Hudson Falls City Zoning Code
ARTICLE VII
Environmental and Performance Standards
§ 215-39 Lighting.
A.
Purpose. It is the intent of this chapter to minimize glare and to provide the minimum amount of lighting on commercial sites necessary to provide for safe use of the property.
B.
Application. These regulations shall apply to all retail, commercial, industrial, multifamily, office and recreation uses in the Village of Hudson Falls. These requirements shall not apply to single-family residential uses.
C.
Standards. All exterior lights and illuminated signs shall be designed and located in such a manner as to prevent objectionable light and glare to spill across property lines. The following horizontal illumination levels shall be observed. For uses not listed here, the Planning Board may determine the appropriate horizontal illumination level referencing the values found in the most current edition of the reference entitled "The IESNA Lighting Handbook" published by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America. The Planning Board may vary these standards, making them more or less restrictive, where it finds it to be in the interests of this chapter and the Village to do so. In particular, the Village may vary the standards with reference to the brightness and use of the surrounding environment.
Table 4 Horizontal Illumination Levels | ||
Use | Horizontal Illumination (footcandles) | |
|---|---|---|
Commercial parking lot | 2.5 | |
Industrial parking lot | 1.0 | |
Office parking lot | 1.0 | |
Recreation parking lot | 2.5 | |
Multifamily parking lot | 2.5 | |
Churches/education lots | 1.0 | |
Building entrances | 5.0 | |
Building exteriors | 1.0 | |
Loading/unloading areas | 20.0 | |
Gas station approach/driveway | 2.0 | |
Gas station pump island | 20.0 | |
Gas station service areas | 3.0 | |
Seasonal stands | 25.0 | |
Automobile lots | 25.0 | |
Driveways and road approaches | 2.0 |
D.
Fixtures. All lighting fixtures shall be architecturally compatible with the primary building. Fixtures shall be shielded and have cut-offs to direct light directly to the ground. Fixtures shall generally be of dark colors. Pole-mounted fixtures shall not exceed 20 feet in height. High-pressure sodium lights are preferred. Lexan lenses or similar low-glare materials are preferred.
E.
All lighting shall maintain a uniformity ratio of 4:1.
F.
Procedure. Any use subject to site plan review shall submit a lighting plan describing the lighting component specifications, such as lamps, poles, reflectors and bulbs. The lighting plan shall show the illumination levels over the project site.
§ 215-40 Stormwater management. [1]
§ 215-41 Soil and erosion control. [1]
A.
Construction on slopes. Except for grading and construction activities approved as a component of a subdivision, site plan review shall be required for the following activities:
(1)
Construction of any detached structure proposed to be constructed on any lot, parcel or site having a slope of 15% or more within a fifty-foot radius of the proposed location of said structure; or removal or excavation of 100 cubic yards or more of rock, soil or vegetation from such site.
(2)
Proposed construction of a privately owned driveway, road or right-of-way on a slope of 10% or more.
B.
Guidelines. Unless the standards in Subsection C below are more restrictive, the applicant shall conform to the published Guidelines for Erosion and Sediment Control in Urban Areas of New York State by the United States Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service, copies of which are maintained at each Soil and Water Conservation District Office.
C.
Standards.
(1)
When land is exposed during development, the exposure should be kept to the shortest practicable period of time and the smallest amount of land possible.
(2)
Grading and development shall preserve salient natural features, such as trees, groves, natural terrain, waterways and other similar resources, and shall conform substantially with the natural boundaries and alignment of watercourses.
(3)
Provision shall be made prior to, during and after construction to dispose of increased runoff caused by changed surface conditions, in a manner which minimizes danger of flooding, erosion and pollutants from urban runoff entering lakes, streams or rivers.
(4)
Temporary vegetation and mulching shall be used to protect critical areas during development. Disturbed soils shall be stabilized as soon as possible. Temporary vegetation and/or mulching shall be used to protect exposed land areas during construction.
(5)
Permanent vegetation shall be successfully established and erosion control structures shall be installed as soon as practical on development. Wherever feasible, natural vegetation shall be retained and protected.
(6)
Topsoil removed from areas for structures shall be redistributed within the boundaries of the lands in question so as to provide a suitable base for seeding and planting.
(7)
The development shall be fitted to the topography and soils to create the least erosion potential. Cut-and-fill operations shall be kept to a minimum and shall transition smoothly into existing topography so as to create the least erosion potential and adequately accommodate the volume and rate of velocity of surface runoff.
(8)
Cuts and fills shall not endanger adjoining property nor divert water onto the property of others.
(9)
Provisions shall be made to effectively accommodate the increased runoff caused by changed soil and surface conditions during and after development.
(10)
Sediment basins (debris basins, desilting basins or silt traps) shall be installed and maintained to remove sediment runoff waters from land undergoing development. Provisions shall be made to prevent surface water from damaging the cut face of excavations, fills or sloping surfaces.
(11)
The control of erosion and sediment shall be a continuous process, undertaken as necessary prior to, during and after site preparations and construction. Sedimentation control measures shall be installed as part of site preparation prior to beginning any construction.
(12)
Permanent vegetation shall be successfully established and erosion control structures shall be installed within a time specified on the building permit. Wherever feasible, natural vegetation shall be retained and protected.
(13)
All fill material shall be of a composition suitable for the ultimate use of the fill, free of rubbish and carefully restricted in its content of brush, stumps, tree debris, rocks, frozen material and soft or easily compressible material. Fill material shall be compacted sufficiently to prevent problems of erosion.
(14)
Grades of at least 1/2% and drainage facilities shall be provided to prevent the ponding of water, unless such ponding is proposed within site plans, in which event there shall be sufficient water flow to maintain proposed water levels and avoid stagnation.
(15)
Provisions shall be made that there will be no detrimental effect on water quality of the watercourses. There will be no discharge of sediment or other material into the watercourses.
(16)
Fills shall not encroach on natural watercourses, constructed channels or floodway areas. Fills placed adjacent to or having impact on natural watercourses, constructed channels or floodplains shall have suitable protection against erosion during periods of flooding.
(17)
No development shall be permitted in a floodway if such development shall raise the water surface elevation of the base flood at any point in the community.
(18)
The rate of surface runoff shall not be increased by new construction. Whenever possible, drainage shall be sheet-drained into earthen swales and collected in a detention or retention basin. Where soils permit, the water shall be allowed to percolate into soils. Where clay soils occur, water shall be collected during storm periods and released slowly into existing streams and drainage channels.
(19)
During grading operations, appropriate measures shall be taken for dust control.
(20)
Grading equipment shall not be allowed to enter into or cross any watercourse, except in accordance with the best management practices as defined in the building permit.
(21)
Whenever lawns are established, areas of natural vegetation shall be maintained to filter fertilizers, pesticides or other chemicals before the runoff enters natural streams or drainage channels. Property owners shall be encouraged to leave natural vegetation rather than develop lawns along side of drainage channels and streams.
(22)
Any fill that is imported to a property shall consist of clean earth, rocks and vegetative material. The importation of man-made materials such as rubble, concrete, bricks, metal, garbage, offal or other solid or hazardous waste or construction debris to a property for use as fill shall be prohibited.
D.
Exemptions. The requirements of this section shall not apply to agricultural uses or activities.
§ 215-42 Commercial landscaping.
A.
Applicability. These standards shall apply to all uses subject to the site plan review approval process. These standards may be met by saving existing trees on the site or by planting new trees from recommended species listed below. The Planning Board may vary the species on this list at its discretion.
B.
Landscaped strips along streets.
(1)
A landscaped strip shall be provided adjacent to all public and private streets. The landscaped strip shall be a minimum of 10 feet, exclusive of street right-of-way. Within the landscaped strip, one shade tree (three inches caliper minimum) shall be provided per every 250 square feet, or any portion thereof, of landscaped strip. Required shrubbery shall be no higher than four feet above existing street grades, nor any tree with foliage extending below 10 feet above the established street grades shall be maintained within 20 feet of any street intersection or 10 feet of driveway/street intersections. This restriction is for purposes of maintaining visibility at all times.
(2)
Where parking lots and driveways abut the landscaped strip along street right-of-way, evergreen shrubs selected from the list below must be provided for screening. The screening must be a minimum of three feet high and extend along the entire street frontage of the parking lot, exclusive of driveways and visibility clips. A landscaped berm may be provided in lieu of required shrubs. The berm must be 18 inches to 40 inches above the average grade of the street and parking lot curbs with a slope not to exceed 3:1. If a parking lot is located 50 feet or more from the street right-of-way line, no screening shrubs or berm will be required.
Table 5 Evergreen Low Screening Shrubs | ||
Common Name | Scientific Name | |
|---|---|---|
Euonymous | Euonymous fortunei | |
Oregon Grape | Mahonia aquifolium | |
Rhododendron | Rhododendron ("compacta" varieties) | |
Holly | Ilex ("compacta" varieties) | |
Dwarf Hinoki False Cypress | Chamaecyparis obtuse "Nana Gracilis" | |
Spruce | Picae (varieties) | |
Juniper | Juniperus (varieties) | |
Yew | Taxus (varieties) |
Table 6 Evergreen Tall Screening Shrubs | ||
Common Name | Scientific Name | |
|---|---|---|
Spruce | Picae (varieties) | |
Juniper | Juniperus (varieties) | |
Yew | Taxus (varieties) | |
The Blue Hollies | Ilex meservae | |
Mountain Laurel | Kalmia latifolia | |
Fire Thorn | Pyracantha | |
Rhododendron | Rhododendron | |
Leatherleaf Viburnum | Viburnum rhytide phyllum |
C.
Visibility. Street-level landscaping shall not interfere with visibility.
D.
Interior parking lot landscaping. Interior parking areas shall be landscaped in addition to the required landscaped strip. Trees must be provided in each parking lot at a minimum average density of one shade tree (three inches caliper) for each 15 parking spaces, or any fraction thereof. Additionally, interior parking lot landscaping shall be provided in accordance with the following table:
Table 7 Interior Parking Lot Landscaping | ||
Total Parking Area (square feet) | Interior Landscaped Area | |
|---|---|---|
24,999 or less | 5% | |
25,000 - 49,999 | 8% | |
50,000 or larger | 10% |
E.
Exterior parking lot landscaping. A landscaped strip shall be provided around the perimeter of the site exclusive of driveways. The landscaped strip shall be a minimum of five feet wide for sites 10,000 square feet or greater and three feet wide for sites less than 10,000 square feet, except for any area abutting a public street, in which case the requirements of Subsection B above shall apply. Within the perimeter landscaped strip, one shade tree (three inches caliper minimum) shall be provided per every 250 square feet, or any portion thereof, of landscaped strip.
F.
General parking lot landscaping.
(1)
Parking lot landscaping shall be met for all customer and employee parking. Parking lot landscaping requirements shall apply to storage and standing parking spaces incidental to uses such as sales and rental of motor vehicles, mobile homes, boats, trailers, or other similar uses if such storage is visible from any public rights-of-way.
(2)
To calculate the total parking area and the subsequent percentage of required interior lot landscaping, total the square footage of parking spaces, planting islands, curbed areas and all interior driveways and aisles, except those with no parking spaces located on either side. Landscaped areas located outside the parking lot may not be used to meet the interior landscape requirement.
(3)
The required landscaping for parking lots shall be more or less evenly distributed throughout the parking lot, although adjustments may be approved by the Planning Board reviewing the landscape plan, where shape or size of the parking lot, the location of existing trees, or other natural constraints reasonably prevent such distribution.
(4)
All landscaped areas, including permeable areas and drip lines around trees and planting beds used for visual screening which abut any parking lot or vehicular travel area shall be protected with curbs, parking blocks, or similar barriers sufficient to protect them from vehicular intrusion. Such areas shall have a minimum pervious area of 60 feet if they are for the purpose of housing landscaping including trees and 25 feet if they house landscaping other than trees. Landscaped islands will be a minimum five feet in dimension and must be a minimum of nine feet wide when adjacent to parking spaces where a car door would open into the island.