PURPOSE: The "HC", Highway Commercial District is established to provide adequate space and site diversification for commercial uses which depend upon high visibility, uses with outside storage unless specifically prohibited by Section 26A, convenience to arterial highways, and will involve development that may be more intensive than other commercial districts and objectionable to adjacent residential uses.

USES GENERALLY: In an "HC", Highway Commercial District, no land shall be used and no building shall be erected for or converted to any use other than as hereinafter provided.

A.

Permitted uses: The following uses shall be permitted as principal uses except as provided in Section 26.D.

1.

Any use permitted in the "CC", Community Commercial District, except that there shall be no limitation size of planned shopping centers or total floor area.

2.

Furniture or appliances, new and used within a completely enclosed building.

3.

Mortuary and funeral homes.

4.

Upholstery shops.

5.

Commercial amusements, the operation of which is totally within an enclosed building, including bowling alleys, video arcades, roller skating and ice skating arenas, motion picture theaters, but excluding any special uses authorized by Section 49.B.

6.

Pawn shops within a completely enclosed building.

B.

Secondary uses: The following uses shall be permitted as secondary uses to a principal use provided that none shall be a source of income to the owner or user of the principal use:

1.

Secondary uses permitted in the "CN", Neighborhood Commercial and "CC", Community Commercial Districts.

2.

Mechanical equipment located within 120-feet of any residentially zoned district must meet the standards established for noise regulation as stated in Section 55. Performance Standards.

3.

Screened garbage storage, on a concrete pad no nearer than 50 feet to any residentially zoned district and Northwest Highway.

4.

Off-street parking, provided that all area devoted to the parking of vehicles or the sale and display of merchandise, except nurseries, shall be surfaced in accordance with Section 58 of this ordinance.

5.

Provisions for the parking of automotive vehicles provided within 60 feet of any residentially zoned district shall be separated from said lot by a blind fence or wall at least six feet high.

6.

Other structures or uses which are customarily secondary and clearly incidental and subordinate to the permitted use and/or structure.

7.

Signs advertising uses located on the premises in accordance with Section 60 of this ordinance.

8.

Used car sales in conjunction with new car sales provided that used car sales do not exceed more than fifty percent of the total sales for the automobile dealership in a calendar year.

C.

Conditional uses: The following conditional uses may be permitted provided they meet the provisions of, and a conditional use permit is issued pursuant to, Section 48 of this ordinance.

1.

Commercial off-street parking lots for passenger vehicles less than one ton carrying capacity.

2.

Retail sales of building materials displayed in an unenclosed or incompletely enclosed area with outside storage.

3.

Home equipment rental.

4.

Alcoholic beverage sales provided a special permit is issued in accordance with Section 42.B. of this ordinance.

5.

Public or private storage garages, including mini storage warehouses.

6.

Swimming pool and spa sales within a completely enclosed building.

7.

Restaurant with outside dining and/or drive-through.

8.

Planned commercial centers.

9.

Automotive repair garages, within a completely enclosed building. Salvage and/or wrecking yards are prohibited. All storage areas must be surfaced and screening shall be provided in accordance with Section 58 and Section 50.

10.

New automotive sales and service, cars and light to medium trucks. All vehicles must be in an operating condition and all open display or storage areas must be surfaced and developed in accordance with all applicable ordinances of the city.

11.

Automotive rental.

12.

Camper sales and camper trailer sales and service, lease and rental within a completely enclosed building and with outside display.

13.

Auction sale, new or used goods located within a completely enclosed building.

14.

Plumbing supply within a completely enclosed building.

15.

Automobile washing business: automatic, coin-operated or moving line wash.

16.

Outdoor commercial amusements such as golf driving ranges, miniature golf, archery.

17.

Gasoline service station.

18.

Feed and grain sales within a completely enclosed building.

19.

Boat and marine sales and/or service without outside display.

20.

Commercial print center or newspaper establishments.

21.

Hotels and motels. Hotels approved prior to January 18, 2005 shall have the same status as that authorized pursuant to this ordinance; provided, however, no such building, structure, or use shall be altered, changed, or expanded unless a conditional use permit therefore has been granted pursuant to this ordinance.

22.

Automotive state inspections facility.

23.

New and used golf and utility cart sales and services, both electric and gasoline powered, with outside display and outside storage.

24.

Outside display and sales of merchandise.

25.

Call centers.

26.

Public institutions and nonprofit institutions of any educational, religious or cultural type, including private and charter schools, but excluding corrective institutions and hospitals.

27.

Retail sales of secondhand goods in an enclosed building where the size of the space exceeds 3,000 square feet in area.

28.

Any use allowed within this district with outdoor speakers.

29.

Master site development plan.

30.

Boutique hotel.

31.

Electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. (See Section 42.I.).

D.

Limitation of uses:

1.

Residential structures and uses are expressly prohibited in the "HC", Highway Commercial District. Existing residentials may remain as nonconforming uses, but it is intended that new residential construction not be allowed in the district.

2.

(a)

All property zoned "HC," Highway Commercial, shall have driveway access and frontage in accordance with Section 26, paragraph G.2. only from a state highway or Central Avenue except as provided in Section D.3.

(b)

Additional driveway access on a corner lot from other than a state highway for the intersecting street only, may be approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council with the filing of a concept plan in accordance with Section 45. For purposes of this Section 26.D., corner lot shall mean a lot located at the juncture of a state highway and a street which intersects such state highway.

3.

Access to and frontage on a street other than a state highway or Central Avenue will be permitted only for property zoned "HC," Highway Commercial prior to the 15th day of July, 1986, provided the principal uses and conditional uses are limited to the following uses:

(a)

Principal uses:

1.

Any use permitted in the "PO" Professional Office District.

2.

Public utilities as required to serve the district.

3.

Restaurants, excluding drive-in and drive-through restaurants.

4.

Furniture or appliances, new and used within a completely enclosed building.

5.

Mortuary and funeral homes.

6.

Nursery or greenhouses.

7.

Upholstery shops.

8.

Retail sales, other than those listed above, business services and merchandise displayed within a completely enclosed building.

(b)

Conditional use:

1.

Commercial off-street parking lots for passenger vehicles less than one ton carrying capacity.

2.

Alcoholic beverage sales provided a Special Permit is issued in accordance with Section 42.B. of this ordinance.

3.

Public or private storage garages, including mini storage warehouses.

4.

Restaurant with outside dining.

5.

Plumbing supply with a completely enclosed building.

6.

Automobile washing business; automatic, coin-operated or moving line wash.

7.

Drive-in and drive-through restaurants.

8.

Feed and grain sales within a completely enclosed building.

9.

Commercial print center or newspaper establishments.

10.

Automotive state inspections facility.

11.

Outside display and sales of merchandise.

12.

Any use allowed within this district with outdoor speakers.

(c)

Prohibited uses:

1.

Commercial amusements, the operation of which is totally within an enclosed building, including bowling alleys, video arcades, roller skating and ice skating arenas, motion picture theaters, but excluding any special uses authorized by Section 49.B.

2.

Pawn shops.

4.

Electric vehicle (EV) charging stations are only allowed as a secondary use to an existing, permitted primary use on a platted lot.

E.

Plan requirements: No application for a building permit for construction of a principal building shall be approved unless:

1.

A plat, meeting all requirements of the City of Grapevine has been approved by the City Council and recorded in the official records of Tarrant County.

2.

A site plan, meeting the requirements of Section 47, has been approved.

3.

A landscape plan, meeting the requirements of Section 53, has been approved.

F.

Density requirements: The following bulk and intensity of use requirements shall apply:

1.

Maximum density: 1.0 floor area ratio.

2.

Minimum lot size: 5,000 square feet.

3.

Minimum open space: 15 percent of the total lot area. Planned commercial centers permitted as a conditional use shall meet the requirements of Section 26.N.3.

a.

Landscaping in excess of the required minimum open space that is located in the rear yard of the site shall not be used to meet the minimum open space requirements for the site.

Provided, however, there shall be no open space required for lots fronting on the south side of Northwest Highway, between Jenkins Street and Dooley Street.

4.

Maximum impervious surface: 85 percent of the combined area occupied by all main and secondary structures, parking, storage, loading and other paved areas of the total lot area.

Provided, however, there shall be no maximum impervious area requirement for lots fronting on the south side of Northwest Highway, between Jenkins Street and Dooley Street.

G.

Area regulations: The following minimum standards shall be required:

1.

Minimum lot width: 50 feet.

2.

Minimum lot depth: 100 feet.

3.

Minimum front yard: 25 feet which shall be utilized as a landscaped setback area. Front yards shall not be used for any building, structure, fence, wall or storage area, except that signs may be permitted in this area in accordance with Section 60. Front yards shall be landscaped with grass, shrubbery, vines or trees, and no part shall be paved or surfaced except for minimum access, driveways and sidewalks.

Provided, however, the front yard setback for lots fronting on the south side of Northwest Highway, between Jenkins Street and Dooley Street, shall be a minimum of ten feet and may be used for off-street parking, drives and sidewalks. The ten-foot front yard for this area shall not be used for any building, structure, fence, wall or storage area.

4.

Minimum side yards: No side yards are required, except that when property in an "HC", Highway Commercial District abuts property of a district in which a side yard is required, a side yard of equivalent width shall be provided in the "HC", Highway Commercial District.

5.

Minimum rear yard: A rear yard equivalent to the adjacent or contiguous district shall be provided. Provided, however, there shall be no rear yard requirement for lots fronting on the south side of Northwest Highway, between Jenkins Street and Dooley Street. A screen shall be provided regardless of the adjacent or contiguous district in accordance with the provisions of Section 50 of this Ordinance.

6.

Minimum distance between buildings: 10 feet between detached principal or secondary buildings on the same lot.

H.

Buffer area regulations: When an "HC", Highway Commercial District abuts a Residential District, an appropriate buffer and screen shall be provided in accordance with the provisions of Section 50 of this Ordinance.

Provided, however, there shall be no buffer yard requirement for lots fronting on the south side of Northwest Highway, between Jenkins Street and Dooley Street. A screen shall be provided regardless of building height or buffer yard in accordance with the provisions of Section 50 of this Ordinance.

I.

Maximum building height:

1.

Principal structure: two (2) stories, 35 feet. Principal structures located adjacent to an "R-20", "R-12.5", "R-7.5", or "R-5.0" District shall not exceed one (1) floor level and 20 feet in height, however an increase up to five (5) feet to this requirement may be granted upon approval of a conditional use request by the City Council.

2.

Secondary structure: 15 feet.

J.

Landscaping requirements: Landscaping shall be required in accordance with Section 53 of this ordinance.

K.

Off-street parking: Off-street parking shall be provided in accordance with the provisions of Sections 56 and 58 and shall be landscaped in accordance with Section 53 of this ordinance.

L.

Off-street loading: Off-street loading shall be provided in accordance with the provisions of Section 57 of this ordinance.

M.

Design requirements: The following design requirements shall apply in the HC District:

1.

Refuse disposal areas shall be landscaped and screened from view.

2.

Mechanical and electrical equipment, including air conditioning units, shall be designed, installed and operated to minimize noise impact on surrounding property. All such equipment shall be screened from public view.

3.

Lighting shall be designed to reflect away from any adjacent residential area.

4.

Whenever an "HC", Highway Commercial District is adjacent to any residentially zoned district, a buffer strip, at least twenty (20) feet in width shall be provided between the two (2) districts. A wall, fence, or berm shall be erected to effectively screen the "HC", Highway Commercial District from the residential area and no streets, alley, vehicular storage area or use shall be permitted in the required buffer strip. Provided, however, there shall be no buffer yard requirement for lots fronting on the south side of Northwest Highway, between Jenkins Street and Dooley Street.

5.

The masonry requirements of Section 54 shall be met.

6.

All sales, display or outdoor storage areas shall be surfaced in accordance with Section 58 except those areas of nurseries and garden centers where living plants are located.

7.

Storage areas for any product, excluding automobile and truck sales and leasing, shall be completely enclosed by a blind fence or wall at least seven feet high. No materials or products shall be stacked higher than one foot below the top of the fence or wall.

8.

Additional buffering, screening, fencing, and landscaping—The Planning and Zoning Commission may recommend and the City Council may require buffering, screening, fencing and landscaping requirements on any zone change, conditional use, or special use case or concept plan in addition to or in lieu of screening or fencing requirements set out specifically in each use district when the nature and character or surrounding or adjacent property dictate a need to require such methods in order to protect such property and to further provide protection for the general health, welfare and morals of the community in general.

9.

Hotel/motel facilities are required to meet the following standards clearly designated on the approved site plan:

(a)

Each guestroom shall have a minimum area of three hundred thirty (330) square feet.

(b)

On-site staff is required 24-hours a day, seven days a week.

(c)

A minimum room count of 200 rooms.

(d)

A swimming pool, indoor or outdoor, with a minimum area of 1,000 square feet.

(e)

If developing multiple buildings on one lot, the buildings must be conjoined and architecturally integrated and cannot appear to be separate buildings externally or internally. Construction of multiple buildings must occur at one time and cannot be phased.

Hotel or motel facilities are required to provide at least four (4) of the following features clearly designated on the approved site plan:

(a)

A full-service restaurant with full kitchen facilities and which provides services to the general public;

(b)

A warming kitchen intended for the preparation, staging and sale of food by a caterer brought to the establishment from off-site to serve or foodservice options including the offering of prepared and packaged foods;

(c)

A minimum 4,000 square foot meeting or conference room space;

(d)

A full-service indoor gym exercise facility with fitness equipment;

(e)

Spa and wellness area a minimum of 1,000 square feet providing services such as haircare, skin treatment, massages, other body treatments, and meditation;

(f)

Outdoor flexible space a minimum 2,500 square feet intended for dining, entertaining or relaxation, including but not limited to: a patio with sitting area and furniture, outdoor dining, or outdoor exercise area; and

(g)

Outdoor recreation and play space a minimum of 2,500 square feet, such as a playground with permanent playground equipment, basketball court, volleyball court, tennis court, pickle ball court, etc.

N.

Planned commercial center design requirements: Each lot or parcel of land created within a planned commercial center shall comply with the following requirements:

1.

Minimum yard requirements of planned commercial centers: The front yard requirements contained in Section 26.G.3. shall be applicable to each lot or parcel of land within a planned commercial center permitted. The minimum side and minimum rear yards as required in Sections 26.G.4. and 26.G.5 shall be required around the outside perimeter of a planned commercial center. Minimum side and rear yard requirements of interior lots may be required if deemed necessary by City Council in order to meet the provisions of Section 48. Perimeter lots in a planned commercial center shall have a minimum 20 feet of frontage on a public right-of-way. Interior lots in a planned business park that have no frontage on a public right-of-way must have a minimum 25-foot dedicated public access easement connecting to a public right-of-way.

2.

Landscaping requirements of planned commercial centers: The minimum landscaping requirements of Section 53.H.2(b) shall be applicable around the outside perimeter of a planned commercial center. For interior lots the minimum landscaping requirements of Section 53.H.2(b) may be required if deemed necessary by City Council in order to meet the provisions of Section 48.

3.

Minimum open space requirements of planned commercial centers: At least 15 percent of the total site area of the planned commercial center shall be devoted to nonvehicular open space. (Nonvehicular open space is any area not devoted to buildings, parking, loading, storage or vehicular use.)

4.

Building elevations of proposed structures shall be submitted with the site plan required by Section 48.D.7.

O.

Master site development plan requirements: Each lot or parcel of land created within a master site development plan shall comply with the following requirements:

1.

Purpose: The purpose of the master site development plan is to encourage thoughtful, efficient, and purposeful utilization of land that promotes a mixture of uses that blends retail, commercial, office and/or residential functions whereby those functions are physically and functionally integrated, with appropriate vehicular and pedestrian connectivity. The master site development plan also allows the Planning and Zoning Commission and the City Council the ability to consider these multiple uses, including conditional uses, special uses, and planned development overlays upon one or more parcels of land, five acres in size or greater, through one application process.

2.

Additional uses allowed: Given the elements that can be incorporated within a Master site development plan in an effort to achieve a successful, multifaceted development, additional uses may be considered by the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council that are not normally considered as individual elements allowed as permitted, conditional, or special uses within the zoning district. The following uses may be considered in conjunction with at least one other permitted or conditional use allowed in the "HC" Highway Commercial District:

(a)

Any uses allowed within Section 16, "R-5.0" Zero Lot Line District

(b)

Any uses allowed within Section 17, "R-3.5" Two Family District

(c)

Any uses allowed within Section 18, "R-3.75" Three and Four Family District

(d)

Any uses allowed within Section 20, "R-TH" Townhouse District

(e)

Any uses allowed within Section 22, "R-MF" Multifamily District

3.

Request for a master site development plan/application process: The procedure to follow to establish a master site development plan shall be the same process as that required to establish, amend, or alter a development as specified under Section 48, Conditional Uses.

4.

Site plan requirements: No application for a building permit for construction of a principal building shall be approved without the following:

(a)

A plat meeting all the requirements of the City of Grapevine has been approved by the City Council and recorded in the official records of Tarrant and/or Dallas Counties.

(b)

A site plan meeting the requirements of Section 47, Site Plan Review of the Zoning Ordinance has been approved as specified under Section 48, Conditional Uses. Recognizing the scale and scope of a large multifaceted development has many components, each component, in an effort to provide clarity and ease of understanding, may consist of its own individual site plan as part of the overall master site development plan.

Developments planned to be conducted in phases may submit a site plan as required per Section 47, Site Plan Review for the phase(s) of the project to be initially developed, along with a concept plan for the remaining phase(s); however, development of the remaining phases of the project shall require approval of a site plan in accordance with Section 47.

(c)

A Landscape Plan meeting the requirements of Section 53, Landscaping Regulations.

5.

Master site development plan design requirements: In addition to the requirements already established in Section 26, "HC" Highway Commercial District, each lot or parcel of land created within a master site development plan shall also comply with the criteria established in paragraph N., Planned Commercial Center Design Requirements. For individual components of a master site development plan that have clearly defined boundaries between uses relative to Paragraph 2. above, the development criteria for that particular district shall apply.

6.

Period of validity: No site plan in conjunction with a master site development plan shall be valid for a period longer than one year from the date on which the City Council grants approval, unless within such one year period: (a) a building permit is obtained and the erection or alteration of a structure is started, or (b) an occupancy permit is obtained and a use commenced. The City Council may grant one additional extension not exceeding one year, upon written application, without notice or hearing. No additional extension shall be granted without complying with the notice and hearing requirements for an initial application as required in Section 67, Amendments. It should be recognized that the establishment of a master site development plan is contractual in nature and upon expiration of a site plan approved in conjunction with a master site development plan, the property will revert to the underlying zoning district designation and all uses and the general development guidelines as stated in the underlying district shall apply. There shall be no vested right(s) associated with an expired site plan approved in conjunction with a master site development plan. All property that has received approval as part of a master site development plan shall be eligible for the provisions of this ordinance provided that the application for a Master site development plan has not expired.

(Ord. No. 84-16, § 2(D), 4-9-84; Ord. No. 85-22, § 3(B), 5-21-85; Ord. No. 85-38, § 1(A), 8-20-85; Ord. No. 86-19, § 1(A), 2-25-86; Ord. No. 86-46, § 1(A)—(D), 7-15-86; Ord. No. 87-40, § 1(H), (I), 7-21-87; Ord. No. 87-58, § 1(A), (B), 9-15-87; Ord. No. 87-78, § 1(D), (E), 11-17-87; Ord. No. 87-90, § 1(C), 12-15-87; Ord. No. 88-42, § 1(A), 6-7-88; Ord. No. 89-04, § 1(A), (B), 1-17-89; Ord. No. 90-42, § 1(A), § 1(D), (E), 7-17-90; Ord. No. 90-79, § 1B., 12-18-90; Ord. No. 91-71, § 1B., 9-17-91; Ord. No. 93-47, § 1(E), 8-16-93; Ord. No. 94-26, § 1, 3-22-94; Ord. No. 95-33, § 1A—C., 4-18-95; Ord. No. 95-47, § 1A., B., 4-2-96; Ord. No. 97-119, § 1C, D, 10-21-97; Ord. No. 98-48, § 1A, 4-21-98; Ord. No. 99-50, § 1C—F, 3-23-99; Ord. No. 2000-47, § 2, 4-18-00; Ord. No. 2000-76, § 2, 7-18-00; Ord. No. 2001-34, § 1(Exh. E), 4-17-01; Ord. No. 2002-27, §§ 1L—1N, 3-19-02; Ord. No. 2002-56, § 1D, 7-16-02; Ord. No. 2003-71, § 1B, 10-21-03; Ord. 2004-71, § 1A, 10-19-04; Ord. No. 2004-87, §§ 1D, 1E, 12-21-04; Ord. No. 2005-14, §§ 1C, 1D, 2-15-05; Ord. No. 2007-55, § 1.M, 9-18-07; Ord. No. 2008-34, § 1.E, 6-23-08; Ord. No. 2008-72, § 1.E, F., 11-18-08; Ord. No. 2009-04, § 1.E, F, 1-20-09; Ord. No. 2017-012, §§ 1C, D, 2-21-17; Ord. No. 2022-061, §§ 2—5, 9-20-22; Ord. No. 2022-062, §§ 5, 6, 9-20-22; Ord. No. 2023-094, § 21, 11-21-23; Ord. No. 2024-006, § 5, 1-16-24; Ord. No. 2024-072, § 3, 8-20-24; Ord. No. 2024-110, § 4, 12-17-24; Ord. No. 2024-111, § 27, 12-17-24)

Editor's note— Ord. No. 95-47, originally adopted on June 20, 1995, was corrected and replaced by Ord. No. 95-47, adopted on April 2, 1996.