Port Chester City Zoning Code
ARTICLE 6
Supplemental Standards
§ 345-601 Compliance required.
The following standards and requirements must be complied with in addition to all other standards and requirements of the Village Code, including without limitation, Village Code Chapter 181 (Flood Damage Prevention), Chapter 199 (Illicit Discharges), Chapter 281 (Stormwater Management), and Chapter 312 (Underground Utilities).
§ 345-602 Site grading.
A.
Design.
(1)
Principal Objectives. Grading design must accomplish the following principal objectives:
(a)
Development of attractive, suitable and economical building sites.
(b)
Provision of safe, convenient and functional access to all areas for use and maintenance.
(c)
Disposal of surface runoff from the site area without erosion or sedimentation, or its collection as needed for water features, debris basins or irrigation storage.
(d)
Diversion of surface and subsurface flow away from Buildings and pavements to prevent undue saturation of the subgrade that could damage Structures and weaken pavements.
(e)
Preservation of the natural character of the site by minimum disturbance of existing ground forms and meeting of satisfactory ground levels at existing trees to be saved.
(f)
Optimum on-site balance of cut and fill; stockpiling for reuse of existing topsoil suitable for the establishment of ground cover or planting.
(g)
Avoidance of filled areas that will add to the depth or instability of Building foundations and pavement subgrades.
(h)
Avoidance of wavy profiles in streets and walks and of steps in walks.
(i)
Avoidance of earth banks requiring costly erosion control measures, except where these are needed in place of costly retaining walls.
(j)
Keeping finished grades as high as practicable where rock will be encountered close to the surface, thus reducing the cost of utility trenching and other excavation and improving conditions for vegetation.
(k)
Avoidance of runoff water over, and ice formation on roadways.
B.
Areas Adjacent to Buildings.
(1)
Unpaved Areas. Unpaved areas Adjacent to Buildings must be sloped to direct surface water and roof drainage, including snowmelt, away from Buildings at a minimum slope of six inches in the first 10 feet of horizontal distance and not across sidewalks.
(2)
Paved Areas. Areas Adjacent to Buildings that are paved with portland cement concrete must have a slope of not less than 0.5% and bituminous pavements must have a slope of not less than 1.5%.
C.
Unoccupied Site Areas. Portions of the site not occupied by Buildings or pavement must have adequate continuous slopes to drain toward watercourses, drainage swales, roadways and the minimum necessary storm drainage inlets. Drainage swales or channels must be sized and sloped to accommodate design runoff. The runoff should be carried under walkways in pipes with diameters of not less than eight inches or of larger sizes if clogging by debris or grass cuttings is a problem. Swales should be used to intercept water at the top and bottom of banks where large areas are drained. To provide positive drainage, a slope of not less than 2% for turfed areas is usually desirable, but more permeable soils may have adequate drainage with a lesser slope. Turf banks, where required, should be graded to permit the use of gang mowers, provided that a maximum slope of one vertical to four horizontal and, if feasible, a slope of one vertical to four horizontal. The tops and bottoms of all slopes should be gently rounded in a transition curve for optimum appearance and ease of maintenance.
§ 345-603 Site drainage.
A.
Drainage Design and Exposure to Flood Hazards.
(1)
Design Standard. Drainage must be designed to accommodate storm runoff, calculated on the basis of the ultimate foreseeable developed conditions of contributory site and off-site drainage areas.
(2)
Minimum Grades Elevations. The minimum grades at Buildings and at openings must be at elevations that will prevent adverse effects by water or water entering basements from flood levels equivalent to a fifty-year return frequency. The floor elevations of all habitable space must be above flood levels equivalent to a one-hundred-year return frequency.
(3)
Routing of Runoff Water. Provision must be made for the best available routing of runoff water to assure that Buildings or other important facilities will not be endangered by a major emergency flood runoff that would become active if the capacity of the site's storm drainage system were exceeded.
(4)
Paved Area Runoff. Paved areas must be usable during runoff equivalent to a twenty-five-year return frequency. Thoroughfares must be made passable for local commonly used emergency vehicles during runoff equivalent to a twenty-five-year return frequency except where an alternative access Thoroughfare not subject to such ponding is available.
(5)
Routing to Outfall. Site drainage must be routed to permanent surface or subsurface outfall adequate to dispose of present and future anticipated runoff from the site and from contributing off-site watershed areas.
(6)
Drainage Swale Capacity. Drainage swales must not carry runoff across walks in quantities that will make them undesirable to use. Walks must not be designed as drainageways.
(7)
High Groundwater Table Areas. Developed portions of a site that can be adversely affected by a potentially high groundwater table must be drained where possible by subsurface drainage facilities adequate for the disposal of excess groundwater.
(8)
Stormwater Drainage Connection to Outfall. Stormwater drainage must be connected only to outfall approved by the Village Engineer.
(9)
Adequate Facilities Per SWPPP. Adequate stormwater and surface water drainage facilities, which will properly drain the site while minimizing downstream flooding must be provided for, as evidenced by a stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWPPP) consistent with and meeting the performance and design criteria and the standards of Chapter 281 of the Village Code.
B.
Primary Storm Sewer. The pipe size for the primary storm sewer system must have an inside diameter based on design analysis for a twenty-five-year storm but not less than 15 inches. The minimum gradient must be selected to provide for self-scouring of the conduit under low-flow conditions and for the removal of foreseeable sediments from the drainage area.
C.
Secondary Drains. Pipe drains of adequate size from minor runoff concentration points must be provided and connected to appropriate disposal lines when analysis indicates that they are necessary.
D.
Professional Design. Storm drainage systems must be designed by licensed professional engineers, and plans must be sealed and signed by the engineers.
§ 345-604 Sewage system.
All connections to local collector and regional systems must be designed in accordance with local and Westchester County wastewater treatment standards. A licensed professional engineer must design the site collection system and obtain the approval of same from Westchester County and the Village Engineer prior to Site Plan approval.
§ 345-605 Utilities.
A.
Port Chester is a waterfront community subject to severe winds and storms. These blow down overhead wires creating hazards and loss of service. In addition, the wires and poles are unsightly and detract from the ambiance of the Village. Therefore, the Village desires to underground utilities when redevelopment takes place or when the opportunity arises.
B.
Where existing utility equipment and overhead wires are proposed to remain above the ground in connection with a proposed Building and Lot Plans and Site Plans, the applicant shall prepare and submit cost and feasibility analysis for placing utility equipment and wires underground. The submission shall also include all relevant correspondence from the utility company(ies). The Decisionmaking Authority shall consider the submission in its determination on post-construction location of utility equipment and overhead wires.
C.
For Development Parcel Plans, all utility systems, including electric, telephone, television cable, etc., must be placed underground. The design of these systems must be coordinated by the applicant with the private utility entity responsible for their maintenance. Concurrence of the design indicated on the Development Parcel Plan must be obtained by the applicant prior to final approval.
§ 345-606 Traffic circulation.
[Amended 12-21-2020 by L.L. No. 3-2021]
The Development must organize vehicular and pedestrian ingress and egress in a well-defined system in order to avoid conflicts.
§ 345-607 Facilities for persons with disabilities.
The Development must provide adequate facilities for the physically handicapped, such as ramps, depressed curbs and reserved parking spaces in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
§ 345-608 Preservation of natural features.
The Development must preserve the natural features of the site, such as wetlands, unique wildlife habitats, historic Structures, major trees and scenic views both from and into the site.
§ 345-609 Streetscape repairs, replacements and improvements.
A.
Applicability. This § 345-609 applies within all Districts and Civic Districts except CD-3.R20, CD-3.R7, CD-3.R5, SD-PRD, and SD-PMU, but does not apply to any Building or Lot within a Development Parcel for which Thoroughfares are to be provided or modified in accordance with Article 5 (Development Parcel Plans and Standards).
B.
Streetscape Repairs, Replacements and Improvements. Prior to the issuance of any Certificate of Occupancy for a Building or Improvement, the following Streetscape improvements, repairs, or replacements must be provided by the Lot Owner with respect to each Building or Improvement and the Streetscape that Enfronts the applicable Lot:
(1)
Damage Repair. Any walkway, planter well or planter strip, streetlight or curb that exists in the Public Frontage or Thoroughfare Adjacent to the applicable Lot prior to commencement of construction of such Building or Improvement which is damaged during such construction by the applicable Lot Owner must be repaired so that it is in at least as good condition as it was in prior to such damage or must be replaced.
(2)
Absent Elements. If the Public Frontage Adjacent to the applicable Lot does not include a Sidewalk, planter, Thoroughfare trees, or streetlights, any such absent element must be provided by the applicable Lot Owner in accordance with the following standards and requirements:
(a)
If there is no Sidewalk, a Sidewalk must be constructed along the entire Front Lot Line, which Sidewalk must match any existing Sidewalk Enfronting an Adjacent Lot or if there is none, must conform to the Thoroughfare standards for the applicable District or Civic District, as set forth in § 345-502 as if such Thoroughfare standards were applicable.
(b)
If there is no planter strip or plant well, planting accommodations must be constructed along the entire Front Lot Line, which planting accommodations must match any existing planter strip or plant well Enfronting an Adjacent Lot, or if there is none, must conform to Thoroughfare standards for the applicable District or Civic District, as set forth in § 345-502 as if such Thoroughfare standards were applicable.
(c)
If there is no Thoroughfare tree within the Frontage Adjacent to the Lot, one or more Thoroughfare Trees must be installed along the Front Lot Line, which Trees must meet the tree shape, spacing, and size standards for the applicable District or Civic District as set forth in § 345-502, as if such standards were applicable.
(d)
If there is not sufficient public right-of-way area for all or any of the required Streetscape repairs, replacements, or improvements as set forth in this § 345-609, such element or elements must be provided within the Lot Adjacent to the public right-of-way and the property owner must grant a perpetual nonexclusive easement for public use of such elements.
(e)
Each Streetscape repair, replacement or Improvement made pursuant to this § 345-609 must comply with the rules, regulations, and requirements of the Village Planning Department and Public Works Department that are applicable and in effect from time to time in respect of such element, so that it qualifies, or would qualify if within the public right-of-way, for dedication to the Village.