25-F-1

Statement of intent. The intent of this section is to provide for development of professional office buildings and parks, and certain service and retail uses which are compatible with, and supportive of, professional office buildings and parks.

25-F-2

Permitted uses. The following land uses are permitted in a POPD (Professional Office Park District) Zone, subject to staff approval of the plan:

a)

Accounting, auditing and bookkeeping services.

b)

Advertising.

c)

Adult day-care.

d)

Child day-care services, including outdoor play areas

e)

Computer programming, data processing and other computer related services (other than sales, leasing or rental activities, or repairs).

f)

Consulting services, unclassified.

g)

Consumer credit reporting agencies, collection agencies, etc.

h)

Dental laboratories.

i)

Depository institutions.

j)

Engineering, architectural and surveying services.

k)

Health services, offices and clinics.

l)

Holding and other investment offices.

m)

Insurance agents, brokers and services.

n)

Legal services.

o)

Libraries.

p)

Mailing, reproduction, commercial art and photography and

q)

Stenographic services.

r)

Management and public relations services.

s)

Non-depository credit institutions.

t)

Office buildings of all types.

u)

Open Space, Park and recreation facilities, public or private (noncommercial).

v)

Passenger transportation arrangement (travel agent).

w)

Personnel supply services.

x)

Radio and TV broadcasting stations.

y)

Real estate services.

z)

Religious organizations.

aa)

Security and commodity brokers, dealers, exchanges and services.

bb)

Tax return preparation services.

cc)

Telephone, telegraph and other message communication services.

dd)

Accessory uses, subject to the limitations in Section 25-F-2 and Section 25-F-4

ee)

Temporary sales and events subject to the provisions of Section (Section of City Code regulating such an event)

ff)

Special uses listed in the Use Matrix may be permitted, and are subject to the issuance of a special use permit pursuant to the provisions of the applicable section of the city code.

25-F-3

Size of tract. The minimum size of any tract to be zoned and developed in a Professional Office Building District shall be twenty-five (25) acres and the tract shall have permanent paved access to a paved public road or a road to be paved and dedicated to the public.

25-F-4

Area limitations:

a)

Office uses. A maximum of seventy-five (75%) percent of the total area of the proposed development may be devoted to office uses.

b)

Accessory uses. A maximum of five percent (5%) of the remaining area of the tract may be devoted to the permitted accessory uses listed in Section 25-F-2. It shall exclude portions of the tract devoted to usable open space and recreational uses.

c)

Open space, park and recreation facilities, public or private (noncommercial). A minimum of twenty-five percent (25%) of the area of the tract shall be devoted to noncommercial open space, and recreation facilities. The area reserved for recreational and/or open space uses shall be held in common for the enjoyment of the occupants of the office development and accessory uses.

Any development must comply with Section 3-B - Open Space/Recreation Area.

25-F-5

Area:

a)

The minimum size of any tract to be zoned and developed in a Professional Office Park District shall be twenty-five (25) acres.

25-F-6

Height:

a)

The maximum height of a building shall not exceed twelve (12) stories or one hundred forty-four (144) feet from the finished grade.

25-F-7

Setbacks - Buildings:

a)

Front setback. There shall be a front yard setback in a POPD zone of not less than one hundred (100) feet from any structure to an adjoining street right-of-way.

b)

Side and rear setbacks. There shall be a side and rear yard setbacks in a POPD zone of not less than twenty (20) feet from any structure to an adjoining property line zoned or used for agricultural or residential use. Structures over twenty (20) feet in height shall be set back an additional one (1) foot for every two (2) feet in height over twenty (20) feet.

There shall be a side and rear yard setbacks in a POPD zone of not less than ten (10) feet from any structure to an adjoining property zoned or used for office, commercial or industrial uses.

25-F-8

Setbacks - Parking:

a)

There shall be a setback in a POPD zone of not less than forty (40) feet from any parking space to an adjoining street right-of-way.

b)

There shall be a setback in a POPD zone of not less than fifty (50) feet from any parking space to an adjoining property zoned or used for agricultural or residential use.

c)

Where a POPD zone adjoins property zoned or used for office, commercial or industrial use, the setback for any parking space shall be the same as required by the zoning of the office, commercial or industrial use.

25-F-9

Development and performance standards:

a)

Building orientation. All buildings shall be oriented toward street frontage unless an exception is granted to improve the site design or to facilitate the use of solar power.

b)

Parking. Off-street parking and loading shall be provided in accordance with the requirements set forth in Section 4 of this Ordinance.

c)

Streets. Internal streets intended to be dedicated to Augusta, Georgia, as well as any internal private streets shall conform to the requirements of the Street and Road Design Technical Manual.

d)

Signage. Signage shall be provided in accordance with the requirements set forth in Section 28-B of this ordinance.

e)

Landscaping and buffers. Natural landscaping and buffers shall be provided in accordance with the requirements of the Augusta Tree Ordinance and Tree Ordinance Illustrated Guide (Chapter 8-4-1 thru 8-4-17 of the Augusta, Georgia Code).

f)

Outdoor displays and equipment. No merchandise shall be stored or displayed outside buildings, and no equipment or vehicles, except for passenger vehicles, shall be stored outside buildings.

g)

Noise. Noise levels should not exceed those specified in Chapter 3-6-1 thru 3-6-4 of the Augusta, Georgia Code.

h)

Merchandise sales. Sale of merchandise from a vehicle or temporary structure is prohibited, except as provided for by a temporary sales and events permit.

25-F-10

Traffic impact analysis. An application for approval of a project in a POPD (Professional Office Park District) Zone shall include a traffic impact analysis to determine whether the roadway network in the area of the proposed development will be able to handle the existing through traffic, plus the additional traffic that the development will generate.

a)

General requirements of traffic impact analysis.

1.

The analysis shall be prepared by a Professional Engineer registered with the State of Georgia with expertise in traffic engineering.

2.

Prior to completing the Traffic Impact Analysis, the applicant and the Professional Engineer shall hold a scoping meeting with the Planning and Development Director and the City Traffic Engineer to determine the following parameters for the analysis: Trip generation assumptions; Growth Rate for future year traffic estimation; Trip distribution; Pass-by traffic and/or internal capture; Non-traditional peak hour studies, if required; Whether or not truck or heavy vehicle distributions need to be considered separately; Any other approved development applications within the study area; Funded capital improvement projects that will increase the capacity of the roadways in question; Site construction phasing; and If a signal warrant analysis for high volume un-signalized intersections is needed.

3.

The City will prepare a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that outlines the agreements made during the scoping meeting. The applicant shall return the signed MOU to the Planning and Development Director. The Professional Engineer cannot begin work on the analysis until both the City and the applicant have signed the MOU.

b)

Traffic analysis study area boundary.

1.

The analysis study area shall at a minimum include any roadways and intersections within one-half mile of the development application proposal.

2.

The study area may be modified if the Planning and Development Director:

•

Determines a larger study area or additional roadways or intersections for analysis are required due to the size or characteristics of the development application proposal; or

•

Waives the need to study roadways or intersections that are determined not to be significantly affected by the development application proposal, as long as all key intersections within the study area are studied.

c)

Traffic analysis period. The analysis shall examine future traffic conditions one year after the development application proposal is scheduled to be completed (build +1).

d)

Traffic analysis software. The study shall be performed using the operational analysis of the latest Highway Capacity Manual and traffic analysis software approved by the city of Augusta. Other software packages, such as Synchro, are preferred for coordinated signal systems, and may be required for supplemental analysis.

25-F-11

Application procedures:

a)

An application for rezoning of property to POPD (Professional Office Park District) shall be accompanied by a preliminary development plan for the subject property.

b)

The preliminary development plan shall include, at a minimum:

1.

A boundary and topographic plat of the land showing all rights-of-way and easements affecting the property.

2.

A plat showing the proposed location of buildings, including the number of stories and square footage contained in each, the location of areas reserved for open space, park and recreation facilities and the location of all curb cuts, driving lanes, parking areas and pedestrian ways.

3.

A statement of proposed uses on a building by building basis.

4.

Elevation drawing of a typical building

5.

The traffic impact analysis as required by Section 25-F-10 of this ordinance.

6.

A general landscaping plan for the entire site.

7.

A signage plan for the entire site.

8.

If applicable, a project phasing plan as required by Section 25-F-12 of this ordinance.

c)

Assuming the rezoning is approved by the Augusta Commission, the applicant will then follow the procedures and requirements of the Augusta Site Plan Regulations in obtaining final approval of the site plan for the property.

d)

The approved final plat and approved site plan are binding and shall be a restriction on development which runs with the land. Any unauthorized deviation therefrom shall be punishable and enforceable as a violation of this section.

25-F-12

Project phasing. In the event that a project will be completed in phases, the following shall apply:

a)

The applicant shall submit a phasing plan as part of the application.

b)

Each phase shall be designed to "stand alone" so that if subsequent phases are not constructed, the completed portion of the project constitutes a coherent development logically interconnected with surrounding areas.

c)

Certain project elements, such as open space and recreational amenities, must be provided for each phase of development in rough proportion to the size of the particular phase within the whole project. In certain circumstances, this may also require that infrastructure improvements shown within a later phase of the project be constructed within an earlier phase, or appropriate securities provided to ensure that construction occurs even if the later phase never takes place.

25-F-13

Time limit and extensions. The following time limits apply to projects located in a POPD zone:

a)

Approval of a site plan shall be valid for five years from the date approved. Construction on any and all phases must be complete for final approval within five years of the date of site plan approval.

b)

Approval may be extended by resolution of the Augusta Commission for a maximum of two (2) additional years; provided, that:

1.

A written request for extension has been received at least 30 days prior to the date of expiration; and

2.

The applicant demonstrates that extraordinary and unforeseen circumstances have precluded compliance with the five-year time limit.

25-F-14

Enforcement. If the applicant does not begin, and substantially complete the approved project, or any phase of the project, within the established time limits, the Planning and Development Director shall review the project and may recommend to the Augusta Commission that:

a)

The time for its completion be extended, upon a showing that the project can be completed within six months, and that the applicant has posted bond or other acceptable securities to ensure completion of any unfinished work; or

b)

That the approval of the project be revoked.

District Established May 2014