Create a land use strategy that promotes intense freeway and highway-oriented commercial retail development;

Provide for regional, local, and neighborhood access to and from the DFD Area, without negatively impacting the community character of Bellflower;

Maintain and promote quality architectural and site planning principles in the development of the DFD Area; and

Ensure that vehicular access to and from the DFD Area is designed in manner that is efficient, safe, and can accommodate future growth and access demand.

General Provisions. The uses permitted in the DFD Area must be compatible with the Bellflower General Plan and this Code. Freeway-oriented commercial uses, such as "big box" retailers and new automobile and motor sports sales facilities, must be strongly encouraged.

Bellflower General Plan. The Bellflower General Plan designates the DFD Area as "Commercial." The "commercial" land use designation allows for traditional commercial and professional office uses. However, the location of the DFD Area in regards to the 91 Freeway and Artesia Boulevard provides for an opportunity to maximize freeway oriented retail development.

Zoning. The zoning in the DFD is intended to be consistent with, and conform to, the Bellflower General Plan. The previous zoning classification for the properties within the DFD Area was C-G (General Commercial) and M-1 (Light Industrial District).

The uses permitted in the C-G and M-1 zones are typically retail commercial, professional office and industrial types of uses. However, within the DFD Area, permitted uses are listed in Section 17.65.070.

Uses. This chapter constitutes permissive regulations, whereby only those uses or facilities that are listed are allowed, except as provided through an administrative determination, an administrative use permit, or other discretionary action.

Regional Retail Uses. A commercial retail use that is contained within a structure of not less than 75,000 square feet nor in excess of 150,000 square feet in floor area. If more than one regional retail use is situated on the same parcel of land, and developed in a comprehensive manner, then the floor area of the single regional retail use store may be not less than 50,000 square feet. Accessory outdoor sales areas directly associated with the regional retail store are permitted.

Automobile Sales, New. New automobile and vehicle sales dealerships with accessory automobile service, parts and supply retail. Any accessory used, or pre-owned, automobile and vehicle sales require the approval of a conditional use permit.

"Big Box" retail store.

Community-serving commercial.

Freestanding commercial space to accommodate sit-down restaurant uses, when developed in conjunction with a comprehensive commercial shopping center.

Freeway-oriented commercial.

Motor sports sales.

Multiple-tenant stores complexes when developed in conjunction with a comprehensive commercial shopping center.

Neighborhood-serving commercial.

Professional/administrative offices (second floor and above).

Developments on parcels of less than 1.5 acres.

Drive-through facilities.

Parking structures.

Hotel, motel, or rooming house pursuant to Bellflower Municipal Code Chapter 17.44.

Alcohol sales (on-site or off-site sales; primary use or accessory use).

Adult businesses.

Ambulance service.

Auction house or store.

Automobile repair center.

Automobile repair shop.

Billiards (three or less tables).

Bingo establishments (public and non-profit).

Bridge, chess, "Go" clubs.

Carwash (automatic mechanical, hand operated, or self-serve), including those facilities that are accessory to gasoline service stations.

Check cashing and cash advancing.

Civic and community clubs.

Collection centers (recyclable materials).

Community care facilities.

Contractor's office with outside storage area.

Consignment goods, as an accessory activity.

Dialysis center.

Driving, or driver training schools and/or classrooms.

Escort services.

Freestanding commercial stores of less than 10,000 square feet on individual parcels, not developed in conjunction with a comprehensive shopping center.

Forklift repair shop.

Fortune telling.

Funeral parlor, mortuary, crematory.

Garage, public.

Home occupation in permitted residential structure/use.

Hospices, home health care.

Hospitals.

Ice storage house of not more than five tons capacity.

Janitorial services.

Laboratories.

Laundromats and/or self-serve laundry facilities.

Limousine service.

Modeling studio.

Motorcycle funeral escort service.

Nursery (flowers, trees or plans; with or without buildings).

Off-premises signs.

Outdoor sales, storage, or activities, either as a primary use or accessory to a permitted use. Such uses may include, without limitation, animal feed, small mammals (e.g., dogs and cats) and supplies, sales of produce and other food-stuff, newsstands and other similar activities.

Outside storage as a primary activity.

Patio, outdoor furniture, bar-b-que and fireplace sales and related merchandise.

Public utility offices, payment centers and distribution substation with microwave facilities (does not include support facilities, or facilities that have outside storage).

Rest home, convalescent hospital.

Second-hand stores and pawnshops.

Security, private patrol services.

Strip commercial development.

Surplus store.

Swimming pool supplies.

Taxi services.

Taxidermist.

Telephone exchange/telemarketing/answering service.

Ticket agency.

Tools and equipment sales and rental (heavy).

Towing company — vehicle (may include accessory vehicle storage).

Trade schools.

Training, educational and vocational schools and colleges (public and private).

Warehouse and/or storage uses.

Water and purifier stores.

Wholesale business.

In addition to the requirements set forth in Section 17.65.110, the following development standards apply to all public and private improvements and/or development in the DFD Area.

Development Intensity. Appropriate development intensities must be provided to encourage access of automobile traffic from the 91 Freeway and from the adjoining streets of Bellflower Boulevard, Artesia Boulevard, Ramona Street and Cedar Street. The intensity of development is intended to be automobile-oriented and be regionally attractive. A minimum lot size requirement of 1.5 acres (65,340 square feet) is required for any new development within the DFD Area to encourage larger commercial/retail developments. Every effort must be made and demonstrated to assemble parcels to meet the minimum lot size requirements. Proposed developments of lots that are less than 1.5 acres will require a conditional use permit.

Building Heights. Structures in the DFD Area must be built to appropriate heights, subject to applicable requirements of the BMC's C-G (General Commercial) zoning regulations and requirements, except as approved by the City pursuant to the Bellflower Municipal Code.

Building Setbacks. Building setbacks are subject to the applicable setback requirements of the C-G (General Commercial) zone. Greater setbacks may be required as determined by the reviewing and approval body. Every effort should be made to create varied wall-planes and building surfaces, as opposed to stark flat and uniform surfaces. Well thought out building setbacks, which have varied wall plane articulation, will make the buildings more attractive and appealing. Buildings in the DFD Area must be designed and located on property in a manner to maximize the use of land, provide adequate and appealing landscaping and other site amenities.

Public Area/Open Space. The DFD Area is intended to be automobile oriented, in that the commercial activity is intended to provide a regional appeal. The location of the DFD Area is such that the DFD Area is easily accessible to the regional freeway system. Although the DFD Area is not intended to be a high pedestrian area, development within the DFD Area should have pedestrian access and amenities. In addition, the development within the DFD Area must provide decorative visual features located in key areas to maximize the visual appeal of the development from the major street arterials. For example, the south east corner of Bellflower Boulevard and Artesia Boulevard must be developed with some form of prominent focal element located on an open area that will also provide for pedestrian access. Such focal element may include, without limitation, a prominent water feature, significant landscaping with vertical elements, public art, or similar features.

The edges of development within the DFD Area that is adjacent to the public streets must be developed with generous landscaped planter areas that include mounded earth, trees, boulder features, groundcover and similar landscaping treatment.

Landscaping. Open spaces, areas adjacent to the public right-of-way, and areas intended for pedestrian access must be provided with amenities and treatment that provide for an interesting and quality visual experience as viewed from the public street. Landscaping must be designed to provide for a pleasant pedestrian experience when it is placed adjacent to pedestrian areas. Landscaped planter areas within the parking lot areas must be constructed with six-inch (6″) Portland cement concrete curbs around the perimeter of all landscaped parking lot planters. All landscaping must be installed before the City issues any certificate of occupancy for any development.

Parking and Parking Lots. Parking lots must be designed in such a manner as to provide for the convenient and easy access into and out of the development. All off-street parking must be designed and constructed pursuant to this Code. All parking lots must be designed to maintain landscaped planter areas within the parking fields. Parking lots must also have designated "shopping cart corrals" thoughtfully designed and placed throughout the parking lot. Said shopping cart corrals must be delineated with raised concrete curb and landscaped planter areas. "Pipe-style" shopping cart corrals are prohibited. All parking lots, stalls, lighting, aisle width and ADA regulations must comply with this Code.

Paving. Paving in public and private pedestrian areas (excluding the public right-of-way), must reflect a high standard of design quality and reinforce safe and efficient usage. Pedestrian crossings must be highly visible to pedestrians and motorists. Stamped, colored concrete must be used to delineate the entrances to the parking lot, pedestrian crosswalks, pedestrian walks and similar areas.

Architectural Design. It is the goal of this DFD to promote a building design that is functional, but is also unique, pleasant and visually memorable. Building architecture must utilize consistent themes that do not conflict in design technique and application. Building designs that mix architectural styles are prohibited. Extensive, boring, plain wall stretches of wall surfaces are also prohibited.

Signage. All development within the DFD Area must have a Master Sign Plan as part of the project design pursuant to this Code.

Because the DFD Area is located adjacent to the 91 Freeway and is bounded by major arterials, the primary mode of access to the DFD Area will be by automobile. Although there are public transit bus routes that service the DFD Area, pedestrian access is envisioned to result mainly from patrons who drive to the development within the DFD Area, exit their automobiles and then access the businesses. Therefore, attention must be made to design safe, efficient and logical vehicle circulation within the DFD Area, as well as for ingress and egress.

Pedestrian Access. The public rights-of-way bounding the DFD Area must have public sidewalks that align the perimeter of the properties within the DFD Area. Since it is anticipated that the primary form of visitation to the businesses within the DFD Area originates from vehicles, pedestrian amenities will not be promoted as those design features would in other portions of the City. The internal parking lot(s) must be designed in such a manner as to separate vehicular and pedestrian traffic. The parking lot(s) must be designed to provide a distinctive and coherent pedestrian circulation system between parked vehicles and the buildings within the DFD Area. Thus, designated pedestrian walkways within the parking area must be provided. Such designated pedestrian walkways must be raised and separated from vehicular travel drive aisles.

Since bus service occurs on the public arterials abutting the DFD Area, dedication of land may be necessary in order to facilitate bus turnouts and bus stops. Pedestrian paths from bus stops to the interior of the DFD Area must be provided.

Vehicular Access. Access into the DFD Area must be made via the adjoining public arterials. It may be necessary for land dedication to be made in order to facilitate deceleration lanes that will allow for right turns into the DFD Area. Furthermore, unless prohibited because of a raised center median located in the public street abutting the DFD Area, all vehicle exit points from the DFD Area must have at least travel lanes (one exit lane to allow right turns and one exit lane to allow for left turns). The amount of driveway access points onto the public arterials must be kept to a minimum. The number, locations and width of driveways require City Engineer approval. The parking lot(s) must be designed so that all vehicle circulation can occur on-site. Parking lot design must ensure that vehicles can move within the parking lot without needing to exit onto a public street.

Loading. All development within the DFD Area must provide designated loading areas. Loading areas must be designed in such a manner as to be visually screened from view from the public street or areas of high public use. Such visual screening techniques may include "wing walls," landscaped berms, and lowered loading areas. Loading areas must be designed so that if a trailer is left in the loading area, it is not visible to a public street or an area of high public use and access. If necessary, the development within the DFD Area must provide a customer loading area that is separate from the service loading area. The customer loading area must be clearly delineated and designed so that it will not conflict with travel within the parking lot and drive aisles.

Bicycle Access. It is recognized that the primary mode of access to development within the DFD Area will be made via motorized vehicles. However, development within the DFD Area must provide bicycle storage facilities to allow for those patrons and employees who access the DFD Area via bicycle to store their bicycles in a manner so as not to create visual clutter or create a safety hazard.

Traffic Mitigation Measures. Development of the South Bellflower Commercial DFD Area pursuant to this DFD may result in additional traffic utilizing the adjoining public streets in the immediate area. In conjunction with the submittal of development plans, an applicant may be required to submit a circulation, parking and/or traffic impact analysis. As a result of any such traffic impact analysis, specific traffic mitigation measures may be imposed on new construction during the plan review and approval process. The requirement for traffic mitigation measures does not replace or reduce any requirements that may exist for the developer to pay relevant development impact fees, unless the developer enters into a development agreement with the City.

Public Right-of-Way Improvements. All development proposals are subject to requirements for public right-of-way dedication, improvements for street widening and/or reconfiguration, and/or other improvements that may reasonably be required by the City Engineer with the development plans submitted. Any such street or sidewalk improvements must be consistent with current City standards and any specific street improvement plans approved by the City and subject to the approval of the City Engineer.

Specifically, an offer of dedication will be required for development on property located on the east side of Bellflower Boulevard, between Beverly Street and Artesia Boulevard for the purposes of creating an additional northbound traffic lane to alleviate traffic congestion. As part of the dedication, all physical encroachments must be removed or modified to eliminate any encroachment into the right-of-way.

All proposals by any person or agency for construction or development within the DFD Area are subject to plan review, permit approval procedures, and environmental review as referred to in this DFD.

In the conceptual phase of planning a public or private project, early discussion with the City's Planning Department is required to review the scope of the project and to clarify City requirements.

Once plans for public and/or private developments are prepared by any person or agency, they will be processed through the standard City review processes as required by this Code and in addition thereto are subject to review and approval of the City Council. Such plans may be required to include a plot plan, parking plan, drainage plan(s), landscaping plans, floor plans, roof plans, pre-fire plans, Master Sign Plans and four-sided elevations for all proposed improvements.

The development of sites and all public and private areas within the DFD Area may only be carried out according to plans and drawings approved by the City and any conditions of approval imposed in connection with such review(s).

New Construction. Plans for new construction and/or additions to existing facilities may require City Council review to ensure appropriate compliance with applicable City requirements, including provisions of this DFD. This review process may include formal review and approval by the Planning Commission and City Council.

Existing Construction/Rehabilitation. Plans for rehabilitation of existing buildings generally require administrative City review and approval before the issuance of required building permits. This City review process incorporates City staff review of proposed plans to ensure compliance with the provisions of this DFD. Furthermore, plans for rehabilitation may also require the formal review and approval of the Planning Commission and City Council.

When appropriate, notice to surrounding properties, community outreach, and opportunities for early public participation in the design and development process may be required and is always encouraged.