Holland City Zoning Code
ARTICLE 39
5 Site Design Review Standards
Sec. 39-5.01 Intent.
[7-21-2021 by Ord. No. 1796]
A.
The intent of this article is to summarize site design requirements for development requiring site plan approval and to be a point of reference for staff and Planning Commission while conducting site plan reviews and preparing reports.
C.
In the event that there is a conflict between this article and the referenced UDO articles or in other ordinances, codes, and policies, the other UDO articles or other ordinances, codes, and policies shall govern.
Sec. 39-5.02 HBPW utility services.
[7-21-2021 by Ord. No. 1796]
All buildings shall be served by public water, sanitary sewer, and electric utilities and may be eligible for communication services. Nondomestic buildings may be required to meet pollution control requirements. These are all managed by the Holland Board of Public Works (HBPW). Developments shall not overburden public facilities or utilities as determined by the City or HBPW. All utilities shall be designed, planned, and installed per the City of Holland and HBPW requirements following the most current Holland Board of Public Works' Terms of Service found at: https://hollandbpq.com/en/customer-service/terms-of-service.
A.
Water and wastewater.
1.
New taps on existing public water and sewer mains shall be performed to meet HBPW specifications.
2.
Documentation of backflow prevention shall be submitted with application, if applicable.
3.
Assessments, frontage, trunkage, and meter fees shall be paid prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy.
4.
The property owner shall be responsible for a connection from the building to the public sewer connection and shall meet HBPW and State Plumbing Code requirements.
5.
All sanitary sewer system uses shall meet the requirements outlined in the Holland Sewer Use Ordinance, Chapter 29 of the City of Holland Code of Ordinances.
6.
Private fire service mains that supply hydrants shall be a minimum of six inches in diameter.
7.
Utility easements, if required, shall be granted and fully executed prior to service.
B.
Pollution control.
1.
Nondomestic customer requirements for new construction, additions, or renovations.
a.
A monitoring manhole is required for all nondomestic customers. It shall be installed on the owner's property. All wastewater shall pass through the manhole before connecting to the main sewer. Only one connection to the main sewer will be permitted for each building.
b.
In the case of additions or renovations to an existing building, all new sewer lines shall tie into existing sewer lines a minimum of 10 feet before the monitoring manhole to ensure proper wastewater sampling.
c.
Monitoring manholes shall meet HBPW accessibility requirements, and the monitoring manhole's design requires approval by HBPW prior to installation.
d.
Any food service facility shall be required to discharge all wastewater (with the exception of dishwasher and sanitary wastewater) through a minimum 1,000-gallon, three-chamber interceptor to help capture all fats, oil, and grease before wastewater discharges to a sanitary sewer. Interceptor design requires approval by HBPW prior to installation.
e.
Any building with the potential to discharge petroleum-based oil to the sanitary sewer system is required to install a minimum 1,000-gallon, three-chamber oil interceptor. Interceptor design requires approval by HBPW prior to installation.
f.
Discharge of uncontaminated process water, stormwater, uncontaminated cooling water, surface water, groundwater, roof runoff, or subsurface drainage to the sanitary sewer system is prohibited.
g.
The applicant shall provide a written request to the HBPW Pollution Control Division to be considered for any waiver to the requirements listed above.
C.
Electric.
1.
Undergrounding of all electric services to new buildings and redevelopments of existing buildings shall be required unless otherwise waived by the Holland Board of Public Works (HBPW).
2.
Utility easements shall be granted and fully executed prior to energization of electrical service.
3.
Unobstructed access to equipment. The applicant shall show on the site plan and place equipment in a manner to provide unobstructed access to HBPW.
4.
Clear vision. Equipment shall not interfere with vision or traffic circulation.
D.
Communication services.
1.
Communication services shall include broadband, telecom, and cable.
2.
All new communication services shall be installed underground.
3.
The applicant shall provide building penetration for all planned communication service conduits.
4.
Cabling guidelines and best practices to consider when designing new buildings are located at: https://www.hollandbpw.com/en/cablingguidelines.
5.
Utility easements, if required, shall be granted and fully executed prior to service.
Sec. 39-5.03 Stormwater management (Article 39-6).
[7-21-2021 by Ord. No. 1796]
A.
Stormwater permit. In addition to site plan approval, a stormwater permit shall be obtained from the City Engineer prior to building permit issuance. The stormwater permit application is available on the Transportation Services Department website or by calling the Department. See Chapter 29, Article VI, of the Code of Ordinances for additional stormwater regulations.
[Amended 2-2-2022 by Ord. No. 1812]
B.
Items required to obtain a stormwater permit.
1.
Site plans showing all existing and proposed stormwater improvements for the site. The location and size of all existing and proposed surface and subsurface stormwater facilities shall be provided.
4.
Plan showing stormwater flow paths for the ten-year storm event and a storm event that exceeds the 100-year storm event.
5.
Additional items as required by the City Engineer.
C.
Basic stormwater standards.
D.
E.
Retention and detention pond amenities shall be incorporated into the overall site design by designing them to provide site amenities. Specific site design elements shall be reviewed to determine if, in the opinion of the City Engineer and the approving authority, the proposed amenity and the location of the pond meets the intended benefit. See Article 39-6.
Sec. 39-5.04 Landscaping (Article 39-6).
[7-21-2021 by Ord. No. 1796]
A.
Street trees shall be provided every 30 feet within the right-of-way along all of the site's street frontages and along any new street. Existing street trees shall be clearly indicated on the required separate landscape plan. Trees may be placed further into the site, or ornamental trees may be used if overhead utilities or another obstruction is present, when approved by the approving authority. See Section 39-6.02C.
B.
Landscape islands are required in parking lots after every 20 parking spaces and shall include a minimum of one tree and a permitted ground cover. See Section 39-6.02D.
Sec. 39-5.05 Traffic circulation, driveways, streets, and sidewalks (Article 39-10).
[7-21-2021 by Ord. No. 1796]
A.
Traffic circulation and driveways. Site design and construction shall reasonably protect residents and occupants of adjacent properties from traffic congestion.
1.
Unobstructed access. The site plan shall show either unobstructed frontage on a public street or shall show a public street, private street, or driveway to provide public access to the project site.
2.
Traffic study required if the proposed uses will generate more than 100 peak hour trips or more than 750 total daily trips. The traffic study shall be performed by a licensed professional traffic operations engineer (PTOE) and shall provide volume and crash data for the frontage streets and for adjacent streets. The City Engineer may request a full traffic study regardless of trip generation or may waive this requirement. Prior to the preparation of any required traffic study, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) must be developed by the applicant and approved by the City Engineer. The MOU will develop the expectations and requirements of the study to provide clear guidance to the preparer and to streamline the review by the City.
[Amended 12-1-2021 by Ord. No. 1805]
3.
Access management via connections of parking lots and/or limitations on curb cuts is preferred and may be required.
4.
Alignment of driveways in specific places relative to other driveways or streets is preferred and may be required.
5.
Driveway lanes and widths shall be determined based on the anticipated trip data. The City Engineer may require additional or fewer lanes or decreases or increases to the driveway widths.
6.
Ingress and egress turns. Turns may be limited or prohibited by the City Engineer if corner clearance, sight distance, driving spacing, or another element is determined to be inadequate.
7.
Turning radius drawings are required on a site plan for internal site circulation and driveways. Drawings may be required to show the turning radius at street intersections.
B.
Streets.
1.
Public streets may be required in site design. The Planning Commission and the City Engineer have the discretion to require the construction and dedication of public streets in accordance with City, state, and federal street standards.
2.
Private streets may be permitted if they are constructed to public street standards for any use other than residential with one to four dwelling units.
3.
Stub streets may be required at property lines for future street connections.
4.
Dead-end streets shall only be permitted when determined by the approving authority that it is necessary due to a topographical or other physical site constraint.
5.
Street improvements. On-site and adjacent street improvements, such as deceleration and acceleration lane provisions, center turn lanes, bypass lanes, traffic signals, curb radii requirements, clear vision areas, driveway throat widths, and driveway and street intersection slope requirements, may be required by the City Engineer or approving authority.
6.
Corner vision clearance shall be determined as sufficient by the City Engineer. Other corner vision requirements shall be found in Sections 39-6.02.J, 39-9.08.C, and 39-9.15.
[Amended 5-3-2023 by Ord. No. 1835]
C.
Sidewalks.
1.
Public sidewalks shall be required in the site design if not existing. The Planning Commission and the City Engineer have the discretion to require the construction and dedication of public sidewalks in accordance with City, state, and federal sidewalk standards.
2.
Street frontage. Sidewalks shall be provided in the right-of-way of a site's street frontage or inward onto the site if necessary. A public access easement shall then be granted to the City of Holland when not in the right-of-way.
3.
New streets. Sidewalks shall be provided on both sides of any new public or private street. The approving authority may determine that a sidewalk is only necessary on one side of the street.
4.
Width. Sidewalks shall be a minimum of six feet wide (eight feet wide in the F-CDT Zone District).
5.
Construction. Sidewalks shall be a minimum of four inches thick and shall be poured using Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) standards with a limestone mix concrete.
6.
Sidewalks crossing driveways shall be six inches thick and shall be poured separately from the driveway approach.
7.
Installation of sidewalks shall be by a concrete/sidewalk contractor.
8.
Slope elevation. Sidewalks shall be set at an elevation above the adjacent curb head and sloped to a maximum of 2%.
9.
ADA standards shall be complied with for all sidewalks.
10.
Pedestrian access. Sidewalks shall extend into parking lots with a marked pedestrian access strip leading to the building entrance, and shall be designated on a site plan. See image below.
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D.
Nonmotorized paths/bicycle facilities.
1.
Public pathways and bicycle facilities may be required in the site design. The Planning Commission and the City Engineer have the discretion to require the construction and dedication of these facilities in accordance with City, state, and federal nonmotorized standards.
2.
Two-way, off-street nonmotorized pathways are encouraged alongside the required sidewalk, throughout a site, and to make connections to adjacent sites and may be required as part of the City's nonmotorized transportation plan.
Sec. 39-5.06 Fire access.
[7-21-2021 by Ord. No. 1796; amended 10-20-2021 by Ord. No. 1804; 2-2-2022 by Ord. No. 1812]
B.
Emergency services. The design and construction of developments shall reasonably protect the ease and routine of emergency services into and out of the site. The Fire Marshal may require site design elements to ensure this requirement is met.
C.
Fire apparatus access roads are required on every site and shall meet the following requirements:
1. 
Shall be a minimum 26 feet wide, exclusive of shoulders, where a fire hydrant is located. The portions of fire apparatus access roads where fire hydrants are not located shall be a minimum of 20 feet wide, exclusive of shoulders. Compliance with minimum widths for fire apparatus access roads shall be determined by the Fire Marshal.
2.
Shall have a thirteen-foot six-inch minimum overhead clearance, or a fourteen-foot minimum overhead clearance if access is provided by a public road;
3.
Shall extend to within 150 feet of all portions of the exterior of the building. The distance may be increased if the Fire Marshal finds that:
4.
If the access road is longer than 150 feet, a turnaround area shall be provided and approved by the Fire Marshal. Turning radius and approach angles are specified in the International Fire Code and are subject to Fire Department apparatus specifications.
5.
Gates for access roads shall be a minimum 20 feet in width, shall slide or swing, and shall meet all requirements of IFC Appendix D.103.5.
6.
Construction materials for access roads shall be all-weather concrete or asphalt and designed and maintained to support the imposed loads of fire equipment.
7.
Shall be signed as "Fire Access Road."
8.
Aerial fire apparatus access roads are required when the vertical distance between the grade plane and the highest roof surface exceeds 30 feet. (IFC Appendix D.105).
D.
Fire Apparatus Access Roads Table (IFC Appendix D.104 and D.106).
Structure or Use Site | Requirement | If All Buildings Are Equipped With Automatic Sprinkler Systems |
|---|---|---|
Structures greater than 30 feet or 3 stories in height | 2 means of access per structure | Not applicable |
Structures 62,000 to 124,000 gross square feet in area | 2 fire access roads | 1 fire access road |
100 to 200 multifamily dwelling units | 2 fire access roads | 1 fire access road |
Over 200 multifamily dwelling units | 2 fire access roads | 2 fire access roads |
1 or 2 dwelling unit developments exceeding 30 units | 2 fire access roads | 1 fire access road |
E.
Site plan and construction shall include:
1.
Fire access road locations and construction materials.
2.
Security gates and fire flow requirement locations.
3.
Lock box locations on any structure that has fire service features, such as alarms, suppression systems, elevators, or anything else deemed essential for immediate access.
4.
Signage depicting fire service features on doors to rooms with Fire Department connections, riser standpipes, or other fire service features.
5.
Commodity classification of items to be stored, if applicable, to determine sufficiency of proposed suppression system.
6.
Hydrant placement shall comply with these requirements:
F.
New address numbers shall meet the following requirements:
Sec. 39-5.07 Exterior Lighting (Article 39-7).
[7-21-2021 by Ord. No. 1796]
A.
A photometric lighting map and manufacturer lighting details are required if any exterior lighting is proposed.
C.
Nonresidential properties. Exterior lighting shall be reduced to only the level needed for security during nonbusiness hours.
D.
Light pole height: 20 feet maximum height if located within 200 feet of a residential use in the LDR, CNR, MDR, TNR, HDR, or MHR Zone Districts. Light fixtures in the Airport Overlay District shall comply with Section 39-2.20. For all other light fixtures, the maximum height shall be the maximum building height allowable in the zone district.
E.
Shielded. All exterior lighting shall be shielded to reduce glare and to deflect light away from all adjacent properties.
F.
Downward facing. All outdoor lighting, unless otherwise specified, shall be downward facing to reduce glare and shall be arranged to direct and deflect light away from adjacent uses.
G.
Decorative post-top lighting. A maximum of 18% of light may trespass above the ninety-degree angle.
H.
Safety. All streets, sidewalks, parking lots, and common areas or facilities shall be sufficiently illuminated to ensure the security of property and the safety of persons using such areas.
I.
Ground lighting is allowed, provided that it does not produce glare on adjacent properties.
J.
Signs. Exterior illumination of signs shall be directed downward not to interfere with the vision of persons on adjacent properties and streets. (See Article 39-8.)
K.
Maintained. Light fixtures shall be maintained not to constitute a hazard or nuisance.
L.
Protect. The design and construction of developments shall reasonably protect residents and occupants of adjacent properties from light glare.
Sec. 39-5.08 Parking, loading, and unloading (Articles 39-2 and 39-9, Section 39-6.02D).
[7-21-2021 by Ord. No. 1796]
B.
Shared parking and cross access of parking lots is encouraged to meet the City's low-impact development goals and to reduce traffic.
D.
Durable surfaces. All parking areas, including access lanes, driveways, loading areas, and other vehicle maneuvering areas, shall be a durable surface.
E.
Parking lot setbacks.
1.
Streets: 10 feet minimum from all street-fronting property lines.
2.
Side and rear property lines: 10 feet minimum. Setback may be reduced to five feet minimum if approved by the approving authority and a six-foot-high fence or approved vegetative screening is erected along the property line.
3.
Setback not required if adjacent uses are both nonresidential or there are shared driveways or aisles, not exceeding 30 feet in width, connecting two or more uses.
F.
Side yard parking in NMU and RMU Zone Districts and the following F subdistricts: NDT, EDT, WDT, RM, and WASH (28th Street to 31st Street). Parking lots located on the side of new principal buildings shall meet the following requirements to provide for a walkable character without large parking lots separating uses:
G.
Pedestrian circulation in parking lots. Parking lots shall accommodate direct and continuous pedestrian circulation, clearly divided from vehicular areas. Pedestrian crosswalks shall be provided and integrated into the pedestrian circulation network providing direct connections from sidewalks to the building entrance. See Section 39-5.05C.10.
H.
Loading and unloading. Loading spaces shall be made of a clearly defined durable surface, located to the rear or side of a building. Storage of materials shall not occur in the loading/unloading space. Shared loading spaces may be used if each business has unhindered access to the loading area and is within 300 feet of the area.
I.
Deferred parking may be granted by the Approving Authority for any use in any zone district. The Approving Authority shall consider the following criteria when reviewing the request.
[Amended 9-4-2024 by Ord. No. 1845]
1.
The applicant can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Approving Authority that the City parking requirements are excessive for their use.
2.
The site plan designates the requested number of parking spaces in an area and layout that meets City requirements.
3.
The applicant shall provide for the full amount of required parking spaces and label them on the site plan as "deferred parking." These areas reserved for deferred parking shall be maintained as landscaped areas and not used for storage, stormwater, accessory buildings or other accessory uses.
4.
The applicant must demonstrate that the storm water design has accommodated the deferred parking area.
5.
Construction of the deferred parking may be initiated by the applicant, the property owner, or required at a future date by the Zoning Administrator based on parking needs, observation, or upon receiving multiple parking complaints.
Sec. 39-5.09 Bicycle parking (Section 39-9.03).
[7-21-2021 by Ord. No. 1796]
A.
Applicability. The following site plan application types shall trigger the bicycle parking requirements:
1.
New structure.
2.
Structure addition resulting in an increase in residential units by 20% or more.
3.
Structure addition resulting in an increase of nonresidential gross floor area of 20% or more.
4.
Exempt: multifamily developments where each attached dwelling unit is designated a private garage, carport, or accessible and secure storage space that is a minimum of 80 square feet in area.
B.
Bicycle parking facility types.
1.
Short-term. Bicycle racks shall be used for public bicycle parking and shall meet the following requirements.:
a.
See Bicycle Parking Space Table, Section 39-9.03D.1.
b.
Shall be located outdoors in well-lit areas within 100 feet of the nearest publicly accessible building entrance of the use it is intended to serve, and be clearly visible from the street.
c.
Inverted "U" style racks or similar design. Racks shall be anchored to a durable surface, be a minimum three feet in height and two feet in length, be arranged in rows or alignment, and meet the other requirements in Section 39-9.03. Each space shall be a minimum of two feet wide by six feet long.
2.
Long-term. Covered bicycle facilities shall be provided for employee and/or resident parking, and shall meet the following requirements.
a.
See Bicycle Parking Space Table in Section 39-9.03D.1.
b.
Reasonably shelter bicycles from the natural elements by locating them inside or under covered structures;
c.
Permanently be anchored to the ground or to a structure;
d.
The cover shall be a minimum eight feet above the surface it is attached to.
e.
May be located in the required side or rear yard setbacks, provided that the facility is a minimum of three feet from the property line; not permitted in the required front yard setback.
Sec. 39-5.10 Signage (Article 39-8).
[7-21-2021 by Ord. No. 1796]
A.
Site plans. Placement of freestanding signage shall be included in the site plan and shall include a delineation of the clear vision corner.
B.
Planned unit developments (PUD) shall have professional sign specifications included with the application to be reviewed and approved by Planning Commission.
C.
Sign permit. All signs shall require a sign permit, in addition to site plan approval, from the Zoning Administrator. If located in the form-based code subdistricts CDT, NDT, EDT, WDT, or CENT, signs shall be reviewed by the Design Review Board (DRB) and shall require a permit from the Downtown Development Authority (DDA).
Sec. 39-5.11 Building materials and environmental quality.
[7-21-2021 by Ord. No. 1796]
A.
Building materials.
[1]1.
Specify building materials on the required elevation plan. Color renderings may be required by the approving authority.
2.
Design. All building materials shall be high-quality and shall complement adjacent existing buildings.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Subsection A(1), Sheet metal prohibited, which immediately followed, was repealed 2-2-2022 by Ord. No. 1811. Ordinance No. 1811 also renumbered former Subsection A2 and 3 as Subsection A1 and 2, respectively.
B.
Noise. All developments shall be designed and constructed to reasonably protect residents or occupants of adjacent properties from the emission and transmission of noise. Protection of residents living on-site from noise shall occur through submittal of a STraCAT Summary Report as specified below.
1.
A Sound Transmission Classification Assessment Tool (STraCAT) Summary is required for residential uses with five or more attached dwelling units to ensure building materials will sufficiently suppress external traffic noise. The applicant shall input the building material specifications as required by the tool and input the ambient noise level decibels as specified below. The approving authority may require a different decibel requirement and shall specify the decibel level for a planned unit development (PUD).
2.
Ambient noise levels. Ambient noise levels shall be inputted into the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) STraCAT tool based on the location of the property. These decibel levels are provided in the Community and Neighborhood Services Department's most recent Ambient Noise Level Policy.
C.
Dust and air pollution. Dust and other types of air pollution that can be borne by the wind from the use shall be controlled through appropriate landscaping, sheltering, paving, wetting, collecting, or other means, and these means shall be identified on the site plan.
D.
Protect residents and adjacent properties. The design and construction of developments shall also reasonably protect residents or occupants of adjacent properties from smoke, dirt, litter, odors, vibration, overcrowding of people, sanitation, glare, and heat off-site, and other similar considerations.
E.
Hazardous materials.
1.
Storage. The applicant shall state any hazardous materials that will be stored on-site. Fire Department approval of the storage method is required.
2.
Hazardous materials and waste. The use, storage, handling, transport, discharge, and disposal of hazardous materials shall comply with applicable federal, state, and local laws.
3.
Chemical list. Developments where chemicals will be present shall provide a list of chemicals with their application.
4.
Odors. No use may emit odors of an intensity and character as to be detrimental to the public health, safety, and welfare.
Sec. 39-5.12 Dumpsters and waste disposal receptacles.
[7-21-2021 by Ord. No. 1796]
A. 
Required. Dumpsters or another means of waste disposal, approved by the approving authority, is required for any development requiring a site plan review.
B.
Enclosure. Refuse shall be enclosed within a high-quality, durable enclosure, using similar materials as used for the principal building. A permanent, six-foot minimum enclosure shall be on three sides of the dumpster. The fourth side of the enclosure shall be equipped with a gate the same height as the enclosure.
C.
Screening. Dumpsters shall be screened by landscaping from view of adjoining properties and public streets.
D.
Site location.
1.
From structures: 10 feet minimum from a structure unless a closer distance is approved by the Fire Marshal.
2.
Side or rear yard required setbacks. Dumpsters shall be permitted in the required side or rear yard setbacks. Dumpsters need not comply with the setback requirements for accessory structures in Section 39-9.05. They shall not be permitted in the required front or secondary street setbacks.
3.
Dumpsters shall not encroach into a required parking area and shall be clearly accessible to servicing vehicles.
E.
Concrete pad. Dumpsters shall be located on a concrete pad extending a minimum of 10 feet in front of the dumpster enclosure.
Sec. 39-5.13 Snowmelt.
[Added 5-3-2023 by Ord. No. 1835]
A.
Intent. To protect the Integrity of the City of Holland snowmelt system while accommodating development within the areas serviced by the snowmelt system.
B.
Development. In order to accommodate the development of property located in areas where the snowmelt system is in place, the following rules shall apply:
1.
All development should shall be designed and constructed to avoid cutting of the snowmelt system.
2.
Approved access methods may include alleys, conduits, utility stubs, or other methods approved by the City Engineer.
3.
Development requests shall consider future development and additional users.
4.
The use of easements across private or public property may only be used if approved by the City Engineer.
5.
The approving authority may approve any alternative method that is recommended by the City Engineer if both of the following are true:
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