Sykesville City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XXII
Planned Employment Center District
§ 180-134 Purpose.
The purpose of the PEC - Planned Employment Center District is to provide for logical locations where high-quality mixed use developments can occur in harmony with surrounding land uses (including site layouts and architecture that is aesthetically pleasing and consistent with applicable guidelines) and in support of Sykesville's goals for growing the employment base, providing housing for existing and future residents, and offering retail services that complement the existing businesses within the Town. The following objectives will help fulfill this purpose:
A.
To encourage orderly, staged development of comprehensively designed mixed-use centers.
B.
To create a mixture of office, retail, recreational, hotel, institutional, light industrial and residential uses within a single structure or within multiple structures where all related structures, parking, and open spaces are designed to function as a cohesive and integrated site, while protecting the residential character of surrounding neighborhoods.
C.
To provide for an enriched and enhanced natural environment by the preservation of trees and the incorporation of stormwater management techniques which maintain the hydrologic regime of the site.
D.
To assure compatibility of the proposed land uses with the internal and surrounding uses by incorporating innovative standards of land planning and site design.
E.
To encourage harmonious and coordinated development of sites, considering the existing natural features, bicycle, pedestrian and vehicular circulation and compatibility with surrounding uses.
F.
To encourage development that is of excellent design and architecture with a mix of uses that will create a synergy of uses, efficiency of design, and contribute to a reduction of vehicle miles traveled.
§ 180-135 Applicability.
PEC - Planned Employment Centers are limited to properties that are in excess of 20 acres and are within 1,320 feet from Maryland Route 32. Any portion of a proposed development application must be within 1,320 feet from Route 32; the entire development parcel does not have to meet this requirement. The following regulations and applicable regulations contained in other articles shall apply in the PEC - Planned Employment Center District.
§ 180-136 Principal permitted uses.
The principal permitted uses in this district shall be as follows:
A.
Nonresidential uses including:
(1)
Local retail business or service uses, including:
(a)
Alcoholic package good stores.
[Amended 7-11-2016 by Ord. No. 296]
(b)
Antique shops.
(c)
Arcades.
(d)
Art galleries.
(e)
Art and craft shops.
(f)
Artisans and craft work.
(g)
Automobile parts and supply stores.
(h)
Bakery or donut shops.
(i)
Banks.
(j)
Barbershops.
(k)
Bicycle, motor scooter, moped sales and service.
(l)
Billiard and pool halls.
(m)
Bookstores, except adult bookstores.
(n)
Candy stores.
(o)
Cigar stores.
(p)
Clock shops for sale or repair.
(q)
Clothing stores.
(r)
Computer, TV, phone, and electronic equipment sales and service.
(s)
Consignment shops, except pawn shops.
(t)
Construction or sales trailers, temporary, in an approved development actively under construction.
(u)
Convenience stores, gift shops, and newsstands.
(v)
Delicatessens and snack bars.
(w)
Department stores.
(x)
Dry cleaning retail outlets.
(y)
Flooring stores.
(z)
Florist shops.
(aa)
Furniture stores.
(bb)
Grocery stores.
(cc)
Hair and nail salons.
(dd)
Hardware stores.
(ee)
Hobby shops.
(ff)
Ice cream shops.
(gg)
Interior decorating establishments.
(hh)
Jewelry stores.
(ii)
Linens, bath, and curtain stores.
(jj)
Locksmiths.
(kk)
Luggage or leather goods stores.
(ll)
Mailing and shipping services.
(mm)
Office supply stores and business service, establishments including signage and copying.
(nn)
Opticians or optometrical establishments.
(oo)
Parks, private.
(pp)
Pharmacies.
(qq)
Photographic stores and studios.
(rr)
Picture framing establishments.
(tt)
Rental establishments (with no on-site/outside storage).
(uu)
Restaurants (without liquor licenses or with liquor licenses, providing that the average monthly receipts from the sale of food constitute at least 41% of the average monthly receipts from the combined sale of food and alcoholic beverages as measured over a period of one year immediately preceding the date of an application for license issuance, renewal, upgrade, transfer or other modification).
[Amended 7-11-2016 by Ord. No. 296]
(vv)
Sporting goods stores.
(ww)
Stationery stores.
(xx)
Swimming pools (private) and recreational facilities. (private) associated with a residential development, if located at least 50 feet from each lot line and dwelling unit.
(yy)
Tanning salons.
(zz)
Tattoo parlors and body piercing salons.
(aaa)
Telecommuting centers.
(bbb)
Toy shops.
(ccc)
Travel agencies.
(ddd)
Upholstering shops, including sail making shops
(eee)
Video sales and rental establishments, excluding adult video sales and rental.
(fff)
Wallpaper and paint stores.
(2)
Office, research, institutional, and light industrial uses including:
C.
Any other retail business, service establishment, office, research, institutional, light industrial, and residential use which is determined by the Board to be the same general character as the above permitted uses. (Note: This determination is a ministerial act and is made by the Board meeting in public session, but does not require a public hearing or notice thereof.)
§ 180-137 Conditional uses.
The conditional uses requiring Board authorization in this district shall include:
A.
Nonresidential uses including:
(1)
Local retail business or service uses, including:
(a)
Appliance sales and service facilities.
(b)
Automobile gasoline and service stations.
(c)
Carwashes accessory to automobile gasoline stations.
(d)
Public and commercial recreational facilities, including miniature golf; driving ranges; tennis, racquet, and handball barns or courts; artificial ski slopes; indoor soccer; bowling alleys; BMX bike, skateboard or roller blade parks; go-carting; skating rinks, and swimming pools.
(e)
Communication towers, except that freestanding telecommunication towers are prohibited.
(f)
Dog grooming and dog day-care facilities, without outside runs or pens.
(g)
Entertainment complexes and theatres, including multi-screen complexes but excluding adult movies/videos.
(h)
Health clubs, spas, and gymnasiums.
(i)
Home centers and building supply stores.
(j)
Meat, seafood, and poultry markets.
(k)
Nightclubs and comedy clubs.
(l)
Pet shops.
(m)
Produce markets.
(n)
Establishments licensed to keep for sale and to sell beer and light wines at retail for consumption on the premises or elsewhere (including pubs, taverns, microbreweries, and wine bars), and where at least 50% of the business is comprised of selling alcohol.
[Added 7-11-2016 by Ord. No. 296]
(2)
Office, research, institutional, and light industrial uses including:
(a)
Adult day care centers.
(b)
Assisted living facilities.
(c)
Auditoriums.
(d)
Banquet halls.
(e)
Catering establishments.
(f)
Child-care centers.
(g)
Civic facilities, community centers, libraries, museums.
(h)
Community meeting halls.
(i)
Country clubs, private clubs, service, nonprofit, and charitable or philanthropic organizations, social clubs, and fraternal organizations.
(j)
Funeral establishments.
(k)
Golf courses.
(l)
Hospice facilities.
(m)
Hospitals.
(n)
Hotels and motels.
(o)
Nursing homes and congregate care facilities.
(p)
Religious facilities.
(q)
Schools, public charter, and schools, private: academic, arts, business, technical, or trade, public or private colleges and universities.
(r)
Staging areas for county capital projects.
(s)
Veterinary clinics, if over-night stays are limited to those necessary for medical treatment, without outside runs or pens.
B.
Any other retail business, service establishment, office, research, institutional, and light industrial use which is determined by the Board to be the same general character as the above conditional uses. Any conditional use proposed must be reviewed by the Planning Commission before submission to the Board. The Planning Commission will make a recommendation to the Board. In deciding such matters, the Board shall give consideration, among other things, to the following:
(1)
The number of people residing or working in the immediate area concerned.
(2)
The orderly growth of Sykesville.
(3)
Traffic conditions and facilities.
(4)
The effect of such use upon the peaceful enjoyment of people in their homes.
(5)
The conservation of property values.
(6)
The effect of odors, dust, gas, smoke, fumes, vibrations, glare and noise upon the use of surrounding properties.
(7)
The most appropriate use of land and structure.
(8)
Decisions of the courts.
(9)
The purpose of these regulations as set forth herein.
(10)
Type and kind of structures in the vicinity where public gatherings may be held, such as schools, churches, and the like.
§ 180-138 Accessory uses.
The accessory uses allowed in this district shall be those uses and structures customarily accessory and incidental to any permitted principal use or authorized conditional use. Accessory uses shall be screened from public view by walls, fencing, landscaping, or a combination of the three.
§ 180-139 Required percentage of land uses.
A.
The following percentages of land uses shall be provided in a PEC- Planned Employment Center development proposal:
Office/research/institutional/hotel/light industrial: 20% to 55% | |
Retail/services: 10% to 20% | |
Residential: 10% to 35% | |
Open space: no less than 25% |
B.
Building square footages shall be used to determine the land use percentages within mixed-use buildings. For example, if a mixed-use building is on a two-acre parcel within the development and 25% of the building is devoted to nonresidential uses and 75% is devoted to residential uses, then 25% of the parcel area (1/2 acre) shall be considered nonresidential and 75% (one and 1/2 acre) shall be considered residential.
(1)
For the purposes of this calculation, the percentage for each land use shall be based on the total (or gross) development parcel size.
(2)
Any land that was previously part of the original development parcel that was subdivided and dedicated to the Town of Sykesville can be included in the total development parcel size for determining both percentage of land use and open space requirements (i.e., Warfield Park Parcel, and internal public roads).
C.
Recreational space shall be provided within, or adjacent to, any proposed residential development. Twenty percent of the required open space shall be devoted to recreational space. Recreational space is defined as good buildable land with no wetlands, floodplains, forest conservation, slopes in excess of 5% grade (once graded), or any other environmental or physical encumbrances. Physical improvements within the required recreational space (such as a community center, play equipment, etc.) can reduce the total required area below 20% at the Commission's discretion.
§ 180-140 Densities and floor area ratios.
A.
The maximum nonresidential floor area ratio shall be 0.15 based on the total development parcel. Floor area ratio shall be measured in square footage. The maximum residential density shall be two homes per acre based on the total development parcel. Residential density shall be measured in units per acre. For mixed-use buildings (i.e., residential over retail), the nonresidential shall be considered square feet and deducted from the total permissible nonresidential square feet and the residential shall be dwelling units and deducted from the total permissible residential density.
B.
No density bonuses from any other section of the Sykesville Zoning Code shall be permitted in the PEC - Planned Employment Center.
§ 180-141 Maximum height.
The maximum building height shall be six stories.
§ 180-142 Bulk regulations (lot area, lot width, and yard requirements).
The bulk regulations for a PEC - Planned Employment Center shall follow traditional neighborhood design principles where buildings are close to streets and necessary services such as parking areas, trash containers, alleys, loading areas, etc., are hidden, in as much as possible, from public view. During the concept plan phase of the development approval process, the applicant shall provide the Commission with a list of building setback requirements from public streets, other structures within the development, and the property boundaries. Once approved by the Commission, these bulk requirements shall be included in the pattern book and govern development of the PEC - Planned Employment Center.
§ 180-143 Pattern book.
A.
As part of the preliminary plan phase of the development approval process, the applicant shall provide the Commission with a pattern book that will address site planning, architectural, landscape architectural, and signage requirements for the proposed development. Once approved by the Commission, the pattern book shall govern development of the PEC - Planned Employment Center. If guidelines exist for the proposed development, such as the "Warfield Commercial Center: Design Guidelines and Standards for Signs and Energy Efficiency," then the applicant will follow them, or propose changes to account for changes in the land use, technology, or design approach. The pattern book shall be prepared by a licensed professional landscape architect, architect, or engineer.
B.
The pattern book shall include, at a minimum, the following sections:
(2)
Site planning principles.
(a)
Relationship of uses within the development.
(b)
Focal points of the development and how they have been maximized.
(c)
Vehicular and pedestrian connectivity within the development and to the Town.
(d)
Proposed recreational areas within and adjacent to residential areas. Including proposed improvements to recreational areas to serve the intended residential population.
(e)
Building and parking setbacks.
(g)
Proposed service and loading spaces.
(4)
Landscape architectural design.
(5)
Signage plan.
(a)
A signage plan for the Planned Employment Center shall be included in the pattern book. The signage plan shall outline:
(b)
Exterior signage in the Planned Employment Center shall be for identification only and may not be treated as an advertising device. Signage text is limited to company name and/or logo.
(c)
Sign locations shall be permitted as follows:
[1]
For each single-tenant building, one freestanding sign at a point near the project entrance and one building-mounted sign.
[2]
For each multi-tenant building, one freestanding sign with only the building name at a point near the project entrance and a building-mounted tenant identification system for each tenant.
(d)
Sign types shall be permitted as follows:
[1]
Freestanding signs.
[a]
Maximum size shall not exceed 24 square feet on a two-sided sign.
[b]
Maximum height shall not exceed six feet above grade except for the sign identifying the Planned Employment Center.
[c]
The sign shall be constructed of durable materials consistent with and/or complementary to the materials used in buildings within the Planned Employment Center.
[d]
The sign shall be mounted on a sturdy base.
[e]
Illumination by unobtrusive ground lighting is permissible.
[2]
Building-mounted signs.
[a]
Sign location on the building shall be compatible with the architectural design of the building.
[b]
No signs may extend above the roof or parapet line of the building.
[c]
Illumination may be internal through a translucent letter face or opaque letters project slightly off the wall and back-lit from a source concealed within the letter.
(e)
In multi-tenant buildings, the developer or owner is responsible for submitting a tenant identification system for approval.
[1]
The system shall include a standardized design format to ensure matching of size, materials, color, finish, and typeface.
[2]
The system shall be of a scale to identify individual tenants from parking areas rather than to provide major tenant visibility from surrounding roads.
[3]
Tenant signage shall be building-mounted. The placement shall relate architecturally to door and window openings or other elements of the building.
[4]
Each tenant shall be assigned a designated sign panel.
(f)
Sign color shall be limited to one color for the lettering and one color for the background. The background color shall be darker than the message and graphics. Where an additional color is desired because it is part of the owner's or tenant's logo, the Commission may modify this requirement.
(g)
Each lot is limited to one temporary sign, which may be double-sided and shall be removed within one year.
§ 180-144 Approval process.
B.
Any amendment of the plan must go through the same three-step process. If, however, the Town's Zoning Administrator believes the amendment is not substantive, then the concept and preliminary approval steps can be combined into one preliminary plan approval.
C.
An applicant shall submit all concept, preliminary and final plans to the Planning Commission for consideration. The purpose is to provide the Commission with sufficient information to determine the practicality and suitability of the proposed development. All plans shall be prepared by a licensed architect, registered civil engineer, professional landscape architect or other qualified land planner. All plans shall be to scale and contain the appropriate information for the submission (i.e., concept plans are more general than preliminary or final plans).
D.
Hearing.
(1)
The Planning Commission shall hold a public hearing when considering the preliminary plan (including the pattern book). The following notice shall be given:
(a)
At least 15 days' notice of the time and place of such hearing shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the Town.
(b)
Property upon which a Planned Employment Center development is proposed shall be posted conspicuously by a notice at least 22 inches by 28 inches in size, at least 15 days before the date of the hearing.
(c)
Notice of the hearing shall be sent by first-class mail to the person making application to the Commission no less than 15 days prior to the first scheduled hearing.
(d)
At least 15 days prior to the first scheduled hearing, notice of the hearing shall be sent by first-class mail to those persons identified by the applicant as persons owning property contiguous to the property which is the subject of the proceeding. Notice shall be sufficient if given to the person shown as the owner on the tax rolls and sent to the address where tax bills are sent.
(2)
The Commission may approve or disapprove the Preliminary Plan (including the Pattern Book) after a public hearing.
E.
Should the Planning Commission determine additional assistance to review an application is required, the Town may hire licensed professionals (such as a landscape architect, architect, and/or engineer) to assist in the review of the application. The cost of any outside professionals shall be paid for by the applicant. The Town shall make every effort to minimize all costs associated with any outside professional assistance.
§ 180-145 Other applicable regulations.
The regulations provided herein are not meant to supersede other applicable Town, county, or state regulations such as historic district and Maryland Historic Trust requirements, stormwater management, parking regulation, forest conservation act requirements, and/or sediment and erosion control provisions. These, and other regulations, shall remain in full effect and govern the design.