2.7.1. PLANNED DEVELOPMENT (PD).
A. Purpose. The purpose of the planned development zone is to use new and imaginative concepts in urban design and land development to promote and improve the health, safety, and general welfare of the citizens of the City. The intent is to create distinct neighborhoods with unique urban design, commercial areas, employment centers, and amenities beyond those otherwise required by this UDO. Use of this zone district is intended primarily to facilitate mixed-use developments that provide high levels of public features or amenities of benefit to the City or the citizens of Aurora. Many of these developments will have a projected timetable that provides for multi-year build-outs. Areas rezoned to the PD district shall be subject to a Master Plan, which must be approved by City Council at the same time as the rezoning.
B. Eligibility for Rezoning to PD District. An application for rezoning into a Planned Development district may only be accepted for review and consideration if the application meets the following criteria, as determined by the Planning Director:
1. The proposed PD could not be developed using conventional zone districts or standards.
2. The proposed PD zone district includes less than 40 gross acres of land;
3. The proposed PD zone district is not located within ¼ mile of another approved or proposed PD under common or related ownership that that Planning Director determines is part of a common development;
4. No more than 50 percent of the land included in the proposed PD zone district will be occupied by single-family detached or single-family attached dwelling units;
5. No portion of the land included in the proposed PD zone district will be occupied by three- or four-story multifamily dwelling structures without elevator access to upper floors.
6. The proposed PD zone district a minimum of five highly-valued design features, as determined by the Director, including but not limited to features such as: low average block perimeter measurement for the entire development; centralized gathering and recreation spaces of an appropriate size for the entire development; enhanced architectural and streetscape design elements throughout the development; internally and externally connected park, trail, and open space system; Low Impact Development design features throughout the development; solar orientation of building forms and other passive energy-efficient design strategies throughout the development, community-level renewable energy production, district heating and cooling throughout the development, retaining natural landforms throughout the development, and the prevention of fence canyons within and around the perimeter of the entire development.
C. Permitted Uses.
1. Uses shall be allowed only if approved by City Council in a Master Plan. The Master Plan shall specify in detail the permitted, conditional, and prohibited uses for the PD district. For convenience, uses may be described as those permitted or conditionally permitted in another base zone district listed in this UDO, with any exceptions listed.
2. Any use proposed to be allowed by a Master Plan shall only be approved if it conforms with the following:
a. The use is listed in Table 3.2-1 (Permitted Use Table), and is described by the same name.
b. The use is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan and with other plans and policies adopted by City Council applicable to the area where the property is located.
c. The use is compatible with surrounding land uses and zoning.
d. Any expected environmental impacts generated by the use can be mitigated.
e. The use conforms to any use-specific standard for that use listed in Article 146-3.3, unless those standards are varied by the Master Plan.
3. Notwithstanding the provisions of any specific Master Plan, certain uses shall be conditional uses in any Planned Development zone district as follows:
a. Motor vehicle sales, rental, service, and fuel dispensing.
b. Public utility facilities that create visual or land use impacts.
c. Self-storage facility.
d. Drive-up or Drive-through facility.
4. The following uses shall be prohibited from all Planned Development districts:
a. Stockyards and feeding yards.
b. Petroleum refining or natural gas processing.
c. Animal slaughtering.
d. Fat rendering or distillation of bones.
e. Smelting.
f. Explosives manufacture.
g. Radioactive, hazardous, or infectious waste storage and disposal.
D. Development Standards. The Master Plan may specify standards for all aspects of development addressed by this UDO. If not varied by the terms of the Master Plan, development in the PD district shall conform with the standards for that use or type of development in this UDO, including but not limited to building design and architecture, landscaping, parking, signs, fences, noise, historic preservation and other applicable standards. Development standards that do not meet the criteria for approval of PD zone district in Section 146-5.4.1.C.3.c shall result in denial of the proposed PD district.
E. [RESERVED] (Ord. No. 2020-37 § 5, 10-05-2020; Ord. No. 2019-49 § 1, 08-19-2019)