The commercial districts established by this ordinance are designed to promote and protect public health, safety, convenience, prosperity, and other aspects of the general welfare. These general goals include, among others, the following specific purposes:

a.

To provide sufficient space, in appropriate locations in proximity to residential areas, for local and neighborhood retail development catering to the regular shopping needs of the occupants of nearby residences, with due allowance for the need for a choice of sites.

b.

To provide, as far as possible, that such space will be available for use for commercial and related activities, and to protect residences by separating them from commercial activities.

c.

To provide appropriate space and in particular sufficient depth from a street, to satisfy the needs of modern local and neighborhood retail development, including the need for off-street parking spaces in areas to which a large portion of shoppers come by automobile, and to encourage the natural tendency of local and neighborhood retail development to concentrate in continuous retail frontage, to the mutual advantage of both consumers and merchants.

d.

To protect commercial development and nearby residences against fire, explosions, toxic and noxious matter, radiation, and other hazards, and against offensive noise, vibration, smoke, dust, and other particulate matter, odorous matter, heat, humidity, glare and other objectionable influences.

e.

To protect commercial development and nearby residences against congestion, particularly in areas where the established pattern is predominantly residential but includes local retail uses, by regulating the intensity of local and neighborhood retail development, by restricting those types of establishments which generate heavy traffic, and by providing for off-street parking and loading facilities.

f.

To provide sufficient and appropriate space, and in particular sufficient depth from the street, to meet the needs of the city's central and community commercial centers, including the need for off-street parking space in areas where a large proportion of customers come by automobile, with due allowance for the need for a choice of sites, and to encourage commercial development to concentrate in continuous retail frontage within commercial areas, to the mutual advantage of both consumers and merchants.

g.

To provide sufficient space in appropriate locations for all types of commercial and miscellaneous service activities, with due allowance for the need for a choice of sites.

h.

To provide freedom of architectural design, in order to encourage the development of more attractive and economic building forms.

i.

To promote the most desirable use of land and direction of building development in accord with a well-considered plan, to promote stability of commercial development, to strengthen the economic base of the city, to protect the character of the district and its peculiar suitability for particular uses, to conserve the value of land and buildings, and to protect the city's tax revenues.

No building or structure shall be used, in whole or in part, and no building or structure or part thereof shall be erected, constructed, enlarged, altered, arranged, or designed to be used, in whole or in part, unless for one (1) or more of the uses set forth in Article V of this ordinance, inclusive. Only those uses specifically listed as being allowed in a specific district as a permitted, accessory, or conditional use shall be considered for location within a particular district.

The following table is presented only for the convenience of the user of this ordinance. All standards listed in this table are stated in more detail elsewhere in this article as well as in other articles of this ordinance and final information must be secured by the user from these other sources.

This district is established to provide small-scale commercial uses including those for the retail sales of goods and for personal services, recreational, and institutional establishments which provide the everyday necessities and convenience of local residents. This district is intended to permit only those nonresidential commercial uses of land and structures which are consistent and compatible with the character of adjoining residential areas. It is further intended to exclude all activities which generate perceptible light or noise, or attract traffic from outside the immediate neighborhood.

3.031.

Permitted uses. In the Neighborhood Commercial District, uses permitted as a matter of right shall be as identified in Article V of this ordinance.

3.032.

Accessory uses. In the Neighborhood Commercial District, the following accessory uses are permitted:

a.

Accessory uses as identified in Article V of this ordinance.

b.

Off-street parking as required in Article VI of this ordinance.

c.

Off-street loading and unloading as required in Article VI of this ordinance.

d.

Any accessory buildings or structures customarily incidental to a permitted use.

3.033.

Conditional uses. The following uses may be permitted in the Neighborhood Commercial District by the board of zoning appeals (See Article VII of this ordinance):

a.

Any conditional use so identified in Article V of this ordinance inclusive.

b.

Similar retail and services which are, in the opinion of the board of zoning appeals, of the same general character as those uses listed in Article V of this ordinance as conditional uses in the Neighborhood Commercial District.

3.034.

Development standards. In the NC - Neighborhood Commercial District, the following standards shall apply:

a.

Primary entrances shall be oriented towards the public right-of-way. Sidewalks at least five (5) feet in width shall be provided and connect to public right-of-way and the parking surfaces and/or structures. If the lot is adjacent to more than one public right-of-way, the primary entrance shall be oriented towards the right-of-way with the higher roadway classification or oriented towards the intersection of the two (2) rights-of-way.

b.

Maximum impervious surface coverage shall be eighty (80) percent.

3.035.

Parking and loading requirements. All uses shall provide off-street parking and loading as specified in Article VI of this ordinance. All off-street parking and loading is subject to the standards within subsection 6.113, parking lot design requirements.

This district is established to provide areas for those amusement, specialized sales, and travel accommodations activities which depend on visibility from or proximity to automobiles or vehicular traffic, serve regional travelers, cater to local residents in vehicles, or provide services essential to the movement of vehicles on major highways. It is intended that such areas have properties with lot sizes, setbacks, performance and development standards sufficient to ensure that activities within this district will not unduly impede the flow of traffic or adversely affect adjoining zones. It is further intended to exclude those uses which are not necessary for service to traffic or which are not dependent on traffic.

3.041.

Permitted uses. In the General Commercial District, uses permitted shall be as identified in Article V of this ordinance.

3.042.

Accessory uses. In the General Commercial District, the following accessory uses are permitted:

a.

Accessory uses as identified in Article V of this ordinance.

b.

Off-street parking and loading.

c.

Any accessory buildings or structures customarily incidental to a permitted use.

3.043.

Conditional uses. The following uses may be permitted in the General Commercial District by the board of zoning appeals (See Article VII of this ordinance):

a.

Any conditional use identified in Article V of this ordinance.

b.

Similar retail and services which are, in the opinion of the board of zoning appeals, of the same general character as those uses listed in Article V of this ordinance as conditional uses in the General Commercial District.

3.044.

Development standards. In the General Commercial District, the following standards shall apply:

a.

Primary entrances shall be oriented towards the public right-of-way. Sidewalks at least five (5) feet in width shall be provided and connect to public right-of-way and the parking surfaces and/or structures. If the lot is adjacent to more than one public right-of-way, the primary entrance shall be oriented towards the right-of-way with the higher roadway classification or oriented towards the intersection of the two (2) rights-of-way.

3.045.

Parking and loading requirements. All uses shall provide off-street parking and loading as specified in Article VI of this ordinance. All off-street parking and loading is subject to the standards within subsection 6.113, parking lot design requirements.