(B) Dimension requirements.
(1) Minimum required lot area: none.
(2) Minimum required lot width: none.
(3) Minimum required front yard: 15 feet.
(4) Minimum required side yards: none; except that, the side yard abutting a residential district shall be 25 feet.
(5) Minimum required rear yard: none; except that, the rear yard abutting a residential district shall be 25 feet.
(6) Maximum lot coverage: 50% of total lot area.
(7) Maximum building height: 35 feet unless the minimum required front and side yards are increased one foot for each additional two feet in height.
(8) Location of accessory buildings and structures: accessory buildings and structures shall be placed in accordance with the provisions of § 3.11 of this ordinance.
(C) Architectural requirements.
(1) General principals.
(a) Design regulations are not intended to promote the repetition of the existing built form of Mount Holly, but to allow imaginative design that is respectful of its unique location.
(b) Roof forms are to be pitch or flat.
(c) Architectural elements like openings, sills, bulkheads, columns and other architectural features shall be used to establish human scale at the street level.
(d) Where any approved, new commercial construction is taking place along an adopted portion of greenway, per the 2007 Catawba River Corridor Plan, regardless of the zoning of the property or the zoning overlay district, in which the property lies, the developer/property owner must build that portion of the greenway on his or her property to city standards, which are found in the Land Development Guidelines and Standard Detail Manual.
(e) Required design submittals: building elevations of all visible sides and samples of exterior materials and colors shall be submitted to the Planning Department for approval.
(2) Configurations.
(a) All visibly exposed facades should have a recognizable base course consisting of, but not limited to:
1. Thicker walls, ledges or sills;
2. Integrally textured materials, such as stone or other masonry materials;
3. Integrally colored and patterned materials such as smooth finished stone or tile;
4. Lighter or darker materials, mullions or patterns and planters;
5. Cornice treatments, other than just colored stripes or bands, with integrally textured materials;
6. A roof overhang with brackets;
7. Stepped parapets; and
8. A cornice capping the top of a building wall.
(b) No frontage wall shall remain unpierced by a window or functional general access doorway for more than 32 feet.
(c) Window and door openings should be proportioned so that verticals dominate horizontals. Upper story windows shall be vertically aligned with the location of windows and doors on the ground level, including storefront or display windows.
(d) All sides of the building shall use materials consistent with those on the front if visible from a public street or way.
(e) Two or more wall materials may be combined horizontally on one facade. The heavier material should be below.
(f) Flat roofs shall incorporate parapet walls at minimum of three feet to conceal the flat portions of the roof that are visible on the front and side elevations from any public street. The parapet must also conceal any HVAC or other utility equipment that may be located on the roof of a building.
(3) Building materials.
(a) Building finishes shall be in the form of brick, masonry, stone, stucco, wood or concrete siding, EIFS Stucco (Exterior Insulation Finish Systems) shall only be used as trim at least eight feet from the base of the building.
(b) Sloped roofs or structural canopies shall be covered with asphalt shingles, diamond tab asphalt shingles, clay tile, slate, concrete tile, standing seam metal, corrugated metal, ribbed metal material, wood shakes or shingles.
(c) The color of roof stacks, flashing, vents, power exhaust fans and metal chimney caps shall blend with roof colors.
(d) A building canopy, awning or similar weather protection may be provided and should project three to five feet from the facade.
(e) Building materials and colors shall be similar to the materials already being used in the neighborhood or, if dissimilar materials are being proposed, other characteristics such as scale, proportion, form, architectural detailing, color and texture shall be used to ensure that enough similarity exists for the building to relate to the rest of the neighborhood.
(f) Facade and roof colors shall be of low reflectance earth tone, muted, subtle or neutral colors. Building trim may feature brighter colors as an accent material only, the use of fluorescent, day-glow or neon colors shall be prohibited.
(g) Vinyl siding is discouraged but may be appropriate for some civic, commercial and detached structures only if typical of surrounding buildings. Vinyl siding shall be of thick grade (0.046) if utilized.
(h) Exterior metal or aluminum siding on buildings shall be prohibited as a primary material.
(I) Front and side yard fences and walls shall be brick, stucco, wrought iron, stone or materials similar in appearance and durability. Maximum fence height shall be five feet. Rear yard fences and walls shall be made of brick, stucco, wrought iron, stone, wood or similar materials. Maximum fence height shall be eight feet.
(j) Brick facade for existing buildings shall not be painted or covered by any material.
(D) Off-street parking and loading, relationship of building to street.
(1) Off-street parking and loading shall be provided in accordance with the provisions of Ch. 8 of this ordinance.
(2) Relationship of building to street.
(a) Building facades that front a street must extend parallel to that street. Main pedestrian access to building is from the street with secondary access from the parking areas. Entrances to retail-oriented buildings should encourage easy access from the sidewalk and therefore be built close to ground level.
(b) The principal, functional doorway for public or direct-entry access into a building shall be from the fronting street. Corner entrances shall be provided on corner lot buildings.
(c) Parking shall be placed to the side or rear of the building.
(d) Two rows of parking, not greater than 40% of the total amount of parking located on the parcel may be located in front of a proposed commercial building that is not in the South Gateway Overlay District.
(e) Drive thru service windows shall be placed on the rear facade of the building. In no case shall drive thru windows be located on the front facade. If a drive thru window is to be located on a side of the building, it must be located on the least visible side from the fronting street.
(f) A minimum of an eight-foot wide sidewalk is required with at least a six-foot wide landscaped buffer between sidewalk and edge of road is required for all buildings located along a major thoroughfare.
(g) A minimum of a five-foot wide sidewalk is required with at least a six-foot wide landscaped buffer between sidewalk and edge of road is required for all other buildings.
(E) Signs.
(1) Signs shall be regulated by the provisions of Ch. 9 of this ordinance.
(2) Allowable sign area on the front of building shall not exceed two square feet per linear foot of building facing a public street.
(a) If a monument sign is utilized, then said monument sign shall not exceed 48 square feet or eight feet in height.
(b) In the event the building has walls facing a side or rear street, then those areas are permitted to have one square foot per linear foot of said building with public street facing.
(3) In the event of a shopping center, the monument sign shall not exceed 64 square feet and eight feet in height.
(4) In the event of a shopping center, in which the building is over 25,000 square feet, the monument sign shall not exceed 100 square feet and 12 feet in height.
(F) Screening and landscape requirements.
(1) Landscaping shall be provided in accordance with the provisions of Ch. 10 of this ordinance.
(2) Mechanical screening: mechanical equipment, utility meters, storage areas, trash enclosures, transformers, generators and similar features or other utility hardware on the building, roof or ground shall be screened from public view with materials similar to the structure or they shall be so located as not to be visible from any public view or from potential nearby building.
(Ord. passed 5-13-1996; Ord. passed 2-10-2014)