The purpose of the Telegraph Road overlay zone is to provide access management and urban design standards for nonresidential and/or multiple-family properties undergoing (re)development that support the recommendations contained in the Overlay Design Plan for this corridor prepared by Telegraph Tomorrow, Inc. The objective of this plan is to create an inviting, economically vital regional highway, efficiently and effectively serving attractive, safe, and well maintained neighborhoods. Through the adoption of access management and urban design standards, Redford Township, as one of eight participating governmental units, hopes to improve the roadway's efficiency and safety in moving people and goods and to improve its overall aesthetics.

The provisions of the overlay zone shall apply to all nonresidential and multiple-family properties which directly abut or provide direct access to Telegraph Road, except as specified below.

Vehicular access from all zoning lots, except residential developments involving five (5) or less dwelling units, shall adhere to the following standards and requirements.

A.

General Performance Standards. It shall be unlawful to construct or use any direct access driveway which does not meet the following criteria:

1.

Any driveway design must allow an entering vehicle turning speed of 15 mph to help reduce interference with through street traffic.

2.

Driveway design and placement must be in harmony with internal circulation and parking design such that the entrance can absorb the maximum rate of inbound traffic during a normal weekday peak traffic period as determined by a competent traffic survey.

3.

There must be sufficient on-site storage to accommodate at least three queued vehicles waiting to enter or exit without using any portion of the street right-of-way or in any other way interfering with street traffic.

4.

Provisions for circulation between adjacent parcels should be provided through coordinated or joint parking systems, or other methods as may be specified in the Master Plan.

5.

Driveway entrances must be able to accommodate all vehicle types having occasion to enter the site, including delivery vehicles.

6.

Driveway placement should be such that loading and unloading activities will in no way hinder vehicle ingress or egress.

7.

Direct-access driveway placement must be such that an exiting vehicle has an unobstructed sight distance according to the following schedule:

8.

Driveway design must be such that an entering vehicle will not encroach upon the exit lane of a two-way driveway. Also, a right-turning exiting vehicle will be able to use only the first through traffic lane available without encroaching into the adjacent through lane.

B.

Standards for Acceleration and Deceleration Lanes. Driveways providing new points of ingress and egress to Telegraph Road shall be provided with paved acceleration and deceleration lanes. This requirement may be waived by the Site Committee provided such waiver is first obtained from the Michigan Department of Transportation by the time the application for site plan approval has been submitted.

C.

Driveway Spacing. Unsignalized access spacing shall be determined as a function of the arterial roadway operating speeds. Spacing for adjacent access shall be determined according to the following schedule:

In the event that a particular parcel or parcels lacks sufficient arterial frontage to maintain adequate spacing, the Site Committee may impose the next appropriate and available remedy from the following hierarchy of options:

1.

Require a shared driveway with the adjacent owner(s). In such case, the driveway midpoint may be located at the property line between two (2) parcels. However, all parties must agree to the joint driveway in writing in the form of an easement recorded for such purposes.

2.

Require the construction of a marginal access drive. For a narrow frontage, which will require a single outlet, the Site Committee may instead accept money placed in escrow with the Township so as to provide for a marginal access drive equal in amount to the then current cost of installing such a drive along the length of the frontage of the property involved.

3.

Provide an access point to the side street when it is possible.

4.

Choose the next lowest spacing from the table above. For example, on a 45 mph roadway requiring 350 feet spacing, the distance may be reduced to no less than 300 feet which is the spacing for 40 mph.

D.

Bonus for Shared Access Points. When two (2) adjacent property owners agree to combine access points via a shared driveway or constructed marginal access drive, the Township Site Committee may grant an incentive bonus. The total lot size and lot width will be reduced by ten (10) percent for both parties. In addition, the required number of parking spaces will be reduced by ten (10) percent for each development.

E.

Number of Driveways Per Parcel.

1.

A maximum of one (1) driveway opening shall be permitted to a particular site from each of any one (1) or two (2) abutting streets.

2.

When in the opinion of the Site Committee, and in the view of the permittee, it is in the interests of good traffic operation, the Site Committee may permit one (1) additional driveway entrance along a continuous site with frontage in excess of 300 feet, or two (2) additional driveway entrances along a continuous site with frontage in excess of 600 feet.

3.

Where a dual-service driveway is used it will be considered, for purposes of this section, to be only one (1) direct-access driveway. 4. In the case of dual one-way driveways, one pair may be used per 250 feet of frontage. Only one (1) pair of one-way drives may be used per street frontage.

All plans submitted under Section 3.19, Site Plan Review for projects located within the TR, Telegraph Road Overlay District, shall be subject to design requirements of this section. Those items exempt from these provisions are: single-family residential buildings and structures (refer to Section 3.27, One-Family Detached Dwelling Unit Standards); and, items such as gutters, downspouts, door and window replacement, antennas, roof vents, small mechanical equipment not readily visible to the public, painting to a similar color, and items of ordinary repair and maintenance.

A.

Design Criteria. In the process of reviewing the submitted materials, the Site Committee shall consider:

1.

Relationship of Buildings to Site.

a.

The site shall be planned to accomplish a desirable transition, between the building(s), with the streetscape to provide for adequate planting, safe pedestrian movement, and parking areas.

b.

Site planning in which setbacks and yards are in excess of zoning restrictions is encouraged, where feasible, to provide an interesting relationship between buildings.

c.

Parking areas shall be treated with decorative elements, building wall extensions, plantings, berms, or other innovative means so as to visually enhance parking areas along public ways.

d.

Without restricting the permissible limits of the applicable zoning district, the height and scale of each building shall be compatible with its site and existing (or anticipated) adjoining buildings.

e.

Newly installed utility services, and service revisions necessitated by exterior alterations, shall be underground, where feasible.

2.

Relationship of Buildings and Site to Adjoining Area.

a.

Adjacent buildings of different architectural styles shall be made compatible by such means as screens, sight breaks, and materials.

b.

Attractive landscape transition to adjoining properties shall be provided.

c.

Harmony in texture, lines, and masses is required. Monotony shall be avoided.

3.

Building Design.

a.

Architectural style is not restricted but shall incorporate elements representative of, or compatible with, the contemporary theme of the community. Evaluation of the appearance of a project shall be based on the quality of its design and relationship to surroundings.

b.

Buildings shall have good scale and be in harmonious conformance with permanent neighboring development.

c.

(i)

Materials shall have good architectural character and shall be selected for harmony of the buildings with adjoining buildings.

(ii)

Materials shall be selected for suitability to the type of buildings and the design in which they are used. Buildings shall have the same materials, or those that are architecturally harmonious, used for all building walls and other exterior building components wholly or partially visible from public ways.

(iii)

Materials shall be of durable quality.

(iv)

In any design in which the structural frame is exposed to view, the structural materials shall be compatible within themselves and harmonious with their surroundings.

d.

Building components, such as windows, doors, eaves, and parapets, shall have good proportions and relationships to one another.

e.

Colors shall be harmonious and shall use only compatible accents.

f.

Mechanical equipment or other utility hardware on roof, ground, or buildings shall be screened from public view with materials harmonious with the building, or they shall be so located as not to be visible from any public ways.

g.

Exterior lighting shall be part of the architectural concept. Fixtures, standards, and all exposed accessories shall be harmonious with building design.

h.

Monotony of design in single or multiple building projects shall be avoided. Variation of detail, form and siting shall be used to provide visual interest. In multiple building projects, variable siting of individual buildings may be used to prevent a monotonous appearance.

i.

Gutters and downspouts are to be painted to match the surface to which they are attached, unless used as a major design element, in which case the color is to be consistent with the color scheme of the building.

j.

The design could be compatible with future construction both on and off the site.

4.

Maintenance Factors.

a.

Continued good appearance depends upon the extent and quality of maintenance. The choice of materials and their use, together with the types of finishes and other protective measures, must be conducive to easy maintenance and upkeep.

b.

Materials and finishes shall be selected for their durability and wear as well as for their beauty. Proper measures and devices shall be incorporated for protection against the elements, neglect, damage and abuse.

c.

Configurations that tend to catch and accumulate debris, leaves, trash, dirt, and rubbish shall be avoided.

d.

Owners of all buildings incorporating painted or stained exteriors shall be required to provide evidence that such buildings will be retained in good condition (no peeling, blistering or unsightly fading).

B.

Approval Standards. The Site Committee shall review the particular circumstances and facts applicable to each submittal in terms of the preceding design criteria, and shall make a finding as to whether the proposal meets the objectives of the Township Design Guidelines report, the corridor design guidelines contained in the Overlay Design Plan for the Telegraph Road Corridor and the following standards:

1.

The appearance, color, texture and materials being used will preserve property values in the immediate vicinity and will not adversely affect any property values.

2.

The appearance of the building exterior will not detract from the general harmony of and is compatible with other buildings already existing in the immediate vicinity.

3.

The appearance of the building exterior will not be garish or otherwise offensive to the sense of sight.

4.

The appearance of the building exterior will tend to minimize or prevent discordant and unsightly surroundings in the immediate neighborhood.