§ 138-3804. Building orientation.

(a)

Entryways. Building entryways should be oriented to adjacent roadways/streets to create a direct connection between the building and the public sidewalk system.

(b)

Building location. Developments should include buildings that are located close to roadways/streets to establish an urban form that is oriented to pedestrian mobility and provides walkway connections to transit stops, public sidewalks and the surrounding neighborhoods.

(c)

Building orientation standards for the RM, RPD and MXD districts. The following standards shall apply to multifamily, mixed-use and nonresidential buildings in these districts:

(1)

A building or a series of buildings shall occupy a minimum percentage of the site's primary roadway frontage based on zoning districts. The table below shall establish the minimum building frontage percent for each zoning district and the building siting requirements.

Zoning District	Minimum building to frontage requirement
RM and RPD	50%
MXD	60%

 

(2)

For buildings used to comply with subsection (1) above, 60 percent of the building façade(s) shall be located within 20 feet of the site's front property line along a street.

a.

This building location requirement may be administratively adjusted to respond to easements, utilities and other lot restrictions.

b.

This standard may be adjusted when subsection (3)a. is applied.

(3)

Parking lots are not permitted between the front building façade and the adjacent roadway. The following exceptions apply:

a.

In the RM and RPD districts, parking lots may be allowed in portions of a lot located along a roadway that is planned to have six or more travel through lanes as identified on the Metropolitan Planning Organization's (MPO) Long-Range Transportation Plan. In this situation, parking lots are restricted to one drive aisle and two rows of parking stalls between the building and the adjacent street.

b.

For double frontage lots, this shall only be applicable to the portion of the lot that is intended to be the front yard.

c.

This shall not apply to alleys.

(4)

The standards of this subsection do not apply to the following:

a.

Buildings and other structures located internal (set back from the street) to the lot when a separate building is located along the primary roadway/street which independently meets these standards.

b.

For institutional and government uses, portions of the lot's street frontage beyond 600 linear feet.

(d)

Building orientation standards for all office and commercial districts, the industrial planned development district (IPD), all special districts, and all institutional districts. The following standards shall apply to multifamily, mixed-use, and nonresidential buildings in these districts:

(1)

A building or a series of buildings shall occupy a minimum percentage of the site's primary roadway frontage based on zoning districts. The table below shall establish the minimum building frontage percent for each zoning district and the building siting requirements.

Zoning District	Minimum building to frontage requirement
All office and commercial districts	40%
IPD	30%
All institutional districts	30%
All special districts	40%

 

a.

For lots located adjacent to two or more roadways, the minimum building frontage standard shall only apply to the adjacent primary roadway.

b.

The primary roadway shall be defined as the road/street which has a higher functional classification as determined by the Pinellas County Comprehensive Plan, has a greater number of average annual daily trips (AADT) OR, if such information is unavailable, as determined by the county administrator or designee.

c.

As applied to buildings meeting the minimum frontage standard, the following features may be allowed between the building and the adjacent street:

1.

Open space and pedestrian amenities.

2.

Low impact development stormwater management facilities.

3.

Free-standing architectural elements.

4.

Driveways and parking lots subject to the provisions of subsection (2) below.

d.

This building frontage requirement may be administratively adjusted to respond to easements, utilities and other lot restrictions.

(2)

Parking lots shall be limited in scale for the areas between the front building façade and the adjacent primary roadway. The following standards apply:

a.

Parking lots are restricted to one drive aisle and two rows of parking stalls between the building and the adjacent street.

b.

For multi-frontage lots, this shall only be applicable to the portion of the lot that was originally intended to be the front yard.

c.

This shall not apply to alleys.

(3)

The standards of this subsection do not apply to the following:

a.

Buildings and other structures located internal (set back from the street) to the lot when a separate building is located along the primary roadway/street which independently meets these standards.

b.

For institutional and government uses, portions of the lot's street frontage beyond 600 linear feet.

(e)

Service and loading. All service areas and loading docks shall be located behind the front facade line of the principal structure they are intended to serve and shall be screened from adjacent roadways and uses. This standard is not intended to be applied to vehicle maintenance and repair garages.

(Ord. No. 18-36 , § 3(Att. B), 10-23-18)