Fennville City Zoning Code
ARTICLE 12
B-1 Downtown Edge District
§ 450-1201 Statement of purpose.
A.
Purpose and intent. The B-1 Downtown Edge District is intended to accommodate various types of office, retail, and service establishments. These uses can serve as a transitional use between higher intensity commercial uses, residential neighborhoods, and the Central Business District. The B-1 District is intended to be walkable and provide goods and services to adjacent neighborhoods. This district is also intended to accommodate limited residential uses in the form of mixed-use buildings or live-work units. Certain parcels are subject to architectural requirements in the CBD.
§ 450-1202 Principal permitted uses.
A.
In the B-1 District, no uses shall be permitted unless otherwise provided for in this chapter, except the following:
(1)
Single-family detached dwelling units.
(2)
Two-family dwellings (duplex).
(3)
Three-family dwellings (triplex).
(4)
Four-family dwellings (fourplex).
(5)
Bakeries and confectioneries.
(6)
Bars, taverns, and pubs.
(7)
Coffee shops, delicatessens, and cafes.
(8)
Day care and child care centers. (§ 450-1412)
(9)
Funeral homes and mortuaries. (§ 450-1417)
(10)
Government buildings.
(11)
Laundromats.
(12)
Live-work units, subject to the following conditions:
(a)
Living quarters must be above or to the rear of the business.
(b)
Commercial space may not be used for residential purposes.
(c)
Compliance with the Building and Fire Codes is required.
(13)
Mixed-use buildings (i.e., commercial, office, and/or residential uses combined in one structure).
(a)
Ground floor residential permitted only on rear portion of the building. All street-facing facades shall be commercial or office space.
(14)
Personal service establishments, such as barber shops, beauty shops, and nail salons.
(15)
Professional offices, including finance, banks, insurance, real estate, engineering, accounting, medical, and dental.
(16)
Restaurants, excluding drive-in and drive-thrus.
(17)
Artisan/maker space (e.g., photography, interior design, etc.).
(18)
Other retail and service establishments.
(19)
Other uses similar to those listed above, as deemed by the City Zoning Administrator or their designee.
§ 450-1203 Accessory uses.
A.
In the B-1 District, no accessory uses shall be permitted unless otherwise provided for in this chapter, except the following:
(1)
Accessory dwelling units. (§ 450-1401)
(2)
Accessory buildings and uses customarily incidental to the above permitted principal uses.
(3)
Outdoor seating, dining, and patios accessory to restaurants and other similar establishments.
(4)
Home occupations, Class I. (§ 450-511)
(5)
Personal-scale solar energy facilities. (§ 450-1426)
(6)
Personal-scale wind energy facilities. (§ 450-1427)
§ 450-1204 Special land uses.
A.
In the B-1 District, no special land uses shall be permitted unless otherwise provided for in this chapter, except the following:
(1)
Automobile (gasoline) service stations and filling stations. (§ 450-1407)
(2)
Automobile repair establishments. (§ 450-1405)
(3)
Bungalow courts. (§ 450-1410)
(4)
Cinemas, concert halls, theatres, and other similar places of assembly.
(5)
Fraternal organizations, service clubs, and lodge halls.
(6)
Home occupations, Class II. (§ 450-511)
(7)
Hotels and motels. (§ 450-1419)
(8)
Marihuana adult user retailer. (§ 450-1422)
(9)
Mixed-use planned unit developments and site condominiums.
(10)
Office developments (two or more structures). (§ 450-1421)
(11)
Publicly owned and operated parks, playfields and other recreational facilities.
(12)
Religious institutions.
(13)
Short-term rentals. (§ 450-1425)
(14)
Veterinary clinics and animal hospitals. (§ 450-1428)
(15)
Wireless communications facilities. (§ 450-1429)
(16)
Other uses as deemed similar to those listed above, by the City Zoning Administrator or their designee.
§ 450-1205 Site plan approval.
A.
Site plan approval required. For all permitted uses and uses subject to a special use permit, a site plan shall be submitted in accordance with Article 19.
§ 450-1206 Area, height, bulk and placement requirements.
[Amended 4-15-2025 by Ord. No. 2025-03; 6-16-2025 by Ord. No. 2025-06]
A.
No building or structure, nor enlargement of any building or structure, shall hereafter be constructed or placed unless the following requirements are met and maintained for any building, structure or enlargement.
The table below includes the Schedule of Regulations for all developments in the B-1 District. Unless otherwise specified, the requirements below shall be considered as the minimum necessary to achieve compliance. |
Schedule of Regulations | |
Front yard | 15 feet |
Side yards | 5 feet |
Rear yards | 10 feet |
Maximum lot coverage | 80% |
Building height | 2 1/2 stories or 35 feet, whichever is less |
Minimum lot area | 1,500 square feet for single-family 9,500 square feet for two-family 14,500 square feet for three-family 19,500 square feet for four-family 10,500 square feet for commercial or mixed-use buildings |
Minimum lot width | 30 feet |
(1)
The front yard shall not be used for off-street parking, loading, or unloading, other than in a driveway as specified in Subsection A(3) and (4) below, and shall remain as open space that is unoccupied and unobstructed except for landscaping, plant materials, or vehicle access drives.
(2)
Off-street parking for one-, two-, three- and four-family dwellings and driveway accessing such parking shall be paved with concrete or bituminous material in a manner which is adequate to prevent washout from obstructing storm sewers and catch basins, in a manner which is adequate to provide safe access to the dwellings in question.
(3)
The off-street parking areas for one-, two-, three- and four-family dwellings and for any driveways accessing them shall be a minimum of eight feet in width for their entire length and shall at a minimum extend between the public or private right-of-way and the required front setback line on each lot.
(4)
Residential driveways or off-street parking areas used for residential purposes may comprise up to 50% of the front yard area. Any residential off-street parking areas located in the front yard shall consist of porous/permeable pavement.
(5)
Residential front, side, and rear yards may consist of native plant materials. In no case shall any plant obstruct line-of-sight distances for vehicular, bicycle, or pedestrian travel.
§ 450-1207 Architectural standards.
A.
With the exception of single-family, two-family, three-family, and four-family residential uses and buildings, all architectural standards described in § 450-1108 shall apply to parcels in the B-1 District with frontage on East Main Street and West Main Street, between Mary Street and Wilson Street.