The purpose of this zoning use district is to provide for the development of manufacturing, assembly, warehousing, research and development, processing and packaging of goods or products from raw materials in which the goods produced are generally of high value in relation to bulk and which do not generate offensive noise, vibration, glare, dust, smoke, gas or other nuisances. It is a further goal of the Light Industrial Zoning Use District to encourage the development of employment-creating enterprises in accordance with modern development standards.
[Added 6-6-2006 by L.L. No. 18-2006; amended 12-17-2024 by L.L. No. 49-2024]
No building or premises shall be used and no building shall be erected, reconstructed, altered or added to unless listed as a permitted, specially permitted or permitted accessory use in conformity with the Industrial Districts Table of Use Regulations incorporated into this article by reference and made part hereof with the same force and effect as if such requirements were herein set forth in full as specified in said Industrial Districts Table of Use Regulations, except as may be hereafter specifically modified.
No buildings shall be erected nor any lot or land area utilized unless in conformity with the Zoning Schedule incorporated into this article by reference and made part hereof with the same force and effect as if such requirements were herein set forth in full as specified in said schedule, except as may be hereafter specifically modified
The following design standards shall apply to all uses within the Light Industrial Zoning Use District:
A.
Building design. The exterior appearances of buildings shall complement the character of existing development in the surrounding area. The objective of the building design standards is to provide overall high quality and complementary design of industrial and office buildings. Special emphasis is placed upon methods that tend to reduce the large-scale visual impact of buildings and to encourage imaginative design for individual buildings.
(1)
Building mass. Solid and unarticulated buildings are discouraged. The mass and scale of buildings shall be reduced by staggered building walls or other architectural treatments at least every 150 feet to provide architectural interest and reduce the visual scale of a building. Buildings shall include the following elements:
(a)
The use of variations in height, rooflines and grade definition is encouraged to reduce the perceived height and mass of a building.
(b)
Building entries shall be readily identifiable through the use of canopies, marquees and architectural treatment.
(c)
Where possible, buildings with smaller or multiple structures instead of one large building are preferred to reduce massive appearance.
(d)
Clusters of mature landscaping and berms shall be provided along the building facade. The landscaping clusters shall include a variety of trees and tall shrubs.
(e)
Wall texture changes shall be provided.
(f)
Small-scale elements, such as planter walls and hedges, shall be clustered around building entrances.
(2)
Materials.
(a)
One dominant material shall be selected and used through each building on a site.
(b)
It is encouraged that the front and two side elevations of all buildings and/or structures be constructed of wood or wood-appearing siding, pole barn with metal siding, architectural block or architectural precast concrete. Painted or natural utility concrete panels or masonry units should be confined to rear elevations and in loading dock areas.
(c)
Roof design shall be as aesthetically pleasing as possible (e.g., color, material, grouping) with peaked roofs preferred.
(d)
Glass windows or some similar architectural treatment shall occupy at least 10% of the front elevation of a building.
(5)
Buffering and transitions
(a)
Trash/dumpster areas shall be screened by wood fences or landscaping, or a combination thereof, pursuant to § 245-8.
(b)
Along borders with public streets, a twenty-five-foot transition yard shall be provided. Said transition yard shall consist of landscaped or naturally vegetated nondisturbance buffer, as deemed appropriate by the reviewing board and shall only contain signs, lighting, a driveway and sidewalks. Along property lines shared with Enterprise Park and other properties, buffer plantings of a minimum ten-foot depth shall be provided. Buffer plantings shall minimize views of paving and buildings from public streets and from Enterprise Park.
(c)
In order to foster environmental conservation as well as preservation of the Town's scenic and rural quality, properties shall provide attractively landscaped contiguous open space areas, equal to at least 25% of the lot area, that shield views of the development from roadways. Preference is given to preservation of existing habitat (such as meadows or forests) rather than clearance and creation of new habitat.
(6)
Parking standards.
(a)
The number of off-street parking spaces in the LI Zoning Use District shall be provided in accordance with § 301-231, Off-street parking, of this chapter.
(b)
Planted berms shall be used to screen the view of automobiles from public roadways.
(c)
Off-street parking is prohibited within twenty-five-foot transition yard and within 10 feet of side and rear property line.
(d)
In order to soften the appearance of parking lots, large areas of surface parking should be broken up by rows of landscaping no less than 10 feet in width, in order to create parking fields of no more than 50 spaces each. Landscaping shall include ground cover, ornamental grasses, or low shrubs and deciduous trees. This landscaping requirement is in addition to the 25% parcel-wide landscaping requirement.
B.
No more than 10% of the required parking shall be located in the front yard setback area.
C.
All service and loading areas shall be screened from the view from streets by a combination of walls, fencing, vegetation or berms.
D.
The front and side facades shall be constructed with materials as specified in § 301-128A(2). At least 50% of the linear width of the front facade shall consist of transparent windows.
E.
Building shape, massing and siding shall reflect the prevalent character of surrounding buildings on the block.
A.
All development subject to the provisions of Article 6 of County Sanitary Code shall meet the applicable requirements of the Suffolk County Department of Health Services.
B.
All development shall be connected to the appurtenances of the Calverton Sewer District if located within the boundaries of the District or if required to connect as part of the development of the parcel.
C.
All development shall comply with the provisions of Articles 7 and 12 of the Suffolk Sanitary Code.
D.
All development involving significant discharges to groundwater and located proximate to public water supply wells shall require measures to mitigate impacts upon water quality as required under Article 17 of the New York State Environmental Conservation Law. The Suffolk County Department of Health Services' guidelines for private wells should be used for private wellhead protection.
E.
Development proposals for sites containing or abutting freshwater wetlands shall be separated by a nondisturbance buffer area which shall be in accordance with Article 24 of the New York State Environmental Conservation Law, the Wild, Scenic and Recreational Rivers Act and Chapter 295, Wetlands, of the Code of the Town of Riverhead, whichever is most restrictive. Distances shall be measured horizontally from the wetland edge as mapped by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, field delineation or local ordinance. Stricter buffer areas may be established for wetlands as appropriate. Buffer areas shall be delineated on development plans with conditions imposed to assure the preservation of the freshwater wetland resource. Said conditions shall be set forth in a declaration of covenants, conservation easement or similar instrument.
F.
Development proposals for sites within the regulated area of the New York Wild, Scenic and Recreational Rivers Act shall conform to the standards of the Act. Variances from the Act shall meet all requirements imposed by the State of New York in order to be deemed to have met the requirements of this standard. Additional relief from the Town of Riverhead Zoning Board of Appeals shall not be required.
G.
All stormwater generated by development shall be recharged on site unless surplus capacity exists in an off-site drainage system. In the review of development plans, the Town Board shall encourage the use of natural recharge areas or drainage system design which results in minimal disturbance of native vegetation with the use of natural swales and depressions as an alternative to excavated recharge basins where feasible. Development plans should include the use of ponds only if such ponds are designed to retain stormwater and are not merely constructed for aesthetic purposes. Adequate measures should be employed to control soil erosion and stormwater runoff during construction, as per guidelines promulgated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
H.
For parcels located with the Compatible Growth Area the maximum clearing permitted shall 60% of the parcel, with a minimum open space requirement of 40% pursuant to the Central Pine Barrens Comprehensive Land Use Plan and Article XLI, Pine Barrens Overlay District, of this chapter. The applicable clearance percentage shall be calculated over the entire parcel, including but not limited to public highways, roadways, building sites, parking areas, drainage structures and recharge areas. Development plans shall delineate the existing naturally vegetated areas, shall calculate those portions of the site that are already cleared due to previous activities, and shall contain calculations for the amount of disturbances of native vegetation and indicate the clearing limits thereof.
I.
Land subdivision maps and site plans shall be designed to encourage the preservation of large unbroken blocks that provide for contiguous open spaces to be established when adjacent parcels are developed. Applications for subdivision and site plan shall contain calculations for clearing, and these limits shall become part of the filed map or approved drawings.
J.
Development projects shall place no more than 15% of the entire site in fertilizer-dependent vegetation. Development designs shall consider native planting suggestions made part of the plan.
K.
Development which will have a significant negative impact upon a habitat essential to those species identified on the New York State maintained lists as rare, threatened or of special concern, or upon the communities classified by the New York State Natural Heritage Program as G1, G2 or G3 or as S1, S2 or S3 or upon any federal listed endangered or threatened species, appropriate mitigation measures, as determined by the state, county or local government agency, shall be imposed to protect such species.
L.
Development projects shall minimize disturbance of the natural grade and/or natural vegetation where slopes exceed 10%. Construction in areas with slopes exceeding 10% may be approved if the site design incorporates adequate soil stabilization and erosion control measures so as to mitigate negative environmental impacts. Where applicable, nondisturbance buffers shall be placed on those portions of the site where slopes exceed 10%. Development plans shall include a slope analysis depicting existing slopes in the ranges of 0% to 10%, 11% to 15% and 15% or greater. Erosion and sediment control plans and details of retaining walls and erosion control structures shall be required for construction in areas where slopes exceed 15% and for roads and driveways traversing slopes of 10%.
M.
Prior to construction, soil erosion and sediment control plans shall be prepared and approved which achieve the following objectives:
N.
In order to provide for orderly development and the efficient provision of infrastructure, applications for development projects depicting either open space or reserve areas shall specify the conditions of ownership and the use of such lands, and such conditions shall be set forth in the deed of dedication, declaration of covenants, conservation easement or similar instrument.
O.
Where applicable, development pursuant to the provisions of Article LIII, Subdivision Regulations, of this chapter shall be encouraged to preserve open spaces.
P.
Any existing, expanded or new activity involving agricultural production or horticulture shall comply with best management practices as set forth in the plan, as may be amended from time to time.
Q.
Development plans shall indicate established recreational and educational trails and trail corridors, active recreational sites, scenic corridors, roads, vistas and viewpoints, sites of historical or cultural significance, including historic districts, sites on the State or National Register of Historic Places and historic structures listed on the State or National Register of Historic Places, or recognized by local law or statute, sensitive archaeological sites as identified by the New York State Historic Preservation Officer or the New York State Museum, within 500 feet of the proposed development, and shall provide adequate measures to protect such natural resources. The use of existing natural buffers or the restoration of degraded buffer areas, the use of signs or other man-made structures, consistent in style and scale with the community character, or other similar measures shall be taken to protect roadside areas as well as scenic and recreational resources.
R.
All commercial or industrial development shall comply with the applicable provisions of the Suffolk County Sanitary Code and all other applicable federal, state or local laws.
S.
A buffer of 1,000 feet and no more than 50% disturbance shall be permitted around verified endangered species breeding ponds pursuant to New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) freshwater wetlands permit requirements.
T.
Development within the LI District shall comply with Chapter 251, Article I, Noise, of the Code of the Town of Riverhead, which limits such noise levels from commercial and industrial properties to neighboring properties to 65 dBA between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., and 50 dBA between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. [see § 251-5L(2)]. In the event that such noise levels are exceeded, such additional noise abatement measures including increasing such setbacks or the provision of noise walls or the provision of berms, fences, vegetation and the like, shall be provided for.