(A) Districts which are adjacent to or abut each other shall conform to the following requirements:
(1) SF, Single Family Residential Districts shall not be adjacent to a HC Highway Commercial District except those properties that front Highway 290 West shown on the future Land Use Map adopted on February 21, 1995 as having Highway Commercial Zoning and shall be effectively buffered from other districts.
(2) An arterial roadway may be adjacent to a Single Family Residential District when the Single Family Residential District is effectively buffered from the roadway as described in this section.
(3) NC, Neighborhood Commercial Districts shall be adjacent only to residential districts, O (Neighborhood Office) Districts, CO (Conditional Overlay) Districts, GUI (Government, Utility and Institutional) Districts, or HC (Highway Commercial) Districts.
(4) O, Neighborhood Office Districts shall be adjacent only to SF (residential) areas (as shown above), a NC (Neighborhood Commercial) District, a CO (Conditional Overlay) District, GUI (Governmental, Utility and Institutional) District or a HC (Highway Commercial) District.
(5) HC, Highway Commercial shall be located only in areas accessible from major traffic ways.
(B) Effective compatibility and buffering standards.
(1) Effective buffering of residential districts from all other districts, except P Districts, shall include a minimum 100 feet landscaped setback. All buffering shall be fully contained within the property of the district required to provide the buffering, and all requirements for buffering shall be met within that same property. Credit for existing fences, screens, vegetation, etc. adjacent to commercially zoned land but physically located on lesser zoned land cannot be given. However, existing natural topographic changes may be considered for their buffering effect, regardless of the property on which it occurs. No roadways can be located within this setback. The applicant cannot comply with landscaping requirements of this Code in this buffer zone.
(2) Applicability. The standards and guidelines set forth in this section shall apply to O, NC, HC, GUI or other commercial or governmental zoning districts or land so conditionally zoned and located adjacent to any SF, P, or other non-commercial zoned district.
(3) Evidence of compliance. The burden of proving acceptable buffering shall be on the applicant. The use of plans, photographs, sections, elevations, scale models, etc. may be employed as methods of demonstrating compliance. All requirements for screening shall be met at the time of project (or phase) completion. Maturation of vegetative screens is anticipated and is intended to provide a continuing and greater level of screening than the initial requirements.
(4) Compliance guidelines.
(a) Visual screening.
1. Intent: To partially or fully block views to or from SF districts to or from any commercial or governmental district so as to minimize the potential impact of commercial and governmental uses on the residents of the city.
2. The "target point" of all buffering and screening from commercial and/or governmental to residential districts shall be a point 30 feet horizontally from the rear property line, and 20 feet high. This "target" is intended to approximate the theoretical position of view from a two-story residential structure located along the rear setback of a residential or office zoned lot.
3. Requirements: Views from the "target point" to the outlined elements and/or heights shall be screened as set forth in Table A following this section.
(b) Light screening.
1. Intent: Because lights, whether used for aesthetic or functional illumination, can be a night time intrusion on the residents of the city by creating glare and by detracting from the rural character of the city, this guideline is intended to minimize the impact of lights on residential properties in the city.
2. Requirements: Lighting shall be screened, maintained, and operated in compliance with the criteria, standards and methods set forth in Table B following this section.
(c) Noise mitigation.
1. Intent: To minimize noise intrusion into residential districts which may be considered intrusive and incompatible with the peaceful enjoyment of adjacent residents, by way of site planning and other means which will effectively buffer noises and sound transmission.
2. It is understood that the minimization of sound intrusion is most efficiently accomplished as close to the source as possible, and that sound travels in a radial direction from the source, unlike light which primarily travels in one direction.
3. Requirements: Noise shall be mitigated and use of property shall be restricted tomitigate noise in compliance with the criteria, standards and methods set forth in Table C following this section.
(d) Odor mitigation.
1. Intent: To minimize the atmospheric transmission of commercially generated odors to nearby SF districts.
2. General: Whenever a site or use will contain a source of odor emissions, consider the primary wind direction for this area (normally from the southeast) in site planning. Design landscape and vegetative screens to channel and re-direct wind flows through placement of the more compact and evergreen plant types to take advantage of their mass and ability to modify wind directions.
3. Requirements: Odor shall be mitigated and use of property shall be restricted to mitigate odor in compliance with the criteria, standards, and methods set forth in Table D following this section.
(C) Tables.
(1) Table A.
VISUAL SCREENING: TABLE A
| ||
Element to Screen | Degree of Screening | Method of Screening (used singly or in combination) |
• Dumpsters (including views into dumpsters from the top) • Trash collection areas • On-ground and outdoor storage of materials for construction or sale • Grade-level loading docks; taised loading docks • Utility Equipment and meters | • 100% to a minimum height of seven feet, or seven feet above floor elevation of element • Equal to complete visual buffering with no gaps larger than one foot horizontally | • Landscaping, including a combination of trees, shrubs, grasses, including a mixture of deciduous and evergreen species • Walls, constructed of wood, stone, masonry, building extensions • Earthen berms, either used alone or in conjunction with landscaping or walls |
• Parking and interior drives or maneuvering spaces, including parking spaces, aisles, cul-de-sacs, driveways | • 80% to a minimum height of four feet • No gaps larger than three feet horizontally | • Landscaping with a combination of trees, shrubs and grasses, both deciduous and evergreen • Walls constructed of wood, stone or masonry • Earthen berms |
• Commercial building walls or facades • Roof-mounted mechanical equipment (other than vents or elements smaller than six inches diameter) | • 65% to the maximum height of the element to be screened • No gaps larger than eight feet horizontally | • Landscaping with a combination of trees, shrubs and grasses, both deciduous and evergreen • Walls constructed of wood, stone or masonry • Earthen berms |
(2) Table B.
LIGHT SCREENING: TABLE B | ||
Element to Screen | Degree of Screening | Method of Screening |
• Parking lot lighting • General area lighting • Exterior building security lights | • Lighting levels at property lines adjacent to SF districts shall not exceed two footcandles | • Direct all lights away from adjacent residential areas by appropriate locations of lights and by utilizing directional hoods or other devices, landscaping fences or walls |
• Car lights from parking lots or site driveways | • Block lights directly shining into residential property by 95% | • Provide solid screens of at least four feet height between parked or moving cars • Screens may not have voids or gaps larger than one square foot |
• Landscape lighting • Exterior building accent lighting | • Completely screen light sources and do not allow any lights to shine directly into adjacent properties | • Direct lights away from property lines adjacent to SF districts • Block light sources (fixtures) by using earthen berms, walls, fences or landscaping |
• Advertising/sign lights | • Completely screen light sources and do not allow any lights to shine directly into adjacent properties | • Locate all lights a minimum of 100 feet from common property lines • Provide solid screening of direct lights and glow • Keep all lighted signs lower than building heights and comply with all aspects of the sign provisions of this Code |
• Building interior lights | • Block direct light visibility from or to residential properties by a minimum of 75% | • Minimize window openings facing residential districts • Utilize window screening or other architectural treatments to reduce light escape • Block light sources with landscaping, walls, berms or fences |
(3) Table C.
NOISE MITIGATION: TABLE C | |
Noise Sources to be Screened | Method of Screening |
• Dumpsters, refuse and recycling collection or storage facilities | • May not be located within 150 feet of an SF district • Locate within an enclosed structure constructed of solid building materials, such as masonry, stone, double-walled wood, etc. Physically orient access to area away from SF districts • Must also comply with guidelines for odor screening • Must meet all other compatibility guidelines |
• Loading docks and loading areas intended as large-scale delivery/pick up of goods and materials • Fabrication or assembly areas | • May not be located within 150 feet of SF districts • Provide a physical, solid screen of walls, fences, and/or berms adjacent to the noise source and between the noise source and SF districts. The height of the screen shall be a minimum of eight feet, rising one foot in height for every 20 feet in distance from the source of the noise |
• Outdoor public address systems | • Orient direction of sound projection 180 degrees away from SF districts • Adjust sound levels as necessary to keep address levels unable to be heard within 100 feet of the intended targeted area |
• Public outdoor dining areas | • May not be located within 200 feet from any adjacent SF district, unless separated by a building or solid screen at least eight feet in height • This screen must be located directly adjacent to the dining area |
(4) Table D.
ODOR MITIGATION: TABLE D | |
Source or Element to be Screened or Mitigated | Method of Screening |
• Dumpsters (primarily dumpsters associated with restaurants or other food establishments, or any other source which will produce waste capable of emitting strong odors) | • Locate a minimum of 150 feet from any SF district • Whenever possible, locate to the north, west or east of any residential district • Enclose on all sides within a structure made of solid building materials |
• Kitchen vents to the outside • Vents from other interior odor sources (dry cleaners, etc.) | • Do not locate on building facades directly facing SF districts • Utilize hoods and/or other directional devises to direct emissions away from residential areas |
• Grease traps | • Do not locate on building facades directly facing SF districts • Use designs which minimize odor escapement to the outside air |