Onondaga City Zoning Code
§ 285-21 General provisions
planned districts.
The Town Board shall establish P-R, P-RC, P-MH and P-E Districts in the following manner:
A.
The owner of the land in a proposed district shall apply to the Town Board for the establishment of a planned district. The application shall be in writing and shall include a preliminary development plan consisting of the following:
(1)
A description of the proposed planned district and proof of the applicant's ownership of the land included in the district.
(2)
A proposed site plan, showing proposed building locations, land use areas, contours and the intended character of use.
(3)
Proposed traffic circulation and access plans, parking areas and pedestrian walks.
(4)
Proposed landscape plan.
(5)
Proposed construction sequence for buildings, landscaping and other uses.
(6)
Proposed building elevations, materials and dimensions.
(7)
Plans for sewer, water, drainage facilities.
(8)
Such other information as may be required by the Town Board or Planning Board.
(9)
The preliminary plan shall be accompanied by an explanatory text.
B.
The Town Board shall submit the plan to the Planning Board, which shall review the proposal. The Planning Board shall, after review, communicate its preliminary approval, approval subject to revision or disapproval to the applicant in writing. If the Planning Board approves, or approves subject to revision, the Planning Board shall authorize the applicant to submit to the Planning Board a development plan. The Planning Board may also permit the applicant to submit plans for any subdivision of property necessary to carry out the proposed planned development. Subdivision review can occur concurrently with the review of the development plan, although final approval of the subdivision will not occur until the Town Board has approved the zone change to the requested planned district.
C.
The development plan shall be prepared by an architect or engineer licensed by the State of New York. It shall include the following:
(1)
A survey of the property to be included in the planned district, showing existing features of the property, including contours, buildings, trees over four inches in truck diameter, streets, utility lines, easements, rights-of-way and existing land use.
(2)
A site plan, with final contours, showing proposed building locations and land uses.
(3)
Traffic circulation and access plan, showing parking areas and pedestrian walks. Parking areas shall conform to § 285-30 provisions, except that the Town Board may modify such provisions if modification will improve the proposed plan.
(4)
A landscaping plan.
[Amended 4-15-2002 by L.L. No. 3-2002]
(a)
Landscaping plan, including site grading, landscaping design, types of plantings and height. Said landscaping plan shall provide for a buffer zone on each property line not abutting a street, planted with at least a double row of conifer trees, at least four feet high on six-foot centers; provided, however, that the Town Board may require additional plantings and/or fencing. Plantings shall be properly bedded when planted, maintained and fertilized to assure long life and growth. All trees, fencing and plantings, together with green areas, shall thereafter be continually maintained by the record owner(s) of the premises. Dead plantings shall be replaced.
(b)
If the property line planting requirements of Subsection C(4)(a) herein mandating a double line of conifer trees on each property line not abutting a street are inappropriate due to specific circumstances, the Planning Board may consider an alternative landscaping design in its review of the development plan. Such alternative landscaping design must provide a unity of design, afford sufficient buffering to neighboring properties and may incorporate existing vegetation where deemed appropriate and acceptable by the Planning Board. The Planning Board may revise the listed landscaping requirements when it determines that so doing will have no detrimental impact on surrounding properties, that such revision is in keeping with the purposes set forth herein and that the applicant has provided for appropriate property line buffer zones as intended by this law. Such approval shall not diminish the Town Board's discretion to require additional plantings and/or fencing, and shall not diminish the planting and maintenance obligations of the applicant as stated elsewhere in this law and not revised herein.
(5)
Drawings for proposed buildings, including floor plans, exterior elevations and sections.
(6)
Engineering plans of utilities, including street improvements, sewer and drainage systems and facilities. Adequate drainage facilities shall be installed, both during construction and after completion of same, sufficient to protect other areas from drainage due to stormwater and other surface water drainage, and said drainage shall be diverted to a suitable natural or artificial water source, and such facilities for same shall be continually maintained by the record owner(s) or dedicated to the Town of Onondaga, as the Town Board may direct.
(7)
Engineering facility studies and such other information as may be required by the Town Board.
(8)
Construction sequence and time schedule for completion of buildings, landscaping and other uses.
D.
The Planning Board may approve the plan if it finds that:
(1)
The proposed uses will not be detrimental to present and potential uses in the area surrounding the proposed district.
(2)
Existing and future highways are suitable and adequate to carry anticipated traffic associated with the proposed district.
(3)
Existing and future utilities are or will be adequate for the proposed development.
(4)
The development plan complies with the requirements of this chapter.
E.
Reservation of parkland.
(1)
Before the Planning Board may approve a plan containing residential units, such plan shall also show, when required by such Board, a park or parks suitably located for playground or other recreational purposes.
(2)
Land for park, playground or other recreational purposes may not be required until the Planning Board has made a finding that a proper case exists for requiring that a park or parks be suitably located for playgrounds or other recreational purposes within the Town. Such findings shall include an evaluation of the present and anticipated future needs for park and recreational facilities in the Town based on projected population growth to which the particular plan will contribute.
(3)
In the event that the Planning Board makes a finding pursuant to Subsection E(2) of this section that the proposed plan presents a proper case for requiring a park or parks suitably located for playgrounds or other recreational purposes, but that a suitable park or parks of adequate size to meet the requirement cannot be properly located on such plan, the Planning Board may require a sum of money in lieu thereof, in an amount to be established by the Town Board. In making such determination of suitability, the Board shall assess the size and suitability of lands shown on the plan which could be possible locations for park or recreational facilities, as well as practical factors, including whether there is a need for additional facilities in the immediate neighborhood. Any moneys required by the Planning Board in lieu of land for park, playground or other recreational purposes, pursuant to the provisions of this section, shall be deposited into a trust fund to be used by the Town exclusively for park, playground or other recreational purposes, including the acquisition of property.
F.
When the Planning Board has approved a development plan for a proposed district, the plan shall be filed in the office of the Town Clerk, and the Town Board may then proceed to consider amendment of the local law.
G.
When any planned district is not substantially developed in accordance with the development plan for a period of three years from the effective date of its establishment, the Town Board may amend this Zoning Local Law in the manner provided by the Town Law so as to void the change in classification to a planned district and rezone the area of said planned district to the zoning classification that was in effect prior to the date of establishment of such planned district.