The public facility district is created to accommodate public and semi-public land uses including, but not limited to, educational, governmental, utility, infrastructure and emergency service facilities necessary to serve city or regional residents. Although these are necessary components on modern urban life, their scale or probable adverse impacts require special review and extensive public involvement prior to approval. Among the public burdens such development can impost are: noise, odors, traffic congestion, threats to public safety, hazardous materials, stormwater run-off, water pollution or environmental degradation. In order to fulfill public necessities and reduce the burden upon the public elsewhere, the city finds that the public facility district is essential to protect public health, safety and general welfare.

The public facility district implements the PF designation of the RUACP and plan policies as they relate to publicly held properties or properties which serve broad public purposes. Specifically, this district implements RUACP Chapter Seven, Public Facilities, and accommodates the facilities prescribed in the Ridgefield Capital Facilities Plans (RCFP) and those plans adopted by reference in the RUACP.

(Ord. No. 1132, § 2(Exh. A), 7-11-2013)

A.

The PF district shall be applied to all land designated as PF on the comprehensive plan map.

(Ord. No. 1132, § 2(Exh. A), 7-11-2013)

A.

Uses shall comply with the provisions of RDC 18.205.

(Ord. No. 1132, § 2(Exh. A), 7-11-2013)

A.

All uses shall complete site plan review per RDC 18.500.

(Ord. No. 1132, § 2(Exh. A), 7-11-2013)

A.

There is no minimum or maximum lot size, lot width, or lot depth for development in the public facility zone.

(Ord. No. 1132, § 2(Exh. A), 7-11-2013)

A.

Setbacks. All buildings, parking and storage areas shall be set back as follows:

1.

Setback from streets: minimum of twenty feet.

2.

Side lot and rear setbacks: minimum of twenty feet from any adjoining property.

3.

These setbacks may be decreased through the conditional use process.

B.

No structure shall exceed thirty-five feet in height unless it is identified in the RCFP and the appropriate review authority approves the additional height as an adjustment or variance pursuant to RDC 18.350.

1.

Light poles serving regional sports facilities may be up to one hundred feet high provided all lighting complies with requirements of RDC 18.715.

C.

When development is proposed on two or more contiguous parcels, the dimensional standards of this section shall be applied treating the development as one parcel for purposes of this section. Setbacks shall be required for the exterior perimeter of the development, and shall not apply along property lines interior to the development provided that building separation requirements for fire and life safety are met.

(Ord. No. 1132, § 2(Exh. A), 7-11-2013; Ord. No. 1230, § 2(Exh. A), 4-13-2017; Ord. No. 1234, § 2(Exh. A), 6-22-2017; Ord. No. 1345, § 2(Exh. A), 7-8-2021)

A.

Signs. Signs shall be permitted in accordance with Chapter 18.710.

B.

Lighting. Exterior lighting shall comply with Chapter 18.715.

C.

Parking. Off-street parking is subject to compliance with Chapter 18.720, subject to the following:

1.

Off-street parking at elementary, middle and high school campuses located along street frontages shall not be subject to the frontage limitations in RDC 18.720.040.C.1, provided that a twenty-foot buffer landscaped to an L4 standard is installed between the off-street parking area and the street.

D.

Landscape Requirements.

1.

Landscaping shall meet the requirements of RDC 18.725.

2.

A minimum of twenty-five percent of each site within the PF district shall be landscaped, or in the alternative, if the review authority determines that a twenty-five percent landscaping standard is unreasonable due to the site's size, location, intended use, or peculiar characteristics, the site shall be landscaped to an L4 standard around the perimeter of the site. Exceptions to this standard include:

a.

Elementary, middle and high school campuses shall landscape a minimum of fifteen percent of the site. The applicant may offset the minimum landscaping requirement by up to fifty percent by providing on-site recreation facilities and setting aside critical areas as described in RDC 18.240.090.E and F, provided that the total area of landscaping, critical areas, and recreational facilities is a minimum of twenty-five percent of the site.

E.

Fences. Fences are subject to compliance with Chapter 18.740.

(Ord. No. 1132, § 2(Exh. A), 7-11-2013)