In addition to
the other requirements of the Town Code,
developments within the MCD District shall comply with the following
standards.
A. Open
Space Standards
1. At least thirty percent (30%) of the acreage of the property shall
be dedicated
open space with public access.
2. Up to 25 percent (25%) of the
open space required by
subsection 175-53.13B.1. may be satisfied with land covered by water.
3. Required open space, including ingress/egress to the
required open space, shall not be
located within individual building lots.
4. Required open space shall not be
further subdivided, and
any future development of open space shall only be for the purpose of
enhancing
the use that it is dedicated for.
5. Open space shall be
permanently dedicated for one of more
of the following uses: natural resource conservation, or recreational
facilities, wetland and water course preservation, selective forestry,
wildlife
habitat, undeveloped parklands or scenic preservation.
6. The open space shall be
conveyed by the applicant as a
condition of plat approval and may be conveyed by any of the following
means as
determined by the Town Council:
[a]
Deeded in
perpetuity to the Town of Front Royal or other governmental agency for
the
purposes herein.
[b] Reserved for
common use or ownership of all property owners within the development
by
covenants in the deeds approved by the Town Attorney. A copy of the
proposed
deed covenants shall be submitted with the application.
[c] Deeded in
perpetuity to a private, non-profit, tax-exempt organization legally
constituted for conservation purposes under terms and conditions that
ensure
the perpetual protection and management of the property for
conservation
purposes. A copy of the proposed deeds and relevant corporate documents
of the
land trust shall be submitted with the application.
[d] Deeded
to
a
property owner's association within the development upon terms and
conditions
approved by the Town Attorney that will ensure the continued use and
management
of the land for the intended purposes. The formation and incorporation
by the
applicant of one or more appropriate property owners' associations
shall be
required prior to plat approval. A copy of the proposed property
owner's deed
and the by-laws and other relevant documents of the property owner's
association shall be submitted with the application. The following
shall be
required if open space is to be dedicated to a property owner's
association:
i. Covenants
providing for mandatory membership in the association and setting forth
the
owner's rights, interests, and privileges in the association and the
common
land, must be included in the deed for each lot or unit;
ii. The
property owners' association shall have the responsibility of
maintaining the
open space and operating and maintaining recreational facilities;
iii. The
association shall have the authority to levy charges against all
property
owners to defray the expenses connected with the maintenance of open
space and
recreational facilities; and
iv. The
applicant
shall maintain control of dedicated open
space and be responsible for its maintenance until 75% of occupancy
permits for
residential units have been issued and development is sufficient to
support the
association.
7. If
development occurs in phases, the
provision of
dedicated natural open space may also be phased with the construction
of
improvements.
8. Pre-development streets
and other impervious surfaces
shall be excluded from the calculation of the minimum dedicated open
space
requirement.
B. Lighting
Standards.
1. All outdoor lighting shall be designed to the standards
of the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA), or an equivalent set
of
standards that effectively reduce light pollution.
2. Lighting shall be provided within all parking lots.
C. Underground Utility Standards. All new utilities shall be located underground. The Planning Commission may authorize the use of overhead lines where underground lines would adversely impact wetlands or other physical features of the land, or where the use of overhead lines is temporary.
D.
Buffer Standards.
Landscaped
buffers shall be provided for uses within the MCD District as follows:
1. A fifty-foot (50’)
buffer shall be provided between adjoining properties of a
different zoning category and nonindustrial uses within the MCD
District.
2. A one-hundred-foot (100’)
buffer
shall be provided between industrial and
nonindustrial uses within the MCD District.
3. A two-hundred-foot (200’)
buffer
shall be provided between adjoining properties
of a different zoning category and industrial uses within the MCD
District.
4. Buildings or structures
shall
be restricted within buffer areas, excluding small
buildings or structures necessary to provide public utilities. Fifty percent (50%) of buffer areas may be
used for active uses other than buildings and structures.
2. Outdoor display or storage of goods or merchandise shall be
restricted, unless screened from view. The Planning Commission may
authorize specific locations for outdoor display or seasonal outdoor
storage as part of the site plan review process. To minimize negative
aesthetical impacts of any authorized outdoor display or seasonal
outdoor storage that is not fully screened, the Planning Commission may
require additional landscaping or other site improvements.
3. Dumpster pad sites and mechanical equipment systems shall be
screened so they are not visible from public streets. Such screening
shall consist of evergreen screen, wood fencing, or masonry wall that
is consistent with the archeitectural desing of the principle building
on the lot.
4. An ornamental fence, masonry or stone wall, and/or landscaping
screen shall be provided around the perimeter of a development within
the MCD District and adjoining properties of a different zoning
category. General details of such screening shall be designated on the
Concept Plan.