[Added 4-11-1996 by L.L. No. 7-1996]
Pursuant to the Town of Somers Comprehensive
Master Plan, it is the purpose of the CS District to provide the opportunity
for creation of an economically healthy, functionally efficient, environmentally
sound and visually attractive community business area to replace the
existing community shopping center in Baldwin Place, as well as to
provide alternative housing opportunities for small households.
In a CS District, no building, structure or premises, in whole or in part, shall be used and no building or structure, in whole or in part, shall be erected, enlarged, structurally altered or moved except for the following purposes or as herein elsewhere specifically provided, together with its permitted accessory uses as specified in § 170-21.3:
No accessory uses shall be permitted in a CS
District other than the following:
[Amended 7-10-2008 by L.L. No. 6-2008]
All uses, except for sign applications not part of a larger site plan amendment or modification, shall be subject to site plan approval by the Planning Board as provided in § 170-114. Where the requirements contained in Chapter 144 (Site Plan Review) conflict with the dimensional standards and requirements contained in this article, the standards set forth herein shall apply.
The following dimensional standards and requirements
shall apply with respect to permitted principal and accessory uses
in CS Districts:
A.
The maximum building coverage for principal buildings
shall be 18%.
B.
The maximum building coverage for accessory buildings
shall be 1%.
C.
The maximum floor area ratio (FAR) for all uses shall
be 0.20, but not to exceed 0.18 for nonresidential uses.
D.
The maximum site coverage (buildings, access roads
and parking, but excluding walkways) shall be 70%.
E.
The maximum building height for principal buildings
shall be two stories and 30 feet and for accessory buildings it shall
be one story and 15 feet.
F.
The Planning Board may permit architectural features to exceed the preceding height limitations, provided that said Board determines that such features will help to achieve the objectives of the design guidelines, as set forth in § 170-21.6 hereof.
G.
The minimum front yard shall be 40 feet, all of which
area shall be landscaped and/or maintained in its natural state, as
determined by the Planning Board, except for necessary access drives
and walkways. The front yard shall be measured from the existing or
planned future right-of-way of the abutting street or highway, whichever
is more restrictive.
H.
Where abutting a nonresidential district, the minimum
side yard shall be zero feet if adjacent property owners agree to
provide a common wall and build to their common property line and
shall be 25 feet if they do not so agree.
I.
Where abutting a residence district, the minimum side
yard shall be 40 feet, all of which shall be maintained as a landscaped
buffer.
J.
The minimum rear yard shall be 25 feet but shall be
60 feet where abutting a residence district, 40 feet of which shall
be maintained as a landscaped buffer.
K.
With respect to residential apartments, only efficiency
(studio), one-bedroom and two-bedroom dwelling units shall be permitted.
L.
Off-street parking and loading facilities, including landscaping, shall be provided as per Article X. All parking areas shall be divided into smaller parking courts, separated by raised, landscaped planting islands, building blocks or other architectural or landscape architectural features. The integration of pedestrian, vehicular and utility access between neighboring properties, as appropriate, shall be required by the Planning Board as a condition of site plan approval.
M.
The minimum distance between adjacent buildings shall
be equal to 1/2 of the height of the higher building, but in no case
less than 10 feet, except that where the New York State Uniform Fire
Prevention and Building Code is more restrictive, said Code shall
apply.
It is the objective of these guidelines to establish
a general design framework for creating and/or preserving the desired
architectural character and scale of buildings in the Community Shopping
District; to help assure that the area will be visually attractive
and will blend landscaped open space and structures in a manner which
relates harmoniously to the existing and/or planned character of the
Town of Somers; and to create visual interest and variety in the treatment
of architectural surfaces. The following guidelines are provided:
A.
Overall site design shall be appropriately related
to other surrounding development and topographical conditions.
B.
Building and site design shall be planned to enhance
the pedestrian experience. Walkways shall be modulated with planters
and/or special architectural treatments and shall provide weather
protection, where appropriate, through the use of awnings, canopies
or covered arcades set behind the building facade.
C.
Sites shall be designed with carefully planned arrangements
of building blocks so as to create a village-like character and to
divide paved parking areas into smaller parking courts, framed by
buildings and landscaping.
D.
Two-story structures, which are designed to encourage
a diverse yet harmoniously blended combination of residential and
nonresidential uses, are encouraged.
E.
Site design shall seek to create an attractive visual
link to neighboring public highways and, where appropriate, to create
a sense of entrance to the community.
F.
Buildings shall be harmonious in terms of the following
exterior design elements:
(1)
The nature and use of surface materials.
(2)
The height of cornices, lintel and sill levels,
articulated floor levels and other horizontal building features.
(3)
The spacing and proportion of columns, piers
and other elements of the basic structural grid.
(4)
The spacing and proportion of window and door
openings, bays or other aspects of building fenestration.
(5)
Colors, textures and the general nature of exterior
materials and treatment, including building ornament and trim.
(6)
Treatment, screening and/or enclosure of all
utility and mechanical installations.
G.
Building facades shall present a varied appearance
at street level and be designed to give individual identity to each
store or building unit as well as to help achieve the planned pedestrian
scale.
H.
Blank wall exposure shall be limited in order to encourage
window shopping and promote pedestrian interest.
I.
The design of building facades shall reflect the scale
of existing or planned building development through modulation of
vertical and horizontal elements by features such as:
(1)
Variation in roof heights.
(2)
Changes in the predominant wall plane and/or
in facade elements such as window openings and balconies.
(3)
Use of horizontal projections or recesses in
the building facade such as bay windows, cornices, balustrades, etc.
(4)
Use of pitched roofs and other roof elements
such as cross gables, dormer windows and turrets to provide visual
interest, reduce the scale of continuous roofs and break the line
where the building meets the sky.
J.
Treatment of the sides and rear of proposed buildings
shall be in a manner substantially consistent in appearance, amenity
and quality of materials to the treatment given to their street frontage.
K.
The use of covered outdoor spaces such as loggias,
arcades and colonnades shall be encouraged in order to provide weather
protection and transition between indoors and outdoors and to add
visual interest, shadow and depth to building elevations.
L.
A coordinated landscape plan shall be prepared incorporating
the landscape treatment of open spaces, walkways, access roads and
parking areas into a cohesive and integrated design. Attractively
landscaped open spaces and plazas, designed as gathering places and
intended for maximum usability by pedestrians, shall be provided in
appropriate locations. All open spaces, pedestrian walkways, parking
areas and access drives shall be planned as an integral part of an
overall site design, properly related to existing and proposed buildings.
M.
The coordinated landscape plan shall include a mix
of shade trees and other plant material, including ground cover and
shrubs, with proper regard to factors such as microclimate, function
of area, existing plantings and required maintenance in determining
the species, scale and planting pattern.
N.
Walkways and other surface areas of paving material
shall offer variety of pigments and textures which are in harmony
with nearby buildings and other paved surfaces and are safe for pedestrian
traffic, including the handicapped.
O.
Walkways shall be planted with regularly spaced, salt-tolerant
shade trees, selected with regard to the scale of the area in which
they are located, as well as the height and spacing of exterior lighting,
and the need to maintain visibility of storefront displays and signs.
P.
All landscaping as shown on the approved site plan
shall be maintained in a healthy growing condition throughout the
duration of the use of uses being served. Any plants not so maintained
shall be replaced by the property owner with healthy new plants of
comparable size, type and quality at the beginning of the next immediately
following growing season.
Q.
All signage shall be carefully integrated with other
site design elements. Signage shall be designed so that it is visible
and informative at the pedestrian scale. Street-oriented signs shall
be limited to facia bands above the window or on the vertical facia
of any canopy or awning. Signs shall not be mounted above the eave
line of any structure or be placed in or attached to any window.
R.
A freestanding project identification sign shall be
permitted at each access drive connecting to the external, public
road system. Necessary small-scale informational and directional signs
shall also be permitted, as required.
S.
All exterior lighting shall be of adequate illumination
for safety and security purposes. It shall be of such type and location
and shall have such shading as will prevent the source of light from
being visible from any adjoining streets and properties and shall
prevent glare from spilling onto other properties or streets. Lighting
shall be limited in its hours of operation, as determined appropriate
by the Planning Board, and shall be coordinated with building design
and landscape plans. The height of lighting fixtures shall be limited
so as to be consistent with the planned pedestrian scale of development.
