The design and performance standards are established to encourage a high standard of development by providing assurance that land uses will be compatible. The performance standards are designed to prevent and eliminate those conditions which depreciate property values that cause blight or are detrimental to the environment. Before any building permit is approved, the Zoning Administrator shall determine whether the proposed use will conform to the design and performance standards. The applicant or owner shall supply data necessary to demonstrate such conformance.
(A) Service streets. To the extent possible, a service street shall be located between the arterial street and the business establishment. The service street shall provide access to the arterial street subject to service-street standards required by the city. Service street traffic shall not be routed on, or directed to, local residential streets. Service streets shall meet the following standards:
(1) Service streets or frontage roads shall be designed in accordance with design standards outlined in § 153.11(B) of the Subdivisions Ordinance.
(2) Access from service streets to principal arterials shall be no more frequent that 1 for each 500 feet of principal arterial frontage.
(3) Service streets shall be dedicated to the city.
(B) Business inside. All business, service, storage, merchandise, display and repair and processing, where permitted, shall be conducted wholly within an enclosed structure except for off-street vehicular parking and off-street loading or where approved by conditional use permit.
(C) Storage. Open storage in conjunction with a permitted business shall be prohibited.
(D) Sale of goods. Goods produced on the premises shall be sold only on the premises and the processes and equipment employed in production shall not produce any offensive odor, dust, smoke, ash, gas, noise, vibration or refuse.
(E) Site layout. A sketch plan showing the proposed lot(s), proposed streets, sidewalks and trails and their connectivity to existing and proposed pedestrian systems, the use, density, and relationship to the surrounding land, generalized natural features including topography, significant trees and woods, water bodies and wetlands, shall be provided. The site layout must be compatible with and not detrimental to other surrounding property in the general area and make adequate provision for:
(1) The needs of pedestrians, automobiles and bicycles, including proper circulation and parking, and connections of trails and sidewalks to the Municipal Sidewalk and Trail System or planned system;
(2) Use of the existing topography and site vegetation in the location and orientation of structures and other facilities;
(3) Traffic conditions;
(4) Transitional features and decorative walls or live hedges for separation and screening purposes;
(5) Views to and from the site;
(6) Storage of trash in the principal building or in an accessory building of architecture and materials identical to the principal building;
(7) Planted parking islands to control parking and traffic circulation where appropriate and landscape breaks in areas intended for the parking of approximately 20 cars in a row;
(8) Proper drainage of a site;
(9) Location of curb cuts so that no cuts exist closer to an intersection than 30 feet from the point of intersection of the setback lines adjacent to intersecting streets; and
(10) Relating the use of the site to existing and proposed uses of other abutting properties.
(F) Landscaping.
(1) At least 5% of the site shall have diversified landscaping in addition to the landscaping required in setback areas, or around the perimeter of the property or along street frontages.
(2) All landscaped areas are to be developed with live deciduous and coniferous plants, trees and shrubs which provide a variety of color, textures, heights, and forms consistent with the needs of the site, size of structure, and other elements of the plan.
(3) All trees are to be at least 2½ inches in diameter 1 foot off the ground at the time of planting. The landscaped areas may contain some stone, wood, patio blocks, sculpture, and other appropriate ornamental features. Existing "significant trees" as defined in City Code Chapter 153 Subdivisions shall be preserved.
(4) All landscaped areas shall be kept free of weeds and debris and shall be maintained in a healthy and growing condition and shall receive regular pruning, fertilizing, mowing and trimming.
(5) Maintenance of any landscaping between the curb of any street abutting the parcel and the property line shall be the responsibility of the owner of that parcel, unless a recognized association or district has assumed responsibility for maintenance.
(6) Design flexibility. Alternatives to the requirements listed above may be approved by the City Council, upon recommendation of the Planning Commission for exiting lots of record prior to August 2010, where due to lot size and/or configuration it is determined it is not feasible to landscape 5% of the lot area and reasonably accommodate a facility and off-street parking.
(G) Parking area landscape and screening requirements.
(1) The purpose of parking lot landscaping is as follows:
(a) To provide shade throughout a parking area to reduce the amount of heat absorbed by the pavement;
(b) To screen cars from surrounding streets and properties;
(c) To avoid the negative aesthetic impacts of large expanses of parking areas;
(d) To orient planters and other landscape features to direct pedestrians to building entrances; and
(e) To encourage creative design of parking areas.
(2) Minimum landscape requirements. Trees or planter boxes shall be located in the parking areas with 20 or more parking spaces, to meet the minimum landscape requirements outlined in § 154.156(F) Lot Requirements.
(3) Boundary trees. Required boundary trees which shade parking areas may count towards the fulfillment of parking lot trees. Trees in the public right-of-way are not included in this calculation.
(4) Approved parking lot landscape planter designs.
(a) Planters shall have minimum internal area of 25 square feet, excluding a curb or border area; curb widths shall be consistent with the city's standards.
(b) All landscape planters with trees shall have a minimum internal dimension of 4½ feet.
(c) Parking area infield planters or tree wells shall be placed at the intersection of parking stalls and be designed to reduce damage to trees from vehicles overhanging the planter. Single trees within these planters shall be installed at the center of the parking stall intersections.
(d) Row end planters shall not exceed the length of a standard parking stall or 2 parking stalls depending on row width.
(e) Including curb or border, vehicles shall not overhang planters or tree wells by more than 2 feet.
(5) Design flexibility. Alternatives to the requirements listed above may be approved by the City Council, upon recommendation of the Planning Commission when the applicant demonstrates that the minimum landscape requirements of this section are being met.
(6) Screening. Open parking areas shall be screened from view from adjacent properties and streets using fencing, walls, berms and/or evergreen landscaping. This screening shall have an eventual height of 3½ feet.
(7) Pedestrian access. Parking lot landscaping shall be located so as to discourage pedestrians from having to cross any landscaped areas to reach building entrances from parked cars. This can be achieved through proper orientation of the landscape planters.
(H) No more than 1 building. There shall be no more than 1 principal building on 1 lot except as provided through an approved planned unit development.
(I) Outdoor lighting. All outdoor lighting, which is not globe lighting, shall be directed perpendicular to the ground or directly on a building so that no direct rays are visible from off the property.
(J) Utilities. Shall be placed underground and meters shall be screened from view from the street.
(K) Traffic visibility. No wall, fence, structure, tree, shrub, vegetation, or other obstruction shall be permitted in any yard or setback which poses a danger to traffic by obscuring the view from any street or roadway. Visibility from any street or roadway shall be unobstructed above the height of 2 feet to a height of 5 feet within the triangle described as beginning at the intersection of the projected curb lines of 2 intersecting streets, thence 30 feet along 1 curb, thence diagonally to a point 30 feet from the point of beginning of the other curb line, thence to the point of beginning.
(L) Required yards and setback areas. Required yards and setback areas, except driveways and areas used as a garage or accessory building, shall be graded to final elevations and sodded or seeded and landscaped with trees and shrubs. Said grading and landscaping shall be completed within 180 days after first occupancy of the building. Any fence, wall, or other similar work must be completed within 180 days after construction commences. All property developed and property for which construction has commenced or a building permit issued prior to December 31, 1991 shall conform to this requirement on or before June 30, 1992.
(M) Required parking. Development and modifications to all parcels and buildings are subject to the provisions of the off-street parking and loading spaces.
(N) Required pedestrian and non-motorized vehicle access. Pedestrian access shall be provided to the storefront from internal parking lots. A sidewalk or trail, to be determined by the City Council, shall be provided to connect internal walkways to the city's existing or planned municipal sidewalk and trail system.
(Q) Design review permit. A design review permit is required for any/all site alterations in the Highway Commercial District. Plans shall be consistent with the adopted design standards for the Highway Commercial District.
(Ord. 2013-05, passed 5-20-2013; Am. Ord. 2016-10, passed 12-5-2016)