The gateway overlay zone provides design and site planning standards for properties along the LA 1 corridor within Port Allen in order to:

A.

Enhance the visual appearance of Port Allen along corridors that provide key gateways to the city.

B.

Create an attractive and cohesive community identity.

C.

Promote the economic health and vitality of the businesses.

D.

Promote efficient vehicular circulation.

E.

Assure safe and accessible pedestrian circulation within and between properties.

F.

Provide appropriate buffers for residential neighborhoods.

(Ord. No. 1-2016, § 4-13-2016)

A.

The boundaries of the gateway overlay zone shall be established by the city council and shown on the official zoning map.

B.

The overlay zone supplements the requirements of the base zoning district. Requirements of this zone are in addition to the standards of the underlying zone and other applicable standards of this zoning ordinance.

(Ord. No. 1-2016, § 4-13-2016)

A.

Site layout.

1.

Principal structures shall be located no less than ten feet and no more than 75 feet from the LA 1 right-of-way.

2.

To the extent possible, given the size and configuration of the property, parking areas must be distributed around buildings in order to shorten the distance between the building and other buildings or the public street and to reduce the scale of a single paved surface.

3.

Areas for outdoor sales of products or outdoor seating must be shown on the site plan. Outdoor sales and seating areas shall be at least ten feet from the LA 1 right-of-way and screened from adjacent residentially-zoned land by solid fencing with an attractive, finished appearance.

4.

Service areas, including dumpsters, refuse bins and similar accessory uses, shall be located at least 20 feet from public street rights-of-way or residential zoning districts and screened from view by solid fencing or walls with an attractive, finished appearance.

5.

Mechanical equipment (such as air compressors, transformers, meters and HVAC units) shall be screened from public streets. Screening methods may include locating equipment to the rear of the building, fencing, or appropriate landscaping. If roof-mounted, the screen must conform architecturally to the design of the building.

B.

Vehicular and pedestrian access.

1.

No more than 25 percent of the property frontage on LA Highway 1 shall be used for driveways. The planning commission may approve a greater percentage for lots with narrow frontage where this standard would make access infeasible.

2.

Driveways shall be channelized and clearly defined by the street yard planting area along the remainder of the frontage, as required by section 7.3.C.

3.

Paved sidewalks with a minimum width of five feet shall be constructed adjacent and parallel to the front façade of principal structures.

C.

Building façade and accessory structures.

1.

Blank, unbroken facades facing a public street are not permitted. Front façade features shall include:

a.

On the ground floor facing LA Highway 1, a public entrance and windows appropriate to the building's use.

b.

For multi-story buildings, upper floor windows or balconies.

c.

For buildings with a length greater than 50 feet, a division of the facade into bays, through the use of features such as wall projections or recesses, piers or pillars, or changes in material.

d.

Where the façade height exceeds 35 feet, a defined cornice or roof overhang at the top of the façade wall.

2.

Attractive, high quality materials shall be used on building facades. Corrugated metal, concrete block and similar materials shall not be used as the finish material of principal or accessory structures.

3.

Side and rear building facades that do not face a public street are not required to have the façade features required for the visible, public facades. However, side and rear facades shall be of finished quality and consistent in material with the front facade.

4.

Materials and design of accessory structures shall conform to the materials and design of principal structures.

5.

Visible walls and fences shall be uniform and compatible with the style, color and building material of the primary building. Appropriate materials include iron grating, wood, stone, brick or compatible composite materials. No chain link or wire fencing shall be permitted in front or side yards.

D.

Exterior lighting.

1.

Exterior lighting should provide a safe pedestrian and vehicular area, while protecting adjacent properties from light spillover. As such, more numerous, shorter and lower-powered lighting fixtures are preferred over fewer, tall, high-powered fixtures.

2.

Exterior lighting fixtures shall direct the light downward and toward the development.

3.

Lighting shall be shielded from the sky and adjacent properties and streets, whether through exterior shields or through optics within the fixture.

4.

The height and scale of exterior lighting fixtures shall be compatible with the scale of the buildings on the same property.

E.

Signage.

1.

Sign materials shall relate to the materials and style of the building(s) they serve.

(Ord. No. 1-2016, § 4-13-2016)

A.

Intent. This section addresses the application of the gateway overlay district standards to uses existing prior to the effective date of these standards.

1.

Uses not meeting the standards of this article 4 may be expanded or renovated without bringing the site fully into compliance with the standards of this article.

2.

It is the intent of this article to bring about incremental improvements to the district as expansion and new development occurs, not to hinder existing businesses from continuing to operate or expanding.

3.

When expansion or renovation occurs that requires review of a site plan by the planning commission, opportunities to bring the existing site into compliance with the gateway overlay standards shall be explored, with special consideration of those items that are most feasible and would achieve the greatest overall results in the appearance and functionality of the site.

B.

Site layout requirements. The standards of section 4.3.A, site layout, shall be implemented to the extent feasible when a building is expanded or renovated. Building renovation or expansion should be seen as an opportunity to relocate or add screening for utility areas or mechanical equipment.

C.

Vehicular and pedestrian access. The standards of section 4.3.B, vehicular and pedestrian access, apply when an existing parking area is replaced or expanded by more than 50 percent of the area existing at the time of adoption of these standards. The access driveways shall be brought into compliance with these standards; connections shall be made with adjoining properties where feasible; and sidewalks installed along the building façade.

D.

Building façades and accessory structures. The requirements of section 4.3.C, building facades and accessory structures, shall apply to new buildings, fences and walls, and to additions to existing buildings. When enlarging a building, it is not required that the existing structure façade be modified to comply with these standards.

E.

Lighting and signs. Existing signs and lighting fixtures are not required to be replaced; however, any new signs and lighting fixtures shall comply with the provisions of sections 4.3.D, exterior lighting, and 4.3.E, signage.

(Ord. No. 1-2016, § 4-13-2016)