Rochester City Zoning Code
ARTICLE 8
Granite Ridge Development GRD
§ 275-8.1 Purpose; conditional use permits.
[Amended 7-5-2022]
A.
Well-planned commercial zones provide many benefits. For the community, tax revenue is maximized, infrastructure burden is reduced, and traffic impacts are minimized. For landowners and developers, good planning allows for a process that is coherent, flexible and easy to navigate.
B.
The Granite Ridge Development Zone (GRD) is intended to:
(1)
Provide landowners and developers with flexible yet clearly defined requirements.
(2)
Minimize infrastructure cost to the City through good planning for the zone as a whole rather than based on individual lots.
(3)
Maximize the developable areas on the parcels within the zone through the development of both commercial and residential projects.
(4)
Minimize traffic impacts to Route 11 through implementation of a service road and shared intersections with Route 11.
C.
Purpose and intent.
(1)
Nonresidential commercial development remains the primary goal of the GRD, but the addition of multifamily and mixed-use is designed to allow a mixture of residential and commercial uses on one parcel. Developers will be required to receive conditional use approval from the Planning Board prior to project construction. The zone includes options that enable and encourage greater flexibility in the design of mixed-use projects. Developers will provide a development plan outlining the project and how it conforms to the regulations and design standards outlined in this document.
(2)
Developments are intended to be complementary of one another and to create a sense of community between the mixed uses. Housing and commercial uses can be developed to provide the appropriate use of land, facilitate the economical and efficient provision of public services, promote open space conservation, protect the natural and scenic attributes of the land, and expand opportunities for the development of, outside the traditional residential developments.
D.
Conditional use permit. Conditional use approval may be granted by the Planning Board after proper public notice and public hearing, provided that the proposed project complies with the following standards:
(1)
The applicant demonstrates that the development complies with the design guidelines outlined in the design standards portion of this document, as well as applicable site review regulations and requirements of § 275-21.4. These guidelines encourage components that act as one project and not as two adjacent projects.
(2)
The applicant demonstrates that the development poses no detrimental effects to surrounding properties. Potential areas of impact that need to be analyzed include, but are not limited to, vehicular traffic, noise, visual blight, light pollution, offensive emissions such as dust, odor, or smoke.
§ 275-8.2 Delineation of Granite Ridge Development Zone.
[Amended 7-5-2022]
The Granite Ridge Development Zone includes those parcels of land so identified on the Zoning Map of the City of Rochester, New Hampshire, which accompanies this chapter and is on file in the offices of the Director of Planning, Zoning, and Development and the Director of Building and Licensing Services. The GRD includes parcels of land located on both the easterly and westerly sides of New Hampshire State Route 11/Farmington Road.
§ 275-8.4 Site plan process.
[Added 7-5-2022]
The developer shall prepare a site plan, which locates the proposed types of nonresidential and residential development, accessory uses, utilities, access roads, open space, and public ways. The parcels comprising the development may be under separate ownership, but shall be treated as one development and shall be bound by the approval granted for the entire site plan. If approval is granted, individual lots must be developed as part of the larger development plan and phasing outlined below, and not separately. A long-term maintenance plan may also be required.
A.
Commercial is the primary use within the GRD, with residential being considered a secondary use. As such, a minimum of 55% of the total footprint of the project will be reserved for commercial/nonresidential use. The remaining 45% of the total project footprint may be utilized for residential development. By a majority vote, the Planning Board may adjust the final commercial/residential percent allocations, subject to conditional use details in § 275-21.4.
B.
Dwelling, mixed-use (MU) provided that 100% of the square footage of the first floor is reserved for a commercial use. Accessory and support uses (e.g., mechanical, storage, etc.) are permitted on the first floor of a mixed-use building, and will be recognized as commercial use. Buildings classified as MU will be exempt from requirements outlined in Subsections A and F.
C.
A minimum of 15% of the square footage of the original parcel shall be reserved as open space and identified as such on the development plan. Fifty percent of the required open space must be usable uplands and reasonably accessible to all property owners/tenants in the project. Any open space provided above 15% may be mixed wetlands and upland. Amenities constructed for use by the tenants (clubhouse, gym, ball courts, etc.) may be considered part of the "open space" calculation as determined by the Planning Board. The Planning Board shall have the flexibility to negotiate with the developer when determining the final open space requirement.
D.
Residential uses require the submission of a plan outlining the number of proposed units achievable under current zoning allowances. This plan should be based upon maps that include plans for open space, parking, roadways, and all nonresidential and accessory buildings associated with the project. The final number of approved units will be subject to Planning Board review, and in some cases may require an analysis of the project's impact on existing City infrastructure prior to approval.
E.
The minimum size of a residential unit shall be 500 square feet.
F.
No more than 50% of the residential development may be occupied prior to the completion of between 25% and 50% of the nonresidential structures. By a majority vote, the Planning Board may adjust these percent allocations subject to conditional use details in § 275-21.4.
G.
The development plan may be phased for a term of up to five years. For purposes of this section, development shall include:
(1)
Construction of structures, to include proposed timeline, phasing, and ratio of commercial/residential construction;
(2)
Schedule for proposed occupancy and leasing of commercial and residential uses;
(3)
Environmental remediation;
(4)
Site preparation or demolition;
(5)
Roadway utility or recreation and common area design and construction; and
(6)
Bonding or other security for site development.
H.
Provided the developer is making reasonable efforts to develop the site, the Planning Board may extend the initial five-year phasing period, provided a request for extension is submitted before the expiration of the initial five-year phasing term.
I.
Residential development plan guidelines.
(1)
Dwelling layouts shall be so designed that parking is screened from external roadways by landscaping, building locations, grading, or screening. Major topographical changes or removal of existing trees shall be avoided wherever possible, and water, wetlands, and other scenic views from the external streets shall be preserved as much as possible.
(2)
Where possible, it is desirable and encouraged to mix residential and nonresidential uses. This may be achieved through situating the buildings close to each other, or through allowing structures to house residential preferably on the second or above floor, and nonresidential on the first floor. Creativity and flexibility are encouraged and the development plan may offer another option for mixed-use.
J.
Nonresidential development plan guidelines.
(1)
The general character of the nonresidential structures within the development lot is intended to be a pedestrian-friendly setting, with emphasis on the natural characteristics of the site. The site design should create a sense of character and cohesiveness through landscaping, facade treatment, and signage.
§ 275-8.5 Architectural and design standards.
[Added 7-5-2022; amended 4-1-2025]
A.
Architecture. The purpose of these standards is to promote flexibility in large-scale mixed-use developments by considering project proposals based upon a comprehensive, integrated, and detailed plan rather than the specific constraints applicable to piecemeal, lot-by-lot development under conventional zoning requirements. A mixed-use development should improve the quality of new development by encouraging attractive features and promoting quality site design.
B.
Nonresidential site layout. Planning for mixed-use development on a site encompasses items such as its relationship to surrounding uses, building orientation on the site, pedestrian and vehicular circulation, and efficiency of parking areas, screening of loading and utility areas, and the design of landscaping, signage, and lighting.
(1)
Trash and loading:
(a)
Trash and loading areas should be integrated into building design, and possibly inset and/or screened with architectural features. Orient support uses such as trash enclosures, compactors, truck loading areas, and outdoor storage away from residential uses to the extent practical.
(b)
Whenever practical, and not impeded by wetlands or other physical constraints, trash and delivery areas shall be located off a shared access driveway between sites. The access driveway may be located at/along the side lot line(s), with each lot having its own trash and delivery area located off this access driveway.
(c)
Trash, delivery, and loading areas shall be well screened from Route 11. The lots situated between Market Place Boulevard and Route 11 call for special treatment because they have double frontages.
(2)
Building design:
(a)
Facade treatment. Building facades fronting on a service road and Route 11 shall both be treated as front facades, both thereby meriting attractive treatment, under the architectural standards included in the City of Rochester Site Plan Regulations.
(b)
Outdoor seating. If applicable, restaurant proprietors are encouraged to include seasonal outdoor seating in their initial site plan. Seating should be screened from parking and roadways.
(d)
When practical, locate some parking and service functions behind the building. For multi-building projects, organize the site layout to provide functional pedestrian spaces and landscaping amenities.
(e)
All facades, including back and side elevations of a building generally visible from public view or adjacent to residential areas, should be architecturally treated.
(f)
Design multi-building projects to include architecturally sensitive design elements throughout the project.
(g)
Building elevations should incorporate architectural features and patterns that consider a pedestrian scale.
(h)
Building roofs shall be uncluttered, and when flat roofs are visible from public roads, pitched roofs or parapets are required.
(i)
Rooftop and ground- mounted mechanical units and ventilating fans are to either be integrated into the design of the building or screened from view.
(j)
At least two of these elements should repeat horizontally. Buildings with facades greater than 150 feet in length should include several of the elements listed below, repeated at appropriate intervals, either horizontally or vertically:
(k)
Service and exit doors should be integrated into the architecture of publicly visible elevations.
(l)
Where practical, variations in rooflines or parapets should be used to reduce the scale of nonresidential buildings. Roof size, shape, material, color and slope should be coordinated with the scale and theme of the building.
(m)
All exterior building walls and structures shall be constructed with attractive, durable materials such as textured concrete, masonry, stone, brick, clapboard, finishing wood, stucco or glass.
(o)
Buildings should have clearly defined customer entrance(s) incorporating appropriate architectural elements
(3)
Pedestrian amenities:
(a)
Wherever practical, design attractive, safe, and convenient pedestrian and bicycle connectivity to streets, to include access to residential, commercial, and open space areas.
(b)
Design sites to minimize pedestrian and vehicular conflicts. Where pedestrian circulation paths cross vehicular routes, provide a change in paving materials, textures or colors to emphasize the conflict point. Where applicable, and to encourage outdoor seating, dining, and other amenities, sidewalks should be constructed of concrete and at least 10 feet wide.
(4)
Vehicular circulation and parking:
(a)
To promote safe pedestrian access, create wide and well-lit sidewalks (concrete) and pathways.
(b)
Strive to minimize driveway cuts on arterial streets by providing vehicular cross-access easements and shared access driveways between adjacent commercial projects.
(c)
Traffic calming devices are encouraged in the interior of a site to enhance safety.
(d)
Landscaped parking areas shall be consistent with Section 5 of the Site Plan Regulations in order to break up the mass of large parking lots.
(5)
Outdoor display areas:
(a)
On final site plans, identify the location of all proposed outdoor display and sales areas, including what type of items would be sold. Their location should not displace required parking, pedestrian, or landscaped areas.
(7)
Landscaping and grading:
(a)
All landscaping and grading shall be consistent with Section 5 of the City's Site Plan Regulations, while complementing and enhancing project architecture.
(8)
Lighting:
(a)
Design lighting to follow all site plan regulations and requirements and, where applicable, include pedestrian-scale lighting.
(9)
Building design/architectural:
(a)
Where practical, building mass should be broken into smaller elements, consistent with the proportions of the architectural style selected and surrounding uses.
(b)
Reduction of building mass may be achieved by using a combination of the following techniques:
[1]
Variation in the rooflines and form.
[2]
Use of ground-level arcades and covered areas.
[3]
Use of protected and recessed entries.
[4]
Use of vertical elements on or in front of expansive blank walls.
[5]
Use of pronounced wall plane offsets and projections.
[6]
Use of focal points and vertical accents.
[7]
Inclusion of windows on elevations facing streets and pedestrian areas.
[8]
Retaining a clear distinction between roof, body and base of a building.
[9]
The City supports the construction of "solar ready" structures designed for rooftop solar arrays.
(10)
Dimensional requirements:
(a)
All uses:
[2]
Maximum building height:
[a]
Nonresidential building height: 75 feet.
[b]
Residential building height: 100 feet.
[c]
Mixed use building height: 100 feet.
[d]
An additional 25 feet in height shall be permitted when under-parking is proposed under 80% or more of the gross floor area of the building. Said additional allowance is directly correlated to the height occupied by the under-parking structure. In no case shall the portion of the structure devoted to non-parking usage exceed 100 feet.
[3]
For all lots on the southwest side of Farmington Road, and lots greater than four acres on the northeast side of Farmington Road (two distinct categories), there shall exist a 300-foot Route 11 buffer measured by a perpendicular line from the edge of Route 11. This area is intended to support smaller, single-story outparcels containing commercial uses which require high visibility from Route 11. Within that 300-foot buffer the following is required:
[a]
Maximum lot coverage is 60%. This includes building footprints, parking lots and impervious surfaces. This allows for views through this area to the developed area behind.
[b]
Access must be taken from a secondary road, not Route 11, unless permitted by conditional use permit.
[c]
Buildings must be one story or no higher than 25 feet.
[d]
Landscaping in this area shall contribute to a high aesthetic value as viewed from Route 11.
[e]
This section does not apply to any area of a parcel outside of this 300-foot buffer.
(11)
Parking:
(12)
Utility standards:
(a)
All utilities shall be underground.
(b)
Utilities into individual sites shall be run from the common utility lines to be placed in the service road right-of-way.
(c)
Service connections for utilities for pad sites, if any are created, shall be provided within the service road right-of-way.
(d)
Transformer boxes shall be screened and utilize proper landscaping features.
§ 275-8.6 Pavement dimensional regulations.
The setbacks shown in the table below shall apply to pavement used for parking and interior accessways. Driveways into the site from the service road are exempt from these setbacks. These setbacks guarantee a minimum ten-foot-wide area for landscaping around the perimeter of the site (five feet plus five feet for adjoining lots along the side lot lines). This section shall supersede perimeter landscaping buffer requirements (15 feet along the front and 10 feet along the side lot lines) established in the Site Plan Regulations.
Minimum Property Line Setbacks (in feet) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Front | Side | Rear | |
Pavement | 10 | 5 | 10 |
§ 275-8.7 Granite Ridge Development Study.
This article was created pursuant to the March 2009 "Granite Ridge Development Study, Farmington Road, Rochester, New Hampshire," prepared by CLD Consulting Engineers. This study should be referred to for reference in designing, reviewing, and approving proposed site plans and subdivision plans.
§ 275-8.8 Service road regulations.
The following requirements apply to those lots situated on the westerly side of Route 11/Farmington Road, on which the planned service road and access roads leading to or from the service road are to be situated.
A.
Rights-of-way. To the extent practical and appropriate, as determined by the Planning Board, as part of any proposed site plan or subdivision plan, each landowner/developer shall incorporate into his/her plan, on the subject land, a sixty-foot-wide right-of-way for the construction of the service road and/or access road(s). The right-of-way shall traverse the subject lot from the southerly lot line to the northerly lot line, as appropriate, and in the case of any access road, from the easterly to the westerly lot line, as appropriate, in accordance with the layout of the planned service road and access road(s).
B.
Temporary termination. Where the service road has not been built on the lot adjacent to the subject property, a temporary cul-de-sac shall be built on the subject property to provide for an appropriate turnaround and future connection to the service road on that adjacent lot. Appropriate provisions may be established by the Planning Board to facilitate seamless connection of that cul-de-sac in the future to a service road on the adjacent lot, when that road may be constructed. The temporary cul-de-sac shall conform to the City of Rochester Subdivision Regulations.
C.
Route 11 intersections. As part of any site plan or subdivision plan, the landowner/developer shall incorporate predetermined Route 11 access points into his/her plan.
D.
NHDOT. Developers shall coordinate with the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) regarding the design of the access roads and any intersections with Route 11.
§ 275-8.9 Road design standards.
[Amended 3-5-2019]
A.
B.
All materials shall be installed in compliance with NHDOT specifications and the City of Rochester Subdivision Regulations.
§ 275-8.10 Stormwater management requirements.
A.
Stormwater controls for each individual site plan shall be designed in compliance with the New Hampshire Stormwater Manual Volume 2. To ensure adequate stormwater control given the more flexible dimensional regulations, these design guidelines shall be followed regardless of any requirement imposed as part of the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services alteration of terrain permitting (for 100,000 square feet +\- of disturbed surface).
B.
The Planning Board shall consider proposals for use of innovative stormwater control structures, such as porous pavement, bioretention areas, gravel wetlands, etc. If the Board concludes that use of these structures is in order, then:
(1)
It may be appropriate to allow for interior landscaped islands within parking lots to be constructed without perimeter curbing if the curbing would interfere with the routing of the stormwater.
§ 275-8.11 Utility standards.
§ 275-8.12 Parking lot interconnections.
§ 275-8.13 Design standards.
A.
Trash and delivery areas. The lots situated between the service road and Route 11 call for special treatment because they have double frontages.
(1)
Whenever practical, and not impeded by wetlands or other physical constraints, trash and delivery areas shall be located off of a shared access driveway between sites.
(2)
The access driveway may be located at/along the side lot line(s), with each lot having its own trash and delivery area located off this access driveway.
(3)
Trash, delivery, and loading areas shall be well screened from Route 11.
B.
Facade treatment. Building facades fronting on the service road and Route 11 shall both be treated as front facades, both thereby meriting attractive treatment, under the architectural standards included in the City of Rochester Site Plan Regulations.
C.
Outdoor seating. Restaurant proprietors are encouraged to include seasonal outdoor seating.
§ 275-8.14 Adjustments in requirements.
Since a number of the requirements specified in this Article 8, herein, are design oriented, the Planning Board may adjust any requirements of § 275-8.6, Pavement dimensional regulations, § 275-8.8, Service road regulations, § 275-8.9, Road design standards, § 275-8.10, Stormwater management requirements, § 275-8.11, Utility standards, and § 275-8.12, Design standards, on a case-by-case basis, where it reasonably determines that strict application of any requirement is impracticable due to particular conditions on a given site.
Primary Area of Granite Ridge Development | |||
|---|---|---|---|
PID | Address | Acres | Owner |
0208-0001-0000 | 126 Farmington Road | 82.50 | Adamian Construction & Dev. |
0208-0001-0001 | 116 Farmington Road | 34.18 | Infinity Properties Rochester |
0208-0002-0000 | 0 Farmington Road | 32.00 | The Kane Co. Inc. |
0208-0004-0000 | 148 Farmington Road | 1.30 | John & Carolyn Meader |
0208-0005-0000 | 150 Farmington Road | 0.63 | Roslyn Stone & Carolyn Meader |
0208-0006-0000 | 154 Farmington Road | 1.05 | Alkurabli LLC |
0208-0006-0001 | 152 Farmington Road | 0.94 | Richard Ottino |
0208-0007-0000 | 160 Farmington Road | 1.33 | 160 Farmington Road Realty Trust |
0216-0001-0000 | 20 Farmington Road | 15.00 | Robert Beranger |
0216-0002-0000 | 22 Farmington Road | 2.60 | Robert Beranger |
0216-0003-0000 | 0 Farmington Road | 2.90 | Robert Beranger |
0216-0004-0000 | 36 Farmington Road | 17.10 | Northgate Investment Properties |
0216-0005-0000 | 46 Farmington Road | 1.24 | Gene V. Roe |
0216-0006-0000 | 48 Farmington Road | 5.62 | Casaccio Real Estate Holdings |
0216-0007-0000 | 58 Farmington Road | 7.60 | Casaccio Real Estate Holdings |
0216-0008-0000 | 60 Farmington Road | 6.30 | Packy's Investment Properties |
0216-0009-0000 | 68 Farmington Road | 20.00 | Stratham Industrial Properties |
0216-0010-0000 | 76 Farmington Road | 21.00 | PSNH |
0216-0011-0000 | 92 Farmington Road | 85.00 | Stratham Industrial Properties |
0216-0017-0000 | 5 Lydall Way | 12.00 | State of New Hampshire DOT |
0216-0019-0000 | 0 Farmington Road | 4.50 | PSNH |
0216-0020-0000 | 8 Crane Drive | 6.09 | Newport Partners LLC |
0216-0021-0000 | 33 Crane Drive | 4.80 | Spinelli Realty Trust |
0216-0022-0000 | 27 Crane Drive | 6.35 | Black Marble Realty Trust |
0216-0023-0000 | 21 Crane Drive | 3.16 | Black Marble Realty Trust |
0216-0024-0000 | 7 Crane Drive | 4.01 | Four Hidden Road Trust |
0216-0025-0000 | 47 Farmington Road | 2.80 | Poulin Realty Acquisition |
382.00 | |||
Secondary Area of Granite Ridge Development | |||
|---|---|---|---|
PID | Address | Acres | Owner |
0208-0008-0000 | 174 Farmington Road | 60.00 | Diane Smith |
0208-0008-0001 | 176 Farmington Road | 11.61 | Robidas Properties LLC |
0208-0009-0000 | 178 Farmington Road | 4.30 | Rochester/Rural District |
0208-0010-0000 | 180 Farmington Road | 1.02 | WAH Realty Corporation |
0208-0011-0000 | 184 Farmington Road | 4.00 | Bonnie J. O'Shea |
0208-0015-0000 | 0 Farmington Road | 0.29 | City of Rochester |
0208-0016-0000 | 0 Farmington Road | 1.66 | Robert Rowe |
0208-0017-0000 | 127 Farmington Road | 8.90 | Robert Rowe |
0208-0018-0000 | 17 Sterling Drive | 2.02 | Raven Realty |
0208-0018-0001 | 18 Sterling Drive | 2.85 | Raven Realty |
0208-0018-0002 | 27 Sterling Drive | 5.04 | Axis Property Holdings LLC |
0208-0018-0003 | 23 Sterling Drive | 1.55 | Raven Realty |
0208-0018-0004 | 0 Sterling Drive | 0.64 | Raven Realty |
0208-0019-0000 | 123 Farmington Road | 1.16 | Black Dog Car Wash LLC |
0208-0019-0001 | 115 Farmington Road | 1.25 | Hermitage Place LP |
0208-0019-0002 | 131 Farmington Road | 0.57 | JMB Automotive Group LLC |
0209-0001-0000 | 105 Farmington Road | 1.70 | Rudolph Tetreault |
0216-0012-0000 | 4 Little Falls Bridge Road | 1.89 | Ralph Torr Rev. Trust |
0216-0013-0000 | 0 Little Falls Bridge Road | 11.80 | State of New Hampshire DOT |
0216-0018-0000 | 95 Farmington Road | 3.50 | Motiva Enterprises LLC |
0216-0018-0001 | 83 Farmington Road | 2.25 | Joseph Blanchette |
0216-0018-0002 | 77 Farmington Road | 3.60 | Rochester Hospitality LLC |
0216-0019-0000 | 0 Farmington Road | 4.50 | PSNH |
0216-0020-0000 | 8 Crane Drive | 6.09 | Newport Partners LLC |
0216-0021-0000 | 33 Crane Drive | 4.80 | Rose Realty LLC |
0216-0022-0000 | 27 Crane Drive | 5.30 | Black Marble Realty Trust LLC |
0216-0023-0000 | 21 Crane Drive | 3.16 | Black Marble Realty Trust LLC |
0216-0024-0000 | 7 Crane Drive | 4.01 | Four Hidden Rod Road Realty Trust |
0216-0025-0000 | 47 Farmington Road | 2.60 | Poulin Realty Acquisitions LLC |
0216-0026-0000 | 0 Farmington Road | 68.00 | Donald & Bonnie Toy |
0216-0028-0000 | 23 Farmington Road | 1.70 | Miles Cook III |
0216-0028-0001 | 25 Farmington Road | 0.10 | City of Rochester |
0216-0029-0000 | 21 Farmington Road | 2.41 | Cardinals Seafarer Restaurant |
0221-0154-0000 | 2 Farmington Road | 20.80 | Jean Edgerly Trust |
0221-0156-0000 | 14 Farmington Road | 1.20 | Renee & Louanne Cardinal |
0221-0157-0000 | 0 Farmington Road | 1.20 | Wayne Cardinal |
0221-0158-0000 | 14 Farmington Road | 1.30 | Rene & Luanne Cardinal |
0221-0159-0000 | 10 Farmington Road | 2.45 | Lawrence Shapiro Trust |
0221-0160-0000 | 18 Farmington Road | 1.32 | Michael & Jean Garzillo |
0221-0162-0000 | 18A Farmington Road | 6.40 | Richard & Phyllis Glidden |
0221-0163-0000 | 20 Farmington Road | 3.20 | Robert & Karen Beranger |
0221-0164-0000 | 17 Farmington Road | 0.91 | Rene G Cardinal & Cardinal Way |
0221-0165-0000 | 11 Farmington Road | 1.70 | Seckendorf Real Estate |
0221-0166-0000 | 9 Farmington Road | 1.10 | MIB LLC Greenwood Inn |
0221-0167-0000 | 7 Farmington Road | 0.30 | Basel Alkurabi |
0221-0168-0000 | 3 Farmington Road | 14.00 | Charles Karacas |
290.15 | |||