Newtown City Zoning Code
§ B70-12.07
Specific regulatory standards.
A.
All activity subject to Village District review shall comply with the following standards; provided, however, that any construction, reconstruction or rehabilitation of property during a five-year look-back period that does not increase the gross floor area of a building by more than 500 square feet is exempt from such of the following infrastructure regulations as would otherwise require installation of sidewalks, granite curbing and sidewalk lighting:
[Amended 12-9-2015, effective 12-21-2015]
(1)
Design and placement of buildings. New construction, substantial reconstruction and rehabilitation of buildings shall conform to the following:
(a)
Permitted building designs are those appropriate for a scenic and rural New England village that recognize architectural scale, rhythm and proportion, avoid large monolithic building forms whose architectural appearance is devoid of traditional scale, rhythm and proportion, the design of which implements the use of traditional forms, shapes, and material.
(b)
Loading and unloading areas shall be located at the rear or side of the building and screened from view from the adjacent properties, street and parking areas.
(c)
Dumpsters and storage areas shall be located at the rear or side of the building and screened from view from the adjacent properties, street and parking areas.
(d)
Utility equipment shall be located at the rear or side of the building and screened from view from the adjacent properties, street and parking areas. If the equipment creates noise or odor it is to be housed within a building that eliminates the sound or odor.
(e)
Parking will be to the rear of the building, away from the street line. Placement of buildings shall not interfere with vehicular or pedestrian site lines.
[Added effective 12-21-2015]
(2)
Maintenance of public views. No building shall be so designed or constructed, nor shall it be of such placement, height, or mass, as to obstruct the following public views:
[Added effective 12-21-2015]
(3)
Design, paving materials and placement of public roadways.
[Revised effective 12-21-2015]
(a)
Road edge definition and curb cuts will be designed:
[1]
To control vehicular traffic congestion on streets and to improve the pedestrian environment. Vehicular traffic shall be improved by the management of the number of driveways accessing the streets and crossing the sidewalks. Pedestrian traffic shall be improved by constructing pedestrian circulation patterns of uninterrupted walkways safe and separate from vehicular traffic.
[2]
To improve identification of pedestrian crosswalks, the pavement shall be distinctive in color and of a material both raised slightly above road level and textured. Acceptable materials are compressed, colored and imprinted concrete, paver blocks, Belgium block, cobblestone, brick or other similar materials.
(b)
Curbing of driveways and on the street shall be granite curbing, which shall have a beveled edge along the outside edge facing the street or drive.
(c)
For all new construction and substantial reconstruction of buildings in the Village District, sidewalks are to be installed along the street frontage and through accessways. The Borough Sidewalk Ordinance is on file with the Borough Clerk and with the Newtown Town Clerk, and sidewalk lighting is to be installed in accordance with the Village District Sidewalk Lighting Plan. Sidewalks must continue across driveways clearly designating the pedestrian's right-of-way. Sidewalk lighting is to be installed in accordance with the Village District Sidewalk Lighting Plan.
[Amended 4-10-2019, effective 4-22-2019]