§ 120-23. Village Center principles.

The Village Center is the cultural and commercial hub of the community. The enhancement and preservation of its character are essential elements of the Rhinebeck community and the Hudson Valley. Therefore, zoning in the Village Center will adhere to the following principles:

A. 

New buildings shall be appropriately integrated into the traditional Village fabric.

B. 

The Village Center shall be characterized by a mix of commercial (retail and office) and residential uses that will encourage social interaction and economic activity.

C. 

Outdoor storage or display of merchandise is prohibited, except as permitted in Chapter 89, Outdoor Sales.

D. 

Ground floors shall primarily contain active, publicly accessible uses. Retail uses are encouraged and each retail establishment shall have a minimum of 400 square feet.

E. 

Building height and short setbacks will create the feel of an "outdoor room" so that streets and sidewalks function as the primary public spaces in the community.

F. 

Buildings will typically be located on small lots with small or nonexistent front and side yard setbacks and shall have a minimum footprint of 650 square feet.

G. 

Buildings shall be constructed close to the sidewalk.

H. 

Well-defined crosswalks and well-maintained sidewalks will clearly define pedestrian space.

I. 

Streets shall form a modified grid, or interconnected network. Dead-ends, culs-de-sac and loop roads shall be prohibited unless unusual topography or other physical characteristics of the land make these necessary.

J. 

Multiple routes between destinations (in an interconnected network of streets) shall allow pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists a choice of the most direct or most interesting routes.

K. 

Streets and publicly used spaces shall be designed to accommodate multiple users, including cars, bicycles, pedestrians and persons with disabilities.

L. 

On-street parallel parking, and the planting of street trees between the curb and sidewalk, will be encouraged in order to provide a buffer between moving vehicles, pedestrians and persons with disabilities.

M. 

On-street parallel parking shall be permitted on both sides of the street, unless otherwise prohibited by the agency with jurisdiction over that segment of street.

N. 

Any off-street parking shall generally be located behind buildings, and in the interior of lots.

O. 

Opportunities for municipally controlled parking and/or shared parking arrangements between private entities will be preferred to the fragmentation of the intact Village fabric with large expanses of private parking.

P. 

New construction shall be compatible with general architectural principles common to the existing historic character of the Village Center and the finding, purposes and standard of the Historic District Overlay (§ 120-39A).

Q. 

Well maintained landscape areas and publicly accessible green space shall be integrated into site plans whenever possible.

R. 

Mechanical equipment shall be located and operated so as to minimize visual, auditory or other disruptive impacts on the neighboring properties.