(A) Title. This section shall be known and referenced as the US 13 Corridor (US13C) District of Northampton County.
(B) Findings of fact. As the Eastern Shore of Virginia's primary route for local and through traffic, U.S. Route 13 represents a significant community investment and contributes to Northampton County's public health, safety, and welfare. U.S. Route 13 provides access to jobs and schools, facilitates delivery of emergency services, and supports movement of goods and services. Furthermore, the U.S. Route 13 corridor serves as a first impression of Northampton County for tourists and the traveling public and, as a safe and accessible highway facility, serves a vital economic development function. The US 13 Corridor District designation will provide for regulation of highway-oriented businesses, industries, and residential development, as permitted by the underlying zoning district, while preserving and enhancing the safety, function, and capacity of the U.S. Route 13 corridor in Northampton County.
(C) Purpose and intent. Pursuant to the authority granted by the Code of Virginia, and in particular the legislative intent established in VA Code § 15.2-2200 and the purposes of zoning ordinances established in VA Code § 15.2-2283, the purpose of the US 13 Corridor District is to enhance the safety, function, and capacity of designated highways. As major through traffic routes, these highways represent significant community investments, and contribute to the public health, safety, and welfare. Finally, as safe and accessible facilities, the corridors serve a vital economic development function, which the US13C District is intended to protect and preserve.
(D) Areas of applicability.
(1) The US13C District shall apply to all lands as designated by the Board of Supervisors as US13C on the zoning district map. Such map, together with all explanatory matter thereon, is hereby adopted by reference and declared to be part of this section.
(2) The US13C District shall apply to all developments abutting U.S. Route 13 and requiring site plan or subdivision review. The US13C District shall also apply to redevelopment projects, as outlined in division (J) below, regardless of whether such redevelopment requires site plan or subdivision review. For the purposes of this chapter, U.S. Route 13 shall mean the mainline highway and bypass sections, and shall not mean sections of U.S. Route 13 Business.
(E) Use regulations. Permitted uses, special permit uses, accessory uses, and special requirements shall be established by the underlying zoning district, unless specifically modified by the requirements set forth herein. These requirements may include, but shall not be limited to, requirements for yards/setbacks, parking, landscaping, signs, and lighting.
(F) Lot size. Lot size shall comply with the requirements of the underlying zoning district(s).
(G) Required conditions.
(1) For the purposes of this section, projects such as commercial centers shall be considered individual development projects. Expansions of completed projects within the US13C District shall be subject to these regulations. For developments subject to these regulations all required plans may be submitted as a single plan, provided that all information is clearly shown to meet the requirements outlined herein.
(2) To ensure adequate coordination with VDOT regarding highway access management and traffic improvements, no site plan or subdivision plat shall be approved without a written finding from the VDOT Residency Administrator that the proposed roadway, driveway, and circulation systems are consistent with the U.S. Route 13 Access Management Plan.
(H) Conflict with other regulations. In any case where the requirements of this section conflict with any other provision of the Northampton County zoning ordinance and other regulations or existing state or federal regulations, whichever regulation imposes the more stringent restrictions shall apply.
(I) Performance standards.
(1) Purpose and intent. The purpose and intent of these performance standards is to minimize the impact of highway-oriented development on the safety, function, and traffic capacity of the U.S. Route 13 corridor in Northampton County.
(2) General performance standards for development and redevelopment.
(a) Site plans. All site plans shall include an access plan drawn to the same scale as the site plan and showing existing and proposed location and dimensions of all streets, sidewalks, driveways, crossovers, parking areas, access points and aisles, landscape areas, and any other relevant information.
(b) Site access. Access to U.S. Route 13 shall be provided by direct or indirect means, consistent with the following:
i. Number of access points. Each tract of land recorded prior to August 12, 2004, is entitled to one direct access point to the public roadway network, subject to VDOT approval. Each tract of land recorded after August 12, 2004, is entitled to one direct access or indirect point to the public roadway network provided that its location and design fulfill, at a minimum, the minimum corner clearance and the minimum site distance requirements of this chapter, subject to VDOT approval. Where the roadway frontage of a tract of land is greater than 1,000 feet, an additional access point may be allowed, if it is determined that the access point will not adversely affect the capacity of the roadway as determined by a Traffic Impact Analysis and subject to VDOT approval. Any additional access points must be in compliance with all applicable sections of this chapter and approved by VDOT. Where multiple tracts of land are developed as a single entity, as in the case of a commercial center, office park, or similar development, they shall be treated as one tract of land for the purposes of determining the permitted number of access points. Whenever it is feasible from an engineering perspective to provide access to U.S. Route 13, and/or any other major highway, from a side street connection rather than directly onto U.S. Route 13 (or other such major highway), access is required to come from such side street, subject to VDOT approval.
ii. Corner clearance. The minimum corner clearance of driveways from intersecting streets shall be 400 feet approaching the intersection. Downstream corner clearance shall be 250 feet minimum. For side street approaches to U.S. Route 13, the minimum corner clearance shall be 250 feet. At signalized intersections, corner clearances in excess of these minimum dimensions may be required, in consultation with the VDOT. Where a traffic study is submitted that shows 20-year peak period 95 percentile queue lengths will not extend past the driveway location, corner clearances may be reduced, in consultation with the VDOT.
iii. Minimum sight distance. Minimum sight distances along the highway shall be provided to allow vehicles to safely turn left or right onto the highway. Sight distances provided along the US13C District shall be a minimum of 1,000 feet.
iv. Outparcels. All access to outparcels must be internalized utilizing the main access drive of the principal retail center. Access to each outparcel shall be as direct as possible, avoiding excessive movement across the parking aisles and queuing across surrounding parking and driving aisles. In no instance shall the circulation and access of the principal commercial facility and its parking and service be impaired.
v. Residential developments. New residential subdivisions shall include an internal street layout which shall continuously connect to the streets of surrounding developments or neighborhoods to accommodate travel demand between adjacent neighborhoods without the necessity of using the highway. Only within residential developments in this overlay district may reverse or double frontage lots lawfully be created if necessitated for access or other safety reasons.
vi. Median crossovers. Where a proposed development fronts an existing or planned median crossover, access from the development to adjacent sites shall be provided, so as to promote shared access and to minimize demand for additional crossovers.
vii. Shared access and reverse frontage. Internal access roads and inter-parcel connections shall be provided to facilitate the local movement of traffic between existing and proposed development and to minimize demand for local trips on the highway. Based on consultation with the VDOT Resident Engineer, inter-parcel access may take the form of direct driveway connections or reverse frontage roads.
viii. Pedestrian access. Pedestrian walkways shall be incorporated into each project so as to minimize conflicts with vehicular traffic. Pedestrian circulation systems shall connect uses within individual projects, and shall be extended to adjacent parcels where inter-parcel vehicular access is required.
ix. Bicycle access. Bicycle facilities may be incorporated into each project so as to minimize conflicts with vehicular traffic. If installed, bicycle circulation systems shall connect uses within individual projects, and shall be extended to adjacent parcels where inter-parcel vehicular access is required.
(c) Traffic impact analysis. All developments generating more than 2,000 average daily trips shall prepare and submit a traffic impact analysis. The projected number of average daily trips shall be based on trip generation rates as defined by the most recent publication of the Institute of Transportation Engineers "Trip Generation." In addition, a traffic impact analysis may be required for developments generating 2,000 or fewer average daily trips when it is determined, in consultation with the VDOT Resident Engineer, that safety considerations warrant such analysis. The traffic impact analysis shall identify level of service impacts of the proposed development, based on a 20-year demand projection, and shall be used to determine necessary improvements to support the development. At a minimum, the impact analysis shall address the following:
i. Turn lane and access improvements;
ii. Internal site circulation;
iii. Shared access/access to adjacent sites;
iv. Impacts to intersections and median crossovers;
v. Potential need for signalization; and
vi. Relationship of the proposal to the U.S. Route 13 Access Management Plan.
(d) Required improvements. Required improvements, the need for which is generated by the proposed development, shall be determined in consultation with the VDOT Resident Engineer. The developer shall be responsible for providing any required improvements, which shall be shown on site plans. The need for required improvements shall be based on the following:
i. The U.S. Route 13 Access Management Plan;
ii. Applicable traffic impact analyses; and
iii. Highway safety and capacity.
(e) Setback from VDOT right-of-way. Buildings shall be set back from the VDOT right-of-way in accordance with Appendix B. The first 50 feet of the setback area abutting the roadway shall be a vegetated buffer, the first 20 feet of which closest to the road shall be planted in grass and/or groundcover to provide a clear zone for safety purposes. The remaining 30-foot area in the 50-foot buffer shall be maintained as an opaque buffer planted with native tree species. Parking areas and stormwater best management practices may be located in the setback outside the vegetated buffer.
(J) Redevelopment. In order to promote the orderly retrofit of existing developments that do not conform to the requirements of the US13C District, while encouraging reuse of previously developed properties, the following redevelopment standards shall apply. The following standards provide guidelines for use in bringing nonconforming sites into conformance. All trip generation shall be based on ITE figures and methods as referenced herein.
(1) Access. Reconstruction, relocation, or elimination of access points shall be required under any of the following circumstances. In such cases, necessary improvements shall be identified in consultation with the VDOT Resident Engineer, and shall be designed to bring the site into compliance with the access provisions of this chapter.
(a) The redevelopment will cause an increase of ten average daily trips (ADT) and 20% or more ADT.
(b) The redevelopment will cause any turning movement to increase by five ADT and 20% or more ADT.
(c) The redevelopment will cause an increase in use by vehicles exceeding 30,000 pounds gross vehicle weight of ten vehicles per day or 20% or more vehicles exceeding 30,000 pounds gross vehicle weight per day.
(d) Structural enlargements, building improvements, or other site improvements are made resulting in an increase of 20% of building square footage or totaling 20% of current assessed building value.
(e) As required to address identified safety deficiencies, based on consultation with the VDOT Residency Administrator.
(2) Traffic impact analysis. A traffic impact analysis shall be submitted for all redevelopment projects in which the proposed use will generate more than 2,000 ADT and/or increase existing ADT by 50% or more.
(3) Required improvements. Improvements required to support the redevelopment of the property shall be based on consultation with the VDOT Residency Administrator, the U.S. Route 13 Access Management Plan, required traffic impact analyses, and highway safety and capacity.
(4) Signage. Redevelopment shall bring on-site signage into compliance with §§ 154.2.190 et seq. Reconstruction, relocation, or elimination of freestanding signs shall be required when existing signs interfere with required site distances.
(5) Lighting. Where structural enlargements, building improvements, or other site improvements are made resulting in an increase of 20% of building square footage or totaling 20% of current assessed building value, all lighting shall be brought into compliance with § 154.2.112.
(6) Landscaping. Where structural enlargements, building improvements, or other site improvements are made resulting in an increase of 20% of building square footage or totaling 20% of current assessed building value, landscaping shall be brought into compliance with § 154.2.105. This shall include appropriate landscaping of existing green space, as well as provision of additional green space to the extent that it does not interfere with traffic flow or required parking. Where additional green space is required, priority shall be given to establishing front yard green space.
(7) Other requirements. Additional related existing zoning requirements are located in the following sections of this zoning code:
(Ord. passed 4-12-2016)