The Restricted Industrial (I-R) District is established to provide areas for light industrial uses, particularly uses that offer a wide range of employment opportunities. This district is designed to have high performance standards and to accommodate uses that can be located in close proximity to commercial uses, and in locations convenient to residential areas without creating nuisances or overburdening infrastructure. The performance standards of the IR district reflect the Town's commitment to stewardship of the natural environment and to sustainable development. This includes industrial development that affords local residents the opportunity to work close to home. The standards also reflect the increasing scarcity of groundwater in the Piedmont Plateau.

The district regulations are designed to permit the operations of most offices, research, manufacturing and "flex space" activities. The intent of the regulations is to respect the broad authority of the Planning and Zoning Commission under state law to determine the design, architecture and site layout of a development to ensure that the industrial uses in the district do not deleteriously effect other uses within the district, adjoining property owners, the community or the environment. The IR district is meant for industrial, not commercial, uses. Some incidental commercial or retail uses are permitted that service the industrial uses within the industrial area or that do not depend upon intensive visits by customers from outside the industrial area.

Business offices of all types: professional, corporate, government and nonprofit.

Biomedical technology facilities and laboratories.

Computer research, software development and data processing services.

Professional training centers, except truck and heavy equipment operator schools.

Engineering, scientific and other research-development-type facilities.

Flex space as defined in § 135-3.

Establishments for production, processing, assembly, manufacturing, compounding, preparation, cleaning, servicing, testing or repair of materials, goods or products; except food and beverage products and those particular heavy industrial uses set forth in § 135-135R.

Call center operations.

Establishments for warehousing, wholesaling or distribution of products not manufactured on the premises and having less than 150,000 square feet of gross floor area. Establishments for warehousing, wholesaling or distribution of products not manufactured on the premises having greater than 150,000 square feet of gross floor area and which exist and are in operation at the time of annexation into the Town, and expansions thereof, shall not be subject to a limit on gross floor area.

Construction and contractors' facilities including offices, shops and interior storage for general construction, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, roofing and other similar firms.

Sheet metal or fabrication shops.

Carpentry, woodworking or furniture-making facilities.

Sign contractors and sign painting shops.

Wholesale printing, publishing and lithography businesses.

Telecommunications facilities, excluding communication towers.

Clothing and shoe manufacturing.

Agriculture and viticulture for interim use on an undeveloped parcel greater than 10 acres, where irrigation is not required and where any buildings or feeding pens in which farm animals are kept shall comply with the distance requirements of § 135-20.

Radio and television facilities and studios.

Except as otherwise authorized by § 135-132I, establishments for warehousing, wholesaling or distribution of products not manufactured on the premises and having 150,000 square feet or more of gross floor area, provided that, in the opinion of the Board, the use will not create an objectionable traffic condition on any roads in the surrounding area or generate a nuisance to surrounding properties by reason of traffic.

Any use and/or uses of land in an I-R district including those listed in § 135-132 where the projected or actual use of municipal water in gallons per day exceeds the groundwater recharge rate as established by the Maryland Department of the Environment.

Conversion or alteration of a building existing prior to September 1, 2014, to become a church or place of worship, where the original parcel of land is less than 10 acres and the entire building is used solely by the church, provided that the requirements of Article XXI, as well as the requirements of the Health Department, are complied with and subject further to the requirements of Chapter 120, relating to site plan review.

Food and beverage production, processing and manufacturing facilities.

In granting or denying a conditional use, the Board of Zoning Appeals shall consider the intent of the I-R district, the potential impact on adjacent uses, the potential of the industrial site to support the requested conditional use, the risk that the requested use will attract substantive traffic from outside of the industrial site and the capacity of public facilities including public water and sewer necessary to support the requested conditional use.[2]

Accessory uses are permitted within buildings of principal permitted uses. Accessory uses shall not occupy more than 5% of the gross floor area of the building or all of the buildings on the lot in which they exist. No single accessory use shall occupy more than 3,000 square feet of gross floor area unless otherwise noted.

No variance on the size limitations granted herein may be granted without the review and approval of the Town Council.

Residential dwelling units.

Department stores.

Supermarkets or convenience stores.

Restaurants, except as authorized § 135-134.

Gas stations.

Automotive, motorcycle, implement sales, service and repair.

Storage or parking of school or recreation vehicles.

Mini storage facilities.

Laundry or dry-cleaning establishments.

Truck or motor freight terminals.

Heliports.

The sale, display or storage of merchandise or goods, the performance of any commercial service or any sales or solicitation of sales on parking lots, parking areas, sidewalks, walkways or otherwise outside the confines of buildings or enclosures. The Commission may approve outdoor areas for the storage of materials, but only where any such storage area is completely screened from the view of adjoining uses, contiguous properties and adjoining roadways.

Vending machines of any kind installed or operated out of doors or upon the exterior of any part of the premises, except telephones, postal facilities and automatic teller machines.

Outdoor public address system or loudspeaker.

Outdoor advertising promotions, including aerial balloons, except for on-premises signs authorized by Article XXII.

Bulk storage of flammable materials for resale.

Solar farms (except as permitted in § 135-134).

Heavy industrial uses, to include:

Lot area. None.

Lot width. A lot shall have a width of not less than 150 feet at the building line.

Building area. Not more than 50% of the area of each lot or tract may be occupied by buildings, and not more than 80% of the area shall be paved and occupied by buildings or other uses.

Yards.

No operation or uses shall be permitted or maintained which cause or produce any of the following effects discernible outside the improvements or affecting any property in the surrounding area:

All permitted and conditional uses and accessory activities shall be confined within completely enclosed buildings with the exception of off-street parking spaces, off-street loading facilities, signs, solar panels, and recreational facilities.

Truck loading, vehicle storage and dumpster spaces shall be situated to the rear or side of the building(s). If not totally screened by other buildings which are part of the project, truck parking and loading, and dumpster areas shall be completely shielded from the adjacent roadway(s). This may be accomplished by orientation, screen walls, mounding, landscaping or a combination of the above.

All mechanical equipment and exposed machinery, including roof-mounted, shall be enclosed or screened so as to be an integral part of the architectural design.

Truck parking, delivery and loading areas are not permitted within 100 feet of any R district.

Automobile parking areas are not permitted within 25 feet of any R district.

Outdoor storage shall be limited to areas approved on the site and all such approved areas must be completely screened. Outdoor storage areas may not be located less than 200 feet from any residential district.

Any change in tenancy or occupancy shall require a zoning certificate issued by the Zoning Administrator to certify that the change in tenancy or occupancy conforms to the requirements of the zoning regulations and the approved site plan.

Bulk storage of fuel oil, gasoline or liquefied petroleum shall be limited to aboveground tanks no greater than 2,000 gallons and all such storage shall occur in such a manner as to minimize any possibility of leakage and groundwater contamination.

Any development where the cumulative gross floor area of the structure(s) exceeds 25,000 square feet shall have included with the site plan a water conservation plan to include an evaluation of potential water reuse options and requirements for mandatory water use reductions during drought emergencies imposed by the local governing body or State of Maryland.

Any new building or structure shall maximize the use of water saving plumbing and processes including water-saving fixtures and water-reclamation devices to the extent practicable.

Exterior lighting.

Buffering of adjacent uses.

[1]Collection receptacles. All dumpsters or similar large collection receptacles for trash, recyclables or other waste materials must be located on level surfaces which are paved or a durable and dust-free surface as approved by the Commission. Where the dumpster or receptacle is located in a yard which abuts a residential or institutional use or a public street, it must be screened by fencing or landscaping.

Landscaping. Landscaping must be provided in accordance with the Carroll County Landscape Manual. The site design should include an emphasis on native Maryland species and drought-resistant plants. Irrigation or watering systems should use only recycled water or rainwater collected on site. The Commission may require any industrial development to submit a water conservation plan as part of the site plan approval process.

Building placement.

Building entrances.

Sidewalks. Where an existing or planned public sidewalk is interrupted by a proposed project driveway, the sidewalk material must continue to be maintained across the driveway, or the driveway must be painted to distinguish it as a sidewalk. Further, if street trees exist on an adjacent property, street trees must be planted, in a like manner, on the new site.

Parking.

Landscaped roadside buffers.

Building orientation. New buildings within a developed area should be compatible with the neighborhood such that they reflect the overall building bulk, square footage, dimensions, placement of the building on the lot and rhythm of buildings and spaces along the street edge and minimize the visual impact on the neighborhood. The visual impact of a building shall be measured by its relationship to other buildings on the lot, design of the front of the building, and the rhythm of buildings and open spaces along the street. The design of buildings fronting on a public street(s) shall be oriented to the street(s).

Building scale. When large new buildings or structures are proposed in built-up areas where their scale (size) and other features may be significantly different from that which already exists in the immediate neighborhood, care must be taken to design the new building or structure so that it is compatible with its neighbors. This may include making the building appear small, using traditional materials, styles and/or proportions.