Palmer City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XI
Urban Renewal Industrial Park District
§ 171-57 Purpose; permitted uses; buildings; parking; screening; signs.
A.
Purpose. The purpose of this district is to provide the Town of Palmer with a mix of sound, clean industrial development and high-density residential uses while conserving natural resources and protecting and enhancing the environment.
B.
Uses permitted.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
(1)
Industrial uses permitted by site plan approval:
(a)
Plants for the manufacture, light fabrication, processing, conversion, alteration, finishing, assembly and wholesaling of products, provided that such use does not create a hazard or nuisance through danger of pollution, fire or explosion, noise, vibration, dust, waste, smoke, fumes or odor.
(b)
Research, experimental or testing laboratories, subject to performance standards stated in Subsection B(1)(a) above.
(c)
Public safety building or public utility building.
(d)
Uses accessory to primary uses, including restaurant (totaling no more than 3% of the total space of the primary use), warehousing, freight depot, off-street parking, off-street loading and other uses which are clearly incidental to the primary uses and meet the performance standards of the primary uses.
(e)
Warehousing, storage and transfer of lumber and/or steel and such other building materials.
(3)
Public open space. Open spaces shall be retained, insofar as possible, in their natural state except for passive recreation facilities such as trails, walkways, benches, etc. (Other open spaces as specifically indicated in the Palmer Industrial Urban Renewal Plan, dated 1972, may be used for active recreation purposes, such as playgrounds or ball fields.)
(4)
Residential.
(a)
Multifamily dwellings for three or more families, including but not limited to apartments, townhouses or row houses and held as condominiums or cooperatives, or other forms of ownership. Density shall not exceed more than 20 dwelling units per acre.
(b)
Permitted uses shall also include uses accessory to the housing use, such as off-street parking.
C.
D.
Parking and loading standards.
(1)
Off-street parking spaces shall be provided in an amount sufficient to serve each use and shall be so located as to provide safe and convenient access.
(a)
Industrial. For industrial uses, a minimum of one parking space shall be provided for each two employees on the maximum work shift or one parking space for every 750 square feet of building area used for production, whichever is greater.
(b)
Residential. For residential uses, a minimum of 1 1/2 parking spaces shall be provided for each dwelling unit other than those designed for the elderly, in which case a minimum of one space per three dwelling units will suffice. Each space shall contain at least 180 square feet in area and shall be provided with proper ingress and egress.
(c)
Off-street parking areas shall not be located within 20 feet of a public way. Parking areas shall be adequately drained and paved with an all-weather, dust-free surface. Access at the street line shall be limited to well-defined points, and in no case shall there be unrestricted access along the length of the street.
(2)
Off-street loading.
(a)
A minimum of one off-street loading space shall be provided for the first 10,000 square feet of gross building floor area, and an additional space shall be provided for each 25,000 square feet thereafter. The minimum size of each loading space shall be 12 feet wide by 35 feet long, except that the width of each space may be reduced to 10 feet where there are adjacent spaces without intervening obstructions.
(b)
Loading spaces shall be located on the sides of buildings which do not front on a street.
E.
Screening. Screening in the form of evergreen shrubs and/or trees shall be provided and maintained along the boundaries of any parcel abutting open space areas and along the boundary of the Urban Renewal Industrial Park District. This screening shall be adequate to effectively screen the industrial uses, including parking areas, from the open space areas and other areas surrounding the project area.
F.
Signs.
(1)
Signs for industrial and recreational uses shall be directly related to the principal use of the parcel upon which they are located, except that one announcement sign for the industrial park and its occupants may be located at the major entrance to the area.
(2)
One freestanding sign of not more than 12 square feet in area per face is permitted on each separate use parcel. In addition, signs attached flat against the wall of a building are permitted, provided that they do not exceed one square foot in area for each linear foot of horizontal length of facade on which they are mounted. A limited number of signs, not exceeding four square feet in area each, are permitted as necessary for directional purposes to entrances and exits, parking and loading areas. Flashing signs, animated signs, roof signs and billboards are prohibited.
G.
Exterior lighting. All exterior lights shall be designed and placed so that they do not reflect into adjacent buildings or towards areas outside the project area.