[Zoning Order Art. 7, Div. VI, 4-2-2008]
The industrial development pattern in the Official Master Plan
shall be implemented by the following design standards. They shall
apply to the "PI" Planned Industrial District. These standards shall
not apply to industrial uses that are integrated into the development
built in the suburban or mixed use development patterns and those
industrial developments shall be subject to the design standards applicable
to those particular patterns.
[Zoning Order §7.120, 4-2-2008]
A. Development
in the industrial districts:
1. Encourage the kinds of amenities and services for employees that
the Planned Business Park districts provide (distances to common facilities
may be greater due to the horizontal expansiveness of most industrial
uses, warranting close attention to the location of common facilities
in site planning to minimize these distances);
2. Utilize building materials, orientation and landscaping that are
visually attractive thereby affecting the value and reputation of
the County as a whole; and
3. Minimize the impact of operations on the surrounding community.
[Zoning Order §7.130, 4-2-2008]
A. Building Design.
1. Industrial buildings should be designed with four-sided architecture
as in Section 400.2320(3)(c) above.
2. Mechanical units shall be screened as set forth in Section
400.2400(F)(2) below. Awnings, canopies and arcades are permitted to extend into the front yard setback to provide shelter for pedestrians from wind, rain and snow.
3. Solar energy devices, if provided, shall be integral to overall building
design.
B. Street Design.
1. Streets should be laid out so that any single block face does not
exceed one thousand five hundred (1,500) feet. Street layouts should
provide right-of-way connections to the edge of the development to
adjacent sites, so that street patterns can be extended to future
development, where topography allows and future anticipated land uses
would benefit.
2. In instances where block faces exceed one thousand five hundred (1,500) feet, internal drive aisles should be provided to create at least as frequent access as would have been provided by the street patterns in Section
400.2400(B)(1) above. Internal drive aisles shall mimic the design standards of streets, including landscaping, sidewalks, planting strips, vehicle lanes and curb cuts.
3. Curb cuts and internal drive aisles shall be separated by a minimum
of two hundred (200) feet from one another or intersecting street
rights-of-way.
4. Alternative pedestrian connections shall be provided both to the
site and between all buildings within a development.
5. Sidewalks are optional, but if sidewalks are provided, sidewalks
should be separated from the street pavement by a planting strip with
a minimum width of:
a. Eight (8) feet on principal arterial streets;
b. Five (5) feet on local County, minor arterial and collector streets;
c. Zero (0) feet on major local access, local access, local ally access
or internal drive aisles.
6. In instances where on-street parking has been approved by the County,
sidewalks may abut the street provided the minimum sidewalk shall
be at least eight (8) feet wide.
C. Building Relationship To Street.
1. Building entrances and entrances to business services are encouraged
to face onto an existing street or a landscaped open space.
2. Industrial buildings are strongly encouraged to present their building
fronts with windows and provide employee and general public entrances
on an existing street or major internal drive.
D. Site Coverage.
1. Maximum FAR (see Table 5-2 of Article
V). The FAR shall be applied only to the area proposed for initial development, not to area left undeveloped and reserved for future expansion.
2. Impervious area coverage may extend up to eighty percent (80%) of
the development site. Porous surfaces that allow storm water to infiltrate
below the surface, such as porous concrete or asphaltic materials,
are encouraged.
E. Access, Circulation And Parking. If a development abuts
or contains an existing or proposed limited access highway or arterial
street, the Planning and Zoning Commission and/or County Council may
require frontage roads or parallel streets to separate through and
local traffic and to provide for visually safe and attractive roadways:
1. A minimum setback of twenty (20) feet from street rights-of-way and
adjoining residential property shall be required for all surface parking
lots.
2. A minimum setback of twenty (20) feet from street rights-of-way shall
be required for all circular drive drop-offs.
3. Parking lot lighting. See Division 7, Section
400.2460 of this Article. Street lights shall be installed at the intersection of all streets except the intersection of a minor access road with another minor access road.
4. See Article
XII for parking quantity standards.
F. Relationships To Adjoining Property.
1. Setbacks. Buildings shall be set back a minimum
of fifty (50) feet from any residentially zoned property.
2. Buffer screen standards.
a. In addition to or in lieu of, the requirements described in Article
XIV, Table 14-1, developments adjoining existing residential or residentially zoned property shall provide screening in the rear and side yards consisting of a minimum of: a buffer of at least fifty (50) feet of existing mature woodlands provided that they are contained on the same lot or tract of land as the proposed development; or at least two (2) staggered rows of three (3) foot high evergreen trees placed six (6) feet on center; or a constructed earthen berm at least ten (10) feet in width and six (6) feet in height and with a slope not exceeding a 3:1 ratio; or a sight-proof fence at least six (6) feet in height constructed of either weather-resistant wood (excluding plywood), masonry wall (with masonry/brick pilasters), rock, brick or vinyl (weather-resistant composite material). The required materials are to provide for ease of maintenance and longevity of the required buffer screen.
b. A live planted screen alternative or combination screen consisting
of berms and live plants may also be substituted for the above or
combination thereof if the Planning and Zoning Commission approves
this alternative, after a finding that the alternative buffer screen
provides a more pleasing environment for the adjoining properties.