It is the intent and purpose of the Planned Commercial Development District to provide flexibility in design and use of land in large-scale commercial developments that is not present under the existing regulations of other commercial districts.

Provisions in this article establish criteria that will allow development to occur in such a manner that will be both beneficial to the Town of Schroeppel as a whole while minimizing negative impacts on land and surrounding land uses. This district shall therefore provide a means of promoting commercial growth while maintaining to whatever extent plausible the environmental and aesthetic characteristics of the area for which it is zoned.

Ensure that proposed developments shall be designed so as to minimize potential conflicts with surrounding land uses.

Ensure that land uses surrounding the proposed development can be planned in coordination with the proposed development.

Ensure that any proposed zone change is in conformance with the intent of the Comprehensive Plan.

Provide for maximum safety of vehicular circulation between the district and the existing highway network.

Achieve a development pattern in harmony with community growth and the obtaining of an environment that is more desirable than is possible under the strict application of other sections of this chapter.

Minimum requirements. The minimum area required to qualify for a Planned Commercial Development (C-3) District is 10 contiguous acres of land.

Ownership. The tract of land under consideration shall be controlled by the developer whether as a single individual or group so constituted, i.e., corporation or partnership. Approval of the development will be binding on all members and their successors.

Permitted uses. The following uses are permitted in the Planned Commercial District:

Permitted uses requiring a special use permit of the Town Board. The following uses are permitted only upon obtaining a special use permit from the Town Board:

Height limit. Height limits will not exceed 75 feet as now required by the present zoning districts.

Minimum lot size. No lot for commercial development shall be less than one acre in size.

Yard requirements. Yard requirements shall conform to the following minimum standards: Side yards of 20 feet and front and rear yards of 40 feet.

Utilities. All electrical lines and telephone lines shall be underground. This requirement may be waived upon recommendation of the Planning Board and approval of the Town Board.

Off-street parking and loading. Off-street parking requirements and loading regulations shall be determined in accordance with Article V.

Signs. Signs in this district shall not obtrusively infringe upon the visual perceptions of the residents of adjacent residential developments or the community as a whole. The following standards will be followed:

Staging. Any planned commercial development must be completed within 24 months from time of construction start. Any planned commercial development to be completed by stages requiring more than 24 months must contain a development schedule as required in the application process.

Roads. Roads shall be designed to accommodate heavy commercial traffic. All road construction and design procedures shall be in accordance with the provisions of the appropriate chapters of the Code of the Town of Schroeppel.

Wastewater disposal systems. The wastewater disposal system for each use and the development as a whole shall be subject to the approval of the Building Inspector of the Town of Schroeppel and the New York State Department of Health. Individual systems shall be designed in accordance with standards and procedures established under the Town of Schroeppel. The Town reserves the exclusive right to disapprove any and all systems which do not meet these standards.

Loading docks. No loading docks shall front on any street. Provisions for handling of all freight shall be on those sides of any building which do not face on any street or proposed streets.

Landscaping. It is hereby declared that all areas of the development plan not occupied by buildings, parking, driveways, walkways or storage shall be landscaped attractively with lawn, trees, shrubs or other plant material. Such landscaping shall take into consideration the natural growth presently on the premises and the nature and condition of the terrain as well as the situation of the lands and premises themselves and with regard to adjoining lands and premises.

Fences and walls. The entire development shall be provided on all property lines with a chain-link fence, not less than six feet high, or compact evergreen hedge or a landscaped strip of trees and shrubs so designed as to form a visual screen. Except for landscaped areas and parking areas, a use which is not conducted within a completely enclosed building shall be screened by a six-foot solid masonry wall, chain-link fence covered with evergreen vine or compact evergreen hedge. Where a front yard adjoins a street, the wall, fence or hedge shall be located no closer to the street than the depth of the required yard.

Buffer strip. In addition to the fences and walls, the entire development must also be separated along its outside boundary from all adjoining districts by a buffer strip suitably landscaped and maintained at least 40 feet wide.

Utility services; accessibility. Proper and adequate water supply, sewerage and waste disposal, other utility services and accessibility to and from public streets must be provided.

Traffic. Special consideration must be given to the traffic generated by each proposed use in a Planned Commercial Development District, and no undue traffic volumes shall be permitted on residential streets. Such data is to be submitted with each petition for amendment requested under § 95-82. No access drive for any one district shall be within 300 feet of and on the same side of the street as a school, public library, theater, church or other public gathering place, park, playground or fire station.

Additional conditions. The Planning Board, upon review of the proposed development, may recommend to the Town Board such additional conditions as are in its opinion necessary in order to secure the objectives of this chapter.

The Town recognizes that a developer proposing a planned commercial development may not have commitments from commercial users for every lot in the proposed district. It is therefore the intention of the Town to allow the Planning Board to review a final plan showing development of a portion of the lots as it would a staged development. This flexibility will allow an applicant to complete the review procedures and seek Town Board approval to begin construction and development of all approved lots, buildings and roadways.

In the future as the applicant secures further commercial commitments thereby necessitating the need for further development, the developer must return to the Planning Board with an amended plan showing all proposed changes and development, including but not limited to changes in lot sizes and location of lot lines and all proposed development, buildings, parking areas and landscaping of each lot for which the applicant is seeking approval. The amended plan must be a duplicate of the final plan which was previously reviewed by the Planning Board and approved by the Town Board with all proposed changes added thereto. The amended plan shall be treated as and subject to the preliminary plan provisions of § 95-75B. The Planning Board will review the amended plan to ensure that all changes are consistent with the intentions of this chapter and earlier discussions with the developer in the initial application process. After completion of its review procedure, the Planning Board shall direct the developer to submit an amended final plan, which shall be subject to the final plan provisions of § 95-75C. The Town Board shall then consider the amended final plan and, after a public hearing, grant its approval, approval with modifications or disapproval within 45 days after receiving the Planning Board's recommendation.

The developer must follow this amendment procedure for all development which has not been expressly approved in the initial application process. This amendment process shall be undertaken as many times as is necessary to complete development of the originally proposed district.