Article IIIA Town Center Districts

[Added 3-16-2015 by L.L. No. 4-2015]

The Clifton Park Town Center Plan.

Figure 1.1. Conceptual rendering of Clifton Country Road, as envisioned in the Clifton Park Town Center Plan, includes on-street parking and retail shopfronts in a more pedestrian-oriented environment.

Figure 1.2. Partial conceptual plan rendering of Clifton Park Town Center, depicting new infill development, linear parks and a parking garage around the mall.

Figure 1.3. Conceptual perspective rendering of Clifton Park Town Center, depicting the potential of a vibrant new mixed-use neighborhood of shops and apartments.

In 2011, the Town of Clifton Park sought to develop a consensus vision for the look, feel and function of a future "Town Center" in its existing Exit 9 commercial area. Funding for this effort was provided by the Capital District Transportation Committee (CDTC).

Town officials, with the assistance of planning consultants, worked to imagine how this neighborhood could evolve over time with redevelopment into a more-attractive mixed-use commercial center of activity. The goal was to create a rich atmosphere which was pedestrian and bicycle friendly and the "heart" of the community.

Two public workshops were held to invite local residents, business owners and landowners to discuss what they would like to see. The result of these dialogs was used to shape a guidance document titled "The Clifton Park Town Center Plan," which was adopted in April of 2012.

How and why this code was created.

It was understood that in order to realize the ideas and visions outlined in the Clifton Park Town Center Plan, the existing zoning for this area of town would need to be reconstructed, and consensus built among local residents and property owners about how it should work. A form-based zoning approach was chosen because it utilizes graphics to explain what the desired form and appearance of development should be with an eye toward creating beautiful places and a streamlined development review process which encourages revitalization. With the assistance of additional funding by the CDTC, the follow-up work was commenced in 2013 to develop a new form-based zoning code which would allow and encourage the type of redevelopment outlined in the Town Center Plan.

Two additional public workshops were held to discuss the specific ideas and approaches to this form-based zoning. The input received from the public, Town officials, landowners and business owners was used to shape this new zoning code.

It is our hope that this work will, over time, help the Clifton Park Town Center to evolve into a vibrant, attractive, mixed-use shopping destination for all to enjoy.

§ 208-21 Administration.

Purpose and applicability.

Purpose. The purpose of this form-based zoning code is to enable, guide and implement many of the ideas and visions outlined in the adopted Clifton Park Town Center Master Plan, specifically:

(1)

Enable and encourage property reinvestment through renovations, expansions, redevelopment, and new construction to strengthen the private sector position and tax base;

(2)

Create a more-vibrant center of activity throughout the day and night with a reasonable mix of commercial and residential uses supporting one another;

(3)

Provide an attractive mix of green lawns, park space, shade trees, multi-use paths, activity areas and civic uses for the public enjoyment;

(4)

Allow for additional housing types and opportunities;

(5)

Replace the visual prominence of large parking lots with attractive architecture, public spaces and sidewalks to create a more bicycle and pedestrian friendly commercial center with connections to adjacent residential neighborhoods;

(6)

Encourage more-efficient use of land area with multistory buildings which utilize shared parking and structured parking;

(7)

Encourage improved stormwater management with reduced impervious surface, raingardens, shared stormwater retention areas and other latest industry practices; and

(8)

Provide an easy-to-understand and predictable code through the use of illustrated building form standards and architectural guidelines which will create the desired types of development and streamline the review and approval process.

Applicability. This code applies to all new development, renovations, redevelopment, changes of use and site plan approvals within the Town Center Zoning Districts, as identified on the Town of Clifton Park Zoning Map.

(1)

Any building permit or site plan approval issued before the date of adoption, or subsequent amendment, of this chapter (reference § 208-97, Nonconforming land, structures and uses) shall remain in effect, except as noted below.

(a)

Project approvals issued under this code shall expire if a building permit is not issued for such project within two years, or construction has not commenced within five years, of the date of approval.

(b)

Applicants who have received project approvals prior to the date of adoption of this chapter may still choose to comply with this code voluntarily.

(c)

Approval under this form-based code does not eliminate review requirement for construction plan submittals for a building permit per Town Code § 208-107 or other required permits or approvals.

Standards vs. guidelines.

This code includes both standards which are required to be met, as well as guidelines which are encouraged, but not enforced. As such, provisions designated as "shall" or "will" are required, while provisions designated as "should" are encouraged.

Planning Board authority to modify dimensional standards.

Recognizing that this form-based code is being applied to a highly developed area, it is anticipated that strict compliance with every dimensional standard may not always be practical or necessary to meet the purposes of this chapter. (See § 208-22, Subsection 9, Preferred incremental change.) In such cases, the Planning Board is therefore authorized to modify the dimensional standards set forth to the extent necessary and appropriate to accommodate existing limitations with a super-majority vote (majority plus one), provided all of the following findings are made by the Planning Board in rendering it's decision that such modification:

Is necessary to reasonably accommodate existing site constraints or development limitations; and

Does not create an undue adverse effect on abutting properties or uses; and

Does not increase the number of stories of a building; and

Does not conflict with the intent of the standard being waived or modified; and

Allows for an improvement that will add to the overall vitality of the Town Center area and advances the purposes of this chapter of the Town Code.

Conflicts and severability.

In the event of a conflict with this article and other sections of the Town Zoning Code the provision of this article shall apply. In the event of a conflict between diagrams or illustrations and the written text of this chapter, the written text shall apply. Should any provision of this chapter be declared illegal or unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction to the extent that the other provisions of this chapter can be implemented without such illegal or unconstitutional provision, such other provisions shall remain in effect.

Administrative authority.

Administrative review. The Planning Director is hereby authorized to undertake the administrative review and approval of the following types of applications and shall coordinate such review with any other Town Code review requirements with the Zoning Enforcement Officer, emergency responders, and highway or other agency officials as/if deemed necessary by the Planning Director:

(1)

Construction or modification of parking lot areas affecting 10 spaces or fewer;

(2)

Fences, landscape walls and berms, awnings;

(3)

Stormwater management improvements of 5,000 square feet or less;

(4)

Lot line adjustments;

In addition, the Planning Director is hereby authorized to undertake the administrative review and approval of certain project applications, subject to the following thresholds and conditions:

(5)

Additions of no more than 2,500 square feet to existing buildings located 500 feet or more from an abutting residential district;

(6)

Simple renovations such as door and window changes, re-siding, re-roofing, and enclosing entryways;

(7)

Compliance with conditions of approval as specified in a prior written decision of the Planning Board;

(8)

Minor amendments to development applications previously approved by the Planning Board where the proposed amendment otherwise qualifies for administrative review and will not substantively alter any findings of fact or Planning Board decision and related conditions of approval; and

(9)

Transit node of no more than two bus pull-off spaces or 10 automobile parking spaces.

Further delegation by the Planning Board. In addition to administrative review and approval authorized above, the Planning Board may authorize the administrative review and approval of additional applications where such delegation of authority is permitted by law and is specified in writing in the Planning Board's Rules of Procedure with clearly specified thresholds and conditions under which the Planning Board classifies an application as eligible for administrative review. The thresholds and conditions shall be structured such that no new development shall be approved that results in a substantial adverse impact under any of the standards set forth in the bylaws. No amendment issued as an administrative review shall have the effect of substantively altering any of the findings of fact or Planning Board decision.

Consent agenda. The Planning Board may require that administrative review applications be placed on a consent agenda at the next Planning Board meeting. As part of the consent agenda process, the Planning Board may review and modify the administrative review of the Planning Director or otherwise approve any items on the consent agenda as a group or individually.

Administrative vs. design development review.

Applications reviewed for compliance with this chapter may be either approved through administrative review or shall be approved through design development review (DDR). The purpose of administrative review is to streamline the approval process where possible for smaller or more-straightforward applications.

The Planning Director is authorized to administratively review and approve all applications which clearly conform to all the applicable principles and standards of this chapter, or to deny approval if it does not conform. Applications which are denied may reapply after appropriate modification, and/or the applicant may request a full design development review instead.

If the Planning Director determines that an application requires interpretation or discretionary judgment with respect to compliance with the standards and guidelines of this chapter, the application shall be referred to a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), hereby established.

(1)

The Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) shall consist of: the Chairperson (or Vice Chairperson) of the Planning Board, a Director of Building and Development, the Planning Director and the Planning Board Attorney. This review committee may be augmented as deemed necessary by the Planning Director with other Town officials and the Town-designated engineer (TDE) and Town-designated design professional (TDP) consulting firms.

(2)

A checklist of required submission review materials necessary at the different stages of the review process is provided in the Appendix.[1]

[1]

Editor's Note: See 280-29, Appendix.

Review and approval process.

Schematic conference. At the very early stages of concept design, prior to developing any detailed architectural/engineering drawings or filing a formal application, the applicant shall schedule an informal (preapplication) schematic conference with the Planning Director to discuss the general project intentions and review the code and it's procedures. The purpose of this conference is early detection of any potential design or other concerns before the applicant has expended time and funds on design and engineering plans which may require significant changes.

(1)

A request for a schematic conference shall be accompanied by a very basic site schematic/layout plans and a copy of any additional information the applicant wishes to discuss.

(2)

After the conference, the Planning Director will provide to the applicant a preliminary list of recommendations related to the development plans, such as: variances or permits required; initial design feedback; guidance on which types of technical studies may be necessary; and identification of any TDE/TDP review that might be necessary before approvals can be granted.

(3)

If it is determined that the application would qualify for administrative review as submitted, or with only minor modifications, the Planning Director shall inform the applicant, within 30 days, of what additional steps, changes, forms and fees would be required to submit a formal application. Once submitted, the formal application may be approved, approved with modifications or denied as part of administrative review. Other applications shall proceed to the concept development meeting.

Design development review.

(1)

Concept development meeting. After the schematic conference, the applicant shall prepare additionally revised design plans, including any suggested modifications, required studies and information requested in the previous meeting. Once prepared, the applicant shall submit these materials to schedule an informal concept development meeting with the TAC.

(a)

If it was determined that an escrow account should be established to cover the review fees by private consulting TDE or TDP firms, such account shall be set up and funded by the applicant prior to the meeting.

(b)

The TAC, including any additional review members deemed necessary by the Planning Director, shall review and discuss the proposed project at the meeting with the applicant. The purpose of this meeting is early detection of any potential design concerns before the applicant has expended significant time and funds on final design and engineering for full Planning Board review.

(c)

After the concept development meeting, the Planning Director will provide to the applicant a nonbinding list of recommendations related to the design plans and meeting discussion, follow up with the TDE/TDP as/if required, as well as identify if the application is ready to proceed to formal design development review and the next steps in the review and approval process.

(2)

Formal application and design development meeting. Formal applications for design development review shall be submitted to the Planning Director along with any required plans, forms, fees and studies.

(a)

Any required variances or special use permits shall be obtained prior to or in parallel with the formal application process.

(b)

The Planning Director shall refer a copy of the application to the Saratoga County Planning Board for review under New York General Municipal Law 239-m for projects that cause a physical change in access to a state or county highway.

(c)

Applications shall be reviewed for completeness. The Planning Office will notify the applicant if his/her/its application is complete or not and identify any missing information which must still be submitted. The applicant must submit the requested information within 60 days of notification or the application will be deemed withdrawn, forfeiting any application fees.

(d)

Complete applications will be forwarded to the appropriate Town departments or review consultants to verify consistency with this chapter.

(e)

The Planning Board shall approve, approve with modifications, or deny the application within 60 days from submission/completion of the SEQR process, in writing to the applicant, detailing the findings/determinations for its decision.

Public hearing. A public hearing shall be required for any project that is categorized as a Type 1 action pursuant to the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act and its implementing regulations prior to final decision by the Planning Board on a design development review. The Planning Board may but is not otherwise obligated to require a project that is not a Type 1 action to have a public hearing.

Figure 2.1 - Review and Approval Process Outline

§ 208-22 Regulating Plan.

Regulating Plan interpretation.

The Regulating Plan is intended as a general guide to the desired future development patterns within the Town Center. To provide for design creativity and flexibility, some elements of the plan are intended only as a suggested outcome and should not be interpreted literally or strictly required. These include:

The location and extent of public/open space.

The location of future new roads, service alleys, multi-use paths, transit stops and recommended tower designs.

Other elements of the Regulating Plan, however, are intended to be maintained as shown, as follows:

The location and boundaries of each development zone TC1 thru TC6, and the Design Overlay.

The general location or orientation of required storefronts, where they provide direct facade frontage along a public or private street.

[Amended 1-19-2021 by L.L. No. 3-2021]

Zones.

The Clifton Park Town Center Zoning hereby establishes the following development zones, as shown on the Regulating Plan and the Town of Clifton Park Zoning Map, as amended herein:

TC6 - Boulevard. The Boulevard Zone is intended to define the character of the primary boulevard through the Town Center. This boulevard is designed to showcase the large lawns, shade trees, planted medians and a multi-use path as a "parklike" setting, fronted on either side by continuous shopfronts, sidewalks and outdoor patios. Bisecting Route 146 with gateway median designs and architectural tower elements, it seeks to attract visitors into the Town Center neighborhood. Mixed-use buildings up to five stories, with residential dwelling units only permitted above commercial space.

TC5 - Neighborhood. The Town Center Neighborhood Zone is intended to be the core pedestrian shopping area and mixed-use neighborhood. A network of side streets with wide sidewalks, street trees and commercial shopfronts served by on-street parking, hidden parking lots and garages tucked within the center of the blocks. Three-story mixed-use buildings, with residential dwelling units only permitted above commercial space. Provides incentives to permit up to five-story buildings in return for providing structured parking.

TNGB-Neighborhood General Business. The Neighborhood General Business Zone is intended to become a mixed use, walkable node with a smaller neighborhood scale providing commercial uses and services while also accommodating compact residential uses. Two-story mixed use buildings and multifamily residential uses are permitted.

[Added L.L. No. 3-2021[1]]

[1]

Editor's Note: This local law also redesignated former Subsections 3C through H as Subsections 3D through I, respectiveluy.

TC4 - Transition. The Transition Zone is intended to create a transitional zone to outlying areas of the Town Center and neighboring residential areas. Three-story buildings with primarily commercial office uses, with some limited retail and residential uses.

TC3 - General. The General Zone is intended to allow for more suburban lot configurations of commercial and office uses along the Route 146 corridor which would not be suitable for the central neighborhood portions. Three-story buildings.

TC2 - Edge. The Edge Zone is intended to create a transitional zone between the central commercial districts and the outlying residential areas with lower-intensity development and shorter building heights. Three-story buildings, primarily residential in nature, but does allow for some limited supporting commercial uses as part of the development.

TC1 - Highway. The Highway Zone is intended to allow for more suburban lot configurations of commercial and office uses along the Northway corridor which would not be suitable for the central neighborhood portions. Emphasis is placed on providing attractive architecture which will be viewed from both the front and the back, with increased tree buffers, landscaping and architectural standards along the Northway frontage to maintain an attractive presence along the highway.

OS - Open Space. The Open Space Zone represents the goal of providing attractive landscaped or natural areas with trees, landscaping and buffers where possible which will enhance the overall visual appeal of the Town Center for the benefit of everyone. This zone is intended to suggest and promote areas for small parks, trails, open lawns, watershed management and recreational areas for the future use and enjoyment of shoppers and residents. This zone is not intended to require any specific property to be set aside as open space. Green lawns, shade trees, playgrounds, picnic areas, multi-use paths and attractive landscaping are to be considered as goals and determined on a project basis during development review. Once designated on an approved plan, no commercial or residential uses are permitted. The Open Space Zone boundaries are representational of the amount and general location of open space, buffer or amenity area to be set aside from a Master Plan perspective. The actual location, extent, design, level of improvement and management (public, private, nonprofit) shall be determined as part of the design development review for the parcel(s).

DO - Design Overlay. The Design Overlay is an overlay district to address areas outside of the original Town Center Master Plan that are logical extensions of the Town Center area but which have not been master-planned. Development projects in this area are required to go through the full design development review process in order to ensure proper development. A collaborative design development review process under the Design Overlay shall include the property owner(s)/contract vendee, the Town Technical Advisory Committee, the Town-designated engineer, and the Town-designated design professional to determine how to best advance the recommendations of the Clifton Park Town Center Master Plan and the project development plan. The permitted uses of the underlying zoning districts may be modified through the planned development district process pursuant to the objectives of Article XI, Planned Development Districts. This collaborative process shall include consideration for connecting Moe Road to Maxwell Road Extension, multi-use pathway connections to Moe Road, Collins Park and to the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library and set aside of approximately 30% of the property as public open or civic space, which may include multipurpose paths, connector roads, green infrastructure/stormwater management areas, and pocket parks and greens. The underlying zone designation per the Regulating Plan will not become effective until conclusion of the full design development review process.

[Amended 11-9-2015 by L.L. No. 12-2015]

Allowable uses.

The allowable uses in each development zone are as set forth in Table 3-1, Allowed Uses.

[Amended 6-5-2017 by L.L. No. 1-2017; 1-19-2021 by L.L. No. 3-2021; 10-18-2021 by L.L. No. 6-2021]

TABLE 3-1 Allowed Uses
Use Type(See Definitions)		TC6 Boulevard	TC5 Neighborhood	TNGB Neighborhood General Business	TC4 Transition	TC3 General	TC2 Edge	TC1 Highway
Commercial	Animal, pet grooming
	Animal, veterinary services
	Assembly or auditorium, indoor
	Automotive, fuel sales
	Automotive, service or wash
	Automotive, sales
	Bank
	Bank, drive-thru
	Bar or tavern
	Club, live performance
	Club, indoor
	Commercial amusement, indoor
	Dry cleaning
	Home occupation
	Hotel
	Laundromat
	Medical services, outpatient
	Office
	Personal care
	Repair and maintenance, light
	Restaurant
	Restaurant, drive-thru
	Restaurant, outdoor seating
	Retail
	Retail, drive-thru
	Retail, outdoor display
	Self-storage facility, climate-controlled
	Tier 1 solar energy system
Residential	Dwelling, semidetached
	Nursing home
	Residence, multifamily
	Residence, mixed-use multifamily		*
	Senior housing
	Tier 1 solar energy system
Civic/Public	Cultural center
	Day-care home
	Municipal office or public safety facility
	Parking, structured above-grade
	Parking, structured below- or at-grade
	Public open space or park
	Religious facility
	School, nursery or K-12
	School, vocational
	Tier 1 solar energy system
	Transit node
	Transit hub
	Utility, telecommunication tower
	Utility, general public service

Notes:
Green	=	Use permitted
Yellow	=	Special permit
Uses not listed, or blank cells, indicate use not permitted. Some not-permitted uses are still listed in order to avoid ambiguity with similar functions. See § 280-22, Subsection 5, of the Town Code for special permit use considerations.
* Exclusion note: Not permitted east of I-87, south of Route 146 and west of Route 9.

Special permit uses.

Bank, drive-thru. Bank drive-thrus, including drive-up ATMs and freestanding kiosks, shall be located at the rear of the building and screened from view as directed by the Planning Board. Drive-thru facilities are encouraged to utilize one curb cut where possible.

Home occupation. The home shall be the actual place of residence of the person conducting the home occupation and:

(1)

The applicant shall provide an affidavit setting forth the scope of operations proposed and demonstrate that there will be no noise, odor, smoke, glare or vibration beyond the property line. The Planning Board shall make appropriate findings with respect to location, intensity of use, parking and any other factors that may affect neighboring properties and may require specific performance standards to limit impacts to adjacent properties with regard to air quality, noise, visual impact, emissions, and other reasonable concerns that may be applicable to the use.

(2)

There shall be no more than one home occupation per residential building, and no more than two employees may be permitted.

(3)

The use, including related storage, may occupy no more than 25% of the habitable floor area of the existing principal residence or no more than 500 square feet in the principal residence.

(4)

The home occupation shall not involve the outdoor display of any materials or goods.

(5)

The home occupation shall not involve the on-site use or storage of any commercial vehicles or construction equipment or mechanical equipment except for one vehicle not over 6,000 pounds.

Personal care. Personal care services are permitted in the TC2 Zone by special permit as an accessory use, provided that all such establishments are limited to no more than 1,500 square feet of gross floor area or 10% of the total building footprint area, whichever is greater.

Retail. Retail uses are permitted in the TC2 Zone by special permit as an accessory use, provided that all such establishments are limited to no more than 2,000 square feet of gross floor area or 10% of the total building footprint area, whichever is greater.

Retail, drive-thru. Retail establishments with drive-thru services shall locate such service at the rear of the building and screened from view as directed by the Planning Board. Drive-thru facilities are encouraged to utilize one curb cut where possible.

Retail, outdoor display. The outdoor display or storage of retail merchandise shall be limited to business hours. The display of motorized vehicles or equipment, such as lawnmowers, snowblowers, ATVs, snowmobiles and similar items, is not permitted in the TC6 Zone.

Restaurant, drive-thru. Restaurant establishments with drive-thru services shall locate such service at the rear of the building and screened from view as directed by the Planning Board. Drive-thru facilities are encouraged to utilize one curb cut where possible.

Parking, structured above-grade. Above-grade parking structures shall be screened from view behind primary buildings, false facades or otherwise concealed in appearance through design measures as follows:

(1)

A minimum of 40% of the exterior surface area of the garage facades facing a public way or sidewalk shall be clad in materials such as brick, stone, green-wall (e.g., ivy), decorative metalwork, wood trim or other materials as approved by the Planning Board in lieu of bare structural concrete or masonry, to present an attractive appearance.

(2)

In addition to any other perimeter landscaping used or required, trees shall be planted at regular intervals to align with openings in the structure along facades facing a public street or highway.

(3)

All parking and security lighting shall be provided from fully shielded, downward-facing lamps which direct the light only into the immediate parking areas as required for use.

Residential density.

The allowable base residential density within the Town Center shall not exceed 10 dwelling units per acre, exclusive of undevelopable lands, up to a maximum of 50 dwelling units per project.

Additional residential density above the allowable base levels may be permitted, with Town Board approval, pursuant to the procedures outlined in § 208-22.6E and F, below, provided the applicant provides for the design and/or construction of additional amenities within the Town Center for the use and enjoyment of the general public. The amenities shall include provisions for on-site and/or off-site improvements beyond those required to service the needs of the subject project.

[Amended 6-14-2021 by L.L. No. 4-2021]

These amenities may include the following, or a combination thereof, but are not limited to:

(1)

A parking garage or deck, where not less than 50% of the parking spaces provided are available to the public (minimum 100 spaces).

(2)

Recreational areas such as a public park or playground, maintained by the applicant, which is designed as an integral part of the development, readily visible and accessible from the public way, not less than 1/4 acre in size.

(3)

Residential housing facilities for persons of low to moderate income.

(4)

A stormwater retention or detention pond which captures or mitigates local stormwaters within or from the Town Center boundaries.

(5)

A reduction in overall impervious surface area on the site, resulting in a substantive decrease in stormwater runoff.

(6)

Payment of funds provided to the Town in lieu of or in combination with proposed amenities of a sum to be determined by the Town Board, which shall be deposited in a fund exclusively for community benefits or improvements within the Town Center.

The public amenities proposed must be commensurate, in the judgment of the Town Board, with the requested density increase before they may be approved. Consideration may be based on each additional residential unit above the base density per 3,000 square feet of improvements, or other criteria the Town Board may establish in a separate amenity schedule which outlines equivalent reimbursements.

Procedure.

[Added 4-20-2020 by L.L. No. 3-2020]

(1)

Applications for an increase in residential density for parcels within the Town Center Zones require Town Board approval through the adoption of a local law. Applications for increases in residential density in these zones shall be made to the Town Board through the office of the Town Clerk.

(2)

Fees.

(a)

A nonrefundable fee of $1,500, payable to the Town of Clifton Park, shall accompany the application to the Town Clerk.

(b)

The Town Board may require an applicant to deposit an additional amount of $500, payable to the Town of Clifton Park, to pay for the fees and/or costs of any engineer, consultant or attorney designated by the Town Board to review such application. The fees and/or costs charged by such engineer, consultant or attorney in connection with such review will be charged against the sum deposited. Any amount remaining shall be returned to the applicant within 45 days of final action on the application.

(3)

Application requirements. The applicant shall submit an application and five paper copies and 10 DVDs, in .pdf format, of a conceptual development plan to the Town Board. A conceptual development plan shall consist of the following:

(a)

A narrative description of the project setting forth its purpose, desirability and impact on the immediately surrounding area in which the project is proposed, as well as its projected effect on the Town Center generally, paying particular attention to schools, traffic, population, utilities, cultural and aesthetic resources, recreation, wetlands, if any, and compatibility with neighborhood.

(b)

A description of any public amenities which will accompany the proposal.

(c)

A survey of the property, showing existing site features, including contours, buildings, structures, streets, utility easements, rights-of-way and land uses within 500 feet.

(d)

Information on the intended construction sequence for buildings, parking areas and landscaping.

(e)

A public utilities plan documenting the proposed location, size and quantity of water, effluent and stormwater management facilities, and capacity of existing facilities.

(4)

At the time of submission of the application for increased density within the Town Center Zones the applicant shall submit, in addition to otherwise required documentation, the following:

(a)

A reproduced copy of the Tax Map or extract of the Tax Map depicting the parcel(s) of land proposed for the district and all lands within a 500-foot distance from the perimeter thereof.

(b)

A schedule of the names and addresses of the property owners within a 500-foot distance from the perimeter of the lands proposed for the district as ascertained from the office of the Town Assessor.

(5)

Referral of the application. Prior to taking any action, the Town Board may refer the application and accompanying documents to the Planning Board for its review and recommendation, and to the County Planning Board, pursuant to General Municipal Law § 239-m(3).

(a)

Notice. Prior to referring the proposal to the Planning Board under this section, the Town Board will require satisfactory proof that the property owners within 500 feet of the perimeter of the lands proposed for the district approval have been notified in writing of the nature (include a brief narrative about the project and its location, number of units, approximate commercial square footage, etc.) of the proposed district. Such notification shall include the following written statement: "An application for a planned development district for lands within 500 feet of your property is being proposed. The permit application has been filed with the Town Clerk of the Town of Clifton Park and may be reviewed by you during normal business hours at the Town Hall. Please call the Town Clerk at 371-6651 if you have any questions about the procedures to review this application and the process for consideration of the proposal." Proof shall be deemed satisfactory for purposes hereof if the applicant provides evidence of mailing, by certified or registered mail or certificate of mailing, and files the receipts with the submission. Regular mail is not satisfactory notice.

Planning Board review and recommendation.

[Added 4-20-2020 by L.L. No. 3-2020]

(1)

The Planning Board may require:

(a)

Additional studies and reports as may be necessary for the Planning Board to determine appropriate intensity of land use and development density.

(b)

State environmental quality review (SEQR) documents, including the Part I Long Environmental Assessment form.

(2)

Upon completion of its review, the Planning Board shall transmit, in writing, to the Town Board its recommendation, which shall be advisory only, regarding the application. The Planning Board may recommend approval, approval with conditions or modifications, or disapproval of the application, including a discussion of the proposal's compliance with the following:

(a)

That the proposal is consistent with the Town's comprehensive planning objectives.

(b)

That the proposal is consistent with the objectives of the Town Center study documents and Town Center zoning amendments as expressed in this article.

(c)

That the proposal complies with the general requirements listed above in this article.

(d)

That the density proposed shall not be detrimental to the natural characteristics of the site or adjacent land uses.

(e)

That each phase of the development, as it is proposed to be completed, contains the required parking facilities, landscaping and utilities necessary to create and sustain each phase independently.

(f)

That the proposal is conceptually sound in that it meets local and area-wide needs and that the proposed roadways, pedestrian system, land use configuration, open space system, stormwater management system and scale of elements shall function singly and cumulatively and conform to accepted design principles.

(g)

That there are adequate service and utilities available or proposed to accommodate the development.

(h)

That the traffic generated by the proposal shall not have an adverse impact on the existing transportation network.

(i)

A recommendation on the classification of the proposal and a determination of significance under the State Environmental Quality Review Act.

Town Board action.

[Added 4-20-2020 by L.L. No. 3-2020]

(1)

Parcels for which increased residential density applications have been granted shall be listed herein as follows:

[Amended 4-20-2020 by L.L. No. 4-2020]

Owner	SBL Number	911 Address	Acreage	Base Density Number	Additional Density Number Sought	Total Density Number Approved	Date of Town Board Approval with Local Law Number
451 Clifton Park Center Road LLC	271.-3-76.11	451 Clifton Park Center Road	3.15	39 residential units	2 residential units	41 residential units	June 14, 2021 L.L. No. 4-2021
Windsor Development	271.-3-81	15 Park Avenue	13.13	50 residential units	50 residential units	100 residential units	April 20, 2020 L.L. No. 4-2020

(2)

All setbacks and form standards of the original TC Zone remain in full force and effect unless specifically modified by the local law authorizing the density bonus for any parcel.

(3)

Revocation of Amendment and Sunset Provision. In the event that the applicant does not request a building permit within two years of the Town Board action provided for in § 208-22(6), above, the density bonus granted herein is automatically rescinded.

Structured parking incentive.

In order to encourage the creation of structured parking within the Town Center, development proposals which include a structured parking garage or deck may qualify for additional building heights within the TC5 Zone, as follows:

(1)

The structured parking provided must accommodate 100% of the required on-site parking needs for the uses on the additional floors; and

(2)

Twenty percent of all on-site parking provided must be open and readily accessible to the public, above and beyond the parking required to service the needs of the subject project; and

(3)

Any structured parking provided within the footprint of the building but less than six feet above grade shall not be counted against the limits for overall building height or number of stories.

Regulating Plan concepts explained.

Figure 3-1. Build-To Line. Both road frontage facades shall be placed at the required build-to line.

Build-to line. The specific location on the property where the facade of the building must be placed, measured as a distance from the property line / public right-of-way (ROW). The amount of facade which must be placed along this line is explained as the frontage width percentage.

Figure 3-2. Build-To Zone. Both road frontage facades shall be placed within the build-to zone, which has a minimum and maximum distance from the property line.

Build-to zone. Similar to the build-to line, this is a flexible area where the facade of a building must be located, measured as both a minimum and maximum setback distance from the property line / public right-of-way. The amount of facade which must be placed inside this zone is explained by the frontage width percentage.

Figure 3.3. Frontage Width Percentage. The facade at the required build-to location is encouraged to meet the a minimum width where possible, expressed as a percentage of the total lot width.

Frontage width percentage. The recommended minimum percentage of the lot width which should be occupied by building facade along the build-to line or within the build-to zone. For example, a property which is 100 feet wide with a frontage width percentage of 60% should try to provide at least 60 feet of facade length in the build-to zone, where possible. Any additional length of front facade would be allowed to step back further from the street, if desired. The intent of this guideline is to encourage development to maximize the front facade exposure along the street where possible.

Figure 3.4. Corner Lots. Buildings located at corner intersections must locate at least the first 30 feet of each facade frontage at the build-to line or zone. The purpose of this provision is to anchor the corners of the blocks with strong building elements.

Corner lots. Buildings on corner lots defined by a build-to line or zone must locate both facades within the line or zone, extending a minimum of 30 feet in each direction from that corner of the building.

Figure 3.5. Setbacks. The building facade can be placed anywhere behind a noted setback line. Similar setback lines may apply specifically to parking areas.

Setbacks. The minimum distance a building facade or parking area must be located from a property line or public right-of-way; similar to a build-to line or build to zone, except the building or parking can be located anywhere behind that line.

Figure 3.6. Building Height. Building height is calculated differently for flat-roof structures than for pitched-roof structures. The calculated height of pitched-roof structures is measured to a point halfway up the slope of the roof.

Building height. Building height is measured from the average front facade grade level to the mean height between the eaves and the roof peak (for sloped-roof structures) and to the top of the parapet (for flat-roof structures).

Facade transparency. The amount of window glass or other openings in the facade of a building, relative to the overall surface area of the facade. Ground-level pedestrian areas - particularly required shopfront areas - are required to have the highest levels of facade transparency, typically around 70% or more.

(1)

Figure 3.7. Facade Transparency. Facade transparency is a measure of the relative percentage of transparent window area compared to the amount of overall opaque facade area.

Facade transparency is measured separately for the ground-floor levels and upper-floor levels. The ground-floor area is measured between two feet above the ground to 12 feet above the ground. Upper-floor areas are measured between 12 feet above the ground and the roof.

Figure 3.8. Required Storefront. Areas on the Regulating Plan which are shown with a heavy black line are required to have ground-floor storefront windows and meet certain facade transparency requirements.

Required storefront. Areas indicated on the Regulating Plan for required storefront must meet minimum facade transparency requirements as well as include ground-floor shopfront windows to create an active and inviting pedestrian environment.

Preferred incremental change.

Understanding that much of the Clifton Park Town Center has already been developed, much of the future change will be occurring on properties which already have nonconforming structures on them. As they expand or renovate, it may not always be economically feasible or practical for them to fully meet the specific build-to requirements of this code. In such cases where small additions or expansion plans would otherwise fall short of full compliance of the minimum setback requirements, the Planning Board is authorized to limit or waive the dimensional requirements, provided that it is in keeping with the overall goals and intent of this code. (See description in 280-21, Subsection 3.) To illustrate how this is intended to work, the following examples are provided as a guide toward the intent and desire of this code to deal with such incremental change as the Town Center evolves over time.

Example. An existing building is located near the rear of the property, far away from the build-to zone (or build-to line) required for the property. The building owner seeks to build a small addition to this building; however the addition he/she/it seets to build would not be large enough to reach all the way up to the required build-to zone near the front of the lot.

Figure 3.9. OPTION ONE - ACCEPTABLE. An existing building, set far back from the required build-to zone (BTZ) places a small addition on the side of the building. Although the addition does not comply with the zoning by providing front facade within the build-to zone, this solution may be acceptable because it has not increased the nonconformity of the existing building.

Option One. The new addition is built off the side of the existing building (Figure 3.9). Even though the addition does not comply with the zoning by placing its front facade within the required build-to zone, this solution is an acceptable compromise because it does not increase the nonconformity of the original structure.

Figure 3.10. OPTION TWO, ACCEPTABLE (BETTER). Instead of placing the addition on the side of the existing building, the new addition is placed on the front, extending closer to the build-to-zone. Although this addition does not fully comply with the zoning by providing front facade within the build-to zone, it is acceptable because it has reduced the nonconformity of the existing building.

Option Two. The new addition is built off the front of the existing building, extending the front facade closer to the required build-to zone to the extent possible and practical (Figure 3.10). Even though the addition does not comply with the zoning by placing its front facade within the required build-to zone, this solution is acceptable because it decreases the nonconformity of the original structure. This solution is preferable to the previous one.

Figure 3.11. OPTION THREE (PREFERRED). The front addition extends all the way up to the required build-to zone (BTZ), which is preferred because it has reduced the nonconformity of the building and placed storefront facade up at the desired setback distance.

Option Three. The new addition is built off the front of the existing building, extending all the way up to the required build-to zone (Figure 3.11). This solution is preferable to the previous two because it reduces the nonconformity of the original structure and provides storefront facade up near the street and public sidewalk.

Figure 3.12. OPTION FOUR, PREFERRED. A new building is placed at the front of the lot within required build-to zone (BTZ), which is also preferred because it has reduced the nonconformity of the building and provided more facade along the streetscape.

Option Four. A new building is constructed on the lot with the front facade within the build-to zone (Figure 3.12). This alternative is also preferred over the previous two options because the new building conforms to the zoning and it provides even more new storefront up close to the street and sidewalk.

Figure 3.13. OPTION FIVE (NOT ACCEPTABLE). The new building addition is placed at the rear or side of the existing building. This is not preferred because it increases the nonconformity of the building.

Option Five. The new addition is constructed in the rear of the existing building (Figure 3.13). This solution is not acceptable because it increases the nonconformity of the original building and does not attempt to advance the concepts of the code.

Figure 3.14. OPTION TWO (FUTURE EXPANSION). Over time, the small addition shown in Option Two can be further expanded to create a much larger facade presence along the build-to-zone, which begins to set up a consistent pattern with the new development on either side of the property.

Option Two - Future Expansion. Over time, as the Town Center slowly evolves with incremental changes, the small addition could be further expanded to provide more commercial space with additional facade frontage within the build-to zone (Figure 3.14). The new building would be in keeping with the original design intent and would be consistent with new development on the neighboring properties, creating the desired effect of the Town Center design.

Figure 3.15. OPTION TWO (FUTURE BUILDOUT). Eventually, the property could be redeveloped, where the original nonconforming structure is removed and replaced with a larger, new building which fully conforms to the code.

Option Two - Future Build-Out. Eventually, the original building on the property could be removed and replaced with new facilities which provide even more commercial space (Figure 3.15). All structures on the property would then be in conformance with the code.

§ 208-22.1 Zone Overviews.

TC6

Boulevard Zone Overview

The primary intent of this zone is to create an attractive entrance and boulevard route into and through the Town Center neighborhood, as a transition from the larger Route 146 to the smaller side streets.

Along Clifton Country Road, a revitalized streetscape of trees, decorative lighting, landscaped multi-use path and sidewalks will be framed by inviting and attractive architecture. Existing front parking lots will gradually be transformed into attractive community and economic amenities, from outdoor patios and cafes to well-designed and interesting facades, where each building offers an attractive and inviting view of the ground-floor activities within. From storefront window displays, to outdoor dining areas amidst beautiful landscaping, as one travels from building to building and business to business, there is a continual offering of design elements to engage one's interest.

Illustrative example of buildings and site arrangements in the TC6 Boulevard Zone.

Form

Building Placement and Front Yard Design
Build-to Line (Distance from Property Line)
Front	41'
Sidewalk width	8' min.
Landscaped Terrace width	15' min.
Multi-Use Path width	8' per NYSDOT Standards
Tree Lawn width	10' min.
Pedestrian Footway width	3' min. 5' max.
Side Street	0'
Frontage Width % at BTL
Front	80% min. preferred
Side Street	30% min. preferred
Corner Properties: Both street facades must be built to the BTL for the first 30' from the corner of the building.
Setback (Minimum Distance from Property Line)
Side	0'
Rear	5'
Lot Configuration
Width	150' min.
Depth	300' min.
Greenspace Goal	10% min.
Footprint
Depth, ground-floor commercial space	Main Building, 40' min.; Ancillary Building, 20' min.

Building Form
Height
Main Building	22' min.
	5 Stories max.¹
Ancillary Building	3 Stories max.¹
Ground-Floor Finish Level	6" max. above sidewalk
Ground-Floor Commercial Ceiling	14' min. clear
Upper-Floor(s) Ceiling	9' min. clear
¹See definition of "Story" in Definitions
Allowed Building Types (See § 208-24, Subsection 1)
▪ Commercial Block	▪ Liner Building
▪ Civic Building	□ Live-Work Unit
□ Duplex/Triplex/Fourplex	□ Townhouse/Rowhouse
▪ Drive Thru
Allowed Frontage Types (See § 208-24, Subsection 2)
▪ Shopfront	▪ Gallery
▪ Forecourt	□ Stoop
□ Porch
Allowed Use Types (See § 208-22, Subsection 4)
Ground Floor	Service, Retail, or Recreation, Education and Public Assembly
Upper Floor(s)	Residential or Service

Parking and Encroachments

Parking (See § 208-26 for general standards)
Parking Location (Distance from Property Line)
Front Setback	80' min.
Side Street Setback	5' min.
Side Setback	0' min.
Rear Setback	5' min.
District Specific Parking Req. (See § 208-26 for general standards)
Parking Drive Width	24' max. (2-way), 15' max. (1-way)
No parking spaces are required for Ancillary Buildings that are < 500 sf.
Parking must be provided on-site, off-site within 1,300', or as part of a district-wide parking management strategy.

Allowed Encroachments (See § 208-24, Subsection 3)
Balconies, Bay Windows, Awnings, etc.
Front	12' max.
Side Street	8' max.
Rear	4' max.
Miscellaneous
Only one Main Building and one Ancillary Building may be built on each lot.
Where a building facade steps back or is absent from the BTL, the BTL should be maintained and defined by fence, landscape wall or hedge 30"-54" high.
All buildings must have a primary entrance along the front facade.
Loading docks, overhead doors and other service entries shall not be located on street-facing facades.
A clear, designated pedestrian way(s) shall be provided from parking areas. Building entrance from parking areas shall provide attractive, welcoming architectural entry treatments.

TC5

Neighborhood Zone Overview

The primary intent of this zone is to become the core pedestrian shopping area and mixed-use neighborhood of the Town Center. Priority is placed here on optimizing the physical characteristics of the built environment for increased walkability. While much of the land encompassed by this district was originally built in an automobile-dominant format, the intent is to facilitate a transition of individual parcels over time, each adding up to a vibrant, walkable Town Center.

Characterized by a network of side streets and service alleys, providing wide sidewalks, street trees and commercial shopfronts served by on-street parking, with parking lots and garages hidden within the center of the blocks where possible. To maximize vibrancy and walkability, this zone features buildings located close to the sidewalk, plentiful shade for pedestrians, and parking lots screened from view. Three-story mixed-use buildings are permitted, with residential dwelling units only allowed above commercial spaces. Retail shopfronts are required along the ground-floor level of most areas.

This zone also allows for buildings up to four or five stories in height in return for providing structured parking which is available to the public.

Illustrative example of buildings and site arrangements in the TC5 Neighborhood Zone.

Form

Building Placement and Front Yard Design
Build-to zone (Distance from Property Line)
Front	0' min., 8' max.
Side Street	0' min., 8' max.
Building Facade at BTZ
Front	80% min. preferred
Side Street	30% min. preferred
Corner Properties: Both street facades must be built in the build-to zone for the first 30' from the corner of the building.
Setback (Minimum Distance from Property Line)
Side	0' min.
Rear	5' min.
Lot Configuration
Width	100' min.
Depth	150' min.
Greenspace Goal	10% min.
Footprint
Depth, ground-floor commercial space	Main Building, 40' min.; Ancillary Building, 20' min.

Building Form
Height
Main Building	22' min.
	3 Stories max.¹
Ancillary Building	3 Stories max.
Ground-Floor Finish Level	6" max. above sidewalk
Ground-Floor Commercial Ceiling	14' min. clear
Upper-Floor(s) Ceiling	9' min. clear
¹4-5 story heights may be permitted with structured parking, see Structured Parking Incentive, § 208-22, Subsection 7.
Allowed Building Types (See § 208-24, Subsection 1)
▪ Commercial Block	▪ Liner Building
▪ Civic Building	▪ Live-Work Unit
□ Duplex/Triplex/Fourplex	▪ Townhouse/Rowhouse
▪ Drive Thru
Allowed Frontage Types (See § 208-24, Subsection 2)
▪ Shopfront	▪ Gallery
▪ Forecourt	□ Stoop
□ Porch
Allowed Use Types (See § 208-22, Subsection 4)
Ground Floor	Service, Retail, or Recreation, Education and Public Assembly
Upper Floor(s)	Residential or Service

Parking and Encroachments

[Amended 1-19-2021 by L.L. No. 3-2021]

Parking (See § 208-26 for general standards)
Parking Location (Distance from Property Line)
Front Setback	30' min.
Side Street Setback	30' min.
Side Setback	0' min.
Rear Setback	5' min.
District Specific Parking Req. (See § 208-26 for general standards)
Parking Drive Lane Width	24' max. (2-way), 15' max. (1-way)
No parking spaces are required for Ancillary Buildings that are < 500 sf.
Parking must be provided on-site, off-site within 1,300', or as part of a district-wide parking management strategy.

Allowed Encroachments (See § 208-24, Subsection 3)
Balconies, Bay Windows, Awnings, etc.
Front	12' max.
Side Street	8' max.
Rear	4' max.
Miscellaneous
Only one Main Building and one Ancillary Building may be built on each lot.
Where a building facade steps back or is absent from the BTZ, the BTZ line should be maintained and defined by fence, landscape wall or hedge 30"-54" high.
All buildings must have a primary entrance along the front facade.
Loading docks, overhead doors and other service entries shall not be located on street-facing facades.
*Exclusion note: Residence; mixed-use multifamily not permitted east of I-87, south of Route 146 and west of Route 9.

TNGB

[Added L.L. No. 3-2021]

Neighborhood General Business Zone Overview

The primary intent of this zone is to become a mixed-use, walkable node with a smaller neighborhood scale providing commercial uses and services while also accommodating compact residential uses. Two-story mixed use buildings and multifamily residential uses are permitted.

Illustrative example of buildings and site arrangement in the TNGB Neighborhood General Business Zone.

Form.

Building Placement and Front Yard Design
Build-to Zone (Distance from Property Line)
Front	0' min., 15' max.
Side Street	0' min., 15' max.
Corner Properties: Both street facades must be built in the Build-To Zone for the first 30' from the corner of the building.
Setback (Minimum Distance from Property Line)
Side	0' min.
Rear	5' min.
Lot Configuration
Width		100' min.

Depth		150' min.
Greenspace Goal		10% min.
Footprint
Depth, ground floor commercial space:	Main Building 40' min.
	Ancillary Building 20' min.

Building Form
Height
Main Building	22' min.
	2 Stories max.¹
Ancillary Building	2 Stories max.
Ground Floor Finish Level	6" max. above sidewalk
Ground Floor Commercial Ceiling	14' min. clear
Upper Floor(s) Ceiling	9' min. clear
Allowed Building Types (See § 208-24, Subsection 1)
▪ Commercial Block	▪ Liner Building
▪ Civic Building	▪ Live-Work Unit
▪ Duplex/Triplex/Fourplex	▪ Townhouse/Rowhouse
▪ Drive Thru
Allowed Frontage Types (See § 208-24, Subsection 2)
▪ Shopfront	▪ Gallery
	□
▪ Forecourt	Stoop
□ Porch
Allowed Use Types (See § 208-22, Subsection 4)
Ground Floor	Service, Retail, or Recreation, Education and Public Assembly
Upper Floor(s)	Residential or Service

Parking and Encroachments.

Parking (See § 208-26 for general standards)
Parking Location (Distance from Property Line)
Front Setback		30' min.
Side Street Setback		5' min.
Side Setback		0' min.
Rear Setback		5' min.
District Specific Parking Req. (See § 208-26 for general standards)
Parking Drive Lane Width		24' max. (2-way) 15' max. (1-way)
No parking spaces are required for Ancillary Buildings that are <500 sf
Parking must be provided on-site, off-site within 1,300', or as part of a district-wide parking management strategy.

Allowed Encroachments (See § 208-24, Subsection 3)
Balconies, Bay Windows, Awnings, etc.
Front	12' max.
Side Street	8' max.
Rear	4' max.
Miscellaneous
Only one Main Building and one Ancillary Building may be built on each lot.
Where a building facade steps back or is absent from the BTZ, the BTZ line should be maintained and defined by fence, landscape wall or hedge 30"-54" high.
All buildings must have a primary entrance along the front facade.
Loading docks, overhead doors and other service entries shall not be located on street-facing facades.

TC4

Transition Zone Overview

The primary intent of this zone is to provide a commercial area which acts as a transition to the surrounding residential neighborhoods around the Town Center.

Characterized by three-story buildings, this zone primarily allows office uses, with some mixed-use residential and limited retail uses, in order to limit the potential impact on the nearby residences. Among other adjusted details, buildings here are set slightly further back and heights are somewhat lower than those in the TC5 Neighborhood District.

Illustrative example of buildings and site arrangements in the TC4 Transition Zone.

Form

Building Placement and Front Yard Design
Build-to zone (Distance from Property Line)
Front	0' min., 15' max.
Side Street	0' min., 15' max.
Corner Properties: Both street facades must be built in the build-to zone for the first 30' from the corner of the building.
Setback (Minimum Distance from Property Line)
Side	0' min.
Rear	5' min.
Lot Configuration
Width	100' min.
Depth	150' min.
Greenspace Goal	10% min.
Footprint
Depth, ground-floor commercial space	Main Building, 40' min.; Ancillary Building, 20' min.

Building Form
Height
Main Building	22' min.
	3 Stories max.
Ancillary Building	3 Stories max.
Ground-Floor Elev. Above Sidewalk	Comm. 6" max., Res. 24" min.
Ground-Floor Commercial Ceiling	14' min. clear
Upper-Floor Ceiling	9' min. clear
Allowed Building Types (See § 208-24, Subsection 1)
▪ Commercial Block	▪ Liner Building
▪ Civic Building	▪ Live-Work Unit
□ Duplex/Triplex/Fourplex	□ Townhouse/Rowhouse
▪ Drive Thru
Allowed Frontage Types (See § 208-24, Subsection 2)
▪ Shopfront	▪ Gallery
▪ Forecourt	□ Stoop
□ Porch
Allowed Use Types (See § 208-22, Subsection 4)
Ground Floor	Service, Retail, or Recreation, Education and Public Assembly
Upper Floor(s)	Residential or Service

Parking and Encroachments

Parking (See § 208-26 for general standards)
Parking Location (Distance from Property Line)
Front Setback	30' min.
Side Street Setback	30' min.
Side Setback	0' min.
Rear Setback	5' min.
District Specific Parking Req. (See § 208-26 for general standards)
Parking Drive Lane Width	24' max.(2-way), 15' max. (1-way)
No parking spaces are required for Ancillary Buildings that are < 500 sf.
Parking must be provided on-site, off-site within 1,300', or as part of a district-wide parking management strategy.

Allowed Encroachments (See § 208-24, Subsection 3)
Balconies, Bay Windows, Awnings, etc.
Front	12' max.
Side Street	8' max.
Rear	4' max.
Miscellaneous
Only one Main Building and one Ancillary Building may be built on each lot.
Where a building facade steps back or is absent from the BTZ, the BTZ line should be maintained and defined by fence, landscape wall or hedge 30"-54" high.
All buildings must have a primary entrance along the front facade.
Loading docks, overhead doors and other service entries shall not be located on street-facing facades.

TC3

General Zone Overview

The primary intent of this zone is to provide a general commercial area along the Route 146 corridor which primarily serves vehicular traffic and heavy vehicular uses. This zone allows for more suburban-oriented lot configurations and uses which would not be suitable for the central neighborhood portions of the Town Center. Building heights are capped at three stories. Residential uses are not permitted.

Illustrative example of buildings and site arrangements in the TC3 General Zone.

Form

Building Placement and Front Yard Design
Build-to zone (Distance from Property Line)
Front	38' min., 80' max.
Sidewalk width	10' min.
Access Lane Parking width	8' for parallel, 16' for diagonal
Access Lane Drive width	12'
Access Lane Parking width	8' for parallel, 16' for diagonal
Multi-Use Path width	8' per NYSDOT Standards
Side Street	0'
Street Facades must be built to the BTL for the first 30' from the corner of the property line.
Setback (Minimum Distance from Property Line)
Side	0' min.
Rear	5' min.
Lot Configuration
Width	200' min.
Depth	300' min.
Greenspace Goal	15% min.
Footprint
Depth, ground-floor commercial space	Main Building, 40' min.; Ancillary Building, 20' min.

Building Form
Height
Main Building	22' min.
	3 Stories max.
Ancillary Building	2 Stories max.
Ground-Floor Finish Level	6" max. above sidewalk
Ground-Floor Commercial Ceiling	14' min. clear
Upper-Floor(s) Ceiling	9' min. clear
Allowed Building Types (See § 208-24, Subsection 1)
▪ Commercial Block	▪ Liner Building
▪ Civic Building	□ Live-Work Unit
□ Duplex/Triplex/Fourplex	□ Townhouse/Rowhouse
▪ Drive Thru
Allowed Frontage Types (See § 208-24, Subsection 2)
▪ Shopfront	▪ Gallery
▪ Forecourt	□ Stoop
▪ Porch
Allowed Use Types (See § 208-22, Subsection 4)
Ground Floor	Service, Retail, or Recreation, Education and Public Assembly
Upper Floor(s)	Service

Parking and Encroachments

Parking (See § 208-26 for general standards)
Parking Location (Distance from Property Line)
Front Setback	60' min.
Side Street Setback	5' min.
Side Setback	0' min.
Rear Setback	5' min.
District Specific Parking Req. (See § 208-26 for general standards)
Parking Drive Lane Width	24' max.(2-way), 15' max. (1-way)
No parking spaces are required for Ancillary Buildings that are < 500 sf.
Parking must be provided on-site, off-site within 1,300', or as part of a district-wide parking management strategy.

Allowed Encroachments (See § 208-24, Subsection 3)
Balconies, Bay Windows, Awnings, etc.
Front	12' max.
Side Street	8' max.
Rear	4' max.
Miscellaneous
Only one Main Building and one Ancillary Building may be built on each lot.
Where a building facade steps' back or is absent from the BTZ, the BTZ line should be maintained and defined by fence, landscape wall or hedge 30"-54" high.
All buildings must have a primary entrance along the front facade.
Loading docks, overhead doors and other service entries shall not be located on street-facing facades.

TC2

Edge Zone Overview

The primary intent of this zone is to provide a buffer to the residential neighborhoods on the outskirts of the Town Center. This zone allows three-story buildings, primarily residential in nature, but does permit some limited supporting commercial uses as part of the development.

Illustrative example of buildings and site arrangements in the TC2 Edge Zone.

Form

Building Placement and Front Yard Design
Build-to zone (Distance from Property Line)
Front	10' min., 15' max.
Side Street	10' min., 15' max.
Building Facade at BTZ
Front	50% min. preferred
Side Street	30% min. preferred
Street Facades must be built to the BTL for the first 30' from the corner of the property line.
Setback (Minimum Distance from Property Line)
Side	8' min.
Rear	5' min.
Lot Configuration
Width	150' min.
Depth	300' min.
Greenspace Goal	15% min.
Footprint
Depth, ground-floor commercial space	Main Building, 40' min.; Ancillary Building, 20' min.

Building Form
Height
Main Building	22' min.
	3 Stories max.
Ancillary Building	3 Stories max.
Ground-Floor Elev. Above Sidewalk	Comm. 6" max., Res. 24" min.
Ceiling Height	9' min. clear
Ground-Floor Commercial Ceiling	14' min. clear
Allowed Building Types (See § 208-24, Subsection 1)
□ Commercial Block	▪ Liner Building
□ Civic Building	▪ Live-Work Unit
▪ Duplex/Triplex/Fourplex	▪ Townhouse/Rowhouse
▪ Drive Thru
Allowed Frontage Types (See § 208-24, Subsection 2)
▪ Shopfront	▪ Gallery
▪ Forecourt	▪ Stoop
▪ Porch
Allowed Use Types (See § 208-22, Subsection 4)
Ground Floor	Service, Retail, or Recreation, Education and Public Assembly
Upper Floor(s)	Residential

Parking and Encroachments

Parking (See § 208-26 for general standards)
Parking Location (Distance from Property Line)
Front Setback	35' min.
Side Street Setback	35' min.
Side Setback	0' min.
Rear Setback	5' min.
District Specific Parking Req. (See § 208-26 for general standards)
Parking Drive Lane Width	24' max. (2-way), 15' max. (1-way)
No parking spaces are required for Ancillary Buildings that are < 500 sf.
Parking must be provided on-site, off-site within 1,300', or as part of a district-wide parking management strategy.

Allowed Encroachments (See § 208-24, Subsection 3)
Balconies, Bay Windows, Awnings, etc.
Front	12' max.
Side Street	8' max.
Rear	4' max
Miscellaneous
Only one Main Building and one Ancillary Building may be built on each lot.
Where a building facade steps back or is absent from the BTZ, the BTZ line should be maintained and defined by fence, landscape wall or hedge 30"-54" high.
All buildings must have a primary entrance along the front facade.
Loading docks, overhead doors and other service entries shall not be located on street-facing facades.

TC1

TC1 Highway Zone Overview

The primary intent of this zone is to facilitate autooriented highway commercial development along the Northway corridor which would be suitably viewed from both the front and rear, providing an attractive first impression of Clifton Park for those travelling along 1-87.

This zone allows for more suburban lot configurations and uses which would not be suitable in the central neighborhood zones, however emphasis is placed on increased landscaping and tree buffers and additional architectural standards along the Northway frontage to maintain an attractive presence along the Northway. Service areas of buildings are screened from view from the highway architecturally and/or with landscaping.

Illustrative example of buildings and site arrangements in the TC1 Highway Zone.

Form

Building Placement and Front Yard Design
Build-to zone (Distance from Property Line)
Front	30' min., 80'max.
Sidewalk width	8'min.
Front parking lot	65' max.
Side Street	10' min., 30' max.
Street Facades must be built in the BTZ for the first 30' from the corner of the property line.
Setback (Minimum Distance from Property Line)
Side	0' min.
Rear	40' min. including buffer of trees
Lot Configuration
Width	No max.
Depth	No max.
Greenspace Goal	20% min.
Footprint
Depth, ground floor commercial space	Main Building, 40' min.; Ancillary Building, 20' min.

Building Form
Height
Main Building	22' min.
	3 Stories max.
Ancillary Building	2 Stories max.
Ground-Floor Finish Level	6" max. above sidewalk
Ground-Floor Commercial Ceiling	14' min. clear
Upper-Floor Ceiling	9' min. clear
Allowed Building Types (§ 208-24, Subsection 1)
▪ Commercial Block	▪ Liner Building
▪ Civic Building	□ Live-Work Unit
□ Duplex/Triplex/Fourplex	□ Townhouse/Rowhouse
▪ Drive Thru
Allowed Frontage Type (§ 208-24, Subsection 2)
▪ Shopfront	▪ Gallery
▪ Forecourt	□ Stoop
□ Porch
Allowed Use Types (§ 208-22, Subsection 4)
Ground Floor	Service, Retail, or Recreation, Education and Public Assembly
Upper Floor(s)	Service

Parking and Encroachments

Parking (See § 208-26 for general requirements)
Parking Location (Distance from Property Line)
Front Setback	0' min. (1 bay permitted in front)
Side Street Setback	5' min.
Side Setback	0' min.
Rear Setback	40' min. including buffer of trees
District Specific Parking Req. (See § 208-26 for general standards)
Parking Drive Lane Width	24' max.(2-way), 15' max. (1-way)
No parking spaces are required for Ancillary Buildings that are < 500 sf.
Parking must be provided on-site, off-site within 1,300', or as part of a district-wide parking management strategy.

Allowed Encroachments (See § 208-24, Subsection 3)
Balconies, Bay Windows, Awnings, etc.
Front	12' max.
Side Street	12'max.
Rear	12'max.
Miscellaneous
Only one Main Building and one Ancillary Building may be built on each lot.
Where a building facade steps back or is absent from the BTL, the BTL should be maintained and defined by fence, landscape wall or hedge 30"-54" high.
All buildings must have a primary entrance along the front facade.
Loading docks, overhead doors and other service entries shall not be located on street-facing facades.
Loading docks, overhead doors, outdoor storage and other service areas shall be screened from view from 1-87 architecturally and/or with a thickly planted buffer of trees.

§ 208-23 Streets.

[Amended 1-19-2021 by L.L. No. 3-2021]

General.

All streets within the Town Center shall be constructed with the sidewalks, street trees, medians, amenities, on-street parking and other elements as illustrated for their corresponding street type on the Future Streets Map.

Dimensional flexibility is permitted for street types to account for varying ROW widths; however, they should be designed to have all the basic functional characteristics, including roadway width, on-street parking, sidewalks, multi-use paths, street trees and landscaped areas shown for their type.

Future Streets Map interpretation.

The existing and future roads indicated on the Future Streets Map are intended as a general guide to the desired future street connections within the Town Center. To provide for maximum design creativity and flexibility, the elements shown are intended as a suggested design outcome only and should not be interpreted literally or be strictly required. Actual configuration of any new public or private streets shall be subject to an agreement to dedicate roads consistent with a formal planning process.

New streets.

New future street connections shown are intended to illustrate vehicular and pedestrian connections which are desired by the Town to increase connectivity, provide more retail storefront and provide multiple travel options which will reduce traffic congestion on collector roads.

New streets shown are not required to be included in future development plans; however, they are recommended where they can be accommodated.

The placement of new streets does not have to conform with their exact locations shown on the map; however, they should provide the general linkage shown from one area or road to another, with alternative alignments or connections as may be approved by the Planning Board.

New future streets, where indicated on private land, may be held in private ownership or transferred to public ownership as agreed to by the developer and the Town.

Existing streets.

An existing street may not be substantially rebuilt, as determined by the Planning Board, without being brought into conformity with the standards of its associated street type shown on the Future Streets Map.

Where an existing street is not planned to be substantially redeveloped, the sidewalk and street trees shall be installed according to the standards of its associated street types.

Limits of required streetscape improvements.

Property owners are required to provide the associated streetscape improvements along the road frontage of all new building development, or building additions in excess of 3,000 square feet in size.

The linear extents of streetscape improvements should be along the entire width of the property frontage so as to provide a continuous pedestrian sidewalk link from one side of the property to another, except as noted below.

In cases where the width of the property frontage may be substantially larger than the width of the building frontage, the Planning Board may limit the extents of the required streetscape improvements to the immediate area of actual building frontage, as reasonably determined by the Planning Board in consideration of the relative development costs to the size of the overall project.

(1)

In making this determination, the Planning Board may require the full scope of streetscape improvements to be provided only along the immediate building frontage, while only requiring that a basic sidewalk or multi-use path connection be made to the adjacent property lines to help complete long-term pedestrian connections.

As part of the required streetscape improvements, applicants may be required to provide funds into the Town Center Improvement District to fund associated crosswalks and other public roadway elements that would serve the property.

Street types.

Street types defined in this section include: Boulevard South, Boulevard North, Park Street, Neighborhood Street 1, Neighborhood Street 2, Local Street, and Perimeter Street. Individual descriptions and form requirements of each street type are detailed on the following pages.

Specific design considerations. Notwithstanding the illustrated layout of the street types in this section, the final approved design for all new or reconstructed streets shall consider location-specific design considerations, including but not limited to crosswalk locations, signalization needs, accommodation of delivery trucks, loading zones, bicycles, pedestrians and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as directed by the Planning Board.

Street Type Overview

Boulevard South

Existing Configuration:

Desired Configuration:

Application
Movement Type	Slow
Design Speed	30 mph
Pedestrian Crossing Time	8.6 seconds, 7.2 seconds
Character Zones	TC6 - Boulevard District
Overall Widths
Right-of-Way (ROW) Width	80' - 90'
Curb Face to Curb Face Width	30', 22'
Lanes
Traffic Lanes	11'
Multipurpose Path/Bike Lane	Within adjacent private frontages
Parking Lanes	8'
Medians	10'
Pedestrian Footway	3'

Edges
Curb Type	6" Raised
Planter Type	Within adjacent private frontages
Landscape Type	Medium Trees, evenly spaced @ 40' o.c. avg.
Walkway Type	Within adjacent private frontages
Lighting	Within adjacent private frontages
Intersection
Curb Radius	15' min.
Distance Between Intersections	350' min. See Regulating Plan.

Boulevard North

Application
Movement Type	Slow
Design Speed	30 mph
Pedestrian Crossing Time	5.4 seconds, 5.4 seconds
Character Zones	TC6 - Boulevard District
Overall Widths
Right-of-Way (ROW) Width	80' - 90'
Curb Face to Curb Face Width	19'
Lanes
Traffic Lanes	11'
Bicycle Lanes	Within adjacent private frontages
Parking Lanes	8'
Medians	10'
Pedestrian Footway	3'

Edges
Curb Type	6" Raised
Planter Type	5' continuous planter
Landscape Type	Medium Trees, evenly spaced @ 40' o.c. avg.
Walkway Type	8' sidewalk
Lighting	Within 5' continuous planter area
Intersection
Curb Radius	15'
Distance Between Intersections	350' min. See Regulating Plan.

Park Street

Application
Movement Type	Slow
Design Speed	30 mph
Pedestrian Crossing Time	10.2 seconds
Character Zones	TC5 - Neighborhood District
Overall Widths
Right-of-Way (ROW) Width	60' - 70'
Curb Face to Curb Face Width	36'
Lanes
Traffic Lanes	10'
Parking or Bicycle Lanes*	8'
Medians	n/a
Pedestrian Footway	3' if required*
* These areas may alternately be composed of 8' wide on-street parking or 8' wide buffered bike lanes. If used as on-street parking, would require 3' Pedestrian Footway along curb.

Edges
Curb Type	6" Raised
Planter Type	6'-8'
Landscape Type	Medium Trees, evenly spaced @ 40' o.c. avg.
Walkway Type	6-8' sidewalk
Lighting	Within adjacent private frontages
Intersection
Curb Radius	15' min.
Distance Between Intersections	200' min. See Regulating Plan.

Neighborhood Street 1

Application
Movement Type	Slow
Design Speed	20 mph
Pedestrian Crossing Time	9.7 seconds
Character Zones	TC5 - Neighborhood District
Overall Widths
Right-of-Way (ROW) Width	72' - 82'
Curb Face to Curb Face Width	36'
Lanes
Traffic Lanes	10'
Bicycle Lanes	6' cycle track
Parking Lanes	8'
Medians	n/a
Pedestrian Footway	n/a

Edges
Curb Type	6" Raised
Planter Type	4'x4' tree well
Landscape Type	Medium Trees, evenly spaced @ 30' o.c. avg.
Walkway Type	12' - 17' sidewalk
Lighting	Aligned with 4'x4' tree wells
Intersection
Curb Radius	10'
Distance Between Intersections	100' min. See Regulating Plan.

Neighborhood Street 2

Application
Movement Type	Slow
Design Speed	20 mph
Pedestrian Crossing Time	10.2 seconds
Character Zones	TC5 - Neighborhood District
Overall Widths
Right-of-Way (ROW) Width	60' - 70'
Curb Face to Curb Face Width	36'
Lanes
Traffic Lanes	10'
Bicycle Lanes	Sharrows
Parking Lanes	8'
Medians	n/a
Pedestrian Footway	n/a

Edges
Curb Type	6" Raised
Planter Type	4x4 tree well
Landscape Type	Medium Trees, evenly spaced @ 30' o.c. avg.
Walkway Type	12' - 17' sidewalk
Lighting	Within adjacent private frontages
Intersection
Curb Radius	10' min.
Distance Between Intersections	100' min. See Regulating Plan.

Local Street

Application
Movement Type	Slow
Design Speed	20 mph
Pedestrian Crossing Time	8 seconds
Character Zones	TC5 - Neighborhood District
Overall Widths
Right-of-Way (ROW) Width	50' - 60'
Curb Face to Curb Face Width	28'
Lanes
Traffic Lanes	10'
Bicycle Lanes	Sharrows
Parking Lanes	8'
Medians	n/a
Pedestrian Footway	n/a

Edges
Curb Type	6" Raised
Planter Type	4x4 tree well
Landscape Type	Medium Trees, evenly spaced @ 30' o.c. avg.
Walkway Type	11' - 16' sidewalk
Lighting	Aligned with 4'x4' tree wells
Intersection
Curb Radius	10'
Distance Between Intersections	100' min. See Regulating Plan.

Perimeter Street

Application
Movement Type	Slow
Design Speed	30 mph
Pedestrian Crossing Time	8 seconds
Character Zones	TC1-TC4
Overall Widths
Right-of-Way (ROW) Width	60'
Curb Face to Curb Face Width	22'
Lanes
Traffic Lanes	11'
Bicycle Lanes	Sharrows
Parking Lanes	n/a
Medians	n/a

Edges
Curb Type	6" Raised
Planter Type	9' swale
Landscape Type	Medium Trees, evenly spaced @ 40' o.c. avg.
Walkway Type	5' sidewalk / 8' multi-use path
Edges	Varies 2'-5'
Lighting	Within planter areas
Intersection
Curb Radius	15' min.
Distance Between Intersections	200' min. See Regulating Plan.

§ 208-24 Form standards.

Building types.

Buildings in new construction shall generally conform with the basic building types set forth in this section and illustrated on the following pages.

(1)

The building types defined in this section should be used as a general guide to the desired form and function of new buildings within the Clifton Park Town Center. The illustrations and photographs provided are for illustrative purposes only and should not be interpreted literally, especially with regard to architectural styles.

Building types set forth in this section include: Commercial Block, Liner Building, Civic Building, Townhouse/Rowhouse, Duplex/Triplex/Fourplex, Live-Work Units, and Ancillary Buildings.

Frontage types.

Building frontages in new construction shall generally conform with the basic frontage types set forth in this section and illustrated on the following pages.

(1)

The frontage types defined in this section should be used as a general guide to the desired public spaces within the Clifton Park Town Center. The illustrations and photographs provided are for illustrative purposes only and should not be interpreted literally, especially with regard to architectural styles.

Frontage types set forth in this section include: Shopfront, Gallery, Forecourt, Stoop, and Porch.

Appurtenances.

Building appurtenances, such as porches, awnings or balconies, may encroach into setback areas follows, except as may be limited by district-specific maximums for front-, side- or rear-facing facades:

Awnings. Awnings may extend into a required setback. Awnings may extend into a public right-of-way, provided they extend no closer than three feet from the edge of the street or road.

(1)

All awnings shall provide a minimum clearance underneath of at least eight feet and shall be a minimum depth of four feet.

Balconies. Balconies may extend into a required setback, provided they extend no closer than four feet from a lot line. Balconies may extend into a public right-of-way, provided they extend no closer than three feet from the edge of the street or road.

(1)

All balconies shall provide a minimum clearance above the sidewalk of at least 10 feet and shall be a minimum depth of four feet.

Galleries. Galleries may extend into a required setback. Galleries may extend into a public right-of-way, provided they extend no closer than three feet from the edge of the street or road.

(1)

Galleries should extend contiguously along at least 50% of the building facade frontage.

(2)

All galleries shall provide a minimum clearance above the sidewalk of at least 10 feet and shall be a minimum depth of eight feet.

Porches. Porches on a front facade shall be a minimum of six feet in depth clear from the face of the facade to the railing and shall extend no less than 50% of the width of the facade.

(1)

Porches may extend up to nine feet into a required setback.

(2)

Porches shall not extend any closer than three feet from any lot line or public right-of-way.

Stoops. Stoops may extend into a required setback, provided they extend no closer than four feet from a lot line. Stoops may not extend into a public right-of-way.

(1)

Stoops shall be no more than six feet deep, not including steps.

(2)

Stoops may include an overhead awning above but shall not be enclosed on the sides.

Building eaves, cornices, roof overhangs and light shelves may encroach up to two feet into setback areas, provided they are no closer than five feet from any property line.

Bay windows, chimneys and entry vestibules or columns may encroach up to three feet into setback areas, provided the area is no wider than eight feet and no closer than five feet from any property line.

Outdoor dining and patio areas may encroach into setback areas, provided they are at grade or within two feet of grade level.

Building Types Overview

Commercial Block

Examples

Large shopfront windows and seating areas in front of the building help to provide for an active streetscape.

A street of commercial buildings of varying heights and widths.

Typical large commercial block building with simple massing, regular spacing of doors and windows, and a tall ground floor.

Description
The Commercial Block building type is a small to large-sized structure, typically attached, that provides a vertical mix of uses with ground-floor commercial, service, or retail uses and upper-floor commercial, service, or residential uses. Smaller versions of this type make up the primary component of a neighborhood main street, while larger versions make up the primary component of downtown, therefore being a key component to providing walkability.

Allowed Frontage Types
▪ Shopfront	▪ Gallery
▪ Forecourt	□ Stoop
□ Porch
Allowed Appurtenances
▪ Awnings	□ Porches
▪ Balconies	□ Stoops
▪ Galleries	▪ Courtyards

Liner Building

Examples

The liner buildings along the primary street frontage screen a parking garage podium and create a street edge that engages the pedestrian realm.

Liner buildings screen views of the large-format retail and parking garage behind.

A liner building provides doors and windows along the street frontage.

Description
The Liner Building provides a relatively shallow depth of retail and office storefronts around the perimeter of a block while screening a central interior courtyard for use as a public space, parking lot, parking garage or "large-box" retail structure. The purpose of the Liner Building is to provide a smaller-scale pedestrian atmosphere along the sidewalk while screening less visually attractive or utilitarian uses behind it.

Allowed Frontage Types
▪ Shopfront	□ Gallery
▪ Forecourt	▪ Stoop
□ Porch
Allowed Appurtenances
▪ Awnings	□ Porches
▪ Balconies	□ Stoops
▪ Galleries	▪ Courtyards

General Note:

The drawings and photos on this page are illustrative, not regulatory.

Civic Building

Examples

The prominent tower of this civic building is a focal landmark.

This civic building, while modest in size, has grand proportions.

Description
Civic Buildings are typically placed in focal locations. They should be designed with their function as landmarks in mind: ▪ The scale of Civic Buildings should typically be larger than surrounding buildings in order to be more prominent and visible across greater distances. ▪ Floor-to-floor heights and architectural details should be proportionately larger than those of private buildings that exist or are anticipated to exist within adjacent parcels. ▪ Prominent roof forms and additive elements such as cupolas can visually extend the height of the building.

Allowed Frontage Types
□ Shopfront	□ Gallery
▪ Forecourt	□ Stoop
▪ Porch
Allowed Appurtenances
▪ Awnings	□ Porches
□ Balconies	□ Stoops
□ Galleries	▪ Courtyards

General Note:

The drawings and photos on this page are illustrative, not regulatory.

Townhouse/Rowhouse

Examples

Townhouses are attached to neighboring units, forming a well-defined street edge.

Townhouses are often accessed by using a front stoop.

Townhouses define the street edge.

Description
The Townhouse, alternately known as the Rowhouse, is a single-family type that is attached to its neighbors on either side.

Allowed Frontage Types
□ Shopfront	□ Gallery
□ Forecourt	▪ Stoop
▪ Porch
Allowed Appurtenances
▪ Awnings	▪ Porches
▪ Balconies	▪ Stoops
□ Galleries	▪ Courtyards

General Note:

The drawings and photos on this page are illustrative, not regulatory.

Duplex/Triplex/Fourplex

Examples

This fourplex building type has individual unit entrances, marked by stoops, that are accessible from the sidewalk.

A duplex contains two separate housing units.

A duplex with a divided central porch.

Description
This is a small multifamily residential type. Units may have individual entrances from the sidewalk or may be accessed through a common building entry.

Allowed Frontage Types
▪ Shopfront	▪ Gallery
▪ Forecourt	▪ Stoop
▪ Porch
Allowed Appurtenances
▪ Awnings	▪ Porches
▪ Balconies	▪ Stoops
▪ Galleries	▪ Courtyards

General Note:

The drawings and photos on this page are illustrative, not regulatory.

Live-Work Unit

Examples

Attached live-work units are a unique building type that can introduce a mix of commercial and residential uses in small increments.

Live-work units establish a commercial presence in an otherwise residential area.

Live-work units forming a curved facade.

Description
The Live-Work Unit is an attached or detached single-family type that includes a commercial component, usually in the form of a ground-floor shopfront space. The Live-Work Unit provides an opportunity to integrate commercial uses in very small increments.

Allowed Frontage Types
▪ Shopfront	▪ Gallery
▪ Forecourt	□ Stoop
□ Porch
Allowed Appurtenances
▪ Awnings	□ Porches
▪ Balconies	□ Stoops
▪ Galleries	▪ Courtyards

General Note:

The drawings and photos on this page are illustrative, not regulatory.

Drive Thru

Examples

The convenience store of this gas station fronts the street, while the gas pumps and parking lot are screened from view in a midblock location.

This bank drive-thru is tucked unobtrusively away from the street corner.

This gas stations pumps are located behind the convenience store.

Description
Drive-Thru buildings such as banks or gas stations within the Town Center are to be configured with the building portion of the program located toward the street and the vehicular circulation for the drive thru or gasoline pumps to the rear, screened from view. In this way, Drive Thrus can be accommodated while maintaining well-shaped and activated street frontages. Where possible, curb cuts should be limited to one vehicular entrance/exit so as to minimize interference with pedestrian sidewalks.

Allowed Frontage Types
▪ Shopfront	▪ Gallery
□ Forecourt	□ Stoop
□ Porch
Allowed Appurtenances
▪ Awnings	□ Porches
□ Balconies	□ Stoops
□ Galleries	□ Courtyards

General Note:

The drawings and photos on this page are illustrative, not regulatory.

Frontage Types:

Shopfront

An example of a shopfront with a recessed doorway.

An example of a shopfront with a chamfered corner entry.

A. Description
The main facade of the building is at or near the frontage line and shall include a canopy or awning element that overlaps the sidewalk along the majority of the frontage. The canopy is a structural cantilevered shed roof, and the awning is canvas or similar material and is often retractable.
B. Size
Distance between Glazing	2' max.
Ground-Floor Transparency	50% min.
Door Recess	5' max.
C. Canopy or Awning
Depth	4' min.
Width, Cumulative	70% of faade width min.
Setback from Curb	2' min.
Height, Clear	8' min.
D. Miscellaneous
Doors may be recessed as long as main facade is at BTL.
Open-ended awnings are encouraged.
Rounded and hooped awnings are discouraged

Gallery

A gallery with slender metal columns.

A wood-framed gallery.

A masonry gallery with habitable space on the second floor.

A. Description
The main facade of the building is at the build-to line and the Gallery element overlaps the sidewalk, eliminating the need for an awning. This frontage type is intended for buildings with ground-floor commercial or retail uses and may be one or two stories in height.
B. Size
Depth, Clear	8' min.
Ground Floor Height, Clear	11' min.
Upper Floor Height, Clear	9' min.
Height	2 stories max
Setback from Curb	2' min.; 3' max.
C. Miscellaneous
Galleries must also follow all the rules of the Shopfront frontage type.

Forecourt

An elevated forecourt.

An elevated forecourt forming a dining terrace.

A. Description
The primary portion of the building's main facade is at the build-to line while a small percentage is set back, creating a court space. This space can be used as an apartment entry court, garden space, or for restaurant outdoor dining.
B. Size
Width, Clear	12' min.
Depth, Clear	12' min.
C. Miscellaneous
Forecourts are especially useful along larger, more auto-dominant thoroughfares in order to provide well-shaped, intimately sized public outdoor spaces.

Stoop

Unroofed stoops.

Covered stoops.

A. Description
The main facade of the building is at the build-to line, and the elevated stoop projects forward. The stoop is used to access a first floor that is elevated above the sidewalk to ensure privacy within the building. Stairs from the stoop may descend forward or to the side.
B. Size
Width, Clear	5' min., 8' max.
Depth, Clear	5' min., 8' max.
Height, Clear	8' min.
Height	1 story max.
Finish Level Above Sidewalk	18" min.
C. Miscellaneous
Stairs may be perpendicular or parallel to the building facade.

Porch

A two-story porch on an apartment building.

A wraparound porch located close to the sidewalk.

A. Description
The main facade of the building is at or near the frontage line and shall include a canopy or awning element that overlaps the sidewalk along the majority of the frontage. The canopy is a structural cantilevered shed roof, and the awning is canvas or similar material and is often retractable.
B. Size
Width, Clear	10' min.
Depth, Clear	8' min.
Height, Clear	8' min.
Height	3 stories max.
Finish Level Above Sidewalk	18" min.

§ 208-25 Architectural standards.

Guidelines vs. standards.

Portions of this code which are intended as nonmandatory recommendations (guidelines) are defined using the word "should." Provisions which are considered mandatory requirements (standards) are defined using the word "shall."

General principles.

It is the intent of these standards and guidelines to provide substantive design direction while allowing for reasonable flexibility in the cases of renovations or redevelopment of existing properties.

Design with the pedestrian in mind. Create attractive and safe routes for people to walk and relax which link to other areas. Limit the visibility of parking areas.

Create a local identity. The architecture of the Town Center should be custom designed. Avoid or minimize corporate chain architectural styles.

Keep the "park" in Clifton Park. Emphasize green lawns, shade trees and robust landscaping.

Facades.

New or substantially renovated building facades shall comply with the following:

Ground-floor areas. The ground-floor areas of a facade, especially in pedestrian areas, should exhibit the highest levels of articulation, with larger openings and changes in depth, especially around entry points.

Blank wall areas. Blank wall areas, except as noted below for required shopfront facades, shall not exceed the size of a rectangle measuring 30 feet in width and eight feet in height. (Blank wall area limitations do not apply to facades facing an alley, service drive or nonpublic street.)

Required shopfront facades. Ground-floor shopfront store windows, where required by the Regulating Plan, shall provide a minimum of 50% facade transparency [i.e., square footage of glazed window and door openings (including trim) over square footage of entire facade area on that floor] at the ground-floor facade area, allowing a view at least eight feet into the interior space within.

(1)

Blank wall areas in required shopfront facade areas shall not exceed the size of a rectangle measuring 10 feet wide by five feet high.

(2)

Upper-floor areas of the facade above required shopfronts shall be designed to provide a minimum of 20% facade transparency.

(3)

Blank wall areas in floors above required shopfronts shall not exceed the size of a rectangle measuring 15 feet wide by eight feet high.

Figure 6.1 - Facade Transparency. Along street frontages where shopfronts are required, the ground-floor area must provide a minimum of 50% transparency. The upper-floor areas of the facades above shopfronts must provide a minimum of 20% transparency.

Entry/exit doors. Public entry and exit doors which swing outward shall be recessed into the facade a minimum of three feet where the sidewalk abuts the building.

Window and door openings. Window and door openings in masonry facades should express a structural lintel above to express how it is carrying the weight. A similar method using wood trim can be used on wood-clad facades.

Figure 6.2 - Openings in masonry facades should visually show a structural lintel above the opening to express how it is holding the weight above it.

Columns/posts. The proportion of structural elements such as columns or posts should be appropriate to the weight they appear to be carrying.

Roofs.

Flat roofs. Flat-roof structures shall be capped by an articulated parapet design which provides a noticeable "cap" to the building.

(1)

The parapet on a single-story facade should express at least six inches in overhang depth and be at least 18 inches tall. Parapet overhang depth and height for taller facades should be increasingly larger.

Figure 6.3 - Flat roof parapet design.

Sloped roofs. Sloped roof structures are encouraged to maintain a pitch between 6:12 minimum and 12:12 maximum for all primary roof areas (not including dormers, entry canopies or similar accessory elements).

(1)

Roof overhangs are encouraged to be at least six inches deep.

(2)

Dormers and gables are encouraged along front facades to help maintain a prominent facade, reduce the scale of long runs of roof and divert rainwater and snow from entry areas.

Building massing.

Shapes help break up the scale. The overall massing of buildings should have areas of noticeable 3-D relief or be broken down into smaller shapes to reduce the scale and avoid the appearance of a "large box."

(1)

Avoid trying to break up the scale and massing of a large facade by making it look like many different building facades stuck together. This often results in a fake "Disneyland" appearance.

Larger building massing. Very large or long buildings should attempt to break up their massing along public frontages by providing articulations along the facade generally as follows:

(1)

"Courtyard breaks" (courtyard areas) should be provided no less than every 300 feet of facade length. These should create a change in facade depth at least 20 feet deep by 40 feet wide and a change in facade height of at least eight feet. The courtyard space provided shall be designed to be accessible to pedestrians with attractive amenities such as seating, landscaping, storefront displays and/or entranceways.

(2)

"Major articulations" should be provided no less than every 150 feet of facade length. These should create a change in facade depth at least four feet deep by eight feet wide and a change in facade height of at least four feet.

(3)

"Medium articulations" should be provided no less than every 75 feet of facade length. These should create a change in facade depth at least two feet deep by four feet wide.

(4)

"Minor articulations" should be provided approximately every 20 to 30 feet along a facade. These should create a change in facade depth at least eight inches deep by 12 inches wide.

(5)

Note that the recommended articulation placements listed above are not additive you would not need a major, medium and minor articulation all at the same location. The largest articulation required would override all lesser ones.

Figure 6.5 - Large Building Massing. The public frontage of long buildings should be designed with a variety of minor, medium and major articulations and courtyard breaks to avoid the appearance of one long, uninterrupted facade.

Exterior materials and details.

Primary facade materials. As listed in Table 6.1, are recommended for not less than 70% of the exterior wall surface on all facades facing a public street.

(1)

Smaller-scale, natural materials should be used whenever possible, especially on front facades and near pedestrian areas.

(2)

Exterior colors should typically be a natural, muted shade. Brighter, more-vibrant colors such as red or yellow should be reserved for minor accents and highlights only.

Secondary facade materials. As listed in Table 6.1, should be used as accent materials on not more than 30% of the exterior wall surface on all facades facing a public street.

Other materials. Other materials listed in Table 6.1 as "Not Recommended" should avoid being used or should be used only in service areas which are not intended to be accessed by pedestrians or readily visible from a public way.

Material changes. Changes from one material or color to another along the horizontal direction should occur at "inside corner" transitions. Changes in materials or color along the vertical direction should occur at a hard-edge "bump-out" transition which gives the material a surface to terminate into. Facades with an overabundance of different materials or colors are generally discouraged.

Figure 6.4 - Correct material transitions. Changes from one material to the next should occur at logical terminations, such as inside corners.

(1) When using more than one primary facade material, one should be used as the dominant theme, with the others used more sparingly to accentuate the design.

	TABLE 6.1 - EXTERIOR MATERIALS
	Recommended Materials	Discouraged Materials (Not Recommended)
Primary Facade Materials	Brick - common red, brown, beige	T1-11 Siding
	Wood - clapboard, shingle, wood trim, painted	Plain (untextured) C.M.U.
	Stone - natural or artificial	Unfinished or Unpainted Wood
	Cement Fiber Siding - colored or painted
	Glass Curtain Wall
Secondary Facade Materials	E.I.F.S or Stucco (4 feet above grade minimum)
	Textured or Split-Faced C.M.U. - colored
	Vertical Board and Batten - painted
	Glass Block
	Precast Concrete Panels - colored
	Metal or Composite Panels
Doors and Windows	Wood, Aluminum, Vinyl-Clad Windows and Doors	Mirrored Glass
		Colored/Bronzed Glass
		Tinted Glass (darker than 70% V.L.T.)
Roofing	Architectural Shingles
	Standing Seam Metal
	Slate or Tile - natural or synthetic
	Copper
	**insert flat roof material choices
	Wood, PVC or Vinyl Parapet or Trim
	Copper or Colored Metal Roof Flashing	Galvanized or Bare Metal Flashing
Awnings	Canvas, Acrylic or Vinyl Awnings - one-, two- or three-color	Plastic or Gloss Finish Awnings
Awnings		Translucent, Backlit or Illuminated Awnings
Landscape Walls and Fencing	Brick or Brick Veneer Walls	Bare Concrete Walls
	Stone or Stone Veneer Walls	C.M.U. Walls
	Metal, Extruded Aluminum Fences - colored metal	Bare or Coated Chain-Link Fence
	Cast-Iron or Wrought-Iron Fences
	Wood Fences - painted
Note: All material and paint colors should be of a natural, muted shade, except as used for specific design accents or highlights. Alternate materials to those listed above may be approved by the Town, provided they are considered to be equivalent or better quality and appearance. V.L.T. is "visible light transmission."

Equipment.

Mechanical equipment. Mechanical equipment, including roof-mounted, facade-mounted or ground-level-mounted, shall be screened from view from adjacent public rights-of-way, properties and pedestrian walkways (does not include service alleys).

(1)

Screening shall be achieved with nondeciduous landscape plantings, architectural building elements which match the exterior building materials, or parapet walls.

§ 208-26 Site standards.

Parking.

Applicability. The parking requirements of this section apply to all commercial and residential properties applying for a permit for construction, renovation, addition, site plan alteration or change of use. This section does not apply to on-street parking provided in the public right-of-way.

Changes in use and additions. The minimum parking requirements for a property shall be reviewed for compliance with this code which result in increased customer space or which create a more-intensive parking use.

Minimum parking requirements. The minimum on-site parking requirements for each use shall be as listed in Table 7.1, unless parking reductions through the use of staggered-hours or shared parking arrangements are approved as detailed below. Fractional results shall be rounded up. Values shown are for net usable square feet (not including mechanical, storage, etc.), unless otherwise noted.

	TABLE 7.1 - Minimum Parking Requirements
	Use Type	Required Spaces
Commercial	Animal, pet grooming	3 per 1,000 s.f.
	Animal, veterinary services	3 per 1,000 s.f.
	Assembly or auditorium, indoor	1 per every 4 seats
	Automotive, fuel sales	1 per fuel pump + emp.
	Automotive, service or wash	2 per service bay + emp.
	Automotive, sales	n/a
	Bank	4 per 1,000 s.f.
	Bank, drive-thru	3 per 1,000 s.f.
	Bar or tavern	10 per 1,000 s.f.
	Club, indoor	2 per 1,000 s.f.
	Commercial amusement, indoor	1 per each table/lane + emp.
	Dry cleaning	3 per 1,000 s.f.
	Home occupation	As determined
	Hotel	1 per room + emp.
	Laundromat	3 per 1,000 s.f.
	Medical service, outpatient	4 per 1,000 s.f.
	Office	4 per 1,000 s.f.
	Personal care	3.5 per 1,000 s.f.
	Repair and maintenance, light	2.5 per 1,000 s.f.
	Restaurant¹	8 per 1,000 s.f.
	Restaurant, drive-thru¹	6 per 1,000 s.f.
	Retail	3.5 per 1,000 s.f.
	Retail, drive-thru	3 per 1,000 s.f.
	Retail, outdoor display	3.5 per 1,000 s.f.
Residential	Nursing home	1 per every 3 beds
	Residence, multifamily (1-2 bedroom)	1.5 per dwelling unit
	Residence, multifamily (3+ bedroom)	2 per dwelling unit
	Senior housing	1.1 per dwelling unit
Civic/Public	Cultural center	2.5 per 1,000 s.f.
	Municipal office or public safety	3 per 1,000 s.f.
	Religious facility	1 per every 4 seats
	School, child day care	1 per 10 students
	School, nursery or K-12	1 per 10 students
	Utility, telecommunication tower	n/a
	Utility, general public service	n/a
Notes: "+ emp." indicates to also include one parking space for each employee on duly during a typical shift.
¹Restaurants with outdoor seating shall only calculate 50% of the outdoor seating area toward the parking requirements.

Insufficient parking. Where there is insufficient parking available on site for a proposed use, change in use or expansion, the following options may be considered by the Town as meeting the parking requirements:

(1)

Reduction in the minimum amount of required parking through an approved staggered-hours or shared parking arrangement, as described below.

(2)

Reduction in the size of the proposed expansion.

(3)

Reduction in the intensity of the proposed use change, including but not limited to a denial of the change of use.

Maximum parking. The Town is authorized to limit or reconfigure the number of parking spaces provided on site if they are in excess of 200% of the minimum amount required. The following options may be considered by the Town for excesses of 10 or more spaces:

(1)

Preexisting asphalt paved areas no longer needed by a new proposed use shall be removed and reclaimed as landscaped areas, islands, rain gardens or other pervious treatment.

(2)

That excess parking be held in future reserve.

(3)

That excess parking be configured as public parking which is specifically located and designated with signage as available for public use, with sidewalk connections to adjacent areas.

(4)

That excess parking areas and associated travel lanes be constructed of pervious paving surfaces in lieu of traditional asphalt.

General provisions.

(1)

All properties are required to provide cross-access connections to adjacent parking lots and are encouraged to provide unreserved or shared parking arrangements with neighboring properties.

(2)

All off-street parking areas should be consolidated within the center of street blocks where possible, behind buildings.

(3)

A clear, designated pedestrian way(s) shall be provided from parking areas to the building entrances. Building entrances from parking areas, including rear (opposite front/side facades) entries, shall provide attractive, welcoming, architectural entry treatment.

(4)

One required off-street parking space may be substituted by each on-street parking space existing directly in front of the business within the public right-of-way or public street. Each on-street space may only count toward one property.

(5)

Required off-street parking, including employee parking, may be provided on a different lot than the subject property, provided it is counted as part of an approved shared parking agreement.

(6)

Seasonal outdoor dining or bar areas shall be calculated at the reduced rate of 50% of the normal parking requirements.

Staggered-hours parking. A reduction in the minimum number of required parking spaces may be approved for combinations of uses which have a staggered demand schedules over time, such as daytime office with residential.

(1)

Staggered-hours parking may be utilized by single properties with multiple uses, and by multiple adjacent property owners who physically merge or connect their parking lots into a common shared lot, as approved by the Town Engineer.

(2)

An example guide for calculating staggered demands between multiple uses is provided in the appendix for reference.[1]

[1]

Editor's Note: See § 208-29, Appendix.

Shared parking agreements. A reduction in the minimum number of required parking spaces may be approved for two or more adjacent property owners or businesses who share or physically connect their lots and agree to a shared parking arrangement.

(1)

The total number of parking spaces which may be deducted from the shared lot shall be as shown in Table 7.2, Allowable Shared Parking Reduction.

(2)

The majority of the parking provided in the shared lot must remain unreserved.

(3)

Shared parking reductions may be combined with staggered-hours parking reductions.

TABLE 7.2 - Allowable Shared Parking Reduction
Total Number of Shared Parking Spaces	Number of Businesses Sharing
Total Number of Shared Parking Spaces	2	3	4	5	6	7+
<20	0	0	0	0	0	0
20-29	1	2	3	4	4	4
30-39	2	3	4	5	6	6
40-49	3	4	5	6	7	8
50-59	4	5	6	7	8	9
60-69	5	6	7	8	9	10
70 or more	6	7	8	9	10	11
Notes: Numbers shown are the total spaces which may be deducted below the minimum parking requirements for all combined businesses using the shared lot. Shared parking configurations of 70 or more spaces may be prorated with one additional space for each 10 additional spaces shared but may not be additionally prorated by the number of businesses beyond seven.

Figure 7.1 - 90-Degree parking.

Figure 7.2 - 60-Degree parking.

Figure 7.3 - Parallel parking.

Transit.

Provision for transit facilities, including bus/bus rapid transit stops/pull-offs shall be coordinated with regional and local transit agencies, and such facilities shall be incorporated into site plans as directed by the Planning Board.

Parking lot landscaping.

New or reconfigured parking lot areas shall provide the following landscaped elements:

Front yard buffer (A). All parking areas abutting a public right-of-way or future street shall provide a front yard buffer at least 10 feet deep from the sidewalk, consisting of shrubbery, hedges, trees, decorative walls or fences, which creates a visual screen at least three feet high; does not apply to internal driveways, alleys or access roads not designated on the Future Street Plan. (Figure 7.4)

Front yard perimeter bulb-out (B). All parking areas abutting a public right-of-way or future street shall provide bulb-outs so that there are not more than 15 continuous parking spaces in a row uninterrupted along that frontage. The bulb-out should be equal in depth to the parking spaces, a minimum of nine feet wide, which includes flowers, shrubs, grass and/or trees where not more than 50% of the ground cover is mulch or gravel. (Figure 7.4)

End-of-row bulb-out (C). A landscaped bulb-out should be located at the end of any perimeter parking row abutting a traveled lane. The bulb-out should be equal in depth to the parking space, a minimum of nine feet wide, which includes flowers, shrubs, grass and/or trees where not more than 50% of the ground cover is mulch or gravel. (Figure 7.4)

Internal landscaped island (D). Internal parking rows should provide landscaped islands at either end of the rows. The islands shall be equal in length to the rows and at least nine feet wide, or of equivalent size if an irregular shape is necessary. Islands shall include at least two trees with shrubs, flowers, grass or other plantings so that not more than 50% of the ground cover is mulch or gravel. (Figure 7.4)

Intermediate landscaped island (E). Internal parking rows should provide intermediate landscaped islands so that there are not more than 12 continuous parking spaces in a row uninterrupted. Islands shall be landscaped the same as internal landscaped islands. (Figure 7.4)

Enhanced parking median (F). Larger parking lots which contain multiple rows of parking should provide an enhanced parking median so that there are not more than six rows of parking uninterrupted. Enhanced landscaped medians may be of two different types landscaped or pedestrian. (Figures 7.5 and 7.6)

(1)

Landscaped medians shall separate the rows of parking on either side with a continuous six-foot-wide landscaped band which includes additional landscaping and trees no less than every 30 feet.

(2)

Pedestrian medians shall separate the rows of parking on either side with a continuous six-foot-wide pedestrian sidewalk - flush to grade - which leads toward building entry areas and connects to perimeter sidewalks with crosswalks.

Figure 7.4 - General Parking Concepts. Parking lots should strive to create shared parking areas within the center of blocks which can be utilized by all surrounding properties to maximize efficiency and put the visual focus on the buildings. This concept can be further adapted to provide a multistory parking structure within the center of the block, greatly increasing parking capacity and freeing up more land area for development.

Figure 7.5 - Enhanced Parking Medians. Enhanced parking medians, where required to break up larger parking lots, can be provided as one of two types: Landscaped (left) or Pedestrian (right).

Figure 7.6 - Example of an enhanced parking median design which provides a clear path of travel through the parking lot for pedestrians.

Figure 7.7 - Shared Parking Concept (Existing/Before). Each property (A, B, C and D) has its own separate parking lot and driveway access. During the peak business hours for Property D, a new customer arrives but finds there are no parking spaces.

Figure 7.8 - Shared Parking Concept (After). Properties A, B, C and D agree to connect their parking lots and have a shared parking agreement. During peak hours, a new customer comes to Property D and finds there are plenty of available parking spaces because not all businesses are experiencing their peak demand at the same time. This parking redesign also eliminates a curb cut and the parking in the front and side yards, allowing these areas to be reclaimed as attractive front-yard landscaping or patios instead.

Service areas and loading docks.

Trash and recycling dumpsters or similar collection areas shall be located in the rear or to the side of buildings and screened from view from adjacent public rights-of-way, properties and pedestrian walkways (not including service alleys).

(1)

Screening shall be achieved with building enclosures on three sides which match or complement the exterior building materials.

Landscaping.

Applicability and approvals. The following minimum landscaping requirements apply to all new or redeveloped commercial and residential projects within the Town Center which require site plan review and approval, as follows:

(1)

Applications for building improvements or renovations which do not increase the gross floor area of the property shall not be required to meet the landscaping requirements of this section.

(2)

Applications for a change of use shall not be required to meet the landscaping requirements, except where additional screening or buffers may be required.

(3)

Applications for site improvements such as parking lot or driveway reconfigurations shall only be required to meet the landscaping requirements for the areas affected.

(4)

Applications for building expansions which increase the gross floor area by less than 50% or 5,000 square feet shall only be required to meet the landscaping requirements for the portions of the site affected, as determined by the Planning Director.

(5)

Applications for building expansions which increase the gross floor area by more than 50% or 5,000 square feet shall be required to meet the landscaping requirements.

See Subsection 3 for specific landscaping requirements pertaining to parking lots.

General requirements.

(1)

These requirements pertain to the minimum area of greenspace and the types of landscaping required for the site. All greenspace areas shall be covered by the following:

(a)

Native vegetation; or

(b)

Trees, shrubbery, or nursery plants with appropriate mulch; or

(c)

Any combination of the above;

(d)

Sod, lawn, or other variety of ground cover in combination with any of the above.

(2)

All landscaping shall be installed in accordance with the landscaping plan as approved by the Planning Board prior to issuance of a certificate of occupancy and shall be installed in accordance with accepted landscape practices within the region. In instances where conditions do not permit immediate planting, the applicant may be required to post a performance bond or, in lieu thereof, sufficient moneys to ensure later compliance.

(3)

All landscaping shown on an approved site plan or landscaping plan shall be maintained in a vigorous growing condition throughout the duration of the use, and plants not so maintained shall be replaced with new plants at the beginning of the next growing season.

(4)

Landscaping and buffer requirements in this section may be met by utilizing existing vegetation where possible, with approval from the Planning Board.

(5)

The use of invasive plant species, as defined by the most-recent DEC Advisory Invasive Plant List, is not permitted.

(6)

Species diversity is encouraged in order to prevent extensive vegetation loss should certain species become vulnerable to diseases. In cases where there are more than eight required new trees to be planted, no more than 40% of them can be of one species. Where more than 24 new trees are required to be planted, no more than 24% of them can be of one species.

Front yard landscaping requirements. Front yard landscaping should be provided and arranged as illustrated in the Building Placement and Front Yard Design requirements for each TC Zone and in the corresponding Street Type.[2]

(1)

Required landscaped terrace areas shall provide a mix of lawn areas in combination with deciduous trees, shrubs or perennial/annual beds.

(2)

Required tree lawns shall be provided with sod or lawn, except for mulch areas directly around each tree.

(3)

Street trees within required tree lawns or planters shall be shade trees (not ornamental) with a minimum caliper of three inches and a minimum height of eight feet.

(4)

Required tree planters shall be covered with cast-iron tree grates flush with adjacent sidewalk surfaces meeting ADA requirements for minimum opening sizes.

[2]

Editor's Note: See § 208-22 and § 208-23.

Outdoor lighting.

Applicability. The lighting requirements of this section apply to all commercial and residential properties applying for a permit for construction, renovation, addition or site plan alteration. This section does not apply to public streetlighting installed by the Town of Clifton Park in the public right-of-way.

(1)

Preexisting site lighting fixtures which are removed or replaced shall be brought into conformity with this section.

(2)

Preexisting buildings which undergo a renovation exceeding 50% of the value of the structure, or addition increasing the floor area by more than 50%, shall bring the existing site lighting of their property into conformity with this section.

Parking lot lighting.

(1)

All fixtures shall be full-cutoff, downward-facing.

(2)

Light fixtures located within the interior asphalt area of a parking lot shall not exceed 30 feet in height. Light fixtures located along the perimeter edge of a parking area within 50 feet of a property line shall not exceed 15 feet.

(3)

Average 0.2 footcandle at grade level, maximum 2.0 footcandles.

Pedestrian walkway lighting.

(1)

Light fixtures located along pedestrian walkways adjacent to parking lots shall not exceed 15 feet in height.

(2)

Light fixtures located along internal pedestrian walkways or paths not adjacent to a parking area shall not exceed 10 feet in height.

(3)

Average 0.2 footcandle at grade level maximum 2.0 footcandles.

Vehicular canopy lighting.

(1)

Light fixtures under vehicular canopies shall be:

(a)

Fully recessed or flush with the underside surface to conceal the illumination source; or

(b)

Provided via uplighting to reflect off of the underside surface of the canopy with a shielded fixture that directly lights onto the canopy bottom only.

(2)

Average 3.0 footcandles at grade level, maximum seven footcandles.

Building and security lighting.

(1)

All exterior building or security lighting must be full-cutoff, shielded and/or angled downward to focus the light only on the intended doorway or walkway as necessary.

(2)

Security lighting is encouraged to be provided with regular pedestrian light fixtures where visible from the street or public way to match others used on site.

(3)

Building-mounted architectural "accent lights" are permitted as downward-facing only.

(4)

Average 2.0 footcandles, maximum four footcandles.

Light quality and color. LED (light-emitting diode) fixtures are recommended for energy savings and longevity, provided the light is within the temperature range between 2,500 and 3,800 Kelvin.

Prohibited light types;

(1)

Cobra-head-style fixtures with dropped lenses.

(2)

Mercury-vapor, low-pressure sodium lamps.

(3)

Building- or ground-mounted architectural accent uplights, or fixtures which provide no "top cap" to prevent light spill upward into the night sky.

(4)

Laser lights, searchlights or similar high-intensity beam fixtures.

Pedestrian amenities.

All new development or redevelopment projects shall provide common pedestrian amenities, such as benches and bicycle racks, commensurate in quantity to the size of the project, as directed by the Planning and Zoning Department.

[Amended 12-12-2022 by L.L. No. 3-2022]

§ 208-27 Signs.

All signs within the Town Center shall be governed by Chapter 171 of the Town of Clifton Park Code.

§ 208-28 Definitions.

As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:

ANIMAL, PET GROOMING

An establishment engaged in providing services for common household pets, including bathing, clipping, grooming, feeding and day care; may include retail sales; does not include overnight pet boarding.

ANIMAL, VETERINARY SERVICES

An establishment for the medical care of dogs, cats and other domestic small-animal pets by practitioners of the sciences of veterinary medicine; may include on-site boarding services; does not include outdoor pens, exercise runs or overnight boarding.

APPURTENANCES

Porches, balconies, patios, seating areas, canopies, awnings, etc., which extend outward from the facade of a building and which do not typically count as an extension of the facade itself for the purposes of measuring setbacks.

ASSEMBLY OR AUDITORIUM, INDOOR

Commercial or nonprofit movie theaters, stage theaters, music performances social halls, meeting rooms, convention or catering halls and similar places; does not include religious facilities or outdoor performance space; separate and distinct from "club, live performance."

AUTOMOTIVE, FUEL SALES

A building or land area intended to be used for the retail sale of automotive fuels; separate and distinct from "automotive, service or wash."

AUTOMOTIVE, SALES

An establishment for the retail sale or leasing of new or used motorized vehicles, including cars, trucks, boats, motorcycles, snowmobiles, campers, RVs, tractors, lawn tractors, construction equipment and similar vehicles.

AUTOMOTIVE, SERVICE OR WASH

General automotive vehicle services, including oil, brake, muffler or tire replacement, engine or body work, inspections, automated and self-service car washing, detailing or similar services; does not include automotive salvage or junkyard operations.

AWNING

A wall-mounted, cantilevered structure providing shade and cover from the elements for pedestrians; similar to "canopy."

BALCONY

A projection of an upper-level floor slab which extends out from a facade, designed for people to stand on, with railings and an access door into the interior.

BANK

A financial institution licensed for receiving, lending, or safeguarding money, including public commercial, retail banks and credit unions.

BANK, WITH DRIVE THRU

A bank which includes a drive-up teller, ATM machine or freestanding ATM kiosks.

BAR or TAVERN

A business primarily engaged in the retail sale of alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises; may include food service as secondary to the amount of floor area and sales generated by the drink sales; separate and distinct from "restaurants."

BLANK WALL AREA

An area on the exterior facade of a building which does not include any windows or door openings; substantial change in materials; or columns, pilasters, archways or other form of articulation or relief greater than eight inches in depth.

BUILDING FACADE

See "facade."

BUILDING HEIGHT

The height of a structure measured in feet or in stories. Building height is measured from the average grade level at the front facade to the mean height between the eaves and the roof peak (for sloped roof structures) and to the top of the parapet (for flat roof structures.)

CANOPY

A wall- and/or post-mounted structure providing shade and cover from the elements for pedestrians; similar to "awning," except that cantilevered portions are supported by posts instead.

CLUB, INDOOR

An organization catering exclusively to members and their guests to promote nonprofit social, educational, athletic, service or recreational objectives, with no vending, merchandising or commercial activities conducted except as required generally for the membership and purposes of the club; includes private veteran, fraternal, social or health clubs; does not include outdoor recreational fields or courts.

CLUB, LIVE PERFORMANCE

A nightclub establishment which is designed to provide live music performances to a general audience of more than 50 people and includes the retail sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages on the premises; separate and distinct from "assembly or auditorium."

COMMERCIAL AMUSEMENT, INDOOR

An indoor facility primarily designed to provide recreational sports activities, including but not limited to billiard tables, bowling alleys, painball courses, video arcades, batting cages or similar gaming activities and amusements; does not include outdoor games.

CULTURAL CENTER

A building and land used for the purposes of public education or entertainment, including museums, libraries, art galleries, community centers, institutional philanthropic uses and similar facilities; does not include theatrical performances, performing arts, dance and music programs, concerts or similar large public gathering events.

DAY-CARE HOME

A family home, which is a personal residence and occupied as a family residence, which provides child day care on a regular basis for compensation or otherwise; includes both "group family day-care homes" and "family day-care homes" as defined in Parts 416 and 417 of Title 18 of the New York Code of Rules and Regulations, respectively.

DRY CLEANING

An establishment which provides professional dry-cleaning services for consumers who drop clothing and textiles off to be processed off site and returned; does not include on-site dry-cleaning processing.

DWELLING, SEMIDETACHED

A detached building containing two dwelling units separated by a party wall, each having one side yard (§ 208-7).

[Added L.L. No. 3-2021]

FACADE

The exterior vertical wall of a building.

FACADE TRANSPARENCY

The percentage of the facade wall area which includes openings for transparent glass windows and doors. Facade transparency at the first-floor/ ground-floor level is measured between two feet above grade to 12 feet above grade. Facade transparency for upper floors is measured from second-finished-floor level to the ceiling of the topmost floor. Glass is considered transparent when it has a visible light transmission (VLT) rating of 70% or higher.

GALLERY

An exterior covered passage which runs along the ground-floor facade of a building and is open at one side.

GREENSPACE

Exterior land areas covered by vegetation meeting the landscape requirements of this code which are free from impervious surfaces such as built structures, driveways, parking lots, paved areas or walkways.

HOME OCCUPATION

Any occupation, business or professional activity which results in a product or service and which is conducted in whole or in part in a residential dwelling or on a residentially zoned property and is clearly subordinate in space utilization and intensity to the residential use.

HOTEL

An establishment where overnight lodging is provided in guest units rented to the public, which are arranged or designed to be available for use as sleeping quarters for transient guests away from their place of residence on a daily or weekly basis, and in which ingress and egress to and from all guest units are made through an enclosed corridor; the guest unit shall consist of a room arranged or designed to be available for use as sleeping quarters for transient guests away from their place of residence on a daily or weekly fee basis; does not include boardinghouses.

[Amended 9-11-2023 by L.L. No. 7-2023]

LAUNDROMAT

Business premises equipped with individual clothes-washing and clothes-drying machines for the use of retail customers, exclusive of laundry facilities provided as an accessory use in a multiple dwelling; may include pickup and dropoff of dry cleaning which is conducted off site in a separate facility.

LOT

A piece, parcel or plot of land occupied or to be occupied by a principal building and its accessory building or buildings, including the yards and other open spaces required by this chapter.

LOT AREA

The total horizontal surface area included within the property lines of a parcel.

LOT DEPTH

The horizontal distance between the midpoints of the front and rear lot lines measured in the general direction of the side lot lines.

LOT FRONTAGE

The property line along the front of a parcel which directly abuts a public or private street, accessed by that street.

LOT WIDTH

The distance between the side lot lines measured across the required front yard minimum setback line parallel with the street.

MEDICAL SERVICES, OUTPATIENT

A facility or clinic for the treatment and medical care of minor human ailments without any overnight inpatient bed facilities; includes eye doctors, dentists, medical clinics, emergent care facilities, lasik eye surgery, physical therapy and similar treatments.

MUNICIPAL OFFICE or PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITY

A building or lands used for common civic institutions, such as state, county and municipal government offices, post offices, police stations, fire stations and emergency ambulance service providers under contract to serve the municipality.

NURSING HOME

A licensed facility, other than a hospital, where elderly or infirm persons who are unable to care for themselves are provided with twenty-four-hour care consisting of lodging, meals, personal grooming and cleaning, supervision for medication and other therapeutic needs, recreation and companionship by trained and licensed staff.

OFFICE

Offices for the practice of licensed professionals and general business, such as lawyer, accountant, banking, travel agencies, insurance or real estate sales, engineer, architect, doctor, marketing, consulting, not-for-profit organizations and similar professions.

PARKING, STRUCTURED ABOVE-GRADE

A parking facility or deck that includes one or more levels above grade; separate and distinct from parking structures at or below grade or surface parking.

PARKING, STRUCTURED BELOW- OR AT-GRADE

A parking facility located entirely below grade, or at grade within the footprint area of a building overhead; separate and distinct from an above-ground parking structure or surface parking.

PERSONAL CARE

Personal services for the improvement of mind and body, including nail or hair salons, musical and dance instruction, yoga, karate, licensed massage therapy, physical therapy, fitness center and similar activities.

PORCH

An covered but unenclosed exterior entryway to a structure which is raised above ground level and accessed by stairs or a ramp.

PRIMARY FACADE MATERIAL

The exterior building facade material which comprises or covers the majority of the facade. See also: "secondary facade material."

PRIMARY STREET

A street, public or private, which has frontage along the front yard of a corner property. See also: "secondary street."

PUBLIC OPEN SPACE or PARK

A natural or landscaped outdoor area provided for the purpose of active or passive public recreation or enjoyment; may include publicly accessible outdoor amenities, such as a playground, seating area, picnic area, multi-use path and temporary or permanent small outdoor performance space or similar outdoor recreational functions.

RELIGIOUS FACILITY

Churches, synagogues and similar places of worship, Sunday school buildings, parish houses and rectories.

REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE, LIGHT

On-site repair or maintenance of personal property, such as household electronics, computers, appliances, watches, jewelry or shoe repair, tailoring, upholsterers and similar light work stored and conducted within an enclosed building; does not include repair of heavy machinery.

RESIDENCE, MIXED-USE MULTIFAMILY

A structure containing both allowable commercial uses on the ground-floor level as well as residential dwelling units on upper floors for two or more families.

RESIDENCE, MULTIFAMILY

A structure containing residential dwelling units for two or more families, including apartments, condominiums, townhouses, rowhouses or other combinations.

RESTAURANT

A business primarily engaged in the retail sale of food sold for on-premises consumption to patrons seated at tables or counters and where table service is provided; separate and distinct from "drive-thru restaurant" or "bar and tavern."

RESTAURANT, DRIVE-THRU

A food service establishment which includes a drive-thru window.

RESTAURANT, OUTDOOR SEATING

Any restaurant, bar or tavern where some, or all, of the customer seating is provided outside of the building on a porch, patio, deck or balcony.

RETAIL

Retail sales of goods to private consumers, including food and groceries, clothing, dry goods and miscellaneous retail services such as reproduction, printing and faxing services; Separate and distinct from "retail with drive-thru."

RETAIL, DRIVE-THRU

Retail sales of goods or services to private consumers with a vehicle drive-thru area, including pharmacies, banks, dry-cleaning, photo processing, coffee or similar businesses.

RETAIL, OUTDOOR DISPLAY

Retail sales of items stored or displayed outdoors, including but not limited to trees, plants, flowers, landscaping structures, fences, gazebos, cemetery headstones, playground equipment, lumber or similar items; does not include motorized equipment or vehicles.

SCHOOL, NURSERY OR K-12

A facility licensed by New York State and designed to provide daytime care or instruction for five or more children from two to 18 years of age, inclusive, and operated on a regular basis.

SCHOOL, VOCATIONAL

A secondary school designed to teach or train students for a specific trade or job.

SECONDARY FACADE MATERIAL

Exterior building facade materials which are used as a relatively small percentage of the overall materials, such as decorative trim, accents and design features. See also "primary facade material."

[Amended 1-19-2021 by L.L. No. 3-2021]

SECONDARY STREET

A street, public or private, which has frontage along the side yard of a corner property. See also "primary street."

[Amended 1-19-2021 by L.L. No. 3-2021]

SELF-STORAGE FACILITY: CLIMATE-CONTROLLED

A facility for the storage of personal property where individual renters control and access individual storage spaces located within a full enclosed building that is climate controlled. Ancillary retail sales of related items, such as moving supplies, and facility offices may also be included. Rental of vehicles and other equipment for moving is a separate use from self-storage facility: climate-controlled. Because of architectural treatments, building form and material standards prescribed by the TC5 Neighborhood Zone, this use is compatible with mixed use commercial areas that are convenient to high-density residential areas where most customers originate.

[Added L.L. No. 3-2021]

SENIOR HOUSING

A building or a group of buildings primarily and specifically designed for providing residential dwellings for persons age 55 or older.

SHOPFRONT

The ground-floor portion of a commercial building which is constructed primarily from glass so as to showcase merchandise or services being offered within.

STOOP

A small exterior staircase which leads from a public sidewalk up to a landing outside the entrance of a private dwelling, office or other space, typically not higher than five or eight feet above the ground.

TRANSIT HUB

A public transportation or intermodal facility designed to accommodate large numbers of people transferring from one mode of transport to another, with parking facilities for private vehicles.

TRANSIT NODE

A public transportation waypoint designed to accommodate small numbers of people transferring from one mode of transport to another, used as a satellite branch of a larger transit hub; may include an enclosed building or outdoor shelter with a limited drop-off area for private vehicles and buses; does not include parking.

UTILITY, GENERAL PUBLIC SERVICE

Structures or uses required as part of providing basic local public services, including but not limited to electrical substations, telephone exchanges, water pumping stations, power and communication lines and their necessary right-of-way; does not include telecommunication towers.

UTILITY, TELECOMMUNICATION TOWERS

Stand-alone structures in excess of 20 feet tall for the broadcast of radio, television, cellular or similar communication systems; does not include transmission elements with an approved design to be mounted onto the facade of a building, such as local wifi or cellular service.

§ 208-29 Appendix.

Staggered hours parking.

Table A.1 - Sample Adjustments for Staggered Hours Parking
Use Type	Weekdays			Weekends
Use Type	8 a.m. - 6 p.m.	6 p.m. - 12 a.m.	12 a.m. - 8 a.m.	8 a.m. - 6 p.m.	6 p.m. - 12 a.m.	12 a.m. - 8 a.m.
Residential	50%	100%	100%	80%	100%	100%
Office	100%	20%	5%	5%	5%	5%
Retail/ Commercial	90%	80%	5%	100%	70%	5%
Restaurant	70%	100%	10%	70%	100%	20%
Civic Institution	100%	20%	5%	10%	10%	5%
Religious Institution	10%	5%	5%	100%	50%	5%
Bar/ Entertainment	40%	100%	10%	80%	100%	50%
Movie Theater	40%	80%	10%	80%	100%	10%
Hotel	70%	100%	100%	70%	100%	100%

EXAMPLE: Two adjacent property owners (or a single property owner with multiple uses) wish to share a parking lot which takes advantage of staggered hours parking demands. One use is an office building which normally requires 30 parking spaces. The other use is residential apartments which also normally would require 30 spaces. Normally, these two uses would require a total of 60 spaces. However, since the parking demand for these two uses isn't always experiencing peak demand at the same time of day, a reduction can be applied.

During weekday business hours (8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.) the office use needs 100% of its parking, so it would need all 30 of its parking spaces. During that same period, however, the residential use only needs 50% of its total parking, so it would only need 15 of its 30 spaces. The remainder of the time slots for each use are also filled out as follows:

Table A.2
Use Type	Weekdays			Weekends
Use Type	8 a.m. - 6 p.m.	6 p.m. - 12 a.m.	12 a.m. - 8 a.m.	8 a.m. - 6 p.m.	6 p.m. - 12 a.m.	12 a.m. - 8 a.m.
Residential	15 (50%)	30 (100%)	30 (100%)	24 (80%)	30 (100%)	30 (100%)
Office	30 (100%)	6 (20%)	2 (5%)	2 (5%)	2 (5%)	2 (5%)
Total Spaces Needed:	45	36	32	26	32	32

Adjusting for the fluctuations, this shared parking area would experience its highest combined peak demand during the 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. weekday time slot, when 45 parking spaces would be needed. The remaining time slots are each less than that, so this parking lot would only be required to provide 45 spaces instead of the original 60.

Clifton Park Town Center Plan - design concepts.

Figure A.1 - Town Center Plan Concept. A ring or liner of buildings around a central parking structure to serve all of the surrounding businesses.

Figure A.2 - Town Center Plan Concept. Infill development focuses on defining and fronting new pedestrian streets and open spaces.

Figure A.3 - Town Center Plan Concept. Smaller scale infill development begins to line the public and private streets, creating shared parking areas inside the blocks.

Environmental justice.

(1)

Increased attention has been given to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) related to its ability to balance overall mobility benefits of transportation projects agains protecting quality of life of low-income and minority residents of a community. President Clinton issued Executive Order 12898 to bring attention to environmental and human health impacts of low-income and minority communities-referred to as "environmental justice" - when federal funding is involved. The goal of environmental justice review is to ensure that any adverse human health or environmental effects of a government action, such as a federally supported roadway or transit project, does not disproportionately affect minority or low-income residents of a community or neighborhood. Environmental justice is a public policy objective that can help improve the quality of life for those whose interests have traditionally been overlooked. "EJ population areas" are defined as any census tract with significant populations of minority or low-income persons.

(2)

The CDTC staff has completed a review of civil rights/environmental justice impacts of transportation actions proposed under this study. Based on a review of the latest socioeconomic data available, the CDTC staff has determined that there are no census, tracts within the study area that contain significant environmental justice populations.

Environmental mitigation.

(1)

CDTC-mapped environmental features within a quarter mile of the study area boundary (see Environmental Mitigation Features Map). Environmental mitigation features within the study area and within a quarter mile of the project site include several water features, wetlands and an aquifer.