Greenville City Zoning Code

ARTICLE M1

VERTICAL MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT

SEC. 9-4-206 PURPOSE, INTENT AND APPLICABILITY.

(A) Purpose. It is the purpose of this article to create mixed-use activity places to live, work, play, and shop in a walkable pattern that is envisioned in Horizons 2026: Greenville’s Community Plan. These developments will contain multi-story mixed-use buildings that are located close together and near the street. These centers may include an integrated mix of building types and uses in vertically mixed-use buildings that generally include commercial on the ground floor and office space or residential on upper floors.

(B) Intent. It is the intent of these standards to provide an alternate development option that will:

(1) Promote the efficient use of land resources than is otherwise possible under conventional zoning development standards;

(2) Encourage infill and redevelopment;

(3) Offer an optional development pattern with primary uses of commercial, office, multi-family residential and, secondarily, institutional/civic, entertainment and lodging;

(4) Offer options that allow and encourage a variety of multi-storied vertical and horizontal use building configurations;

(5) Allow vertical mixed-use developments and their principal uses to occur on one or more lots under a unifying master plan, which may also occur in phases;

(6) Allow two or more permitted uses to occupy the same principal building;

(7) Require the ground floor of any vertically mixed-use building to be designated for an active principal use (i.e., no storage) with accommodation for “wrapped” parking structures as referenced in section 9-4-212(F); and

(8) Be exempt from the conventional zoning district standards relative to lot area, lot width, lot frontage, lot coverage, and required yards normally applicable with other forms of single-use development, and provided the vertical mixed-use development complies with the minimum standards set forth in this article.

(C) Applicability. The standards established in this article shall apply to new construction and conversions of existing buildings. All property to be developed under these standards must be included in the master plan application as required in section 9-4-215.

(Ord. No. 24-052, § 3, passed 9-12-2024)

SEC. 9-4-207 RESIDENTIAL DENSITY.

(A) The minimum lot area requirements per dwelling unit is as follows for all districts:

(1) One-bedroom unit: 2,300 square feet (net) per unit.

(2) Two or more bedroom unit: 2,900 square feet (net) per unit.

(B) The minimum habitable (mechanically conditioned) floor area per unit for all districts: none.

(C) Density bonus. There is no maximum residential density limit when structured parking (deck, garage, and the like) is used to accommodate at least 25% of the total required parking spaces.

(1) The minimum habitable (mechanically conditioned) floor area per unit:

(a) One bedroom unit: 400 square feet.

(b) Two or more bedroom unit: 500 square feet.

(2) However, the other standards in the article shall be met.

(D) At least 30% of the total gross floor area of the development must be designed and constructed for residential occupancy.

(E) Residential units may be located on the first floor of a vertical mixed-use building provided there is at least 2,400 square feet of nonresidential floor area on the first floor. Residential units may be on the ground floor (street level) but shall not be oriented toward the street. A lobby/vestibule can be used as a “buffer” to the street and shall count as part of the required 30% of the total gross floor area of the development must be designed and constructed for residential occupancy referenced in subsection (D).

(F) Overnight accommodations (hotels, motels, and bed and breakfast inns) are considered nonresidential uses.

(G) With the following exceptions, the residential component may not exceed 80% of the gross floor area for the development. In the event of a phased development, this ratio applies to each phase.

(1) The preceding residential component limitation does not apply to vertical mixed-use buildings that are at least four stories if the street frontage of the first floor is entirely occupied by restaurants, personal and professional services or retail sales and services uses.

(2) Penetrations for access to parking, utilities and residential uses are allowed.

(H) Multi-family dwellings, condominiums, and townhouse development shall be permitted in a vertical mixed-use development.

(I) Single-family and two-family dwellings shall not be permitted.

(Ord. No. 24-052, § 3, passed 9-12-2024)

SEC. 9-4-208 NONRESIDENTIAL USES.

(A) Nonresidential uses shall make up at least 20% of the total gross floor area of the development. These uses can only be counted toward this requirement when they are open to the public. This section shall not apply if the conditions of section 9-4-207(G) are met.

(1) Development amenities that are commercial in nature and open to the public (e.g., spas and health clubs) may count towards this requirement.

(2) In no case, shall leasing offices or amenities for the exclusive use of residents and not open to the public be counted towards this requirement.

(B) Any accessory uses, including outdoor seating, if permitted in the district, shall meet the applicable accessory use standards.

(Ord. No. 24-052, § 3, passed 9-12-2024)

SEC. 9-4-209 DEVELOPMENT AND DIMENSIONAL STANDARDS.

(A) Lot dimensions.

(1) Lot area minimum: none.

(2) Lot width: none.

(B) Height minimum (above grade): two stories.

(2) Vertical mixed-use buildings exceeding 45 feet in height (above grade) shall be placed no closer than 50 feet to (i) a conforming use single-family dwelling located in any district, or (ii) any single-family residential zoning district. The required measurement shall be from the building or structure containing a vertical mixed-use building to the nearest single-family dwelling lot line or single-family residential zoning district boundary line. For purpose of this section, the term "single-family residential zoning district" shall include any RA20, R15S, R9S, R6S, and MRS district. Each principal vertical mixed-use building shall be separated from other buildings a minimum of 15 feet or as required by fire code, whichever is greater.

(D) Setbacks for principal structures.

(1) Public street setback minimum:

(a) Zero feet in CD (Downtown Commercial).

(b) Five feet in other districts permitting vertical mixed-use development or the required bufferyard, whichever is greater.

(2) Public street build-to zones apply to new buildings constructed after the effective date of this article.

(a) Zero to five feet in CD (Downtown Commercial).

(b) Other districts permitting vertical mixed-use development (as per the street standards in the Manual of Standard of Designs and Details):

1. Fronting collector streets: five to 20 feet.

2. Fronting minor thoroughfares: five to 30 feet.

3. Fronting major thoroughfares: five to 40 feet.

(3) Side setback: five feet minimum or the required bufferyard, whichever is greater.

(4) Rear setback: five feet minimum or the required bufferyard, whichever is greater.

(E) Setbacks for accessory structures; attached accessory structures.

(1) For purposes of this section, any accessory structure attached to a principal structure shall be subject to the open space, setback, building separation and bufferyard requirements of the principal structure except as further provided.

(2) Attached accessory structures must meet all of the following requirements:

(a) Access to and from the accessory structure shall be by an exterior doorway. No interior window or doorway shall be permitted;

(b) No attached accessory structure shall be considered or utilized as habitable space;

(c) The combined horizontal dimension of all attached accessory structures shall not exceed 30% of the horizontal dimension of the exterior rear wall elevation of the common principal structure to which they are attached;

(d) Attached accessory structures may share a common party wall of unspecified minimum length with other accessory structures; provided, however, if there is an offset of the wall the offset shall be subject to subsection (E)(2)(e) below;

(e) Attached accessory structures, associated with a common principal building, which do not share a common party wall with other attached accessory structures shall be separated by not less than five feet; and

(f) Shall not be located within ten feet of any adjacent principal or attached accessory structure or detached accessory structure.

(F) Use separations within the same building are determined by the building codes.

(Ord. No. 24-052, § 3, passed 9-12-2024)

SEC. 9-4-210 BUILDING AND SITE DESIGN.

(A) A conceptual master plan and building elevations indicating proposed architectural style shall be provided as required in section 9-4-215.

(B) Building spaces should be designed to anticipate maximum use flexibility (and building codes) and accommodate a range of occupants and tenants. The first floor of a vertical mixed-use building may be designed to accommodate a restaurant, an office, or retail without requiring substantial structural modifications to the building and compatibility of uses.

(Ord. No. 24-052, § 3, passed 9-12-2024)

SEC. 9-4-211 OPEN SPACE STANDARDS.

(A) (1) Ten percent of the gross area shall be reserved as common and/or private open space.

(2) Open space shall mean space that is not occupied by a building footprint, street, or parking surfaces and is generally characterized as active or passive recreation areas, courtyards, outdoor amenities, walkways, natural and landscaped areas, buffer yards and unfenced stormwater best management practices.

(B) Public and/or private streets, driveways, off-street parking areas, principal and attached accessory structures shall not be utilized in calculating or counting towards the open space requirement.

(C) Recreation areas may be counted as open space, provided impervious surfaces constitute no more than 50% of the recreation area.

(D) If any portion of the area proposed for a vertical mixed-use development lies within an area designated in the officially adopted Greenway Master Plan as a greenway corridor, the area so designated shall be included as part of the area set aside to satisfy the open space requirements of this section. The area within the greenway corridor shall be dedicated and/or reserved to the public at the option of the city.

(Ord. No. 24-052, § 3, passed 9-12-2024)

SEC. 9-4-212 PARKING REQUIREMENTS.

(A) Except as modified in this section, parking shall be provided for vertical mixed-use development in accordance with Article O. Parking.

(B) Parking reduction. There is an automatic 20% reduction of the minimum off-street parking spaces otherwise required in section 9-4-252 for any use or combination of uses in a vertical mixed-use development.

(C) Shared or combined parking among residential and nonresidential uses shall be permitted under provisions in section 9-4-246.

(D) Rear yard parking. On-site surface parking lots shall be located to the rear of vertical mixed-use buildings in the CD and CDF. In all other districts permitting vertical mixed-use development, the on-site surface parking shall be located to the rear of buildings; provided however that a maximum of one double row of parking forward of the principal structure is a permissible alternative design in order to align with an existing adjacent development to accommodate cross-parking lot access easements. The remaining demand for on-site surface parking shall be located to the rear of a vertical mixed-use building.

(E) Remote parking. Arrangements for remote parking are permissible in compliance with section 9-4-250.

(F) Structured parking. Structured parking is permitted and encouraged. To encourage concealment of parking structures (wrapped garages), the floor area of levels of parking completely obscured from view at ground level of a public street by enclosed areas designed and constructed for commercial, office, or residential use and occupancy may be counted towards the ground level nonresidential component requirement. In order to be credited toward the requirement, the following conditions must be met:

(1) Commercial, residential, or office space must have a minimum depth (as measured from the street wall) of 20 feet and must have windows or doors facing the public streets.

(2) The ground floor at street level must be designed and constructed for retail or personal service uses. However, penetrations for access to the parking structure and utilities are allowed.

(3) Upper stories shall be designed and constructed for commercial, office, residential or institutional uses.

(Ord. No. 24-052, § 3, passed 9-12-2024)

SEC. 9-4-213 GARBAGE/TRASH CONTAINER, RECYCLING CENTER AND COMPACTOR LOCATIONS.

(A) No garbage/trash container or recycling center shall be located closer than 20 feet to any dwelling structure and no compactor shall be located closer than 50 feet to any dwelling structure.

(B) Each garbage/trash container required to service the development shall be located within 200 feet of the dwelling units such container is intended to serve.

(C) Garbage/trash containers and recycling centers shall be enclosed on three sides by a complete visual screen consisting of a fence, vegetation or combination thereof.

(D) Except as further provided, compactors shall be completely enclosed by a visual screen and safety barrier composed of an opaque masonry wall and opaque metal or wooden gate, said wall and gate shall be not less than two feet higher than the highest point of the compactor. The Director of Planning and Development Services or designee may approve substitute wall and gate material, provided the wall and gate results in an opaque visual screen and safety barrier as required by this subsection; vegetation shall not be acceptable for this purpose.

(E) Garbage/trash containers, recycling centers and compactors shall be in accordance with Title 6, Chapter 3 of the Greenville City Code.

(Ord. No. 24-052, § 3, passed 9-12-2024)

SEC. 9-4-214 GENERAL FAÇADE STANDARDS APPLICABILITY.

These standards shall apply to all levels/stories of the building unless otherwise noted.

(A) Transparency.

(1) There shall be a minimum of 50% transparency, consisting of windows, doors, or openings in the façade, for the length and surface of the structure for the ground floor at street level facing the public street.

(2) The lowermost portion of windows on the ground floor of vertical mixed-use buildings shall be located not more than 36 inches from the ground.

(3) The façades in upper floors shall have a minimum 20% fenestration consisting of windows, doors, or openings.

(4) Buildings shall have at least one clearly defined prominent pedestrian entrance per street frontage on each street-facing façade. In the case of a building on a corner with two frontages, one prominent pedestrian entrance located on the corner satisfies this requirement for both frontages.

(5) In the case of existing structures being converted to a vertical mixed-used building, there shall be a minimum of 40% transparency, consisting of windows, doors, or openings in the façade, for the length and surface of the structure for the ground floor at street level facing the public street.

(B) Architectural features. To improve distinction of buildings and various building spaces along walls viewed from sharp angles and long distances, the following standards shall apply to new construction:

(1) No wall that faces a public street shall have an uninterrupted length exceeding 20 feet.

(2) All building walls must include at least two of the following:

(a) Change of plane;

(b) Change of texture or masonry pattern;

(d) Include an equivalent aspect that subdivides the wall into proportions such as an articulated base with a height (above grade) no more than ten feet.

(e) Alternatively, in the event that actual doors and windows are not feasible because of the nature of the use of the building, side and/or rear walls that face walkways may include false windows and door openings defined by frames, sills, lintel, or proportional modulations of the wall.

(Ord. No. 24-052, § 3, passed 9-12-2024)

SEC. 9-4-215 MASTER PLAN APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS.

(A) Application. A master plan application for a vertical mixed-use development shall be submitted for approval to the Director of Planning and Development Services, or designee, with supporting approvals through the City of Greenville Technical Review Committee.

(B) Master plan requirements. Each application must also include the following:

(1) The specific standards intended to be modified as part of the approval process. If a standard is not listed as being modified, then the standard is considered applicable, and the plan is required to comply. However, subsequent requests for alternative compliance may still be submitted.

(2) The proposed maximum number of dwelling units and percentage of residential use.

(3) The proposed maximum and minimum square footage of nonresidential floor area.

(4) In the event that a development is to occur in phases, then a phasing plan must be provided. Said phasing plan will also include an improvement schedule that may defer phase specific improvements by no more than one phase from when the associated phase is completed.

(5) An illustrative three-dimensional model or digital rendering that shows building elevations, location of streets and prominent site features. The three-dimensional model must illustrate the potential massing and scale of the proposed development but will not be regulatory.

(6) Standards for vertical mixed-use development may be modified through application approval to the Director of Planning and Development Services or his/her designee. This approval will be granted as part of the Technical Review Committee process.

(1) Minor changes. Amendments to approved applications that in the opinion of the Director of Planning and Development Services do not substantially change the concept of the vertical mixed-use development as approved may be allowed by administrative action of the Director of Planning and Development Services or his/her designee. Such minor changes may include, but are not limited to, small site alterations such as realignment of streets and relocation of utility lines due to engineering necessity. The owners shall request such amendment in writing, clearly setting forth the reasons for such changes. If approved, the land use plan shall be so amended by administrative action of the Director of Planning and Development Services or his/her designee to submission of any preliminary plat-site plan application involving or affecting such amendment. Appeal from the decision of the Director of Planning and Development Services shall be taken to the Board of Adjustment within 30 days of the administrative action.

(2) Major changes. Amendments to approved applications that in the opinion of the Director of Planning and Development Services do in fact involve substantial changes and deviations from the concept of the vertical mixed-use development, as approved, shall require review and approval pursuant to section 9-4-215(A). Such major changes shall include, but not be limited to, increased density, change in street pattern, location of land uses, open space or recreation space location or area. Appeal from the decision of the Director of Planning and Development Services or his/her designee may be taken to the Board of Adjustment within 30 days of the administrative action.

(3) Authority. Minor changes may be approved administratively by the Director of Planning and Development Services or his/her designee.