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Alamo City Zoning Code

CHAPTER 17

DT DOWNTOWN DISTRICT

10-17-1: PURPOSE AND INTENT:

The Downtown District (DT) aims to create a more vibrant and walkable downtown Alamo. The city wants to achieve this by allowing a mix of uses, including commercial, financial, professional, and cultural activities. This encourages a compact arrangement of businesses and buildings. The DT also promotes housing options that are conveniently located near shopping and workplaces. (Ord. 228-03-26, 3-3-2026)

10-17-2: LAND USE:

The land uses that are permitted, prohibited, and allowed by conditional use permit shall be governed by the Land Use Tables in Chapter 22 (10-22) of this title. Conditional use permits shall also be governed by Chapter 20 (10-20) of this title. The provisions of said chapter are summarized below:
   A.   Permitted Uses:
      1.   Accessory Buildings & Uses; Non-Residential
      2.   Accessory Buildings & Uses; Residential
      3.   Automobile Repair Garage
      4.   Automobile Sales & Accompanying Facilities
      5.   Banks
      6.   Bed & Breakfast
      7.   Billiard or Pool Hall
      8.   Clinic
      9.   Dance Hall
      10.   Garage, Public
      11.   Hospitals
      12.   Hotel
      13.   Ice Retail Distributing Stations; No Manufacturing
      14.   Job Printing
      15.   Laundries
      16.   Laundromats
      17.   Lodge Halls
      18.   Medical Offices, General
      19.   Mobile Home, Single
      20.   Mortuaries
      21.   Movies, Cinema, and/or Performing Arts Center
      22.   Multifamily Dwelling, Apartment
      23.   Multifamily Dwelling, Duplex
      24.   Multifamily Dwelling, Fourplex
      25.   Multifamily Dwelling, Townhouse
      26.   Multifamily Dwelling, Triplex
      27.   Personal Services
      28.   Plant Cleaning & Pressing
      29.   Playgrounds
      30.   Public Parks
      31.   Radio Repair/Sales Shop
      32.   Radio Studies
      33.   Real Estate Offices
      34.   Recreation, Private
      35.   Recreation, Public
      36.   Restaurants
      37.   Retail, Consumption
      38.   Retail, Stores/Shops
      39.   Single Family Dwelling; Existing before April 1,1995
      40.   Skating Rink
   B.   Permitted, provided additional requirements are met:
      1.   Condominiums.
         a.   All townhouse condominiums; requires require recorded OCRs to perpetually maintain the common elements in such a condominium regime.
      2.   Outdoor Sales:
         a.   Outdoor sales shall be subject to title 3, chapter 11 of this code.
      3.   Parking Lots, Surface; Non-Residential:
         a.   Pursuant to 10-17-7 (B).
      4.   Parking Lots, Surface; Residential:
         a.   Pursuant to 10-17-7 (B)
      5.   Retail, Other:
         a.   Stores and shops shall be for the sale of products at retail only.
      6.   Signs:
         a.   Pursuant to Chapter 10-17-8 of this code.
   C.   Conditional Uses:
      1.   Alcoholic Sales, On-Site Consumption
      2.   Bars & Nightclubs
      3.   Vendor Markets
      4.   Mobile Food Vendor(s)
      5.   Neighborhood Bars
      6.   Parking Structure, Non-Residential
      7.   Parking Structure, Residential
      8.   RV Residency, Temporary Religious
(Ord. 228-03-26, 3-3-2026)

10-17-3: AREA:

There shall be no minimum lot area or width. (Ord. 228-03-26, 3-3-2026)

10-17-4: SETBACKS:

   A.   Minimum Setback: Except for the minimum 5' rear building setback, there shall be no minimum setback requirements. Buildings may be constructed up to the property line. However, no building or structure shall be located within any easement or right-of-way. Also, on corner lots, there shall be a minimum 10' corner side yard building setback.
   B.   Maximum Setback: For all new construction, the maximum setback from the public street right- of-way shall be zero feet (O’). This mandate requires the front building facade of all new development to be situated on the front property line abutting the public right-of-way. The intention of this mandate is to create a consistent and walkable streetscape with a solid continuous line of buildings along the street. (Ord. 228-03-26, 3-3-2026)

10-17-5: FRONTAGE:

A minimum of half (50%) of each property’s frontage along public rights-of-way shall be covered by the primary structure.
(Ord. 228-03-26, 3-3-2026)

10-17-6: HEIGHT:

There shall be no height regulation with the exception that structures greater than 45 feet shall require conditional use permit approval where special emphasis will be given to full compliance to prevailing Fire and Life Safety regulations. (Ord. 228-03-26, 3-3-2026)

10-17-7: PARKING:

   A.   The Downtown District is intended to include blocks of properties that have historically been provided with on-street parking by the City of Alamo. All land uses shall be exempt from off-street parking minimum regulations within this district except for residential uses with more than 5 residential units, which shall be subject to their standard parking rate enumerated in Chapter 3 of this ordinance (10-3-6 ).
   B.   Surface Parking Lots:
      1.   If provided, surface parking lots in the DT district must follow the requirements of Title 9-6-5 . (Nonresidential Use Landscaping in Parking Lots)
      2.   Between the primary structure and public streets, except that it may be provided between the principal building and a secondary street frontage on a corner lot if such location is screened and fully compliant with all screening and landscaping requirements of Title 9-6-5 (Nonresidential Use Landscaping in Parking Lots). (Ord. 228-03-26, 3-3-2026)

10-17-8: SIGNS:

Unless specified below, regulations from Title 9-4 shall apply to signs in the DT district.
   A.   Prohibited Signs. The following signs are prohibited from the DT district:
      1.   Changeable Copy Sign
      2.   Billboard Sign
      3.   Off-Premise Sign, except as allowed below.
   B.   Permitted Signs.
      1.   Accessory Signs:
         a.   Minimum setback: Property line.
         b.   Maximum size: Sixteen (16) square feet.
         c.   Maximum height: Ten feet (10').
      2.   Canopy Signs:
         a.   Shall be limited to one permanent sign per business and shall comply with the prevailing building code. Canopy signs may project into a right-of-way no more than six feet (6') to provide cover for a pedestrian walkway and provided they are a minimum of eight feet (8') high. This provision shall not be construed to allow a canopy sign to project over vehicle parking space(s) or vehicle drive lanes.
      3.   Directory Signs:
         a.   Shall be designed on a pedestrian scale.
         b.   Minimum setback: Property line.
         c.   Maximum size: Twenty (25) square feet
         d.   Maximum height: Ten feet (10').
      4.   Ground/Tenant Signs:
         a.   Shall be limited to one permanent sign per site. In the case of a multi-unit building, one ground or tenant sign capable of including all businesses located within the multi-tenant building will be allowed per site along with a wall sign, canopy sign or roof sign for each business as permitted in this subsection. Shall be designed on a pedestrian scale.
         b.   Minimum setback: Property line, except that it shall not be constructed in right-of-way or easements.
         c.   Maximum size: Ten (10) square feet per tenant.
         d.   Maximum height: Six feet (6').
         e.   Maximum size and maximum height requirements can be amended on a case-by-case basis by Conditional Use Permit.
      5.   Home Occupation Signs:
         a.   Home occupation signs shall be permitted through an approved conditional use permit for a home occupation of a ground-floor residential dwelling to be no more than two feet by two feet (2' x 2') and shall be attached to the building of the home on the exterior portion of the building in the area for that residential unit. These signs may be projected over a pedestrian walkway at a minimum height of eight feet (8'), provided building code is followed.
      6.   Marquee Signs:
         a.   Shall be limited to one permanent sign per site and shall comply with the prevailing building code. Size of marquee cannot exceed eight feet (8') in width and thirty two feet (32') in length. Marquee signs may project into a right-of-way no more than six feet (6') to provide cover for a pedestrian walkway and provided they are a minimum of eight feet (8') high.
      7.   Roof Signs:
         a.   Shall be limited to one permanent sign per site, and shall comply with the standard building code. Size of roof sign cannot exceed four feet (4') in height and sixteen feet (16') in length.
      8.   Projecting Signs:
         a.   A projecting sign shall not project more than four (4) feet from the building face. The lowest point of a projecting sign shall be no less than eight (8) feet above the grade of the sidewalk or pedestrian walkway immediately below it. No sign shall project over a street or alleyway.
         b.   The maximum sign face area for a projecting sign shall not exceed sixteen (16) square feet.
         c.   The sign face area of a projecting sign shall not be included in the calculation of the total allowable sign area for the building facade.
         d.   A maximum of one (1) projecting sign shall be permitted per business or storefront, or per public streetfacing facade of a building.
         e.   No business or storefront shall have both a projecting sign and a wall sign on the same facade.
         f.   Illumination of a projecting sign is permitted, provided the light source is shielded and directed downward.
         g.   Flashing, intermittent, or moving lights are prohibited.
      8.   Wall Signs:
         a.   Shall be limited to one [1] per public street-facing wall, of which there shall be no more than one facing each direction. No business or storefront shall have both a projecting sign and a wall sign on the same facade. Wall signs shall comply with the prevailing building code.
         b.   Maximum five percent (5%) of wall face but no more than fifty (50) square feet; any wall sign over fifty (100) square feet but at five percent (5%) of the wall face shall require the planning and zoning commission’s site plan approval.
         c.   Maximum setback: Attached or painted to wall.
   C.   Temporary Signs.
      1.   Banner Signs:
         a.   Shall be limited to one temporary banner per site. Such signs may be displayed for a period of no more than thirty (30) consecutive days, after which the sign will be removed and may not be replaced.
      2.   Construction Signs:
         a.   Shall be limited to one temporary sign per site and shall comply with subsection 9-4-10 D.
         b.   May be erected no more than thirty (30) days prior to construction. After completion of the building or project, such signs shall be removed within thirty (30) calendar days.
         c.   Minimum setback: Property line.
         d.   Maximum size: Forty (40) square feet.
         e.   Maximum height: Ten feet (10').
      3.   Political Signs:
         a.   Shall comply with subsection 9-4-10 D of this code including their placement at twenty five foot (25') intervals from each other and their removal within fifteen (15) days following the election for which the sign is posted.
         b.   Minimum setback: Property line.
         c.   Maximum size: Six (6) square feet
         d.   Maximum height: Two feet (2').
      4.   Portable Signs:
         a.   “A-Frame” and similar pedestrian-oriented portable signs shall be permitted near the main entrance of a business during business hours. These may be placed in a right-of-way, but shall not block or inhibit vehicular and pedestrian traffic flow, including being placed in a parking space. Upon the close of business, the portable sign shall be removed.
         b.   Vehicle-oriented portable signs shall be permitted on an “on premises” basis and only during the business’s grand opening date which commences from the date the city issues a business permit for such business. Vehicle-oriented portable signs shall be removed no later than thirty (30) calendar days from the grand opening date. No vehicle-oriented portable signs shall be otherwise permitted. Vehicle-oriented portable signs existing at the time of the passage of this chapter shall be allowed and remain as is; however, once six (6) months elapse, such signs shall be removed from the property where it is not visible to the public. Shall comply with subsection 9-4-10 D of this chapter.
            (1)   Minimum setback: Property line.
            (2)   Maximum size: Twenty-five (25) square feet.
            (3)   Maximum height: Six feet (6').
      5.   Real Estate Signs:
         a.   Shall comply with subsection 9-4-10 Dofthis code including their removal within fifteen (15) days following the sale or lease of the premises upon which the sign is posted.
         b.   Minimum setback: Property line.
         c.   Maximum size: Ten (10) square feet.
         d.   Maximum height: Two square feet (2').
   D.   Off-Premise Signs.
      1.   Bench Signs: Bench signs shall be permitted subject to approval of the Planning Director. Bench signs shall be allowed in DT district only at sites along a bus route or at locations characterized by substantial pedestrian traffic and shall not be placed on public property. The city shall consider the placement, number and spacing of bench signs prior to any approval. (Ord. 228-03-26, 3-3-2026)