The purposes of this article are:
A. To encourage innovations and design excellence in
development by permitting variety in type, design and layout of buildings.
B. To provide opportunities for recreation and open space.
C. To encourage efficient use of land and public services.
D. To provide flexibility in land development and protection
of sensitive environmental and agricultural features.
The following general requirements shall be
applicable to all projects developed under this article:
A. The protection of trees shall be considered in determining
the location of open space and development areas.
B. The project shall be designed to minimize earthmoving,
erosion and the disturbance of environmentally sensitive features.
C. The road system shall be designed as harmonious with
the topography and adjacent public roads and designed to allow for
a network of roads which interconnect throughout the development.
D. The project shall be served by public water supply and public sewerage disposal unless developing under guidelines in §
267-73 (AG commercial), §
267-72 (Conservation development standards) and §
267-85.1 (Animal shelters).
[Amended by Bill No. 12-48]
E. All public roads and intersections and parking areas
and areas of high pedestrian use shall be adequately lighted and arranged
to direct light away from residences.
F. All other requirements of this Part
1 shall apply. In the event of a conflict with other sections of this Part
1, the specific provisions of this article shall apply, except in water source protection areas, in which case the most restrictive shall apply.
G. Projects developed under this article shall be consistent
with the Harford County Subdivision Regulations.
These uses may be granted in the R2 and CI Districts
in the Chesapeake Science and Security Corridor, provided that:
A. A minimum parcel area of 5 acres is established and
a maximum building coverage of 40% of the parcel is provided.
B. The setbacks of the district for institutional uses
shall be met.
C. The density shall not exceed 20 beds per acre of the
parcel.
D. In the CI District, consideration shall be given to
protection of the residents from impacts of nearby industrial uses:
(1) To minimize exposure to noise and other emissions
from roads, parking areas and industrial activities, outdoor active
and passive recreation areas shall be buffered with a combination
of evergreen and deciduous trees that are at least 6 feet high at
the time of planting.
(2) Before opening the facility, its operator shall file
emergency evacuation and sheltering plans for the facility with the
Emergency Operations Division and the 3 closest volunteer fire and
ambulance companies.
(3) The Director of Planning may deny an application if
the proposed facility would be located near an industrial use that
constitutes a potential hazard to the residents.
These uses may be granted in the CI and LI Zoning
Districts. A corporate office park shall be developed in accordance
with the provisions of this article.
A. Purpose. Corporate office park development standards
are established to provide for a park-like employment center of high
technology industries, research and development facilities, corporate
and business offices, limited retail, service and residential uses.
It is intended that this development option is to provide higher design
standards and a more flexible approach to development in industrial
zoning districts.
B. Objectives.
(1) To attract corporate office locations in desirable
areas in the County which have a positive affect on economic development
and professional job opportunities.
(2) To maximize the attractiveness of and to enhance the
visual appearance through preservation of significant natural features.
(3) To provide enhanced performance standards in corporate
office parks, which establish a high quality of design.
(4) To assure compatibility of the proposed land use with
internal and surrounding uses by incorporating innovative standards
of land planning and site design.
(5) To reduce traffic congestion by encouraging the clustering
of buildings near internal streets, the provision of service uses
and the development of pedestrian networks to reduce dependence on
single occupant automobiles and to better accommodate such transportation
alternatives as transit service and carpooling in a project.
C. Eligibility. Corporate office parks shall have a minimum
parcel size of 100 acres located in the CI or LI Districts. Corporate
office parks may be permitted on parcels less than 100 acres if contiguous
to an existing corporate office park.
(1) The project shall have direct access to 1 or more
existing or planned collector or higher functional classification
roadways as defined by the Harford County transportation element plan.
(2) The project must be located within a priority funding
area within the development envelope.
(3) The project must utilize public water and sewer service.
D. Height requirements. Maximum building heights of a
structure in a corporate office park development shall be 4 stories.
Maximum building heights of a structure in a corporate office park
development may be increased to a maximum of 8 stories if the impervious
surface standards are met:
Stories
|
CI
|
LI
|
---|
1 to 4
|
85%
|
85%
|
5 to 8
|
55%
|
55%
|
E. Development standards.
(1) Vehicular circulation.
(a)
Loading and service areas shall be separated
from the pedestrian and employee parking areas. Service areas shall
be located away from roadways to the greatest extent possible.
(b)
The internal vehicular circulation system must
follow a pattern of intersection streets that provide alternative
routes. Cul-de-sacs are discouraged.
(c)
Points of external access and alignments of
internal roadways must facilitate use of public transit. This may
include rights-of-way sufficient for bus pull outs and bus shelters
as well as transit easements on private streets.
(d)
A comprehensive pedestrian and bicycle circulation
system must link all uses with the intent of minimizing walking distances
and reducing dependence on the private automobile for internal travel
and external access.
(e)
Transit alternatives and transportation demand
management strategies must be provided which achieve a goal reduction
of auto trips for corporate office park developments of 10% below
the peak hour trip generation rates as identified in the ITE Trip
Generation Manual (current edition). These strategies include carpooling
incentives, transit/bus services, vanleasing and flexible work schedules.
(2) Parking standards.
(a)
All parking areas must be effectively buffered
from adjacent roadways and adjoining residential areas, through the
use of berms, plantings or the depression of parking areas below surrounding
grades.
(b)
Parking areas should be broken up into lots
of no more than 150 cars. The lots should be separated by landscaped
islands.
(c)
The number of parking spaces provided and overall design and layout of parking lots must be in accordance with §
267-26 (Off-street parking and loading) of the Harford County Code, as amended.
(d)
No direct access to any lot is allowed from
a collector or higher functional classification road as defined in
the Harford County transportation element plan.
(e)
All access points from a corporate office park
shall be consolidated wherever feasible.
(3) Landscaping.
(a)
Facilities for refuse disposal shall be enclosed
by solid walls incorporated into the design of the buildings. Landscaping
shall be installed around the perimeter.
(b)
Every effort should be made to avoid formality
in plantings except as it may be integral to an architectural concept.
Emphasis should be placed on the natural grouping of groves of trees,
and every opportunity should be taken to emphasize or take advantage
of natural terrain features.
(c)
Islands and other landscaping alternatives shall
be incorporated into parking areas to add visual interest. The use
of islands, perimeter or roof-top gardens designed and landscaped
to serve as bioretention facilities is encouraged.
(4) Building design standards.
(a)
A typical architectural rendering of the building
facade and elevations of the structures shall be submitted to the
Department of Planning and Zoning as part of the site plan approval
process.
(b)
Architecturally harmonious materials, colors,
textures and treatments shall be used for all exterior walls within
the corporate office park. All sides of the building are to be built
with finish materials, including, but not limited to, brick, natural
stone and ornamental block.
(c)
Mechanical equipment should be located within
the building or within a mechanical equipment penthouse. If mechanical
equipment is located on the roof or is freestanding on the site, it
must be effectively screened from view by means fully compatible with
the architecture. Mechanical equipment must be screened from view
from all sides.
(d)
Outdoor storage is prohibited.
(5) Accessory/auxiliary uses — Are uses intended
for the primary use of employees and/or clients of the principal use.
(a)
Uses and structures which are normally and customarily
incidental to any of the principal uses permitted in the CI or LI
Zoning District.
(b)
Retail and service uses may be incorporated
into the overall project for up to 25% of the nonresidential gross
square footage not to exceed 200,000 square feet. Retail and service
uses within a corporate office park project shall not be considered
an integrated community shopping center (ICSC).
(c)
Residential uses may be incorporated into the overall acreage up to 40%. The R4/COS design and density requirements shall be used for residential development within a corporate office park. The permitted number of stories will be determined by §
267-84D (Height requirements).
(d)
Accessory/auxiliary uses must be integrated
into the overall design of the project. A phasing plan will be required
in order to establish time frames that allocate the area of uses in
a manner in which the percentage of uses or amount of area allocated
for accessory/auxiliary uses do not exceed the area of the principal
use during the development of the corporate office park project.
(e)
The Director of Planning must approve an overall
development plan that allocates the amount of area for each use.
(6) Lighting.
(a)
The lighting fixtures shall be designed to assure
compatibility with the building style.
(b)
Lighting shall be designed, installed and maintained
in a manner not to cause a glare or reflection on residential lots.
(7) Open space.
(a)
Corporate office parks shall include a minimum
of 30% of the parcel area preserved as vegetated open space. The buffer
yards and perimeter landscaping shall be included in the calculation
of open space, so long as a minimum width of 25 feet is maintained.
(b)
All open space shall be provided pursuant to §
267-31 (Open space).
(8) Signage. Signage shall be considered an integral part
of the design and shall incorporate the architectural elements and
materials utilized. In all instances, consideration shall be taken
to ensure each sign does not restrict sight distance for motor vehicle
operators.
(a)
An overall signage plan and architectural renderings
of the signs shall be submitted as part of the site plan approval
process. The signage shall be compatible in quality, style, color
and materials to the building(s). Creative modifications to the standard
signage package used by large corporations and innovative sign lighting
is strongly encouraged.
(b)
Freestanding identification signs shall be limited
to 2 signs for each road frontage. The maximum size of any sign shall
not exceed 50 square feet. The maximum height of the signs shall not
exceed 10 feet, and signs must be set back a minimum of 10 feet from
the road right-of-way line.
(c)
Signs to identify the use of an occupant shall
be designed as part of the architectural design of the building and
attached thereto, not exceeding 1 square foot for each horizontal
linear foot of wall facing on the street on which the sign faces.
(d)
Directional information signs shall be adequately
provided and design coordinated.
(e)
The following types of signs shall not be permitted
for any project located in a corporate office park development:
[2]
Revolving, rotating or changing-light-intensity
or changing-color signs.
[3]
Temporary or portable signs after issuance of
use and occupancy permit.
F. Modifications. The Director of Planning may approve
modifications to the approved plans for the corporate office park,
provided that the overall theme and intent of the project remains
intact. Should modifications constitute a substantial change to the
project, the Director of Planning may require the applicant to hold
additional public meetings and/or may require the Development Advisory
Committee review the amended project.
[Added by Bill No. 12-48]
A. Eligibility. Animal shelters shall have the following eligibility
requirements:
(1)
In the AG, B2, B3, and CI Districts, the minimum lot size shall
be 20 acres in the AG District and 2 acres in the B2, B3 and CI Districts.
(2)
Where such a project cannot be served by public water supply
and public sewage disposal systems, water supply and sewage disposal
adequate to meet the needs shall be provided in a system approved
by the County Health Department.
B. Development standards.
(1)
In the AG District:
(a)
All buildings for the shelter of domestic animals and all runways
for domestic animals shall be located 200 feet from any lot line.
(b)
All other uses for domestic animals shall be located 50 feet
from any lot line.
(2)
In the B2, B3 and CI Districts, all buildings and uses shall
be located 25 feet from any adjacent residential lot.
(3)
Parking shall be provided at 1 space per 300 square feet of
gross floor area.