This district, known as the Office Complex District, is established to promote sound and harmonious economic development by providing an environment for office development and usage all of a non- nuisance type, in an attractive campus-style setting with close access to major roads and served by public water and sewer. Proposals for this district are expected to submit for a public review, and abide by, a set of restrictive covenants designed to ensure an attractive campus-style environment and compatibility with adjacent land uses.

(Ord. No. 2007-35, § 1, 12-11-2007; Ord. No. 2022-10, § 1, 1-11-2022)

1.

Office and administrative facilities.

2.

Research and educational facilities.

(Ord. No. 2007-35, § 1, 12-11-2007; Ord. No. 2022-10, § 1, 1-11-2022)

1.

Outdoor storage yards subject to the criteria in section 2107.

(Ord. No. 2007-35, § 1, 12-11-2007)

A.

Sites located within a designated industrial park.

Minimum lot area: One acre.

Minimum setbacks:

Maximum building height: 35 feet.

Minimum landscaped area: Five percent of total site.

B.

Sites not located within a designated industrial park.

Minimum lot area: Two acres.

Minimum setbacks: No building or structure shall be located closer than 50 feet to any property line.

Minimum screening: An opaque fence or opaque vegetative buffer shall be provided for the entire distance along the property line that is adjacent to a residence.

Maximum building height: 35 feet.

Minimum landscaped area: Five percent of total site.

(Ord. No. 2007-35, § 1, 12-11-2007)

Any use or structure existing at the time of adoption of this article that would no longer be permitted or be in compliance with the current regulations shall be allowed to continue operation as is but shall be classified as a nonconforming use and subject to all applicable requirements of article IV, section 404, nonconforming uses, of the Zoning Regulations of Banks County, Georgia.

(Ord. No. 2007-35, § 1, 12-11-2007)

All uses within this district shall be subject to the same parking area design standards as designated in article XVII of the Zoning Regulations of Banks County, Georgia.

(Ord. No. 2007-35, § 1, 12-11-2007)

All uses within this district shall be subject to the design standards for commercial uses as designated in article XVIII of the Zoning Regulations of Banks County, Georgia.

Screening and buffering of objectionable views or nuisances, such as service areas, refuse containers, air conditioning units, transformers, etc. is required.

(Ord. No. 2007-35, § 1, 12-11-2007)

Outdoor storage yards are permitted within this district solely as a conditional use. If approved, all outdoor storage yards must meet the following minimum requirements:

(a)

Outdoor storage yards are not permitted within the front or side yard.

(b)

Outdoor storage yards must be set back at least 50 feet from any property line.

(c)

Outdoor storage yards cannot exceed more than ten percetn of the business site.

(d)

Outdoor storage yards must be completely screened from view from adjacent properties and the street. Storage yards must be surrounded by an opaque vegetative buffer or opaque fence buffer, as required in section 1803 and defined in section 301 of the Zoning Regulations of Banks County, Georgia.

(Ord. No. 2007-35, § 1, 12-11-2007)

All loading docks shall be located to the side or rear of the building. If a loading dock is situated on the side of a building, it shall be screened from the front by an opaque vegetative buffer.

(Ord. No. 2007-35, § 1, 12-11-2007)

A 20-foot landscaped buffer between the road right-of-way line and the beginning of either paving or building on the site shall be provided. The landscaped buffer shall include a mixture of grass, shrubs and trees.

(Ord. No. 2007-35, § 1, 12-11-2007)

Where possible, developers are encouraged to obtain agreements with adjacent property owners for cross-access easements to facilitate the movement of vehicles from one business to another without the necessity of pre-entering the roadway. Likewise, developers are encouraged to design properties conducive to allowing future cross-access easements.

(Ord. No. 2007-35, § 1, 12-11-2007)

Section 2112.1. Permitted signs.

Signs within this district shall be limited to indirectly illuminated monument signs not exceeding 10 feet in height or 32 square feet of display area.

For planned industrial parks, one indirectly illuminated monument sign may be located at the primary entrance of the park.

Section 2112.2. Prohibited signs.

The following signs are prohibited within this district:

• Billboards.

• Pole signs.

• Signs designated in Chapter 66, section 66-7 and 66-32 of the Code of Banks County, Georgia.

Except as provided for in this section, all signs within this district shall be subject to the sign regulations established in Chapter 66 of the Code of Banks County, Georgia.

Section 2112.3. Definitions.

Billboard: A free-standing or attached outdoor advertising structure promoting any business, product, service, industry, activity or use other than that located on the property on which the sign is placed.

Directly illuminated sign: Any sign designed to give forth artificial light directly (or through transparent or translucent material) from a source of light within such sign including, but not limited to, neon and exposed lamp signs.

Freestanding sign: A sign securely affixed to a substantial support structure of columns, uprights or braces which is permanently attached to the ground and wholly independent of any building for support

Indirectly illuminated sign: Any sign illuminated by an external light directed primarily toward such sign and so shielded that no direct rays from the light are visible elsewhere than on the lot where such illumination occurs. If not effectively so shielded, such sign shall be deemed to be a directly illuminated sign.

Monument sign: A freestanding sign with a permanently affixed structural base of brick, masonry, stucco or stone, which base shall be of the same width as, or greater width than, the display area of the sign; the term excludes freestanding signs supported by poles.

Pole sign: Any sign erected on one or more uprights supported from the ground, the height of which is greater than eight feet, and which is not a part of any building or structure, other than a structure erected solely for the purpose of supporting the sign. The overall total height of a pole sign shall not exceed 25 feet above ground level. A pole sign may include an accessory sign or changeable copy panel, the areas of which shall be included in the total area of the pole sign.

(Ord. No. 2007-35, § 1, 12-11-2007)