Saco City Zoning Code
ARTICLE VI
Good Neighbor Performance Standards
§ 230-601 Applicability.
The standards set forth in this article apply to all uses in all zoning districts, unless otherwise stated.
§ 230-602 Dust, fumes, vapors, and gasses.
Emission of dust, fly ash, fumes, vapors, or gases which could damage human health, animals, vegetation, or property, or which could soil or stain persons or property, as discernible at any point beyond the lot line of the commercial or industrial establishment creating that emission shall be prohibited. All such emissions shall be compliant with applicable federal and state regulations.
§ 230-603 Explosive materials.
A.
No highly flammable or explosive liquids, solids, or gases shall be stored in bulk aboveground, unless they are located in anchored tanks at least 75 feet from lot lines and roadways. Underground tanks shall be set back 40 feet from lot lines. All applicable federal, state, and local regulations shall be observed.
B.
Propane gas tanks are exempt from the subsection above. Aboveground propane tanks are governed by the applicable NFPA standard as adopted by the State of Maine, subject to the following exceptions:
(1)
Freestanding propane tank installations shall be fully fenced or screened with vegetation.
§ 230-604 Exterior lighting.
A.
New, modified or replacement lighting shall be designed to provide the minimum illumination necessary to ensure adequate vision, safety, and comfort. Glare shall not extend beyond the limits of the property boundaries.
B.
New, modified, or replacement lighting serving nonresidential uses and multifamily housing shall conform to the following standards:
(1)
Lighting fixtures mounted on masts or poles shall be cutoff fixtures (Figure 6-1). Floodlighting or other directional lighting may be used for supplemental illumination of vehicle sales or storage areas or other exterior sales display areas, provided that the floodlights are installed no higher than 12 feet above ground level, are aimed to avoid direct brightness being seen from adjacent streets or properties, and utilize lamps with an initial lumen rating not exceeding 39,000 lumens. The City shall have the right to inspect the completed lighting installation.
 Figure 6-1 Diagram of a cutoff fixture |
(2)
Except for ornamental lighting fixtures that utilize lamps with initial lumen ratings not exceeding 8,500 lumens, wall-mounted building lights shall include full face shielding consisting of either a solid panel or full face louvers. Exposed lamps, reflectors or refractors shall not be visible from any part of the fixture except the bottom, light-emitting surface.
(3)
Light fixtures located on or within canopies shall be recessed into the ceiling of the canopy so that the lamp, reflector, or lens is not visible from public streets and to limit the direction of light as required for a cutoff fixture.
(4)
The maximum height for pole-mounted light fixtures is 30 feet above grade.
(5)
The maximum light fixture height for building-mounted light fixtures shall be the upper limit of the vertical building face.
(6)
Lamps in exterior light fixtures shall be light emitting diode (LED) and/or a similar technology of greater energy-saving ability.
(7)
The mounting height of period or historical fixtures shall not exceed 15 feet above grade.
(8)
The illumination of access drives shall provide for a uniformity ratio of not more than 4:1 (ratio of average to minimum illuminance). The illumination of parking lots and vehicle sales areas shall provide for a uniformity ratio of not more than 20:1 (ratio of maximum to minimum illuminance).
(9)
The maximum illumination level within access drives, parking lots, and sales areas shall be not more than 8.0 footcandles measured at the ground surface.
(10)
The maximum illumination level at the property line of a nonresidential or multifamily housing use with abutting properties in a residential district or the Main and Beach (MB) District shall be not exceed 0.1 footcandle.
(11)
Areas directly under canopies shall be illuminated so that the uniformity ratio of average to minimum illuminance shall be not greater than three to one with an average illumination level of not more than 20 footcandles. Areas of access drives, parking lots, sales display areas, etc., which are adjacent to canopies shall taper down in illumination level from the illumination level permitted under the canopy to the maximum illumination level permitted for the access drive, parking lot, or sales display area adjacent to the canopy within a horizontal distance equivalent to the height of the canopy.
(12)
The maximum illumination levels and uniformity ratios for areas other than parking lots, access drives, sales areas, and canopies shall be compatible with the overall lighting of the project and are subject to approval by Planning and Development Department staff and the Planning Board.
(13)
Exterior lighting shall be dark sky compliant, and consistent with guidelines promulgated by the International Dark-Sky Association.
C.
Outdoor sports and recreational fields and courts, and for multifamily housing uses that are located outside the right-of-way of a public street are exempt from the provisions of Subsection B above.
§ 230-605 Noise.
A.
Maximum permissible sound-pressure levels.
(1)
Excessive noise shall be muffled so as not to be a nuisance due to intermittence, heat frequency, shrillness, or volume.
(2)
The maximum permissible sound-pressure level of any continuous, regular, or frequent source of sound shall not exceed the following limits at the lot line of adjoining properties.
Table 6-1 Sound-Pressure Level Limits Measured In A-Weighted Decibels (dBA) | ||
|---|---|---|
Sound-Pressure Level Limits Measured in dBA | ||
District | Day | Night |
Industrial districts | 65 | 60 |
Commercial districts | 60 | 50 |
Residential and conservation districts | 55 | 45 |
(3)
Where the emitting and receiving premises are in different zones, the limits governing the stricter zone shall apply to any regulated noise entering that zone.
(4)
The levels specified may be exceeded by 10 dBA for a single period, no longer than 15 minutes, in any one day.
(5)
No person shall engage in, cause, or permit any person to be engaged in loud construction activities on a site abutting any residential use from 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
B.
Exempt activities. The following uses and activities shall be exempt from the sound-pressure level regulations:
(1)
Home maintenance activities.
(2)
Noise created by chainsaws, construction, and maintenance activities other than home maintenance, between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and between 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on Sunday.
(3)
The noises of safety signals, warning devices, and emergency pressure relief valves and other emergency activity.
(4)
Traffic noise.
(5)
Noise created by refuse and solid waste collection, provided that the activity is conducted between 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
(6)
Emergency construction or repair work by public utilities, at any hour.
(7)
Noise created by recreational activities which are permitted by law and for which a license or permit has been granted by the City, including, but not limited to, parades, sporting events, concerts, and fireworks displays.
C.
Nonconformance of existing industrial sources. Existing industrial noise sources that are in operation at the time of enactment of this chapter shall be provided a permanent 10 dB(A) noise level allowance over noise levels otherwise required herein.
D.
Enforcement. It shall be the duty of the Saco Police Department to enforce this section.
§ 230-606 Odors.
No land use or establishment shall produce offensive or harmful odors that are perceptible beyond lot lines.
§ 230-607 Screening.
A.
Storage areas, machinery installations, sand and gravel extraction operations, and areas used for the storage or collection of discarded automobiles, auto parts, metal, or other articles of salvage or refuse shall have sufficient setbacks and screening to provide a visual buffer, sufficient to minimize adverse impacts on nearby properties.
(1)
At a minimum, the screening shall include a dense evergreen hedge at a height of six feet above grade. Such plantings shall be maintained as a visual screen. Native, deer-resistant, and salt tolerant species are encouraged. Plants that die shall be replaced within one growing season.
(2)
Where a potential safety hazard to children would be likely to arise, physical screening sufficient to deter small children from entering the premises shall be provided and shall be maintained in good condition.
B.
Nonresidential uses abutting residential districts.
(1)
The side and rear yard of a nonresidential use which abuts a residential, conservation, or Resource Protection Overlay District shall be maintained in a natural state to provide a visual screen between districts.
(a)
Where natural buffering does not exist, all side and rear yards shall be landscaped to provide a visual screen between districts.
(b)
A buffer screen no less than six feet in width and four feet in height shall be established, consisting of tree plantings, hedges, fencing, earth berms, stone walls, or combinations thereof.
§ 230-608 Sanitary waste disposal.
A.
All plumbing shall be connected to public collection and treatment facilities where such facilities are available. When public facilities are not available, wastewater disposal facilities shall be installed in compliance with the regulations of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.
B.
A subsurface wastewater disposal system or other underground system for on-site sewage disposal shall not be used for any individual residential use, or combination of residential uses, that has a design sewage flow of more than 2,000 gallons per day, and is located over a mapped sand and gravel aquifer as shown on the most recent Significant Sand and Gravel Aquifers map(s) published by the Maine Geological Survey.
C.
A subsurface waste disposal system or other underground system for on-site sewage disposal shall not be used for nonresidential use that has a design sewage flow of more than 2,000 gallons per day.
§ 230-609 Storage and handling of chemicals and similar materials.
A.
All outdoor storage facilities for liquid fuels, chemicals, industrial wastes, and potentially harmful materials shall be located on impervious pavement or other impervious surface approved by the Director of Public Works or their designee, and shall be completely enclosed by an impervious dike which shall be high enough to contain the total volume of liquid kept within the storage area, plus the rain falling into this storage area during a 100-year, twenty-four-hour storm, so that such liquid shall not be able to seep into the ground surrounding the paved storage area. Storage tanks for home heating oil and vehicle fuel, not exceeding two 550-gallon tanks, may be exempted from this requirement in situations where neither a high seasonal water table is within 15 inches of the surface, nor rapidly permeable sandy soils are involved.
B.
New or expanded nonresidential uses shall conform to the following additional standards:
(1)
Facilities shall be designed and operated so that all stored, spilled, or leaked liquid fuels, chemicals, wastes, or other potentially harmful materials cannot infiltrate into the ground.
(2)
Areas for the loading, unloading, and transfer of fuel, chemicals, and similar materials shall be designed to prevent discharge to the groundwater.
(3)
Uncovered storage areas shall have stormwater drainage facilities that provide for the disposal of stormwater runoff in a manner that will not adversely affect groundwater quality.
(4)
The discharge of fluids from motor vehicles or equipment onto the ground shall not be permitted. Service to vehicles or equipment shall be conducted on an impervious surface that is designed to prevent discharge to the groundwater. Damaged or junked vehicles, including but not limited to unregistered vehicles, uninspected vehicles, unserviceable vehicles, junk vehicles, insurance wrecks, and other vehicles likely to leak fluids shall be stored on an impervious surface that is designed to prevent discharge to the groundwater, unless the Planning Board finds that other municipal or state regulations are adequate to prevent the discharge of fluids onto the ground.
(5)
The discharge from interior floor drains shall not be directed to a stream, storm drain, dry well, or subsurface wastewater disposal system.
§ 230-610 Water quality.
No activity shall deposit on or into the ground or discharge to the waters of the state any pollutant that, by itself or in combination with other activities or substances, will impair designated uses or the water classification of the water body.
