Agenda - Planning Commission - 05/05/2016

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The photo on the left shows some problems with a gas station. Its canopy is unattractive, the site has too many curb cuts, and its sign is too tall. The photo on the right shows a similar gas station with a pitched canopy, fewer curb cuts, and a shorter sign. ing certain materials can eliminate unsightly pole barns. High Nuisance Potential This occurs primarily when commercial or industrial uses abut residential uses and residents are impacted. The solution is buf- fer yards. The buffer yard provides greater separation and provides a visual barrier with vegetation, berms, or walls. Larger nuisance potentials require wider buffers with more in- tense plantings and the use of structures such as walls or berms. Buffer yards also mitigate noise, glare, odor, and blowing materials. Lighting and Glare Bright lighting from nonresidential uses can be a nuisance for residential neighbors or driv- ers. Lighting can be controlled as to maximum illumination, height of the luminaires, and design. All fixtures should be designed to cut off illumination above the light source. These cut-off fixtures can also be designed to prevent illuminating adjoining property. In general, though, ordinance -wide lighting standards are preferable because all nonresidential uses share this problem. Noise Noise is more annoying at night, but maximum levels are needed throughout the day. An ordinance -wide approach is recommended as it covers all uses. A maximum noise level at residential boundaries is desired. Higher levels of noise might be permit- ted in commercial or industrial districts. Some uses like restaurants have night noise associ- ated with outdoor dining, and the location of outdoor seating with respect to neighbors can address this. Hours of Operation Few uses are open all the time. Limit noise and lighting, or very intense uses like temporary asphalt plants, to selected hours of operation. To reduce conditional uses, add a new category of approval, a "limited use," to the table of use permissions. Limited - use standards can address design, location, spacing, intensity, sign, or other standards. Scale A single use, a food store for example, can range from a 2,000-square-foot corner store to a i5o,000-square-foot supermarket. Uses can be designated as neighborhood, community, subregional, or regional scale and limited by scale to the type of road or lanes of traffic. Location Location standards limitwhere—withina spe- cific district —a use can be built. For example, the intensity of uses may be increased at tran- sit stops. Day care centers or home day care might be prohibited on cul-de-sacs where the traffic loads would be a problem. Mining can be required to have access to a road that can withstand heavy truck traffic. Spacing Uses may be required to have minimum spacing or be separated from specific uses. Schools, day care centers, and churches are often uses that have a protection zone from uses considered undesirable, such as liquor sales, tattoo parlors, or adult establishments. Minimum spacing of uses can be used to cre- ate nodes of commercial rather than strip com- mercial. Minimum spacing can also be used to avoid concentrating uses like group homes for populations not protected by federal fair hous- ing laws in an area. Garbage and Loading These are areas where noise, vermin, and trash are likely to pose a nuisance to neighboring uses. Specific standards to shield the trash containers with walls, landscaping, or roofs can be required. Special buffer yards can be required to protect residential neighbors. FLEXIBLE DESIGN PUDs were developed to allow innovative development plans that could not be built under rigid Euclidian zoning. The rigidity of lot size and frontage made clustering, planned ZONINGPRACTICE 4.16 AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION Ipage5