The following general development standards are established to ensure that areas zoned M-1A are developed as a high-quality business and industrial center with a park-like environment.
(a) Lot Requirements. Lot Requirements in the M-1A District are:
(1) Minimum lot area: None.
(2) Minimum setback from roadway: 100 feet. No parking shall be permitted within 100 feet of a roadway right-of-way.
(3) Minimum side and rear yard: 20 feet for structures, except fences, and pavement areas or storage lots; 40 feet for structures, pavement areas and storage areas if adjacent to residential lots.
(4) Maximum lot coverage: The maximum coverage of all buildings, including accessory buildings, and all impervious areas, such as parking and loading areas shall not exceed seventy percent (70%) of the gross lot area.
(5) Maximum building height: Structures up to thirty-five (35) feet in height are allowed without special requirements. Structures may exceed thirty- five (35) provided the site will have a maximum building floor area/lot area ratio of 2:1 (e.g. the total floor area within all structures will not exceed twice the total lot area). Additionally, all required yards defined above shall be increased by one (1) foot for each one (1) foot of building height more than thirty-five (35) feet.
(6) Nuisances: Full compliance with ordinances or statutes pertaining to the emission of excessive smoke, fumes, noise, vapors, odor, glare, vibration or dust and will take all reasonable precautions to reduce the emission of such smoke, fumes, noise, vapors, odor, glare, vibration or dust as shall be incidental to their operations to an absolute minimum.
(b) Buffer Zones. Within all areas zoned M-1A, buffer zones shall be constructed along all side and/or rear lot lines when such side and/or rear lot lines adjoin land that is either zoned to permit residences or has a residence other than nursing homes, motels or similar facilities within one hundred (100) feet of such property line or is otherwise visible from a through roadway or residential district. All buffer zones shall include landscaped open space at least thirty (30) feet in width extending the full width of such side and/or near lot line. The buffer zone shall include an earthen mound with slopes that do not exceed three foot horizontal to one foot vertical (3:1) and vary in maximum height between three (3) and four (4) feet. All crests of mounds shall be rounded. In combination with the mounding, plantings shall be provided such that the planting and mounding will achieve a combined minimum height of six (6) feet above surroundings contours, and a minimum opacity of one-hundred percent (100%) in the summer and seventy-five percent (75%) in the winter, within three (3) years of planting. Naturally occurring buffer areas, such as wood lots, floodways and/or floodplains, may be preserved and utilized in lieu of all or part of the preceding requirements, and alternative screening and buffering improvements may be approved as part of the site plan review process.
(c) Underground Utilities. All electric power lines (not including transformers or enclosures containing electric equipment which may be paid mounted), telephone, gas distribution, and cable television lines, constructed after the effective date of this chapter shall be placed underground in accordance with the specifications and policies of the respective utility service providers.
(d) Landscaping Requirements.
(1) For all uses that include areas used for service, loading, and unloading activities, such areas shall be screened along the entire rear lot line and side lot lines from the real lot line to the rear building line. The width of this screening area shall be a minimum of five (5) feet. Screening shall consist of walls, hedges, fences, vegetation, or an acceptable combination of these elements, provided that screening must be at least seven (7) feet in height. Vegetation used for screening shall have a minimum opaqueness of seventy-five percent (75%) at all times within two (2) years of planting. Floodways and floodplains are excluded from this requirement.
(2) All trash containers shall be screened or enclosed. Trash containers shall not be located in the front yard building setback. The height of such screening or enclosure shall be at least six (6) feet. The maximum height of walls and fences shall not exceed ten (10) feet. Vegetation shall have a minimum opaqueness of seventy-five percent (75%) at all times within two (2) years of planting. The use of evergreen vegetation is encouraged. Vegetation shall be a variety that will attain six (6) feet in height within two (2) years of planting.
(3) The owner shall be responsible for maintaining all landscaping in good condition to present a healthy, neat and orderly appearance.
(e) Signs. All signs in the M-1A zoning district must meet the requirements of Chapter 1175, and signage limitations established for M-1 uses, except as hereunder modified:
(1) Only one free standing sign is permitted per use, and such freestanding sign must be a ground-mounted sign with a maximum height of eight (8) feet. All free standing signs may not be located closer to the road right- of-way than ten (10) feet.
(f) Outdoor Lighting.
(1) All outdoor lighting shall be cut-off type fixtures.
(2) Light poles shall be limited to a maximum height of thirty-seven (37) feet.
(3) The ratio between light output directly under the light and the output at the perimeter of that same light shall be no greater than 3 to 1, with an average of two (2) foot candles on a parking lot of thirty (30) or more spaces and one (1) foot candle on a parking lot less than twenty (20) spaces.
(4) Stray light from lighted areas shall not exceed 0.1 foot candles of light at fifty (50) feet from the property.
(Ord. 2005-34. Passed 12-12-05.)