Post Road district
(a) Purpose and intent. The Post Road district (PR) is established as a mixed use, economic development center. Because of the available infrastructure within the district, development shall be designed to provide a mix of commercial and residential uses at higher densities than what is permitted in most of the other zoning districts in the town. Density bonuses shall be made available to encourage environmentally friendly and pedestrian-oriented site design practices and the incorporation of affordable housing into mixed use environments. Better site design practices and two-story buildings are encouraged in the district to facilitate the development of pedestrian friendly environments, to leverage environmental improvements, to increase property values, to promote commercial development, and to improve the general aesthetic appeal of the area.
(b) General requirements.
(1) Ground floor uses. Ground floor uses in the PR district shall be restricted according to the following provisions:
a. Ground floor uses in any structures located within 400 feet of arterial and collector roads shall be limited to non-residential uses, with the exception of the following:
i. Ground floor uses within 400 feet of collector or arterial roads may include up to 25 percent of the gross floor area as residential use as long as such housing is restricted to households above the age of 55.
b. Ground floor uses on local roads or other small private ways internal to developed areas may include any of the uses allowed in the PR district in accordance with the use table (article III).
c. The distance shall be measured from the nearest point of the residential ground floor use in question to the nearest point of the road right-of-way. The Planning Commission may reduce this restriction to 200 feet where the residential ground floor uses are not visible to pedestrians from Post Road and are part of a large coordinated development proposal with multiple primary buildings sited in a manner that is consistent with the goals of the district.
(2) Nutrient loading limitations. New development in the PR District that also lies within the groundwater recharge and wellhead protection overlay district shall not discharge nitrogen to groundwater at an average site-wide concentration beyond 5 mg/L. Nitrogen loading calculations shall incorporate those standards listed in Section 21-186(g)(5) of the Zoning Ordinance.
(3) Stormwater recharge for new development. In new development, loss of annual recharge to groundwater shall be eliminated or minimized through the use of infiltration measures including environmentally sensitive site design, low impact development techniques, stormwater best management practices, and good operation and maintenance. At a minimum, the annual recharge from the post-development site shall approximate the annual recharge from pre-development conditions based on soil type. The applicant shall demonstrate that post-development recharge rates approximate pre-development conditions by following the calculation and design process described below. The NRCS classifies soils into four hydrologic groups, A through D, indicative of the minimum infiltration obtained for a soil after prolonged wetting. Group A soils have the lowest runoff potential and the highest infiltration rates, while group D soils have the highest runoff potential and the lowest infiltration rates. Each of these soils can be expected to infiltrate up to a certain amount of rainfall for any given rain event regardless of the size of the storm. Studies of rainfall data and soil recharge rates illustrate that the four hydrologic soil groups will recharge up to the following amounts for any given rain event:
Hydrologic Soil Group Potential Rate of Recharge
("event" based)A 0.60 inches of recharge B 0.35 inches of recharge C 0.25 inches of recharge D 0.10 inches of recharge
Therefore, runoff from impervious cover must be recharged in accordance with the soil type that will be covered by that impervious cover. The required recharge volume from impervious surfaces for any given storm (the stormwater volume that must be infiltrated) shall be determined by multiplying these recharge coefficients by the amount of impervious cover that lies above a particular hydrologic soil group. An applicant must demonstrate to the planning commission that the stormwater management practices selected adequately captures, treats and infiltrates the total required recharge resulting from these calculations.
For stormwater management strategies that recharge water through the root zone (within the first 12 inches of soil), it will be assumed that 50 percent of the captured runoff is lost to evapotranspiration. The applicant shall therefore need to compensate for this loss in his/her recharge volume estimates. Where recharge occurs below the root zone, it shall be assumed that all captured runoff will reach the water table.
Sample calculation for stormwater recharge.
In the sample calculations provided below, stormwater recharge facilities on the site must be capable of recharging at least 12,124 gallons of runoff from impervious surfaces for any given storm event.
| Square Feet of Impervious Cover | Required Recharge |
| 25,000 over A soils | 0.6 in × 25,000 sq ft = 9,350 gallons |
| 12,000 over B soils | 0.35 in × 12,000 sq ft = 2,618 gallons |
| 1,000 over C soils | 0.25 in × 1,000 sq ft = 156 gallons |
| 0 over D soils | 0 |
| Total required potential recharge | 12,124 gallons |
| Square feet of impervious cover | Required recharge |
(4) Stormwater recharge for redevelopment or constrained sites. The town recognizes the difficulties associated with recharging groundwater on sites with certain unique constraints. These constraints may include previously developed sites with considerable amounts of poor quality fill, sites comprised entirely of hydrologic group C or D soils, or sites with contaminated soils. In these situations, the recharge standards listed under section 21-94(b)(3) above shall be met to the maximum extent practicable. For the purposes of determining compliance with this standard, the planning commission shall require the applicant to demonstrate that:
a. A complete evaluation was performed of all feasible infiltration measures, including environmentally sensitive site design that minimizes land disturbance and impervious surfaces, low impact development techniques, reduced parking requirements, and structural stormwater best management practices; and
b. If the post-development recharge does not at least approximate the annual recharge from pre-development conditions, the applicant has demonstrated that he/she is implementing the highest practicable method for infiltrating stormwater.
(5) Non-conformity. Pre-existing non-conforming land or structures shall be governed by those provisions listed in article XII of the zoning ordinance. In addition to those requirements, the following shall apply:
a. The relocation or replacement of any building that may be allowed pursuant to article XII shall require compliance with all PR district design guidelines listed in the subdivision and land development regulations.
b. Where a building is non-conforming by dimension, and any addition, enlargement, expansion or change of use is proposed, such activity shall require conformance with the PR district design guidelines listed in the subdivisions and land development regulations that apply to the construction/renovation activities being performed unless specifically waived by the town.
c. All pre-existing non-conforming land or structures that are being developed or redeveloped shall include sidewalks, landscaping and lighting, meeting the ordinance requirements.
(c) Specific requirements.
(1) Intensity of residential use.
a. In a mixed use district, four units of residential use shall be allowed for each acre of buildable land.
b. For projects in which not less than 20 percent of all housing units shall be reserved as affordable as defined in section 21-22, definitions, the planning commission may increase the allowable residential density up to ten total units per buildable acre.
c. For projects in which not less than 15 percent of all housing units shall be reserved as affordable as defined in section 21-22, definitions, and also utilize transfer of development rights as described in article XXIII of this chapter, the planning commission may increase the allowable residential density to 30 total units per buildable acre.
d. The average bedroom count per unit for any residential development in the PR district shall not exceed 2.25.
(2) Intensity of commercial use. The intensity of commercial uses allowed in the PR district is subject to the basic dimensional requirements of each site and any other site constraints that may be present. Increases in the intensity of commercial uses beyond what is customarily permitted by right may be allowed by the Planning Commission through a transfer of development rights as described in Article XVII of this chapter. These increases in commercial use intensity beyond what is customarily allowed shall occur as the result of increases in the allowable height of buildings pursuant to article IV, table 2B standard dimensional regulations for business districts, note 6. Increases in the intensity of uses shall require compliance with all other applicable provisions of the zoning ordinance including, but not limited to, allowable uses, parking requirements, design standards, and signage.
(3) Buffers. Landscaping shall be required between non-residential uses or mixed use developments and existing residential districts. Buffer zones shall occupy the specified setback area in table 2B of article IV and shall substantially screen the site from view in accordance with the standards listed in section 21-277 of the zoning ordinance. Fences may be used as part of screening but shall not be constructed from materials incongruent with the design goals of the PR district as determined by the department of planning and development or the planning commission.
These requirements shall not apply to non-residential or mixed use development that are interior to any development in the district or that are designed to integrate existing or future neighboring residences into the site through the use of walkways, bicycle paths or other pedestrian amenities.
(4) Design.
a. All proposed new construction projects on vacant land in the PR district shall comply with the Post Road district design guidelines and standards in their entirety as listed in the subdivision and land development regulations. The building shall be designed with the main entrance/façade of the building facing Post Road or the appearance of the main entrance/façade facing Post Road.
b. Applicants are encouraged to adhere to the PR district design guidelines for land development projects on sites where existing buildings and parking are in place. Where existing buildings and site constraints do not allow for the compliance with the PR district design guidelines and standards the planning commission may waive the requirements.
c. All new construction projects shall make proposals for streetscape requirements including: the installation of sidewalks, landscaping and lighting meeting ordinance and subdivision and land development regulations.
d. All new signage shall meet the PR district design guidelines as set out in section 14.3.13 of the subdivision and land development regulations.
(5) For structures being modified or enlarged that are located within the PRD, no increase in net parking or loading spaces shall be allowed in front of the primary structure. In instances where existing parking or loading spaces are to remain in front of the primary structure, all applicable buffering standards shall be met in accordance with this chapter to minimize the impact of the existing parking and loading spaces. For new developments applicants shall meet parking requirements as indicated in section 14.3.2: site design in the PR design guidelines of the subdivision and land development regulations.
(6) Applicants for development of lots located along Post Road that have frontage on more than one road, shall designate a front which shall be utilized for front setback calculations.
(Ord. No. 08-18, § 2, 7-7-2008; Ord. No. 10-04, § 2, 2-22-2010; Ord. No. 10-06, § 1, 4-26-2010; Ord. No. 11-09, § 1, 5-23-2011; Ord. No. 11-18, § 2, 6-27-2011; Ord. No. 12-13, § 2, 10-22-2012; Ord. No. 16-02, § 1, 1-11-2016; Ord. No. 20-09, § 1, 5-18-2020)