Development standards for churches
The zoning board of review may grant a special use permit for the provision of a church to be located in the BB zone, subject to the following minimum standards:
(1) Site. The development shall be located on a zoning lot or contiguous lots containing a minimum of 30,000 square feet of land in a BB zoning district. The site shall be serviced by or have access to service by municipal or public water.
(2) Building placement and design.
a. Any new building shall be placed outside of the underlying zoning district setbacks. Existing buildings on a site being developed as a church shall not be disqualified from use and/or rehabilitation if they fall within current underlying zoning district setbacks.
b. The maximum building height shall be 35 feet excepting church spires.
c. Additions or alterations to an existing building should be complementary in scale to the original structure, and architectural details, including materials, colors and textures, shall be treated so as to be compatible with the original architectural style of the building, providing such details preserve and enhance the character of the surrounding area. Review of additions or alterations to structures that fall within the local historic district (as provided herein) shall be performed by the historic district commission, subsequent to any reviews required by the planning board and zoning board.
d. Mechanical equipment and utility hardware on roofs, except for solar panels, shall be screened from public view with materials harmonious to the building. Utility structures that cannot be placed on the roof shall be located so they are not visible from the street or public open space, and shall be screened with landscaping or materials that are compatible with the building.
(3) Accessory uses. Subject to the approval of the Zoning Board, accessory uses may include, but are not limited to offices, conference rooms, parking, maintenance areas, meeting halls, classrooms, kitchen, dining area, gift shops, and indoor and outdoor recreation space.
(4) Signage. All new proposed signage for a church shall be subject to review by the planning board as a part of the design and site plan review process, or by the historic district commission if design is to be added to a qualified historic structure. The proposed signage shall comply with the regulations contained in section 7.18 for the BB zoning district.
(5) Site design.
a. The layout and design of all means of vehicular and pedestrian circulation, including interior drives, parking areas and walkways, shall provide for safe interior circulation and separation of pedestrian, vehicular and service traffic.
b. The number of site entrances shall be the minimum necessary for effective traffic control.
(6) Parking. As part of the site plan review of any new or expanded church, the applicant shall present a parking plan to the planning board that addresses existing parking, projected demand and a means of addressing this demand. Approval by the planning board of a parking plan for development shall require one parking space for every 250 square feet of floor area of the church.
(7) Landscaping. Landscape treatment shall be provided to enhance architectural features and improve aesthetics.
a. Plantings along the perimeter of newly proposed parking areas and new streets should include either evergreen species, or street trees of at least 3.5-inch caliper planted at intervals of 35 feet. Planted islands may include shrubs, plants and other live vegetation, but should include one tree of at least three-inch caliper.
b. Only nursery grown plant materials shall be accepted, and all trees, shrubs and ground covers shall be planted according to accepted horticultural standards. The owner shall be responsible for maintaining the landscaping and for replacing all dead or diseased plant materials on at least an annual basis. Failure to adequately maintain required plantings may result in such work being performed by the town at the owner's expense.
c. Screening of refuse areas, service and storage yards and exterior work areas shall be accomplished by use of walls, fencing, plantings or a combination of these.
d. The planning board may waive these landscape requirements for the conversion of existing buildings on properties that can show that they are unable to meet the landscaping requirements due to the existing site constraints of the property.
(8) Wastewater management. The engineering department shall review all connections to town sewer system to ensure they are properly designed with adequate capacity. Sites serviced by onsite wastewater systems shall be required to demonstrate compliance with RIDEM requirements via permit.
(9) Trash disposal. Each church shall be provided with an enclosed trash container, sufficient to accommodate all trash and waste stored on the premises. The container and utility areas shall comply with the requirements of section 7.3(5) of this ordinance.
(10) Illumination. Outdoor lighting shall comply with the requirements of section (7) of this ordinance. Landscaping shall be planted so as to minimize ground illumination which otherwise might otherwise interfere with any residential uses.
(11) Traffic analysis. Each application for special use permit to locate a church in the BB Zone shall be accompanied by a full traffic generation and impact analysis, addressing the annual average daily traffic, seasonal variations and impact at the peak hour. The planning board may waive this requirement on a case by case basis if deemed by majority vote to be of little measurable impact.
(Ch. 1060, § 2, 2-19-2019)