The following development standards are established to guide and control the planning, development and use of land in a PD:
(a) Minimum Project Size. The minimum project size for a PD application shall be five acres. The Planning Commission may allow an application for smaller project areas if such land is found to be suitable for a PD by virtue of its unique historical character, topography, unique use, or other natural features, or by virtue of its qualifying as an isolated problem area.
(b) Permitted Uses.
(1) The PD preliminary development plan approval shall include a list of uses permitted within the PD based on uses defined in Chapter 1109: Principal Use Regulations. The list of uses shall be of the same name and definition as established in this code.
(2) The PD preliminary development plan shall delineate where such use or uses are permitted.
(3) Where the use has established use-specific standards as set forth in Chapter 1109: Principal Use Regulations, the Planning Commission and City Council may require compliance with all of the standards or may waive some or all of the standards based on the design of the PD and the ability of such design to mitigate the impacts of the uses.
(4) The Planning Commission and City Council shall consider recommendations of the comprehensive plan in approving certain uses but in all cases, the maximum density of single-family detached residential uses shall be eight units per acre and the maximum density of all other residential uses shall be 16 units per acres.
(c) Building and Use Arrangements.
(1) The design and development standards set forth in this section are intended to provide considerable latitude and freedom in order to encourage variety in the arrangement of uses and of the location, bulk and shape of buildings, open space and landscape features.
(2) Buildings and uses shall be arranged, designed, or located in order to screen and preserve uses within and nearby the PD from adverse effects of uses within or nearby the PD.
(3) The buildings and uses may be arranged in various groups, courts, or clusters with open spaces organized and related to the buildings in order to provide privacy where applicable, to form a unified composition of buildings and space, and to maximize the peace and tranquility of the residential occupants of the PD and the nearby area, where applicable.
(4) Whenever a proposed PD development includes areas of a higher intensity than that permitted in adjacent areas, the location and arrangement of use areas shall include appropriate buffers, open spaces, setbacks, or other transitional areas to ensure compatibility with the lower intensity areas.
(5) Buildings, structures and parking areas shall be designed and located within the PD in ways that conserve environmentally sensitive or unique natural, historic, or cultural features, and minimize environmental impacts.
(6) The development shall be designed to protect adjoining property from the excessive loss of light, air, and view because of the proximity or the bulk or shape of a building or structure within the PD.
(7) There shall be easy access to both common open space and private open spaces for all residential dwelling units.
(8) All buildings shall be set back a minimum of 50 feet from the outer lot line that forms the perimeter of the project unless the City determines that the adjacent use is similar in nature to the adjacent use and a reduced setback may be approved.
(d) Topography and Natural Resources.
(1) It is a requirement of this code that such developments shall be designed to take advantage of the topography of the land in order to utilize the natural contours, to economize on the construction of utilities to reduce the amount of grading and to maximize the conservation of trees and topsoil. The natural features and other distinctive characteristics of the site shall be integrated into the plan to create functional variations in the arrangement of buildings, open spaces and site features.
(2) A riparian buffer of 20 feet shall be provided along the entire length and on both sides of a river or perennial stream channel unless a wider buffer is required by the City of Wooster Site Development and Improvement Manual. Walkways may be permitted to be located within riparian buffers when the Planning Commission determines that such will create minimal change to the riparian buffer.
(3) The 100-year floodplain shall be protected. The Flood Insurance Study prepared by the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Federal Insurance Administration or the latest acceptable study shall be used to determine the 100-year floodplain.
(e) Circulation.
(1) The overall circulation system shall be designed to fully accommodate vehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle traffic with safety and efficiency without allowing vehicles to dominate and destroy the form of the area.
(2) Driveways for group developments and local streets shall be connected to major arterial and collector streets at locations where the traffic can be controlled and operated effectively with minimum interference with the capacity of the major arterial and collector streets. The amount of traffic generated by commercial uses passing through residential areas shall be minimized.
(3) A pedestrian circulation system shall be included and designed to provide convenient and safe pedestrian access throughout the PD, and to connect to neighboring developments and community facilities. The pedestrian circulation system may include sidewalks and other walkways not located along streets. Sidewalks shall meet the standards found in Section 1125.09.
(4) Trail systems for bikes and other purposes should be included and designed in accordance with the City's plan for trails in the Comprehensive Plan or other adopted policy documents. Such trail systems shall have a minimum width of eight feet and be properly buffered from any adjacent residential areas if the trail is not located along or within the right-of-way of a public street.
(5) Street Design.
A. Street alignments should be designed to conserve natural features and minimize the need for cut and fill practices.
B. The function of adjacent thoroughfares shall be maintained by limiting access points to the minimum needed, relating them to existing access points, the street patterns on surrounding development, the thoroughfare plan and the intensity of proposed uses.
(f) Utilities and Public Improvements.
(1) The applicant shall provide for and construct utilities and public improvements in accordance with Chapter 1129: Subdivision Design.
(2) To the maximum extent feasible, utilities should be located underground.
(g) Landscaping, Screening and Buffering.
(1) The pattern of landscaping shall be coordinated in design and type of materials, mounding and fencing used. Landscaping may vary in density, spacing and other treatments to reflect variations of topography, existing landscape or land uses.
(2) Privacy for residential buildings shall be maintained through the use of landscaping, screening and buffering.
(3) Appropriate buffer zones with adequate landscaping shall be provided between the proposed development and adjacent areas. The City may utilize the buffering requirements of Chapter 1123: Landscaping and Buffering, as a guide in the minimum amount of buffering that should be required between various land uses.
(4) Alternative design approaches to meet the intent of the landscape regulations may be incorporated.
(5) Detention/retention facilities that are visible from a public street shall be integrated into a landscaped area. Such landscaped areas shall contain any combination of the following elements: shade and ornamental trees, evergreens, shrubbery, hedges, and/or other planting materials as well as ornamental fencing.
(h) Signs.
(1) All signs and graphics within the PD shall be compatible in size, location, height, material, shape, color and illumination.
(2) A sign plan for the entire PD shall set forth the design parameters for the entire project to ensure a consistent and comprehensive character throughout the project. The sign plan shall include the design, layout, and dimensions of all ground, window and wall signs as well as distances from rights-of-way and the type and intensity of illumination.
(3) The materials and colors of signs, sign backgrounds, and sign frames should be compatible with the materials and colors used in the principal buildings.
(4) Signs shall conform to the applicable regulations in Chapter 1127: Signage, regarding any standards specific to the different sign types, however, the City may authorize additional sign area and increased sign heights as part of a PD preliminary development plan approval.
(i) Required Open Space and Common Facilities.
(1) The PD will only be approved if the proposed PD preliminary and final development plans comply with the open space requirements established in Chapter 1121: Open Space Standards. Open space is only required for PDs that contain residential uses.
(2) In cases where the PD will be developed in phases, each phase shall contain enough open space that they can comply with the minimum open space requirements as a stand-alone phase or, if combined with previously developed phases, can, as a whole, comply with the minimum open space requirements.
(3) All open space and common facilities (e.g., bike trails, community centers, community pools, etc.) shall be owned and controlled in accordance with Chapter 1121: Open Space Standards.
(j) Project Phasing. If the PD is to be implemented in phases, each phase shall have adequate provision for access, parking, storm water management, utilities, and other public improvements to serve the development in accordance with the applicable criteria set forth above. Each phase shall be provided with temporary and/or permanent transitional features, buffers, or protective areas in order to prevent any adverse impact on completed phases, future phases, and adjoining property.
(k) Compliance with Other Development Standards. Unless specifically stated, all PDs plans shall demonstrate compliance with all other applicable standards of this code, including but not limited to, architectural standards, off-street parking, signage, and landscaping.
(Ord. 2018-009. Passed 5-7-18.)
(Ord. 2018-009. Passed 5-7-18.)