The professional office zone is intended to permit those office and restricted business uses which will provide clean, modern office buildings in a landscaped setting; which will not generate large volumes of traffic, traffic congestion and parking problems; and which will promote the most desirable use of land in accordance with the township master plan as described for local commercial areas. Office uses are also intended to serve as a transition between lower intensity residential uses and higher intensity commercial and industrial uses.

1.

Business, professional and governmental offices including executive, administrative, professional, accounting, real estate, clerical, stenographic and drafting. This shall not be construed to eliminate offices of recognized manufacturer's agents; provided that no display will be in an exterior show window and the total area devoted to display, including both the objects displayed and the floor space set aside for persons observing the displayed objects, shall not exceed fifteen (15) percent of usable floor space of the establishment.

2.

Professional offices of a medical doctor, osteopath, chiropractor, podiatrist, dentist, optometrist, architect, lawyer, professional engineer, land surveyor, etc.

3.

Medical or dental centers and clinics but not for the care or boarding of a person on an around-the-clock basis.

4.

Medical or dental laboratories that provide testing services or provide medical or dental devices, such as artificial limbs, organs, teeth, etc.

5.

Financial establishments such as banks, credit unions, savings and [loan] associations.

6.

Any use which has as its primary function basic research, design or product development, including industrial, scientific, or business research, development and testing laboratories, provided that there are no physical or chemical byproducts produced as a result of such uses.

7.

Training and/or education facilities, including facilities designed and intended to provide training at the business, technical and/or professional level.

8.

There shall be no outdoor storage of goods and materials, irrespective of whether or not they are for sale. There shall be no more than twenty (20) percent of the gross floor area used for indoor storage of goods.

9.

Office uses determined by the planning commission to be similar to the above.

Any use customarily incidental to the permitted principal use.

The following uses shall be permitted only after special approval is granted by the planning commission in accordance with the procedures, requirements and standards set forth in this section and in Article 30, and subject to any conditions imposed by the planning commission:

1.

Drugstores, florists, gift stores, bookstores, art galleries, personal services and small retail businesses.

Such uses shall be part of an office building or complex and shall enhance the character and function of the district.

2.

Public utility buildings, telephone exchange buildings, electric transformer stations and substations, municipal pumping stations and gas regulator stations.

a.

No outside storage or service yards shall be permitted.

b.

All such structures shall be at a scale and have an exterior appearance compatible with the area.

1.

Minimum lot area: Without public water and sanitary sewer, one (1) acre; with public water and sanitary sewer, six thousand (6,000) square feet.

2.

Minimum lot width: For one (1) acre and larger, one hundred fifty (150) feet; for lots smaller than one (1) acre, one hundred (100) feet.

3.

Maximum ground floor lot coverage: Thirty (30) percent.

4.

Minimum yards (setbacks):

Front: Fifty (50) feet.

Side, least one (1): Twenty (20) feet.

Side, total two (2): Forty (40) feet.

Rear: Fifty (50) feet.

5.

Maximum height: Two (2) stories or thirty-five (35) feet.

6.

Other major regulations applicable to this district can be found in Article 4, General Provisions, including the wall requirements in Section 4.25, and Article 26, Off-Street Parking and Loading Regulations.

7.

All structures shall be set back twenty-five (25) feet from all natural feature areas as defined in Article 2 of this ordinance. For site plan applications which require planning commission approval, this setback may be reduced by the planning commission. Individual requests for reduction of the setback may only be granted as a variance from the township zoning board of appeals. Both bodies, in approving a reduction in the setback, shall determine that it is clearly in the public interest. In determining whether the setback reduction is in public interest, the benefit which would reasonably be expected to accrue from the proposed development shall be balanced against the reasonably foreseeable detriments to the natural features. Docks, piers, decks, boardwalks, or seawalls may be located within the natural feature setback.

In accordance with Article 29, site plan approval shall be required for all principal and special approval uses permitted in the district.

An environmental impact study may be required by the planning commission or the township board as part of the required site plan review process and subject to the provisions of Section 4.45, Environmental impact statement requirements.