§ 25-495. Site development regulations.

(a)

Required landscape area. A planting area a minimum of twenty (20) feet in width, measured from the edge of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) right-of-way, shall be provided on each parcel of land along each street frontage as part of new and amended development. Land within this area shall be used for landscaping, sidewalks and open space. Driveway entrances and signs permitted by this division may be placed in this open space area. The required planting area shall be subordinate to, and shall not be construed to prohibit, any future road widening by VDOT. Should VDOT widen Routes 122 and 616, the required landscape area may be required for right-of-way and associated construction.

(b)

Minimum building setback. A building shall be set back twenty (20) feet from the edge of the required landscape area, measured from the building to the edge of the required landscape area. In the case of Route 122 in the Westlake Village Center Overlay District, the minimum building setback is eighty-five (85) feet from the centerline of highway, and in the case of Route 616 in the Westlake Village Center Overlay District, the minimum building setback is eighty (80) feet from the centerline of the highway.

(c)

Street entrances: Minimum spacing requirements.

(1)

All entrances onto state roads in the Westlake Village Center Overlay District must comply with the VDOT commercial entrance permit requirements. Except where explicitly prohibited by the terms of the VDOT entrance permit, the following additional standards shall apply.

(2)

All lots fronting on a state road in the Westlake Village Center Overlay District shall have no more than one entrance onto such road, unless otherwise approved by the zoning administrator and VDOT.

(3)

Entrances onto state roads in the Westlake Village Center Overlay District shall be spaced a minimum of three hundred (300) feet from other entrances, such distance measured from centerline to centerline of the entrance.

(4)

To reduce the number of entrances to state roads, the use of shared entrances by adjoining parcels is strongly encouraged.

(5)

Existing lots that cannot meet the three hundred-foot spacing requirement between entrances onto a state road in the Westlake Village Center Overlay District shall be allowed to have an entrance at a location that maximizes the distance from other entrances at the discretion of VDOT; however, the sharing of a highway access entrance with another parcel is encouraged to maintain the three hundred-foot spacing requirement.

(6)

Where practical, entrances onto a state road in the Westlake Village Center Overlay District shall be located directly across the street from entrances on the opposite side of the highway.

(d)

Parking: The parking requirements of section 25-80 through 25-86 shall apply except as modified herein.

(1)

One (1) parking space for each three hundred (300) square feet of floor area is required for any mixed use development, which includes general business, commercial or personal service establishments.

(2)

Buildings shall have no more than one (1) row of nose-in parking, facing the building, between the building and the street to which it is oriented., with the exception of buildings with frontage on Route 122 or Route 616 which may have two (2) rows of parking between the building and the street to which it is oriented.

(e)

Required landscaping and buffering:

(1)

The site plan for each project shall include a landscape plan that complies with the landscape provisions of this division and sections 25-91 through 25-103.

(2)

Landscape islands in parking lots and perimeter landscaping around the lots shall provide sufficient trees so that the canopy of the trees at maturity shall shade at least twenty (20) percent of the lot.

(3)

A fifty-foot wide opaque landscaped buffer area shall be provided on any commercial/industrial site on any property line adjacent to a residential or historic site. The buffer shall be densely planted with a mixture of native evergreen and deciduous trees that will reach at least fifty (50) feet in height at maturity.

(f)

Signs: The sign requirements of sections 25-156.1 through section 25- 156.13 shall apply except as modified herein.

(1)

The site plan for each new development shall include a signage plan.

(2)

Multi tenant development, shopping center or industrial park directory:

a.

For such developments with one (1) entrance, there shall be no more than one (1) directory sign, and the sign shall be no more than one hundred (100) square feet in area and fifteen (15) feet in height with no more than one (1) development identification sign and four (4) individual business signs on the directory. The zoning administrator may be requested to approve a waiver so that more than four (4) individual business signs may be on the directory sign in the event that more than four (4) individual businesses are located on the premises, so long as the directory sign is no more than one hundred (100) square feet in area and fifteen (15) feet in height.

b.

For such developments with more than one (1) entrance, there shall be no more than one (1) directory sign for each entrance. If more than one (1) directory signs are installed, each directory sign shall be no more than fifty (50) square feet in area and no more than ten (10) feet in height with no more than one (1) development identification sign and three (3) individual business signs on each directory. The zoning administrator may be requested to approve a waiver so that more than three (3) individual business signs may be on such directory signs in the event that more than three (3) individual businesses are located on the premises, so long as such directory signs are no more than fifty (50) square feet in area and no more than ten (10) feet in height.

(4)

Sign setbacks: There is no minimum sign setback from the public right of way, except that no portion of any sign shall encroach over the edge of the right of way.

(5)

Off-premises signs prohibited: No freestanding sign shall advertise a business or activity that is not located on the parcel of land upon which the sign is located with the exception of directory signs as permitted in subsections (2) and (3) above.

(6)

Individual businesses located on an individual parcel shall be allowed one (1) freestanding, monument type sign no more than thirty-two (32) square feet in area with a maximum height of eight (8) feet.

(g)

Outdoor storage, mechanical/electrical equipment and solid waste disposal.

(1)

All fuel, raw materials and products stored outdoors shall be enclosed by a fence adequate to conceal the facilities from any adjacent properties or roadways.

(2)

All refuse containers shall be adequately sized to handle the needs of the facility or development and all material or wastes which might cause fumes or dust, constitute a fire hazard, or may be edible or otherwise attractive to rodents or insects shall be stored only in completely closed containers.

(3)

All outdoor refuse storage areas shall be located in a paved or concrete- paved area and hidden from general public view, either from within or outside the lot, by means of fences, walls, landscape planting, or other screening approved by the zoning administrator. A solid wood or masonry fence or other screening as approved at least six (6) feet in height shall be provided on three (3) sides with a solid opaque gate on the fourth side. Landscaping shall be incorporated to improve visual appearance.

(4)

Roof mounted mechanical/electrical equipment, satellite dishes and any other communications equipment shall be concealed from view of public rights-of-way and neighboring properties from street level. Where reasonable height parapet or screen walls are insufficient to provide screening, all equipment shall be painted in a neutral color to blend with roofing materials.

(5)

Ground and wall mounted mechanical/electrical service equipment shall be screened from general public view, either from within or outside the lot, by means of fences, walls, landscape planting, or other screening approved by the zoning administrator.

(h)

Curb and gutter. Curb and gutter is not encouraged along property lines abutting public roadways.

(i)

Sidewalks. Sidewalks, a minimum of five feet in width, shall be installed along any public roadway so as to achieve connectivity to adjoining sites. All sidewalks shall be constructed of concrete and shall be gray in color.

(j)

Utilities. All utilities shall be placed underground.

(Ord. of 7-16-02(2); Ord. of 11-19-04)

(Ord. of 7-16-02(2); Ord. of 11-19-04)