HomeMy WebLinkAboutO-1550ORDINANCE NO. 1550
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 1253
KNOWN AS THE ZONING ORDINANCE
The ordinance known as the Zoning Ordinance (No. 1253), adopted 27 June 2005, is
changed and altered as described below;
WHEREAS, the City of Fairhope Planning Commission directed the Planning Department
to prepare amendments to our Zoning Ordinance; and,
WHEREAS, the proposed amendments relate to revisions of the parking requirement section
to include provisions for low impact development strategies and inserting additional
definitions; and,
WHEREAS, after the appropriate public notice and hearing of ZC 15.07, the Planning
Commission of the City of Fairhope, Alabama has forwarded a favorable recommendation;
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF FAIRHOPE, ALABAMA;
THAT, Article 4, Site Design Standards, Section E Parking is hereby revised as follows:
1. Insert a new subsection 3 that reads:
a. Compact Car Parking Requirement:
Compact car parking spaces shall be a minimum of 30% of the required
parking spaces and no more than a maximum of 40% of the required
parking spaces. Compact car spaces shall be grouped together to the
greatest extent possible. Compact car spaces shall be designated by paint at
the entrance of the parking stall.
2. Insert a new subsection 4 that reads:
a. Parking Dimension and Size:
1) Standard parking lot dimensions
2) Compact car parking dimensions
90°angle 60°angle 45°angle
width 8' 8' 8'
depth 15' 16.8' 16.5'
3. The existing subsection 4 is re -numbered to section 5
4. Insert a new subsection 6 that reads:
a. Low Impact Development (LID) Parking Requirements
Landscaping is required for all parking lots. The interior parking lot
landscaping requirements shall use LID techniques and be designed by an
Alabama licensed Professional Engineer and an Alabama licensed Landscape
Architect or designer. The following LID techniques shall be used in the
interior of all parking lots containing 12 or more parking spaces. The LID
parking requirement landscape plan will be reviewed in accordance with the
Tree Ordinance. Any landscaping plan submitted in accordance with this
subsection shall include technique 5 below and at least one of the other
following techniques:
Ordinance No. 1550
Page — 2 —
1) First Flush Treatment: The LID landscaping design shall be sized
appropriately to treat the first one inch of runoff into the receiving
parking lot LID area.
2) Bio-retention.
3) Rain Garden.
4) Vegetated Swale.
5) Permeable Pavement Systems: Permeable pavement systems are a
required LID technique. 100% of parking provided over and above
the minimum parking requirements shall be permeable pavement
systems. Typical systems are brick pavers, pervious asphalt, and
pervious concrete. Other systems may be approved if the design
engineer provides adequate documentation that demonstrates the
proposed technique is equally or more effective that the typical
permeable systems listed. Approval of a proposed technique is at
the sole discretion of the City during the permitting process.
6) Tree and Ground Cover Plantings: When trees are required in a
parking lot by the Tree Ordinance they shall be included and
integrated into the LID design. Species shall be as approved by the
City Horticulturist and must be suggested by the landscape
architect or designer. There shall be no bare ground exposed and
all ground cover proposed shall be integral to the success of LID
techniques. All ground cover shall be as approved by the City
Horticulturist and must be suggested by the landscape architect or
designer.
5. That Article IX Definitions and Interpretation Section C. defined terms are amended
to add the following:
a. Bioretention: This technique removes pollutants in stormwater runoff
through adsorption, filtration, sedimentation, volatilization, ion exchange,
and biological decomposition. A Bioretention Cell (BRC) is a depression in
the landscape that captures and stores runoff for a short time, while
providing habitat for native vegetation that is both flood and drought
tolerant. BRCs are stormwater control measures (SCMs) that are similar to
the homeowner practice, of installing rain gardens, with the exception that
BRCs have an underlying specialized soil media and are designed to meet a
desired stormwater quantity treatment storage volume. Peak runoff rates and
runoff volumes can be reduced and groundwater can be recharged when
bioretention is located in an area with the appropriate soil conditions to
provide infiltration. Bioretention is normally designed for the water quality
or "first flush" event, typically the first 1"-1.5" of rainfall, to treat
stormwater pollutants.
b. Vegetated Swale: is a shallow, open -channel stabilized with grass or other
herbaceous vegetation designed to filter pollutants and convey stormwater.
Swales are applicable along roadsides, in parking lots, residential
subdivisions, commercial developments, and are well suited to single-family
residential and campus type developments. Water quality swales are
designed to meet sheer stress targets for the design storm, may be
characterized as wet or dry swales, may contain amended soils to infiltrate
stormwater runoff, and are generally planted with turf grass or other
herbaceous vegetation.
c. First Flush: This is the given volume of water generated in the drainage
area from the first 1" to 1.5" of rainfall.
Ordinance No. 1550
Page — 3 —
d. Rain Garden: a shallow depression in a landscape that captures water and
holds it for a short period of time to allow for infiltration, filtration of
pollutants, habitat for native plants, and effective stormwater treatment for
small-scale residential or commercial drainage areas. Rain gardens use
native plants, mulch, and soil to clean up runoff.
SEVERABILITY CLAUSE - if any part, section or subdivision of this ordinance shall be
held unconstitutional or invalid for any reason, such holding shall not be construed to
invalidate or impair the remainder of this ordinance, which shall continue in full force and
effect not withstanding such holding.
EFFECTIVE DATE — This ordinance shall take effect immediately upon its due adoption
and publication as required by law.
ADOPTED THIS 12TH DAY OF OCTOBER, 2015