The purpose of this district is to provide retail and service uses which are needed to serve the nearby residential areas. It is further the intent of this district to encourage a concentration of such uses for the mutual advantage of both merchants and consumers and to avoid strip commercial development along major streets located within the city.

Further objectives of this Article include:

A.

To serve as a buffer between the Central Business District (CBD) and the Traditional Residential District (TRD).

B.

To avoid development that would result in hazards, offensive and loud noises, vibration, smoke, glare, heavy truck traffic, or late hours of operation.

No building or land shall be used and no building shall be erected except for one (1) or more of the following specified uses, unless otherwise provided in this Ordinance:

A.

Adult foster care group homes and congregate facilities.

B.

Art galleries.

C.

Tourist homes and bed and breakfast inns.

D.

Business establishments that perform services on premises such as, but not limited to: banks, savings and loans, and credit unions; brokerage houses; insurance, real estate, and travel agencies; pedestrian-oriented automated teller machine facilities, excluding drive-in or drive-through facilities.

E.

Child care centers, day care centers, and child caring institutions.

F.

Essential public services when conducted within a completely enclosed building, excluding storage yards.

G.

Medical offices with up to ten thousand (10,000) square feet gross floor area.

H.

Mixed-use buildings with business, commercial, or service uses on the ground floor and residential, office, or warehouse uses on upper floors.

I.

Offices of an executive, administrative, or professional nature with up to ten thousand (10,000) square feet gross floor area.

J.

Personal fitness centers up to ten thousand (10,000) square feet gross floor area.

K.

Personal service establishments within a completely enclosed building, including but not limited to such uses as: repair shops (watches, radio, television, shoes, etc.), tailor and dressmaking shops, beauty parlors and styling salons, barber shops, photographic studios, film processing outlets, copy centers, interior decorators, and postal center; provided that each occupies a total usable floor area of not more than four thousand (4,000) square feet.

L.

Public, quasi-public, and institutional uses such as, but not limited to, municipal buildings and offices, courthouses, public off-street parking facilities, libraries, museums, public safety facilities, parks and playgrounds, post offices, and civic center, but excluding storage yards for any use.

M.

Retail businesses which supply commodities on the premise of up to ten thousand (10,000) square feet of gross floor area, such as but not limited to groceries, meats, fruits and produce, dairy products, baked goods, candies, specialty wines, and other specialty food products; and stores selling drugs, dry goods, flowers, clothing, notions, books and magazines, toys, sporting goods, shoes, tobacco products, musical instruments, recorded music, video rentals and sales, gifts and souvenirs, antiques furniture, and hardware.

N.

Retail sales in which both a workshop and retail outlet or showroom are required, such as but not limited to, plumbing, electrician, interior decorating, upholstering, printing, photographic-reproducing, radio, and home appliance and similar establishments of similar character, subject to the provision that not more than eighty (80) per cent of the total useable floor area of the establishment shall be used for servicing, repairing, or processing activities and further provided that such retail outlet or showroom activities shall be provided in that portion of the building where the customer entrance is located.

O.

Studios for art, music, dance, or theatrical instruction.

P.

Veterinary clinics and animal grooming, provided that all activities are conducted within an enclosed building, with up to ten thousand (10,000) square feet gross floor area.

Q.

Off-street parking lots and structures.

R.

Churches and other facilities normally incidental thereto.

S.

Accessory buildings and uses customarily incidental to the above permitted uses.

The following uses shall be considered conditional and shall require a conditional use approval, and shall comply with any applicable conditional use requirements of Article XXIII:

A.

Automotive fueling stations, automotive service centers/stations, without accessory or combined convenience stores.

B.

Mortuaries and funeral homes.

C.

Outdoor cafes and outdoor eating areas.

D.

Restaurants (excluding drive-in restaurants and those with drive-through facilities), where the patrons are served while seated within the building occupied by such establishments.

E.

Other commercial uses not specifically stated or implied elsewhere which, in the determination of the planning commission, are similar to the principal permitted uses provided herein, and in harmony with the character of the district and the purpose and intent of this article and the Eaton Rapids Comprehensive Plan.

The following requirements shall be met within a Local Business District (LBD):

A.

Development plan approval for all permitted and conditional uses as specified in Article XVI of this Ordinance.

B.

Off-street parking, loading, and access management standards for all uses as specified in Article XXI of this Ordinance.

C.

Signs for all uses as specified in Article XXII of this Ordinance.

D.

Height, area, lot coverage, yard regulations, building mass, and yard regulations as specified in Article XVII of this Ordinance.

E.

Landscaping requirements as specified in Article XX of this Ordinance.

F.

Design, architectural, and building material standards as specified in Article XIX of this Ordinance.