§ 10.9. PUD development guidelines and requirements.

A.

The applicant shall have the right to a range of land uses and design flexibility at any location. However, the applicant shall demonstrate that the PUD is not contrary to the public interest and that it substantially conforms to the Town of St. Leo Comprehensive Plan. The following general guidelines are established to ensure adequate provision of community services, sensitivity to environmental features and to avoid adverse impacts.

1.

Location. PUD's should be located on or have direct access to an Arterial or Collector Road, with minimum impact on residential Local Roads.

2.

Size. All lands in the PUD must be contiguous. An existing public road through the property shall not be deemed to divide the PUD area.

3.

Compatibility. The proposed PUD shall be compatible with adjacent land uses or zoning districts, or shall achieve compatibility through special design characteristics and buffers between incompatible uses to minimize differences between the proposed project and existing surrounding land uses or zoning districts.

4.

Open space and recreation areas. Provide a minimum of 25 percent open space/recreation area or as may be required pursuant to the Town of St. Leo Comprehensive Plan-2025. The applicant shall indicate who will be responsible for the on-going maintenance of any common open space or recreation areas within the PUD. Where development land encompasses environmentally sensitive lands, said areas shall be protected by covenants running with the land, conveyances, or dedications. At least 50 percent of the required open space/recreation area (based on mature tree canopy coverage area) shall be landscaped with native plants and trees. Existing forested areas and/or documented wildlife habitat areas should be utilized to meet open space requirements.

5.

Lots and buildings. Buildings shall be uniform in architectural design theme and building materials. A building or group of buildings shall have a compatible relationship with each other and surrounding properties based on, but not limited to, the following design elements:

a.

Lots shall be arranged and/or clustered to create an efficient development pattern to promote pedestrian orientation, reduce vehicle trips, recognize environmentally sensitive lands and visual corridor features and create useable and interconnected open spaces.

b.

Building scale, height, mass and setbacks.

c.

Building materials and color.

d.

Building architectural theme/style, forms and roof shape.

e.

Transitions between buildings relative to height, facade details, and landscape buffers.

f.

Architectural detailing that highlights entrances and introduces features such as porches, arches, or bay windows, and roof detailing such as cornice lines, dormers, gables, or roof plane changes. Flat or mansard roofs are discouraged.

g.

Separations and/or changes in the building plane (facade and roof) and facade details.

h.

Buildings shall incorporate energy efficient façade design features and buildings and/or development site shall be encouraged to accommodate non-fossil fuel energy sources such as solar.

i.

The pattern of commercial buildings shall prevent a strip appearance along any roadway by providing a combination of buildings fronting along streets and clustering back from the street, and providing landscape buffers along the street front.

j.

Parking structures and lots should be located to the side or rear of the principal building with no more than 50 percent of the street frontage occupied with parking structures or lots. Parking structures shall be compatible in terms of scale, height and design with the architectural character of principal buildings.

6.

Lake Jovita/S.R. 52 Visual Corridor. All proposed development shall be evaluated for visual impacts on St. Leo's unique topography, natural forested landscape, historic sites, historic landmarks (such as the St. Leo Abbey and Bell Tower), and important adopted visual corridors and view sheds as identified in the Visual Corridor Study by Engelhardt, Hammer and Associates, Inc., adopted by the town commission on August 11, 2001 (Resolution No. 01-03). Factors to be considered in evaluating the impacts of development include, but are not limited, to the following:

a.

Siting, massing and height of buildings and structures.

b.

Building façades that are visible within the view shed shall provide architectural details, landscaping and fencing/wall treatments appropriate for the architectural style of the building.

c.

Altering the hill topography is prohibited unless justified by hardship.

d.

Ridgelines, hillsides and hilltops should be preserved in their natural green and/or forested state and contour. Tree canopy/forested areas on the hilltop and hillside shall be protected to preserve view corridors and the forested character of the town.

e.

Buildings located on the hilltop shall be setback from the hillside brow and buildings located on the hillside slope shall be located such that the building height does not extend beyond the hillside brow. Buildings shall be situated to be sensitive to the hillside slopes by fitting into or blending with the contour of the hillside, such as stepping the building down the hillside to match the topography and slope of the hillside as opposed to altering the hillside topography. Cluster new development to retain surrounding tree canopy and minimize alterations to the existing hillside topography. Figures A and B illustrate the above concepts.

f.

Altering the hillside contour shall be avoided. Use of retaining walls or other construction techniques to preserve hillside contours shall be encouraged.

g.

Building heights should not extend above the surrounding tree canopy or above the hilltop or ridgeline more than 35 feet in height in order to maintain the natural relationship between the forested tree canopy, hillside topography and slope, ridgeline and skyline.

h.

Open spaces within developments should be located to create large open space foreground areas as viewed from public roads, which is a typical rural characteristic. Open spaces should be interconnected with adjacent open space, agricultural land and/or sensitive environmental areas.

7.

Master signage plan. A master signage plan shall be submitted illustrating the master sign design, colors and materials for free-standing and building signs. The signage plan shall also indicate the sign area for each free-standing and building sign.

8.

Streets and internal transportation system. Streets shall be designed and constructed in accordance with the provisions of the Town of St. Leo Subdivision Regulations, with such modifications as may be approved as part of the plan submitted at all phases of Town review. Connection of the internal street system to the public road and highway network (via connectors of adequate design, construction, and capacity) shall be the responsibility of the developer and any required improvements shall be included in the PUD plans.

9.

Principal vehicular access points. Principal vehicular access points to the PUD shall be designed to encourage smooth traffic flow with controlled turning movements and minimum hazard for vehicular or pedestrian traffic. Acceleration, deceleration, and turn lanes and similar improvements may be required where existing or anticipated heavy traffic flows indicate a need for such improvements.

10.

Surface water management (including drainage). The surface water management plans for the PUD shall be approved by the town engineer and other state/federal agencies having jurisdiction. All stormwater ponds shall be landscaped pursuant to Article XII and meet stormwater requirements pursuant to Article XV.

11.

Utilities and services. The applicant shall provide for water and sewer facilities approved by the town and Pasco County Health Department, the Pasco County Utilities Division, and/or the Florida Department Environmental Regulation (DER). The developer shall provide for all necessary solid waste disposal and other public or private utilities or service required.

12.

Other development impact assessments. The town commission or its designee, may require the applicant to provide analysis of development impacts in addition to those referenced above. Such impacts may include, but not be limited to, impact assessment on wildlife, wildfires, groundwater recharge areas and/or lake water quality.

B.

Pursuant to the comprehensive plan, the town commission may grant additional residential density up to four dwelling units/acre, provided the town commission determines that the PUD substantially meets the above development guidelines and requirements.

(Ord. No. 11-01, § 2, 1-10-2011; Ord. No. 13-03, § 6, 2-11-2013)