(A)Access. Access standards are intended to provide safe and convenient vehicular and pedestrian access within developments and between adjacent developments and to lessen traffic congestion and increase connectivity.
(1)New developments and substantial improvements to existing developments shall provide for pedestrian and automobile access connections between adjacent properties and shall prepare and have recorded in the real property records of the county cross access connection easements to confirm such access. The Director shall have the discretion to waive this requirement if the anticipated land uses are incompatible.
(2)Parcels and buildings must be arranged and designed so as to allow for the opening of future streets and must provide access to those areas not presently served by streets. No development may be designed to completely eliminate street access to abutting parcels.
(3)The stub-out street right-of-way, pavement, and curbing must extend to the boundary of the abutting parcel at the point where the connection to the anticipated street is expected.
(4)If a stub-out street exists next to an abutting parcel, the street system of any new or substantially renovated development must connect to the stub-out street to form a through street.
(5)The department may eliminate the requirement for a stub-out street or require pedestrian and bicycle-only access when steep slopes in excess of twenty-five percent (25%), freeways, waterways, tree conservation areas, stream buffers, cemeteries, open space or easements would make the provision of a stub-out street infeasible.
(6)Where pedestrian crossings must cross parking areas and drives, decorative paving material (i.e., pavers, stamped or textured concrete, or color concrete) shall be used to delineate the pedestrian crossing.
(B)Landscaping. Plant material and design decisions are to be complementary to architectural features and integral to the beauty of the area. Landscape plans shall be submitted to the department for design review. These standards shall apply to all properties, unless otherwise specified herein, and are required in addition to Ordinance No. 98 (Tree Protection and Replacement Ordinance) as well as any required buffer:
(1)Plantings shall be compatible with regard to species selection and must provide a cohesive transition between landscape areas.
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(2)Properties located along Georgia Highway 400 must meet applicable planting requirements in section 10-1.10 of this Code.
(3)For all other properties, a minimum twenty (20) foot wide landscape strip shall be installed along existing or proposed rights-of-way for all development within the North Georgia 400 District; except that to the extent a specific zoning designation establishes a greater landscape strip requirement than this Overlay, the larger requirement shall control. These landscape strips shall be located behind utility easements so plant material will not be disturbed after installation. The following shall apply:
(a)Landscape strips shall be composed of trees, shrubs and/or herbaceous plants. The remaining ground area shall be sodded, seeded, or hydroseeded with grass and/or planted with groundcover species.
(b)A minimum of forty percent (40%) of all installed trees and shrubs in the landscape strip shall be evergreen plant material.
(c)Landscape strips shall include a minimum of two (2) trees and six (6) shrubs per fifty (50) linear feet, with a minimum of sixty percent (60%) overstory requirement. Trees shall count towards the tree density requirements in Ordinance 98 (Tree Protection and Replacement Ordinance).
(d)Overstory trees shall have a minimum three (3.0) inch caliper and at least ten (10) foot height at time of installation. Understory trees shall have a minimum two (2.0) inch caliper and at least eight (8) foot height at time of installation. All proposed shrubs shall be a minimum of two (2) feet high at the time of planting.
(e)Landscaping may be informal with multiple species arranged in naturalistic clusters.
(4)Plant materials shall be used as accent elements at roadside entryways to provide a definite sense of arrival to businesses. Plant materials shall consist of ground cover, herbaceous ornamentals, shrubs, understory, and/or overstory trees adjacent to the establishment’s monument sign(s). These materials shall be clustered while maintaining adequate sight distance to and from the entryway.
(5)For residential projects fronting Georgia Highway 400, a landscaped entrance median shall be required. Planting shall include a combination of perennials, annuals, and shrub material. The use of understory trees is encouraged.
(6)All landscape designs shall incorporate a minimum of fifty percent (50%) plant material indigenous to the Southeastern U. S. and be approved by the County arborist.
(7)The current property owner shall be responsible for maintenance of required landscaping. All dead and damaged plant material within landscaped areas must be replaced with a similar species within one (1) month. If weather conditions are not appropriate for replanting, the property owner may postpone replacement for up to six (6) months. For replacement of large overstory trees, the size of replacement trees shall exceed the minimum size required at initial installation by at least one (1.0) caliper but is not required to be of similar size to the trees being replaced.
(C)Civic Space. The inclusion of civic space in future site development is highly desired. Examples of civic space include but are not limited to a passive or active park, pocket park, square, plaza, playground, as well as the inclusion of public art installations.
(D)Building Placement.
(1)Non-residentially zoned properties located along Georgia Highway 400 must meet applicable setback requirements in section 10-1.10 of this Code.
(2)For residential projects located along Georgia Highway 400, a minimum two hundred (200) foot building setback is required.
(3)For commercial and office zoning districts, the principal entrance of a building shall be located on the side of the building facing a public street. Lots with double frontage shall provide orientation and principal entrance(s) on facades along the highway or major street.
(E)Delivery and Ride-Share Parking. Establishments that are serviced by ride-share, courier, or other delivery services shall take affirmative steps to ensure such services comply with parking requirements and do not impede the flow of traffic.
(F)Bicycle Parking. For non-residentially zoned properties, one (1) bicycle rack per fifty (50) parking spaces, but no less than one (1), is required for every building. A rack shall consist of a fixed location for locking at least two (2) bicycles.
(G)Screening. The following standards are required for all non-residentially zoned property in addition to the regulations set forth in Chapter 12 and Chapter 14:
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(1)All parking areas shall be screened from view of the right-of-way of the highway or major street with evergreen shrubs. Shrubs shall reach no less than three (3) feet in height as measured from the top of curb of the parking area.
(2)All dumpsters and compactors shall be enclosed on three (3) sides by materials and architectural elements to match the primary structure and gated on the fourth side.
(a)The enclosure shall be at least one (1) foot taller than the highest point of the dumpster or compactor.
(b)The opening of the enclosure shall measure a minimum of twelve (12) feet in width.
(c)The gate shall be composed of decorative metal or other durable materials which shall reach the height of the three-sided enclosure and with colors coordinated with those of the primary structure. Chain link material is prohibited.
(d)All dumpsters and compactors shall be equipped with lids.
(e)A sixty (60) foot maneuvering apron is required adjacent to the enclosure’s gate.
(3)Drive-throughs.
(a)No drive-through shall exit directly onto the right-of-way.
(b)Service windows are prohibited from facing a public right-of way.
(c)Car wash openings shall be oriented away from any public right-of-way.
(4)Businesses requiring a fleet of service vehicles shall park such vehicles to the rear of the building or otherwise provide adequate screening to ensure the vehicles are not visible from the public right-of-way.
(5)Storage of shopping carts shall be located indoors. Where indoor storage is not feasible, shopping carts shall be located adjacent to the building and screened by an enclosure made of masonry to match the exterior building materials.
(a)Shopping cart corrals in parking areas shall be curbed within parking islands so that additional railings are not required for secure cart positioning.
(b)Parking islands that contain cart corrals must include four hundred (400) square feet of landscaped space.
(c)One (1) identifying sign at the rear of each corral is permitted for visibility within the parking lot.
(6)Mechanical equipment at ground level shall be screened from the public right-of-way and pedestrian paths by opaque walls, or fencing and a screen of evergreen shrubs.
(7)Stormwater detention and retention ponds that require a fence must not be visible from the public right-of-way unless a twenty (20) foot planted buffer is provided outside of the required fencing.
Access to stormwater ponds shall not be facing the public right-of-way.