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Crescent City City Zoning Code

CHAPTER 17

20 C-1 DOWNTOWN BUSINESS DISTRICT

§ 17.20.010 C-1 Purpose.

A. 
Purpose. The purpose of the C-1 downtown business district is to provide for a vibrant business, government, and professional core in the downtown area and to serve as an overall mix of commercial and multifamily residential uses. This mixed-use district is inviting residential uses to blend in with the commercial activities and it is anticipated that residential uses will need to adapt to activities prone to a downtown center.
B. 
Provision. In the C-1 district, no land, building or structure shall be used, nor shall any building or structure be constructed, erected, altered, added to, enlarged or moved for any purpose or in any manner except in compliance with these regulations.
(Ord. 846, 10/21/2024)

§ 17.20.020 C-1 Principally permitted uses.

The following uses are principally permitted in the C-1 district:
A. 
Professional Offices and Services. The professional offices and services type includes administrative activities, medical offices and related clinics, legal, real estate, financial, insurance, or specialty consultants and services, government offices and services, social service and nonprofit agency offices, visitor serving facilities, and businesses of a similar nature;
B. 
Retail and Personal Services. The retail and personal service use type includes stores selling new and used goods, plant nurseries, light repair of goods, crafts, specialty shops and services which may also include manufacturing of goods for sale on the premises, the product of which is clearly incidental and essential to the retail store or business; personal services such as personal grooming or health-oriented facilities, clinics, spas, gyms; veterinarian offices, mortuaries;
C. 
Restaurants and Appurtenant Services. The restaurant and appurtenant services use type includes any establishment whose principal business is the preparation and sale of food and beverages consumed on premise or prepared to go. Appurtenant services include uses such as a cheese factory, fish market, brewery, or candy factory. This use type includes outdoor eating areas but does not include restaurants with drive-thru service windows;
D. 
Instructional and Recreational Facilities. The instructional and recreational facilities use type includes instruction and/or recreational purposes that is open to the general public or restricted to members. Such uses can include religious institutions, schools, daycares, social clubs and halls, museums, arts and crafts shops or galleries, entertainment and sports activities, family and gaming centers;
E. 
Multifamily Residential Dwelling Units. The multifamily residential units, at designated general plan densities (e.g., fifteen-thirty units/acre), includes mixed uses with commercial or business use. New multifamily units are to be placed behind, or upstairs of, commercial spaces;
F. 
Other Residential Use. The other residential use types include single room occupancy units, supportive and transitional housing, residential care facilities of six or fewer persons, caretaker units, home occupations and cottage industries, and repair and improvements of existing residences. New residential units are to be placed behind, or upstairs of, commercial spaces;
G. 
Visitor Serving Lodging. The visitor serving lodging includes hotels, motels, bed and breakfast (subject to the provisions of Chapter 17.59, Bed and Breakfast Establishments), short-term rentals, and other travel services;
H. 
Other. Public parking lots, charging stations, small utility and communication facilities accessory buildings and structures, temporary and special events, such as crafts and farmer markets, tents, and outdoor music events with special permit from city; and
I. 
Museums, arts and crafts shops or galleries.
(Ord. 846, 10/21/2024)

§ 17.20.025 C-1 Uses permitted subject to a use permit.

The following uses may be permitted subject to the granting of a conditional use permit (See Chapter 17.54) in the C-1 district:
A. 
Amusement and recreational establishments;
B. 
Mortuaries;
C. 
Second hand or surplus stores;
D. 
Residential Dwelling Units. The residential dwelling units use type includes residential care facilities for greater than six persons, new residential-only development or the expansion of existing residential-only development;
E. 
Bed and breakfast establishments subject to the provisions of Chapter 17.59;
F. 
Rooming houses;
G. 
Residential care facilities;
H. 
Veterinarians;
I. 
Food product processing which includes on-site retail sales or light manufacturing which includes on-site retail sales and does not result in exterior air, noise, dust, odor, vibration or glare impacts, and where no animals are kept or stored on-site, such as a cheese factory, fish market or candy factory;
J. 
Drive-thru windows for any office or retail services such as a bank or pharmacy;
K. 
Communication towers;
L. 
Government corporation yards;
M. 
Structural heights exceeding forty feet but not exceeding sixty feet;
N. 
Cannabis uses conducted pursuant to Chapter 17.95 (Commercial Cannabis Regulations), including: storefront retail, non-storefront retail (delivery only), cultivation (indoor only), nonvolatile manufacturing, processing facilities, distribution, microbusinesses, and testing laboratories; and
O. 
Special Uses. Any other use which is determined by the planning commission to be similar to the listed principally permitted or conditional uses and which conforms to the policies of the visitor and local commercial land use and general plan. In making such a determination in addition to the usual findings, the planning commission must find that upon review of all determinable characteristics of the use that the use has the same essential characteristics as a principal permitted or conditional use and can meet the performance standards listed in Section 17.20.060.
(Ord. 846, 10/21/2024)

§ 17.20.030 C-1 Uses prohibited.

The following uses are prohibited in the C-1 district:
A. 
Auction houses or stores;
B. 
Automobile sales;
C. 
Car washes;
D. 
Drive-in or drive-thru restaurants and beverage service;
E. 
Lumberyards and building material supply yards;
F. 
Repair shops (major repair facilities);
G. 
Truck and auto repair; and
H. 
Wholesale stores.
(Ord. 846, 10/21/2024)

§ 17.20.040 C-1 Property development standards.

All development within the C-1 district shall be subject to the following standards:
A. 
Height.
1. 
Maximum forty feet except as allowed by Section 17.20.025.
B. 
Yard Setbacks from Property Boundary.
1. 
Front Yard Setbacks. None required except where adjacent properties abutting upon the C-1 use are in a zone of greater requirements, then the front yard shall be equal to one-half of the adjacent zone requirement.
2. 
Side Yard Setbacks.
a. 
Interior (facing another parcel): none required, except where necessary to meet building code requirements.
b. 
Exterior (facing street): none required.
3. 
Rear Yard Setbacks. Minimum ten feet.
C. 
Lot Area.
1. 
No minimum.
D. 
Density.
1. 
Multifamily residential units at the designated general plan densities (e.g., fifteen to thirty du/acre).
E. 
Lot Coverage. Maximum eighty-five percent for all buildings excluding parking areas and residential units which are above the ground floor.
(Ord. 846, 10/21/2024)

§ 17.20.050 C-1 Building placement.

Whenever property classified for C-1 uses is separated from adjacent residential property by a permanent open space or parking area of no less than twenty-five feet in width, the required front yard or side yard setback shall not be required.
(Ord. 846, 10/21/2024)

§ 17.20.060 C-1 General provisions.

All development within the C-1 district shall be subject to the following:
A. 
Parking. See Chapter 17.42 for parking requirements.
B. 
Fencing. See Chapter 17.40 for fencing requirements.
C. 
Signs. See Chapter 17.39 for sign requirements.
D. 
Landscaping. See Chapters 17.41 and 17.43 for landscaping requirements.
E. 
Site Plan and Architectural Design Review. See Chapter 17.46 for requirements.
F. 
Nuisances. All downtown commercial uses shall not be objectionable due to odor, dust, smoke, noise, vibration, or other similar causes subject to Chapter 8.08 (Nuisances Generally).
(Ord. 846, 10/21/2024)

§ 17.20.070 C-1 General regulations.

A. 
All uses shall be conducted wholly within a building.
B. 
Products made incident to a principal permitted use shall be sold only at retail on premises and not more than five persons may be employed in the preparation of products permitted herein.
C. 
There shall be no display of goods outside of the structure except for occasional sidewalk sales by retail stores. In such cases a minimum of forty-two inches of public sidewalk shall be kept clear.
D. 
Accessory uses shall be permitted only to the extent necessary to serve the uses permitted under this chapter.
E. 
All exterior lighting shall be shielded and directed downward on the property to prevent upward glare and glare at adjacent properties.
(Ord. 846, 10/21/2024)

§ 17.20.080 C-1 Performance standards.

Projects must be designed and operated to comply with the following performance standards to minimize potential impacts during normal operation. Special studies (e.g., noise studies, lighting plans, etc.), as determined by the city planner, may be required to be submitted during processing of planning or building permit applications to provide evidence that compliance can be achieved prior to consideration of the project by the planning commission or the issuance of building permits by the building department.
A. 
Toxic or Hazardous Substances. Any use which involves processes that will result in toxic or hazardous substances or pollutants escaping (by air or water) from the site shall comply with all applicable local, state and federal regulations. Medical waste is to be disposed of according to all applicable regulations; no incineration is allowed. All processes shall comply with the applicable local, state and federal laws regarding airborne and waterborne emissions.
B. 
Lighting/Glare. Outdoor lighting shall be approved by the planning commission through the site plan and architectural review process as specified in Section 17.46.040. All outdoor lighting shall be designed to meet the following requirements:
1. 
All lighting fixtures shall comply with the International Dark Sky Association's (IDA) requirements for reducing waste of ambient light ("dark sky compliant"). This includes, but is not limited to, requirements for acceptable fixture types and maximum color temperature. No permanently installed lighting shall blink, flash, or be of unusually high intensity or brightness.
2. 
All lighting fixtures shall be the minimum lumens required for safety and security and where appropriate shall be on timers or motion sensors.
3. 
All lighting fixtures shall be shielded or recessed and directed downward to minimize lighting shining on adjacent properties or natural areas. Shielded shall mean that the light rays are directed onto the site, and the light source (e.g., bulb, tube, etc.) is not visible beyond the property boundary of the site of the light source.
4. 
All stand-alone light fixtures shall be limited to a maximum height of twenty feet vertical.
5. 
All building materials, or other site improvements, that cause glare to nearby properties are prohibited.
C. 
Noise. See Chapter 8.18 for noise regulations.
D. 
Air Pollution/Dust. Any use that results in substantial quantities of air pollutants and/or dust escaping from the site is required to install and implement effective mitigation measures to reduce the impacts to nearby sensitive receptors. Refer to North Coast Unified Air Quality Management District Rule 104 - Prohibitions for current limitations and requirements.
E. 
Wastewater Discharge. For any use with the potential to discharge effluent that could impact the city's wastewater system, the applicant shall submit a Significant Industrial User (SIU) application to the public works department. The installation and maintenance of on-site improvements (interceptor tanks, grease traps, etc.) shall be required for those uses that are determined by the public works director to generate effluent that may cause a difficulty to the treatment system.
F. 
Odors. No use shall be permitted which creates annoying odor in such quantities as to be readily detectable beyond the property boundaries.
G. 
Storage, Service, and Loading Areas.
1. 
Storage, service and loading areas shall be recessed or screened with fences, walls, berms, or plantings to reduce their visibility from adjacent streets or properties.
2. 
Materials, equipment, supplies, trash containers, inoperable vehicles, etc. shall be stored within an enclosed building or behind visually obscuring barriers such as fences, walls, berms, or plantings.
H. 
Stormwater. All stormwaters shall be directed to landscape areas designed for retention.
I. 
Regulatory Compliance. No use shall be permitted which does not comply with local, state, and federal laws.
(Ord. 846, 10/21/2024)