Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout38701 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 2Q 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Ordinance No. 3870 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING BUTTE COUNTY ZONING REGULATIONS SET FORTH IN BUTTE COUNTY CODE CHAPTER 24 BY REQUIRING THAT A USE PERMIT BE OBTAINED PRIOR TO CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF LARGE RETAIL PROJECTS AND THROUGH THE ADDITION OF DESIGN STANDARDS FOR SUCH PROJECTS The Board of Supervisors of the County of Butte ordains as follows:) Section 1. The Board of Supervisors finds the following: 1. A current, prominent trend in the State involves the construction and operation of large retail centers of 50,000 or more square feet. 2. The construction and operation of each such large retail 1, center presents a correspondingly large potential for adverse impacts to health, safety and aesthetics to the citizens of the area in which it is constructed and operated, including but not limited to visual, traffic, pedestrian safety and air quality impacts. 3. Due both to the large potential for adverse environmental impacts in the immediate or adjacent area presented by the construction and operation of each such large retail center, and the enormous potential in the County for cumulative health and safety and environmental impacts, including but not limited to those set forth above, presented by the construction and operation of multiple large retail centers, in order to protect the health safety and welfare of the citizens of the County, it is necessary to: a. Limit the construction and operation of large retail centers to specified zoning districts within the County; and 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 1b 17 18 14 20, 21 22 23 24 25 2b 27 28 b. Require that the construction and operation of each such large retail center occur only after at least one public hearing has been conducted pursuant to the discretionary Use Permit process set forth in Butte County Code Section 24-45, et seq.; and c. Establish clear and concise community design standards specifically applicable to the construction of large retail centers. 4. Changes to the Zoning Regulations are required to implement the three objectives set forth above, to ensure compatibility of large retail projects with the unique character of Butte County and also ensure that the expenses of the mitigation of the environmental impacts imposed by such projects are not shifted to County taxpayers.! Section 2. Section 24-264 is added to Article V, entitled "Specific Use Requirements" of the Butte County Code to read as follows: "24-2G4 Large Retail Projects A. Allowed only in specified zones subject to Use Permit Requirement 1.. Notwithstanding any provision in this Code or any regulation to the contrary, the construction and operation of Large Retail Projects, as defined herein, is prohibited unless and until a Use Permit is approved and issued after at least one public hearing has been held pursuant the process set forth in Butte County Code Sections 24-4~ et seq. Further, said use shall only be allowed in the C-1 2 1 2 3 4 S b 7 8 9 1Q 11 12' 13 14 15 lb 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 (Light Commercial}, C-2 (General Commercial}, and C-C (Community Commercial) zoning districts. Large Retail Projects in the C-C (Community Commercial) zoning district shall be limited to 100,000 square feet or less. B. Definitions. 1. Facade: the front of a building and/or any of its sides facing a public right-of-way, which side is predominantly visible from a public right-of-way or public park. 2. Large Retail Project: Any new commercial retail project, the total gross building area of which equals or exceeds 50,000 square feet, including but not limited to mercantile uses, and or shopping center uses. For the purpose of determining building area, multiple buildings located closer than 20 feet together shall be considered one building. 3. Light Source: a complete lighting unit consisting of a lamp and all necessary mechanical, electrical and decorative parts, such as reflectors {mirrored enclosures surrounding the lamp), refractors {glass or plastic enclosures surrounding the lamp} and lenses, designed to direct light rays. 4. Outdoor Light Fixtures: all outdoor illuminating devices, reflective surfaces, lamps and other devices, either permanently installed or portable, which are used far illumination or advertisement. Such devices shall include, but are not limited to, search, spot and 3 1 2 3 4 S b, 7 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21, 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 floodlights for: a. buildings and structures; b. recreational areas; c. parking lot lighting; d. landscape lighting; e. billboards and other signs; f. street lighting; g. product display lighting; h. building overhangs and open canopies. C. Design Standards for Large Retail Projects 1. Purpose. These standards are intended to provide developers of large retail building development with guidelines for creating safe, efficient, pedestrian- friendly projects with human scale orientation, while discouraging large, nondescript buildings and "llnfriendlyrr pedestrian design, limited landscaping, and vast non--shaded parking lots. Further, enhanced Large Retail Project design will accomplish the following objectives: a. Encourage large, single building construction with definition and good architectural design rather than enormous, warehouse appearance with unbroken, blank walls. Good design encourages clearly defined entryways, articulated roof lines to prevent monotony, pedestrian amenity areas, and concealment of unsightly mechanical structures from public view; b. Encourage pedestrian--oriented design which effectively resolves the incompatibility between 1 2 3 4 5 b 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21, 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 pedestrians and motorists, while providing interconnectivity between buildings, parking areas, and other internal/external components; c. Encourage parking lot design which meets vehicular needs, while providing a safe, efficient comfortable pedestrian flow; d. Encourage adequate landscaping that allows large buildings and their components to blend with their surroundings, while providing screening and shade for the public benefit and mitigating air pollution and excessive heat gain which emanate from large impervious parking areas; e. Encourage enhanced lighting and signage design, to enhance public safety while avoiding forms of nuisance and intrusiveness into adjacent areas. 2. Design Standards. The following standards shall be required for all Large Retail Projects: a. Facades. ~.. No uninterrupted and/or unadorned length of any portion of the facade shall exceed 20 feet in length, and shall include one or more of the following: Architectural features such as pilasters, columns, canopies/porticos, arcades, colonnades, and/or parapets. At least one architectural feature sha11 be required on each wall plane. 2. Multiple Stores within a single building. Where a Large Retail Project contains individual stores 5 1 that are less than 50,000 square feet of gross floor area 2 each, with separate., exterior customer entrances, the 3 street level facade of each store shall provide 4 fenestration along the horizontal length of the building 5 facade of each store. 6 b. Materials. Predominant exterior building material 7 should include architectural or split face block, brick, 8 glass, wood, stucco, artificial stucco, stone or concrete 9 with architectural finish. 10 c. Entryways. Customer entrances shall be clearly 11 defined and should include at least two of the following 12 features: canopies/porticos, overhangs, 13 recesses/projections, arcades, raised above-the-doorway 14 cornice parapets, peaked roof forms, arches, outdoor 15 patios, display windows, integrated architectural details lb such as the work, moldings, planters or wing walls, and/or 17 landscaped sitting areas. 18 d. Service Areas. Service areas which include areas 19 designated for loading and unloading of goods and refuse 20 collection shall be buffered from right-of--ways and 21 residentially zoned areas. Buffering shall consist of 22 construction of a wall between the service area anal 23 abutting land use. All other applicable site development 24 standards and regulations must be met in addition to this 25 requirement. 26 e. Roofs. Flat roof lengths longer than 100 feet in 27 length, rooftop equipment and heating, ventilating, and air 28 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 li 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19' 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 conditioning ~HVAC) units shall be concealed from any facade view by adjacent land uses of lesser intensity, and public rights-of-way. f. Pedestrian Circulation. Large Retail Projects sha11 encourage pedestrian-oriented ingress and egress through design features that enhance pedestrian safety, efficiency, and connectivity with a clear definition between vehicular areas and pedestrian walkways. g. Parking areas. Parking lots and access aisle- ways shall be designed utilizing the following standards: 1. Parking lot design. Vast unbroken parking lots are prohibited. The design of parking lot separators shall consider pedestrian movements, conflict points with vehicles, site distance and angles, security site lighting and safety within the parking lot area. A pedestrian access way shall be provided to main customer entrances. The parking lot shall be designed with traffic calming features along the fire lanes fronting the building facades, as determined by the Planning Commission which shall consider the recommendations of the County Fire Chief and the Director of Public Works. Parking lots shall be designed to reduce vehicle movement along the fire lane. Alternative designs that incorporate existing natural resources are encouraged, subject to approval .by the Planning Commission. 2. Parking Spaces. The total number of parking spaces shall be determined in accordance with Section 24- 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I1 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 2D' 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 240, except that the Planning Commission may grant a variance from the formula set Earth in Section 24-240 if it also approves specific measures for the mitigation of impacts to traffic safety and available parking due to outdoor displays and sales. All parking areas and other site improvements must be designed and maintained and sha11 be located and configured in such a manner as to provide the maximum feasible degree of flood control/runoff management and aquifer recharge for the site. Runoff from the site shall not contribute to or cause an increase from pre-development conditions in peak runoff. Runoff from the site shah. not create a Public Nuisance, as that term is defined in Section 32-A, nor constitute a private nuisance to any nearby property. h. Landscaping. The following landscaping standards shall be incorporated into the design of all Large Retail Projects. Z. Foundation. Foundation landscaping may be required. 2. Parking areas. Every ten (~.0) spaces shall be designed with a minimum 400 square feet of landscaping to be placed in medians or islands. Grouping of landscaped islands is encouraged to promote the healthy growth of larger trees. Alternative designs are subject to approval by the Planning Commission. 3. 50°s Area Shading Required. Trees shall be planted and maintained in planters or landscaped areas so 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 S 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 1$ 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 2b 27 28 that at tree maturity, 15 years, at least 50 percent of the total paved parking area, not including the entrance drives, shall be shaded at solar noon on June 21. The Planning Commission may require that the applicant plant and maintain trees of a specified size. On sites with poor soils and/or drainage, additional installation measures may be required to ensure that the shading standard can be reached within a reasonable time after project approval.. 4. Perimeter Buffer. A perimeter buffer may be required along the full length of all streets serving a Large Retail Project. i. Signage. Subject to the restrictions set forth in Business and Professions Cade Section 5200, et seg., Signage shall be designed as part of an integrated project design. The location(s) and design sha11 be reviewed and approved as part of the overall site plan. The predominant sign material shall be compatible with the principal building design. Notwithstanding the restrictions set forth in Business and Professions Code Section 5200, et seg., Signage shah not create a Public Nuisance, as that term is defined in Section 32-A, nor constitute a private nuisance to any nearby property. This subsection (i} does not apply to site directional Signage or traffic control Signage. j. Outdoor displays and sales. 1. Any permanent display areas not within the building which face a public right-of-way shall be shielded 9 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20' 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 from view by a wa11 and incorporated into the overall design of the building. As an alternative, landscaping of the display area in lieu of a solid wall with a minimum height of four {4} feet may be utilized. 2. Outdoor displays and sales shall occur only in approved area(s). The location(s) and design of outdoor displays and sales areas shall be reviewed and approved as part of the overall site plan. Outdoor displays and sales areas shall not create a Public Nuisance, as that term is defined in Section 32-A, nor constitute a private nuisance to any nearby property. k. Lighting. Lighting sha11 not cause off-site glare. In the event that off-site glare results from lighting on the premisses of a Large Retail Project, measures shall be taken to eliminate such glare. D. Compliance. In order to ensure that the development standards required herein are adhered to, in addition to the application requirements of Section 24-45, at a minimum each application for a Large Retail Project shall include a complete site plan drawn to scale, with overlays or separate drawings depicting all of the following: 1. The exact location of each building; 2. The design of all traffic and parking areas, showing all adjacent public and private streets and roads, traffic signals, traffic lanes, entry ways, fire lanes and all parking areas, including but not limited to a depiction of each required 10 =u 3 I1 4 II 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 fire lane and parking space; 3. A complete landscaping plan depicting vegetation, location, species and size; 4. All designated service areas; 5. A11 pedestrian walkways and sidewalks; 6. A complete lighting plan, showing location and type of all lighting, including but not limited to building, signage and parking illumination, including specifications on height, intensity or brightness, radiation pattern and required light shielding; 7. All signage, including location, height, lighting and content; 8. A colored facade rendering for each building, except that this requirement may be waived by the Director of Development Services; 9. Designated Outdoor display and sales areas}. E. Conflicts with California Building Cade. In case of any conflict between these requirements and the California Building Cade, the California Building Code shall prevail. F. Violations. Notwithstanding any provision of this Code to the contrary, including but not limited to the definitions of Public Nuisance set forth in Section 32A-2, any violation of any provision of this Section 24-264 is a public nuisance per se, and the Director of Development Services may utilize the nuisance abatement procedure and provisions of Chapter 32A, as 11 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 lb 17 1$ 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 well as all other remedies now or hereafter available, to abate or otherwise regulate or prevent violations of this Section 24--264. Section 3. Section 24-142 is added to Article ITT, entitled "Zone Districts" of the Butte County Code to read as follows: "24-142 Large Retail Projects a.n the C-1 (Light Commercial} Zone. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Section 24-140, Large Retail Projects, as defined in Section 24- 264, are not allowed in the C-1 {Light Commercial) Zone unless a Use Permit is obtained, subject to the requirements of Section 24-264. Section 4. Section 24--147 is added to Article ITT, entitled "Zone Districts" of the Butte County Code to read as follows: "24-147 Large Retail Projects in the C-2 {General Commercial) Zone. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Section 24--145, Large Retail Projects, as defined in Section 24- 264, are not allowed in the C-2 (General Commercial) Zone unless a Use Permit is obtained, subject to the requirements of Section 24-264. Section 5. Section 24-152 is added to Article ITT, entitled "Zone Districts" of the Butte County Code to read as follows: "Large Retail Projects in the 24-154 G-C (Community 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 1$ 19 20 21' 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Coz~ercial} Zone. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Section 24-155, Large Retail Projects, as defined in Section 24- 264, are not allowed in the C-C (Community Commercial) Zone unless a Use Permit is obtained, subject to the requirements of Section 24-264. Large Retail Projects in the C-C {Community Commercial) zoning district shall be limited to 100,000 square feet or less. Section 6. Severability. if any provision of this Ordinance or the application thereof to any person or circumstances is for any reason held to be invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction}., such provision shall be deemed severable, and the invalidity thereof shall not affect the remaining provisions or other applications of the Ordinance which can be given', effect without the invalid provision or application thereof. Section 7. Effective Date and Publication. This Ordinance shall take effect thirty {30) days after the date of its passage. The Clerk of the Board of Supervisors is authorized and directed to publish this ordinance before the expiration of fifteen (15) days after its passage. This Ordinance shall be published once, with the names of the members of the Board of Supervisors voting for and against it, in the Enter rise-Record , a newspaper of general circulation published in the County of Butte, State of California. PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of Supervisors of the County of Butte, State of California, on the IOth day of February , 13 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20' 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 2004, by the falloraing vote: AYES : Supervisors Dolan, Houma, Josiassen NOES: Supervisor Xamaguchi and Chair Beeler ABSENT : None NOT VOTING: None R. eeler,' hair of the Butte County Board of Supervisors ATTEST: PAUI. MCINTQSH, Chief Administrative Officer and Clerk o~ the oard By e y g:\or inance\Big Hox Or .9.wpd ~_ 14