548 - 550 - 552 Joyce Street

 
 

All 3 Properties are listed as non-improved vacant land. They do not look vacant to me.  

 
     
 

 
     
 

§ 210-27.1.     Front yards.

F.   In the CD and CDA Districts, the minimum front yard building setback is twenty (20) feet. Off-street parking is permitted in the front yard, provided that no such parking is nearer than ten (10) feet to the front street property line and that such ten (10) foot strip is planted and landscaped and maintained, except for necessary drives

 
 

210-33.3.5c

(5)    Off-street parking in nonresidential districts.

Every parcel of land hereafter established as a public or private parking area in any C, CD, or CDA District or hereafter enlarged or altered shall be developed and maintained in accordance with the following requirements:

 (c)   The off-street parking area shall be subject to the approval of the Planning Board to ensure its adequacy in relation to traffic safety, lighting and protection of the adjacent property.

 
  210-27.3d     Where a nonresidential use in a CD or CDA District abuts a residential district, a buffer strip shall be provided having a minimum width of fifteen (15) feet for the full length of the abutment and shall be landscaped to such a degree so as to provide a visual screen between the two (2) parcels. No parking, loading or storage shall be permitted in the required buffer area  
  NOTE on :  210-27.3. as referenced above is the closest reference that can be found in regards to the situation at hand where commercial abuts residential. This is actually referring to commercial and residential districts.

In the case at hand the exact protection for the residential property is provided by the planning board (as seen in 210-33.3.5c above) during the change of use and application process from a vacant lot to a parking lot and that's what should have happened in the first place. So, either the buffer strip guidelines as shown above should be followed or the property owner should be required to properly file for the change of use, apply for the proper permits, and provide the proper engineering and site plan for review by the planning board (which should require similar buffer zone and screening anyway) just like everyone else has to.

 
     
 

 
 

The paved parking lot (closest 2 lines of cars) and the garage type building on the second lot (with one line of cars in front of it) that is shown are listed with the City of Orange as Vacant Unimproved Land, even the one with  the building!  No change of use or parking lot applications have ever been filed for, approved, or use granted for any of the lots including the 3rd lot. (furthest away line of cars)

 
 

 
     
 

 
 

 

 
 
 

 
 
     
 

 
     
  The trash and oil containers (as seen in the photo at the top of the page) have no screening, are in the front yard setback (or what should be the front yard setback) , and have no business being in a "vacant Lot" just like everything else in that lot without a site plan and change of use approval from the planning board. Also trash pickup and the noise it creates at 4-5 AM is annoying and Illegal!