To reduce competition with streetlighting and the conflicting visual signals produced by many direct lighting sources, all new lighting fixtures placed to illuminate any portion of a commercial, professional or business establishment, including parking lots, shall be concealed-source light fixtures.
The design of all new business, professional, or commercial establishments in any district shall be compatible with existing buildings within and around the proposed development site.
A.
Parking design.
(1)
For commercial, professional, or business establishments which have any frontage on a collector or arterial street and which are situated in a Water-Oriented Commercial District, all off-street parking for such facilities shall conform to the following standards:
(a)
For buildings under 10,000 square feet, all parking shall be situated behind that portion of the structure which faces the arterial or collector street, except that one row of parking may be situated along one side of the structure.
(b)
For buildings 10,000 square feet and over, 60% of the parking shall be situated behind that portion of the structure which faces the arterial or collector street. The remaining 40% may be situated at the sides or rear of the structure.
(2)
For commercial, professional, or business establishments which have any frontage on two collector or arterial streets and which are situated in a Water-Oriented Commercial District, all off-street parking shall be situated as near as possible to the corner of the building which is most distant from both streets. In no case shall any parking be situated closer than 75 feet to either street.
(3)
All off-street parking constructed in conjunction with a commercial, professional, or business development which fronts on a collector or an arterial street and is situated in a Water-Oriented Commercial District shall be designed such that vehicles can turn around within the parking area and enter the street in a forward motion.
(4)
Curb cuts into any off-street parking facility shall be limited to one per lot for all lots with less than 200 linear feet of street frontage. For lots with more than 200 feet of frontage, a maximum of one cut per 200 feet of frontage shall be permitted, to a maximum of two. Wherever possible, adjacent establishments shall utilize shared driveways.
B.
Landscaping. All off-street parking facilities constructed in conjunction with a commercial, professional, or business establishment which has any frontage on an arterial or collector roadway and which is situated in a Water-Oriented Commercial District shall be landscaped with islands or berms which incorporate deciduous street trees within and adjacent to the lot area. Trees shall be placed in accordance with the following schedule:
(1)
Trees shall be at least eight feet tall.
(2)
Any trees or other landscaping materials placed in response to the requirements of this Subsection B which die or are damaged at any time shall be immediately replaced to ensure that the goals of this subsection are achieved. All landscaping required by this Subsection B shall be well-maintained throughout the year.
(3)
Interior parking area: one tree for every 10 parking spaces. Trees may be clustered on islands or berms within the parking lot or may be equally spaced throughout the lot. The goal of tree placement is to soften the visual appearance of the parking area and to provide shade during the summer months.
(4)
Rear yard: at least one tree approximately every 30 feet, situated either evenly across the rear boundary line of the parking lot or in pairs which are grouped to create an attractive cluster of vegetation which clearly delineates the rear boundary of the site.
(5)
Side yard: at least one line of deciduous trees spaced evenly approximately every 30 feet along both side lines of the lot. The actual distance between trees shall be determined by the anticipated mature crown size of the species planted.
C.
Conversion or expansion of existing buildings to commercial, business, or professional use. Any existing building which has any frontage on a collector or arterial street in a Water-Oriented Commercial District and which by change of use becomes a commercial, professional, or business establishment shall conform to the standards of this section to the maximum extent feasible. Expansions of existing business, commercial, or professional establishments which have any frontage on a collector or arterial street in a Water-Oriented Commercial District shall also conform to these standards to the maximum extent feasible. Any modifications of the above standards shall be approved by the Planning Board.
No building shall be erected or any use permitted in nonresidential districts which abut residential districts unless the following side and rear yard requirements are satisfied.
A.
All such side and rear yards abutting residential districts shall maintain the district boundary in its natural state to provide a visual screen between districts of at least 50 feet.
B.
Where no natural buffering can be maintained, all such side and rear yards abutting residential districts shall be landscaped to provide a visual screen between districts. Because of varying site conditions, landscaping for the purpose of this section may include tree plantings, hedges, fencing, walling, and combinations thereof.
No permit shall be issued in a business district for any use which may be offensive because of noise or vibration, odors or fumes, smoke or dirt, or because of fire or explosion or any other hazard or nuisance.
In case of doubt, the Code Enforcement Officer may employ such independent recognized consultant as necessary, at the expense of the applicant, to assure compliance with performance standards and all other requirements of this Part 1 related to the public health, safety, and welfare and the abatement of nuisances.