[1]
Editor's Note: The title of Art. 1100 was amended 11-20-2013
by Ord. No. 606-2013.
A.
It is the intent and purpose of this district to foster improved
traffic and pedestrian circulation and safety as well as consistency
in lot layout and design along the Borough's busiest transportation
corridors. The Comprehensive Plan concluded that past development
along these corridors has led to increased traffic congestion, large
expanses of parking, inadequate pedestrian access, and unappealing
visual clutter. The Borough desires that new construction and redevelopment
of existing sites will enhance the function and appearance of these
corridors by incorporating access management and design principles.
B.
This district implements the Comprehensive Plan's specific recommendations
that interchange corridor enhancement standards and access management
requirements be added to the Borough's Zoning Ordinance.
[Amended 11-20-2013 by Ord. No. 606-2013]
A.
Principal uses permitted by right for the Medium-Intensity Mixed-Use
Residential, Commercial and Light Industrial District are listed in
the table of uses located in Article 400, § 212-404.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: The Tables of Use Regulations are included as an attachment to this chapter.
B.
Conditional uses allowed within the Medium-Intensity Mixed-Use
Residential, Commercial and Light Industrial District are listed in
the table of uses located in Article 400, § 212-404.[2]
[2]
Editor's Note: The Tables of Use Regulations are included as an attachment to this chapter.
C.
Accessory uses permitted by right or as a conditional use in
the Medium-Intensity Mixed-Use Residential, Commercial and Light Industrial
District are listed in the table of accessory uses located in Article
400, § 212-404.[3]
[3]
Editor's Note: The Tables of Use Regulations are included as an attachment to this chapter.
[Amended 11-20-2013 by Ord. No. 606-2013]
Area and bulk standards for the Medium-Intensity Mixed-Use Residential,
Commercial and Light Industrial District are listed in the tables
in Article 500, §§ 212-501 and 212-502.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: The Table of Residential Uses Area and Bulk Requirements and the Table of Nonresidential Uses Area and Bulk Requirements are included as attachments to this chapter.
In addition to the above sections of this article, the provisions
of §§ 212-1106 through 212-1109 shall apply to land
developments within the M-2 District.
A.
The requirements of this article shall be applicable to: 1)
any new construction, whether stand-alone or part of a larger site
development; 2) expansions of existing buildings and/or parking facilities;
and 3) any change in the principal use of the building.
B.
Nonconforming lots.
(1)
When an existing lot does not conform to the requirements of
this district, any new construction, expansion or change in use shall
only be permitted if the applicant agrees to bring the lot into compliance
with the following requirements of this chapter:
(2)
Any new construction on a nonconforming lot shall be required
to meet the building orientation and design requirements of this district.
Existing buildings on the parcel which do not meet the building orientation
and design requirements may remain unchanged but shall not be expanded
or redesigned to make them more nonconforming with such requirements.
A.
Traffic impact study.
(1)
A traffic impact study shall be required and submitted to the
Borough if:
(a)
The development is expected to generate average
daily traffic (ADT) of 1,500 vehicles or more;
(b)
During any one-hour time period, the development
is expected to generate 100 new vehicle trips either entering or exiting
the development; or
(c)
The Borough determines that a traffic study is
warranted due to existing traffic problems on adjacent or surrounding
streets or proximity to other access driveways or intersections.
(2)
For purposes of determining the need for a traffic study, the
Borough and the applicant shall assume that the development shall
have one access driveway at one location. Traffic volume shall be
estimated based on full buildout and occupancy of the entire development
parcel.
(3)
In estimating traffic volumes, the applicant shall comply with
the most recent edition of the Institute of Transportation Engineers'
"Trip Generation, Eighth Edition, an ITE Informational Report," or
more current edition.
(4)
The traffic impact study shall include, at a minimum, the following
information:
(a)
The estimated number of additional average daily
traffic (ADT) and a.m. and p.m. peak-hour vehicle trips that would
be generated by the proposed use or uses when fully occupied and operational.
Such estimates shall be calculated using the most current edition
of the Trip Generation Report and the annual traffic growth rate for
the area as determined by the Southwest Planning Commission (SPC)
or its succeeding body.
(b)
The current levels of service of intersections
within a one-half-mile radius of the subject site.
(c)
The projected levels of service of the same intersections
when the proposed use is fully occupied and operational.
(d)
A queuing analysis demonstrating that any queuing
or staging of vehicles will take place entirely on the development
site.
(e)
Projected traffic generated for all developments
approved by the Borough but not yet completed.
(f)
A designated turn lane analysis to determine if
designated turn lanes are necessary on the principal routes.
(g)
An internal signage analysis of the development
to determine the safest and most efficient flow of traffic.
(5)
The Borough shall use the information presented in the traffic
impact study to determine how best to implement the access management
provisions of this article and will provide the study and all review
comments to the agency responsible for the right-of-way.
B.
Driveways.
(1)
Number of driveways.
(a)
Only one access driveway (excluding emergency access)
shall be permitted for each development parcel, provided that a maximum
of two driveways shall be permitted for shopping centers, large retail
businesses, automotive service stations or any principal building
or group of buildings greater than 100,000 square feet.
(b)
An additional access driveway shall be permitted
for developments other than those enumerated in the previous subsection
if the applicant demonstrates that it is necessary to accommodate
traffic to and from the site and it can be achieved in a safe and
efficient manner. In making such a determination, the Borough shall
consider the traffic volumes established by the traffic impact study;
the existing and projected levels of service (as defined by PennDOT)
of adjacent and surrounding streets and intersections; the location
and density of the proposed development; and such other factors as
the Borough deems appropriate.
(c)
The Borough shall restrict access to right-turn-only
ingress and egress if safe and efficient movements cannot be otherwise
accommodated.
(d)
For a development parcel that abuts two or more
streets, the Borough may restrict access to only that street which
can more safely and efficiently accommodate traffic.
(2)
Distance from intersections.
[Amended 2-15-2017 by Ord. No. 634-2017]
(b)
If the development parcel abuts two streets, access
shall be provided to the street where the distance requirements from
intersections can be best achieved.
(c)
If the driveway cannot meet the aforementioned
distance requirements and no other reasonable access is available,
the driveway shall be located at the farthest possible distance from
the intersection. The Borough Engineer shall have the right to impose
directional or other restrictions on ingress and egress where the
Borough determines that such driveway will create safety or operational
problems.
(4)
Sight distance.
(a)
All driveways shall be designed to provide safe
sight distance for all permitted turning movements. In making such
a determination, the Borough and the applicant shall comply with 67
Pa. Code § 441.1 et seq., as amended, and relevant PennDOT
publications such as Publication 70, as amended.
(b)
Sight triangles. Clear sight triangles shall be
maintained along all approaches to driveways with streets. The sight
line shall be measured 25 feet along the center line of the driveway
and the minimum distance along the center line in each direction from
the intersection point along the center line with one of the following
classifications:
(5)
Joint and cross-access.
(a)
The Borough may request the developer to provide
for a joint driveway in order to achieve the intersection or driveway
spacing standards required above or if the Borough determines, based
on information provided in the traffic study, that permitting a new
driveway will hinder ingress or egress to one or more neighboring
driveways due to the volume of vehicles either entering or leaving
the proposed new driveway. Joint access may only be requested where
the development parcel is adjacent to one or more nonresidential parcel(s)
and access between the parcels can be achieved without requiring excessive
earth movement as determined by the Borough Engineer.
(b)
Where the developer is able to reach agreement
with the adjacent property owner regarding a joint driveway, the following
requirements shall apply:
[1]
The driveway shall have a design speed of 10 miles
per hour and have sufficient width to accommodate two-way traffic.
[2]
The applicant shall submit a circulation plan that
includes a cross-access driveway between the parcels and a cross-
access pedestrian walkway and may include a plan for shared parking.
[3]
Property owners sharing a joint and/or cross-access
driveway shall record an easement with their respective deeds preserving
the right to, from and over their respective parcels. Such easement
shall be accompanied by a joint agreement among the property owners
defining the maintenance responsibilities for the driveway(s).
(6)
Driveway design. The required driveway design shall be a factor
of projected traffic volume determined by the traffic impact study
or the Borough Engineer (if no traffic impact study was required),
as follows:
(a)
Length.
[1]
Length as measured from the outside shoulder edge
of the intersecting street shall be determined according to the following
criteria:
|
Table 11-1: Driveway Length
| ||
|---|---|---|
|
Driveway Type/Volume
|
Minimum Length
(feet)
| |
|
Residential or other driveway used by not more than 100 vehicles
per day
|
25
| |
|
More than 100 vehicles per day
|
As determined by the traffic study
| |
[2]
The required length may be modified by the Borough
if a queuing analysis determines that another length is needed to
avoid backup of vehicles onto adjacent streets.
(b)
Width.
[1]
The width of driveways without a curb shall be
calculated as follows:
|
Table 11-2: Driveway Width
| ||
|---|---|---|
|
Driveway Type/Volume
|
Minimum Width
(feet)
| |
|
Residential or other driveway used by not more than 100 vehicles
per day
|
10 (one-way)
20 (two-way)
| |
|
More than 100 vehicles per day
|
As determined by the traffic study
| |
[2]
For driveways with a curb, a minimum of two feet
shall be added to the widths determined in accordance with the Table
11-2.
[3]
The Borough may require additional driveway width
to provide for turning lanes when the Borough Engineer determines
they are needed for adequate traffic flow and safety.
[4]
The Borough may require a median at the Borough
Engineer's discretion to control turning movements. Any median shall
have a minimum width of four feet.
[5]
Driveways consisting of a continuous curb cut along
the property boundary adjoining the right-of-way shall be prohibited.
No driveway shall exceed the width requirements calculated under this
section by more than 10%.
(c)
Driveway radius.
[1]
Any driveway shall be designed to provide an adequate
turning radius to accommodate anticipated vehicles entering and exiting
the driveway. The following minimum radii are required:
|
Table 11-3: Driveway Radius
| ||
|---|---|---|
|
Driveway Type/Volume
|
Radius
(feet)
| |
|
Residential or other driveway used by not more than 100 vehicles
per day
|
15 (uncurbed)
25 (curbed)
| |
|
More than 100 vehicles per day
|
As determined by the traffic study
| |
[2]
For all driveways, the radii shall be designed
to accommodate the largest vehicle (such as buses or tractor trailers)
expected to use the driveway.
[3]
Except for joint driveways, no portion of a driveway
radius may be located on or along the frontage of an adjacent property.
C.
Parking lots.
(2)
Shared parking. The use of shared parking between adjacent properties or among different uses within multiple-building developments is strongly encouraged. The number of shared parking spaces shall be determined in accordance with the ratios established in Article 2200.
(3)
Pedestrian access. Any parking lot having 100 or more parking
spaces shall be designed with one or more pedestrian aisle(s) separated
from vehicular traffic with low barriers or plantings that create
a safe walkway. The pedestrian aisle(s) shall be a minimum of four
feet wide and shall direct pedestrians to sidewalks and/or building
entrance(s). Where pedestrian aisles cross driveways or internal streets,
they shall be clearly marked as pedestrian crosswalks with pavement
striping and signage.
(4)
Use of porous paving material. If the entire parking lot is developed using porous paving materials in accordance with the Borough's Stormwater Management Ordinance, Chapter 178 of the Code, such porous paving materials shall be included in the maximum impervious surface area, but its use shall permit the applicant to increase the maximum impervious surface coverage of the site by 10%.
A.
Building orientation and general design.
(1)
Orientation. Any individual building developed on a lot shall
be oriented to face the principal street that defines the corridor.
For buildings developed as part of a multibuilding development, orientation
of some buildings may face a central plaza or parking area, provided
that any wall facing the principal street shall meet all design standards
specified below.
(2)
Building materials. Every portion of any exposed exterior wall
surface shall be composed of durable materials such as brick, natural
or manufactured stone, marble, granite, glass, fiber cement board,
solid wood such as cedar or high-quality metal panels. Concrete block
shall be prohibited. The Borough Council may approve alternative materials
only if such material is determined to be equal or superior to the
materials enumerated above.
(3)
General building design.
(a)
New buildings shall be constructed to be generally
compatible with buildings on the same block frontage within 200 feet.
This provision shall be satisfied by constructing the subject structure
so at least three of the following features are similar to the majority
of other structures within 200 feet of the block frontage on both
sides of the street:
(b)
No wall surface shall exceed 50 continuous feet
without a break. A break shall consist of either:
[1]
A recess or offset measuring at least 10 feet in
depth or 1/4 of the building in length; or
[2]
A series of recesses or offsets, at intervals of
not more than 30 feet, each measuring a minimum of four feet in depth.
The objective of this standard is to avoid large, undifferentiated
wall surfaces.
(c)
Buildings over 25 feet in height shall include
architectural features that mimic two-story structures, such as windows,
cornices or similar components. Buildings with flat roofs shall have
mansard roof facades or gabled roofs over the required offset areas;
see Figure 11-4.
(d)
To the maximum extent feasible, new buildings located
within this district shall adhere to the design standards in § 212-1109B
through I.
(e)
Green roofs and vertical green walls are encouraged.
B.
Site layout. The building is brought forward as close to the
street as possible, with parking and other services tucked around
the side and back. This helps to define the identity of the street
and gives the business maximum public exposure.
|
Figure 11-1: Sample Site Layout
 |
(1)
The primary building entry should always be placed at the front
of the building (facing the front lot line) and be clearly identifiable
from the street (A). In this example, an entry vestibule is created
which faces the front, side and rear parking area simultaneously.
(2)
Parking should be placed at the side or rear of the lot, where
possible, and be screened from view whenever possible. Break the parking
areas up into groups of no more than 20 spaces per area, 35 spaces
for large development projects, separated by landscaping areas (B).
(3)
Place as much of the building width at the front of the lot
as possible to maximize front facade exposure to the public (C). The
front facade should be kept parallel to the street.
(4)
To reinforce the "street edge," align with neighboring buildings
that are also close to the front setback line. Landscaping can also
be used to reinforce this line (D).
(5)
Whenever possible, attempt to link with adjacent parking lots
or provide shared parking areas which can serve neighboring buildings
simultaneously (E). This provides a secondary means of access to the
site and can ease congestion on the main road.
(6)
Provide sidewalks for the full width of the property with a
direct link to the primary building entry (F).
(7)
Loading docks, service areas and trash facilities shall be located
at the rear of the building and not visible from the street. Fences,
walls or landscaping can be used to shield them from view (G).
(8)
Incorporate any existing, older trees into new site plan development
whenever possible to reduce waste and salvage good shade trees (H).
(9)
Minimize the amount of curb cuts by having a single driveway
in and out of the property from the main road consistent with the
provisions of § 212-1108.
(10)
The parking lot areas shall be designed in regular,
rectangular shapes. Irregular wedge-shaped parking areas created by
following angled property lines are discouraged. Only create as much
paved area as absolutely necessary.
(11)
Landscaped islands and other green space should
be consolidated into useful areas and not just narrow strips of grass
or plantings (J).
C.
Site planning. Corner lots are especially important in defining
the street. Special attention should be paid to bringing the building
mass all the way out to meet the corner. Large shopping plazas should
also attempt to infill the front of their lots with new commercial
space to take advantage of the road frontage.
|
Figure 11-2: Site Planning
 |
(1)
Corner lots shall place as much building mass near the intersection
as possible to help anchor the lot and take advantage of the high
visibility (A).
(2)
Automotive service canopies shall be designed as an integral
part of the station architecture whenever possible. This can allow
for a visual or even physical connection that provides shelter between
the vehicle and the building (B).
(3)
Alternative automotive service layouts include placing the pumps
near the rear of the lot while having the convenience store out in
front near the street (C). This helps to highlight the building and
shield the utilitarian pump canopy and pulls the curb cuts away from
the intersection, creating easier access.
(4)
When it is not feasible to place the building entry directly
on the front facade, attempts should be made to ensure that it is
still readily visible and faces the main road or internal street (D).
(5)
Older shopping plazas set back far from the street can benefit
from developing the land at the front of their lot. This helps to
define the street character and allows for more "one-stop" shopping
and shared parking opportunities (E).
(6)
Provide trees and other landscape screening to shield large parking areas from adjacent lots consistent with the provisions of Article 2000, Buffering and Landscaping (F).
(7)
Large parking lots are encouraged to provide walkways that create
safe pedestrian travel areas (G).
(8)
Developments may benefit from having a shared access to a common
dumpster location which both neighboring properties can use (H).
(9)
All public accessways on the site shall comply with the Americans
with Disabilities Act.
D.
Building mass. Breaking up the masses helps reduce the scale.
Dividing the building volume into a variety of shapes helps to reduce
the perceived scale of the architecture and allows placement of the
more important volumes up near the front of the site.
|
Figure 11-3: Building Mass
 |
(1)
Place a majority of the building mass close to the road to help
define the street edge, where possible. In Figure 11-3, the two-story
mass is placed at the front of the lot and likely contains the most
public functions, including reception, offices, showroom, retail space,
etc. (A).
(2)
Where permitted, less public areas such as warehouses, storage
and manufacturing spaces can be shielded from view in the rear. This
often allows for warehouse/utilitarian style construction to be hidden
behind the smaller-scale public spaces that are in front (B).
(3)
The building mass near the front of the site should be articulated
with design features that give it a more pedestrian-scale appearance.
Natural, smaller-scale materials should be used near the front of
the site and pedestrian areas whenever possible (C).
(4)
Large-scale features such as long, uninterrupted picture windows
are not encouraged near the front of the site. They should instead
be separated into smaller groups to help reduce their scale and give
them a more vertical orientation (D). The scale of these large windows
can be further divided with the use of mullions and muntins.
(5)
Larger-scale design features such as garage doors shall be reserved
for the rear of the facility whenever possible and out of sight from
the street (E).
(6)
Different massing at the entry to the building helps to further
define a reduced-scale appearance and improves visibility from many
directions (F).
(7)
In the above example, the utility area in the rear is only one
story (G), but this could instead be a two- or three-story area that
is still shielded from view behind the front portion of the building.
(8)
Large areas of blank wall should be avoided or should be reserved
for the side or rear of the facility whenever possible. If they cannot
be avoided, design accents such as pilasters or other facade articulations
can help to reduce the overall scale appearance (H).
(9)
Special design elements that help to articulate the facade help
to further reduce the overall building scale. Articulations of the
facade or breaks in the roofline help to define different masses and
reduce the scale. See also Figure 11-8: Fenestration.
(10)
The use of covered porches and similar recessed
front entry areas is encouraged to help create a more human-scale
appearance to the building. These also help to draw attention to the
point of entry and provide shelter from the rain and snow. Porch areas
should not be used for outdoor merchandise display.
(11)
In lieu of a formal porch entry, a small canopy
or awning over the main entry also helps to provide a pedestrian-scale
appearance.
E.
Scale and massing. Alternate design for big-box retail. By articulating
the facade of a typical big-box retail store with different massing
elements, you can help to give a smaller-scale appearance to an otherwise
featureless mass.
|
Figure 11-4: Scale and Massing
 |
(1)
The typical big-box retail structure can be seen here as a relatively
featureless mass shaded in gray (A). These structures usually have
blank walls on most of the facades and are articulated only at the
point of entry.
(2)
Large retail structures shall articulate their primary facade(s)
with various design features to help reduce the overall scale of the
building with the use of roofline articulation or mass divisions.
(3)
These can be used to highlight entry points, exits, specialty
areas (such as a garden/landscaping center or auto service), customer
pickup zones or separate places of business.
(4)
In between the main massing elements, a secondary level of scale
reduction can be achieved with a smaller porch design (C). In addition
to creating a more interesting facade, this provides pedestrian shelter
and helps to tie the facade together. In the case of multiple-tenant
plazas, these porch areas act as the front facades and entry points
to smaller businesses.
(5)
The relative massing of the facade can be slowly broken down
into progressively smaller elements. For example, the larger storefront
elements (B) are supported on large piers (D). These entrance elements
frame smaller porches in between, which are supported on even smaller
columns (E). These smaller columns are scaled to the pedestrian and
use the smallest materials.
(6)
The front facade or entry areas may be designed to accommodate
facade lettering as permitted (F).
(7)
The main facade (A) can be further enhanced with occasional
variations in materials, such as the use of colored or textured masonry
units in special areas to create localized patterns (G). The use of
banding designs (continuous horizontal stripes) across large areas
of facade is not recommended.
(8)
Smaller-scale materials should be used on these front-façade
massing elements whenever possible.
(9)
The size, scale, motif and use of materials for the front-façade
design should be kept consistent across the facade in order to tie
the entire composition together. The use of a variety of design styles
across the facade is not recommended.
F.
Roof configuration. A well-designed building roof provides screening,
reduces the building scale, diverts the fall of rainwater, highlights
important areas and creates a graceful "cap" to the structure, among
other things.
|
Figure 11-5: Roof Configuration
 |
(1)
The tallest facade of the building should face the street, stepping
down in back if necessary.
(2)
The roof of the building should be in keeping with the scale
of the structure itself. Overly large, bold or "inflated" roof and
fascia designs are discouraged.
(3)
Flat roof structures should be capped by an articulated parapet
design which acts as a structural expression of the building facade
and its materials (A). Fake roof fronts, built-out roof frames and
similar applied designs are discouraged.
(4)
Subtle variations that help to differentiate the "base," "middle"
and "top" of the structure are encouraged (B).
(5)
Sloped roof structures are encouraged to maintain a pitch between
6:12 minimum and 12:12 maximum slope on all primary roof areas (not
including dormers, entry canopies or similar elements). Mansard and
shed roof designs are discouraged.
(6)
Buildings with sloped roofs are encouraged to employ the use
of dormers and gables along the front to help maintain a prominent
facade when feasible (C).
(7)
Buildings with sloped roofs are encouraged to provide roof overhangs
with a minimum of six-inch or larger overhang (D).
(8)
Subtle breaks and fluctuations in the roofline are encouraged
to highlight important areas of the building (such as the entry) and
break up longer runs of facade/roof area (E).
(9)
Air-handling units, condensers, satellite dishes and other equipment
placed on the roof should not be visible from the street and instead
should be screened by building elements so they are shielded from
sight (F).
(10)
In addition, roof-mounted equipment shall be visually
minimized with painted colors and finish complementary to the overall
building design.
(11)
The roof of a structure should be designed so
as to divert the fall of rain and snow away from pedestrian areas
such as walkways and doors. The use of canopies, awnings or similar
protective designs is also encouraged at entry locations (G).
G.
Building proportions. Many of the facade characteristics of
this building are determined by the same width-to-height proportioning
ratio (1:1.75). This can help to visually balance and tie the building
together.
|
Figure 11-6: Building Proportions
 |
(1)
The proportions of design elements such as windows, columns
or bay spacing should be kept as consistent as possible on the facade.
In Figure 11-6, the windows on the second floor have the same width-to-height
ratio as the windows on the first floor (A).
(2)
Proportioning systems also can be very effective in guiding
other design characteristics of the facade. Here, the same width-to-height
ratio of the windows was used to determine the proportions of many
other features (B).
(3)
The use of vertically proportioned elements (elements which
are generally taller than they are wide) is encouraged to help give
the building a taller, lighter and statelier appearance. Strong horizontal
influences such as large fascias or banding designs are discouraged
or should be adequately balanced with vertical elements (C).
H.
Columns. The column or pier should reflect the amount of weight
it appears to be carrying.
|
Figure 11-7: Columns
 |
(1)
The proportion of structural elements such as posts or columns
should be appropriate to the weight they appear to be carrying. Columns
that support larger masses, such as upper floors, generally have a
low width-to-height ratio, for example 1:5 (D above). Columns supporting
lighter elements such as a porch roof generally have larger ratio,
for example 1:15 (E above). These relative proportions help balance
a facade visually (Figure 11-7).
I.
Fenestration. Recesses such as archways or deep windows are
two examples of fenestration. They help to give a facade a more three-dimensional
appearance by casting shadows and creating a visual contrast.
|
Figure 11-8: Fenestration
 |
(1)
Articulations in the plane of the facade are encouraged to create
an interesting design, reinforce rhythms and cast shadows (A). Very
flat facade designs are discouraged.
(2)
Typically, the most fenestration is found at the first-floor
level near pedestrian areas. Here, the use of larger openings and
increased depth is encouraged. This creates a more open and inviting
area (B).
(3)
In a building of two or more stories, the upper floors typically
would have decreasing levels of fenestration. Here, smaller openings
and less depth is usually found compared to the first floor (C).
(4)
Openings in masonry buildings should express a structural lintel
or arch to express how it is carrying the weight above (D). Likewise,
door and window frames can also use a wider trim at the head than
is used on the sides to achieve the same visual effect.
(5)
The primary entry to a building is the best place to be creative
with the use of depth in a facade. The added depth and articulation
help to draw attention to the entry and highlight it as an important
place (E).
(6)
The use of facade articulation, such as expressing the structural
bays of the building with pilasters, or other detailing can be useful
in animating an otherwise blank area of wall (F).
(7)
In nonpedestrian areas, such as the side or rear of the building,
an increased level of fenestration is not as important and can be
scaled down if desired (G).
(8)
The use of porches, colonnades, canopies or awnings is encouraged
(H).
J.
Buffering and landscaping.
(1)
Any development within this district shall meet the requirements for buffering and landscaping set forth in Article 2000.
(2)
In addition, any development shall meet the following requirements:
(a)
All areas not utilized for structures, driveways,
planting strips or parking facilities must be seeded, sodded or landscaped
within a reasonable period of time. The phrase "a reasonable period
of time" shall be interpreted to be within two weeks after construction
activities are completed, unless those activities are completed between
November 1 and April 1. In such case, the required sodding or seeding
must occur within two weeks of April 1.
(b)
A buffer yard shall be created within the front setback measuring 25 feet in depth from the street right-of-way. Such buffer yard shall create a visual screen between the street and the development. Plantings shall be consistent with those provided in Subsection J(2)(d) and (e) below. This buffering requirement shall not apply to internal streets within a single development.
(c)
Any nonresidential development in the M-2 District
abutting a residential property shall install a fifty-foot-wide buffer
yard extending the full length of the abutting residential lot line.
[Amended 11-20-2013 by Ord. No. 606-2013]
(d)
Within any such required buffer yard, the following
plantings shall be required: for every 100 linear feet, a minimum
of five large canopy trees, six understory or small canopy trees,
and 30 shrubs.
(e)
Planting specifications. All plantings required in the buffer yard shall meet the planting specifications set forth in Article 2000.
(f)
Existing vegetation. Developments shall be encouraged
to preserve trees and shrubs which exist within the required buffer
yard area of the development parcel. The existing trees and shrubs
may be utilized to satisfy the required buffer area planting required
herein; provided, however, that the performance standards regarding
height and mix of types of plantings are met. In the event the existing
trees and shrubs do not satisfy the buffer requirements, the applicant
shall use new plantings in combination with the existing plantings
to satisfy the buffer requirements.
(g)
No structures or uses, including, but not limited
to, buildings, accessory structures, parking spaces, curbs, access
drives and lighting devices, but excluding fences and screening walls,
may be located in any required buffer yard. Any fence or screening
wall shall be erected at least six feet from the lot line, shall not
exceed six feet in height, and shall be screened from view by shrubs
and other plantings.
(h)
In addition to the other requirements of this section,
no nonresidential building in the M-2 District shall be located within
100 feet of any residentially zoned property.
[Amended 11-20-2013 by Ord. No. 606-2013]
(i)
Buffer yard maintenance. The owner of the development
or such owner's agent shall be responsible for the maintenance, repair
and replacement of all screening and buffer plantings required under
this section. All plant materials shall be maintained in a healthy
condition and kept free of refuse and debris.
K.
Lighting.
(1)
Site lighting shall be designed and installed to provide no
more than two footcandles of light at any point on the property. Any
lighting shall be from a concealed source, shall be of a clear white
light that does not distort colors and shall not spill over into adjoining
properties or streets or in any way interfere with the vision of oncoming
motorists.
(2)
No light fixtures shall exceed 20 feet in height.
