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Sec. 8. Office-residential district (OR). Statement of purpose. The purpose of the office-residential district is to provide for the orderly transition of older residential areas along major traffic arteries to low-intensity nonresidential uses and multifamily housing. The conversion of existing properties from residential to nonresidential use should occur in a manner which preserves the architectural character of the neighborhood, provides controlled traffic access and adequate parking and protects adjoining residential neighborhoods from undesirable impacts. Applicability. The standards of the office-residential district shall apply to all land shown on the "Official Zoning Map of the City of Lewiston" as being located within an office-residential district. Permitted uses. In an office-residential district, any new building or structure which is constructed, any existing building or structure or part thereof which is used, altered or enlarged and any parcel of land, whether in whole or in part, may be used for one or more of the following: Single-family detached dwellings; Two-family dwellings; Single-family attached dwellings; Multifamily dwellings; Boarding houses (up to nine persons); Tourist homes containing not more than eight lodging units for rental; Mixed residential developments; Fraternal and philanthropic organizations; In-law apartments in accordance with the standards of article XII; (10) Religious facilities including churches, synagogues and other houses of worship, rectories and parsonages and church-affiliated community purpose facilities; (11) Professional offices; (12) Office buildings and business offices; (13) Tradesman's offices; (14) Veterinary facilities; (15) Mortuary or funeral parlor; (16) Hospitals, medical clinics and related facilities; (17) Nursing or convalescent homes; (18) Home occupations; (19) Accessory buildings and uses. ---PAGE BREAK--- (20) Lodging houses (up to nine units); (21) Family day care home; (22) Photography studios; (23) Forest management and timber harvesting activities in accordance with the standards of article XII; (24) Small day care facilities; (25) Day care centers; (26) Group care facilities. Conditional uses. In an office-residential district, any new building or structure which is constructed, any existing building or structure or part thereof which is used, altered or enlarged and any parcel of land, whether in whole or in part, may be used for one or more of the following uses only after the issuance of a conditional use permit in accordance with article X of this Code: Private or commercial schools including business colleges; Academic institutions, including buildings or structures for classroom, administrative, laboratory, art, theater, dining, service, library, bookstore and student recreational uses, together with buildings accessory to the foregoing permitted principal buildings or structures; Student dormitories; Reservoirs, pumping stations, standpipes or other water supply uses involving facilities located on or above the ground surface; Transformer stations, high voltage power transmission lines, substations, telephone exchanges, microwave towers or other public utility or communications use; Public or private facilities for nonintensive outdoor recreation; Municipal buildings and facilities; Beauty shops, barber shops and shoe repair shops; Fitness and recreational sports centers as listed under North American Industry Classification System Code 713940. Space and bulk standards. TABLE INSET: ! ---PAGE BREAK--- " $ & # & ) # # # # $ Additional standards. The use of an existing building or structure shall be changed to another allowed use only if there is adequate off-street parking to meet the requirements of article XII for the new use without variation. The enlargement of an existing building or structure shall be permitted only if the entire project will comply with the off-street parking requirements of article XII upon completion of the expansion. Fifty percent of the area between the required front yard and the front wall of the portion of the building or structure closest to the street and running the full width of that portion of the building shall not be used for parking and shall be maintained as additional yard area, except that access roads or drives and sidewalks are permitted in this area. In areas where the existing buildings have an established uniform setback relationship to the street, any new building or modification to an existing building shall maintain this established relationship notwithstanding the provisions of subsection An established uniform setback relationship is deemed to exist when the distances between the front face of the building and the edge of the ---PAGE BREAK--- travel way in the adjoining street for the two adjacent parcels fronting on the same street on each side of the subject parcel are within five feet of mean of this distance for the four parcels. For the purposes of this provision, lots shall be deemed to be adjacent even if separated by a street or public easement. Any required side or yard area for uses other than residential located within 50 feet of a lot containing a dwelling or a residential zoning district shall be maintained as a buffer area meeting the standards of article XIII. Modifications (ie. relaxation of standards) of setbacks, yards, maximum lot coverage ratios, maximum impervious surface ratios, minimum open space ratios, and maximum building height as contained in subsection may be granted by the board of appeals, planning board, staff review committee and the code enforcement official pursuant to articles V, VII, VIII, IX, and XIII of this Code except those properties as noted in subsection The land on the on the east side of Main Street from Brooks Avenue to the Russell Street overpass, including 579 Main Street and 15-18 Pettingill Street, is subject to the following additional standards: a. Modifications of the space and bulk standards contained in subsection may not be granted by the board of appeals, planning board, staff review committee or code enforcement officials. Modifications of the space and bulk standards contained in subsection may not be granted by granted by the board of appeals, planning board, staff review committee or code enforcement officials, with the exception of side and rear yards where the abutting use is nonresidential. b. In all cases, trees on the entire site with a diameter of greater than six inches shall be preserved unless removal is necessary for development activity as determined by the appropriate reviewing authority. c. The front yard must be planted with deciduous street trees (not including flowering ornamental trees) at intervals of 15 to 30 feet on center, shall have a minimum two and one-half-inch caliber, and shall be at least eight to 12 feet high at the time of planting. Existing impervious front yard areas must be revegetated to these standards, when a property is subject to development review. d. Each premises is permitted one freestanding ground sign not exceed 72 square feet. Each business entity is permitted a wall sign not to exceed five percent of the ground floor principal facade area of that business or a minimum of 16 square feet, whichever is greater. Ground signs are encouraged to be pedestal type ground signs not exceeding eight feet in height. e. Access is prohibited onto Brooks Avenue, with the exception of single-family homes. f. The following design standards are encouraged for any project subject to development review; however, may be waived by the appropriate reviewing authority due to site limitations and the nature of the development: ---PAGE BREAK--- Off-street parking is to be located on the side and rear of buildings; Any new development or renovations shall generally relate in design features to the surrounding building, showing respect for the local context of Main Street, as seen from Holland Street to Montello Street; Gable or hipped roofs should be used to the greatest extent possible with any new development or renovations. Flat and shed style are roofs are discouraged, unless architectural features are applied to minimize the roofs appearance from Main Street false fronts, parapets, etc.) Shared driveway entrances shall be encouraged with adjacent sites, in order to minimize curb cuts. Additional landscaping, buffering, and screening is encouraged to minimize views of parking areas from streets and abutting properties. (Ord. No. 89-3, 4-7-89; Ord. No. 90-3, 5-17-90; Ord. No. 90-11, 10-4-90; Ord. No. 91-8, 10-3-91; Ord. No. 92-18, 9-10-92; Ord. No. 92-27, 11-19-92; Ord. No. 97-7, 9-11-97; Ord. No. 98-6, 7-2-98; Ord. No. 99-9, 4-15-99; Ord. No. 00-19, 10-5-00; Ord. No. 00-27, 1-11-01; Ord. No. 04-19, 7-15-04)