This article shall be known and may be cited as the City of Florence's "Zoning Ordinance."

As authorized by the Texas Local Government Code, chapter 211, the zoning regulations and districts as herein established have been made in accordance with an adopted comprehensive plan for the purpose of promoting the public health, safety, morals and general welfare, and protecting and preserving places and areas of historical, cultural and/or architectural importance and significance within the City. They have been designed to lessen the congestion in the streets; to secure safety from fire, panic and other dangers; to ensure adequate light and air; to prevent the overcrowding of land and thus avoid undue concentration of population; and to facilitate the adequate provision of transportation, water, wastewater treatment, schools, parks and other public requirements. They have been made with reasonable consideration, among other things, for the character of each zoning district and its particular suitability for the uses specified; and with a view to conserving the value of buildings and attributes and to encouraging the most appropriate use of land throughout the City.

The City is hereby divided into zones, or districts, and the boundaries of zoning districts set out herein are delineated upon the Zoning District Map of the City, which may also be cited as the "Zoning Map," said map being adopted as a part of this article as fully as if the same were set forth herein in detail.

Any changes/amendments made to the zoning district boundaries shall be made on the map copy promptly after the amendment has been approved by the City Council, together with a descriptive entry on the map as follows: "On the _____ day of__________, _____, by official action of the City Council of Florence, Texas, the following change(s) was made on the City's official Zoning District Map: no changes to zoning map were made, Ordinance No. _____, effective date __________. The descriptive entry shall be signed by the Mayor and attested by the City Secretary.

The zoning district boundary lines shown on the Zoning District Map are usually along streets, alleys, property lines, or extensions thereof. Where uncertainty exists as to the boundaries of districts as shown on the Zoning District Map, the following rules shall apply:

All land, buildings, structures or appurtenances thereon located within the City of Florence, Texas which are occupied, used, constructed, erected, removed, placed, demolished, or converted after the effective date of this article shall be occupied, used, erected, altered, removed, placed, demolished or converted in conformance with the zoning regulations prescribed for the zoning district in which such land or building is located, as hereinafter provided, or such shall be subject to penalties provided in division 6 of this article. All the standards and regulations prescribed herein shall be considered as the minimum requirement unless explicitly stated otherwise. No building shall hereafter be erected or altered:

No use(s) shall be allowed that is prohibited by State or Federal law or that operates in excess of State or Federal environmental, pollution or performance standards as determined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Texas Air Control Board (TACB), Texas State Department of Health (TSDH), Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), or any other applicable State or Federal agency, as the case may be.

No lot upon which a building has been erected shall later be so reduced in area that the setbacks, yards and/or open spaces shall be smaller than those required by this article, nor shall a part of a yard or other open space required by this article for any building or lot be included as a part of a yard or other open space similarly required for another building or lot.

All existing uses that may be nonconforming after the effective date of this article shall comply with section 14.02.031 of this article.

Zoning is a characteristic of the land rather than a characteristic of the landowner. Zoning cannot be bought or sold.

All territory hereafter annexed to the city shall be temporarily classified as AG Agricultural until permanent zoning is established by the City Council. The procedure for establishing permanent zoning on annexed territory shall conform to the procedure established by law for the adoption of the original zoning regulations.