The purpose of the Planned Development Zone (sometimes referred to in this chapter as a "PDZ") is to permit, where appropriate, a degree of flexibility in conventional land use and zoning district regulations which will encourage development in an imaginative and innovative way in order to facilitate development or uses, now or in the future, which are not expressly permitted by the other terms of this chapter, but which would promote the objectives or recommendations of the Village's Comprehensive Plan if such development or uses adhere to specific predetermined performance and design standards and conditions.

A Planned Development Zone may be utilized for both residential and nonresidential development, as well as for mixed use development (as such term is defined in § 305-5 of this chapter).

A Planned Development Zone shall modify the underlying zoning district regulations of this Zoning Law for the area proposed for the PDZ to the minimum extent possible in order to achieve the benefits of the PDZ, and the PDZ shall not be utilized to circumvent the requirements of this chapter.

A Planned Development Zone shall not be utilized where the objectives or recommendations of the Village's Comprehensive Plan can otherwise be accomplished in accordance with the zoning district regulations of this chapter.

A Planned Development Zone may be established by the Village's Board of Trustees in any zoning district and shall be subject to the requirements set forth in this article and to any special conditions imposed by the Village's Board of Trustees which shall supersede any requirements set forth in this article.

Factors to be considered by the Board of Trustees in its decision to establish a Planned Development Zone may include, but are not be limited to, the following:

The ability of the Board of Trustees to establish a Planned Development Zone imposes no obligation on the Board of Trustees to approve a specific project proposed for an approved Planned Development Zone.

A minimum tract of five acres is required for the establishment of a Planned Development Zone.

Permitted land uses:

Density. The number of dwelling units provided in a Planned Development Zone shall not exceed the number of units that would ordinarily be permitted in the PDZ's area in accordance with the regulations of the underlying zone or district, unless the Village's Board of Trustees determines in accordance with § 305-54 below that an exception to this requirement is justified and the Board specifies the nature and scope of such exception in its approval of a PDZ.

No building in a Planned Development Zone shall be more than two stories high, and no building shall exceed a height of 35 feet from the average finished grade to the average height between the eaves and ridgeline of a pitched roof or the highest point of a flat roof as measured from the average finished grade to the highest point of the building, unless the Village's Board of Trustees determines in accordance with § 305-54 below that an exception to this requirement is justified and the Board specifies the nature and scope of such exception in its approval of a PDZ.

In cases where the proposed finished grade is higher than the existing grade, the change must be approved by the Code Enforcement Officer at the time of issuance of the building permit.

The height limitations of this section shall not apply to chimneys, ventilators, skylights, or other necessary features ordinarily extending above roofs nor to spires of churches or other buildings if such features are in no way used or usable for living purposes.

Roads. All proposed roads in a Planned Development Zone shall be designed and constructed to meet Village standards and specifications and shall be approved by the Village Engineer.

Service Areas. Loading and service areas that face or are visible from a public road, including areas for the storage of solid waste and trash, shall be screened from public view by a vertical screen at least six feet high. A landscaped buffer strip or a combination of landscaping and fencing may be used to provide the required screening.

Public transit and parking. Appropriate provisions shall be made for public transit and an adequate amount of off-street parking will be provided for the proposed use. No off-street parking space shall be located less than twenty-five feet from any existing property line. All parking areas containing more than four spaces shall be landscaped and shall be otherwise in compliance with Article XII, Off-Street Parking, of this chapter.

Underground services. All electric, telephone, and television lines and cables shall be installed underground. All access points shall be landscaped in a manner approved by the Village's Planning Board during the site plan approval process for the PDZ.

Lighting. Adequate site lighting shall be provided and shall be designed and located so that it does not produce glare on adjacent properties, does not impede the vision of traffic on adjacent roads, and shall be otherwise in compliance with Article XI, Exterior Lighting Standards, of this chapter.

Access drives. Multiple and extra-wide driveways shall be avoided. Access drives that do not provide safe sight distances shall not be permitted. Access drives shall intersect existing roads at a 90° angle and shall not have a slope of greater than 5% for a distance of 60 feet from the intersection of center lines.

Intersections. On- and off-site intersections shall be designed to accommodate traffic safely. Turning lanes, deceleration lanes, bypass lanes, and other safety measures shall be provided as required by the Village's Planning Board during the site plan approval process for the PDZ.

Signs. One identification sign shall be permitted. Such sign may be two-sided but shall have a total area of no greater than 16 square feet per side and shall be otherwise in compliance with Article X, Signs, of this chapter.

Operation. No offensive noise, traffic, odor, smoke, dust, heat, glare, electrical disturbance, or other pollutants shall be produced by the normal operating conditions of the proposed PDZ.

Landscaping. The number of trees to be planted in the PDZ shall be at least equal to the number of trees removed for development purposes and shall comply with standards set by the Village's Shade Tree Advisory Committee.

If the Board determines (1) that (a) the physical features, location or proposed use or uses of the site proposed for a Planned Development Zone, or (b) such site's relationship to other sites in the vicinity of the proposed PDZ site or the physical features or uses of those other sites, warrant that an exception be made to the requirements set forth in § 305-45C, 305-47 305-48 or 305-49 of this article, and (2) that such exception is justified (a) by achieving a specific objective or recommendation of the Village's Comprehensive Plan or (b) by promoting the public health, safety and general welfare of the Village and its residents, in either case to an extent greater than could be achieved or promoted if the proposed PDZ site were developed in accordance with the underlying zoning district requirements for such site, then the Board of Trustees may modify the requirements set forth in § 305-45C, 305-47 305-48 or 305-49 of this article subject to any conditions the Board may wish to impose.

In order for the Board to grant an exception to the requirements set forth in § 305-45C, 305-47 305-48 or 305-49 of this article, the Board must identify in the record (1) the specific objective or recommendation of the Village's Comprehensive Plan that will be achieved, or the specific aspect of the public health, safety and general welfare of the Village and its residents that will be promoted, and (2) how the PDZ will achieve or promote such result to an extent greater than could be achieved or promoted if the proposed PDZ site were developed in accordance with the underlying zoning district requirements for such site.