Proposed Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Mount Vernon

PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF MOUNT VERNON

TO ALLOW GASOLINE STATION CONVENIENCE STORES IN CERTAIN DISTRICTS

AND SUBJECT TO ADDITIONAL REGULATIONS

§267-4 – Definitions

An area, not to exceed 1,500 square feet of a gasoline filling station's principal building that is used for the retail sale of a limited variety of foods and merchandise to the public, including beverages, snacks and other convenience items, and where products are sold for consumption off the premises. Gasoline station convenience stores shall be permitted only as an accessory use to a gasoline filling station.

§267-28 – Standards and Requirements for Specific Special Permit Uses

K. Gas Station Convenience Store

(1) A Gas Station Convenience Store shall consist of both uses (a gas station and a convenience store), and both uses shall remain continually operational.

(2) A Gas Station Convenience Store shall be permitted in any parcel in a NB – Neighborhood Business, DB – Downtown Business, CB – Commercial Business and I – Industrial zoning districts, subject to compliance with the requirements of this section.

(3) A Gas Station Convenience Store shall be permitted in the RMF-15 and RMF-10 – Multi-Family Residence zoning districts subject to the following: a. A Gas Station Convenience Store shall only be permitted within an existing gas station. b. The lot area shall be a minimum of 10,000 square feet.

(4) The net floor area of a gasoline service station convenience store shall not exceed 1,800 square feet devoted to patron use. This area shall not include storage, cooler, office and mechanical spaces.

(5) A Gas Station Convenience Store shall comply with the combined off-street parking requirement for both the Motor Vehicle Filling Station use (1 space per pump island, plus 5 per service bay) and the Retail Store use (1 space per 200 square feet), as set forth in §267 Attachment 3:1

(6) Parking spaces at the gasoline pumps shall not be used to satisfy the parking requirement for the convenience store use.

(7) Appropriate landscaping as approved by the Planning Board shall be installed and permanently maintained.

(8) Exterior site lighting shall not extend beyond the property line. All luminaires shall be shielded and provided with 90-degree cutoffs. Pole-mounted light fixtures shall not exceed 15 feet in height. The maximum permitted illumination at the property line shall be 1.0 footcandle.

(9) All signs shall comply with Article XIII. Signage for the convenience store shall be limited to one building-mounted and one pole- or pylon-mounted sign. Temporary signage and the use of pennants, streamers or other moving eye-catching devices is prohibited.

(10) There shall be no provision for on-site consumption of food by patrons, including but not limited to tables, chairs and eating utensils.

(11) Safety measures shall include, at a minimum, unobstructed windows of an adequate size, which should allow activities inside to be seen from the outside. Additional measures can include drop safes, visible cash registers, video surveillance and panic or holdup alarm systems provided pursuant to the requirements of the City of Mount Vernon Police Department.

(12) A traffic circulation plan shall be provided, demonstrating how the use of the site for both the gas station and the convenience store will not create unsafe conditions or vehicular conflicts. The use of bollards or other physical devices may be employed to ensure the safety of vehicles, pedestrians and structures.

(13) If a drive-thru window is provided, a separate vehicle access driveway shall be provided that does not interfere with access to the site, the pump islands or the convenience store parking and vehicular and pedestrian circulation. A vehicle queue of adequate length shall be provided on-site, so that vehicles waiting for service do not back out onto the adjacent roadway.

(14) A Gas Station Convenience Store shall not operate 24 hours a day.

(15) If a car wash facility is included, the minimum lot area shall be 20,000 square feet.

(16) A Gas Station Convenience Store shall reflect an architectural design similar to a neighborhood retail store, and not characteristic of a traditional gas station. For locations in the RMF-10 and RMF- 15 districts, a Gas Station Convenience Store shall reflect a residential character, including such elements as a pitched roof, window with muntins, pedestrian scaled doors, etc.