§ 40-447. General design standards.

(a)

Public service infrastructure and right-of-way.

(1)

Adequate public facilities are required in accordance with Chapter 33 Unified Development Code, Article 7, Adequate public facilities required of this Code.

(2)

Public right-of-way may be used to meet streetscape landscaping requirements, to locate vehicular display or parking that is not required off-street parking, to locate directional signs or a monument sign in lieu of an on-premises detached sign, or to locate fountains, clock towers, or other architectural structures, excluding fences, approved by the department of public works, subject to the following provisions:

a.

Use of parish public right-of-way shall be in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 2. Administration, sections 2-877, Lease of parish immovable, 2-877.1, Required information for proposals for real estate transactions, Chapter 29 Roads and bridges, section 29-6, Right-of-way obstruction and Chapter 32 Signs, section 32-5, Council permission as applicable; and use of state public right-of-way shall be in accordance with applicable state requirements.

b.

The parish may approve the use of right-of-way to meet requirements for streetscape landscaping or to provide vehicular display or parking that is not required off-street parking only in conjunction with the site plan review procedures of this article. For a monument sign in the right-of-way, the property owner requesting the monument sign for the adjacent property must submit an application for a minor amendment to an approved site plan if a site plan is in effect for the property. If no site plan is in effect and the monument sign is the only development approval requested, site plan review in accordance with this article is not required.

c.

If an application for site plan review includes a valid lease approved by the parish council or written authorization from the state for use of public right-of-way to meet requirements for streetscape landscaping in accordance with section 40-446(3)(c), and the application for development approval meets all other requirements of this Code, then Level 1 administrative site plan review may apply. If an application includes a variance to the MUCD regulations or features more than ten (10) feet of the required front landscaped area in the public right-of-way, then Level 2 site plan review shall apply and the council shall determine final action on the request by ordinance.

d.

All requests to locate parking in parish rights-of-way shall be predicated upon the proposed parking meeting the following:

1.

The proposed parking in the parish right-of-way is not required parking for the use on the abutting private property as determined by parking regulations established in Chapter 40.

2.

The proposed parking in the parish right-of-way is screened by a hedge, wall, earth berm, or other durable landscape barrier a minimum of two (2) feet in height between the remainder of the right-of-way and the parking area to screen the vehicular use area. If the barrier consists of nonliving material, one (1) vine or shrub shall be planted every ten (10) feet and abutting the barrier.

3.

The proposed parking in the parish right-of-way does not result in the removal of any required landscaping previously approved as part of site plan review.

4.

If an approved site plan exists, the site plan must be amended to show the parking and screening.

(b)

Transportation networks.

(1)

Adequate ingress, egress and internal circulation shall be provided to accommodate vehicular and pedestrian traffic, including walks, driveways, service bays and driveways, and off-street loading areas.

(2)

All areas subject to vehicular traffic, including accessways, service bays and drives, loading and unloading areas shall be paved with hard, all-weather material.

(3)

Pedestrian and vehicular traffic shall be separated with landscaped space.

(4)

The linking and coordination of parking areas between developments in the Mixed Use Corridor District shall be encouraged to reduce the number of turns onto and off of surrounding streets and reduce potential traffic conflicts.

(5)

The sharing and coordination of access ways such as driveways and service areas between developments in the Mixed Use Corridor District shall be encouraged to control the number of curb cuts and reduce potential traffic conflicts in the transportation network of the site and enhance the site as it relates to surrounding development.

(c)

Service bays/drives .

(1)

Service bays, service drives, trash receptacle and dumpster areas, and support structures shall not be oriented on the same side of the Mixed Use Corridor District development as abutting residential property. The purpose of which is to mitigate the negative effect of such service areas, such as noise, odor, refuse, and visual pollution from residential development. In such cases where this is not possible, an additional five (5)-foot landscaping and buffer strip shall be required in addition to that required in section 40-446(a)(2), perimeter of lot adjacent to abutting property.

(2)

Service bays and drives and trash receptacle and dumpster areas shall be oriented in such a way that in the process of loading and unloading, no vehicle will block the passage of other vehicles on the service drive or extend into any other public or private street.

(3)

All service bays, loading and unloading areas, trash receptacles and dumpster areas must be screened on all sides by a wood, brick, or masonry fence with a minimum height of seven (7) feet.

(4)

All dumpster areas shall comply with the requirements of chapter 16 garbage and other solid waste, section 16-4(d) bulk waste containers. In situations where the regulations of that chapter and the regulations of this article are in conflict, the more restrictive shall apply.

(d)

Curbs and curb cuts.

(1)

All curb cuts on street frontage shall be vertical curbs. No roll over curbs shall be permitted in the Mixed Use Corridor District. No curb cut shall be greater than twenty-five (25) feet at the lot line and thirty-five (35) feet at the curb line and/or in accordance with the established parish standards.

(2)

No curb cuts for freight lanes shall be greater than thirty-five (35) feet at the lot line and forty-five (45) feet at the curb line.

(3)

The number of curb cuts for any particular development shall be minimized to the greatest extent possible to provide for controlled ingress and egress within the Mixed Use Corridor District.

(e)

Lighting. The maximum height for any light fixture is forty (40) feet, except on the side or sides of a development abutting a residential use or on the side or sides of multiple-family development that exceeds the height permitted by right where abutting a one- to four-family residential district, in which case the maximum height of twenty-five (25) feet shall be allowed. All light structures shall be shaded or hooded and orientated inward so as to prevent intrusion into surrounding areas.

(f)

Play area. In multiple-family residential developments, safely located play areas shall be provided for small children as required.

(g)

Screening for support structures . Any part of a support structure that is not a building, other than playground equipment accessory to permitted uses in this district or those structures used for drive-up service, e.g. gas pumps, vacuum stations and ATMs, visible from street right-of-way shall be screened by a wood, brick or masonry fence with a minimum height of seven (7) feet.

(h)

Architectural treatment of metal buildings. Any building consisting of a metal exterior shall be designed and constructed such that the front building face, the side building face(s) on corner lots with street exposure, and at least five (5) feet of the adjoining side walls are finished with wood, brick, stucco, concrete blocks with architectural treatment, glass or other similar materials.

(i)

Architectural treatment of support buildings. Any support building on the lot or development site shall be designed and constructed with an architectural treatment similar to the principal building(s).

(j)

Minimum size of structures. Any structure, permanent or temporary, having a gross floor area of less than five hundred (500) square feet, is prohibited for use as a commercial structure or for a commercial purpose unless used in conjunction with construction work as permitted in Article XXXIX, section 40-742(d). Exceptions and modifications to use regulation, or is a support structure to the principal building as defined in this chapter.

(k)

Temporary structures or trailers. Notwithstanding any other provisions of the Jefferson Parish Code of Ordinances, temporary structures or trailers shall not be permitted in the MUCD except as follows:

(1)

Temporary structures or trailers for use as commercial structures or for a commercial purpose are permitted in a MUCD along traditional parade routes during the Mardi Gras season or for other seasonal street parades and for seasonal sales, including, but not limited to, a pumpkin patch, Christmas trees or similar use, lasting not more than ninety (90) days.

(2)

Commercial developments are allowed temporary structures or trailers that are to be used for special outdoor sales events. The use of the temporary structure or trailer must be associated with the principal use of the commercial development that occupies the petitioned property. The temporary structure or trailer shall not reduce the required off-street parking for the principal use, and additional off-street parking shall be provided for said temporary use.

(Ord. No. 20783, § 3(XIII-F(7)), 9-22-99; Ord. No. 21941, § 1, 8-6-03; Ord. No. 22794, § 11, 7-19-06; Ord. No. 23663, § 1, 10-14-09; Ord. No. 24823 , § XVI, 9-17-14; Ord. No. 24955 , § 5, 6-10-15; Ord. No. 25405 , § 71, 8-9-17)