It is the purpose and intent of this zoning district to provide
for specific areas in the Town of Oneonta, at points of high auto
accessibility, where those uses which mutually serve the community
and the highway traveler may be permitted in an orderly and compatible
manner. In promoting the general purpose of this chapter, the specific
intent of this article is:
A. To permit and promote the development of the Susquehanna Expressway
(I-88) interchange areas in a safe, convenient, orderly and compatible
manner.
B. To encourage the development of commercial service and amusement
facilities to serve both the community and the traveler, e.g., gas
stations, motels, restaurants, commercial recreation facilities, distributing
and warehousing establishments and convenience retail shops.
[Amended 5-13-1987; 7-12-1995 by L.L. No. 7-1995; 8-10-2016 by L.L. No. 1-2016]
General district regulations shall be as follows:
A. Minimum lot size: 40,000 square feet.
B. Minimum yard requirements.
(1) Front yard depth. Each lot fronting on a roadway designated as an
arterial or collector shall have a front yard depth of not less than
75 feet. Each lot having frontage or side yards facing a public highway
otherwise designated shall have a yard depth of not less than 50 feet.
No vehicles shall be parked or structure of any sort be built, including
gas station pump islands, within the first 50 feet of the front setback.
(2) Side yard depth: 20 feet.
(3) Rear yard depth: 20 feet.
(4) There shall be a minimum frontage requirement of 100 feet.
C. Increasing yard depth when abutting a lot in a residential district.
A buffer area of at least 30 feet in width containing evergreen landscaping,
fencing or some other method as, in the judgment of the Planning Board,
will be adequate to screen the use from the neighboring residential
area, shall be required along all adjoining residential property boundaries
(hereinafter referred to as the buffer). Where a lot in a highway
development district abuts a lot in a residential district, whether
the residential lot is vacant or not, the existing vegetation on the
highway development district lot within the buffer shall remain undisturbed
until site plan approval from the Planning Board has been obtained.
The buffer shall not be utilized for roadways, parking or storage
of any material or goods on a temporary or permanent basis. Existing
vegetation along the property lines and within the buffer shall be
preserved and enhanced as deemed appropriate by the Planning Board
during site plan review to maintain visual character and reduce impacts
to residential lots. The buffer may include fencing, berming, vegetation
or a combination thereof to extent necessary to minimize any visual
impact to residential lots. The Planning Board may require that any
new screening be installed prior to the commencement of construction
to protect the residential lots.
D. Maximum coverage. The gross area covered by buildings or structures
of any sort shall be no more than 50% of the gross site area, and
the aggregate total of buildings, structures, parking lots, enclosed
storage areas and loading and travel areas shall not exceed 80% of
the gross site.
E. Off-street parking and loading. Parking and loading areas in this district shall be supplied as designated in Article
XIII of this chapter. No open or enclosed parking or loading area shall encroach on any required front yard. Open parking and loading areas may encroach on a required side or rear yard to within three feet of a side or rear lot line, except as provided in Subsections
B(1) and
C. Open parking and loading areas shall not encroach on one another.
F. Signs and displays. See Town of Oneonta Sign Ordinance.
G. Building height. No building shall be erected to a height in excess
of 60 feet except upon approval by the Board of Appeals.
H. Accessory buildings. All accessory buildings in this district must
meet those standards in this article for the principal building.
I. Any lot within the HDD district that adjoins a residential property
shall not commence any site work or development until an application
for site plan review has been approved by the Planning Board. Notice
shall be sent to all residential lot owners within 200 feet of the
boundary of the lot notifying them of the site plan review and the
intended purpose of the work or future use of the lot.