The intent of the B-C, General Business District is to provide for intensive commercial development. B-C Districts typically exhibit one (1) or more of the following characteristics:

      — Permitted businesses offering a broad range of goods and services, including both comparison and convenience goods and services.

      — The market for businesses in the B-C District may include the general City population, residents in surrounding communities, and the people in transit.

      — Permitted businesses are frequently auto-oriented, rather than pedestrian-oriented.

      — Because of the impacts commonly generated by B-C uses, these districts are not generally appropriate adjacent to residential uses unless ample buffering is provided.

   Because of the variety of business types permitted in the B-C District, special attention must be focused on site layout, building design, vehicular and pedestrian circulation, spacing of uses, and coordination of site features between adjoining sites. Accordingly, General Business District developments should be directly served by a major thoroughfare.

(Ord. No. 00-831, 11-8-2000)

      1.   All uses permitted in a B-B District.

      2.   Service establishments including, but not limited to, a workshop maintained by electricians, plumbers, painters, upholsterers, printers, when in conjunction with retail establishments that offer merchandise of a related nature.

      3.   Greenhouses or nurseries.

      4.   Public utility buildings, telephone exchange buildings, electric transformer stations and substations, gas regulator stations with service yards but without storage yards, and water and sewage pumping stations.

      5.   Automobile dealerships selling new and used automobiles.

      6.   Fast food and carry-out restaurants.

      7.   Other uses not specifically listed in this ordinance, after determination by the director of building and safety that such use is similar to other permitted uses in this district.

      8.   Accessory structures and uses customarily incidental to the above permitted use.

      9.   Automobile filling and/or repair stations which may also provide retail sales of prepackaged food products for consumption off premises, and other small consumer convenience items.

      10.   Arcades and pool or billiard halls.

      11.   Hospitals.

      1.   All special land uses permitted in the B-B Community Business District as stated in Section 15.02B.

      2.   Multiple-family dwellings to include rental apartments and condominium units.

      3.   Sale of used automobiles only.

      4.   Car wash establishments.

      5.   Bus terminals, cab stands, and other transit facilities.

      6.   Drive-in movie establishments.

      7.   Indoor motion picture theaters and rental halls.

      8.   Open air businesses.

      9.   Recreation facilities, indoor and outdoor.

      10.   Alternative financial establishments.

      11.   Day laborer agencies.

      12.   Regulated uses as set forth in Section 7.05.

      13.   Motels or hotels, subject to the provisions in Section 7.02.

      14.   Food truck parks, subject to the provisions in Section 7.02.BB, but prohibited within the West Downtown District, as defined in Article 27.00, the BD-Downtown Business District, as defined in Article 17.00, and the Dix-Vernor and Warren Business District Improvement Authorities, as defined in Article 1.00.

(Ord. No. 00-831, 11-8-2000; Ord. No. 15-1481, 9-22-2015; Ord. No. 15-1484, 9-22-2015; Ord. No. 15-1499, 11-24-2015; Ord. No. 15-1504, 11-24-2015; Ord. No. 16-1548, 10-4-2016; Ord. No. 17-1593, 9-12-2017; Ord. No. 18-1611, 5-15-2018; Ord. No. 22-1767, 8-23-2022; Ord. No. 25-1839, 5-20-2025)

   A.   Required conditions. Unless otherwise noted, buildings and uses in the B-C, General Business District shall comply with the following requirements:

      1.   All permitted retail or services establishments shall deal directly with customers. Manufacturing of products for wholesale distribution off of the premises is not permitted.

      2.   All business, services, or processing, except off-street parking and loading, shall be conducted within a completely enclosed building, unless otherwise specifically permitted.

      3.   There shall be no outside storage of any goods, inventory, or equipment. Any storage must be clearly accessory to the principal permitted use,

      4.   Commercially used or commercially licensed vehicles used in the normal operation of a permitted retail or service use on the site may be parked in the rear only. This provision shall apply to operable vehicles that are moved on and off at the site on a regular basis,

      5.   Parking or storage of damaged or disabled vehicles shall be prohibited. Vehicles parked on a site shall not be used principally for storage, sales, or advertising.

      6.   All sites shall be maintained in compliance with the open space and landscaping requirements of Section 5.03.

      7.   External security gates, bars, steel barriers, hurricane curtains, and other security devices are prohibited. If they are located inside a building, security devices must be retractable so as not to be visible from the sidewalk or public right-of-way during business hours, must be equipped with an emergency release device, and must be permitted and inspected by the fire marshal and the economic and community development department commercial services division.

   B.   Site Plan Review. Site Plan Review and approval by the city planner is required for all uses in the B-C, General Business District in accordance with Article 32.00.

   C.   Area, height, bulk, and placement requirements. Buildings and uses in the B-C, General Business District are subject to the area, height, bulk, and placement requirements in Article 29.00—Schedule of Regulations.

   D.   Planned Unit Development Mixed Use. Planned Unit Development Mixed Use may be permitted as a means to achieve the basic intent of this District, in accordance with the guidelines in Article 23.00.

   E.   General development standards. Buildings and uses in the B-C, General Business District shall be subject to all applicable standards and requirements set forth in this ordinance, including the following:

 

(Ord. No. 00-831, 11-8-2000; Ord. No. 11-1318, 4-4-2011)