The Rural Crossroads (RC) I and II Districts
are intended to implement the concepts of traditional development
patterns in which communities that included single-family homes, apartments,
workplaces, shops, restaurants, institutions, or recreational facilities
were developed along the intersections of locally important roads.
The goal of the RC I and RC II Districts is to create a pedestrian-oriented
environment in which residents and those who work in the district
can walk comfortably between different land uses. It is also the intention
to bring smaller-scale commercial uses into the Town.
A. Minimum lot sizes and open space. Minimum lot sizes
in the RC I and RC II Districts shall be 3,000 square feet.
B. Two-family dwellings are permitted by right on all
conforming lots within the RC I and RC II Districts.
C. Multifamily dwellings. The maximum density for new
multifamily dwellings in the RC I and RC II Districts shall be eight
units per acre with public water and sewer. Such dwellings should
have the front entrances on an existing or new street, with parking
behind the buildings and shielded from public view.
D. Apartments are encouraged to be located in the upper
stories of buildings that have retail, office or service use(s) on
the ground floor.
E. Setbacks and build-to lines. The setbacks and build-to
lines shall be established by the Planning Board at the time of site
plan approval, in conformance with traditional rural development patterns
and existing context.
F. The maximum footprint of any structure in the RC I
and RC II Districts shall be 10,000 square feet, except that the Planning
Board may permit a structure of up to 50,000 square feet if it is
an institutional use or anchor use deemed essential to the crossroad's
economic viability.
G. All residential developments within the RC I and RC
II Districts shall include at least 10% of the dwelling units as affordable.
H. Any historic structure located on the project site
should be preserved to the extent practicable. Adaptive reuse of historic
structures is encouraged, and the Planning Board or Town Board shall
have the authority to request the applicant to demonstrate why an
historic site can not be reused before approving new construction.
[Amended 7-16-2019 by L.L. No. 3-2019]
The ORI District provides locations where larger-scale
commercial and other nonresidential uses are permitted, as provided
in the Use Table. The provisions of this section shall be reviewed by the
Planning Board, in the case of applications that require site plan
only, conditional use permits, and subdivision reviews, and the Town
Board, in the case of applications requiring a special use permit
A. Special site design and operational considerations
in the ORI District. The purpose of the ORI District is to allow larger-scale
nonresidential uses that contribute to the Town's tax base and provide
jobs, while protecting the Town's scenic and rural qualities and residential
uses using open space buffers. Impervious surfaces are limited to
50% of the total project area, requiring that 50% of the site be maintained
as open or undeveloped green space. This green space shall be arranged
in a manner that adequately buffers buildings and parking areas from
public roads and neighboring properties, while protecting wetlands,
watercourses, and scenic views. Notwithstanding, the impervious surface
area may be increased to 75% of the total project area for any use
subject to Town Board special use permit approval. The Town Board
shall determine the following in rendering a decision:
(1) The stormwater quantity and quality can be handled in a manner that
does not impact groundwater resources;
(2) The location of any additional impervious surface area shall not
cause any significant adverse impact to any adjoining residential
neighborhoods or uses, and the Town Board has the discretion to establish
the minimum setback of any impervious surface area from same.
B. All new development in the ORI District should comply
with the following design standards. Where alterations to existing
structures and change in use require special permit or site plan approval,
they should comply with these standards to the extent practicable.
The overall design goal is to maintain and enhance the landscape character
of commercial road corridors. This is to be accomplished by mitigating
the visual impacts of business development through landscape, layout,
and architectural standards. The following standards apply in the
ORI District:
(1)
Building placement.
(a)
Buildings should be clustered together to the
extent practical, preserving existing green areas.
(b)
Buildings should be placed in front of their
parking lots to screen the parking from the road. This requirement
should not apply if the entire site is screened from the road by natural
vegetation and/or natural topography.
(c)
Any historic structure located on the project
site should be preserved to the extent practicable. Adaptive reuse
of historic structures is encouraged, and the Planning Board or Town
Board shall have the authority to request the applicant to demonstrate
why an historic site can not be reused before approving new construction.
(2)
Architecture and building design.
(a)
Trademarked architecture that identifies a specific
company by building design features shall be prohibited, unless the
applicant can demonstrate that the design is compatible with the historic
architecture of the region or development of the area.
(b)
Large buildings (footprints greater than 10,000
square feet) should be designed with visually separate but physically
connected smaller volumes using building proportions found in the
region's traditional architecture.
(c)
Any historic structure on the project site or
adjacent to the project site shall be identified in the design process,
and any new construction shall be designed in context with the historic
structure.
(3)
Landscaping. Undeveloped and developed areas
should be managed to maximize recharge of groundwater, protection
of surface water quality, and protection of wildlife habitat. Frequent
mowing of areas not used for agriculture or pedestrian access should
be discouraged in favor of management as open meadows.
[Added 12-13-2017 by L.L.
No. 13-2017; amended 7-16-2019 by L.L. No. 3-2019]
The NNI District provides an opportunity for the establishment
of new uses or the adaptive reuse of existing buildings, such as those
located at Camp LaGuardia, where larger-scale non-nuisance and other
nonresidential uses are permitted, as provided in the Use Table. The
provisions of this section shall be reviewed by the Planning Board,
in the case of applications that require site plan only, conditional
use permits, and subdivision reviews, and the Town Board, in the case
of applications requiring a special use permit.
A. Special site design and operational considerations in the NNI District.
The purpose of the NNI District is to allow larger-scale nonresidential
uses that contribute to the Town's tax base and provide jobs, allow
an opportunity for the adaptive reuse of buildings within the district
if pursued by an applicant and approved by the approving board, while
protecting the Town's scenic and rural qualities and adjoining residential
neighborhoods. Impervious surfaces are limited to 60% of the total
project area, requiring that 40% of the site be maintained as landscaped,
open or undeveloped green space. This green space shall be arranged
in a manner that adequately buffers buildings and parking areas from
neighboring properties, and can incorporate wetlands, watercourses,
and scenic views. Notwithstanding, the impervious surface area may
be increased to 75% of the total project area for any use subject
to Town Board special use permit approval. The Town Board shall determine
the following in rendering a decision:
(1) The stormwater quantity and quality can be handled in a manner that
does not impact groundwater resources;
(2) The location of any additional impervious surface area shall not
cause any significant adverse impact to any adjoining residential
neighborhoods or uses, and the Town Board has the discretion to establish
the minimum setback of any impervious surface area from same.
B. All new development in the NNI District should comply with the following
design standards. Where alterations to existing structures and change
in use require site plan approval, they should comply with these standards
to the extent practicable. The overall design goal is to ensure that
design of future development in the district is visually attractive
and an asset to the Town, through adherence to landscape, layout,
and architectural standards. The following standards apply in the
NNI District:
(1)
Building placement.
(a)
Buildings should be clustered together to the extent practical,
preserving existing green areas. More than one principal building
is allowed on a lot.
(b)
Depending upon the operational characteristics of the proposed
use, the approving board will determine whether buildings are to be
placed to the front or rear of their parking lots. The intent is to
ensure that the layout limits potential noise, lighting, visual and
other impacts to adjoining residential uses.
(c)
Any historic or architecturally significant building or structure
located on a project site should be preserved to the extent practicable.
Adaptive reuse of historic or architecturally significant structures
is encouraged, and the approving board shall have the authority to
require during site plan review that the applicant demonstrate why
a site and its building or structures cannot be reused.
(2)
Architecture and building design.
(a)
Trademarked architecture that identifies a specific company
by building design features shall be prohibited, unless the applicant
can demonstrate that the design is compatible with the historic architecture
of the region or development of the area.
(b)
Large buildings (footprints greater than 10,000 square feet)
should be designed with visually separate but physically connected
smaller volumes using building proportions found in the region's traditional
architecture. The approving board, at its discretion and upon a review
of the use and its operational characteristics, may waive this requirement
to the extent that the proposed use cannot operate properly in a building
so designed, and the larger building is determined to not have a visual
impact on any adjoining residential neighborhood.
(c)
Any historic or architecturally significant building or structure
on the project site or adjacent to the project site which will be
adaptively reused shall be identified in the review process, and the
approving board may require that any new construction associated with
the historic or architecturally significant building or structure
be designed in context with same.
(3)
Landscaping. Undeveloped and developed areas should be managed
to maximize recharge of groundwater, protection of surface water quality,
and protection of wildlife habitat. Frequent mowing of areas not used
for agriculture or pedestrian access should be discouraged in favor
of management as open meadows.
(4)
Parking in more than one municipality. Where a property straddles
the Town boundary with another municipality, and buildings and land
which may be adaptively reused or developed may be in two municipalities,
the approving board may allow any required parking for a use in the
NNI Zoning District to be situated in the adjoining municipality,
provided appropriate easements or restrictions ensure that the parking
shall remain during the duration of the use.
(5)
Recreation uses. Any recreation uses which may be developed
in the NNI District shall be indoor recreation uses only, except that
the Town Board may approve outdoor recreation facilities accessory
to an entertainment complex or hotel as part of its special use permit
authority.
(6)
Agricultural uses. Agricultural crop production is allowed,
and an agricultural operator shall demonstrate that said use can be
conducted, if applicable, within a floodplain or wetland, in accordance
with state and local regulations governing same.
(7)
Access over existing streams. The approving board, during site
plan review, shall encourage the preservation of existing bridges
or other access which may provide existing or future access from one
portion of a property to another, for purposes of minimizing further
stream encroachment.
(8)
Vehicular access. The approving board may allow access to a
property to be located on another property which may be located in
the neighboring municipal jurisdiction, provided appropriate easements
or restrictions ensure that the access shall remain during the duration
of the use.
(9)
Adaptive reuse. The approving board, in its discretion, may waive the bulk requirements for the NNI District, consistent with provisions set forth in §
235-14A, where the approving board finds that such waiver is necessary to allow the adaptive reuse of an existing building or overall property in the NNI District and said waivers will not have any negative impact on an adjoining residential neighborhood.
(10)
Noise, lighting and visual buffer. The approving board, in its
discretion, may require that a vegetative or solid barrier be installed
and placed on the lot on which development is proposed and an adjoining
residence to mitigate fully any potential negative noise, lighting,
visual, or other impacts which may result from operation of the use.
The approving board shall determine the appropriate width of the buffer,
taking into consideration the distance of any part of the operation
(including vehicle or truck parking areas) to a residence, and any
intervening vegetation, fences, buildings or structures which may
reduce said impacts.