The purpose of this article is to promote the public health, safety, morals, or general welfare, and to protect and preserve places and areas of historical, cultural, or architectural importance and significance. These regulations are adopted in accordance with the comprehensive plan and are designed to:

• Lessen congestion in the streets;

• Secure safety from fire, panic, and other dangers;

• Promote health and general welfare;

• Provide adequate light and air;

• Prevent the overcrowding of land;

• Avoid an undue concentration of population; or

• Facilitate the adequate provision of transportation, water, sewers, schools, parks, and other public requirements.

Consistent with the goals and objectives listed in the comprehensive plan, these regulations are designed to foster the following subsidiary purposes:

• Distribute land uses to meet the physical, social, cultural, economic, and energy needs of present and future populations;

• Ensure that new development is compatible with surrounding development in use, character, and size;

• Provide for land uses that serve important public needs, such as affordable housing and employment generators;

• Promote mixed-use buildings and mixed-use neighborhoods;

• Promote infill housing and downtown retail and residential development;

• Integrate civic uses into neighborhoods;

• Protect natural resources; and

• Encourage retail development in urban, neighborhood, and regional centers, including the historic downtown.

No land shall be used or occupied and no structures shall be designed, erected, altered, used, or occupied except in conformity with all of the regulations, compliance with all design standards, and upon performance of all conditions attached to any special or conditional use permit, variance, appeal, planned development rezoning, or master site plan or master subdivision plan approved pursuant to this LDC.

No person, firm, or corporation and no officer or employee (either as owner or as participating principal, agent, servant, or employee of such owner) shall sell, rent, or lease, or offer or attempt to sell, rent, or lease, any land or structure upon the representation, falsely made and known to be false, that such land or structure may be used or occupied in a manner or for a use prohibited by this article.

Zoning districts are established to classify, regulate, and restrict the use of land, water, buildings, and structures; to regulate and restrict the height and bulk of buildings; to regulate the area of yards and other open spaces around buildings; to regulate the intensity of land use; and, to promote the orderly urban growth of the City of Gretna.

The City of Gretna is divided into the zoning districts shown in section 2.01.03.

The city establishes the overlay zoning districts set out in article III of this LDC. These impose additional requirements on certain properties within one or more underlying base or zoning districts.

Planned development districts are established as an option providing design flexibility for specific sites.

Additional zoning districts may be added from time to time pursuant to part 11.12.00, code amendments in article XI, administration, of the LDC.

The maps delineating the boundaries of the various zoning districts, together with all matters and things shown on such maps, are adopted and approved, and collectively constitute the "official zoning atlas". The official zoning atlas is incorporated by reference and made a part of the LDC. These maps are on file in the office of the administrator. All amendments to the official zoning map shall be listed in the order adopted in a separate register maintained in and kept current by the administrator. The official zoning atlas carries the zoning district designations established in this article.

When definite dimensions are not shown on the zoning map, the administrator shall apply following rules in determining zoning district boundaries:

A.

Where district boundaries are indicated as approximately following street lines, alley lines, or lot lines, such lines shall be construed to be such boundaries;

B.

In unplatted property or where a district boundary divides a lot, the location of such boundary, unless the same is indicated by dimensions, shall be determined by use of the scale appearing on the map;

C.

Where a district boundary divides the area of a lot unequally, the district classification and regulations of the larger portion shall apply to the remaining smaller portion of the lot;

D.

Boundaries indicated as approximately following city limits shall be construed as following city limits;

E.

Boundaries indicated as following railroad lines shall be construed to be midway between the main tracks;

F.

Boundaries indicated as approximately following the centerlines of streams, rivers, canals, lakes, or other bodies of water shall be construed to follow such centerlines;

G.

Whenever any street, alley, or other public way not subject to zoning regulations is vacated by official action of the city, the zoning district line adjoining each side of such street, alley, or other public way shall be automatically extended to the center of such vacation, and all areas so involved shall then be subject to all regulations of the extended districts; and

H.

Where physical or cultural features existing on the ground vary from those shown on the official zoning maps, or in other circumstances where the zoning boundary is unclear, the administrator shall interpret the district boundaries with appeal to the city commission.

From the date of annexation until the property is zoned to a permanent zoning classification, the zoning district and other land use regulations established by Gadsden County for the property shall be applied and enforced by the city except as provided by section 2.01.04.01 and section 2.01.04.02 below.

For any master planned development approved as a "RPD (Residential Planned Development), "PD" (Planned Development), TND (Traditional Neighborhood Development) or an "MU" (Mixed Use) district, the city may incorporate the terms of the approved master site plan into a zoning ordinance following annexation of a property.

Property that is subject to a development agreement may be designated in accordance with any zoning district classification set forth in the development agreement, and shall be regulated by the development agreement.