Yorktown City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XII
OB-2 District
§ 300-113 Legislative intent.
It is the intent of this legislation to provide for suitable nonresidential developments on remaining vacant large properties located on major roads in the low-density residential neighborhoods of the Town. The proposed uses and standards of this district are designed to protect the sensitive lands usually found in these areas and to promote developments compatible with and protective of neighboring residential uses.
§ 300-114 Permitted main uses.
A.
The following uses are permitted main uses:
(1)
Offices for professional or business use, including executive, engineering, accounting, scientific, educational statistical and financial purposes (provided that the occupancy shall generally have limited contact with the general public and infrequent visits from clients or customers).
(2)
Research and development, provided that laboratories do not exceed 25% of floor area.
(3)
Laboratories devoted exclusively to research, product development and testing, engineering development and sales development, provided that public water and public sewers are available; and provided further that pilot plants for the testing of manufacturing, processing or fabrication methods, or for the testing of products or materials, shall be permitted only as an accessory to a research laboratory and in no case shall be more than 25% of the total floor area be devoted to such uses. No materials or finished products shall be manufactured, processed or fabricated on said premises for sale, except such as are incidental to said research, design or experimental work. Nothing herein contained shall, however, prohibit construction of pilot or experimental models which may later be sold.
(4)
Accessory uses, including garages for storage of vehicles, parking facilities, maintenance and utility shops for the upkeep and repair of other buildings and structures on the site and equipment used on the site, water drainage, sewerage, fire-protection and other utility facilities, educational facilities storage of documents, records, testing and research equipment, experimental models and personal property and communication facilities, including antenna masts and clinics, day-care centers, cafeterias, recreation facilities, banks, a company service store, living quarters for custodians or caretakers and guest facilities for the temporary accommodation of company employees and of visitors to the office as an integral part of the office building development and which are located on the same site. The use of outdoor recreation facilities shall be limited to the hours between sunrise and sunset.[1]
B.
No use permitted hereunder shall be so conducted as to cause a harmful discharge of waste materials into the ground, water or atmosphere or which constitutes a menace to persons, surrounding properties or plant growth by reason of fire, explosion or other physical hazard.
§ 300-115 Uses permitted by special permit.
Medical and dental offices shall be permitted by special permit, provided that there will be no undue impacts on neighboring residences resulting from client visits.
§ 300-116 Site requirements.
Each lot devoted to an office use or a research laboratory shall have an area of at least 20 acres and shall have at least 500 feet of frontage on an existing public street or road or on a street approved by the Town Planning Board in the same manner as is prescribed by state law for the approval of plats of subdivisions and in accordance with the requirements applicable to streets herein. In addition, such streets shall be of adequate capacity to handle safely and without undue congestions the traffic associated with the use to which access is given.
§ 300-117 Bulk requirements.
A.
No building shall be located at a distance less than 150 feet from the street on which such building fronts, except that gatehouses, bus stop shelters and security offices one story in height may be located a distance not less than 25 feet from the street. No building shall be located at a distance less than 150 feet from all other boundaries of the lot, except that where a laboratory and/or office building exists or is subsequently erected on a contiguous lot, such distance may be reduced to no less than 100 feet on each side where such lots adjoin.
B.
All buildings on any lot shall not cover in the aggregate a total of more than 10% of the lot area, and no building shall exceed 45 feet in height, and the floor area ratio shall not exceed 0.3. Chimneys may rise above the height limitation. If the space of any building is partly below grade, for the purposes of this article it shall not be considered usable floor area if more than 1/2 of the total space is located below the adjoining finished grade. Coverage and floor area ratio shall be calculated on the basis of net lot area, i.e., gross area less wetlands and wetlands control area, as defined by Chapter 178, Freshwater Wetlands.
C.
Concealed electromechanical installations. There shall be no exposed electromechanical installations. Transformer banks shall be installed in belowground, ventilated vaults, to power company specifications, with all electrical and telephone lines underground to the various components of the site. All normally roof-mounted equipment shall be concealed in the roof structure. Additional heights of a structure may be allowed for this purpose, if necessary, in keeping with the proportions and architectural design of the total structure. Concealed equipment in this consideration includes, but is not limited to, ventilators, air conditioners, cooling towers, skylights, water tanks or master TV and/or radio antennas. The design of the concealment shall be completely integrated with the appearance of the structure. The floor area of installation covered under this section shall not be included in the computation for floor area ratio (it shall be listed separately), but such area shall be limited to 25% of the roof area of any individual structure.
§ 300-118 Off-street parking.
A.
Parking space shall be provided on the lot to accommodate company, employee and visitor motor vehicles with at least one car space for each employee on duty at the peak employment period and one space per 10 employee spaces for visitor parking and one space for each company vehicle for which the buildings on the lot are designed. No parking area shall be located within 100 feet of property lines, except that, in passing on a plan of development, the Planning Board may approve a lesser distance between parking areas of adjoining office or laboratory building developments.
[Amended 7-5-1994 by L.L. No. 21-1994]
B.
Parking areas shall be permanently improved and landscaped. Landscaped strips between parking spaces shall be at least 10 feet wide and planted with trees at a maximum distance of 30 feet off center. For each 10 spaces in a row, a landscaped island at least 15 feet wide shall be provided. No parking area shall exceed 250 cars. Substantial landscaped separations shall be provided for each such area.
§ 300-119 Buffering for adjacent properties.
A.
All uses in this district shall only be permitted with ample on-site landscape buffering provided for adjacent properties. A landscape plan shall be submitted to the approving board before final approval is made. This plan shall show an arrangement and method of natural growth trees, shrubs and plantings, landscaped earth berms, etc., which shall afford all-season and major screening of the installation from any adjacent, residentially zoned properties.
B.
A requirement of the final approval of the site plan shall be the bonding of the buffer area landscaping and also that such landscaping shall be satisfactorily established before the construction of any above-grade structures are permitted to commence.
§ 300-120 Outdoor storage.
Except during construction, no outside storage areas for equipment and materials shall be permitted. All equipment and materials used in connection with any permitted use shall be stored in fully enclosed buildings.
§ 300-121 Plan of development.
[Amended 7-5-1994 by L.L. No. 21-1994]
No building permit or certificate of occupancy for any building designed for office or laboratory use within the OB-2 shall be issued except in accordance with a plan of development or amendment thereof approved by the Planning Board.
§ 300-122 Conflicting provisions.
In the event that any provisions of this article shall be inconsistent or conflict with the other provisions of this chapter, then the provisions of this article shall prevail and be complied with.