[Added 2-17-2009 by L.L. No. 3-2009; amended 3-20-2018 by L.L. No. 1-2018]
A. 
The Ridge Road Planned Development District (hereinafter the "Planned Development District" or "RRPD District") is intended to foster economic investment and redevelopment opportunities by accommodating a mix of uses, allowing for the reconstruction/renovation of existing buildings and promoting new development in this highly visible development area along the Town of Irondequoit's primary commercial corridor.
B. 
The Comprehensive Plan aims to promote higher development standards for new redevelopment projects to encourage private reinvestment in the upgrading, improvement and expansion of existing developments. This goal is specifically important for the East Ridge Road corridor, which, as stated in the Comprehensive Plan, makes a major contribution to the Town's economic base and is an important and viable area that serves not only the Town residents but also metropolitan area. The purpose of this district is to permit, encourage and enable flexible design and development that is consistent with Town's overall economic development goals and the vision set forth in the Town's Comprehensive Master Plan and compatible with the higher intensity of development that this area of East Ridge Road can readily accommodate.
A. 
Permitted uses. In the RRPD District, the following uses shall be permitted:
(1) 
Residential, multiple-dwelling;
(2) 
Retail;
(3) 
Professional and medical offices;
(4) 
Banks and other financial institutions;
(5) 
Restaurants;
(6) 
Cinemas, theaters and other places of public assemblage (but not including adult motion-picture theaters, adult theaters, or adult uses);
(7) 
Personal services (including, but not limited to, dry-cleaning, laundries or laundromats, barbershops, hair or nail salons, and car washes);
(8) 
Hotels;
(9) 
Educational facilities, learning and training centers and similar uses;
(10) 
Daycare facilities (private or nonprofit);
(11) 
Medical facilities;
(12) 
Laboratories;
(13) 
Light manufacturing and warehousing facilities that comply with § 235-39A;
(14) 
Public parks, playgrounds and similar recreational areas;
(15) 
Municipal facilities; and
(16) 
Parking facilities and structures operated as accessory use and/or parking structures operated for monetary gain.
B. 
Special use permit. The following uses shall require a special use permit, pursuant to Article XVI of this chapter:
(1) 
Funeral homes;
(2) 
Animal hospitals and kennels; and
(3) 
Mini-storage facilities.
Given the existing and potential range of building types and sizes and the possibility of adaptive reuse of existing structures in the RRPD District, the proposed change in occupancy and/or scope of work for development and redevelopment projects may vary significantly. The type of review required prior to issuance of certificates of occupancy or building permits will depend on the location and scope of work proposed.
A. 
Prior to the issuance of a change of occupancy permit or building permits related to building renovation or new construction within this district, the Department of Community Development will determine the applicable development review process in accordance with the requirements contained herein.
B. 
Application. The owner or owner's agent shall submit an application on form(s) provided by the Community Development Department to provide detailed information about the proposed change in occupancy and/or scope of work.
C. 
Criteria for review. The applicable development review process will be determined in accordance with the criteria provided below.
(1) 
Administrative review. The Community Development Department shall conduct an administrative review of proposed projects that are consistent with the design guidelines set forth in § 235-176 of this chapter and meet one or more of the following criteria:
(a) 
Interior renovation or repairs;
(b) 
Minor modifications to existing building exterior, including, but not limited to, painting, material refacing, door and window replacement, additional windows and doors; modifications to roof (included roof-mounted equipment);
(c) 
Building additions less than 5% of existing building, up to 3,999 square feet;
(d) 
Lighting as follows:
[1] 
Upgrades and/or replacement of existing lighting fixtures that are dark sky compliant; and
[2] 
Addition of new lighting fixtures that are dark sky compliant and produce zero lumens along parcel boundaries bordering adjacent properties.
(e) 
Changes in use or occupancy that will not cause significant adverse changes to existing site operation (e.g., parking, traffic generation; visual character, etc.); and
(f) 
Signage as follows:
[1] 
Signage replacement that is similar and/or smaller than previously installed signage;
[2] 
New exterior wall mounted signage up to 50 square feet per use/occupant;
[3] 
New freestanding monument signs less than 50 square feet, not including frame or base structure, and no more than 15 feet in height; and
[4] 
Incidental signage, including, but not limited to, signage for on-site traffic and parking controls.
(2) 
Site plan review. Projects that exceed the criteria set forth in Subsection C(1) above will require site plan review, pursuant to Article XV of this chapter. Additionally, the Community Development Director may require site plan review for any project that does not clearly demonstrate eligibility for administrative review.
D. 
Review completion required. The applicable development review process must be completed before any building permit or change of occupancy permit can be issued by the Department of Community Development.
A. 
The following design guidelines have been created to provide a framework for development and redevelopment within the RRPD District and provide information that will help inform the development review process.
B. 
Bulk requirements.
(1) 
Setbacks.
(a) 
Public right-of-way (ROW) setback. Minimum setback shall be 30 feet from any parcel line bordering a public ROW.
(b) 
Private road setback. Minimum setback shall be 15 feet from any parcel line bordering a private roadway or internal driveway.
(c) 
Municipal easements. No building shall be located within 10 feet of municipal easements, regardless of setbacks.
(2) 
Building height.
(a) 
Minimum building height shall be 18 feet.
(b) 
Maximum building height shall be 200 feet.
[1] 
Building height shall be measured as the vertical distance from the average elevation of the proposed finish grade at the front of the building (ROW side) to a point midway between the highest and lowest points of the roof.
[2] 
Chimneys, tanks, elevator penthouses, landscaping and similar projections shall not be included in calculating height. Multilevel parking structures and/or facilities located below-grade shall not be included in height calculation.
C. 
Architectural requirements. The following design requirements shall apply to the RRPD District:
(1) 
Facade. The architectural features, materials and the articulation of a facade of a building shall be continued on all sides visible from a public and provide roads or courtyards.
(a) 
For new construction commercial buildings, a minimum of 50% of the front facade on the ground floor shall be transparent, consisting of window or door openings allowing views into and out of the interior.
(2) 
Building composition. Buildings shall have a clearly defined base, midsection, and crown. This can be accomplished using a combination of architectural details, materials and colors.
(3) 
Architectural details or features such as cupolas, clock towers, masonry features, and other similar elements are encouraged.
(4) 
Primary buildings shall be constructed or clad with materials that are durable and economically maintained in a manner that will retain their appearance over time, including, but not limited to, painted wood; natural or synthetic stone; brick; stucco; integrally colored, textured, or glazed concrete masonry units; high-quality prestressed concrete systems; or glass.
D. 
Site design requirements.
(1) 
Intent. To create a collection of attractive buildings and sites that will sustain high-quality development standards and contribute positively to the Town's built environment.
(2) 
Building placement and orientation. To the extent practicable, buildings shall be oriented to the roads they front along and frame corners at the intersection of two roads.
(3) 
Outdoor patios and seating are permitted. Design of such seating should complement architecture of adjacent building(s) and must incorporate architectural walls, fencing and other features to safely separate outdoor spaces from nearby vehicular movement.
(4) 
Pedestrian-oriented design. To the extent practicable, redevelopment and new development should incorporate site design features that enhance pedestrian access and safety to and through parcels located in this district.
(5) 
Bicycle storage. Proposed development within the district must provide on-site bicycle storage, outdoors and/or inside the building. Outdoor bike racks must be covered, through fixture design or by proximity to the building's architectural elements.
(6) 
Landscaping. To the extent practicable, landscaping and decorative features should be utilized to enhance the overall aesthetic quality of the area, especially in high-visibility areas along major corridors. Installation of new, and/or replacement of existing, lawns, grasses, trees, shrubs, flowers, shall be consistent with the Town's landscaping guidelines. Other hardscaping and decorative features (e.g., water features, decorative lighting, benches, decorative walls, etc.) are encouraged.
(7) 
Parking and loading area design.
(a) 
Existing parking lots. Existing parking lots shall be maintained in good repair. When new or substantially reconstructed parking lots are installed on a site, requirements for new parking areas must be met.
(b) 
New parking lot design. New parking areas shall be designed to enhance aesthetic appeal and reduce stormwater runoff.
[1] 
Screening shall be provided between parking areas and adjacent roads and sidewalks and property boundaries.
[a] 
Screening, whether natural or man-made, must be at least three feet in height and at least 50% opaque.
[b] 
One canopy tree (minimum of three-inch caliper) for each 20 linear feet of parking lot frontage shall be provided.
[2] 
Unpaved edges and corners of parking lots, islands, and all other areas not expressly designated for parking, loading or vehicular/pedestrian/bicycle circulation shall be landscaped. Vegetation can include turf grass, native grasses or other native flowering plants, vines, shrubs or trees. Such spaces may include architectural features such as benches, kiosks or bicycle parking.
[3] 
On any parcel with a parking area containing 200 spaces or more, three-hundred-square-foot landscaped areas shall be provided for every 25 spaces. Tree and landscaping selections shall be consistent with the Town's landscaping guidelines and/or demonstrate compliance with other accepted state or federal landscape design standards for parking lot applications.
[4] 
Parking spaces and drive aisles. Minimum sizes shall be as follows:
Minimum Dimension
Standard parking space
9 feet by 20 feet
ADA-compliant parking space
Refer to New York State Department of Transportation's Accessible Parking for Persons With Disabilities specifications
Two-way drive aisle
24 feet wide
One-way drive aisle
18 feet wide
[5] 
Shared parking incentive. Parking requirements provided herein may be reduced by up to 25% during site plan review if shared parking between parcels and/or co-located uses is proposed and an agreement evidencing the shared parking arrangement is recorded with the Monroe County Clerk's Office prior to the issuance of a building permit.
(c) 
New loading area design. New loading areas should be located in low-visibility areas of the building exterior to minimize views and site access conflicts. A visual buffer, man-made or natural, shall be provided.
(d) 
Existing loading area design. Redevelopment of properties with existing loading areas that face public streets or sidewalks and loading areas that abut residential districts or uses shall be retrofitted at the time of renovation to include landscaped and/or screened area(s) along the public street, sidewalk and/or abutting residential areas.
E. 
Off-street parking requirements. Off-street motor vehicle parking spaces shall be provided on site utilizing surface parking lots or parking garage structures at-grade, above-grade or below-grade.
(1) 
The minimum number of parking spaces to be provided in the RRPD District shall be the lesser of a) the total number of spaces required pursuant to the parking requirements set forth below or b) 6,000 spaces.
(2) 
Off-street parking ratios for the RRPD District shall be as follows:
Use
Minimum Parking Space
Residential
1.5 spaces per unit
Senior residential (55+)
0.75 space per unit
Hotel
1 space per hotel room
Retail/office/medical
3 spaces per 1,000 square feet of occupied space
Restaurants
1 space per 4 seats (including stools)
Cinemas, theaters, auditoriums
1 space per 5 seats
Warehouse
1 space per 2,000 square feet
Light industrial
2 spaces per 1,000 square feet
Other
No less than any minimum set forth herein to be determined during site plan or administrative review
(3) 
Bicycle parking minimum. At least one bicycle space shall be provided for every 25 parking spaces.
F. 
Signage.
(1) 
Design considerations. Although the scale of development within this district may vary, the Town of Irondequoit desires attractive, high quality signage. To the extent practicable, a cohesive design theme should be established to enhance the aesthetic appeal and promote the identity of the area.
(a) 
The overall design should reflect the aesthetic theme of the building and/or use.
(b) 
Font and color selection should maximize readability.
(c) 
Lit signs are appropriate for the area, but should be high-efficiency and dark sky compliant.
(d) 
Wall-mounted signage for multitenant buildings should minimize visual clutter through consolidated signage or individual signs that are sized and spaced consistently along the building face.
(2) 
Maximum dimensions. The following size limitations are established within this district:
Type
Maximum Size
(Sign Face Only)
Height
Count
Setback
Freestanding, monument
100 square feet
20 feet
1 per ROW lot line
10 feet
Wall-mounted
10% of building face, not to exceed 350 square feet total per building
N/A
N/A
N/A
Incidental
12 square feet per sign
N/A
N/A
G. 
Refuse storage and mechanicals.
(1) 
Outdoor storage of refuse shall comply with regulations set forth in § 192-20 and be located in areas that minimize visual impacts and conflicts with site circulation and neighboring uses.
(2) 
Building- and ground-mounted building mechanicals shall be located out of view and/or screened to the greatest extent practicable.
H. 
Lighting.
(1) 
Exterior lighting, including fixtures located on sites and mounted on structures, shall be designed to provide safe pedestrian and vehicular navigation, enhance safety, and complement the design of the proposed development. Dark sky compliant fixtures should be used, unless the need for alternative is demonstrated during application.
(2) 
Interior lighting within buildings shall be designed, positioned and/or controlled in such a way that avoids light spill on adjacent public rights-of-way.