(a) Purpose. The purpose of the Northern Lights Overlay District (NLO) is to:
(1) To leverage public dollars invested in the expansion of the Sharonville Convention Center, improvement of the Chester Road corridor, and investment in the Princeton City School District facilities by encouraging land uses and site design that complement the Convention Center and corridor as envisioned in the Comprehensive Plan and the Northern Lights District Master Plan;
(2) To enhance property values, protect property rights, stabilize and improve the Chester Road corridor, and increase economic and financial benefits to Sharonville businesses and inhabitants;
(3) To encourage innovative and creative site design, outdoor lighting, and architecture;
(4) To promote development that emphasizes safe pedestrian connections and amenities while accommodating automobile access; and
(5) To encourage mixed-use development that creates a vibrant hospitality, entertainment, and office district that responds to changing market demands and conditions.
(b) Creation and Boundaries. The boundaries of the NLO District are depicted on the zoning map.
(c) Effect of Northern Lights Overlay District Designation.
(1) The NLO District regulations apply in combination with underlying base zoning district regulations and all other applicable standards of this code. When the NLO District standards conflict with the underlying base zoning district regulations, or other standards of this code, the regulations of the NLO District will apply.
(2) When the NLO District does not regulate an issue that is regulated by an underlying base zoning district, the underlying base zoning district regulations shall apply.
(d) Site Plan Review Procedure.
(1) All new construction, structure alterations, and site improvements in the NLO District are subject to the full site plan review procedure in Section 1129.07.
(2) Applicants shall be required to meet with the Director of Community Development for a pre-application meeting unless such meeting is waived by the Director of Community Development.
(3) The Sharonville Northern Lights Overlay District Standards and Guidelines (See Section 1107.01(f).) contain both mandatory standards and an elective set of guidelines. Applications must meet one hundred percent (100%) of the mandatory standards in order to receive any zoning approval. Applications also must meet a minimum of fifty percent (50%) of the guidelines established for the NLO District.
(e) Permitted Uses. Table 1105-1 establishes what principal uses are permitted or prohibited in the NLO District by establishing how uses are permitted in accordance with the underlying base zoning district, permitted across the entire NLO District, regardless of the underlying base zoning district, or specifically prohibited in the NLO. See Section 1105.02(b)(4).
(f) NLO District Standards and Guidelines. The following are the specific district standards and guidelines established for the NLO District. As noted earlier, all standards are mandatory and guidelines are elective, although all applications must meet fifty percent (50%) of the guidelines. Not all components of design have guidelines. Additionally, other sections of this code may be applicable to the NLO District including, but not limited to, Section 1113.02 and Section 1113.06.
(1) Architecture.
A. Overall Design Intent.
i. Building design will create a coordinated, modern architectural style that distinguishes the NLO District, while reinforcing a pedestrian scale.
ii. A primary objective for architectural design in the NLO District is to discourage architectural styles historically rooted in pre-1920's expression and create a distinctly modern district.
iii. Recommended building features include, but are not limited to:
a) Streamlined appearance with limited ornamentation (except as needed to achieve a pedestrian scale);
b) Sharp and angular elements with smooth transitions to faceted and curvilinear geometries;
c) Curved and/or rounded corners;
d) Sweeping, striated thrusting lines found in horizontal, vertical and curvilinear motifs;
e) Ziggurat (Stepped) parapets at facades;
f) "Eyebrow"-shaped fixed cantilevered canopies;
g) Bullet shapes;
h) The use of lighting from within translucent walls; and
i) Surfaces with a glistening, shimmering or crystalline appearance.
B. Building Materials.
i. Intent. Building Materials must offer a crystalline, polished appearance. Rougher textures should be utilized only as accent materials. Examples of preferred materials include metal panels, perforated metals, translucent panels, glass block, glass with etched and frosted glazing, and decorative concrete.
ii. Standards.
a) The use of vinyl, shingles, or shakes is prohibited.
b) E.I.F.S. material is prohibited from being used on the first floor of any building but may be used for the facades of second or higher floors.
C. Building Facades.
i. Intent. Buildings must convey a street presence that is decidedly modern and pedestrian in scale. The core of the NLO District (between Greenwood Road and Clinton Avenue) should include a more densely developed atmosphere with taller buildings than surrounding areas.
ii. Standards.
a) Buildings located on properties with frontage on Chester Road, between Clinton Avenue and BAPS Lane, shall be a minimum of sixteen (16) feet tall.
b) Although taller buildings are permissible, the front portion of the building must be built at a pedestrian scale and impacts on surrounding residential areas should be minimized. Maximum heights are provided below for specific locations within the NLO District. Maximum height applies to the front facade of the building, or for parcels that are adjacent to a residential district that is outside the NLO District, and for any facade facing such a residential district.
1) Properties with frontage on Chester Road between Clinton Avenue and Baps Lane: forty-five (45) feet.
2) All other locations in the NLO District: thirty-five (35) feet. Taller building sections must be set back by one additional foot per additional foot of height.
Figure 1107-A: The above is an illustration of the maximum building height requirement.
c) Front facades must incorporate vertical piers or other vertical elements to break the plane of building facades that exceed a width of fifty (50) feet. See also Figure 1107-A.
d) Front facades must incorporate clear window glass that permits a full, unobstructed view of the interior to a depth of at least four (4) feet on at least forty percent (40%) of the building facade area between a height of two (2) feet and ten (10) feet above grade. This standard applies only to building facades that have frontage facing Chester Road. The pattern of window glass must continue on the side facades for a minimum of twenty percent (20%) of the length of such side facades.
Figure 1107-B: The above is an image provides an example of facade transparency with the
use of windows and glass doors along the facade that provide for visibility of at least
four (4) feet into the building.
D. Building Placement.
i. Intent. The Sharonville NLO District is pedestrian in scale, yet campus-like in design. Buildings should be placed close to the street to encourage pedestrian activity, while allowing space for landscaping, pedestrian plazas and outdoor dining. Building setbacks should vary, creating a meandering street wall that is visually interesting and consistent with the meandering nature of the Chester Road streetscape design.
ii. Standards.
a) Principal building shall be set back a minimum of ten (10) feet from the planned right-of-way or public roadway easement, whichever depth is greatest.
b) New buildings shall not be set back more than twenty (20) feet from the planned right-of-way or public roadway easement, whichever depth is greatest. The maximum front yard setback may be extended by an additional ten (10) feet for up to thirty percent (30%) of the facade length, as long as the supplemental front yard is used for outdoor dining, pedestrian walkways, or a formally landscaped plaza. The maximum front yard setback standard does not apply to the alteration or enlargement of existing buildings.
c) These setbacks shall apply to all street frontages if the lot has multiple street frontages (i.e., a corner lot or through lot).
Figure 1107-C: The above is an illustration of front yard setback standards in the NLO District.
d) The following shall be the minimum rear and side yard setbacks for buildings in the NLO District:
1) No side yard setback is required, however, there shall be a minimum of ten (10)-feet of separation between building facades when side building facades do not abut one another on adjacent properties.
2) Buildings in the NLO District shall be set back a minimum of twenty (20) feet from an adjacent residential district that is located outside the NLO District. The rear or side yard setback must incorporate screening consistent with Section 1119.06 of this code.
iii. Guidelines.
a) Buildings should have a variation of front yard setback from adjacent properties but still remain within the ten (10) to twenty (20)-foot set back requirement.
b) Buildings should include projections and recesses in order to create variation in the setback within individual buildings.
c) Buildings should be oriented so front entrance faces Chester Road.
Figure 1107-D: The above is an illustration of front entrances oriented toward the street
(Chester Road).
E. Parking.
i. Intent. While adequate off-street parking must be provided, parking lots must not be a dominant visual feature. Parking lots that are concealed and minimized reinforce an attractive, pedestrian-oriented environment, reduce stormwater runoff and maximize areas devoted to landscaping and pedestrian use.
ii. Standards.
a) Parking lots or stacking spaces located between a building and the Chester Road right-of-way are prohibited.
b) The following shall be the minimum off-street parking setbacks in the NLO District:
1) Off-street parking areas shall be set back a minimum of ten (10) feet from any planned right-of-way or public roadway easement, whichever distance is greatest.
2) Off-street parking areas located on the side of buildings shall be set back a minimum of ten (10) feet from any adjacent lot line in a residential district that is located outside the NLO District. The rear or side yard setback must incorporate screening consistent with Section 1119.06 of this code.
3) No parking setback is required for side and rear yards within the NLO District that do not abut a right-of-way or public roadway easement.
c) A minimum of thirty percent (30%) of all parking spaces shall be located to the rear of a building.
Figure 1107-E: The above is an image showing that a minimum percentage of parking shall be located to the rear of the building.
e) Parking lots that are visible from any street right-of-way shall be screened with a decorative wall or fence or a continuous row of shrubs with a height no less than three (3) feet and no more than four (4) feet. Decorative walls and fences must be constructed of masonry, stone, or ornamental metal. Shrubs must be a minimum of three (3) feet tall at installation and provide fifty percent (50%) winter opacity within two (2) years of planting.
Figure 1107-F: The above is an image of the Chester Road streetscape that illustrates the decorative screening of parking areas from Chester Road.
f) Interior landscaping consists of landscaped islands that are distributed throughout the parking lot to define major circulation routes and driving lanes and provide visual and climatic relief from broad expanses of pavement. For parking lots that contain more than twenty (20) parking spaces, interior landscaping shall cover a minimum of five percent (5%) of the parking lot.
g) Each landscape island must measure at least five (5) feet in any horizontal direction.
h) The parking lot landscaping shall include at least one shade tree and two (2) shrubs per ten (10) spaces within landscaped islands, provided there is no impairment to visibility of motorists or pedestrians (See Section 1113.02.). As an alternative to this standard, landscaped islands as stormwater infiltration islands, as described in Section 1107.01(f)(1)E.iii.b), may be provided. In providing this alternative, the applicant shall be in compliance with both the standard and the guideline, as required in Section 1107.01(d)(3).
j) Off-street parking that is enclosed in a multilevel garage is exempt from Paragraphs c) and e) through i), above. Such garages shall maintain consistency with the standards and guidelines listed in Chapter 1117: Architectural Standards for parking garages located at building lines along Chester Road.
iii. Guidelines.
a) Shared parking represents an arrangement whereby two (2) or more uses provide their required off-street parking in the same parking lot, thereby reducing the number of individual parking lots and the number of curb cuts required to serve such lots. The Planning Commission may reduce the required off-street parking spaces if the applicant provides an alternative parking solution (shared, off-site, or land banking) in accordance with Section 1121.04(h).
b) Stormwater infiltration islands are planted areas that are designed to accept stormwater runoff from parking areas, providing temporary storage and on-site infiltration. Applicants should utilize interior landscaped islands required in Section 1107.01(f)(1)E.ii as infiltration islands. Additionally, applicants should utilize areas between parking rows and connect to landscaped islands at the ends of the row. Below are guidelines for constructing infiltration islands:
1) Incorporate curb cuts or flat curbs along the edges of the island that allow water to flow into the island;
2) Create a shallow depression of six (6) to eighteen (18) inches to allow for ponding in the island;
3) Locate ponding areas at least ten (10) feet away from any building foundations to ensure that the ponded water does not drain to foundations;
4) Include perennial flowers, ornamental grasses, shrubs and edges created by attractive walls, pavers or a band of turf, in order to create an attractive appearance in the island;
5) Include plants that tolerate snow storage and winter salt and sand; and
6) Plant the tallest flowers and shrubs in the deepest part of the island.
Figure 1107-G: The above is an image of an infiltration island used in a parking area.
c) Where there is a multi-level parking garage that has a facade that faces Chester Road, the applicant should incorporate ground-floor commercial space that is oriented toward Chester Road in parking garages built at a building line, along Chester Road, as a method of screening the parking garage.
F. Landscape Design.
i. Intent. Site design must emphasize landscaping and pedestrian areas to the same degree as buildings. Pedestrians will walk through an environment of lush landscaping interspersed with inviting pedestrian gathering spaces.
ii. Standards.
a) The front yard, along any street frontage, shall be planted with live vegetation, shade trees and conifers, except for paved areas expressly designed for pedestrians or approved driveways. Include one tree per fifty (50) lineal feet of lot frontage along Chester Road.
b) All vegetation installed to comply with these landscaping standards shall comply with Section 1119.04 on the minimum landscaping requirements. Where fences and walls are permitted to be a part of and landscaping or screening requirements (Section 1119.06), such wall or fence shall utilize materials and colors that complement the design of the principal building.
iii. Guidelines.
a) The applicant may include pedestrian amenities that offer attractive spaces for customer and visitor interaction and create an inviting image, as an alternative to landscaped areas. Pedestrian amenities may include outdoor pedestrian plazas, dining areas, street furniture, water features, clock towers, public art, or a combination thereof. Pedestrian amenities must be a minimum of ten (10) square feet in ground coverage and be located in the front or side yards of parcels adjacent to Chester Road.
b) The applicant may plant at least fifty percent (50%) of the front yard area (not including areas designated for pedestrian use) with flowers, shrubs, trees, and ground cover other than turf.
c) The applicant may incorporate landscape beds and pedestrian plazas in a curvilinear, meandering fashion, consistent with the Sharonville Northern Lights design theme. This may include accomplishing the meandering design element with edges of landscape beds, arrangement of vegetation within the landscape beds, edges of pedestrian plazas and/or the pavement texture of pedestrian plazas.
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Figure 1107-H: The above images illustrate examples of meeting guidelines for landscape design.
G. Lighting Design.
i. Intent. A central element of the Sharonville NLO District is a multi-layered lighting design that reinforces the Sharonville Northern Lights images throughout the NLO District. The use of lighting in all architectural and landscaping elements in the NLO District provides opportunity to immerse the viewer in the NLO District experience. The ambience of the lighting will encourage interaction of visitors with the surrounding environment.
iii. Guidelines.
a) Development in the NLO District should incorporate lighting of landscape elements in order to contribute to the ambience of the NLO District. Landscape lighting fixture styles shall be consistent with the lighting designs currently found in the district or compatible with the general lighting styles found in the district.
b) Development in the NLO District should incorporate building facade lighting that enhances a building's architectural features and creates a visual effect for pedestrian and distance viewers. Building facade lighting fixture styles shall be consistent with the lighting designs currently found in the district or compatible with the general architectural style of the building.
c) Lighting in vehicular use areas within the NLO District should utilize luminaire and pole assembly styles in parking lots and pedestrian areas that complement, in appearance, those used for lighting along Chester Road. Figure 1107-I includes illustrations of permitted luminaire and pole assembly styles.
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Figure 1107-I: Illustration of luminaire and pole assembly fixtures that are allowed
in the NLO District.
H. Pedestrian Circulation.
i. Intent. Site design must provide a safe and attractive environment for pedestrians. Pedestrian connections must be separated from automobile traffic. Walkways should be designed to continue the design theme of the Chester Road streetscape.
ii. Standards.
a) Plans shall provide pedestrian walkways between the primary entrances of multiple buildings on a site and buildings, located on adjacent properties. Such plans shall provide crosswalks where walkways cross driveways or parking lots.
b) Plans shall include a pedestrian walkway from a parking lot to a building entrance.
c) The minimum width of all walkways, sidewalks, or crosswalks shall be five (5) feet.
Figure 1107-J: Illustration of pedestrian connection examples.
I. Vehicular Circulation.
i. Intent. The NLO District will provide safe, efficient vehicular access by reducing vehicular conflicts, minimizing delays, and reducing congestion. These attributes will sustain the Sharonville Northern Lights revitalization effort and attract visitors. Accordingly, site design must incorporate access management standards which include but are not limited to the following: providing cross access between properties, shared driveways between properties, right-in/right-out access and full access intersections located at strategic locations only.
ii. Standards.
a) The minimum curb cut spacing requirements may be set on a case-by-case basis by the Director of Community Development in consultation with the City Engineer, but in no instance shall be less than the distances listed in Table 1107-1. Distances are measured according to the methods described in Table 1107-1.
1) For sites with insufficient frontage to meet the criteria in Table 1107-1, such site shall be permitted one driveway curb cut. However, the Director of Community Development, in consultation with the City Engineer, may require construction of a driveway from a side street or a shared driveway with an adjacent property.
TABLE 1107-1: MINIMUM CURB CUT SPACING | |||
Street | Minimum Spacing between Driveways | Minimum Spacing between a Driveway and Intersection | Minimum Spacing between a Driveway and a Roundabout |
Measurement Method | Driveway edge of pavement to driveway edge of pavement | Driveway edge of pavement to intersecting street edge of pavement | Driveway edge of pavement to roundabout yield point |
Chester Road | 175 feet | 250 feet | 250 feet |
Clinton Avenue, BAPS Lane, & Lippelman Road | 150 feet | 175 feet | 175 feet |
b) Lots that have multiple driveway curb cuts that are less than required in Table 1107-1 shall be required to eliminate at least one curb cut.
c) Corner lots are encouraged to have driveway curb cuts off of secondary streets.
d) Drive-through windows or canopies must be attached to the principal building and located to the rear of the building.
iii. Guidelines.
a) For any use or development proposed in the NLO District, the property owner is encouraged to grant an access easement to all properties on the same block between intersecting streets. The purpose of the easement is to facilitate movement of customers and their vehicles from establishment to establishment (lot to lot) without generating additional turning movements on Chester Road. The inter-parcel access easement shall be provided subject to the following provisions:
1) Such inter-parcel access easements shall be submitted to the City for review and approval before being recorded with the applicable county recorder office. A reference to deed book and page of such recorded easement shall be provided to the Director of Community Development.
2) Such inter-parcel access easement agreements shall include joint maintenance agreements including the responsibilities of the property owner and benefited parties.
3) The inter-parcel access easement shall grant access easement rights and permit automobile access from all properties on the same block between intersecting streets to driveways and service drives intended for customer or tenant use.
4) The granting of such easement shall be effective upon the granting of reciprocal easements by the remaining property owners.
5) The location of access easements and underlying vehicular connections across a property shall be determined by the Director of Community Development, in conjunction with the City Engineer and applicable fire/EMS authority and adjoining property owners.
Figure 1107-K: Illustration of inter-parcel access/cross access.
6) Unless already in place, the pavement or other surfacing of the owner's driveways and/or service drives or parking lots shall be extended to the property line. The stub drive shall be designed and constructed to make it visually obvious that the service drive is intended to connect to adjoining properties and to provide cross access.
7) Service drives and access lanes needed to accommodate inter-parcel access shall be designed and constructed with:
A) A minimum pavement width of twenty-four (24) feet measured from edge of pavement to edge of pavement;
B) Pavement geometrics to safely support a ten (10) miles per hour design speed;
C) Wider pavement widths at curves to accommodate delivery truck circulation; and
D) An eight (8)-inch asphalt or six (6)-inch concrete pavement.
J. Utility Areas.
i. Intent. Utility areas include trash collection areas, grease disposal receptacles, loading and service bays, transformers, electric and gas meters, and similar uses. These areas must be screened in order to mitigate undesirable effects such as noise, odors, and an unattractive appearance.
ii. Standards.
a) Visible utilities shall be buried or rerouted to an unobtrusive location. All gas and electric meters, downspouts, and other appurtenances shall be incorporated into the structure or utilize a similar color and/or materials to the principal structure.
b) Loading areas shall be located to the rear of the building. Loading areas shall be screened so that they are not visible from adjacent properties, public thoroughfares, or parking lots, with walls or landscaping to a minimum height of six (6) feet. Landscaping must reach a minimum height of six (6) feet and a minimum ninety percent (90%) winter opacity within two (2) years of planting. When using walls for screening, utilize materials and colors that complement the design of the building.
K. Signs.
i. Intent.
a) Businesses and uses require identification of some type, whether it is the name of the establishment or merely the street address. In constructing signs, businesses and uses must consider the broader impact on the appearance and image of the Sharonville Northern Lights District. An important component of the Northern Lights vision is an integrated graphics package that includes signs in the right-of-way as well as private property.
b) The intent of the signage within the district is to promote the businesses and uses while aesthetically and architecturally supporting the overall brand and theme character of Sharonville Northern Lights District. The materials, scale, modularity, lighting and type of sign can be expressive of the Sharonville Northern Lights theme through a coordinated approach while showcasing the individual businesses.
(Ord. 2022-22. Passed 5-10-22.)