These provisions are enacted to provide for proper affordable housing ownership opportunities for the Village's senior citizens. It is hereby recognized that the Village has a high proportion of senior citizens who are confronting adverse economic conditions, limited fixed incomes, physical restrictions and rapidly accelerating costs of maintaining detached single-family dwellings. The Village Board deems it necessary and beneficial to the community to provide for alternate affordable housing ownership opportunities for senior citizens, as defined herein, within the Village.

Pursuant to the public purpose of providing specialized housing facilities for senior citizens to meet the special housing, health care, social and recreational needs of this segment of the population, the Village Board establishes a Golden Age Zone, as a floating zone that permits the development of senior citizen housing in such zones as more specifically provided herein.

The Village Board may establish the Golden Age Floating Zone in Apartment, Business AA, Business A, Business B and Industrial Zoning Zones subject to the following standards and requirements. Such zone, upon Village Board approval, shall be affixed to the official Village Zoning Map where such zone is proposed.

The site shall be located within a convenient distance from a central business zone or hamlet which provides shopping opportunities, public transportation and other community-based facilities.

Due consideration shall be given to the character of the existing neighborhood and historic buildings or sites, if any, on or near the site.

The site shall be of sufficient size and shape so as to provide for buffer areas, where appropriate, to screen the development from adjacent properties.

The site shall be well drained and have soils capable of handling on-site stormwater without endangering adjacent properties or the water supply and shall, in all events, be designed to comply with all Nassau County codes, rules and regulations relative to the drainage. All sewage shall be connected to the Village sanitary sewer system.

Site topography shall not exceed five-percent slope, except for natural buffer areas or artificially created buffer areas.

The site shall have not less than 150 feet frontage on an improved, existing state, county, town or Village road so as to permit vehicular ingress and egress from the site.

Public water supply shall be sufficient and available to serve the development.

Underground electric service shall be provided to the site.

Sites lying wholly within a floodplain shall not be considered.

Subject structure should provide for rooftop green space for not less than 1/2 the available space on said roof.

Persons who are 55 years of age or over.

A husband or wife under the age of 55 years who is residing with his or her spouse who is 55 years of age or over.

Children and grandchildren residing with their parents or grandparents where one of said parents or grandparents with whom the child or grandchild is residing is 55 years of age or older, providing that said child or grandchildren are over the age of 19 years and provided further that there is sufficient air space for all occupants as required by the New York State Building Code.

Adults under 55 years of age may be admitted as permanent residents if it is established that the presence of such persons is essential for the physical care or economic support of eligible older persons.

The required front yard depth shall be a minimum of 25 feet.

In the case of a corner lot, a front yard shall be required on each street.

The Village Board may modify the requirements of Subsections A and/or B if in the judgment of the Board sufficient landscaping is provided to screen the building and parking areas from the street and adjoining properties.

There shall be two side yards, one on each side of the main building, each having a minimum width of at least 20 feet, except that where there are two or more main buildings upon the plot, the minimum side yard requirement of 20 feet shall apply only along the side property lines of the entire plot.

The Village Board may modify this requirement if in the judgment of the Board sufficient landscaping is included to screen the building and parking areas from the street and adjoining properties.

There shall be a rear yard, the depth of which shall be at least 25 feet.

The Village Board may modify this requirement if in the judgment of the Board sufficient landscaping is included to screen the building and parking areas from the street and adjoining properties.

The minimum open space between the exterior walls of residential buildings on the site shall be equivalent to the maximum height of the taller building but, in no case shall the distance between buildings be less than 20 feet.

The Village Board may modify this requirement if in the judgment of the Board sufficient landscaping is included to screen the building and parking areas from the street and adjoining properties.

There shall be provided off-street on-premises parking sufficient to accommodate five automobiles for each four apartments.

All open parking facilities provided pursuant to the requirements of this article shall be paved or surfaced in accordance with sound engineering and construction practices, and each parking space shall be no less than 8.5 feet in width by 18 feet in depth and shall be individually identified by pavement marking.

The parking provided shall include parking for the handicapped as may be required by the New York State Building Code.

There shall be provided not less than 25 square feet of usable outdoor recreation area per dwelling unit exclusive of walks, driveways, and parking areas, unless the Village Board determines that there are sufficient public recreation facilities within the surrounding area. Upon such determination the Village Board may waive or reduce this requirement.

There shall be provided not less than 10 square feet of usable interior recreation area per dwelling to be used as a card room, party room, meeting room or similar all-purpose room for use by the residents of the building.

The determination of screening buffers and fencing shall be made by the Village Board, based on the characteristics of the site and the nature of adjacent lands.

Parking areas shall be paved in accordance with Village requirements and provide for on-site drainage. Sidewalks shall be provided along all internal and external street frontages. Internal roadways shall have a minimum width of 25 feet and be curbed.

Due consideration shall be given in planning walks, ramps and driveways to prevent slipping or stumbling, and handrails and ample places for rest shall be provided. Gradients of walks shall not exceed 5%, and single-rider grade changes in walks shall not be permitted. All outdoor areas available to the residents shall permit such residents to move about without danger and with minimum effort.

The design and location of all site improvements and all buildings must be consistent with the ultimate purpose of achieving independent, self-reliant and pleasant living arrangements for senior citizens.

Adequate facilities shall be provided for the removal of snow, trash and garbage and for the general maintenance of the development. When the method of disposing of trash and other solid wastes is by means of industrial-type receptacles (dumpsters), all such receptacles shall be suitably enclosed on all four sides by aesthetic opaque screening, and no receptacle enclosure shall be within 50 feet of any window of any habitable dwelling unit.

Lighting of the grounds shall provide illuminations sufficient for the convenience and safety of the residents. However, such outdoor lighting shall not project light onto, nor shall light sources be visible from, adjacent properties. No outdoor light source shall be more than 12 feet above the ground level underneath it.

At least one smoke-detector device, one carbon monoxide detector and one emergency alarm device shall be provided in each dwelling unit; the premises shall contain a fire sprinkler system designed in accordance with requirements of the Village of Freeport and Nassau County.

Where full-time, twenty-four-hour superintendence services are not provided, there shall be posted within each dwelling unit a twenty-four-hour emergency phone number at which either managerial or maintenance personnel may be contacted. In addition, the owner shall be required to make application for at least one public telephone to be conveniently located within the development.

The Village Board shall have the right to require that the applicant or owner execute such agreements and covenants as it may deem to be required. Said agreements or covenants shall be recorded in the County Clerk's office and constitute a covenant running with the land. Such covenant or agreement may be modified or released only as set forth in said covenant or agreement or by the Village Board.

The dwelling units may contain up to, but not more than, two bedrooms per unit. Rooms designated as dens, libraries and/or family rooms shall be deemed to be bedrooms.

The building shall contain a laundry room with washing machines, dryers and a washbasin for use by residents of said building.

The dwelling units will be offered "for sale" only.

The Board of Trustees by resolution shall adopt and from time to time may amend a schedule of fees payable by an applicant for a petition for a Golden Age Zone Classification.

Plans shall be submitted with the application as follows:

The Village Board shall refer all applications for Golden Age zoning designation to the Planning Board for review, report, and recommendation, including but not limited to a parkland set aside as contained in § 209-7B, of the Code of the Incorporated Village of Freeport.

Upon the approval of the petition by the Village Board, final site plans shall be submitted to the Village Clerk in accordance with applicable site plan review requirements. Said plans shall show any additional data or requirements deemed necessary by the Village Board in its approval.