Bridgeport City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XI
GC General Commercial District
§ 560-1101 Intent; applicable regulations.
The purpose of the GC General Commercial District is to provide for a wide mix of commercial uses in areas that are not historic and not surrounded by many homes, to recognize commercial areas that are more highway-oriented, and to provide for uses that are more auto-related than uses in the NC District.
§ 560-1102 Permitted uses.
In the GC General Commercial District, a building may be erected or used or occupied and a lot may be used or occupied for any of the following purposes and no other when in compliance with applicable use regulations set forth in Article III, Use Regulations:
A.
Uses permitted by right. The following uses are permitted by right:
(1)
Residential uses.
(a)
Multifamily building/unit.
(b)
Boardinghouse.
(2)
Commercial uses.
(a)
Athletic/health club.
(b)
Bank.
(c)
Brewery/distillery/winery.
(d)
Car wash.
(e)
Convenience store.
(f)
Event facility.
(g)
Funeral home.
(h)
Hotel/motel.
(i)
Massage therapy establishment.
(j)
Medical marijuana dispensary.
(k)
Microbrewery/microdistillery/microwinery.
(l)
Mixed-use building.
(m)
Personal care business.
(n)
Professional service business.
(o)
Recreation, indoor.
(p)
Recreation, outdoor.
(q)
Restaurant, dine-in.
(r)
Restaurant, take-out.
(s)
Retail establishment.
(t)
Studio.
(u)
Supermarket.
(v)
Tavern/bar/nightclub.
(w)
Theater.
(3)
Community service, institutional, and utility uses.
(a)
Conservation/recreation.
(b)
Day care facility.
(c)
Educational institution.
(d)
Emergency services.
(e)
Government facility.
(f)
Hospital.
(g)
Library, museum, or community center.
(h)
Membership club.
(i)
Place of worship.
(j)
Plant nursery.
(k)
Residential care facility.
(l)
Swimming pool, non-household.
(4)
Office uses.
(a)
Co-working space.
(b)
Office, business/professional.
(c)
Medical office or clinic.
(5)
Industrial uses.
(a)
Animal care.
(b)
Auto, boat and/or mobile/manufactured home sales.
(c)
Building supply or lumberyard.
(d)
Contractor's office/storage.
(e)
Wholesale sales.
B.
Accessory uses permitted by right. The following accessory uses are permitted when subordinate and customarily incidental to any of the above permitted uses and upon the issuance of a zoning permit:
(1)
Accessory structure, nonresidential.
(2)
Accessory structure, residential.
(3)
Bed-and-breakfast home.
(4)
Daycare home, family or group.
(5)
Drive-through facilities.
(6)
Home occupation.
(7)
Mobile food vending.
(8)
No-impact home-based business.
(9)
Outdoor storage and waste disposal.
(10)
Parking lot.
(11)
Renewable energy systems.
(12)
Retail accessory to items manufactured on premises.
(13)
Such other accessory use or structure that the applicant proves to the satisfaction of the Zoning Officer is clearly customary and incidental to a permitted by right, special exception or conditional principal use.
C.
Uses permitted by conditional use:
(1)
Auto repair garage.
(2)
Auto service station.
(3)
Communications facility.
(4)
Mobile home park.
(5)
Storage facility (self-service).
(6)
Warehouse or storage as an accessory use to a permitted principal use on the same lot or an adjacent lot or located in the same zoning district. Shall not occupy street-level space adjacent to Fourth Street.
§ 560-1103 Dimensional requirements.
A.
Minimum lot area:
(1)
For multifamily building/unit: minimum average of 1,800 square feet per dwelling unit.
(a)
If a lot includes less than 10,000 square feet of lot area, then a multifamily building/unit shall only be permitted if in a mixed-use building with a permitted principal commercial use or uses occupying the majority of the street-level floor fronting one public street.
(2)
For other allowed principal uses: 5,000 square feet, except 15,000 square feet for a new lot approved after the adoption of this chapter which will have its own vehicle access directly onto DeKalb Pike/Route 202 Expressway.
B.
Minimum lot width.
(1)
For multifamily building/unit: 60 feet.
(2)
For other allowed principal uses: 25 feet, except 100 feet for a new lot approved after the adoption of this chapter which will have its own vehicle access directly onto DeKalb Pike/Route 202 Expressway.
C.
Setbacks.
(1)
For multifamily building/unit.
(a)
Front setback and build-to line: 15 feet.
[1]
Corner lots shall require a build-to line on each street frontage. If this would require that a building be constructed within a clear sight triangle (see § 495-69 of Chapter 495, Subdivision and Land Development: Sight clearance at intersections), then the building shall be set back only as deep as would be necessary to accommodate a clear sight triangle.
(b)
Minimum side setback: eight feet.
(c)
Minimum rear setback: 25 feet.
(2)
For other allowed principal uses.
(a)
Minimum front yard setback: 30 feet, except 20 feet when off-street parking is located behind the front facade of the principal building.
(b)
Minimum side setback: 10 feet, except 20 feet shall be required when directly abutting a lot occupied by a residential use in a residential district.
(c)
Minimum rear setback: 10 feet, except 25 feet shall be required when directly abutting a lot occupied by a residential use in a residential district.
D.
Maximum building coverage: 70%.
E.
Maximum impervious coverage: 90%.
F.
Maximum building height: six stories or 72 feet, whichever is more restrictive.
(1)
Notwithstanding the above, the maximum permissible height for new construction or building additions sited within 40 feet of an existing residential use within a residential district shall be capped at a maximum height of 40 feet.
§ 560-1104 Additional regulations in GC General Commercial District.
A.
A communications tower/antenna extending beyond 35 feet above a nonresidential principal building or a freestanding tower requires conditional use approval.
B.
Any setback for any new or expanded portion of an industrial building or tractor-trailer truck loading dock from the lot line of a principal residential use in a residential district must be 60 feet.
C.
For lots with frontage on DeKalb or 4th Streets:
(1)
Blank walls shall not be permitted along any exterior wall facing or visible from a street, walkway, parking lot or common space. Walls shall have architectural treatments to add interest to the building.
(2)
The front facade of buildings shall be oriented towards streets and sidewalks, with an everyday public entrance in this front facade. All primary building entrances shall be accentuated. Entrance accentuations permitted include recessed, protruding, canopy, portico or overhang.
