Clark Council to Vote on New Town Center Zoning & 2013 Budget Tonight

At tonight's Clark Council meeting, councilmembers will vote on the zoning ordinance that will guide development of the town's newly rezoned Gypsum property. Read a PDF of the ordinance in our gallery, right. Read more on the rezoning in our previous story: Clark Introduces Zoning Ordinance for New Town Center

Councilmembers will also vote on the 2013 municipal budget. The budget shows a 4.5-point tax increase, which equates to a $45 increase per $100,000 in home assessment. At council's first February meeting, they discussed a budget with a six-point increase, but Business Administrator John Laezza has since whittled the budget by a point and a half. while 2011's budget had an 8.6-point increase. See a PDF of the full 2013 budget in our gallery, right. Read more on the budget in our previous story: Clark Council Introduces 2013 Budget With 4.5 Tax Point Increase

Highlights from the new town center zoning ordinance that was introduced:

• Permitted uses: (1)Excluding a supermarket, no more than one additional retail establishment may occupy space measuring between 45,001 SF and 80,000 SF. (2)Retail establishments of 45,000 SF or less. (3)Supermarkets of 80,000 SF or less. (4)Personal and consumer service uses. (5)Hotels (6)Restaurants and eating and drinking establishments. (7)Banquet and catering facilities. (8)Banks and financial institutions, including drive-through banks. (9)Art, music and dance studios. (10)Pharmacies, including drive-through windows. (11)General, administrative, executive or professional offices. (12)Public uses and buildings. (13)Medical offices. (14)Veterinary hospitals and animal clinics. (15)Computer and data processing centers. (16)Indoor commercial recreational facilities, including but not limited to health clubs, gyms and fitness centers. (17)Shopping Centers comprised of some or all of the preceding principal uses. (18)Day care or child care center (19) The following accessory uses shall be permitted: (a)Outdoor seating in conjunction with a permitted restaurant or eating and drinking establishment. (b)Other accessory uses, structures and buildings which are customary and accessory to the principal use. (c) Day-care or child care center. (d)Off-street parking and loading. Structured parking is allowed provided it meets the requirements of Section 34-222.8. (e) Satellite and cellular antennas, excluding towers as defined in Article XXVI. 4 (f) Signs, as permitted herein and in accordance with Section 195- 160 C. (g) Storage buildings, limited to the storage of materials owned and used only by the permitted use(s). Outside storage is not allowed. (h) Fences and walls.

• (1) Minimum lot dimensions: (a) Area: 10,000 SF. (b) Frontage: 100 feet. (2) Minimum yard setbacks: (a) Front: 40 feet. (b) Rear: 25 feet. (c) Side: 15 feet. (3) Maximum building dimensions: (a) Building height: 40 feet and three stories, except as allowed in §195-117. (b) Lot coverage: (1) Twenty five percent (25%) for buildings. (2) Seventy-five percent (75%) for impervious cover. (3) Twenty-five percent (25%) for open space, landscaping and buffer. (A) A two for one preservation credit shall be granted for the preservation of existing wooded areas and environmentally sensitive areas which shall be included when calculating open space, landscaping and buffer area percentages.

• "For properties with frontage on Walnut Avenue, none of the required parking facilities shall be located between the building line and Walnut Avenue, and screening with landscaping and/or fences or walls shall be provided between the street and any structure on the property."

• "No loading dock or service area may be directly located on or visible from any street frontage. ... No loading or unloading shall occur between 11 pm and 7 am for any business/occupant located within a building abutting a residential zone."

• "The vision for a retail and commercial center in Clark depicts a vibrant hub of community activity. We envision a future in which this area is highly accessible to pedestrians, bikers, transit, and automotive modes of travel. This area should be a place where people will come to stroll, walk, talk, work, buy food and drink, and conduct their daily business."

• "A central architectural focus such as a fountain, plaza, clock tower or landscaped boulevards should encourage people to linger and enjoy the ambiance of the suburban setting."

Read more:

What Stores Would You Want in Clark's New Town Center?

UPDATED: Clark Says Yes to Plan for Town Center on Former Gypsum Site

Mayor Responds to Gypsum Rezoning Criticism; Public Hearing Tonight at ALJ

Clark Residents Voice Concerns About Proposal for New Town Center on Gypsum Site

Mayor Bonaccorso Asks: What Do Residents Want Built at Gypsum Property?

What Should Take the U.S. Gypsum Factory's Place in Clark?

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