(A) Guidance materials. The Director is authorized and directed to develop and maintain guidance materials for administration of this article and associated review of commercial building permit applications.
(B) Vehicular access.
(1) The project shall provide safety and protection to adjacent residential uses by having motor vehicle access.
(2) Access can also be provided from a street, provided it can be shown that any negative impacts on residential uses or residentially zoned properties can be mitigated.
(3) Adjacent/adjoining commercial uses shall use a common vehicular access where feasible.
(C) Entrances design.
(1) All sides of a commercial establishment that directly face an abutting public street shall feature at least one customer entrance and the primary building entrance must face North or South Bardstown Roads as it applies to the Main Street Corridor.
(2) Where a large commercial establishment directly faces more than two abutting public streets, this requirement shall apply only to two sides of the building, including the side of the building facing the primary street, and another side of the building facing a second street as needed.
(D) Parking layout.
(1) Parking lots are to be located in the rear of properties.
(2) Variances may be granted by the Director for front parking lots with sufficient tree plantings and/or landscaping berms to protect the character of original structure design or historic function.
(3) Landscaping within the parking area may be required for a large-scale commercial development.
(E) Building orientation. Building face shall be placed in manner consistent with the other buildings on the street. The established pattern of distance from the road to the building face shall be continued.
(F) Building façade.
(1) Building façades, facing public roads, excluding alleys, shall be composed of masonry, primarily brick. Fiber cement board such as “Hardie board” is allowable with manufactured or natural stone permitted for accents, as examples, but not all conclusive. Split-faced block will be permitted for exterior construction material on buildings, where the building has a square footage capacity of more than twelve thousand (12,000) square feet, however, accent material composed of solid brick masonry or stone, or other acceptable material must be added when using split-faced block as the major construction material that will be painted, said paint color must be approved by the Community Development Director.
(2) Building material composed of wood, used on the exterior of the building will not be permitted if used, in more than twenty percent (20%) of the construction material, on the exterior of the building. This is primarily due to the extensive amount of maintenance and upkeep required to prevent future deterioration of the wood products. Concrete block, aluminum siding, painted brick and split-face block are not permitted for exterior building material on any structure located on Highway 44 and on Highway 31 E. In lieu of these construction materials, that are not permitted above, but located in other areas of the city, must be approved for use elsewhere, by the Community Development Director. In all cases, request for variances in this section are available for appeal to the Mt. Washington City Council.
(G) Streetscape.
(1) A streetscape landscape plan, consistent with the City of Mount Washington Streetscape and Community Master Plan, shall be considered as a part of the overall design and include a mix of tree species a minimum of 3-inch diameter at breast height at planting, to be planted at 30-foot centers.
(2) Trees along the right of way and located underneath aboveground utility lines shall use specifies identified in the City of Mount Washington Streetscape and Community Master Plan.
(3) The total number of trees necessary shall be determined by the combined footage of the front and side line defining the streetscape yard.
(4) Shrubbery, ground cover and other planting materials shall be used to complement the tree planting, but shall not be the sole contribution to the landscaping.
(5) Effective use of earth berms, existing topography, and existing trees is also encouraged as a component of the landscape plan and shall be considered as a part of the planting requirements.
(6) Any plant materials that die or are destroyed and, which are part of overall landscape plan must be replaced in a timely manner consistent with § 157.16.
(H) Outdoor lighting.
(1) Lighting policies have been developed to insure adequate security, to prevent glare which affects approaching motorists and pedestrians, and to minimize light trespassing onto adjoining properties.
(2) Architectural and decorative lighting shall be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Outdoor lighting shall be of a character consistent with those identified in the City of Mount Washington Streetscape and Community Master Plan.
(3) Horizontally mounted fixtures with full cut-off shall be utilized.
(a) The maximum height of lighting poles shall be 25 feet.
(b) The property lighting shall not exceed 0.5 foot candles at the property line.
(4) Outdoor lighting between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. shall be limited to light emitting diodes (LED). The applicant may apply for variances for low-pressure sodium lighting.
(5) A photometric plan and outdoor lighting report shall be submitted that addresses all aspects of property illumination, including but not limited to the following.
(a) The parking area.
(b) Building.
(c) Parking.
(d) Signage.
(e) Approaches to mitigate negative impacts on adjacent residential uses or residentially zoned properties.
(f) Approaches to mitigate the negative impacts of outdoor lighting between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. on adjacent properties.
(6) Signage.
(a) All signage plans shall be submitted to the Director for review and approval, and prior to approval of a Commercial Building Permit. All signage shall be in compliance with Chapter 155, Sign Regulations.
(b) All signs must be monument or attached (flush to wall or perpendicularly mounted) styles. Signs shall uses fixed (non-digital) images.
(c) The visual transfer of business advertising and other public information through the use of external signs shall comply with all applicable sign ordinances and the following design standards.
(d) All completed signs must have a high quality professional appearance.
(e) Sign materials, colors, and shades shall be compatible with the related buildings on the property and shall be limited to high quality construction materials, such as stone, brick, or decorative block, finished wood (painted or stained), finished metal, or, high quality plastic.
(f) External lighting of monument signs shall be concealed and ground-mounted. Illumination of signs shall be directed away from all traffic and from all adjoining residential areas.
(g) The intensity of the light shall not exceed 15 foot candles at any point on the sign face.
(h) Maintenance of signs will be in compliance with § 155.03.
(I) Dumpster enclosures.
(1) Material must be solid and be at least 1-foot taller than the dumpster and gated. Gate is to be closed at all times dumpster are not being emptied.
(2) Shall be placed as to not be visible from North or South Bardstown Road.
(Ord. 17-10, passed 4-10-17; Am. Ord. 17-20, passed 6-1-17; Am. Ord. 2020-12, passed 7-13-20; Am. Ord. 2023-17, passed 11-13-23)