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HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution No. 96-12DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES FOR THE S.H. 121 CORRIDOR THE COLONY, TEXAS As adopted by Resolution N° 9612 on July 1, 1996 TABLE OF CONTENTS page Introduction ii Goals ii Objective ii Boundaries iii A. Corridor Identification B. Parking Areas C. Loading and Unloading Areas Il. Building Design 2 A. Exterior Walls B. Parking Garages Ill. Screening 4 A. General Requirements B. Outdoor Storage and Display Areas C. Loading Areas D. Site Features E. Roof Top Mechanical Equipment F. Utilities IV. Landscaping 10 A. Street Trees/Landscape Buffer Area B. Site Landscaping C. Irrigation D. Recommended Plant List E. Other Landscape Recommendations V. Glare and Illumination " 14 A. Glare B. Parking lot and Loading Area Lighting C. Walkway Lighting D. Accent Lighting E. Security Lighting F. Low Voltage Lighting VI. Traffic Management Standards 16 VII. Definitions 20 INTRODUCTION The image and character of cities are often determined by the type, quality and appearance of its major thoroughfares. S.H. 121 provides access, visibility and recognition for the City of The Colony and the metroplex at large. Therefore, these S.H. 121 Corridor Development Guidelines have been developed to encourage the inclusion of aesthetic design features for all aspects of development along this gateway into The Colony, Texas. These design Guidelines address items such as building design, parking areas, landscaping, screening, site lighting etc. GOALS 1. To impose various development guidelines that will encourage the high quality of development envisioned for this corridor. 2. To provide for a sense of identity to the corridor through: the incorporation of the corridor 'logo" on signage and various site elements; encourage the inclusion of water features (i.e. ponds, fountains) in site design; use of complementary building materials and landscaping; encourage the installation of enhanced paving at major driveways, etc. 3. To incorporate the screening of various site elements.. OBJECTIVE The S.H. 121 Corridor Development Guidelines provide a set of Guidelines to guide the development of individual parcels within this corridor. Compliance with these guidelines, however, does not constitute fulfillment of any requirements imposed by ordinances, codes, or statutes in the City of The Colony, or any other regulatory agency having jurisdiction within the corridor. It is not the intent of these Development Guidelines to lay down an inflexible design formula that rules out unique design solutions to specific design problems, as these may well be the creative design features that collectively add texture and variety to the overall development. Therefore, the purpose of these development Guidelines is to enhance, not control development within this corridor. ii CORRIIK)R BOUNDARIES The S.H. 121 Corridor contains approximately 947 acres and is generally defined as including all non-residential land lying along S.H. 121 within the corporate limits of the City of The Colony. The northern boundary generally being the centerline of Memorial Drive and its extension to Paige Drive, then along Memorial Drive to South Colony Blvd. The southern boundary will generally be the proposed six (6) lane thoroughfare planned to be generally parallel to and south of S.H. 121 to the proposed extension of Spring Creek Parkway. For planning purposes, this corridor also includes the land soutti of S.H. 121 which is currently in the Town of Hebron. In the event that this land is annexed into the city of The Colony, these Development Guidelines will be imposed on all the non-resident/al land, south of S.H. 121, for a distance of 1,200 feet. 111 I. SITE DESIGN A. Corridor Identification 1. To provide for a unifying identification feature, as well as to enhance the aesthetics of the corridor as a whole, on-site entry features should incorporated in the site design. These features should include hard and soft scape items such as additional landscaping, low walls, and enhanced paving materials such as colored, textured, or stamped concrete. 2. All street and directional signage, as well as main identification signage shall incorporate the logo of the corridor. This logo shall recognize the importance of this business area while recognizing the relationship of the city of The Colony to the lake. 3. The inclusion of various water features within the site design, such as fountains, pools and ponds are encouraged. Preservation of the existing creek areas in a natural state is encouraged subject to engineering approval. B. ]~arldng.~.as 1. Parking areas will not be permitted within any landscape buffer strip. See Section IV.A. of these Development Guidelines for the recommended landscaping and screening in this landscape buffer strip. 2. Parking areas will not be permitted in front of the (primary) building oxcont under the following circumstances: a. Required parking for buildings in which the primary use is retail, including restaurants (See Section VII, Definitions). b. Required parking for office-showroom-distribution-warehouse buildings where each tenant space has its own direct entry. c. Limited visitor parking not to exceed 50 percent of the total required parking when the office building is three stories or less in height, and 25 % when an office building is four stories or more in height. 1 d. Limited parking outlined in paragraph "c" may be increased by 10% for each additional i0 ft. of landscape buffer strip added to any that is provided. C. Tnading and llnlnading Are.ax 1. Driveways, aisles, maneuvering areas, and truck berths will be designed to accommodate the largest vehicles that would normally be expected to use those particular driveways, aisles, maneuvering areas and truck berths. 2. Whenever possible, the site should be designed for counterclockwise circulation of large trucks as left tums and left-hand backing maneuvers are easier and safer since the driver's position is on the left-hand side of the vehicle. 3. All parking, loading and maneuvering of trucks will be conducted on-site, on private property. 4. Required parking will not be allowed within the truck dock apron space, where conflicts may arise between loading and maneuvering activities and vehicle parking. 5. Special notice should be taken regarding the placement of these areas on the site as well as the screening requirements outlined in Section 1II. H. BUILDING DESIGN The building materials and general architectural styles of the buildings in this corridor shall be compatible and with complimentary color within the individual developments as well as within the corridor as a whole. This is not to require that all buildings use the same styles, colors, or materials, however, a central theme of the corridor will be evident to the casual observer. Each building should be designed to complement the general architectural character of this corridor by being responsive to the materials, color, scale, and goals set forth for this corridor in these Development Guidelines. 2 The number of materials used on the exterior of each separate building should be kept to a creative minimum. The intent of this is to encourage architects to limit the number of materials employed thus allowing visual simplicity and harmony to be achieved while avoiding the establishment of overly complex design guidelines. 1. Masonry materials, as defined in Section VII, Definitions, will constitute a minimum of one hundred (100) percent of each exterior wall area excluding doors, windows or window walls. 2. Where rear facades are visible from adjoining properties and/or public right of way they will be of a finished quality and consist of colors and materials that blend with the remainder of the building(s) facade. 3. Buildings that could, by the nature of their construction and use be considered as 'big boxes~, such as certain types of retail and warehouses buildings, should incorporate various architectural features to provide for a visual relief to the front facade, such as canopies, columns, reveals, and/or color schemes (See Figure 1.). 4. Windows of highly reflective (outward facing mirrored) glass shall not be used as an exterior building material on any building or structure. However, in order to encourage energy efficient building design, the use of tinted, inward facing mirrored glass is both allowed and encouraged. FIGURE 1 1. Parking garages that front on public streets shall have architecturally finished facades, complementary to the surrounding buildings. Street front openings in parking structure shall not exceed 55 % of the facade area, this percentage excludes the top floor, if unroofed. 2. Where possible, the narrow facade of the parking garage shall be oriented to the street to minimize its visual impact (See Figure 2). FIGURE 2 SCREENING Various site features, such as loading and parking areas, outdoor storage areas, mechanical and rooftop equipment, refuse facilities and utility accessories are all necessary components of a retail, commercial and/or industrial development. However, extra effort must be taken to reduce the visual impact and/or screen these site features from adjoining properties and public rights-of-way. A. General Rea?irernent No fence, screen, wall or other visual barrier will be placed in such a manner as to obstruct the vision of motor vehicle drivers approaching any street intersection. At all intersections, clear vision will be maintained across the comer for a distance of 25 feet back from a projected curb line comer along both intersecting streets. 4 1. Outside storage, when permitted: a. Will not be located in the front portion of the lot between a public street and the line(s) projected along and beyond the face(s) of the building to the side lot lines. b. Will be screened from view of public streets and adjacent properties, see the definition of Screening Wall in Section VII of these Guidelines. c. Will not exceed the height of the screening element provided. 2. The outdoor storage area will be screened by one or a COmbination of the following elements: a. Earthen berms and landscaping, including evergreen shrubs, used in COmbination to achieve a minimum screening height of eight (8) feet as measured from the top of adjacent street curbs, but in all cases berms will have a maximum side slope of 3:1. b. Masonry walls and landscaping, including evergreen shrubs or trees used in COmbination to achieve a height of at least eight (8) feet, as measured from the top of the adjacent street curbs. Walls will have a minimum height of four (4) feet, and will be f'mished in a matching or complimentary COlor to the color of the building, facade, trim or roof surface. 5 C. Tx~nclin~ A re~.~ Truck loading berths and apron space should not be located on the street side of any building. 1. In those instances where 3 or more sides of the building face dedicated streets, loading berths and apron space should be located at the rear or side of the building. This loading area must be screened from abutting streets as follows: a. by a combination of permanent architectural and landscape elements such as walls, berms, trees and shrubs so as to distract, soften or interrupt the view of the casual observer, these elements should be installed along approximately 50% of the affected property line; b. and will meet the construction Guidelines of the Screening Section of these Development Guidelines, to the height of the top of the dock door but no greater than 12' above the truck dock apron; and c. shall, when viewed at a perpendicular angle from the street screen the truck berths completely, except for driveway opening(s). 2. Truck loading berths and apron space will not be located within any landscape buffer strip. 6 3. No loading dock or service bay doors will be constructed on any portion of front wall facing S.H. 121 or on a side or rear wall within one hundred feet (100') of the S.H. 121 right-of-way, or within 60 feet of any front property line, not adjacent to S.H. 121. Permitted incinerators, storage tanks, trash containers, heating, ventilation, air conditioning equipment and maintenance facilities, will either be housed in buildings or otherwise be screened from view of public streets which abut such sites. E. Roof Top Mechanical Fqnipment All roof-mounted equipment including, but not limited to fans, vents, air conditioning units and cooling towers will be screened so as not to be visible to the mediate ground level of adjacent properties. When deemed appropriate by the architect, strong consideration should be given to utilizing the primary building facade to accomplish screening. In addition, roof-mounted equipment will be placed and finished in a manner which minimizes its visibility from overhead views from nearby buildings and elevated thoroughfare sections. 1. Overall screening height will be the height of the highest element of roof- .. mounted equipment. 2. The exposed side of the screening device, if independent of the building facade, will be finished in a matching color to the color of the building facade, trim, or roof surface, whichever color is more effective in minimizing the visibility of the equipment and screen from ground level. 3. When visible from the property lines and/or public rights-of-way, roof color will be architecturally compatible with building color. 4. To the greatest extent possible, roof-mounted equipment will be placed in a linear and/or grid configuration except for normal plumbing vents or flues. 7 5. Satellite Dishes, antennas and cellular equipment shall be screened, as practical, from R.O.W. and adjacent properties. However, monopole facilities will be permitted within this corridor if these facilities are mounted on a structure or on an existing pole, such as a light standard. FIGURE 5A FIGURE 511 F. Tlfilifie_q The primary goal of this sub-section is to minimize the visual impact of overhead utility wires and their poles within a site. 8 1. It is encouraged, that to the extend practical, all utilities, including, but not limited to, electrical, gas, and telephone will be placed underground subject to the following provisions; a) At the time that a property is developed, all electrical service lines, on-site, shall be placed underground. b) Feeder lines may either be placed underground, or along the rear property line, preferably along Memorial Drive. c) If not practical to place feeder lines underground, then metal poles (vs. wood) shall be used and these poles shall also be used for street light fixtures. d) Nothing herein will be construed as requiring the City of The Colony or the utility company to bear the increased cost of underground utility placement recommended by these Development Guidelines (as compared to the cost of overhead placement). 2. Utility meters and other utility apparatus, including but not limited to transformers, will be located to the rear of the structure unless adequately screened from view of public streets and adjoining properties. Adequately screened from view will be defined as not only screening but also the utilization of landscaping and other site elements to dish-act, soften or interrupt the view of the casual observer toward the goal of balancing the negative aesthetic impact of the appurtenance without interference with the safe operation and maintenance of the equipment being screened. 3. Wall-mounted equipment, including meters (such as banks of electric meters on the rear or side wall of multi-tenant buildings), will be screened from public streets by one of the following methods. All screening provided will meet clearances required by affected utility companies. a. Landscaping, including trees or evergreen shrubbery. b. Masonry walls in conjunction with landscaping. c. Wall-mounted screening devices such as cabinets or partitions which are architecturally compatible with the facade. 9 IV. LANDSCAPING NOTE: THE CITY OF THE COLONY'S EXISTING LANDSCAPE REQUIREMENTS ARE FAIRLY COMPREHENSIVE AND 7HE. o~./FORE MINIMUM ADDITIONAL REQUDLEMENTS ARE INCLUDED HEREIN. HOWEVER,, CONDITION A.]. IS INTENDED TO REPLACE THE INSTAI. J..47'ION OF TREES AS REQUIRED IN SECTION J7-104(C)I.A,B,AND C OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE. EVEN THOUGH THE ZONING ORDINANCE IS MORE RESTRICTIVE THAN THE REQUIREMENTS HF-~EIN, TFIE REQUIREMENT IN THE ZONING ORDINANCE HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED TO NOT BE ACHIEVABLE FOR MOST DEVELOPMENTS.) A. Street Tree.q/I ~andqaape Buffer Area~ The following provisions require landscape buffers be installed between all street fights-of-way and pfivate property. It is not the intent of these regulations to require a uniform buffer width along the street frontages. These regulations in combination with the street trees as recommended in IV.A.3, and the berms, shrubs and/or wall as proposed for parking lot screening in IV.C. 1 of these Development Guidelines, will encourage in a variety of buffer widths, berming configurations and plant groupings along the street frontages. It is the intent of this provision to require a wider buffer depth where parking is provided head-in and adjacent to the street R.O.W. Where there is no parking in front of the building or if a driveway separates the parking from the street R.O.W., the buffer width may be reduced to the minimum allowed. Note: along all major thoroughfares in the City of The Colony, a minimum parkway of 14' in width is required, therefore this landscape buffer herein incorporated will be in addition to the parkway. 1. A landscape buffer with a minimum width of 20 feet and a minimum average width of 30' should be provided adjacent to the right-of-way line of S.H. 121. This landscape buffer strip is exclusive of the street parkway. 2. A landscape buffer stfip with a minimum width of 10 feet and a minimum average width of 20' should be provided adjacent to the fight-of-way line of all other dedicated streets. This landscape buffer strip is exclusive of the street parkway. 3. Trees shall be installed at a rate of one (1) large street tree for every forty feet (40') of frontage in the landscape buffer strip. These trees may be either uniformly spaced or may be clustered depending on overall landscape 10 design. In order to provide identity and character to this corridor, a minimum of 50% of the street trees should be Live Oak Trees and a maximum of 25 % of the trees shall be of another variety of Oak Trees, except for Pin Oak, the remaining 25 % of the trees shall be selected from other trees on the Recommended Plant List. These trees shall be three (3) inch caliper at time of planting. Figure 6 S/4./7/~e.o./d'. ~ B. Site T~andqc~ping 1. Minimum Percentage: A minimum percentage of each site will be landscaped, according to the following requirements. Landscaped areas, will include all outside plantable ground surfaco including buffers, parking lot landscaping, and other landscaped areas. It will not include areas inside buildings or any paved or hard surfaced areas such as walks, drives, parking areas, and hard surfaced recreation areas. All landscaped areas will be planted with trees, shrubs, lawn and/or other living ground cover. a. Industrial and Commercial Sites: A minimum of ten (10) percent of the platted area of each site will be landscaped. b. Office Sites: A minimum of fifteen (15) percent of the platted area of each site will be landscaped. c. Retail Sites: A minimum of ten (10) percent of the platted area of each site will be landscaped. 11 The intent of this regulation is to obscure the view of parking areas from adjacent rights-of-way and properties. 1. A landscape feature including a combination of walls, berms, and evergreen shrubs shall be used to screen the parking areas from the street R.O.W. The minimum screening height shall be 24 inches. The use of berming is recommended to be in combination with wall and/or shrubs along each street frontage. It is the intent of this regulation that these screening devices will be intermixed, whereas, the berm may discontinuous and/or in a serpentine design with evergreen shrubs and/or low walls interspersed. (Refer to Figure 6). a. Evergreen shrubs shall be a minimum of 24 inches in height at the time of planting and if utilized as an integral part of the screening, (instead of ornamental) these shrubs shall be placed triangularly no greater than forty-eight (48) inches on center. b. Berms shall achieve an average height of 24 inches, with a maximum slope of 3:1. c. Wall, when used in combination with berming shall achieve a minimum height of three (3) feet. D. Irri~ntion All landscaped areas will have fully automated underground irrigation systems. E. Other I nndqaane Recnmmendntionq 1. Large trees as defined by these Development Guidelines will be a minimum of three (3) inches in caliper at the time of planting. Small trees as def'med by this Ordinance will be planted a minimum of eight (8) feet in height. 2. All landscape areas will be protected by a monolithic curb. 3. Landscape areas will be no less than four (4) feet wide and minimum of thirty-two (32) square feet in area. 12 Recommended Plant l.iRt 1. Large Trees: Austrian Pine American Elm Sweetgum Texas Ash Southern Magnolia Chinese Pistachio Aristocrat Pear (Pistache) (first choice) lapanese Black Pine Bradford Pear Bald Cypress (second choice) Texas Ash Live Oak Bur Oak Eastern Red Cedar Red Oak (especially good for mass screening) 2. Small Trees: Yaupon Holly Mexican Plum Crape Myrtle Possum Haw Purple Plum Cherry Laurel Washington Hawthorne Nellie R. Stevens Holly, Wax Myrtle in tree form Red Bud 3. Evergreen Shrubs: Red Tip Photinia Burford Holly Nellie R. Stevens Holly Abella Elaeagnus 4. Ground Cover: Asian lasmine Honeysuckle English Ivy Boston Ivy Lh'iope Monkey Grass Virginia Creeper Vinca 5. Prohibited Trees: Pecan Silver Maple Hackberry Green Ash Arizona Ash Mulberry Sycamore Willow Pin Oak 13 V. GLARE AND H~LUMINATION Regulations on Glare and Illumination are set forth to achieve a balance between the need for safety, security and aesthetics of building and its site features and the potential negative effects that its illumination has on adjoining properties. While not mandatory and due to the changing technology within the lighting industry, certain types of lighting are suggested for certain applications, such as: Large Area Security Lighting: metal halide mercury vapor Small Area Security Lighting metal halide mercury vapor fluorescent Walkways: incandescent fluorescent metal halide mercury vapor Accent Lighting: neon fibre optics incandescent fluorescent metal halide mercury vapor Exterior of Large Buildings: high pressure sodium Exterior of Small Buildings: high pressure sodium incandescent fluorescent metal halide mercury vapor The intent of this mixture is to eliminate the monotony of a single type of lighting while utilizing types that enhance the appearance of the surfaces and objects being illuminated. 14 A. Glare 1. Any use will be operated so as not to produce glare or direct illumination across the bounding property line from a visible source of illumination of such intensity as to create a nuisance or detract from the use or enjoyment of adjacent property. 2. All outside lights will be made up of a light source and reflector so selected that acting together the light beam is conU:olled and not directed across any bounding property line above a height of three (3) feet at a maximum intensity of 0.5 foot candles. B. Parking l.nt and I~nading Area I.ighting 1. The mounting height of luminary fixtures will not exceed the following heights: Minimnm r)imen.qlon Maximum T.nminary. of Parking Area Monntlng lq'elght 0 - 60 feet 14 feet 61 - 196 feet 20 feet 197 or greater feet 30 feet 2. Standards, poles and fixture housings will be of a single color, compatible with the architecture of the building. 3. All lighting fixtures will be restricted to down-light or cut-off types. 4. Low-pressure sodium lighting or lighting of similar color will not be used. C. Walkway l.ighting 1. The mounting height of luminary fixtures will not exceed 12 feet. 2. Pole and wall-mounted fixtures mounted above 8 feet will be of a down- light or cut-off type. 15 1. Lighting may be used to highlight landscape elements, building entries other important architectural elements, and site elements such as opaque signage, fountains and sculptures. 2. Lighting will be concealed or otherwise positioned in such a manner that the light source cannot be seen from any property line of the site on which the light is located. E. Security. IJghting 1. Pole and wall-mounted fixtures mounted 6 feet or more above surrounding grade will be of a down-light or cut-off type. 2. If a rear yard security light is mounted higher than 10 feet, it will be placed at the property line and directed away from adjacent properties. F. lx~w Voltage I.i~htin~ The use of residential quality low voltage systems is prohibited except in the strictest interpretation of accent lighting of selected site features and elements. VI. TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT STANDARDS The goal of the following design guidelines are to increase the capacity of the street system in this area. Contained herein are recommendations for the widening of intersections to accommodate various additional turn lanes, as well as including wider thru lanes and medians. Also included are reccommendations for various design guidelines such as increasing the spacing between median openings and driveways which should ultimately result in increased service volumes on area thoroughfare and streets. In the event that the City of The Colony adopts Traffic Management Standards which are different to those contained herein, the Citywide Traffic Management Standards will apply within this corridor. 16 CITY OF THE COLONY THOROUGHFARE DESIGN STANDARDS (~) (~) (~) (~) (~) (~) ;(~) (~) (~) eD-A & 12 2 ~ 12 32 ~ J 1~ 1~4 I~ 22D 32~ 4~-~ 4 12 2 12 32 ~ i 2~ ~ 12~ n; 22D 17 INTERSECTIONS FA CIU TY T'rPE $ T ~-~ 22~ ~2~ ~D-~ 22~ 2U-~ 150 THOROUGHFARE DESIGN STANDARDS I~.~~:. ,~ (~u.,,~.~.) ,.'~o~-~.~wc 18 VII. DEFINITIONS ]~tilding: Any structure intended for shelter, housing or enclosure for persons, animals or chattel. Dividing walls without openings within a structure (separate lease spaces) will not be deemed a separate building for purposes of these Development Guidelines. · l:hfilding; Main: A building in which is conducted the principal use of the lot on which it is situated. · Caliper: The diameter of a tree trunk will be measured at will be measured at twelve (12) inches above ground level. If a tree is a multi-trunk variety, the caliper of the tree is the sum of one-half the total of all trunks less than l~h'' and the total of all other trunks greater than 1%", measured at twelve (12) inches above the ground level. · Commercial Site: A site on which the primary use is a retail, restaurant, service, medical, including other types of non-residential sites not classified as primarily industrial or general office. · De.y_el~me~: The improvement of a site through the construction of infrastructure, buildings or structures. Electrical Transmission Lines: Those major electrical lines which are used to distribute power on a regional/sub-regional basis between electric generating plans and area substations. Transmission lines are generally located on towers and carry currents of 138 KVA or more. · El~trical Di~trihution Linea: These feeder lines which provide service to constructed developments. They generally run from electrical substations to service deliver points at end users, and carry currents of 12.5 -25.0 KVA. · Enhanced Paving: Brick, tile, stone, concrete paving units, or colored, textured concrete, stamped to have the appearance of brick or other individual paving units. 2O · E~.rgreenxghr~: A shrub of a variety identified by the Plant List as an evergreen shrub. · Ground ecover: Plants of species which normally reach a height of less than three (3) feet upon maturity, installed in such a manner so as to form a continuous cover over the ground. · l-lighly Reflec. five Ola.~.q: Glass with an exterior reflectance percentage of 27% or more of available visible light energy reflected away from the exterior surface of the glass. · Tndn.qtrial Sim: A site on which the primary use is an industrial or manufacturing use, where out door storage as well as loading and unloading of commercial vehicles may be a part of the day to day function of the business. Industrial uses may include warehouse, office/warehouse, distribution centers, manufacturing, or combinations of those uses. · I~and~ea? Area: Any area which is permeable and capable of supporting living organic ornamental or native plant mater/al, or waterscape. The landscape area must support trees, tuff, ground covers, seaspnal color and/or shrubs. · I.and~aape Fluffer: The greenbelt area or landscape area from the front or side property lines adjacent to a dedicated thoroughfare extending a minimum of twenty (20) feet into the lot or tract. · Maqnnry: An exterior facade mater/al such as brick, stone, rock, concrete, concrete block, stucco, marble and glass block. However, if CMU is utilized then it must be textured and shall be painted or otherwise colored. · Ma.qtmry Wall: An exterior wall composed of a singular or a combination of those materials defined as masonry laid up either unit by unit or pre-assembled panels. · Ch~tdoor ~torage Area: The storage of equipment, mater/als, goods, and supplies including the keeping of automobiles, trucks, boats, trailers, buses, and lawn and garden equipment which are not entirely enclosed within a building and which are not on temporary display for the purpose of being immediately available for sale to the public, as a primary activity of the main use of the site. 21 ~ Retail uses are those permitted in the various non-residential zoning districts as defined in the Zoning Ordinance of the City of The Colony, as amended. · S~eening_W~fll: As defined in Section 18-102 of the city of The Colony Zoning Ordinance, ~any screening wall or fence ...... shatl be constructed of masonry or with a concrete or metal frame supporting a permanent masonry type wall material which does not contain openings constituting more than forty (40) square inches in each one (1) square foot of wall or fence surface, and the surface of such wall or fence shall constitute a visual barrier. All wall or fence opening shall be equipped with gates equal in height and screening characteristics to the wall or fence~. Within this Corridor, the planting of various trees and shrubs along the wall are encouraged to soften the view of this fence/screening devise from adjoining properties and public rights-of way. · Site: Any plot, tract or parcel of land or combination of contiguous lots, tracts or parcels of land which is developed (or intended for development) according to an overall site plan. A site will be exclusive of any land dedicated for public use, such as streets, alleys and flood plains but may include mutual access, pedestrian, or utility easements, through the official platting process.