Zoning 3.6 G-O-T Governmental, Office, Technology District

Chapter 6
G-O-T Governmental, Office, Technology District

3.601 Intent.

The regulations of this district are intended to provide a suitably attractive environment for various governmental functions of Oakland County, as well as being conducive to expansion of high technology facilities within the district and upon adjacent properties.

The G-O-T District is intended to encompass that portion of the current Oakland County Service Center located within the City of Pontiac and the adjacent 88 acres, formerly part of the Clinton Valley Center, located east of N. Telegraph Rd., and southwest of the Grand Trunk Railway.

Uses, which are basically limited to those conducted by Oakland County government, together with certain uses, including but not limited to compatible non-profit corporate offices, medical facilities, cultural facilities, municipal employee credit unions and high technology facilities. Uses, which tend to be incompatible with the intent of this district shall be appropriately restricted or prohibited.

3.602 Permitted Principal Uses.

A. Offices for: judicial, law enforcement, governmental, executive, administrative, professional, non-profit organizations, accounting, writing, clerical, stenographic, engineering, drafting, public or private utilities, sales, and similar functions or occupations.

B. Police and/or Fire stations.

C. Courts, libraries, museums, auditoriums, convention centers, display halls, art galleries, cultural centers, sports arenas, health or exercise clubs, or similar places of assembly.

D. Medical and dental offices, including outpatient clinics, medical examiner’s office and medical laboratories.

E. Public, business and/or technical schools and other training facilities located completely within an enclosed building.

F. Data processing and computer centers including computer programming, software development and repair centers, and archival services.

G. Publishing, radio or television broadcasting, wireless telecommunication facilities, including antenna towers and their related studios and offices.

H. Lithographic, blueprinting and other document reproduction services.

I. Day care facilities.

J. Parks and public recreation facilities.

K. Banks, credit unions and similar financial services.

L. Multimodal transportation facilities.

M. Research, design, development, and testing facilities for technological, scientific and business establishments, including the development of prototypes.

N. Assembly and machining operations, when adjunct to research, design, development or testing activities occurring at the same location. Assembly activity shall be limited to assembly of pre-manufactured finished objects or components and shall include only small volume non-routine production of innovative products or equipment and shall not include or permit mass production or mass assembly of products or equipment. Machining shall be permitted on a limited basis and only for research, design, development and testing activities, repair, demonstration, and/or training.

O. Hospitals, convalescent or nursing homes, homes for the elderly, mental health facilities or other medical care facilities in which patients or clientele stay overnight or for more extended periods of time.

P. Public Works facilities, including those involving vehicular and/or equipment maintenance, public or private utility facilities, including transformer station and substation, gas regulator station, water tower, farmers market and other similar facilities and which may involve any amount of outside storage, display for sale, or maintenance; of vehicles, equipment and/or materials. However, facilities that process waste, such as incinerators or transfer stations and other facilities with characteristics which are similarly adverse to the intent of this district are expressly prohibited.

Q. County jail, work release, and other similar uses operated as a function of Oakland County, in which people are incarcerated or otherwise required to reside within a secured environment, except within the southerly/southeasterly 500 feet of the 88 acres that had formerly been part of the Clinton Valley Center.

3.603 Permitted Accessory Landscaping, Parking, Signs, Structures, Uses, and Utilities.

LANDSCAPING (also see Article 4, Chapter 4)

A. Property not utilized for buildings, structures, parking lots, deck or patio and/or improved driveways or walkways shall be landscaped with living trees, shrubs, flowers, grass and/or ground cover.

B. Except as provided above, along all property lines adjacent to or separated by a street, right-of-way or similar easement for vehicular travel, from a residential use or district within which a residential dwelling is a permitted use, a landscape buffer shall be provided of at least a 10’ width and providing at least one tree and one shrub for every ten feet (10’) of buffer strip length. At least one-half of the required trees shall be of an evergreen variety, of at least a 5’ height at the time of their planting. Large deciduous trees shall be at least a 2” caliper at the time of their planting. Ornamental deciduous trees shall be at least a 1 3/4” caliper at the time of their planting.

C. Except as provided above, all off-street parking lots shall be screened along their perimeter by a buffer strip of at least a ten- foot (10’) width, landscaped with at least one tree for every thirty feet (30’) of buffer strip length. Evergreen trees shall be at least a 5’ height at the time of their planting. Large deciduous trees shall be at least a 2” caliper at the time of their planting. Ornamental deciduous trees shall be at least a 1 3/4” caliper at the time of their planting. The City Planning Commission may approve an alternative screening mechanism, such as a decorative masonry wall, during Site Plan Review.

D. Except as provided above, for every 50’ along all streets, rights-of-way or similar easements for vehicular travel, one (1) or more tree(s), shall be provided. Evergreen trees shall be at least a 5’ height at the time of their planting. Large deciduous trees shall be at least a 2” caliper at the time of their planting. Ornamental deciduous trees shall be at least a 1 3/4” caliper at the time of their planting. The Planning Commission may modify or waive the minimum landscaping, buffering or wall requirements, when it determines that such a modification will serve to provide more effective circulation and traffic movement, or will enable a more reasonable and desirable building setting and site design.

PARKING

E. Off-street parking of any vehicle shall not be permitted within 25’ of any A or B street, or within 10’ of any other street, right-of-way or similar easement for vehicular travel.

F. Permissible off-street parking lots and/or parking decks require Site Plan Review pursuant to Article 6, Chapter 2.

SIGNS

G. All signs shall be designed so as to be integral and compatible with the architecture and landscaping component of the development, and are subject to Site Plan Review pursuant to Article 6, Chapter 2 of this ordinance.

H. Wall mounted signs shall occupy no more than the lesser of 15% of the building facade area or 200 square feet, in total area.

I. Each building may have one (1) freestanding accessory sign for each street frontage. Said sign(s) shall be no more than 100 square feet in area, no more than 10’ tall, and setback at least 10’ from all streets, rights-of-way or similar easement for vehicular travel.

J. Non-accessory signs and/or Billboards are strictly prohibited.

K. All signs advertising the sale, rent or lease of space shall be located on the premises so advertised, and be no larger than 24 square feet in area. Such signs shall be removed within fourteen (14) days of the sale, rental or lease.

L. Election/Political Campaign Signs announcing the candidates seeking public political office or political issue, and other data pertinent thereto, shall be confined to private property and be installed not more than thirty (30) calendar days prior to the election and shall be removed within fourteen (14) calendar days after the election:


Minimum Setback	greater of 10’ or 1/2 front setback
Maximum Area	22” x 28”
Maximum Height	4 feet

STRUCTURES (other than buildings)

M. All fencing, swimming pool(s) or other outdoor recreational equipment shall be setback at least 25’ from all streets, rights-of-way or similar easement(s) for vehicular travel.

N. Communication structures, transformers, electrical or mechanical equipment and other similar permitted incidental equipment shall be mounted on the interior of a building wherever possible. Exterior location of such structures or equipment that may be visible from any street, right-of-way or similar easement for vehicular travel, or residential use, or district within which a residential dwelling is a permitted use, shall be setback at least 25’ from all streets, rights-of-way or similar easement for vehicular travel and at least 15’ from any other property line, and shall be screened with either plantings or a durable non-combustible enclosure which are unified and harmonious with the overall architectural theme, and meet utility provider standards for location and maintenance.

O. Loading docks and refuse collection enclosures shall be incorporated into the overall design of the building and the landscaping so that the visual and acoustic impacts of these functions are fully contained and out of view from adjacent properties and public streets. Wherever possible, said loading docks and refuse collection enclosures shall be located on that side of the building opposite of, or as far removed as possible from, all neighboring residential uses and districts within which residential dwellings are permitted. All screening shall be comparable in style and quality to the principal materials of the building and landscape and otherwise comply with Section 4.408 of this ordinance.

USES

P. Interior storage, cafeteria/food service, lounge, waiting room or similar use when ancillary to and within the same building as a Permitted Principal Use or a use permitted by Special Exception Permit, and occupying no more than 30% of the total useable floor area of the building.

Q. Living quarters of a watchman or caretaker employed on the premises, provided: a) such living quarters shall be an incidental element of the permitted operation; and b) the living quarters shall not exceed 1,000 square feet of floor area and shall be contained entirely within the principal building.

R. Any use customarily incidental to the permitted use.

UTILITIES

S. All exterior on-site utilities, and communication devices, including but not limited to drainage systems, sewers, gas lines, water lines, and electrical, telephone, and communications wires and equipment, shall be installed and maintained underground whenever possible.

T. On-site underground utilities, and communication devices, shall be designed and installed to minimize disruption of off-site utilities, communication devices, paving, and landscape during construction and maintenance.

3.604 Area, Height, Bulk and Placement Regulations.

A. No visual obstruction shall be permitted between 30” and 8’ above grade, within twenty-five feet (25’) of the intersection of all streets, rights-of-way or similar easement(s) for vehicular travel, in a manner that would interfere with traffic visibility.

B. All structures and off-street parking areas shall be setback at least:

1. 25’ from any A or B Street;

2. 25’ from any district within which a residential dwelling is a permitted use;

3. 25’ from any street, right-of-way or similar easement for vehicular travel, that separates the subject property from any district within which a residential dwelling is a permitted use; and

4. 10’ from any other property line, or other street, right-of-way or similar easement for vehicular travel.

C. No structure, or portion thereof, shall exceed a 40’ height, unless the setback(s) of the proposed structure, or portion thereof, relative to:

1. The nearest A or B Street; and

2. all districts within which a residential dwelling is a permitted use; and

3. all streets, rights-of-way or similar easements for vehicular travel that separates the subject property from any district within which a residential dwelling is a permitted use; shall be increased from the minimum applicable required setback by two feet for every one-foot of additional height, up to a maximum of 150’.

D. Where two (2) or more principal buildings are located on the same lot, or on contiguous property under the same ownership, the distance between said buildings and attachments thereto shall not be less than twenty (20) feet; and for each five feet (5’), resulting from the product of the combined height of the two adjacent buildings divided by two, in excess of forty feet (40’), the buildings shall be set apart one (1) additional foot.

E. Every building hereafter erected shall be located on a lot with, at minimum, a lot width, measured at the front setback, of no less than 100’; and a lot area of no less than 16,000 square feet.

3.605 Planning Commission Review and Decision.