Morrisville Unified Development Ordinance – September 2018

Article 5: Development Standards Section 5.13. Screening 5.13.1. Screening of Exterior Mechanical Equipment

(Ord. No. 2016-001, 05/10/2016) B. Screening Standards

Roof-Mounted Mechanical Equipment

Mechanical equipment mounted on the roof of a building shall be screened from line of sight of adjacent streets, sidewalks, and greenways by a parapet wall, freestanding screen wall, or similar device. a. The screening shall incorporate materials, colors, and design that are visually consistent with the building’s architectural design. b. The height of the screening shall equal or exceed that of the mechanical equipment being screened. Ground- or Wall-Mounted Mechanical Equipment Mechanical equipment mounted on or near ground-level or on a building wall shall be screened from line of sight of adjacent streets, sidewalks, and greenways by any combination of adjacent buildings and durable and sight-obscuring walls, or in residential developments only, dense continuous hedges. (See Figure 5.13.1.B.2: Screening of Ground-Mounted Mechanical Equipment.) a. Screening walls shall incorporate at

Figure 5.13.1.B.1: Screening of Roof-Mounted Mechanical Equipment

least one of the primary materials of the nearest wall of the primary structure on the lot. b. The height of the screening walls, fences, or hedges shall equal or exceed that of the mechanical equipment being screened. Deviation of Standards The Planning Director may approve deviations from the screening standards in this subsection on making one or more of the following findings: a. The deviation is necessary to comply with overriding life safety requirements or other regulations. b. The design of the proposed building and/or mechanical equipment is equally or more effective in mitigating the negative impacts of the mechanical equipment as the required screening. c. The required screening itself creates a greater negative impact that the mechanical equipment it is intended to screen. Figure 5.13.1.B.2: Screening of Ground-Mounted Mechanical Equipment.

September 25, 2018

Morrisville, NC

Page 5-132

Unified Development Ordinance