A. Walls and Fences. Design, construction, and appearance of walls and fences are important components of site development. Their appearance and upkeep are visual reflections of community character and quality. This subsection shall apply to all new walls and fences.
1. Design. Wall and fence design shall be enhanced and decorative in appearance where visible by the public under the following circumstances:
a. From the interior of a property;
b. From public or private rights-of-way; or
c. From abutting or adjacent properties.
2. Consistency. Enhanced walls and fences shall be designed in an architectural style consistent with the principal structure(s) incorporating the dominant exterior material(s), colors, and finishes of that structure.
3. Monotony Restrictions. Enhanced walls and fences shall be designed with offsets, banding, columns, posts with lintels, finials, or caps, landscape pockets, and other elements to avoid an expansive monolithic or monotonous appearance. Such elements shall be included every 16 feet or less.
Decorative wood or PVC/vinyl fences shall either be picket, rail basket weave, or shadow-box style. As noted above, decorative fences shall not be installed in such a manner so as to create a monolithic or monotonous appearance. Every two (2) fence panels or 16 feet of fence must be interrupted by decorative columns or posts, visible from the exterior of the property and topped with decorative capitals. This requirement will not be satisfied by the reversing of the fence material to place the unfinished side out exposing the four (4) inch by four (4) inch posts and crossmembers to the exterior.
4. Chain-Link Fences. Except for within industrial districts, chain-link fences shall not be allowed within the front or side corner yard where they are visible from public or private rights-of-way. See Chapter 3, Article V, Section 8 for additional regulations regarding the screening of outdoor storage of merchandise.
5. Construction Sites. Temporary fencing (and other types of barriers deemed acceptable to the Building Official) may be erected around construction sites for visual buffering and safety. Temporary fencing shall be approved in conjunction with a building permit and must be removed prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy or completion. The temporary fencing may contain screening material enhanced with lifestyle graphics, images, pictorals, wraps, photographs, or a combination thereof as regulated in the Sign Code (Chapter 4, Article IV, Section 4.B.3.d). However, the screening material allowed in the Sign Code shall not conflict with the original intent for said fencing, mesh, and related materials, which is to offer protection from dust, debris, and other airborne particulate matter (pursuant to Chapter 3, Article V, Section 2.F).
B. Transit Shelters.
1. Purpose and Intent. The purpose and intent of this subparagraph is to maximize availability and accessibility of mass-transit by providing an amenity for patrons, help beautify corridors by creating positive gateways into and out of the City, and to provide safer environs for mass-transit users and motorists.
2. Standards. A transit shelter is a roofed structure that may provide seating areas and is typically located within the right-of-way. A transit shelter shall be designed to comply with the Florida Building Code. In addition, the following standards shall apply:
a. The location of a transit shelter, including its associated structure and/or equipment, shall comply with all cross visibility and safe-sight requirements.
b. If placed on a public sidewalk, the transit shelter location shall provide adequate clearance for pedestrian traffic in order to comply with accessibility requirements of the Florida Building Code.
c. All signage placed on transit shelters shall be regulated in accordance with Chapter 4, Article IV, Section 4.D.2.
d. The need for, and addition of transit stops shall be considered in conjunction with all new development to accommodate transit stops for the county bus service and other types of transit systems, including a future water taxi service. Fire lanes and other emergency vehicular accessways may be designated by the appropriate public agency. Uses that require service by large vehicles should be designed to allow large vehicle access without blockage of adjoining vehicular or pedestrian circulation.
e. The design and architecture of the transit shelter should be compatible with the principal building(s) of large non-residential (big box) developments (see Section 7 above) or consistent with an overall redevelopment plan that provides aesthetic and uniform design guidelines for shelter design.
f. Where located within the public right-of-way, the following shall also apply to transit shelters:
(1) The transit shelter requires a right-of-way permit, which is subject to review and approval by the City Engineer or designee. See Chapter 2, Article III, Section 4 for additional regulations regarding the right-of-way permit.
(2) All necessary permits are required to install transit shelters within rights-of-way owned by the State of Florida and/or Palm Beach County.
g. Where located on private property, the following shall also apply to transit shelters:
(1) When an outside governmental agency acquires an easement on private property for the purpose of constructing a transit stop shelter, these improvements shall not be subject to minimum setback requirements of the zoning district; and
(2) Waste receptacles and bicycle racks shall be required and accommodated at transit shelters.
3. Removal. Should any bus shelter, associated structure or equipment or sign on an associated structure or equipment, or bus shelter sign fail to conform to the above standards; or should a residential property owner object to the presence of a bus shelter abutting his property, then the city may order the sponsoring organization to remove such bus shelter and, that failing, may remove same at the expense of the sponsoring organization.
C. Shopping Cart Corrals. Shopping cart corrals shall be compatible with the architectural design, colors, materials, and finishes of the principal structure.
D. Donation Bins. Unmanned donation bins are allowed within commercial and industrial zoning districts but subject to the following regulations:
1. Number of Bins. One (1) donation bin may be allowed per lot for commercial or industrial developments consisting of at least 100,000 square feet of gross building area. An additional bin may be allowed for each 100,000 square feet of gross building area.
2. Location. Donation bins shall not be located in within rights-of-way, required parking spaces, access aisles, walkways, landscape strips, or perimeter landscape buffers. They shall comply with all visibility and safe-sight standards and not pose a safety threat to pedestrian or vehicular traffic. In addition, they shall be located behind the front and side corner building lines.
3. Maintenance. The owner of the property shall be responsible for the maintenance of the bins, such that the area is kept neat and orderly and in compliance with the approved site plan for the subject property. This means that all items are located within the bins; no trash is left on the site and there is no graffiti or other visible damage to the bins.
4. Appearance. Donation bins shall be painted with natural, earth-tone colors or with those that are intended to match the principal building(s).
5. Advertising. Donation bins shall not be used for off-site advertising of commercial activities and be limited to a maximum of four (4) square feet of sign area advertising the sponsoring charitable tax-exempt organization.
6. Sponsoring Agencies. Sponsoring agencies shall register with and be evaluated annually by the Department of Development for compliance with the regulations contained in this section. Sponsoring agencies shall provide proof of authorization by the property owner(s), the size, and overall dimensions of each bin, and a site plan detailing the proposed location(s). Sponsoring agencies must provide proof of being a tax-exempt, charitable organization registered as a 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code, in order to place donation bins in the City. Donation bins to an existing site shall require a modification to the approved site plan in accordance with Chapter 2, Article II, Section 2.F.
7. Miscellaneous. The foregoing restrictions shall not apply to recycling bins or other similar public collection bins located on City property or otherwise sponsored by the City.
(Ord. 12-016, passed 10-2-12)