(A) Setbacks and corner building placement. Buildings in the CBD zoning district shall meet the following setback and corner building placement requirements:
(1) Setback requirements.
Minimum | Maximum | Additional Requirements |
Minimum | Maximum | Additional Requirements | |
Front Yard | 0 feet | 12 feet | c |
Side Yard | a | b | c |
Rear Yard | a | b | c |
a. Where any walls are not of appropriate fire-rated construction or where any walls contain openings, a side or rear setback shall be provided as follows: | |||
Building Height | Minimum Side or Rear Setback | ||
1 story | 5 feet | ||
2 stories | 8 feet | ||
b. The maximum side or rear yard setback shall be zero where all abutting or facing walls are composed of appropriate fire-rated materials and contain no windows, doors, or other openings. | |||
c. Depending on the layout and design of the subject site, the front, side, and/or rear setbacks shall be a minimum of 20 feet to accommodate drive-through facilities, parking areas, and drive aisles. | |||
(2) Corner building placement.
(a) Corner buildings shall be constructed parallel to both street frontages to provide areas for streetscape focal points and adequate sight distance as required in § 154.027 as illustrated in Graphic 2.
Graphic 2
(b)
Buildings situated at a corner shall possess a level of architectural design that incorporates accents and details that accentuate its prominent location, as illustrated in Graphic 3. This can be accomplished through height projections incorporated into a design feature such as additional height, a building peak, tower, or similar accent with the highest point located at the intersecting corner. Alternatively, a pedestrian plaza may be provided at the corner of the intersecting streets.
Graphic 3
(c)
Where possible, a main entrance shall be on a street-facing wall and either at the corner or within 25 feet of the corner.
(1) Except as otherwise permitted for collective off-street parking, the location of off-street parking shall be on the same block as the facility on the same side of Ford Road or Middlebelt Road.
(2) Off-street parking shall be located in the rear portion of the subject property and behind the principal building or use. Off-street parking lots having frontage on Ford Road or Middlebelt Road right-of-way are prohibited.
(3) If parking in the rear of the lot is not feasible because the lot is too shallow, or other unique circumstances, then parking may be allowed on the side of the building in conformance with the following:
(a) The area adjacent to the road or right-of-way shall meet the requirements of § 154.081(B). In addition, a 32-inch tall brick knee-wall, decorative metal fence (open or semi-open fence, ornamental in nature and not intended to provide a permanent barrier to passage, and does not include chain link fence), evergreen landscaping, or combination thereof that serves as an extension of the adjacent building shall be provided between the parking and sidewalk (see Graphic 4).
Graphic 4
Parking Lot Screening
Parking Lot Screening
Graphic 5
Landscape Islands within Parking Lot
Landscape Islands within Parking Lot
(4)
Where possible, if the parking lot is located adjacent to a building, a five-foot wide sidewalk shall be installed between the building and the parking area.
(5) A curb of at least six inches in height shall be installed to prevent motor vehicles from being driven or parking so that any part of that vehicle extends within two feet of abutting landscaped areas, sidewalks, streets, buildings, or adjoining property. In lieu of a curb, wheel chocks may be provided to prevent vehicles from extending over grass areas, setback lines, or lot lines. A freeway-type guardrail is prohibited from use in lieu of curbs or wheel chocks.
(6) Grading, surfacing, and drainage plans shall comply with city engineering standards and shall be subject to review and approval by the city DPS Director. The surface of the parking lot, access lanes, driveways, and other maneuvering areas shall be hard-surfaced with concrete or plant-mixed bituminous material. If the maneuvering lane will be used by commercial vehicles (tractor trailers, stake trucks, panel trucks, and the like) it shall be constructed with a deep strength bituminous surface.
(7) Off-street parking areas, access lanes, and driveways shall be graded and drained so as to dispose of surface waters. Surface water shall not be permitted to drain onto adjoining property, unless in accordance with an approved drainage plan.
(8) For a lot facing two streets, parking is prohibited on the corner facing the intersection.
(9) Access to parking lots shall be provided off alleys when available in order to minimize curb-cuts across pedestrian sidewalks.
(10) Loading areas shall meet the requirements of § 154.070. Additionally, loading bays/docks shall be hidden from public view by walls and landscaping to the greatest extent possible. When any loading bay/dock is visible from customer or general parking areas, visible from a private or public road, or adjacent to land that is zoned or used for non-commercial uses, the loading bay/dock shall be enclosed with a solid masonry wall or live plant materials forming a solid screen a minimum of six feet in height. The wall shall be integrally designed and consistent with the style and materials of the building.
(11) Collective off-street parking. Parking for separate buildings or uses may be provided collectively subject to the following:
(a) If the parking facility is deemed to be a private collective parking lot (not for public use), the total number of spaces provided collectively shall not be less than the sum of spaces required for each separate use.
(b) If the property owner participates with the city Downtown Development Authority in a public collective parking facility by contributing, through an easement, their property behind the rear building line, the required parking spaces for the subject building or use may be reduced by up to 20%.
(c) If a property cannot physically accommodate off-street parking and is within 300 feet of a public collective parking facility, the property owner/tenant may use the public collective parking facility to satisfy their off-street parking requirements upon the Planning Commission making a determination that the parking demands of the uses served do not overlap, or there is sufficient capacity in the off-street parking facility to accommodate the increased parking. Further, the property owner exercising this provision will contribute an annual amount, as established by the Downtown Development Authority with City Council approval (based on their parking demand) to the Downtown Development Authority Collective Parking Maintenance Fund.
(d) When required parking is located on a lot or parcel that is under different ownership from the building it serves or is not contiguous to the building site, a formal written agreement or easement assuring the continuing usage of the parking for the building must be properly drawn and executed by the parties concerned and made part of the site plan approval.
(e) Design and layout. Collective off-street parking facilities, public or privately-owned, shall comply with the following standards in addition to those contained in § 154.081(F).
1. Buildings abutting the collective parking facility shall provide connecting walks to their building and adjacent buildings. These walks shall be at least five feet in width. Walkways which connect adjacent buildings shall be setback from the building a distance sufficient to accommodate a landscape entrance area between the walkway and the building.
2. Rows of parking shall include landscape islands at each end. The landscape islands shall be a minimum of ten feet wide with a length equal to the length of the parking stall(s). Further, no row of parking may exceed 25 spaces and shall include landscape islands to break rows of parking stalls. All islands shall be landscaped per the requirements of § 154.081(F).
3. Access drives into the collective parking facility shall be bounded by median islands with a minimum width of 15 feet. These median islands shall be landscaped per the requirements of § 154.081(F).
4. The primary circulation route(s) within the collective parking facility must be designed for limited access. The number of parking stalls which back directly on the primary circulation route(s) shall be minimized.
(C) Lighting. Lighting requirements for all parking areas, walkways, driveway, building entryways, off-street parking and loading areas, and buildings within the CBD zoning district shall comply with the requirements set forth in § 154.030, Lighting Requirements.
(D) Signs. Permitted signs within the CBD Zoning District shall comply with Chapter 154 of this code, Sign regulations (§§ 154.600 through 154.612).
(E) Support service elements. Developed property must accommodate certain support services such as electrical transformers, air conditioning units, HVAC systems, compressors, chillers, trash dumpsters, and utility meters. The following provisions address the location of these support services on the property:
(1) Mechanical equipment such as transformers, compressors, HVAC systems, and chillers shall be located on the side, top, or rear of the buildings and appropriately screened from pedestrians. Screening shall include a planting bed per § 154.081(E)(2), or a low, solid masonry screen wall consistent with the predominate materials of the building. The clearance between the screen wall and the mechanical equipment shall conform to local building codes. Ground mechanical units shall not be permitted in front of a building and shall be located in safe, convenient, and unobtrusive locations and adequately protected from vehicles.
(2) Trash dumpsters and their enclosures shall conform to the provisions of § 154.032, standards for trash dumpsters.
(3) Utility meters, electrical conduit, and other service lines shall not be located on the building façade facing the street and should, when practical, not be visible from the street.
(4) Gutter downspouts shall not be located on the front building façade. If the rear of the building abuts a collective parking facility, the gutter downspout shall not discharge water on a sidewalk or other pedestrian way.
(G) Shared site access. The used of shared site access, in conjunction with driveway spacing, is intended to preserve traffic flow along major roads and minimize traffic conflicts, while retaining reasonable access to the property. Where the Planning Commission determines that reducing the number of access points may have a beneficial impact on traffic operations and safety while preserving the property owner's right to reasonable access, access from a side street, a shared driveway, or parking lot connection between two or more properties or uses may be required.
(Ord. 96-008, passed 12-2-96; Am. Ord. 10-015, passed 4-12-10; Am. Ord. 19-011, passed 9-23-19)
Penalty, see § 154.999