Grain Valley City Zoning Code
SECTION 400
460 Downtown Overlay District - Use Regulations.
[R.O. 1996 § 400.460; Ord. No. 1906 § 1, 6-25-2007; Ord. No. 2167 § 1, 8-22-2011]
A.
Purpose. The Downtown Overlay District seeks to maintain the Main Street corridor as a thoroughfare, while promoting economic development and compatible land uses that foster Grain Valley's sense of a central downtown and encourages the area to serve as the social and cultural center of Grain Valley.
The overlay district (also known as the "Downtown Overlay District") is composed of a transition zone serving more auto-orientated uses, and the downtown area serving pedestrian-orientated uses. The standards set forth shall apply for the entire overlay district, unless expressly referring to the transition zone.
The requirements of the overlay district are in addition to any zoning regulations for current and future non-residential uses existing in the geographically defined area of downtown Grain Valley.
B.
Review Process. Site plan review by the Planning Commission shall be required prior to approval of a building permit.
C.
Geographical Area. The Downtown Overlay District is defined in green and red by the following Main Street corridor map. The northern portion of the transition zone extends from Woodbury to the north to Yennie/James Rollo to the south and the southern portion generally extends from SW Eagles Parkway to the north to SW Rock Creek Lane to the south. The downtown district extends generally along Main Street from Yennie/James Rollo to SW Eagles Parkway to the south, between Gregg Street to the west and Cypress Street to the East.
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D.
Effective Date. The standards outlined in Grain Valley's Downtown Overlay District will apply to all newly constructed commercial or mixed-use buildings or all new or reconstructed parking areas with five (5) or more spaces.
In accordance with Section 400.270, any building, parking area or sign that lawfully exists on the date this overlay district is enacted, which would not otherwise be permitted under this overlay district, may be continued as legal non-conforming in the same manner as existed before the effective date of the overlay district.
E.
Permitted Uses And Accessory Use.
[Ord. No. 2358 § 1, 4-13-2015]
1.
Objective. To develop a downtown identity for the Main Street corridor that is unique to Grain Valley, to have compatibility between adjacent, desirable land uses and to avoid undesirable impacts (i.e., traffic conflicts).
F.
Site Development And Building Design.
[Ord. No. 2358 § 1, 4-13-2015]
1.
Objective. New development or redevelopment will promote Grain Valley's character, including building articulation and nodal elements of a centralized community built along street corridors. Downtown Grain Valley will promote continuity of appearance, pedestrian scale and friendliness. Sites and buildings will be compatible in size, mass and exterior to adjacent, desirable and compatible uses. See Appendix A[1] for visual preference materials.
a.
Site Development. Each commercial site in the overlay district shall be subject to the following site development regulations. All elements of the site plan and building design must be approved.
b.
Downtown.
(1)
Lot Size. Minimum lot area, ten thousand (10,000) square feet.
(2)
Lot Width. Minimum lot width, fifty (50) feet.
(3)
Height. No higher than two (2) stories above adjacent building, four (4) stories maximum.
(4)
Front Yard. Maximum of three (3) feet from right-of-way line.
Exceptions:
(a)
Additional setback is used for pedestrian amenities (outdoor seating, benches, etc.).
(b)
Additional setbacks allowed for corner entrances of buildings at intersections.
(c)
Corner lots are required to have a setback on the building corners to allow a clear sight triangle to allow for intersection visibility.
(5)
Side Yard. None.
(6)
Rear Yard. No minimum or maximum.
(7)
Floor Area Ratio. Maximum floor area ratio, 0.8 to 1.
(8)
Impervious Coverage. Maximum coverage, eighty percent (80%).
(9)
Sidewalks and decorative lighting shall be incorporated into the site design as per approved design standards.
c.
Transition Zone.
(1)
Lot Size. Minimum lot area, fifteen thousand (15,000) square feet.
(2)
Lot Width. Minimum lot width, one hundred (100) feet.
(3)
Height. Maximum height, four (4) stories.
(4)
Front Yard. Minimum required setback, three (3) feet.
(5)
Side Yard. No minimum side yard required except when abutting a residential district, where a ten (10) foot setback is required.
(6)
Rear Yard. Twenty (20) feet.
(7)
Floor Area Ratio. Maximum floor area ratio, 0.8 to 1.
(8)
Impervious Coverage. Maximum coverage, eighty percent (80%).
(9)
Sidewalks and decorative lighting shall be incorporated into the site design as per approved design standards.
[1]
Editor's Note: Appendix A is included as an attachment to this Chapter.
G.
Parking Regulations.
1.
Objective. To ensure that parking does not appear as the dominant element in downtown Grain Valley, is designed in keeping with the Main Street corridor and adjacent neighborhoods plan, and to provide safe, convenient access to and within sites without diminishing quality pedestrian walking or visual experiences.
2.
Standards. The downtown overlay district will be subject to Section 400.290, Off-Street Parking And Loading Regulations, with the additional following regulations, except that Subsection (G)(2)(a) and (b) below shall not apply to the Transition Zone or to that portion of the Downtown Zone which lies south of Harris Street.
[Ord. No. 2401, 11-14-2022]
a.
Parking shall not be located between a building and the street. Exceptions may be made for one (1) row of on-street parallel parking.
b.
Parking shall be either to the side of a building or to the rear. Parking lots shall not be located at intersections.
c.
Restricting vehicular and pedestrian access between adjoining parking lots at the same grade is prohibited.
d.
Vehicle entrances to parking lots are encouraged to be placed along side streets.
e.
Curb cuts shall be no wider than thirty-six (36) feet.
f.
Parking lots shall not be placed so as to create a "missing tooth" effect in a block face along Main Street.
g.
Shared parking may be allowed if the applicant prepares a study following the procedures of the Urban Land Institute Shared Parking Report, ITE Shared Parking Guidelines or other approved procedures.
h.
A formal parking study may be waived for small developments where there is established experience with the land use mix and its impact is expected to be minimal.
i.
Payment In-Lieu-Of Parking. In lieu of providing the required parking spaces, a developer may pay the City a sum of money equal to the cost of a surface parking stall, that is the product of the number of parking spaces required but not provided.
(1)
The funds collected by the City will be used by the City to acquire and/or develop on-street or off-street parking and related facilities which are determined by the Board of Aldermen to alleviate the need for parking spaces in the downtown area.
(2)
The cost of a surface parking stall shall be established by the City and subject to review on a yearly basis.
H.
Landscape Requirements. Each development in the overlay district shall have an approved landscape plan.
I.
Signs. This sign Section supplements Section 400.300 and provides additional standards for signs within the Downtown Overlay District. At no time shall signs in the Downtown Overlay District be held to lower standards than identified in Section 400.300.
[Ord. No. 2358 § 1, 4-13-2015]
1.
Objective. Signs should be architecturally compatible with the style, composition, materials, colors and details of the building and with other signs on nearby, desirable buildings, while providing for adequate identification of the business.
2.
Standards.
a.
Signs constructed of natural materials such as stone or wood are preferred.
b.
Symbolic and historic three-dimensional signs such as barbershop poles and appropriately-sized projecting signs are encouraged.
c.
Permanently painted window signage is encouraged if compatible with the architecture of the building. Painted window signs should not consume more than one-third (1/3) of the glazed area of the window.
d.
Neon signs are permitted in display windows if not covering more than one-third (1/3) of the window surface area, not to exceed two (2) neon signs and a total combined area of five (5) square feet.
e.
Pole and/or pylon signage is prohibited in the Downtown Overlay District.
f.
Projecting signs must be no greater than twelve (12) square feet and have a maximum width of three (3) feet and cannot extend higher than sixteen (16) feet from the ground beyond the second floor of the building.
g.
No less than ten (10) feet of clearance shall be provided between the sidewalk elevation and the lowest point of the projecting signs.
h.
Maximum distance between sign and building face is one (1) foot.