The regulations set forth in this article apply to all districts and permitted uses in the city.

On a corner lot or parcel of land, nothing shall be erected, placed, planted, or allowed to grow in such a manner as to impede vision between a height of three (3) feet and ten (10) feet above the center line grades of the intersecting streets in the triangular area bounded by the intersecting street lines and a line joining points along said street lines twenty-five (25) feet from the point of their intersection.

Every single-family dwelling must have a roofed garage or carport with a floor space of at least four hundred (400) square feet. If a garage or carport is attached to the main building, it shall be considered a part thereof and subject to the minimum yard and setback requirements applicable thereto; otherwise, such garage or carport shall be treated as an accessory building and subject to the regulations and minimum setback requirements applicable to an accessory garage or carport.

Not more than five (5) motor vehicles, which may include not more than one (1) commercial motor vehicle and it shall be of not more than one and one-half (1½) ton capacity, shall be parked or stored on any lot or premises restricted to residential use. All of such motor vehicles must be for the use of the occupants of the premises or their guests.

No recreational or utility vehicle shall be stored in any front yard or elsewhere on any lot or premises unless it is stored in an enclosed garage or in a location on the lot or premises where it cannot be seen from a street. Further, no recreational or utility vehicle shall be parked in any front yard or elsewhere on any lot or premises where visible from a street for a period in excess of forty-eight (48) hours in any cumulative thirty (30) day period. Landscaping may be used to screen a recreational or utility vehicle from view. No such vehicle shall be used for living, sleeping or housekeeping purposes when parked or stored at any location within the city.

(Ord. No. 92-130, § 10, 12-15-92; Ord. No. 03-290, § 1, 6-17-03)

Parking lots or spaces of churches, public schools, public libraries, and municipal buildings, parks, and playgrounds shall not be used for any purposes other than the parking of motor vehicles used by persons participating in or furthering the purposes, activities, or functions conducted in or by such facilities and uses. Such parking lots and spaces shall not be used for the overnight parking of commercial vehicles of any type used for public transportation; nor shall they be used for "Park and Ride" purposes or programs of a public transportation authority, agency, or body or for the parking of private, noncommercial motor vehicles belonging to or used by persons participating in or utilizing the services of such a program at or near such site. All such parking lots and spaces shall be at ground level.

Every building or structure hereafter erected, constructed, or placed anywhere within the city shall be situated on a lot adjacent to a street and shall be so located on such lot as to provide safe, convenient, and reasonable access for servicing and for fire and police protection.

To qualify as an accessory structure or use, a swimming pool must comply with all yard and setback requirements of the main building unless such swimming pool is located in the rear one-third (⅓) of the lot, in which event the following shall apply: If located in the rear one-third (⅓) of an interior lot, a swimming pool must be set back at least ten (10) feet from the rear lot line and at least ten (10) feet from each side lot line. If located in the rear one-third (⅓) of a corner lot, a swimming pool must be set back at least ten (10) feet from the rear lot line, at least ten (10) feet from the interior side lot line (the side lot line farthest removed from the side street), and at least twenty (20) feet or a distance at least equal to the required depth of that yard of the contiguous lot which abuts such side street, whichever is greater, from the exterior side lot line (the side lot line which abuts the side street). All of the foregoing measurements shall be taken from the nearest water's edge of such swimming pool.

(Ord. No. 14-447, § 12, 10-21-14)

Any building hereafter erected, constructed, placed, or moved on property used for nonresidential purposes must be set back at least fifty (50) feet from the front, side, and rear property lines of the lot, combination of lots, or tract of land upon which such building is located.

Except as otherwise specifically permitted herein, no fence or wall shall be erected or constructed in the required front yard of a lot. Fences and freestanding fence-type walls, not to exceed eight (8) feet in height, may be erected or constructed in or along any required side yard or rear yard of a lot. All fences and fence-type walls shall be kept in good repair and maintained so as to comply with the provisions of this ordinance. A fence or wall may be erected within a required front yard of a corner lot along the exterior lot line adjacent to the side street if same is located at the entrance to a subdivision and if such wall or fence does not exceed three (3) feet in height.

(Ord. No. 92-130, § 11, 12-15-92)

Notwithstanding the foregoing, a fence not exceeding eight (8) feet in height may be extended into the required front yard of a public school provided such fence does not create a hazard to pedestrian or vehicular traffic in adjacent public rights-of-way.

(Ord. No. 05-333, § 1, 7-26-05)

It shall be unlawful for any person to erect, construct, install, or maintain any sign within the city except one specifically permitted by this section. No sign, except one authorized or required by governmental authority, shall be placed or allowed to project in, along, or over a public street, sidewalk, easement, or other public property. Only the following type signs, of the size and dimensions specified, shall be permitted in the city:

A.

Governmental signs. Traffic and other signs required or authorized by a governmental unit having jurisdiction in the city.

B.

"For sale" or "for rent" signs. One (1) unilluminated "For Sale" or "For Rent" sign per lot or parcel of land relating solely to the property upon which it is located. Such a sign shall not exceed three (3) square feet in total area and shall not be positioned such that any portion of the sign is higher than five feet (5') above the natural ground level in the immediate vicinity. Any such sign must be removed immediately upon the sale or renting of the premises.

C.

Contractor and architect signs. One unilluminated sign identifying contractors and architects performing work on the lot or parcel of land on which the sign is located. Such a sign shall not exceed three (3) square feet in total area, shall be at least ten (10) feet from the nearest street right-of-way line, and shall not extend more than five (5) feet above the natural ground level in the immediate vicinity. Such a sign shall be removed upon substantial completion of the building or project for beneficial use, as determined by the city's zoning official; provided, however, in no event shall such a sign be maintained on such lot or tract of land for more than two (2) years.

D.

Institutional signs. Institutions located within the city shall be allowed to erect one (1) permanent freestanding ground sign within each yard of the lot or parcel of land on which such institution is situated which fronts or is adjacent to a street. No such sign shall exceed fifty (50) square feet in total area, including the supporting structure, and the sign face, or "message area," shall not exceed twenty (20) square feet. No such sign shall exceed five (5) feet in height above the immediately adjacent natural grade, or be placed within one (1) foot of a roadway right-of-way. Such signs shall not impede traffic visibility or constitute a traffic hazard. In addition to the foregoing, such signs shall comply with, and be subject to, the following:

1.

All institutional signs shall be subject to approval by the city council, upon recommendation of the Planning and Zoning Commission. The institution requesting approval shall submit to the commission a drawing of the proposed sign, together with a description and other information sufficient to determine whether the sign is in compliance with this section. The commission shall, as soon as practicable following submission of the request for approval of a proposed sign, advise the applicant whether is recommends approval or disapproval and, if disapproval is recommended, the reasons therefor. The applicant may revise the proposal and resubmit it for review by the commission. After review, the commission shall deliver its written recommendation to city council.

2.

Institutional signs may be illuminated if by means which do not include neon, strobe, blinking, moving, or other similar attention-arresting lighting devices. Any such sign shall be constructed of materials substantially similar to the existing design, construction and appearance of the institution to which such sign pertains. The structural portion of the sign, same being that portion other than the sign face or "message area," shall be constructed of stone, brick or wood. The message portion of any such sign, including lettering or logos, shall be of subdued natural earth colors, such as white, black, gray, brown or dark green.

E.

Subdivision signs. A maximum of two (2) signs at each principal entrance to a subdivision. Such a sign or, if there be two (2), the two (2) signs in combination shall not exceed sixteen (16) square feet in total area. Such a sign shall contain only the name of the subdivision in which it is located; no other words, letters, or messages shall be permitted thereon. Such a sign shall not extend more than five (5) feet above the natural ground level in the immediate vicinity; shall not impede traffic visibility or constitute a traffic hazard; and shall be of subdued color and design. Such sign may be illuminated if by means which do not include neon, strobe, blinking, moving, or other similar attention-arresting lighting devices. The structural portion of the sign, same being that portion other than the sign face or "message area," shall be constructed of stone, brick or wood. The message portion of any sign, including lettering or logos, shall be of subdued natural earth colors, such as white, black, gray, brown or dark green.

F.

Noncommercial signs. Unilluminated signs containing noncommercial messages only, located on a lot or parcel of land, provided the sign face of any such sign does not exceed three (3) square feet in area. For the purposes hereof, "noncommercial message" shall mean a civic, political, religious, seasonal, or personal message that is not displayed for a fee or for compensation, and is located on property owned or lawfully occupied by the person displaying the message. If such sign is one (1) square foot in sign area or less, such sign shall not be located any higher than eight feet (8') above the natural ground level in the immediate vicinity. If such sign is larger than one (1) square foot in sign area, such sign shall not be located any higher than five feet (5') above the natural ground level in the immediate vicinity. Signs containing noncommercial messages relating to political campaigns shall be removed within seven (7) days following the election to which such signs pertain.

G.

Maintenance and repair of signs. All signs and sign structures shall be kept in good repair and neat appearance. Signs shall be maintained at reasonable intervals, including replacement of damaged or defective parts, painting, repainting, and cleaning. The owner of a sign and the owner of the property upon which it is located shall be jointly and severally responsible for its maintenance and repair.

(Ord. No. 97-189, § 1, 3-18-97; Ord. No. 97-191, § 1, 4-15-97; Ord. No. 98-217, §§ 1, 2, 11-17-98; Ord. No. 14-447, § 13, 10-21-14; Ord. No. 18-489, § 2, 2-20-18)

Cross reference— Buildings and construction, Ch. 4.

No hoofed animals or fowl shall be domiciled in the city.

(Ord. No. 92-130, § 12, 12-15-92)

Garage sales, estate sales, and other similar activities shall not be considered as accessory uses and shall be prohibited within the city.

(Ord. No. 99-236, § 1, 9-21-99)

It shall be unlawful for any person to cause or permit the placement or construction of a vehicular driveway, or any portion thereof, which violates the provisions of this section. Lots that are adjacent to a major street and a minor street shall have vehicular driveways connecting with the minor street only. Lots that are adjacent to a major street only shall have vehicular driveways with turn-around areas so that existing may be accomplished without backing onto the major street. For the purposes of this section, a "major street" shall mean and include Memorial Drive, Gessner Road, Strey Lane, Bunker Hill Road, Blalock Drive, Knipp Road and Taylorcrest Road.

(Ord. No. 01-262, § 1, 8-21-01; Ord. No. 04-302, § 1, 2-17-04; Ord. No. 05-332, § 1, 7-26-05; Ord. No. 06-346, § 1, 6-20-06)

Each main building shall be designed and constructed so that the building front, or apparent building front, is oriented toward the street adjacent to the front yard of the lot upon which such main building is located.

The building front, or apparent building front, is that building side where the greatest amount of architectural detail is emphasized and the primary entrance is located.

(Ord. No. 05-322, § 1, 2-15-05)

A.

Solar panels are permitted structures subject to the regulations set forth herein.

B.

Definitions. For the purposes of this section, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings ascribed to them below:

(1)

Solar Panel shall mean a structure containing one (1) or more receptive cells, the purpose of which is to convert solar energy into usable electrical energy by way of a solar energy system. The term shall not include individually powered outdoor solar lights, such as garden lights, accent lights, security lights, or flood lights.

C.

All solar panels and the installation of solar panels shall comply with all provisions of the city's Code of Ordinances, including building codes and tree regulations, and shall be installed only after issuance of a building permit.

D.

Roof-mounted solar panels shall conform to the following requirements:

(1)

Solar panels shall be permitted on the roof of a building provided that the panels do not extend higher than or beyond the roofline;

(2)

Solar panels shall have a top edge that is parallel to the roof ridge and shall conform to the slope of the roof;

(3)

Solar panels shall be permitted on the roof slope of an accessory building or structure, subject to the regulations contained herein;

(4)

The frame, support panels and all visible piping or wiring shall be in a silver, bronze, or black tone commonly available in the marketplace; and

(5)

Solar panels on flat roofs shall not exceed the maximum height permitted in the applicable zoning district.

E.

Ground-mounted solar panels shall conform to the following requirements:

(1)

Solar panels shall not constitute the primary use of the property;

(2)

Solar panels shall comply with the maximum square footage and minimum setback requirements for residential accessory buildings and structures;

(3)

Solar panels shall be located within a fenced yard or patio; and

(4)

Solar panels shall not be taller than the fence line.

F.

Solar panels incorporated into building materials such as roof shingles or tiles, windows, siding, or other architectural features integral to a building's design and are reasonably indistinguishable from traditional building materials may be installed on any roof or facade of the building.

G.

Any equipment associated with the installation or operation of solar panels may not be located within the required front yard of a lot.

H.

Any equipment associated with the installation or operation of solar panels, exclusive of the solar panels themselves, shall not be visible from any public or private street.

(Ord. No. 23-609, § 2, 6-20-23)

All utility equipment including, but not limited, to HVAC equipment, generators, pool equipment, and equipment related to the installation or operation of solar panels, shall not be located in the required front yard of the lot and shall be screened so as to not be visible from any private or public street. If replacing the electrical panel, the electrical panel is not required to comply with this section unless the electrical panel is being moved more than three feet (3').

(Ord. No. 24-620, § 2, 2-20-24)