Development Standards for Commercial Development

Lot Size. Lot size shall be as follows:The minimum lot or parcel area which may be created in a Neighborhood Commercial District shall be 6,000 square feet.The minimum lot or parcel area which may be created in a General Commercial District shall be 8,500 square feet.Any existing legal lot or parcel of record as of September 1, 1972 that is smaller than the required size may be developed for commercial use.Lot or parcel area shall be calculated in accordance with Sec. 8-4.6(b).Setback Requirements. Setback requirements shall be as follows:Minimum Distances from Property Lines.The minimum distance of any building from the right-of-way line of a public or private street or the pavement line of a driveway or parking lot used by the public shall be five feet unless the building is entered from that side by motor vehicles in which case the minimum distance shall be 15 feet.The minimum distance of any building to a side property line when the adjacent use district is commercial shall be zero. When the adjacent use district is other than commercial, the minimum distance to the property line shall be the same as that required for residential use.The minimum distance of any building to a rear property line when adjacent use district is commercial shall be zero. When the adjacent rear use district is other than commercial, the minimum distance to the rear property line shall be 10 feet.Minimum Distance Between Buildings. The minimum distance between detached buildings on the same parcel shall be 15 feet for each story over two, or 1/2 the total height of the highest building, whichever is greater.Parcel Dimension Requirements. No parcel shall be created unless:It has a minimum frontage on a public street of 60 feet in a Neighborhood Commercial District and 100 feet in a General Commercial District;The average depth of the parcel is not greater than four times its average width; andThe minimum average width is 60 feet in a Neighborhood Commercial District and 100 feet in a General Commercial District.Driveways and Parking Areas. Driveways and parking areas shall be as follows:The minimum driveway width in Commercial Districts shall be 20 feet if there is two-way traffic and 14 feet if there is one-way traffic.Parking areas shall conform to standards of design and construction established by the County Engineer, provided that:No parking lot pavement edge may be located closer than five feet from the right-of-way line of a public street;No part of parked vehicles shall protrude into that setback;All parking lots shall be screened from public thoroughfares by a fence, wall or plant screen not less than four feet high, provided that the screening height shall be lowered to the standards as required under the County Traffic Code or to the standards of the Department of Public Works, at street corners, driveway intersections, and other locations. The setback area between the parking area paving and the public right-of-way shall be planted and shall not be paved.Off-Street Parking. The following requirements shall apply to commercial development in the Commercial District and any other district in which such uses are permitted or allowed:General retail sales and services where sales or business transactions normally involve the presence of consumers but do not establish capacity by seating: one parking space for each 300 square feet of gross floor space plus one space for every three employees, but not less than four spaces shall be required. This category includes, but is not limited to, grocery stores, drug stores, clothing stores, gift and sundry stores, banks, personal and household services.Retail sales and services where the capacity is established by seating: one parking space for each 200 square feet of gross floor space plus one space for every three employees, but not less than four spaces shall be required. This category includes, but is not limited to, restaurants, bars, cabarets, barber and beauty shops.Offices and office buildings: one parking space for every 200 square feet of net office space and waiting rooms or other spaces used by the public for the transaction of business or services, but not less than two parking spaces shall be required. This category includes, but is not limited to, general business offices, medical and dental offices.Churches, sport arenas, auditoriums, theaters, assembly halls and the like: one parking space for each eight seats in principal assembly room.Artisans markets I & II and farmers markets I & II: one (1) parking space for every 1,000 square feet of market area. These designated off-street artisans and farmers market parking spaces can be provided by unmarked grass or gravel areas with the equivalent size to accommodate the respective required parking spaces.The Planning Director shall determine the distribution of requirements for any particular use or combination of uses and may increase parking requirements when particular uses or locations occur in areas where unusual traffic congestion or conditions exist or are projected.In cases where the provision of off-street parking to meet these requirements is not feasibly consistent with the parcel size or location, the applicant may be allowed to meet these requirements at any other location within 200 feet of the parcel where the use is proposed, provided that the requisite number of parking spaces at the location are under the control of the applicant and are devoted exclusively to parking uses in connection with the commercial development for which the application is made; and provided further, that a recorded easement or other interest is created in the land at the other location that assures permanent use of the other location for parking purposes.Height Limitations. Height limitations shall be as follows:No building within a General Commercial District shall exceed 50 feet in height, measured from the ground level of the primary building entrance.No building within a Neighborhood Commercial District shall exceed 35 feet in height measured from the ground level of the primary building entrance nor shall the building contain more than two stories.Lot Coverage. Lot coverage shall be as follows:The amount of land coverage created, including buildings and pavement, shall not exceed 80% of the lot or parcel area within a Neighborhood Commercial District.The amount of land coverage created, including buildings and pavement, shall not exceed 90% of the lot or parcel area within a General Commercial District.No single retail or wholesale establishment within a General Commercial District or within a Neighborhood Commercial District may occupy more than 75,000 gross square feet in floor area. The gross square feet in floor area of any retail or wholesale establishment within 800 feet of each other, regardless of whether they are attached or detached, shall be aggregated in cases where the stores:Are engaged in the selling of similar or related goods, wares or merchandise and are operated under common management; orShare check-out counters, storage areas, or warehouse facilities; orAre owned, leased, possessed or otherwise controlled, in any manner, by the same individual(s) or business or non-business entity(ies); orOtherwise operate as associated, integrated or cooperative business enterprises.All uncovered areas shall be landscaped with living plant material.Waste Collection Areas. Waste collection areas shall be enclosed.Sewers. All commercial development accessible to a public sewer shall provide for adequate sanitary sewer facilities in accordance with standards established by the Department of Health. In developments not accessible to public sewers, a private sewage disposal system shall be provided that meets the requirements of the Department of Public Works and the requirements of Chapter 57 of the Public Health Regulations of the State Department of Health.Public Access. The Planning Commission may require the dedication of adequate public access ways not less than 10 feet in width to publicly-owned land or waters and may require the preservation of all historic and archaeological sites, known or discovered on the parcel subject to development.