Franklin Park City Zoning Code
ARTICLE 1100
M-2 Medium-Intensity Mixed-Use Residential, Commercial and Light Industrial District
[1]
Editor's Note: The title of Art. 1100 was amended 11-20-2013 by Ord. No. 606-2013.
§ 212-1101 Purpose.
A.
It is the intent and purpose of this district to foster improved traffic and pedestrian circulation and safety as well as consistency in lot layout and design along the Borough's busiest transportation corridors. The Comprehensive Plan concluded that past development along these corridors has led to increased traffic congestion, large expanses of parking, inadequate pedestrian access, and unappealing visual clutter. The Borough desires that new construction and redevelopment of existing sites will enhance the function and appearance of these corridors by incorporating access management and design principles.
B.
This district implements the Comprehensive Plan's specific recommendations that interchange corridor enhancement standards and access management requirements be added to the Borough's Zoning Ordinance.
§ 212-1102 Permitted principal uses, conditional uses and accessory uses.
[Amended 11-20-2013 by Ord. No. 606-2013]
A.
Principal uses permitted by right for the Medium-Intensity Mixed-Use Residential, Commercial and Light Industrial District are listed in the table of uses located in Article 400, § 212-404.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: The Tables of Use Regulations are included as an attachment to this chapter.
B.
Conditional uses allowed within the Medium-Intensity Mixed-Use Residential, Commercial and Light Industrial District are listed in the table of uses located in Article 400, § 212-404.[2]
[2]
Editor's Note: The Tables of Use Regulations are included as an attachment to this chapter.
C.
Accessory uses permitted by right or as a conditional use in the Medium-Intensity Mixed-Use Residential, Commercial and Light Industrial District are listed in the table of accessory uses located in Article 400, § 212-404.[3]
[3]
Editor's Note: The Tables of Use Regulations are included as an attachment to this chapter.
§ 212-1103 Area and bulk standards.
[Amended 11-20-2013 by Ord. No. 606-2013]
Area and bulk standards for the Medium-Intensity Mixed-Use Residential, Commercial and Light Industrial District are listed in the tables in Article 500, §§ 212-501 and 212-502.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: The Table of Residential Uses Area and Bulk Requirements and the Table of Nonresidential Uses Area and Bulk Requirements are included as attachments to this chapter.
§ 212-1104 Supplementary regulations.
A.
Express standards: in Article 1900.
B.
Landscaping and buffer yard requirements: in Article 2000.
C.
Performance standards: in Article 2100.
D.
Off-street parking and loading requirements: in Article 2200.
E.
Sign requirements: in Article 2300.
F.
Natural resources protection requirements: in Article 1500, as applicable.
[Amended 11-20-2013 by Ord. No. 606-2013]
§ 212-1105 Special regulations for M-2 District.
In addition to the above sections of this article, the provisions of §§ 212-1106 through 212-1109 shall apply to land developments within the M-2 District.
§ 212-1106 Applicability.
A.
The requirements of this article shall be applicable to: 1) any new construction, whether stand-alone or part of a larger site development; 2) expansions of existing buildings and/or parking facilities; and 3) any change in the principal use of the building.
B.
Nonconforming lots.
(1)
When an existing lot does not conform to the requirements of this district, any new construction, expansion or change in use shall only be permitted if the applicant agrees to bring the lot into compliance with the following requirements of this chapter:
(a)
Section 212-1108, Access management requirements.
(b)
Article 2000, Buffering and Landscaping.
(c)
Article 2300, Signs.
(d)
Section 212-1109C, Site planning.
(e)
Article 2200, Off-Street Parking and Loading.
(2)
Any new construction on a nonconforming lot shall be required to meet the building orientation and design requirements of this district. Existing buildings on the parcel which do not meet the building orientation and design requirements may remain unchanged but shall not be expanded or redesigned to make them more nonconforming with such requirements.
§ 212-1108 Access management requirements.
A.
Traffic impact study.
(1)
A traffic impact study shall be required and submitted to the Borough if:
(a)
The development is expected to generate average daily traffic (ADT) of 1,500 vehicles or more;
(b)
During any one-hour time period, the development is expected to generate 100 new vehicle trips either entering or exiting the development; or
(c)
The Borough determines that a traffic study is warranted due to existing traffic problems on adjacent or surrounding streets or proximity to other access driveways or intersections.
(2)
For purposes of determining the need for a traffic study, the Borough and the applicant shall assume that the development shall have one access driveway at one location. Traffic volume shall be estimated based on full buildout and occupancy of the entire development parcel.
(3)
In estimating traffic volumes, the applicant shall comply with the most recent edition of the Institute of Transportation Engineers' "Trip Generation, Eighth Edition, an ITE Informational Report," or more current edition.
(4)
The traffic impact study shall include, at a minimum, the following information:
(a)
The estimated number of additional average daily traffic (ADT) and a.m. and p.m. peak-hour vehicle trips that would be generated by the proposed use or uses when fully occupied and operational. Such estimates shall be calculated using the most current edition of the Trip Generation Report and the annual traffic growth rate for the area as determined by the Southwest Planning Commission (SPC) or its succeeding body.
(b)
The current levels of service of intersections within a one-half-mile radius of the subject site.
(c)
The projected levels of service of the same intersections when the proposed use is fully occupied and operational.
(d)
A queuing analysis demonstrating that any queuing or staging of vehicles will take place entirely on the development site.
(e)
Projected traffic generated for all developments approved by the Borough but not yet completed.
(f)
A designated turn lane analysis to determine if designated turn lanes are necessary on the principal routes.
(g)
An internal signage analysis of the development to determine the safest and most efficient flow of traffic.
(5)
The Borough shall use the information presented in the traffic impact study to determine how best to implement the access management provisions of this article and will provide the study and all review comments to the agency responsible for the right-of-way.
B.
Driveways.
(1)
Number of driveways.
(a)
Only one access driveway (excluding emergency access) shall be permitted for each development parcel, provided that a maximum of two driveways shall be permitted for shopping centers, large retail businesses, automotive service stations or any principal building or group of buildings greater than 100,000 square feet.
(b)
An additional access driveway shall be permitted for developments other than those enumerated in the previous subsection if the applicant demonstrates that it is necessary to accommodate traffic to and from the site and it can be achieved in a safe and efficient manner. In making such a determination, the Borough shall consider the traffic volumes established by the traffic impact study; the existing and projected levels of service (as defined by PennDOT) of adjacent and surrounding streets and intersections; the location and density of the proposed development; and such other factors as the Borough deems appropriate.
(c)
The Borough shall restrict access to right-turn-only ingress and egress if safe and efficient movements cannot be otherwise accommodated.
(d)
For a development parcel that abuts two or more streets, the Borough may restrict access to only that street which can more safely and efficiently accommodate traffic.
(2)
Distance from intersections.
[Amended 2-15-2017 by Ord. No. 634-2017]
(a)
Any driveway entering and/or exiting a street with one of the following classifications shall be spaced from corners of intersections as follows:
[1]
Arterial: 150 feet.
[2]
Collector: 100 feet.
[3]
Minor: 75 feet.
(b)
If the development parcel abuts two streets, access shall be provided to the street where the distance requirements from intersections can be best achieved.
(c)
If the driveway cannot meet the aforementioned distance requirements and no other reasonable access is available, the driveway shall be located at the farthest possible distance from the intersection. The Borough Engineer shall have the right to impose directional or other restrictions on ingress and egress where the Borough determines that such driveway will create safety or operational problems.
(3)
Driveway spacing. Any driveway entering and/or exiting a street with one of the following classifications shall be located at the following minimum distance from the nearest existing driveway:
(a)
Arterial: 600 feet.
(b)
Collector: 300 feet.
(c)
Minor: 200 feet.
(4)
Sight distance.
(a)
All driveways shall be designed to provide safe sight distance for all permitted turning movements. In making such a determination, the Borough and the applicant shall comply with 67 Pa. Code § 441.1 et seq., as amended, and relevant PennDOT publications such as Publication 70, as amended.
(b)
Sight triangles. Clear sight triangles shall be maintained along all approaches to driveways with streets. The sight line shall be measured 25 feet along the center line of the driveway and the minimum distance along the center line in each direction from the intersection point along the center line with one of the following classifications:
[1]
Arterial: 125 feet.
[2]
Collector: 100 feet.
[3]
Minor: 75 feet.
(5)
Joint and cross-access.
(a)
The Borough may request the developer to provide for a joint driveway in order to achieve the intersection or driveway spacing standards required above or if the Borough determines, based on information provided in the traffic study, that permitting a new driveway will hinder ingress or egress to one or more neighboring driveways due to the volume of vehicles either entering or leaving the proposed new driveway. Joint access may only be requested where the development parcel is adjacent to one or more nonresidential parcel(s) and access between the parcels can be achieved without requiring excessive earth movement as determined by the Borough Engineer.
(b)
Where the developer is able to reach agreement with the adjacent property owner regarding a joint driveway, the following requirements shall apply:
[1]
The driveway shall have a design speed of 10 miles per hour and have sufficient width to accommodate two-way traffic.
[2]
The applicant shall submit a circulation plan that includes a cross-access driveway between the parcels and a cross- access pedestrian walkway and may include a plan for shared parking.
[3]
Property owners sharing a joint and/or cross-access driveway shall record an easement with their respective deeds preserving the right to, from and over their respective parcels. Such easement shall be accompanied by a joint agreement among the property owners defining the maintenance responsibilities for the driveway(s).
(6)
Driveway design. The required driveway design shall be a factor of projected traffic volume determined by the traffic impact study or the Borough Engineer (if no traffic impact study was required), as follows:
(a)
Length.
[1]
Length as measured from the outside shoulder edge of the intersecting street shall be determined according to the following criteria:
Table 11-1: Driveway Length | ||
|---|---|---|
Driveway Type/Volume | Minimum Length (feet) | |
Residential or other driveway used by not more than 100 vehicles per day | 25 | |
More than 100 vehicles per day | As determined by the traffic study | |
[2]
The required length may be modified by the Borough if a queuing analysis determines that another length is needed to avoid backup of vehicles onto adjacent streets.
(b)
Width.
[1]
The width of driveways without a curb shall be calculated as follows:
Table 11-2: Driveway Width | ||
|---|---|---|
Driveway Type/Volume | Minimum Width (feet) | |
Residential or other driveway used by not more than 100 vehicles per day | 10 (one-way) 20 (two-way) | |
More than 100 vehicles per day | As determined by the traffic study | |
[2]
For driveways with a curb, a minimum of two feet shall be added to the widths determined in accordance with the Table 11-2.
[3]
The Borough may require additional driveway width to provide for turning lanes when the Borough Engineer determines they are needed for adequate traffic flow and safety.
[4]
The Borough may require a median at the Borough Engineer's discretion to control turning movements. Any median shall have a minimum width of four feet.
[5]
Driveways consisting of a continuous curb cut along the property boundary adjoining the right-of-way shall be prohibited. No driveway shall exceed the width requirements calculated under this section by more than 10%.
(c)
Driveway radius.
[1]
Any driveway shall be designed to provide an adequate turning radius to accommodate anticipated vehicles entering and exiting the driveway. The following minimum radii are required:
Table 11-3: Driveway Radius | ||
|---|---|---|
Driveway Type/Volume | Radius (feet) | |
Residential or other driveway used by not more than 100 vehicles per day | 15 (uncurbed) 25 (curbed) | |
More than 100 vehicles per day | As determined by the traffic study | |
[2]
For all driveways, the radii shall be designed to accommodate the largest vehicle (such as buses or tractor trailers) expected to use the driveway.
[3]
Except for joint driveways, no portion of a driveway radius may be located on or along the frontage of an adjacent property.
C.
Parking lots.
(1)
Parking lot layout and landscaping. Except as provided in Subsection C(2) and (3) below, any parking lot within this district shall meet the requirements of Article 2000, Buffering and Landscaping, and Article 2200, Off-Street Parking and Loading.
(2)
Shared parking. The use of shared parking between adjacent properties or among different uses within multiple-building developments is strongly encouraged. The number of shared parking spaces shall be determined in accordance with the ratios established in Article 2200.
(3)
Pedestrian access. Any parking lot having 100 or more parking spaces shall be designed with one or more pedestrian aisle(s) separated from vehicular traffic with low barriers or plantings that create a safe walkway. The pedestrian aisle(s) shall be a minimum of four feet wide and shall direct pedestrians to sidewalks and/or building entrance(s). Where pedestrian aisles cross driveways or internal streets, they shall be clearly marked as pedestrian crosswalks with pavement striping and signage.
(4)
Use of porous paving material. If the entire parking lot is developed using porous paving materials in accordance with the Borough's Stormwater Management Ordinance, Chapter 178 of the Code, such porous paving materials shall be included in the maximum impervious surface area, but its use shall permit the applicant to increase the maximum impervious surface coverage of the site by 10%.
§ 212-1109 Building design standards.
A.
Building orientation and general design.
(1)
Orientation. Any individual building developed on a lot shall be oriented to face the principal street that defines the corridor. For buildings developed as part of a multibuilding development, orientation of some buildings may face a central plaza or parking area, provided that any wall facing the principal street shall meet all design standards specified below.
(2)
Building materials. Every portion of any exposed exterior wall surface shall be composed of durable materials such as brick, natural or manufactured stone, marble, granite, glass, fiber cement board, solid wood such as cedar or high-quality metal panels. Concrete block shall be prohibited. The Borough Council may approve alternative materials only if such material is determined to be equal or superior to the materials enumerated above.
(3)
General building design.
(a)
New buildings shall be constructed to be generally compatible with buildings on the same block frontage within 200 feet. This provision shall be satisfied by constructing the subject structure so at least three of the following features are similar to the majority of other structures within 200 feet of the block frontage on both sides of the street:
[1]
Building height;
[2]
Roof style/overhang;
[3]
Building massing;
[4]
Window coverage;
[5]
Exterior building material; or
[6]
Pattern of window and door openings.
(b)
No wall surface shall exceed 50 continuous feet without a break. A break shall consist of either:
[1]
A recess or offset measuring at least 10 feet in depth or 1/4 of the building in length; or
[2]
A series of recesses or offsets, at intervals of not more than 30 feet, each measuring a minimum of four feet in depth. The objective of this standard is to avoid large, undifferentiated wall surfaces.
(c)
Buildings over 25 feet in height shall include architectural features that mimic two-story structures, such as windows, cornices or similar components. Buildings with flat roofs shall have mansard roof facades or gabled roofs over the required offset areas; see Figure 11-4.
(d)
To the maximum extent feasible, new buildings located within this district shall adhere to the design standards in § 212-1109B through I.
(e)
Green roofs and vertical green walls are encouraged.
B.
Site layout. The building is brought forward as close to the street as possible, with parking and other services tucked around the side and back. This helps to define the identity of the street and gives the business maximum public exposure.
Figure 11-1: Sample Site Layout  |
(1)
The primary building entry should always be placed at the front of the building (facing the front lot line) and be clearly identifiable from the street (A). In this example, an entry vestibule is created which faces the front, side and rear parking area simultaneously.
(2)
Parking should be placed at the side or rear of the lot, where possible, and be screened from view whenever possible. Break the parking areas up into groups of no more than 20 spaces per area, 35 spaces for large development projects, separated by landscaping areas (B).
(3)
Place as much of the building width at the front of the lot as possible to maximize front facade exposure to the public (C). The front facade should be kept parallel to the street.
(4)
To reinforce the "street edge," align with neighboring buildings that are also close to the front setback line. Landscaping can also be used to reinforce this line (D).
(5)
Whenever possible, attempt to link with adjacent parking lots or provide shared parking areas which can serve neighboring buildings simultaneously (E). This provides a secondary means of access to the site and can ease congestion on the main road.
(6)
Provide sidewalks for the full width of the property with a direct link to the primary building entry (F).
(7)
Loading docks, service areas and trash facilities shall be located at the rear of the building and not visible from the street. Fences, walls or landscaping can be used to shield them from view (G).
(8)
Incorporate any existing, older trees into new site plan development whenever possible to reduce waste and salvage good shade trees (H).
(9)
Minimize the amount of curb cuts by having a single driveway in and out of the property from the main road consistent with the provisions of § 212-1108.
(10)
The parking lot areas shall be designed in regular, rectangular shapes. Irregular wedge-shaped parking areas created by following angled property lines are discouraged. Only create as much paved area as absolutely necessary.
(11)
Landscaped islands and other green space should be consolidated into useful areas and not just narrow strips of grass or plantings (J).
C.
Site planning. Corner lots are especially important in defining the street. Special attention should be paid to bringing the building mass all the way out to meet the corner. Large shopping plazas should also attempt to infill the front of their lots with new commercial space to take advantage of the road frontage.
Figure 11-2: Site Planning  |
(1)
Corner lots shall place as much building mass near the intersection as possible to help anchor the lot and take advantage of the high visibility (A).
(2)
Automotive service canopies shall be designed as an integral part of the station architecture whenever possible. This can allow for a visual or even physical connection that provides shelter between the vehicle and the building (B).
(3)
Alternative automotive service layouts include placing the pumps near the rear of the lot while having the convenience store out in front near the street (C). This helps to highlight the building and shield the utilitarian pump canopy and pulls the curb cuts away from the intersection, creating easier access.
(4)
When it is not feasible to place the building entry directly on the front facade, attempts should be made to ensure that it is still readily visible and faces the main road or internal street (D).
(5)
Older shopping plazas set back far from the street can benefit from developing the land at the front of their lot. This helps to define the street character and allows for more "one-stop" shopping and shared parking opportunities (E).
(6)
Provide trees and other landscape screening to shield large parking areas from adjacent lots consistent with the provisions of Article 2000, Buffering and Landscaping (F).
(7)
Large parking lots are encouraged to provide walkways that create safe pedestrian travel areas (G).
(8)
Developments may benefit from having a shared access to a common dumpster location which both neighboring properties can use (H).
(9)
All public accessways on the site shall comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
D.
Building mass. Breaking up the masses helps reduce the scale. Dividing the building volume into a variety of shapes helps to reduce the perceived scale of the architecture and allows placement of the more important volumes up near the front of the site.
Figure 11-3: Building Mass  |
(1)
Place a majority of the building mass close to the road to help define the street edge, where possible. In Figure 11-3, the two-story mass is placed at the front of the lot and likely contains the most public functions, including reception, offices, showroom, retail space, etc. (A).
(2)
Where permitted, less public areas such as warehouses, storage and manufacturing spaces can be shielded from view in the rear. This often allows for warehouse/utilitarian style construction to be hidden behind the smaller-scale public spaces that are in front (B).
(3)
The building mass near the front of the site should be articulated with design features that give it a more pedestrian-scale appearance. Natural, smaller-scale materials should be used near the front of the site and pedestrian areas whenever possible (C).
(4)
Large-scale features such as long, uninterrupted picture windows are not encouraged near the front of the site. They should instead be separated into smaller groups to help reduce their scale and give them a more vertical orientation (D). The scale of these large windows can be further divided with the use of mullions and muntins.
(5)
Larger-scale design features such as garage doors shall be reserved for the rear of the facility whenever possible and out of sight from the street (E).
(6)
Different massing at the entry to the building helps to further define a reduced-scale appearance and improves visibility from many directions (F).
(7)
In the above example, the utility area in the rear is only one story (G), but this could instead be a two- or three-story area that is still shielded from view behind the front portion of the building.
(8)
Large areas of blank wall should be avoided or should be reserved for the side or rear of the facility whenever possible. If they cannot be avoided, design accents such as pilasters or other facade articulations can help to reduce the overall scale appearance (H).
(9)
Special design elements that help to articulate the facade help to further reduce the overall building scale. Articulations of the facade or breaks in the roofline help to define different masses and reduce the scale. See also Figure 11-8: Fenestration.
(10)
The use of covered porches and similar recessed front entry areas is encouraged to help create a more human-scale appearance to the building. These also help to draw attention to the point of entry and provide shelter from the rain and snow. Porch areas should not be used for outdoor merchandise display.
(11)
In lieu of a formal porch entry, a small canopy or awning over the main entry also helps to provide a pedestrian-scale appearance.
E.
Scale and massing. Alternate design for big-box retail. By articulating the facade of a typical big-box retail store with different massing elements, you can help to give a smaller-scale appearance to an otherwise featureless mass.
Figure 11-4: Scale and Massing  |
(1)
The typical big-box retail structure can be seen here as a relatively featureless mass shaded in gray (A). These structures usually have blank walls on most of the facades and are articulated only at the point of entry.
(2)
Large retail structures shall articulate their primary facade(s) with various design features to help reduce the overall scale of the building with the use of roofline articulation or mass divisions.
(3)
These can be used to highlight entry points, exits, specialty areas (such as a garden/landscaping center or auto service), customer pickup zones or separate places of business.
(4)
In between the main massing elements, a secondary level of scale reduction can be achieved with a smaller porch design (C). In addition to creating a more interesting facade, this provides pedestrian shelter and helps to tie the facade together. In the case of multiple-tenant plazas, these porch areas act as the front facades and entry points to smaller businesses.
(5)
The relative massing of the facade can be slowly broken down into progressively smaller elements. For example, the larger storefront elements (B) are supported on large piers (D). These entrance elements frame smaller porches in between, which are supported on even smaller columns (E). These smaller columns are scaled to the pedestrian and use the smallest materials.
(6)
The front facade or entry areas may be designed to accommodate facade lettering as permitted (F).
(7)
The main facade (A) can be further enhanced with occasional variations in materials, such as the use of colored or textured masonry units in special areas to create localized patterns (G). The use of banding designs (continuous horizontal stripes) across large areas of facade is not recommended.
(8)
Smaller-scale materials should be used on these front-façade massing elements whenever possible.
(9)
The size, scale, motif and use of materials for the front-façade design should be kept consistent across the facade in order to tie the entire composition together. The use of a variety of design styles across the facade is not recommended.
F.
Roof configuration. A well-designed building roof provides screening, reduces the building scale, diverts the fall of rainwater, highlights important areas and creates a graceful "cap" to the structure, among other things.
Figure 11-5: Roof Configuration  |
(1)
The tallest facade of the building should face the street, stepping down in back if necessary.
(2)
The roof of the building should be in keeping with the scale of the structure itself. Overly large, bold or "inflated" roof and fascia designs are discouraged.
(3)
Flat roof structures should be capped by an articulated parapet design which acts as a structural expression of the building facade and its materials (A). Fake roof fronts, built-out roof frames and similar applied designs are discouraged.
(4)
Subtle variations that help to differentiate the "base," "middle" and "top" of the structure are encouraged (B).
(5)
Sloped roof structures are encouraged to maintain a pitch between 6:12 minimum and 12:12 maximum slope on all primary roof areas (not including dormers, entry canopies or similar elements). Mansard and shed roof designs are discouraged.
(6)
Buildings with sloped roofs are encouraged to employ the use of dormers and gables along the front to help maintain a prominent facade when feasible (C).
(7)
Buildings with sloped roofs are encouraged to provide roof overhangs with a minimum of six-inch or larger overhang (D).
(8)
Subtle breaks and fluctuations in the roofline are encouraged to highlight important areas of the building (such as the entry) and break up longer runs of facade/roof area (E).
(9)
Air-handling units, condensers, satellite dishes and other equipment placed on the roof should not be visible from the street and instead should be screened by building elements so they are shielded from sight (F).
(10)
In addition, roof-mounted equipment shall be visually minimized with painted colors and finish complementary to the overall building design.
(11)
The roof of a structure should be designed so as to divert the fall of rain and snow away from pedestrian areas such as walkways and doors. The use of canopies, awnings or similar protective designs is also encouraged at entry locations (G).
G.
Building proportions. Many of the facade characteristics of this building are determined by the same width-to-height proportioning ratio (1:1.75). This can help to visually balance and tie the building together.
Figure 11-6: Building Proportions  |
(1)
The proportions of design elements such as windows, columns or bay spacing should be kept as consistent as possible on the facade. In Figure 11-6, the windows on the second floor have the same width-to-height ratio as the windows on the first floor (A).
(2)
Proportioning systems also can be very effective in guiding other design characteristics of the facade. Here, the same width-to-height ratio of the windows was used to determine the proportions of many other features (B).
(3)
The use of vertically proportioned elements (elements which are generally taller than they are wide) is encouraged to help give the building a taller, lighter and statelier appearance. Strong horizontal influences such as large fascias or banding designs are discouraged or should be adequately balanced with vertical elements (C).
H.
Columns. The column or pier should reflect the amount of weight it appears to be carrying.
Figure 11-7: Columns  |
(1)
The proportion of structural elements such as posts or columns should be appropriate to the weight they appear to be carrying. Columns that support larger masses, such as upper floors, generally have a low width-to-height ratio, for example 1:5 (D above). Columns supporting lighter elements such as a porch roof generally have larger ratio, for example 1:15 (E above). These relative proportions help balance a facade visually (Figure 11-7).
I.
Fenestration. Recesses such as archways or deep windows are two examples of fenestration. They help to give a facade a more three-dimensional appearance by casting shadows and creating a visual contrast.
Figure 11-8: Fenestration  |
(1)
Articulations in the plane of the facade are encouraged to create an interesting design, reinforce rhythms and cast shadows (A). Very flat facade designs are discouraged.
(2)
Typically, the most fenestration is found at the first-floor level near pedestrian areas. Here, the use of larger openings and increased depth is encouraged. This creates a more open and inviting area (B).
(3)
In a building of two or more stories, the upper floors typically would have decreasing levels of fenestration. Here, smaller openings and less depth is usually found compared to the first floor (C).
(4)
Openings in masonry buildings should express a structural lintel or arch to express how it is carrying the weight above (D). Likewise, door and window frames can also use a wider trim at the head than is used on the sides to achieve the same visual effect.
(5)
The primary entry to a building is the best place to be creative with the use of depth in a facade. The added depth and articulation help to draw attention to the entry and highlight it as an important place (E).
(6)
The use of facade articulation, such as expressing the structural bays of the building with pilasters, or other detailing can be useful in animating an otherwise blank area of wall (F).
(7)
In nonpedestrian areas, such as the side or rear of the building, an increased level of fenestration is not as important and can be scaled down if desired (G).
(8)
The use of porches, colonnades, canopies or awnings is encouraged (H).
J.
Buffering and landscaping.
(1)
Any development within this district shall meet the requirements for buffering and landscaping set forth in Article 2000.
(2)
In addition, any development shall meet the following requirements:
(a)
All areas not utilized for structures, driveways, planting strips or parking facilities must be seeded, sodded or landscaped within a reasonable period of time. The phrase "a reasonable period of time" shall be interpreted to be within two weeks after construction activities are completed, unless those activities are completed between November 1 and April 1. In such case, the required sodding or seeding must occur within two weeks of April 1.
(b)
A buffer yard shall be created within the front setback measuring 25 feet in depth from the street right-of-way. Such buffer yard shall create a visual screen between the street and the development. Plantings shall be consistent with those provided in Subsection J(2)(d) and (e) below. This buffering requirement shall not apply to internal streets within a single development.
(c)
Any nonresidential development in the M-2 District abutting a residential property shall install a fifty-foot-wide buffer yard extending the full length of the abutting residential lot line.
[Amended 11-20-2013 by Ord. No. 606-2013]
(d)
Within any such required buffer yard, the following plantings shall be required: for every 100 linear feet, a minimum of five large canopy trees, six understory or small canopy trees, and 30 shrubs.
(e)
Planting specifications. All plantings required in the buffer yard shall meet the planting specifications set forth in Article 2000.
(f)
Existing vegetation. Developments shall be encouraged to preserve trees and shrubs which exist within the required buffer yard area of the development parcel. The existing trees and shrubs may be utilized to satisfy the required buffer area planting required herein; provided, however, that the performance standards regarding height and mix of types of plantings are met. In the event the existing trees and shrubs do not satisfy the buffer requirements, the applicant shall use new plantings in combination with the existing plantings to satisfy the buffer requirements.
(g)
No structures or uses, including, but not limited to, buildings, accessory structures, parking spaces, curbs, access drives and lighting devices, but excluding fences and screening walls, may be located in any required buffer yard. Any fence or screening wall shall be erected at least six feet from the lot line, shall not exceed six feet in height, and shall be screened from view by shrubs and other plantings.
(h)
In addition to the other requirements of this section, no nonresidential building in the M-2 District shall be located within 100 feet of any residentially zoned property.
[Amended 11-20-2013 by Ord. No. 606-2013]
(i)
Buffer yard maintenance. The owner of the development or such owner's agent shall be responsible for the maintenance, repair and replacement of all screening and buffer plantings required under this section. All plant materials shall be maintained in a healthy condition and kept free of refuse and debris.
K.
Lighting.
(1)
Site lighting shall be designed and installed to provide no more than two footcandles of light at any point on the property. Any lighting shall be from a concealed source, shall be of a clear white light that does not distort colors and shall not spill over into adjoining properties or streets or in any way interfere with the vision of oncoming motorists.
(2)
No light fixtures shall exceed 20 feet in height.
