
of construction activities to qualify as required planting units.
Consideration shall be given during species selection to the mature
form, habit, and size of vegetation to ensure plantings do not create
safety hazards.
The use of decorative planters, the materials of which are complementary
to the primary building, may be utilized to contain no more than 20%
of required landscaping.
All parking lot medians, end islands and perimeters shall be attractively landscaped, and such landscaping shall count towards satisfying the planting unit requirements of § 158-70.
Major and/or minor deciduous trees, the quantity of which is determined utilizing § 158-70, shall be utilized in all end islands, medians and parking lot perimeters. Each forty-foot island shall be planted with two trees 20 feet on center. Each twenty-foot island shall be planted with one tree on center.
The Planning Board may require additional major and/or minor tree plantings within parking areas beyond amounts determined in § 158-70 to ensure adequate landscaping is provided.
Where appropriate, the use of green infrastructure within parking
lots for the infiltration of stormwater shall be encouraged pursuant
to the most current versions of the NYS DEC Stormwater Design Manual.
The use of parking lot islands and medians for the storage and retention
of stormwater is not an encouraged stormwater management technique
and shall be avoided to the extent possible.
All nonpaved areas along the building foundation shall be adequately
landscaped with deciduous and coniferous shrubs, perennials and grasses
in a defined and mulched planting bed equal to or greater than three
feet in width from the foundation.
Foundation plantings shall not interfere with or block visual access
to windows and doors and shall be maintained to a height above grade
equal to or less than four feet.
Adequate lighting shall be provided on a site to ensure safe movement
of persons and vehicles and for security purposes. Lighting standards
shall be of a type approved by the Planning Board.
All lighting shall be designed and arranged so as to minimize glare
and reflection on adjacent properties and shall be consistent with
the Illumination Engineering Society Lighting Handbook.
Lighting shall be designed such that poles, fixtures, ornamentation
and materials are uniform throughout, of a pedestrian scale and height,
and provide for a safe pedestrian experience.
Fixture mounting height, direction and intensity shall be determined
based on the minimum requirements necessary to efficiently and safely
illuminate the area and shall comply with the following lighting intensity
standards:
Building-mounted lighting shall not solely be utilized as area lighting
in place of pole-mounted lighting along public and private rights-of-way,
sidewalk and pedestrian zones, and parking areas.
Lighting fixtures located within canopy or awning structures, such
as those utilized in drive-throughs and refueling stations, shall
be recessed and shielded to prevent excessive illumination spillover.