University City, MO Division 10 "PA" Public Activity District

Section 400.660 General.

[R.O. 2011 §34-39.1; Ord. No. 6139 §1(Exh. A (part)), 1997]

A. The following Sections provide specific regulations regarding the use and development of property within the "PA" district. These district regulations are supplemented by additional regulations appearing elsewhere in this Chapter or other Chapters of the University City Municipal Code. Other regulations contained in this Chapter governing land use and development include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following:

1. Supplementary Regulations (Article V);

2. Historic Landmarks and Districts (Article VI);

3. Off-Street Parking and Loading Requirements (Article VII);

4. Sign Regulations (Article VIII).

Section 400.670 Intent and Purpose.

[R.O. 2011 §34-39.2; Ord. No. 6139 §1(Exh. A (part)), 1997]

The "PA" district is intended to accommodate those uses and groupings of uses which have a distinctly public character and to encourage the retention of certain properties in a relatively undeveloped state, such as public recreation uses or semi-public cemeteries.

Section 400.680 Permitted Uses.

[R.O. 2011 §34-39.3; Ord. No. 6139 §1(Exh. A (part)), 1997]

A. The following land uses and developments are permitted in the "PA" district:

1. Accessory uses (see Article V "Supplementary Regulations", Division 3);

2. Cemeteries;

3. Dwellings, detached single-family, provided that any new dwellings or substantial additions to existing dwellings shall conform to the "SR" district regulations (see Division 11 of this Article);

4. Group homes for the disabled, small, where the group home dwelling unit is more than one thousand (1,000) feet from any existing group home dwelling unit;

5. Home occupations (see Article V "Supplementary Regulations", Division 8);

6. Parks and playgrounds, public, including golf courses;

7. Parks and recreational areas, semi-public or private; when owned and operated by a not-for-profit institution;

8. Places of worship;

9. Publicly-owned buildings and properties of a cultural, recreational, administrative or service type, including libraries, but not including repair yards or garages, storage warehouses, auditoriums, and other places of public assembly as a principal use;

10. Public schools;

11. Public or private wildlife preservation and conservation areas, including floodplains;

12. (Reserved)[1]

[1] Editor’s Note: Former Subsection (A)(12), which listed telecommunications equipment as a permitted use, was repealed 1-14-2019 by Ord. No. 7094.

Section 400.690 Conditional Uses.

[R.O. 2011 §34-39.4; Ord. No. 6139 §1(Exh. A (part)), 1997; Ord. No. 6588 §1, 2005]

A. The following land uses and developments may be permitted in the "PA" district, subject to the issuance of a conditional use permit in accordance with the procedures and standards contained in Article XI, "Conditional Uses":

1. Access roads serving commercial development in or out of "PA" districts;

2. Auditoriums and other places of public assembly as a principal use;

3. Convents and rectories, in connection with a place of worship and located on the same or adjacent lot;

4. Day care centers;

5. Dormitories;

6. Group homes for the disabled, small, where the group home dwelling unit lot is less than one thousand (1,000) feet from any existing group home dwelling unit;

7. Group homes for the disabled, large;

8. Hospitals, residential and outpatient substance abuse treatment centers, and other institutions of a religious, educational or charitable or philanthropic nature, provided that such buildings shall be located upon sites containing three (3) or more acres;

9. Offices, business, professional, medical or institutional;

10. Outdoor bus parking facility, provided:

a. The primary use of the buses is to transport persons to or from the principal buildings located on the same zoning lot or on an abutting zoning lot under single ownership;

b. The buses are parked on a zoning lot with an area of three (3) or more acres;

c. The total area of the bus parking is not more than twenty-five percent (25%) of the area of building coverage of the principal building on the zoning lot; and

d. The bus parking is adequately screened from view from adjoining streets and residential areas;

11. Public utility facilities.

[Ord. No. 7094, 1-14-2019]

12. Schools, private; including college or university-level facilities, provided that such buildings shall be located upon sites containing two and one-half (2½) or more acres.

Section 400.700 Density and Dimensional Regulations.

[R.O. 2011 §34-39.5; Ord. No. 6139 §1(Exh. A (part)), 1997]

A. Minimum Lot Size.

1. Permitted and conditional uses. Lot area and lot dimensions shall be adequate to provide the minimum setbacks required by this Section and required parking, as established under Article VII "Off-Street Parking and Loading Requirements", but in no instance shall a lot be less than two (2) acres in area, except as provided for in paragraph (2) below.

2. Minimum lot size exceptions.

a. Public utility facilities. Lots created for public utility facilities may be less than two (2) acres in area, provided that such lots shall not be used for any other use, except for the uses in paragraph (b) below.

b. Single-family detached dwellings and group homes for the disabled. Minimum lot size shall be in accordance with the "SR" district regulations (see Section 400.150).

B. Building Setback Requirements.

1. Minimum right-of-way setback. No building shall be located within fifteen (15) feet of a street right-of-way.

2. Minimum property line setback. No building setback is required from a property line (as distinguished from a right-of-way line), except where a lot abuts an existing residential use in the "PA" district, a residential district or abuts an alley right-of-way which separates the use from a residential district. Under these conditions, the minimum building setback requirement shall be twenty-five (25) from the applicable property line(s). Also see Article V "Supplementary Regulations", Division 6 for screening requirements.

Where a property line setback is not required, but a building is set back off the property line, then it shall be set back at least five (5) feet.

3. Modification of property line setback. The minimum property line setback requirements may be modified via the conditional use permit procedure under Article XI, "Conditional Uses". Such modifications may be more or less stringent, depending on the potential impact of the proposed development in the "PA" district which is adjacent to a residential district. In the case of a request for less stringent setbacks, the conditional use permit applicant must demonstrate screening between the proposed development and the adjacent residential lot or district, above and beyond the minimum screening requirements contained in Article V "Supplemental Regulations", Division 6.

C. Building Height Limitations.

1. Except as provided for in Article V "Supplementary Regulations", Section 400.1030, and paragraph (2) below, no building shall exceed thirty-five (35) feet in height

2. Upon conditional use permit approval (see Article XI, "Conditional Uses"), buildings may exceed the height limit specified above, subject to the following increases in minimum building setbacks:

a. Right-of-way setback. The minimum building setback shall be increased by one (1) foot for each two (2) feet, or portion thereof, of increased building height, provided however, that the setback from the right-of-way does not have to exceed one hundred (100) feet.

b. Property line setback. The minimum building setback shall be fifteen (15) feet plus one (1) foot for each two (2) feet, or portion thereof, of increased building height, provided however, that the setback from the property line does not have to exceed fifty (50) feet, except when adjacent to an "SR" or "LR" district. When adjacent to an "SR" or "LR" district, the minimum building setback shall be twenty-five (25) feet plus one (1) foot for each two (2) feet, or portion thereof, of increased building height, provided however, that the setback from the property line does not have to exceed eighty (80) feet.

Section 400.710 Other Development Standards.

[R.O. 2011 §34-39.6; Ord. No. 6139 §1(Exh. A (part)), 1997; Ord. No. 6401 §1(part), 2002; Ord. No. 6764 §1, 1-26-2009]

A. The extension of any permitted public or semi-public use into portions of any "PA" district occupied predominantly by residential uses shall occur contiguous to any such existing public or semi-public use.

B. For all new developments or those uses requiring a new conditional use permit or site plan review, a detailed landscaping plan shall be submitted to the Director of Planning for approval, in conjunction with a review by the City Forester. Landscaping shall be installed and maintained in accordance with the approved plan. Unless other arrangements were made during the permitting process, said landscaping plan shall be approved prior to the building permit being issued and shall be installed prior to the occupancy permit being approved.

C. All restaurant and convenience store uses shall comply with the following:

1. The operator of the business shall regularly police the site and the area adjacent to the restaurant to remove litter and debris.

2. Trash containers for patron use shall be available on the premises at all times. Adequate refuse disposal shall be provided by and for the business. The refuse containers and surroundings shall be maintained in a clean condition.

3. If applicable, an exhaust system shall be installed and/or other means shall be taken to prevent any food preparations odors or cooking odors from being perceptible beyond the lot lines of the property on which the business is located. The exhaust system shall be maintained in a clean condition by regularly scheduled cleaning of the system.

4. All uses that have exterior speakers shall be operated so that the volume of the service speaker as well as noise from patrons shall not be perceptible beyond the property lines of the business.

5. Lighting of all exterior areas, including all parking areas, shall comply with Section 400.2110 of the Zoning Code, and shall be designed to be compatible with surrounding areas, shall be shaded to direct light downward and away from abutting uses, adjoining properties and streets.

6. For all developments requiring new curb cuts along County or State roadways, curb cuts shall be approved by the proper State and/or County agencies. If there is a substantial change in site design caused by those approvals, the applicant shall resubmit the changes to Department of Planning Development, the Plan Commission and/or the City Council (whichever approvals were originally required).

7. For all new developments or those uses requiring substantial exterior construction, a detailed construction traffic control and parking plan should be submitted to the Director of Planning for approval. Said plan shall set forth details pertaining to worker and resident parking during all phases of the proposed construction. It shall further detail solutions to public property maintenance issues such as street cleaning and traffic diversion. Said plan shall be finalized prior to the issuance of a building permit.

8. For all new developments, drainage and grading arrangements shall be approved by MSD and the City Public Works and Parks Department.

9. For all new developments, exhaust controls for common facilities shall be installed and maintained to prevent smoke and odors from being perceptible beyond the property lines of the development.

10. For all new developments, houses, or other major construction, a site plan showing all existing City trees located at or near the property shall be submitted along with a statement by the owner of the property verifying that no City trees shall be destroyed or damaged during construction and if such destruction or damage does occur, the City shall be reimbursed for the fair market price of the tree.

11. In addition to all other requirements and regulations set forth in this Chapter, all new development and substantial redevelopment proposed and planned along the Olive Boulevard corridor between Skinker Boulevard to the east side of the I-170 interchange shall adhere to the guidelines and regulations set forth in the document known as the "Olive Boulevard Design Guidelines". The guidelines are a required part of the building permit process. A copy of the guidelines may be obtained from the Zoning Administrator in the Community Development Department (an electronic copy is also available online at the City's website at ucitymo.org/government/departments/community development/zoning). For the purpose of this requirement, "substantial redevelopment" shall mean one (1) or more of the following:

a. Increase of twenty-five percent (25%) or more in the gross floor area of any building;

b. Significant upliftment of the facade aesthetics by paint and/or addition or replacement of facade elements;

c. Restoration of historic structures;

d. Significant changes in site design, for example, landscaping, lighting, ingress/egress, etc.