16-13-2: APPLICABILITY:

   A.   New Development: Development requiring a site plan under section 16-12-3 of this title on a site that is vacant or substantially cleared real estate, and not in a special development area, shall comply with the site design standards set forth herein.

   B.   Redevelopment: Development requiring a site plan under section 16-12-3 of this title on a site with improved real estate, involving partial clearance of twenty five percent (25%) or more of the building area and/or expansion of twenty five percent (25%) or more of the building area existing at the time of adoption of this title, and not in a special development area, shall comply with the site design standards set forth herein.

   C.   Special Development Areas: Development requiring a site plan under section 16-12-3 of this title that is in one of the following special development areas may be subject to design standards or guidelines in addition to or in lieu of the site design standards set forth herein, as follows:

      1.   Urban Renewal Districts: These districts have planning and other criteria that may take precedence over the site design standards set forth herein.

      2.   Port Of Dubuque Design Standards: This area has design standards that may take precedence over the site design standards set forth herein.

      3.   Planned Unit Development (PUD) Districts: These districts may have site development and performance standards that may take precedence over the site design standards set forth herein.

      4.   Historic Districts: Historic districts, as regulated by chapter 10 of this title, have architectural guidelines that may take precedence over the site design standards set forth herein.

      5.   Old Town Neighborhood Overlay District: This overlay district has design guidelines that may take precedence over the site design standards set forth herein.

      6.   Architectural Guidelines: These guidelines apply to the downtown design guidelines area and historic millwork district in accordance with city policy, and may take precedence over the site design standards set forth herein.

   D.   Waiver From Site Design Standards: The zoning advisory commission shall have the power to grant such waivers from the site design standards of this chapter, as may be reasonable and within the general purpose and intent of the site plan review and approval provisions of this chapter if the literal enforcement of one or more provisions of this chapter is impracticable or will exact an undue hardship because of peculiar conditions pertaining to the land in question. The affirmative vote of at least four (4) commissioners shall be necessary to grant a waiver. The waiver may be granted subject to such conditions as the commission may establish to ensure the general purpose and intent of the provisions of this chapter are followed. At the commission meeting, the applicant and all other interested parties shall be presented a reasonable opportunity to present their views. Decisions of the zoning advisory commission may be appealed to the zoning board of adjustment in the same manner as appeals from a decision of an administrative officer. (Ord. 52-09, 10-19-2009; amd. Ord. 7-11, 1-18-2011; Ord. 45-16, 9-19-2016; Ord. 11-21, 4-19-2021)

16-13-3: SITE DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS:

16-13-3-1: EXTENSION OF PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS:

   A.   Installation Of Improvements: Public improvements including streets, sanitary sewers, storm sewers, stormwater management facilities, water mains, street lighting, street trees, and sidewalks shall be installed in accordance with the city standards.

      1.   Definitions: For purposes of this Chapter, the following terms have the following meanings:

 

DEVELOPMENT :	Any change to improved or unimproved real estate, including, but not limited to, buildings or other structures, mining, dredging, filling, grading, paving, excavation, or drilling operations for which necessary permits may be required.
FIBEROPTIC NETWORK CONDUIT:	A pipe, vault, or duct used to enclose fiberoptic cable facilities buried alongside a roadway or surface mounted on a bridge, overpass, or other facility where placement below ground is impossible or impractical. "Fiberoptic network conduit" does not include electronics or cable.
PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT:	Streets, sanitary sewers, water mains, streetlights, sidewalks, bike/hike trails, and fiber conduit.

 

      2.   Requirement of Developer: For all subdivision or site plan developments, the developer shall connect all public improvements to other streets, sanitary sewers, water mains, streetlights, and fiber network conduit, and bike/hike trails within and through the subdivision or site development, and to the property lines, to provide for their extension to adjacent properties.

Public improvements shall be designed and installed in accordance with the current city standards and specifications and within the time frame specified in the resolution approving the final plat or improvement plan. The developer shall pay the total cost of engineering and construction of extensions of such public improvements.

Plans for such extensions must be approved by the city engineer. The city engineer may grant a waiver of the extension requirements on such terms and conditions as the city engineer determines appropriate.

      3.   Water Mains:

         a.   Water mains must be sized to meet requirements for domestic plus fire flow water demands and in accordance with city. The city may require the design and construction of water mains with the ability to service lands other than the immediately adjoining land and may require installation of water mains sized larger than the minimum required to provide domestic and fire flow needs for the development. In this circumstance, the city shall reimburse the developer for the incremental difference in material cost above that of the cost for water main materials needed to provide domestic and fire flow needs. The city will not reimburse the developer for water mains above eight inch (8") if larger diameter water main is needed to provide domestic plus fire flow water demands in the development.

         b.   Only mains sized larger than an eight inch (8") main may be considered eligible for reimbursement purposes. The reimbursement will be based on the difference in pipe and fitting costs only, and no allowance will be made for the difference in installation costs. The developer must provide the city engineer with a current pipe supplier price list for the water main pipe and appurtenances needed to serve the development and the price for the increased pipe size and appurtenances. The city engineer will calculate the reimbursement amount and will document the reimbursement amount in an agreement between the city and the developer.

         c.   In areas where water main may be extended by a developer past properties owned by others outside of the final plat so as to serve the area of the final plat, such extension shall be at no expense to the city. The city shall not be obligated to collect any portion of this cost for reimbursement to the developer.

      4.   Sanitary Sewers:

         a.   All sanitary sewers mains must be a minimum of eight inch (8") diameter pipe.

         b.   The sanitary sewer extension must be sized by the developer and approved by the city engineer to serve the development and the development of upstream sewershed property that may be served by the sewer extension.

         c.   When the upstream sewershed property would require the developer to increase the pipe diameter, the city shall reimburse the developer for the incremental difference in sanitary sewer pipe cost above the cost for sanitary sewer pipe needed to provide service for the development. The reimbursement will be based on the difference in sanitary sewer pipe costs only and no allowance will be made for the difference in installation costs.

         d.   The city will not reimburse developers for any increase in sanitary sewer pipe diameter beyond eight inch (8") diameter if the increase in size is a direct result of the development needs.

      5.   The developer must provide the city engineer with a current pipe supplier price list for the sanitary sewer pipe needed to serve the development and the price for the increased sanitary sewer pipe size. The city engineer will calculate the reimbursement amount and will document the reimbursement amount in an agreement between the city and the developer.

      6.   When a developer is installing a sanitary sewer lift station to serve the development, the developer is responsible for proper capacity sizing of the lift station to accept flow from upstream sewershed properties.

      7.   When the upstream sewershed properties would require the developer to increase the sanitary sewer lift station capacity, the city shall reimburse the developer for the incremental difference in sanitary sewer lift station capacity cost above the cost for the sanitary sewer lift station needed to provide capacity for the development as determined by the city engineer. The reimbursement will be based on the difference in sanitary sewer lift station costs only and no allowance will be made for the difference in installation costs. (Ord. 2-23, 1-17-2023)

16-13-3-2: SITE LIGHTING:

   A.   The following site features shall be illuminated by an exterior light source:

      1.   Driveways and loading facilities; and

      2.   Pedestrian walkway surfaces and entrances to buildings.

   B.   The location and design of site lighting shall conform to the following:

      1.   All exterior lighting shall be designed, installed and maintained so as not to cause glare or to shine in adjacent lots and streets;

      2.   No light sources shall provide illumination onto adjacent lots, buildings or streets in excess of one foot-candle;

      3.   All exterior lighting luminaries shall be designed and installed to shield light from the luminaire at angles above seventy two degrees (72°) from vertical;

      4.   Fixtures mounted on a building shall not be positioned higher than the roofline of the building;

      5.   Wooden utility type poles are acceptable only for temporary use during construction; and

      6.   All electrical service lines to posts and fixtures shall be installed underground and concealed inside the posts. (Ord. 52-09, 10-19-2009; amd. Ord. 2-23, 1-17-2023)

16-13-3-3: UTILITY LOCATIONS:

Service lines and mechanical equipment for utilities shall be located in accordance with the following requirements:

   A.   Service Lines: All electrical, telephone, cable, and other similar utility lines serving the building and other site features shall be located underground.

   B.   Mechanical Equipment: All roof mounted and ground mounted electrical transformers, switching gears, relay boxes, meters, air conditioning units, heat pumps and other similar mechanical equipment shall be screened from view to the height of the equipment. Roof mounted mechanical equipment shall be screened in such a manner that it will appear to be an integral part of the building's overall architectural design. (Ord. 52-09, 10-19-2009; amd. Ord. 2-23, 1-17-2023)

16-13-3-4: STORMWATER MANAGEMENT:

Stormwater management systems shall be designed in accordance with the requirements of title 14, chapter 12 of this code, as amended. The site, including parking lots, shall be developed using two (2) or more of the following low impact development tools or other best management practices approved by the city engineer:

   A.   Reduced Lot Grading: Ground slope reduction outside the immediate perimeter of a building (where foundation drainage is not a concern) to promote stormwater infiltration or filtration.

   B.   Check Dams: Where narrow areas and/or excessive grades force the construction of less than ideal steep swales, rock check dams can be added to slow flows, minimize erosion, and improve infiltration or filtration.

   C.   French Drains And Soak Away Pits: Rock filled trenches that promote rapid infiltration or filtration.

   D.   Green Roofs: Vegetated roofs that reduce runoff, improve energy efficiency, and create a green amenity.

   E.   Microbasins: Small depressions to create longer flow paths or localized depressions to encourage longer standing water periods and infiltration or filtration.

   F.   Permeable Pavements: Open graded, permeable asphalt pavement; open cell unit pavers; and porous concrete – typically used in parking lots and low traffic areas – to provide storage space and another infiltration or filtration route for stormwater.

   G.   Rainwater Harvesting Systems: Cisterns and rain barrels that harvest water from roof drains and downspouts for landscape watering and nonpotable uses.

   H.   Sidewalks And Drives Sloped Toward Open Space: A tool to provide water for site vegetation, which slows surface water flow, improving infiltration. This technique eliminates the need for curbs, gutters, and catch basins, and the open space slows the transport of untreated water and associated pollutants while reducing construction costs.

   I.   Bioswales: Vegetated swales with amended soil backfill and underdrains to improve infiltration or filtration.

   J.   Native Plantings: Use of native plants to reduce the need for irrigation and reduce runoff. Native plants also slow runoff and improve infiltration or filtration with their deep, fibrous root systems.

   K.   Open Water Features: To reduce runoff through evapotranspiration, improve habitats, and create attractive community amenities.

   L.   Rain Gardens: Landscape depressions filled with amended, permeable soil and native, deep rooted, moisture tolerant plants to promote infiltration or filtration.

   M.   Swales: Serpentine, vegetated drainageways that convey water slowly and improve infiltration or filtration.

   N.   Trees And Other Plantings: Landscaping to intercept rainfall, reduce erosion, improve infiltration or filtration, slow runoff, and reduce peak flows.

   O.   Tree Filters: Systems that divert a portion of parking lot stormwater from gutters into tree planters, where water infiltrates amended soils and surrounds plant roots.

   P.   Vegetative Buffers: Bands of native plantings that intercept runoff from developed areas before it reaches detention basins or natural watercourses (for pretreatment).

SITE LANDSCAPING

Reduced Lot Grading/Rain Gardens

Native Landscape/Vegetative Buffers

Green Road Medians

Vegetative Buffer Strip

(Ord. 52-09, 10-19-2009; amd. Ord. 2-23, 1-17-2023)

16-13-3-5: PARKING STRUCTURES:

Parking decks and ramps shall be designed in compliance with these design standards in order to appear compatible with and similar to other nonresidential buildings:

   A.   The ground floor facade abutting any public street or sidewalk shall be designed and architecturally detailed to resemble a commercial or office building.

   B.   Where possible, the ground floor abutting a public street or sidewalk should include commercial or office uses.

   C.   The design of upper floors shall ensure that sloped floors do not dominate the appearance of the facade.

   D.   Windows or openings shall be provided that mimic those of nearby buildings. (Ord. 52-09, 10-19-2009; amd. Ord. 2-23, 1-17-2023)