This zone is established to provide locations for a full range of office and retail commercial uses which are oriented to serve the city as a whole as well as other areas in the region. These uses may develop as freestanding facilities on individual lots, but are encouraged to occur in planned commercial centers which reflect unified designs that are architecturally compatible and in scale with the surrounding neighborhood. Property in the C zone is usually served by high volume arterial streets providing adequate transportation access to the sites. For this reason, control standards are established in this chapter to ensure that the street system will continue to function as intended. (Ord. 2004-35, 6-16-2004)

The following are permitted uses in the C zone. No other permitted uses are allowed, except as provided by subsection 11-4-050F of this title:

   Agriculture.

   Business and professional offices.

   Commercial outdoor recreation, minor (family reunion center, outdoor reception facilities, picnic grounds, tennis courts, etc.).

   Commercial testing laboratories.

   Data processing services.

   Fast food establishments, attached (walk in service only, no exterior walk up or vehicle drive-through service).

   Funeral home.

   Neighborhood service establishments (low impact retail and service uses, such as bakery, bookstore, dry cleaning, hairstyling, coin laundry, pharmacy, art supply/gallery, craft store, photocopy center, etc.).

   Printing/publishing services.

   Public or quasi-public administrative offices in an existing building (excluding portable/temporary buildings).

   Public park.

   Public utility lines and rights of way.

   Research and development activities.

   Research services.

   Seasonal fruit/produce vendor stands.

   Signs complying with provisions of the sign ordinance.

   Uses customarily accessory to an established permitted use. (Ord. 2004-35, 6-16-2004; Ord. 2023-67, 11-14-2023; Ord. 2025-37, 7-15-2025)

The following are conditional uses in the C zone. No other conditional uses are allowed, except as provided by subsection 11-4-050F of this title:

   Athletic or tennis club.

   Auto, truck, recreational vehicle and equipment sales and rental.

   Automobile and truck repair, not including bodywork.

   Car wash.

   Commercial complex (commercial center).

   Commercial indoor recreation (movie theater, video arcade, bowling alley, etc.).

   Commercial outdoor recreation, major (miniature golf, batting cages, go-kart tracks, drive-in theaters, etc.).

   Convenience store (sale of grocery items, nonprescription drugs and/or gasoline from building with less than 5,000 square feet gross floor area).

   Daycare/preschool center.

   Department store.

   Fast food establishments, detached (may include vehicle drive-through facilities).

   Fuel sales and/or storage.

   Greenhouse/garden center (retail or wholesale).

   Hotels and motels.

   Lumberyard.

   Neighborhood grocery (grocery store not exceeding 15,000 square feet in gross floor area).

   Pet store or pet grooming establishment.

   Public utility substations, wireless transmission towers, except as specified in section 11-28-190 of this title, generating plants, pumping stations and buildings.

   Reception center.

   Restaurants (traditional sit down).

   Self-service storage facilities.

   Supermarkets.

   Temporary uses.

   Uses customarily accessory to an established conditional use.

   Veterinary hospital. (Ord. 2014-07, 3-4-2014; amd. Ord. 2025-37, 7-15- 2025)

   A.   Lot Size:

      1.   Nonresidential Use: Except in the case of a legal nonconforming lot, each individual commercial use not located in an approved commercial complex shall have a lot not less than one-half (1/2) acre in size. For the purpose of this section, "pad" sites in a commercial complex shall be considered separate commercial sites.

      2.   Residential Use: The minimum development acreage for a residential planned unit development or condominium shall be not less than five (5) acres. Lot size, dimensions and/or arrangement of buildings shall be determined by the planning commission after review of the conceptual development plan. Gross density shall not exceed twenty (20) dwelling units per acre.

   B.   Commercial Lot Width: Except in the case of a legal nonconforming lot or residential planned unit development or condominium, the minimum width for a commercial lot shall be one hundred feet (100'). For individual lots with a single use, one hundred feet (100') of frontage shall be provided on a fully improved public street except for "pad sites" in approved commercial centers.

   C.   Commercial Setback From Streets: The minimum setback from public or private streets shall be twenty feet (20') for buildings or structures twenty feet (20') or less in height. Buildings or structures over twenty feet (20') in height shall be set back an additional foot for each foot of height over twenty feet (20'). Any commercial building located adjacent to, or across the street from, a residential zone shall have the same front yard setback as that required in residential zone. Parking lots shall not be permitted within the minimum required street setback(s). Such areas shall be permanently landscaped, except for approved access drives.

   D.   Commercial Side And Rear Setbacks: There shall be no minimum setback requirement, except where the C zone shares a common boundary with a noncommercial zone. In such a case, the minimum side and rear setbacks from property lines shall be twenty feet (20') for buildings and structures twenty feet (20') or less in height. Buildings or structures over twenty feet (20') in height shall be set back an additional foot for each foot of height over twenty feet (20'). If the area of the side or rear setback is used for parking or as a service area, a landscaped strip, not less than ten feet (10') in width shall be maintained along the property lines.

   E.   Gasoline Pump Islands: Gasoline pump islands, as well as canopies that may be constructed over such facilities, shall be set back a minimum of twenty feet (20') from any property line.

   F.   Side And Rear Setbacks:

      1.   Side Setback For Nonresidential: The minimum side yard setback from nonresidential zone boundaries for a new residence in a C zone shall be twenty feet (20'). A mix of evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs shall be planted in such yard area to help mitigate potential impacts from adjacent nonresidential uses;

      2.   Rear Setback For Nonresidential: The minimum rear setback from nonresidential zone boundaries shall be forty feet (40'). A landscaped strip, not less than twenty feet (20') in width shall be maintained along the rear property line to help mitigate potential impacts from adjacent nonresidential uses;

      3.   Residential: Side and rear yard setbacks from boundaries of zones which are exclusively residential shall be the same as the adjacent residential zone.

   G.   Building Height: Maximum building height shall be forty feet (40').

   H.   Lot Coverage: The maximum lot coverage shall be fifty percent (50%) for all buildings. (The requirements for landscaped areas, building setbacks, and off street parking may result in less than a 50 percent lot coverage.) (Ord. 2004-35, 6-16-2004)

   A.   Parking shall be provided for each use in conformance with chapter 32 of this title.

   B.   On a corner lot, no curb cut shall be located closer than forty feet (40') to the property line corner at street intersections.

   C.   Curb cuts shall not be located closer than fifteen feet (15') to a side or rear lot line, and the distance between separate curb cuts serving adjacent land uses shall not be less than forty feet (40') unless the planning commission approves an exception based on one or more of the following circumstances:

      1.   A common curb cut serves adjacent land uses;

      2.   Curb cuts cannot meet separation standards due to narrow lot frontage;

      3.   Curb cuts cannot meet separation standards due to location of existing cuts on adjacent lots; or

      4.   A professional traffic engineer, after preparing a traffic study, recommends in writing that curb cuts be located closer to interior lot lines in order to maintain a safe distance from street intersections.

   D.   A commercial lot or commercial complex with three hundred feet (300') of frontage or less shall have no more than two (2) curb cuts on any single street right of way. One additional curb cut may be allowed for each additional three hundred feet (300') of frontage on a single street right of way. Curb cuts shall have a minimum distance of forty feet (40') between them. (Ord. 2004-35, 6-16-2004)

Standards listed below shall supplement the design and development standards contained in chapter 7 of this title:

   A.   Landscaping: All open areas in the required yard spaces, except driveways, parking areas, walkways and storage areas shall be maintained with suitable landscaping of plants, shrubs, trees and grass.

      1.   All landscaped areas shall be provided with an irrigation system capable of complete coverage and designed to minimize runoff and other wasting of water. Such system shall be maintained in a fully operational condition.

      2.   Street trees shall be planted along the frontage of commercial sites and shall be spaced at not more than thirty feet (30') on center (except for private streets). The minimum caliper size for street trees on public streets shall be two inches (2").

      3.   In landscape buffers adjacent to residential zones, a mix of evergreen and deciduous trees shall be planted at a ratio of not less than one tree for each three hundred (300) square feet of landscape area. For conditional uses, this requirement may be increased if, in the opinion of the planning commission, additional screening or buffering is necessary on a specific site.

   B.   Outside Storage: No outside storage shall be permitted except as expressly approved by the planning commission.

   C.   Screening:

      1.   Garbage or other refuse shall be screened from public view by an architectural concrete or masonry wall, or may be stored completely within an enclosed building. Trash dumpsters shall be located a minimum of twenty feet (20') from any common boundary with a noncommercial zone.

      2.   Where any commercial lot shares a common boundary with a residential zone, a six foot (6') concrete or masonry wall and approved landscape buffer shall be provided along such boundary. The wall shall be constructed concurrently with the foundation of the first proposed building. However, in the case of mixed use developments where the integration of commercial and residential uses are a part of the overall plan, no fencing shall be required.

      3.   All mechanical equipment, including heating and air conditioning units, shall be completely screened from surrounding properties by use of a concrete or masonry wall or shall be enclosed within a building. Roof mounted equipment shall be screened by parapet walls or other approved means. (Ord. 2004-35, 6-16-2004)

The planning commission may limit hours of operation for conditional uses which are determined to have a potential detrimental impact on noncommercial properties in the immediate area. The planning commission may, from time to time, review any previously granted conditional use permit for the purpose of evaluating detrimental impact on surrounding noncommercial properties. Based upon such evaluation, the planning commission may impose limitations on hours of operation where such limitations were not previously imposed. (Ord. 2004-35, 6-16-2004)

All landscaping shall be maintained in a healthy, neat and orderly condition, free of weeds and litter. All paved areas, walls or fences shall be maintained in good repair without broken parts, holes, potholes or litter. (Ord. 2004-35, 6-16-2004)