AN ORDINANCE
NO.
An ordinance amending the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) for Columbus,
Georgia so as to establish regulations for Retail Developments of Community
Significance; and for other purposes.
---------------
THE COUNCIL OF COLUMBUS, GEORGIA HEREBY ORDAINS:
SECTION 1.
Chapter 4 of the Unified Development Ordinance is hereby amended by adding a
new Section 4.2.26 to read as follows:
Section 4.2.26 Retail Developments of Community Significance
A. Statement of Purpose
Any large-scale development has the potential to affect significantly the
natural environment and the value and use of adjacent properties, public water
and sewer services, roadway capacity and traffic patterns, local and regional
economies, and the public health, safety, and general welfare of Columbus
Consolidated Government residents. Review of proposed large-scale developments
is designed to insure that future land uses are suitable to the demands and
needs of our citizens, while also insuring that large-scale building
development is compatible with its surrounding area and contributes to the
overall community character of Columbus.
The purpose of this ordinance is to achieve and maintain an overall integrity
to the development through landscaping, architectural design and signage; to
promote pedestrian access within the development; and to insure the long-term
health of the natural environment.
B. Applicability
The provisions of this section shall be applicable only in retail developments
totaling 200,000 square feet or more of gross leasable area; or uses that
result in a building of 100,000 square feet or more of gross leasable area
whether by new construction or by expansion of existing uses. These sections
shall also apply to all contiguous out parcels associated with the overall
development.
C. Compatibility with City Plans
1. The applicant shall provide, through a written compatibility report, due at
the time of applying for permits or rezoning, adequate evidence that the
proposed building and overall development project shall be compatible with the
city's comprehensive plan and any detailed neighborhood plan for the area. The
compatibility report shall specifically address the following items:
a) A detailed description of the proposed project and its design features;
b) A description of how the proposed development is compatible with
adopted city plans, including the comprehensive plan, detailed
neighborhood plans, and other plans officially adopted by the city;
c) Impact on utilities and public services, including water, sewage, storm
drains, solid waste disposal, police and fire protection, emergency
services, schools, and other public services;
d) Impact on the physical and ecological characteristics of the site and
surrounding land, including wetlands, floodplain, vegetation, wildlife habitat,
and other environmental conditions;
e) Impact on the community, including but not limited to scenic, historic, or
archaeological conditions, with regard to scale, placement, lighting,
landscaping, signage, parking, use of open space and design of buildings and
structures; and,
f) A completed transportation and traffic impact analysis in a format
acceptable to the Columbus Consolidated Government.
D. Design Requirements
The following design standards must be met for each project subject to the
provisions of this ordinance.
1. Transportation/Infrastructure
a) Provide interparcel vehicle access points within the development between all
contiguous tracts.
b) All new utility lines shall be located underground.
c) Sidewalks, streetlights and lighting for parking areas shall be required as
specified in the Unified Development Ordinance.
d) Raised pedestrian walkways shall be installed through parking areas.
e) Parking lots shall be divided into separate areas and divided by landscaped
areas or walkways at least ten feet in width, or by a building or group of
buildings.
f) Interconnected walkways shall be constructed within the parking areas of the
development with trees or other landscaping features to define a
pedestrian-friendly corridor system. Principal pedestrian crossings of
vehicular areas shall utilize change in materials or colors and shall implement
traffic calming as maybe deemed necessary to encourage low vehicle speeds.
2. Landscaping Requirements
a) At a minimum, 20 Tree Density Units per acre shall be required. Type and
size of plantings shall be in compliance with the Unified Development
Ordinance?s requirements for buffers and trees.
b) Landscaped islands throughout all surface-parking areas, as required by the
buffer and tree sections of the Unified Development Ordinance, shall be
provided.
c) A minimum ten-foot wide landscaped strip shall be provided between primary
developments and adjacent out parcels.
d) At a minimum, landscaped strips shall be planted in accordance with the
Unified Development Ordinance?s requirements for buffers and trees.
e) The provisions of this section shall be subject to Section 4.6.18 of this
ordinance.
3. Parking/Yard, Height & Setback
a) Up to 25% of the required parking spaces for any development may be reduced
in total area, width or depth for designated small vehicle parking. Each small
vehicle parking space shall not be less than 8 feet in width and 17 feet in
depth.
b) Decorative, commercial-quality, bicycle racks, cart return areas, benches
and trash receptacles shall be required and shall be approved by the Director
of Planning.
4. Signage
a) The plan for exterior signage shall provide for modest, coordinated, and
complimentary exterior sign locations, configurations, and color throughout the
development, including outlots. Such signage shall complement on-building
signage and shall provide a pole cover full width to the sign face with
architectural design features, including color and materials common to those
used in the design of the building(s) to which the sign is necessary. A minimum
100 square foot planting area shall be provided around the base of any monument
sign.
b) Consolidated signs for multiple users may be required instead of multiple
individual signs. The city may require the use of muted corporate colors on
signage if proposed colors are not compatible with the city's design objectives
for the area. The use of logos, slogans, symbols, patterns, striping and other
markings, and colors associated with a franchise or chain is permitted, and
shall be considered as contributing to the number and area of permitted signs.
c) The following types of signs are prohibited in these developments: portable
signs; street banners; inflatable signs/flying signs; billboards; painted wall
signs; bench signs; and roof signs. Signage may be internally illuminated with
an opaque field to control glare.
5. Architectural Design
a) Architectural design shall comply with the following performance guidelines:
(1) Building facades visible from roadways or public parking areas shall be of
architectural treatments of glass and/or brick, stone or stucco. Tilt-up or
pre-cast concrete or alternate material may be used subject to review and
approval of the Director of Planning.
(2) Metal sided or portable buildings shall be prohibited.
(3) Roofing materials for pitched or mansard roofs shall be of colors
compatible with the building and subject to approval and limited to the
following materials:
(i) Metal standing seam.
(ii) Tile, slate or stone.
(iii) Wood shake.
(iv) Shingles with a slate, tile or metal appearance.
(v) Other materials subject to approval.
(4) All rooftop mechanical equipment shall be screened by parapets, upper
stories, or other areas of exterior walls or roofs so as to not be visible from
public streets adjacent or within 1,000 feet of the subject property, or at
least equal to the height of the equipment to be screened, which ever is less.
Fences or similar rooftop screening devices may not be used to meet this
requirement.
(5) Any accessories provided such as railings, benches, trash receptacles
and/or bicycle racks shall complement the building design and style.
b) Architectural design of all buildings shall comply with the following
additional performance guidelines:
To lend the appearance of multi-tenant occupancy, facades of multi-tenant
buildings shall be varied in depth or parapet height.
(2) Distinct architectural entry identity for individual tenants' entrances
shall be provided for suites exceeding 10,000 square feet of leasable area.
c) All out parcel buildings within a proposed development shall be of a
architectural character comparable to the primary structure as determined by
the Planning Department.
d) Walls visible from roadways or public parking areas shall incorporate
changes in building material/color or varying edifice detail such as trellises,
false windows or recessed panels reminiscent of window, door or colonnade
openings, landscaping or storefront every 150 linear feet.
e) Roof parapets shall be articulated to provide visual diversity. Parapets
shall include articulations or architectural features at least every 100 linear
feet. The minimum height of articulations or features shall be three feet, and
may be provided in height offset or facade projections such as porticoes or
towers.
f) Articulation of building design shall continue on all facades visible to the
general public.
6. Outdoor Storage Uses And Areas
a) Exterior storage structures or uses, including the parking or storage of
service vehicles, trailers, equipment, containers, crates, pallets,
merchandise, materials, fork lifts, trash, recyclables, and all other items
shall be permitted only where clearly depicted and labeled on the approved site
plan, such outdoor storage uses and areas shall be appropriately screened as
required by this ordinance. The following standards are intended to reduce the
impacts of outdoor storage, loading and operations areas on adjacent land uses
and to protect the outdoor area of the subject property.
(1) Areas for truck parking and loading shall be screened by a combination of
structures and evergreen landscaping to minimize visibility from adjacent
streets and residential district lines.
(2) Outdoor storage, loading and operations shall be attractively screened from
adjacent parcels and streets.
(3) Outdoor storage, trash collection and/or compaction, loading or other such
uses shall be located in the rear of the lot. If because of lot configuration
the Director of Inspections and Code determines that such placement is not
feasible, then the side yard may be used, but in no case shall such area(s) be
located within 15 feet of any public street, public sidewalk or on-site
pedestrian way.
(4) Seasonal merchandise such as Christmas trees, Halloween pumpkins, bedding
plants, etc. may be displayed in any outdoor area up to 4 times per calendar
year for a cumulative total not to exceed 8 weeks per year.
(5) Areas for the storage and sale of all other merchandise shall be
permanently defined and screened with walls or fences. Materials, colors and
design of screening walls or fences shall conform to those used as in the
principal structure. If such areas are to be covered, then the covering shall
conform to the colors on the building.
(6) No product such as fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, cement, etc,
containing toxic chemicals shall be stored in any uncovered outside location
where they might enter the storm water drainage system in the event of any
spillage, breakage or tearing of container.
E. Maintenance of Vacant Buildings
1. The following conditions shall also apply to Property Owners of any vacant
premise in excess of 100,000 square feet:
(a) The Property Owner will maintain the exterior of the building so as to
keep the appearance similar to that when the building was fully occupied. In
the event the store is damaged or destroyed as a result of inclement weather,
act of God, fire, or other catastrophe, the Property Owner will promptly notify
City officials and initiate appropriate action to return the property to a safe
and clean condition as soon as practical.
(b) The Property Owner will maintain the landscaped areas in accordance with
landscape plans approved by the City and in the same condition as such areas
were maintained when the store was open.
(c) The Property Owner will maintain the parking area in the same condition as
such area was maintained when the store was open.
(d) The Property Owner will maintain the cleanliness of the entire site by
removing any trash, rubbish, or other debris deposited on the site.
(e) The Property Owner will provide security patrols on the site to deter
vandalism or other illegal activities on the property.
(f) The Property Owner shall use good faith efforts to market and re-tenant the
Premise.
(g) Should any single occupant premise in excess of 100,000 square feet become
vacant for more than 60 days, and the Property Owner fail to maintain the
property in accordance with the conditions listed above, the City may notify
the Property Owner in writing of any such failures and in the event such
failures are not cured within 30 days, the Property Owner shall be subject to
citation by the Inspections and Codes Division to Recorder?s Court and shall be
subject to the maximum fine permitted for ordinance violations for each
violation of any provision of this ordinance or the Columbus UDO. As used in
this Code section, ?vacant? shall mean unoccupied for a period of 60 days or
longer. Each day of any violation of any section of this Section 4.2.26 shall
constitute a separate offense.
SECTION 2.
All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict with this ordinance are
hereby repealed.
---------------
Introduced at a regular meeting of the Council of Columbus, Georgia held on the
8th day of November, 2005 introduced a second time at a regular meeting of said
Council held on the ______ day of ________, 2005, and adopted at said meeting
by the affirmative vote of ________ members of said Council.
Councilor Allen voting____________.
Councilor Anthony voting__________.
Councilor Davis voting____________.
Councilor Henderson voting________.
Councilor Hunter voting___________.
Councilor McDaniel voting_________.
Councilor Rodgers voting__________.
Councilor Suber voting____________.
Councilor Pugh voting_____________.
Councilor Woodson voting__________.
______________________________ ______________________________
TINY B. WASHINGTON ROBERT S. POYDASHEFF
CLERK MAYOR
Attachments
No attachments for this document.