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North Kingstown City Zoning Code

ARTICLE XIX

CORPORATE COMPOUND

Sec. 21-481.- Purpose of article.

The corporate compound district is established for the purpose of allowing corporate headquarters to locate within areas of the town in which this activity will be compatible with surrounding uses. In residential areas, the corporate compound shall be allowed where it can conform with the rural character of the existing area and where it will preserve open space. Furthermore, it is the intent of this article to permit corporate headquarters in those areas where such location will not generate excessive traffic, noise or glare; where all proposed and existing structures can be effectively screened from public roadways and existing or future residences; and where the construction of new structures, roads, sewage disposal systems, parking areas and other accessory structures can exist without detriment to approved uses within those districts. It is not the intent of this district to allow uses that are prohibited in other districts or that are inconsistent with the master plan. Wherever possible, siting shall preserve prime agricultural or scenic areas.

(Ord. No. 87-3, § 1 (17-19-1), 2-9-1987)

Sec. 21-482. - General requirements.

(a)

Permitted uses. Permitted uses in a corporate compound shall be limited to the conducting of corporate business and management. Services provided to the general public, such as real estate, banking, medical or legal or manufacturing, assembling, laboratory and the like are not permitted.

(b)

Accessory uses. Accessory uses shall be as follows:

(1)

Guest accommodations.

(2)

Storage sheds or maintenance facilities.

(3)

Recreation facilities.

(c)

Development standards. Development standards shall be as follows:

(1)

Minimum lot size .....25 acres

(2)

Minimum frontage .....500 feet

(3)

Minimum depth .....800 feet

(4)

Minimum side yard .....150 feet

(5)

Minimum setback from front lot line .....250 feet

(6)

Minimum rear yard .....150 feet

(7)

Maximum lot coverage including buildings, parking lots, roadways and accessory structures: eight percent or three acres, whichever is less. .....

(8)

Height of structures (maximum): .....

a.

All principal structures .....40 feet

b.

All accessory structures .....25 feet

(d)

Buffers. An office park district shall maintain a densely planted buffer of 200 feet in width on the front and 100 feet in width on the sides and the rear, to contain permanent plantings, restricted by covenants, which will fully screen structures, roadways and parking areas from abutting property owners and from public roadways yearround. The trees shall have a height at maturity which will fully screen structures from the road and abutting property. Trees must be a minimum of six feet in height at the time of planting. The planning commission is to have the discretion to vary the width and amount of planting required where the applicant is willing to make a permanent dedication of a lesser undisturbed buffer of mature trees, where natural features such as hills will act to screen proposed structures, and where these or other factors will, in the planning commission's judgment, provide the same protection to abutters or the public as would the required buffer.

(e)

Open space criteria. All of the land within the minimum side, rear and front yard setbacks shall be designated as open space. Open space shall be protected against building development and environmental damage by conveying to the town an open space easement restricting the areas against any future building or use and against the removal of soil, trees and other natural features, except as is consistent with conservation or agricultural uses which are approved by the planning commission. Land which has been environmentally damaged prior to final approval of the development by the planning commission as a result of soil and earth removal operations, harvesting of trees or other natural features, or by refuse disposal or other means shall not be accepted as open space unless and until the land is restored to a condition which the planning commission determines to be reasonable and appropriate to effect the purpose of this article. The following required certificates and documents for open space shall be submitted at the time of planning commission review:

(1)

A written agreement or contract to be executed between the developer and the town stating the following:

a.

If the owners, successors or assigns fail to maintain any common open space, landscaping features or other required improvements, the town may enter into such development and perform such necessary maintenance work and charge the cost, including attorney's fees, to the owners, successors or assigns.

b.

The contract shall be binding upon the heirs, assigns, successors or receivers of the development and shall constitute a lien on the property in the development.

c.

Any other conditions required by the planning commission.

(2)

A description of any existing easements, covenants or restrictions affecting land within the development and an instrument conveying any easements required as a condition of approval by the town.

(f)

Water. Adequate water supply shall be available to the site for domestic needs and fire protection where town water is unavailable.

(g)

Groundwater reservoir. If the site is located in or is within 200 feet of a groundwater reservoir, a hydrological assessment for the proposed uses must be conducted. The results of such assessment must establish, to the satisfaction of the planning commission, that the proposed use will not have a significant adverse impact to the groundwater reservoir.

(h)

Traffic. A traffic impact analysis will be performed to assess the impact of the proposed use on the safety of vehicular traffic on the adjacent roadways. The results of such analysis must establish, to the satisfaction of the planning commission, that the proposed use will not have a significant adverse impact on the existing traffic and roadways.

(i)

Lights. Outdoor lighting shall not disrupt neighboring land uses by excessive glare.

(j)

Signage. Signage shall be limited to two signs, no larger than 15 square feet each, bearing only the name and address of the corporation. One sign may be located at each entrance to the development, but in no event shall the total number of signs exceed two. Each sign may be indirectly illuminated. A freestanding sign must be erected so that the lowest portion of the sign, not including the support, is higher than seven feet, and the highest portion of the sign, including the support, is not above 12 feet. A ground-mounted sign shall not exceed five feet in height and must be at least 15 feet from the curbline and curb cut. Signs shall be constructed of wood or other similar material.

(k)

Noise. There shall be no excessive noise generated by a corporate headquarters. Helicopters shall be limited to emergency or occasional use.

(l)

Sewage and waste disposal. All sewage and waste disposal into the ground and all surface water drainage from the proposed use shall be adequately handled on site by an approved central sewage facility. Prior to the issuance of any building permit, the applicant shall submit plans for sewage, waste and surface water drainage to the town engineer for the engineer's approval.

(m)

Parking layout. For employees' convenience and safety, continuous paved parking areas shall not exceed two parallel tiers (rows) of parking spaces or 15,000 square feet, whichever is more suited to the site without a landscaped buffer or pedestrian walkway, and shall be in accordance with the following:

(1)

Parking surface. The planning commission, at its discretion, may approve a porous surface parking area at the request of the applicant.

(2)

Location. Parking areas cannot be located in any designated buffer or open space areas.

(3)

Number of off-street parking spaces. One and one-half parking spaces are required for every 1,000 square feet of gross floor area.

(n)

Conversion. An approved corporate compound that existed as of January 1, 2010 may be converted to single, duplex, and multi-family residential use. The density for the residential units shall be one unit per two acres of total land area to the compound. The footprint of any new residential dwelling structures shall not exceed 2,000 square feet. Existing structures shall not be increased beyond a 2,000 square foot footprint. Additional uses and structures accessory to residential dwellings shall be permitted, after development plan review pursuant to section 21-284 of this chapter, and may include but not be limited to cabanas, gazebos, garages, barns, community rooms, tennis courts, swimming pools and structures, facilities or areas for active recreation. If a corporate compound is converted to residential use, the requirements set forth in subsection 21-482(c)(4), minimum side yard shall be 35 feet instead of 150 feet; subsection 21-482(c)(6), minimum rear yard shall be 35 feet instead of 150 feet and subsection 21-482(d), buffers shall not apply.

(Ord. No. 87-3, § 1 (17-19-2), 2-9-1987; Ord. No. 06-11, § 1, 9-18-2006; Ord. No. 10-03, § 1, 2-22-2010)

Sec. 21-483. - Master plan.

A proposal for a corporate compound shall be accompanied by a master site plan for development at a scale of one inch equals 100 feet, using the town's assessor plat maps as a base which shall indicate the following:

(1)

The approximate location, size and number of business structures proposed and the existing structures and such structures' uses.

(2)

The approximate location of parking areas and open space areas.

(3)

The general pedestrian and vehicular circulation pattern.

(4)

A soil overlay of the property.

(Ord. No. 87-3, § 1 (17-19-3), 2-9-1987)

Sec. 21-484. - Site plan review.

No building permit for a corporate compound shall be issued until the site plan has been reviewed and approved by the planning commission. All site plans shall be drawn at a scale no smaller than one inch equals 40 feet; shall be prepared, stamped and signed by either a registered professional engineer, registered land surveyor or registered architect; and shall contain the following information:

(1)

North arrow, locus plan, title block, including scale, date, name of owner, name of development, name of designer, architect, engineer or surveyor.

(2)

Plat and lot numbers, dimension of lots, zoning district, plat and lot numbers and zoning of abutting properties.

(3)

Existing and proposed contours at one-foot intervals, plus spot grades where required, along with a benchmark elevation and location of the benchmark.

(4)

Location of all existing and proposed structures and the size and uses of the structures, exits from structures, adjacent lot structures, top of foundation elevation, and lowest opening of foundation elevation.

(5)

Dimensions of existing and proposed structures along with designation and area in square feet of each proposed and existing use within the structures.

(6)

Location of wells and water and gas lines.

(7)

Location of septic tank, distribution box and leach field, with individual sewage disposal system compliance where needed.

(8)

Location, dimension and number of parking spaces, loading areas and loading dock.

(9)

Drainage plans and calculations with the plans showing scales, catchbasins, piping, French drains or subdrain location and outfalls.

(10)

Location, type and implementation schedule for erosion controls.

(11)

Location and type of curbs and curb cuts and physical alteration permit from the state department of transportation where needed (on all proposals along state highways).

(12)

Location of fire exits, fire lanes, nearest hydrants and siamese connections.

(13)

Proposed landscape features such as location, size and type of fences, walks, planting areas and planting materials.

(14)

Location of dumpster, with dimensions, concrete slab and appropriate screening.

(15)

Location and type of outside lighting.

(16)

Location, dimension and type of proposed sign.

(17)

Identification of all wetlands.

(Ord. No. 87-3, § 1 (17-19-4), 2-9-1987)