In reviewing a site plan application, the Commission shall take into
consideration the public health, safety and welfare of the public in general
and the immediate neighborhood in particular and may prescribe reasonable
conditions and safeguards to ensure the accomplishment of the following general
objectives:
A. That the proposed site plan shall be in general conformance
with the intent of the City Plan of Development; however, the Plan of Development
shall not take precedence over specific provisions of the zoning regulation.
B. That all buildings, structures, uses, equipment or material
are readily accessible for fire and police protection.
C. That all proposed traffic accessways do not create traffic
hazards and are adequate but not excessive in number; adequate in width, grade,
alignment and visibility; adequate in distance from street corner, places
of public assembly and other accessways; and adequate in design for other
similar safety considerations.
D. That adequate off-street parking and loading spaces are
provided to prevent on-street traffic congestion; that all parking spaces,
maneuvering areas, entrances and exits are suitably identified; that the interior
circulation system is adequately designed to provide safe and convenient access
to all structures, uses and/or parking spaces; that parking areas are provided
with suitable bumper guards, guardrails, islands, crosswalks, speed bumps
and similar safety devices when deemed necessary by the Commission to adequately
protect life and property; and that provision is made for safe pedestrian
movement within and adjacent to the property by the installation of sidewalks.
E. That the general landscaping of the site complies with
the purpose and intent of these regulations; that existing trees are preserved
to the maximum extent possible; and that parking and service areas are suitably
screened during all seasons of the year from the view of adjacent residential
districts and public rights-of-way.
F. That glare from the installation of outdoor lights and
illuminated signs is properly shielded from the view of adjacent property
and public rights-of-way.
G. That all utility systems are suitably located, adequately
designed and properly installed to serve the proposed uses, to protect the
property from adverse air, water or land pollution, and to preserve and enhance
the environmental quality of the surrounding neighborhood.
H. That the development of the site will preserve sensitive
environmental land features such as steep slopes, wetlands and large rock
outcroppings and preserve scenic views of historically significant features
and keep the maximum amount of land either landscaped or in its natural state.
I. That the location, size, design and scale of any proposed
use, building or structure, as well as the nature and intensity of operations
involved in or conducted in connection therewith, will be in general harmony
with the character of the surrounding neighborhood and will not be hazardous
or otherwise detrimental to the appropriate and orderly development or use
of any adjacent land, building or structure.
Applications submitted for site plan review shall include a description
of all proposed uses and structures; a site plan showing the subject lot,
prepared and certified by a land surveyor and/or professional engineer licensed
in the State of Connecticut; and any construction plans for the proposed buildings,
structures or alterations of existing and proposed structures as the Commission
may require. Final site plans shall be clearly and legibly drawn at a scale
of one inch equals 50 feet or other scale acceptable to the Commission and
accompanied by 10 paper prints. Final site plans shall be prepared to an accuracy
meeting the standards for a Class A-2 Survey.
The site plan shall include the following information:
A. Name and address of the applicant, owner of record, name
of the development and all current abutting property owners.
B. Name, address and professional seal of the individual
responsible for preparing the site plan.
C. A general location map showing the location of the site
in relation to existing city roads at a scale of one inch equals 800 feet.
D. The map shall indicate the zoning district; tax map,
lot and block numbers; municipal boundaries; and zoning district boundary
lines and a schedule specifying the area of the lot, the amount of floor area,
building ground coverage and total coverage by building and paving in square
feet and as a percent of the lot and the basis for computation of required
off-street parking and loading spaces; and
E. Date, North arrow, scale, and total acreage of site.
F. The following signature block:
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Approved by the Derby Planning & Zoning Commission
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Chairman
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Chairman
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G. An outline of all existing and proposed deed restrictions
or covenants applying to the property.
H. Existing and proposed contours of the land at intervals
of two feet or less, or as deemed appropriate by the Commission.
I. Location and design of all existing and proposed uses
not requiring a structure.
J. Ten copies of architectural plans drawn to a scale not
to exceed 1/4 inch equals one foot or 1/8 inch equals one foot showing
principal uses, floor areas, entrances, exits, technical equipment, stairwells,
stairways, all proposed windows, elevations, building facade and exterior
elevations.
K. Location and design of all existing and proposed roads,
curbs, sidewalks, driveways and parking and loading areas with the correct
number of parking stalls provided. Parking computations shall be shown on
the plan.
L. Location of buffer strips and screening, where deemed
necessary by the Commission, showing the type, size, and species of shrubs,
trees or other planting and landscaping materials. Buffer areas: In cases
where a site in a nonresidential zone abuts a residential district, a buffer
area may be required. Such buffer, when required, shall not be less than 12
feet in width and planted with evergreens in no fewer than two rows, no further
than 15 feet apart along each row, staggered to provide maximum screening
and using trees not less than five feet in height at time of planting. The
Commission may require additional buffer width or area or more mature plantings
if unusual conditions demand more extensive screening. Such buffer areas are
not required for frontage along the road. The approved planting plan must
be effectuated before a certificate of zoning compliance is issued. If construction
is completed during a nonplanting season, a bond or certified check for an
amount covering planting costs shall be given to the Commission or its designated
agent to assure planting.
M. Location and design of all existing and proposed water
supply, sanitary waste disposal, stormwater drainage facilities (including
a drainage analysis map and supporting calculations) and other underground
and aboveground utilities.
N. Location, type, height and intensity of any existing
or proposed exterior lighting, including provisions for shading of such lighting.
O. Where the applicant wishes to develop in stages, a site
plan indicating initial development and each additional development stage
shall be submitted for approval.
P. In the case of uses or facilities requiring approval
of any city, state, and/or federal agency, department and/or official, the
approval of such agency, department and/or official shall be submitted by
the applicant.
Q. Location of existing watercourses, wetlands, one-hundred-year
floodplains, wooded areas, rock outcrops and other significant physical features
on and within 200 feet of the property.
R. In a Floodplain District, the floodplain boundary and
the base flood and floor elevation data as specified in Article XV based on
the datum specified above.
S. Location of all permanent existing and proposed monuments.
T. The location and dimensions of all proposed outdoor signs.
U. All structures on adjacent properties within 200 feet
of the lot lines of the subject lot (including wells and septic systems).
V. The Commission may waive any of the above requirements
when it is deemed to be in the public interest and will not impair the integrity
of these regulations.
Evidence that the applicant, simultaneously with or prior to submission
of the application, has transmitted a copy of the application, together with
plans and documents if so specified, to the following public agencies as required:
A. City Engineer (entire submission).
B. Inland Wetlands Commission (statement of use, site plan).
C. Conservation Commission (statement of use, site plan).
D. Fire Marshal (entire submission).
E. Chief of Police (statement of use, site plan, traffic
report).
F. Water Pollution Control Authority.
Any additional data or plans deemed necessary by the Commission to determine
conformity of the site plan with the intent and provisions of these Regulations
shall be submitted by the applicant.
Fees shall be in accordance with a fee schedule adopted by the Commission,
as amended.
In addition to base information, all site plans shall conform to the
following design standards:
A. Access and circulation. Provision shall be made for vehicular
access to the lot and circulation upon the lot in such a manner as to safeguard
against hazards to traffic and pedestrians in the street and upon the lot,
to avoid traffic congestion on any street and to provide safe and convenient
circulation upon the lot. Access and circulation shall also conform to the
following:
(1) Where reasonable alternate access is available, the vehicular
access to the lot shall be arranged to avoid commercial traffic use of local
residential streets situated in or bordered by residence districts.
(2) Where a lot has frontage on two or more streets, the
access to the lot shall be provided to the lot across the frontage and to
the street where there is lesser potential for traffic congestion and for
hazards to traffic and pedestrians.
(3) The street giving access to the lot shall have traffic-carrying
capacity and roadway improvements and traffic management facilities that are
sufficient to accommodate the amount and types of traffic generated by the
proposed use, taking into account access to existing uses along the street
and existing traffic projected to the date of occupancy of the site. Roadway,
traffic management and other deficiencies in the street giving access, which
result in congestion or impairment of safety and convenience, may be remedied
by the applicant if authorized by the owner of the street.
(4) Where necessary to safeguard against hazards to traffic
and pedestrians and/or to avoid traffic congestion, provision shall be made
for turning lanes, traffic directional signals, frontage road driveways and
traffic controls within the street.
(5) Access driveways shall be of a design and have sufficient
capacity to avoid queuing of entering vehicles within any streets.
(6) Driveways into the lot shall not exceed a grade of 10%
and shall meet the street line and travelway of the street with proper transition
grades and in such a manner as to conform to the standard cross section for
the street.
(7) Where topographic and other conditions are reasonably
usable, provision shall be made for circulation driveway connections to adjoining
lots of similar existing or potential use when such driveway connection will
facilitate fire protection services, as approved by the Fire Marshal and/or
when such driveway will enable the public to travel between two existing or
potential uses, open to the public generally, without need to travel upon
a street.
(8) There shall be no more than one driveway connection from
any lot to any street, except that separate entrance and exit driveways may
be provided where necessary to safeguard against hazards and to avoid congestion
and additional driveway connections may be provided, particularly for, but
not limited to, large tracts and uses of extensive scope, if traffic flow
in the street will be facilitated by the additional connection.
B. Existing streets. Where the lot has frontage on an existing
street, proper provision shall be made for grading and improvement of shoulders
and sidewalk areas within the right-of-way of the street and for provision
of curbs and sidewalks, as approved by the City Engineer and in accordance
with the pattern of development along the street. Where necessary to provide
for suitable access or for a system of neighborhood circulation streets, provision
shall also be made for appropriate continuation and improvement of streets
terminating at the lot where the use is to be located.
C. Parking and loading. Off-street parking and truck loading
spaces shall be provided in accordance with Article VII of this regulation.
Whenever possible, an area on the lot shall be provided for any truck maneuvering
necessary to use off-street truck loading spaces. Truck loading spaces and
maneuvering areas shall have dimensions sufficient to accommodate the type
and size of truck expected at the premises.
D. Parking lots.
(1) Parking lots shall be designed to avoid creating large,
open expanses of paving.
(2) No parking lots shall be designed that force vehicles
to back onto the street.
(3) Interior traffic flow shall be marked with painted arrows.
(4) Ingress and egress location shall be reviewed by the
Police Department.
(5) Curb cut widths and curb cut radii must be reviewed by
the City Engineer and Police Departments or the ConnDOT, where appropriate.
(6) The City of Derby Planning and Zoning Commission shall
be the final authority on determining curb cut width and radii whenever it
determines need to be more restrictive for the radius or width allowed by
the ConnDOT, provided that said restrictions meet with the approval of the
ConnDOT.
(7) All driveways, loading and unloading areas and parking
areas shall be paved with a dust-free material.
(8) All parking spaces shall have wheel stops or bumper guards.
(9) Where sidewalks are adjacent to parking lots, a curbed
landscaped island of at least five feet shall be provided so as to prevent
vehicles from riding over the sidewalk area.
(10) Where a parking lot with eight or more spaces has a driveway
adjacent to a side property line, a curbed landscaped planting strip of at
least three feet shall be provided between the driveway pavement and the property
line.
(11) For parking lots for more than 50 cars, every other double
bay shall provide for sidewalks in a raised curbed area of sufficient width
to provide for car overhang and pedestrian walkway. In all other double bays,
where no sidewalk is required, a raised and curbed area of sufficient width
shall be provided for planting, shrubs, trees, light standards and car overhang
to prevent injury to same.
(12) Parking aisles shall be separated at least every one
hundred and fifty feet lengthwise with a raised and curbed area of sufficient
width to prevent injury to planting, shrubs, trees or light standards.
(13) Where a tenant or owner of a business provides the use
of carts for the convenience of the customers, such carts shall not be allowed
to be stored on sidewalks, walkways or driveways or in any manner inhibiting
pedestrian or vehicle circulation.
E. Landscaping.
(1) General. All proposed landscaping shall be clarified
on the plan as to location, common name and size, at time of planting.
(2) Front yards. All front yards shall be landscaped with
shrubs so as to soften the effect the building creates at ground level.
(3) Parking lot trees.
(a) All parking lots of 50 car spaces or more shall include
one tree for every 10 parking spaces or fraction thereof.
(b) Such trees shall be at least three inches in diameter
at time of planting.
(c) All trees shall be placed or protected so as to avoid
damage by automobiles.
(d) Trees used in parking lots shall be thornless honey locust,
pine, oak or other similar fast growing hardy varieties, or existing trees
where appropriately located.
(e) For any parking lot providing spaces for 50 or more vehicles,
there shall be shade trees planted, spaced 50 feet on center around the perimeter
of lot, except that such distance may be increased for lanes of ingress or
egress, and provided further that there shall be shade trees planted between
parking aisle spaced 50 feet on center.
(4) Existing trees.
(a) An attempt shall be made to save as many existing trees
as possible.
(b) On heavily wooded parcels, trees over eight inches in
diameter must be shown.
(5) Buffer areas.
(a) There shall be an effective buffer for screening headlight
glare in all instances when a commercial or industrial building is adjacent
to a residential zone.
(b) Such buffer may be an earthen berm, evergreen screening
or wooden fencing depending upon the uniqueness of the property and the characteristics
of the adjacent property.
(c) Evergreen buffers shall be planted sufficiently close
and be enough when planted to effectively screen automobile headlights.
F. Drainage.
(1) Provision shall be made on the lot for the management
of stormwater, including collection and disposal thereof, in the following
manner:
(a) To assure the usability of off-street parking and loading
spaces;
(b) To avoid hazards to pedestrians and vehicular traffic
on the lot and in any street;
(c) To avoid stormwater flow across sidewalks and other pedestrian
ways;
(d) To protect watercourses and wetlands from pollution,
erosion and sedimentation;
(e) To avoid an amount of discharge and time of concentration
of flow beyond the capacity of downstream drainage channels; and
(f) To avoid downstream flooding.
(2) Provision shall also be made for the protection or improvement
of existing watercourses, channels and other drainage systems, on the lot
or downstream from the lot, as needed to accept or regulate the proposed drainage
discharge, based on sound design criteria under good engineering practice,
taking into account the drainage requirements of the entire watershed in which
the lot is located.
G. Site lighting; general requirements.
(1) Site lighting (to include but not restricted to parking
lots, area ways, pedestrian walkways, and other areas within sites requiring
lighting) shall provide adequate and proper illumination at ground level for
protection of the public and for safety in regard to pedestrian and vehicular
circulation.
(2) All lighting shall be designed to minimize glare in the
area being lighted and shall be shielded so as to prevent glare on adjacent
property.
(3) The location, height and type of fixture and illumination
shall be arranged and/or constructed so as to meet the general requirements
outlined above.
(4) No festoon lights will be allowed.
H. Storage areas. There shall be no outside storage of materials
unless said materials are effectively screened by wooden fencing, stone or
brick walls or evergreen trees or shrubs at least six feet high at the time
of planting.
I. Signs.
(1) The location of all signs shall be clearly marked on
the site plan.
(2) The overall dimension of all signs shall be shown.
(3) The total overall height from ground level shall be shown.
(4) The type of sign lighting shall be indicated on the site
plan.
(5) All signs shall conform to the requirements of Article
XI of these regulations.
J. Refuse areas.
(1) All sites shall provide for refuse storage.
(2) Any outside refuse areas shall be screened with wooden
fencing, stone or brick walls or Evergreen trees or shrubs at least six feet
high at time of planting.
K. Sanitation. Proper provision shall be made for the water
supply and sewage disposal requirements of the proposed use. When public water
supply and/or sewage disposal systems are not to be used, the private systems
shall be designed and constructed in accordance with applicable state laws,
and the design shall be approved by the Valley Health District prior to approval
of the site plan. In addition, provision shall be made for the collection,
storage and disposal of solid wastes accumulated in connection with the proposed
use and for control of litter by means of receptacles, fences or other means
approved by the Commission.
L. Emergency services. Suitable provision shall be made
on the lot for access to buildings and other structures by fire, police and
other emergency services and for fire hydrants, in accordance with good fire
protection practices.
M. Wetlands and watercourses. The site plan shall provide
for protection of all wetlands and watercourses, including floodplains, on
the lot in their natural state, unless modification thereof is approved by
the Inland Wetlands Commission.
N. Soil erosion and sediment control. Provision shall be
made for soil erosion and sediment control in accordance with the standards
for Article XIV of the Regulation.
O. Special standards. The following special standards are
applicable to particular permitted uses that are subject to submission and
administrative approval of a site plan by the Commission:
(1) Multifamily dwellings. Multifamily dwellings, whether
in a single building on the lot or a group of buildings on the lot, shall
also conform to the following standards:
(a) Building type. Individual buildings for multifamily dwellings
shall not exceed 2 1/2 stories in height and shall contain accommodations
for not more than eight families.
(b) Yards. Side and rear yards for multifamily dwellings
shall be increased by 50%.
(c) Handicapped. One family housekeeping accommodation, specially
equipped and usable by handicapped persons in accordance with Section 315
of the State of Connecticut Basic Building Code, shall be provided as part
of any multifamily dwelling or group of dwellings on the lot for occupancy
by 25 or more families and for each 25 such families.
(d) Driveways. Circulation driveways on a lot containing
multifamily dwellings for 20 or more families shall have a width of 32 feet
and be constructed to city standards for grade and alignment and to city specifications;
provided however, that when such circulation driveways contain no parking
spaces and are separated from parking spaces and access aisles for such spaces
by means of curbs and/or islands, the driveway width may be reduced to 24
feet.