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Allendale Charter Township
City Zoning Code

ARTICLE 15

C-3 Service Commercial District

§ 470-15.01 Description and purpose.

This zone is intended to provide a district for selected commercial retail sales and services, including warehousing, distributing and storage and wholesale activities. It is desirable to separate these uses from other commercial and from residential areas because of the large lot size needed to accommodate many of these uses, and because they possess characteristics that would detract from the retail or residential environments of the other districts.

§ 470-15.02 Use regulation.

[Amended 3-9-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-2; 8-22-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-07]
The following uses are permitted if the structures and/or buildings do not exceed 20,000 square feet in gross floor area, except for kennels, which may only be authorized by special use. If the structures and/or buildings exceed 20,000 square feet in gross floor area, the use may be authorized by the Planning Commission, subject to the procedures and standards established in Article 20 of this chapter.
A. 
All uses permitted in the GC District.
B. 
Amusement parks - see § 470-23.10A.
C. 
Appliance repair shops, used appliance dealers.
D. 
Contractor's (building, plumbing, heating, electrical, etc.) shop or yard; see § 470-15.03B.
E. 
Crating and packing service.
F. 
Diaper, linen and towel supply service.
G. 
Dry cleaning and laundry plant - custom and self-service.
H. 
Electrical supplies - wholesale and storage.
I. 
Exterminator service.
J. 
Factory and mill supplies.
K. 
Farm Equipment sales with incidental repair and service, subject to the standards of § 470-23.03D.
L. 
Feed sales.
M. 
Frozen food locker.
N. 
Jukebox and vending machine service and distribution.
O. 
Landing and take-off areas for helicopters.
P. 
Lumber yard, not including the treatment of lumber.
Q. 
Major automobile repair garages, collision or bump shops, or other similar uses - see § 470-23.03B.
R. 
Mobile home sales.
S. 
Ornamental ironwork and fence service.
T. 
Printing and publishing including processes related thereto (printing shop, lithographing, bindery, etc.)
U. 
Refrigeration and air conditioning repair and service.
V. 
Sign painting and servicing shops provided all operations and storage are completely enclosed in a building.
W. 
Tire store and related activities.
X. 
Trade school.
Y. 
Vehicle sales lot, showroom or other establishment, other than vehicle or freight terminals, that sells, stores or rents five or more vehicles in a period of 12 months, subject to the standards of § 470-23.03D. For purposes of this subsection, the term "vehicles" shall include, without limitation, cars, tracks, travel trailers, campers, motor homes, motorcycles, boats trailers and all similar vehicles.
Z. 
Establishments for the sale, rental or storage of construction equipment with incidental repair and service, subject to the standards of § 470-23.03D. For purposes of this subsection, construction equipment shall include, without limitation, bulldozers, graders, backhoes, front-end loaders, asphalt paving equipment, dump trucks and trailers, and all similar excavation and heavy construction equipment.
AA. 
Veterinarian office, animal hospital, kennels.
BB. 
Vehicle or freight terminal.
CC. 
Warehousing and storage structure, mini-warehouse and self-storage facilities.
DD. 
Wholesale sales, manufacturers representatives.
EE. 
Welding or tin shop.
FF. 
Any other commercial activity involving retail sales and services which is determined by the Planning Commission to be of the same general character as the above permitted uses.

§ 470-15.03 Limitations and exceptions.

A. 
Every building in a C-3 zone shall be so constructed, the machinery and equipment shall be so installed and maintained, and the activities shall be so conducted, that all noise, vibrations, dust, odor and all other objectionable factors shall be confined or reduced to the extent that no annoyance or injury will result to persons residing in the vicinity.
B. 
Open storage of materials and equipment shall be permitted in a C-3 zone only when incidental to the use of an office, store, or manufacturing building located on the front portion of the same lot; and provided, that:
(1) 
Storage is located on the rear one-half of the lot and is confined to an area not to exceed 3,000 square feet.
(2) 
Storage is completely enclosed by a solid wall or fence (with necessary solid gates) not less than six feet in height.
(3) 
No material shall be stored to a height greater than that of the wall or fence enclosing the storage area.

§ 470-15.04 Height regulation.

[Amended 10-12-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-5; 2-28-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-04]
No building or structure shall exceed 30 feet in height except TV or radio towers.

§ 470-15.05 Area regulations.

[Amended 10-12-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-5; 2-28-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-04]
No building or structure nor the enlargement of any building or structure shall be hereafter erected unless the following yards, lot areas and building coverage are provided and maintained in connection with such buildings, structure or enlargement.
A. 
Front yard.
(1) 
Where all the frontage between two intersection streets is located in any C Zone, there shall be a front yard of not less than 25 feet, provided that where a uniform setback has been established by 50% of the frontage, said setback shall apply. Where the frontage is located partly in any R or AG Zone and partly in the C-3 Zone, the front yard of the R Zone shall apply to the C-3 Zone.
(2) 
Uses permitted in the front yard setback shall be limited to pedestrian walks, vehicular access drives, meter pits and manholes, signs as regulated in Article 22, and utility poles. No parking shall be permitted in the front yard setback. The front yard shall be landscaped and maintained.
B. 
Side yard.
(1) 
Where the side of a lot in the C-3 Zone abuts upon the side of a lot in any R of AG Zone, there shall be a side yard of not less than 15 feet. No parking shall be allowed in this area.
(2) 
There shall be a side yard of not less than 25 feet on the street side of a corner lot.
(3) 
A side yard for a commercial building shall not be required when a building is proposed in conjunction with the same or similar improvement within an abutting Lot as part of a larger project, provided building walls are built of fire-retardant construction in compliance with the State of Michigan Building Code. Where a building is not built on the lot line or where the wall of a structure facing the side lot line has windows or other openings, a 10 foot side yard shall be required.
C. 
Rear yard.
(1) 
Where the rear of a lot in a C-3 Zone abuts upon the side of a lot in any R Zone or AG Zone, there shall be a rear yard of not less than 25 feet, provided that where a public alley separates the rear of a C-3 Zone lot from an R Zone lot, the full width of the alley may be considered as part of the rear yard for making the computation.
(2) 
In all other cases, there shall be a rear yard of not less than five feet. When a building is proposed in conjunction with the same or similar improvement within an abutting Lot as part of a larger project, no rear yard shall be required, provided building walls are built of fire-retardant construction in compliance with the State of Michigan Building Code.
(3) 
No accessory building shall be allowed in the required rear yard area of any lot.
D. 
Lot area. Lots in the C-3 zone shall have a minimum area of 30,000 square feet and a width at the front setback line shall not be less than 200 feet. A lot that is less than the minimum area and width of the district may be used only for purposes permitted and as regulated in the GC Zoning District.

§ 470-15.06 Additional regulations.

[Amended 4-8-2013 by Ord. No. 2013-2]
A. 
Landscaping shall be provided in accordance with Article 21A herein.
B. 
Parking and loading areas - see Article 21.
C. 
Signs - see Article 22.
D. 
Site Plan Review Requirements - see Article 24.