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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinance 502.21 Transportation Corridor ORDINANCE 502 – ZONING ORDINANCE Section 502.21: TRANSPORTATION CORRIDOR OVERLAY DISTRICT SITE AND DESIGN STANDARDS Subd. 1: Intent. a) This district is intended to protect and promote the health, safety and general welfare of the public; to enhance the visual appearance of the corridor; to protect and promote the appearance, character and economic values along the corridor and the surrounding neighborhoods. b) This district is furthermore intended to maintain the long-term function of arterial and collector roadways; to limit access and the number of conflict points; to promote vehicular circulation; and to promote prevention or reduction of traffic congestion and danger in the public streets. Subd. 2: Scope. a) The Transportation Corridor Overlay District shall be defined as follows: 1. West CSAH 75 A. North of CSAH 75: areas within 300 feet of the CSAH 75 right-of- st way from CSAH 3 east to 1 Avenue NW. B. South of CSAH 75: areas within 300 feet of the CSAH 75 right-of- st way from the western city limits east to 1 Avenue NW. 2. East CSAH 75: A. North of CSAH 75: areas within 300 feet of the CSAH 75 right-of-way and north of the Wobegon Trail from a point 500 feet west of Northland Drive east to CR 134 . B. South of CSAH75: areas within 300 feet of the CSAH 75 right of way th from 4 Avenue NE east to the easterly city limits (east of CR 134). 3. 1-94 Corridor: A. 500 feet from the nearest edge of the 1-94 right-of-way. Subd. 3: Exemptions. 502.21-1 ORDINANCE 502 – ZONING ORDINANCE a) Single and two-family residential uses shall not be subject to the standards of the transportation corridor overlay district. However, at such time that a single or two-family residential use is to be converted to another use it will be subject to the standards of the transportation corridor overlay district. b) Structures existing prior to adoption of the Ordinance. stth c) Areas along CSAH 75 located between 1 Avenue NW and 4 Avenue NE. Subd. 4: Uses Allowed. Permitted, conditional, interim and accessory uses allowed within the transportation corridor overlay district shall be the same uses as those allowed in the applicable underlying zoning district(s). Subd. 5: Setbacks, site coverage, building height, building requirements contained within the applicable underlying zoning district shall apply. In addition the following standards shall be observed. All buildings shall maintain a minimum setback of forty (40) feet from the road right- of-way limit. Front setbacks on each side of corner lots shall be maintained. Subd. 6: Parking Standards. The following standards shall be in addition to those required within this Ordinance relating to off-street parking and loading. Where standards conflict the most restrictive standard shall apply. a) Parking areas shall be designed and located so as to have minimal visual impact along transportation corridors. Therefore, all parking areas shall be constructed in the rear or side yards, unless specifically permitted in the front yard by the Planning Commission. When permitted in the front yard, additional landscaping and buffering may be required by the Planning Commission to minimize visual impact. No parking will be allowed within a forty (40) setback from the nearest boundary of the applicable transportation corridor right-of-way limit. b) Where a development application covers land located adjacent to an existing parking lot used for similar purposes, a vehicular connection between the parking lots shall be provided wherever possible. For development applications adjacent to vacant properties, the site shall be designed and constructed to provide for a future connection. c) Parking lot landscaping. All development sites shall landscape an area equivalent to fifteen (15) percent of the total area of the required parking lot. Said required landscaping shall be employed within the subject parking lot and adjacent to walkways within and leading to/from the subject parking lot. Subd. 7: Sign Standards. The following standards shall be in addition to those required within this Ordinance relating to signs. Where standards conflict the most restrictive standard shall apply. 502.21-2 ORDINANCE 502 – ZONING ORDINANCE a) Free-standing signs shall not be placed nearer than twenty (20) feet from the nearest edge of the right-of-way. b) Free-standing signs within the required landscaped greenway shall be designed in a manner complementary to the landscaped greenway. c) Free-standing identification signs shall have a low-profile design not more than twenty (20) feet in height and shall be designed to complement and reflect the architecture of the building. Subd. 8: Site Design Standards. a) Viewsheds. 1. Viewsheds shall be defined as the natural environment or landscaped topography that is visible from one or more viewing points. The viewshed in the transportation corridor overlay district shall at a minimum correspond to a forty (40) foot landscaped greenway as measured from the nearest edge of the applicable right-of-way. 2. Viewsheds shall be considered in all development proposal applications within the transportation corridor overlay district. 3. Development shall be designed to minimize the visual intrusion of all structures in the viewshed. b) Outside storage/display of goods. Outside storage or display of goods except automotive and similar large item sales shall be completely screened from the view of the corridor roadway by the employment of a vegetative buffer. This standard is in addition to those required within the underlying zoning classification and this Ordinance relating to outdoor storage. Where standards conflict the most restrictive standard shall apply. c) Utilities. Utility lines, including electric, cable and telephone, to serve the development project shall be installed underground. All junction and access boxes shall be screened. All utility pad fixtures, meter boxes, etc. shall be shown on the site plan and integrated with the architectural elements of the site. In redeveloping areas within the transportation corridor overlay placement of utility lines underground is highly encouraged. d) Street tree landscaping. In all instances where commercial and/or multi-family residential districts are adjacent to any public street, street tree/landscaping will be required as approved by the City. Subd. 9: Building Layout/Design. 502.21-3 ORDINANCE 502 – ZONING ORDINANCE a) Integrated development. All buildings within the property shall be developed as a cohesive entity, ensuring that building placement, architectural treatment, vehicular and pedestrian circulation and other development elements work together functionally and aesthetically. Architectural treatment shall be designed so that all building facades of the same building (whether front, side, or rear) that are visible from the public right-of-way, shall consist of similar architectural treatment in terms of materials, quality, appearance and detail. b) Clustering. Buildings shall be clustered together to preserve natural and landscape open areas along the transportation corridor. Buildings shall be arranged in a manner that creates well-defined open space that is viewable from the traveled portion of the corridor. c) Architectural Appearance/Scale. 1. New buildings shall have generally complex exterior forms, including design components such as windows, doors, and changes in roof and facade orientation. Large flat expanses of featureless exterior wall shall be avoided. The treatment of buildings shall include vertical architectural treatment at least every 25-30 feet to break down the scale of the building into smaller components. 2. Orientation. Building facades and entrances should be oriented in a manner toward the primary means of vehicular access. 3. Scale and proportion. New construction should relate to the dominant proportions of buildings and streetscape in the immediate area. The ratio of height to width and the ratio of mass (building) to void (openings) should be balanced. 4. Architectural details shall continue on all facades visible from the public right-of-way. 5. Any facade with a blank wall shall be screened with vegetative treatments and/or the installation faux architectural treatments (e.g. fenestrations) so as to break up the mass and bulk of the facade in a manner fitting the intent of this section. d) Materials. Building materials shall be typical of those prevalent in commercial areas, including, but not limited to, stucco, brick, architectural block, decorative masonry, non-reflective glass and similar materials. Architectural metal may be used for a portion of facades facing public rights of way but shall not be the dominant material employed with windows and doors being excluded from this calculation. 502.21-4 ORDINANCE 502 – ZONING ORDINANCE e) Color. The permanent color of building materials (to be left unpainted) shall resemble earthen tones prevalent in nature. Showy and striking colors shall be avoided. f) Lighting: 1. All outdoor lighting fixtures shall be down-directed, with light trespass not to exceed 0.4 foot-candles at the property line. 2. All island canopy ceiling fixtures shall be recessed. 3. Whenever possible commercial lighting should be reduced in volume/intensity when said commercial facilities are not open for business. Subd. 10: Vegetative Screening/Buffers. a) This standard is in addition to those in this Ordinance relating to landscaping. Where standards conflict the most restrictive standard shall apply. b) Any required vegetative/planting screen shall be designed, planted and maintained in accordance with a landscaping plan approved by the Zoning Administrator. c) The planting screen shall provide an effective buffer between the area to be screened and the adjoining roadway or commercial/industrial development. d) The planting screen may be comprised of previously existing vegetation (provided that the majority of such existing vegetation is trees), new plantings or any combination of existing vegetation and new plantings. When complete, the vegetation and plantings shall provide a dense year-round screen satisfying the purpose and intent of this section. e) The planting screen may consist of a mixture of deciduous and evergreen trees and/or shrubs or a planting of evergreen trees and/or shrubs. f) The planting screen shall be subject to on-site inspection by the City which, if necessary, may prescribe that additional plantings be made in order to satisfy the standards set out herein. g) The property owner shall maintain vegetative/planting screening in accordance with the approved landscaping plan and to abide by requirements for any additional plantings. h) Vegetative buffering. In all instances where commercial and/or multi-family residential districts are adjacent to single-family residential districts and in all instances where commercial districts are adjacent to multi-family residential 502.21-5 ORDINANCE 502 – ZONING ORDINANCE districts, there shall be established within the commercial and/or multi-family district, as applicable, a screened yard of vegetative buffering between the districts. The arrangement and spacing of the vegetative buffer shall be provided in such a manner as to effectively screen the activities of the subject lot. It shall generally be provided along the property line, unless topographic or other considerations would make it more effective if located back from the property line. Subd. 11: Design Flexibility. Alternatives to the requirements listed above may be approved by the City Council, upon recommendation of the Planning Commission for existing lots of record prior to July, 2012, where due to the lot size and/or configuration it is determined it is not feasible to reasonably accommodate the increased setbacks, parking design or landscape requirements required within the overlay district. 502.21-6