City Planners Continue Discussion On Large Retail Zonning Issues
Posted
Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
Warsaw Plan Commission continued discussion Monday on its zoning ordinance for large retail establishments in the city.
Planners also approved plats for Indiana American Water to divide two lots to create a water pump station.
City Planner Jeremy Skinner wrote the zoning ordinance that defines a large retail sales establishment as a single retail or wholesale user who occupies no less than 65,000 square feet of gross floor area, which offers for sale a wide variety but limited selection of consumer products.The establishments require high parking-to-building area ratios and may have a regional sales market.
The ordinance also provides eight development plan design standards for all improvements and new construction within a commercial zoning district.
Dan Robinson, Robinson Construction, attended the meeting to provide input on the proposed zoning ordinance. He said the wording is important for the design standards so developers will not be confused and so future planners understand the ordinance.
He showed commissioners examples of tilt-up concrete panels and pre-fabricated steel panels. He said it would be too restrictive to prohibit developers to construct with the materials.
The proposed ordinance states smooth-faced concrete block, tilt-up concrete panels or pre-fabricated steel-panels are prohibited as exterior building materials in all commercial zoning districts.
The design plan also states all sides of a principal building that directly face an abutting public street shall feature at least one customer entrance.
Robinson said it is not feasible for buildings to have public entrances on all sides.
Commissioners agreed on the design plan that states facade colors should be of low reflectance, subtle and neutral or earth-tone colors.
The other design standards include all facades visible from adjoining properties or public streets shall include pleasing scale features of the building and encourage community integration by featuring characteristics similar to a front facade.
The design plans also state facades greater than 100 feet in length shall incorporate recesses and projections a minimum of 4 feet in depth and minimum of 20 feet within each 100 feet of facade length.
Building facades should include a repeating pattern that should include no less than three of the following elements: color change, texture change or material module change.
Roof lines should provide variations to reduce the massive scale of these structures and to add visual interest.
The design plan also states each principal building or tenant space should have a clearly defined, highly visible customer entrance with a minimum of three of the following features: canopies, porticos and overhangs.
Skinner said he will review the suggestions and reword some of the design plans, and the commission will again discuss the proposed ordinance at its January meeting.
"The strength of our community is that we are a small town that is attractive and has a good school system and I want to protect that image and we need to keep our town and buildings attractive," commissioner Rick Keeven said.
The commission also reviewed a proposed zoning ordinance for residential facilities for individuals with a mental illness. Commissioners will discuss the ordinance at its January meeting.
The zoning ordinance states a zoning ordinance must not exclude a residential facility for individuals with a mental illness from a residential area solely because the residential facility is a business or because the individuals residing in the residential facility are not related.
The residential facility must be required to meet all other zoning requirements, ordinances and laws.
The ordinance also states a zoning ordinance may exclude a residential facility for individuals with a mental illness from a residential area if the residential facility will be located within 3,000 feet of another residential facility for individuals with a mental illness as measured between lot lines.
