The purpose of good site design and subdivision is to create
a functional and attractive development, to minimize adverse impacts
and to ensure that a development project will be an asset to the Town
of Bloomsburg. To promote this purpose, all subdivision and/or land
development plans shall conform to the following standards which are
designed to result in a well-planned community.
[Ord. 759, 3/8/1993, § 601]
1. Application of site design standards for land development shall be done in accordance with the provisions set forth in Part
5, "General Design Standards," of this Chapter.
2. Provisions of this Part are to be used for both residential and nonresidential land subdivision and land development as further stated herein. Additional site design standards shall be applied in accordance with said provisions and may be found in the following cross referenced sections of the Town of Bloomsburg Zoning Ordinance [Chapter
27] and all other Town ordinances, as applicable.
[Ord. 759, 3/8/1993, § 602]
1. Town of Bloomsburg Zoning and Related Ordinances. The following list
of cross-references is provided to assure consistency in the plan
review process and the orderly development of land. These references
shall be referred to, and in accordance with, this Chapter when preparing
and/or reviewing all subdivision and land development plans. While
the Sections outlined below refer generally to the main requirements
of each ordinance, all other applicable standards contained within
shall be applied during development plan preparation and plan review.
A. Use Standards. Chapter
27, ((Part
5) – District Regulations), Town of Bloomsburg Zoning Ordinance.
B. Special Exceptions. Chapter
27, ((Part
6) – Special Exception Uses), Town of Bloomsburg Zoning Ordinance.
C. Conditional Uses. Chapter
27, ((Part
7) – Conditional Uses), Town of Bloomsburg Zoning Ordinances.
D. Stormwater Management. Part 8 – Drainage and Stormwater Management,
herein.
E. Floodplain Management. Town of Bloomsburg Floodplain Management Ordinance (Chapter
8) and Part
5, §
22-511, Design Standards in Floodplains herein.
F. Off-Street Parking. Chapter
27, ((Part
8), §
27-801(3) — Off-Street Parking and Loading (see Table 1 – Requirements for Number of Off-Street Parking Spaces)), Town of Bloomsburg Zoning Ordinance.
G. Performance Standards. Chapter
27, ((Part
8), § 27-801(6)(U) – Nuisance and Hazard Abatement), Town of Bloomsburg.
H. Signage Requirements. Chapter
27, ((Part
8), §
27-805 – Signs), Town of Bloomsburg Zoning Ordinance.
I. Building Orientation. Chapter
27, ((Part
8), §
27-805 – Signs), Town of Bloomsburg Zoning Ordinance.
J. Buffer/Screening Requirements. Chapter
27, ((Part
8), §
27-803(6) – Buffer Areas and Screen Planting) and Chapter
27, (Part
8, § 27-801(E)(1) – Design Facilities: Parking Buffers and Other Requirements), Town of Bloomsburg Zoning Ordinance.
K. Landscaping. Chapter
25 Town of Bloomsburg Tree Program and Part
5, § 22-510(1) – Tree Preservation and Planting herein.
L. Handicapped Accessibility. Part
5, §
22-501(7), General Design Standards, herein.
[Ord. 759, 3/8/1993, § 603]
1. Analysis and inventory of site characteristics shall be made for
all proposed development sites. Inventory and analysis shall include
site context, geology and soil, topography, streams and water bodies,
climate, ecology, existing vegetation and landscaping, structures
and road networks, steep slopes, floodplains, wetlands, visual features
and past and present use of the site in order to evaluate appropriate
site design.
A. The following specific areas shall be preserved as undeveloped open
space, to the extent consistent with the reasonable utilization of
land:
(1)
Unique or fragile areas, including wetlands.
(2)
Significant trees or stands of trees as provided for in the Town of Bloomsburg Shade Tree Program [Chapter
25].
(3)
Lands in floodplains, in accordance with the provisions set forth in §
22-511, herein, the provisions of the Town of Bloomsburg Zoning Ordinance [Chapter
27 and the Floodplain Management Ordinance [Chapter
8].
[Ord. 759, 3/8/1993, § 604]
1. Pedestrian walkways shall be provided within all high-density single-family and multifamily residential, commercial, industrial and institutional developments in order to promote safe pedestrian circulation throughout the developed area and shall be provided in accordance with §§
22-505 and
22-706 herein.
2. Pedestrian walkways shall be physically separated from all streets
and, where possible, from vehicle circulation ways within nonresidential
developments.
3. Parking areas shall be designed to minimize the necessity for pedestrians
to walk within and across vehicle circulation areas.
4. Commercial areas should be designed to allow pedestrians to browse
and pause in areas removed or otherwise protected from vehicular circulation
and parking areas.
[Ord. 759, 3/8/1993, § 605]
1. Structure orientation shall be done in accordance with the provisions outlined in § 803 "Supplementary Yard Regulations," of the Town of Bloomsburg Zoning Ordinance, as amended [Chapter
27 and Part
5, § 22-508(3), "Building Setbacks," herein.
2. Where permitted, structures should be clustered whenever possible
to ensure that the largest, most usable tracts of open space are preserved.
Further, buildings shall be oriented to maximize energy conservation
as well as solar energy utilization.
A. Commercial, Industrial and Multifamily Residential Structures.
(1)
Buildings shall be located according to topography with environmentally
sensitive areas avoided to the maximum extent practicable, factors
such as drainage, noise, odor and surrounding land uses shall be considered
in building location.
(2)
Sufficient access shall be provided, and further, adverse impacts shall be buffered from sight (see §
22-606, "Landscaping/Screening/Buffering," herein).
3. All buildings located on corner lots at street intersections shall be situated so as to assure that adequate sight distance, as defined in Part
2, herein, is achieved.
[Ord. 759, 3/8/1993, § 606]
1. Landscaping, screening and buffering, where appropriate, shall be
provided as part of land development and subdivision design. It shall
be conceived in a total pattern throughout the site, integrating the
various elements of the site design, preserving and enhancing the
particular identity of the site and being compatible and consistent
with existing community character.
2. Landscaping shall be utilized to improve the appearance of access
drives and property abutting public rights-of-way. Landscape screening
and/or buffering shall be required between noncompatible land uses
and used in a manner necessary to promote the public health and safety
through the reduction of noise pollution, visual pollution, air temperature
and artificial light glare.
3. All land and subdivision development shall, where possible, preserve and replace trees and significant vegetation removed in the course of land development and promote the proper utilization of landscaping as a buffer between certain land uses to minimize the opportunities for nuisances. (Reference the Town of Bloomsburg Shade Tree Program [Chapter
25] and Part
5, § 22-510(A), "Tree Preservation and Planting.")
4. Existing landscape material shall be shown on the required site plan
and any material in satisfactory condition may be used to satisfy
a portion of the landscaping requirements when, in the opinion of
the Planning Commission, such material meets the desired level of
landscaping.
5. Street trees shall be provided in accordance with the Town of Bloomsburg Shade Tree Program [Chapter
25].
6. Landscaping of parking areas shall be done in accordance with the provisions set forth in the Town of Bloomsburg Zoning Ordinance [Chapter
27] (§ 27-801(3)(D)(1)(e), "Parking Buffers and Other Requirements"), as amended.
7. Where an industrial use abuts a residential property, a buffer yard of at least 25 feet shall be required and developed in a manner consistent with the provisions of §
27-803(6) of the Town of Bloomsburg Zoning Ordinance [Chapter
27].
A. The buffer yard shall be a part of the industrial installation and
shall be maintained by the industry.
B. Where the noncompatibility of uses warrant additional buffer yards,
it is at the discretion of the Planning Commission to determine appropriate
buffer yard requirements.
8. Parking lots, garbage collection, utility areas and loading and unloading
areas shall be screened around their perimeters by a buffer strip
a minimum of four feet wide.
9. Where residential uses abut a collector or an arterial street or
a railroad, a landscaped buffer shall be provided along adjacent lots.
In this instance, the buffer strip shall be a minimum of four feet
wide or wider where necessary for the health and safety of the residents
and shall include both trees and shrubs spaced, at a maximum, four
apart and shall achieve 90% opacity by the third growing season.
10. Buffering shall provide a year round visual screen in order to shield
noncompatible land uses and shall consist of trees, shrubbery, flowers,
grass, ground-cover and other foliage as required by the Planning
Commission.
11. All off-street parking facilities shall utilize a four-foot buffer yard as set forth in § 72-801(3)(D)(1), "Parking Buffers and Other Requirements," Town of Bloomsburg Zoning Ordinance [Chapter
27], as amended.
12. All land uses requiring conditional use approval shall be subject to buffer yard requirements set forth in §
27-703, "Conditional Uses," Town of Bloomsburg Zoning Ordinance [Chapter
27], as amended.
[Ord. 759, 3/8/1993, § 607]
1. Number of Spaces.
A. For both residential and nonresidential land uses, off-street parking shall be provided as set forth in §
27-801(3), "Off-Street Parking and Loading" (See Table 1, "Requirements for Number of Off-Street Parking Spaces"), Town of Bloomsburg Zoning Ordinance [Chapter
27], as amended.
(1)
Number of spaces required for land development shall be clearly
indicated on the development plan.
(2)
The development plan for multifamily, commercial and industrial
development shall provide for adequate drainage of total parking and
access areas.
2. Size of Spaces. Off-street parking spaces for residential and nonresidential uses, where required in the Town of Bloomsburg Zoning Ordinance [Chapter
27], shall measure 10 feet in width by 20 feet in length according to the provisions set forth in §
27-801(3), "Off-Street Parking and Loading," Town of Bloomsburg Zoning Ordinance [Chapter
27], as amended.
3. Parking Areas.
A. Parking areas shall be suitably landscaped to minimize noise, glare
and other nuisance characteristics as well as to improve the environment
of the site and to remain compatible with the surrounding area.
(1)
Where a parking area abuts an adjoining property a four deep landscaped buffer shall be created according to the provisions set forth in § 27-801(3)(D)(1)(e), "Landscaping," Town of Bloomsburg Zoning Ordinance [Chapter
27], as amended.
B. Off-street parking areas shall be oriented to and situated within
a reasonable walking distance of the buildings they are designed to
serve. The maximum reasonable distance to walk for residential use
shall be 200 feet and 700 feet for commercial and industrial uses
measured from the edge of structure to parking lot closest to structure.
C. Access to parking areas shall be designed so as not to obstruct free
flow of traffic. There shall be adequate space for ingress and egress
from all parking spaces to ensure ease of mobility, sufficient clearance
and safety of vehicles and pedestrians.
D. Aisle width shall be in accordance with the requirements specified
below:
(1)
Parking Facilities. The minimum dimensions of parking facilities
to be provide shall be as follows:
|
Aisle-width
|
---|
Angle of Parking
|
One-Way
|
Two-Way
|
---|
90 degrees
|
24 feet
|
24 feet
|
60 degrees
|
18 feet
|
20 feet
|
45 degrees
|
15 feet
|
20 feet
|
30 degrees
|
12 feet
|
20 feet
|
Parallel
|
12 feet
|
20 feet
|
E. Where sidewalks are utilized in parking areas, parked vehicles shall
not overhang the sidewalks; in order to prevent vehicle overhang,
1 1/2 additional feet shall be provided beyond the required curb-stop.
(1)
Large lot parking areas of 10 or more spaces shall provide a minimum of 10% of the total interior parking area for pedestrian walkways to include, buffers, setbacks and other separations to mitigate the paved area as provided in § 27-801(3)(E)(2), "Design and Layout" the Town of Bloomsburg Zoning Ordinance [Chapter
27], as amended.
(2)
In order to achieve a desired level of shading, parking facilities
of 10 or more spaces may, at the discretion of the Planning Commission,
be required to include one or more trees for every eight parking spaces
created. Each tree shall be surrounded by a planting island containing
no less than 50 square feet of permeable and unpaved surface.
(3)
Access into the parking areas shall be designed in a manner
that provides for sufficient distance between the entrance to the
parking area and the parking stalls.
(4)
Large lot parking areas of 10 or more parking spaces shall submit a lighting plan in accordance with the provisions set forth in § 27-801(3)(D)(3), "Lighting," Town of Bloomsburg Zoning Ordinance [Chapter
27], as amended. Further, any lighting used to illuminate off-street parking areas shall be mounted and shielded in such a manner to effectively eliminate direct glare on adjacent properties or upon public streets.
4. Handicapped Accessible Parking.
A. All multifamily, commercial, public and industrial uses shall provide
handicapped parking spaces as follows:
Total Parking Spaces
|
Required Accessible Spaces
|
---|
1 to 25
|
1
|
26 to 50
|
2
|
51 to 75
|
3
|
76 to 100
|
4
|
101 to 150
|
5
|
151 to 200
|
6
|
201 to 300
|
7
|
301 to 400
|
8
|
401 to 500
|
9
|
501 to 1,000
|
2% of Total
|
Over 1,000
|
20 plus 1 per 100 over 1,000
|
B. Design of handicapped accessible spaces shall be as follows:
(1)
Accessible parking spaces serving a particular building shall
be located on the shortest accessible route of travel from adjacent
parking to an accessible structure. In parking facilities not serving
a particular structure, accessible parking shall be located on the
shortest accessible route of travel to an accessible pedestrian entrance
of the parking entrance.
(2)
Accessible parking spaces shall be at least eight feet wide.
(3)
One parking access aisle of no less than five feet in width
shall be provided for each accessible parking space and shall be a
part of the accessible route of no less than three feet in width to
the building or facility entrance. A parking access aisle may be shared
between two accessible parking spaces.
(4)
Parking spaces and access aisles shall be level with surface
slopes not exceeding 2% in all directions.
(5)
Accessible parking spaces shall be designated as reserved by
a sign showing the symbol of accessibility. Such signs shall be located
so as not to be obscured by a vehicle parked in the space.
[Ord. 759, 3/8/1993, § 608]
1. Loading and unloading shall be done in accordance with the requirements set forth in § 27-801(3)(C), "Loading and Unloading Spaces," Town of Bloomsburg Zoning Ordinance [Chapter
27], as amended.
2. Any lighting used to illuminate loading areas shall be mounted and
shielded in such a manner to effectively eliminate direct glare on
adjacent properties or upon public streets.
[Ord. 759, 3/8/1993, § 609]
All proposed signage for any subdivision or land development shall be provided in accordance with the requirements as set forth in §
27-805, "Signs," Town of Bloomsburg Zoning Ordinance [Chapter
27].