211-10.1 Purpose and Intent. The O-I Office-Institutional District is intended to provide a location for offices, institutions and limited related retail business and service activities in buildings of high character in attractive surroundings.

(Ord. No. UDOA2023-00002(GCID 2023-0604), Exh. A(§ 19), 9-26-2023)

211-20.1Purpose and Intent. The C-1 Neighborhood Business District is intended to provide for commercial uses of a convenience nature for nearby residential neighborhoods. These uses are intended to be facilities serving the everyday needs of these nearby neighborhoods rather than the larger community. The residential character of the area surrounding this district shall be of primary consideration when Rezonings, Special Use Permits or Variances to these regulations are reviewed.

(Ord. No. UDOA2023-00002(GCID 2023-0604), Exh. A(§ 19), 9-26-2023)

211-30.1Purpose and Intent. The C-2 General Business District is intended to provide adequate space in appropriate locations along major streets, thoroughfares and intersections for various types of business use. These uses include the retailing of major goods and services, general office facilities and public functions that would serve a community area of several neighborhoods. The intensity of development and uses in the C-2 General Business District is greater than in the C-1 Neighborhood Business District because it is intended to serve a greater population and to offer a wider range of goods and services.

(Ord. No. UDOA2023-00002(GCID 2023-0604), Exh. A(§ 19), 9-26-2023)

211.40.1Purpose and Intent. The C-3 Highway Business District is intended for business uses which require locations accessible to major highways and arterials that serve significant portions of the community. The C-3 district allows an intensity of development and uses that is greater than in the C-2 General Business District because it is intended to serve a greater population and to offer a wider range of goods and services. Due to the nature of the businesses permitted within the C-3 district, the zoning district should be limited to property fronting on principal arterials, major arterials or minor arterials, not indicated as residential arterials, as shown on the Long Range Road Classification Map. C-3 Districts should provide an internal transition in intensity or provide a step-down to less intensive zoning districts when adjacent to residential districts.

(Ord. No. UDOA2023-00002(GCID 2023-0604), Exh. A(§ 19), 9-26-2023)

211-50.1Purpose and Intent. The M-1 Light Industry District is comprised of lands that are located on or have ready access to a Major Street or State Highway and are well adapted to industrial development but whose proximity to residential or commercial districts makes it desirable to limit the intensity of industrial operations and processes. This district limits industrial, manufacturing and warehousing uses to those which are wholly conducted indoors, with the exception of outdoor storage which is screened and situated in a side or rear yard.

(Ord. No. UDOA2023-00002(GCID 2023-0604), Exh. A(§ 19), 9-26-2023)

211-60.1Purpose and Intent. The M-2 Heavy Industry District provides a location for industrial operations and processes conducted both indoors and outdoors, and which due to their intensity of use, should be located on or have ready access to a major thoroughfare or State Highway, and not in close proximity to residential areas.

(Ord. No. UDOA2023-00002(GCID 2023-0604), Exh. A(§ 19), 9-26-2023)

¹ Larger minimum lot sizes may be required for lots served by septic.

² No maximum FAR within Regional Activity Centers.

(Ord. No. UDOA2023-00002(GCID 2023-0604), Exh. A(§ 19), 9-26-2023)

211.80.1 The uses set forth in the table below shall be permitted only as listed within each zoning district and only in the manner so listed. Any use not listed in said table shall be prohibited, except as contained herein. Additionally, for any use not listed in said table, the director shall have the authority to determine the most appropriate zoning district(s) and/or Special Use Permit requirements for such use, after receiving documentation from the property owner adequately outlining and describing the specific details of the proposed use.

P: A permitted use.
S: A special use requiring a Special Use Permit subject to approval following the application procedures and requirements in Section 270-30 of the UDO.
C: A conditional use subject to the additional requirements in Section 211-80.

(Ord. No. UDOA2023-00002(GCID 2023-0604), Exh. A(§ 18), 9-26-2023)

211-90.1 Adult Entertainment Establishment. Adult Entertainment Establishments shall conform to Chapter 18, Article XI and Chapter 86, Article IV of the Gwinnett County Code of Ordinances.

211-90.2 Automobile Brokerage Office. Automobile Brokerage Offices shall be subject to the following requirements:

A.

The brokerage shall be limited to office activities only.

B.

Vehicles for sale or lease shall not be delivered to, displayed, or parked on the premises at any time.

C.

Maintenance, repair, refurbishing, washing, or detailing of automobiles on the premises is prohibited.

211-90.3 Automobile or Truck Storage Lot. Automobile or Truck Storage Lots shall be subject to the following requirements:

A.

Storage lots for commercial vehicles, semis and/or tractor trailers shall be located on a site containing no less than 10 acres.

B.

The entire lot shall be surrounded by a 15-foot in depth buffer adjacent to any public street, a 25-foot in depth buffer adjacent to a non-residential zoning district, and a 50-foot in depth buffer adjacent to any mixed-use or residential zoning district.

C.

A security fence or wall is required enclosing the lot. The security fence or wall shall meet the requirements of Section 230-80.

D.

No outdoor sound amplification device is permitted.

E.

No inoperable or junk vehicles are permitted.

F.

Outdoor lighting shall consist of cut-off luminaires that shall be directed inward so as not to direct light onto adjacent residential property. When adjacent to residentially-zoned property, any outdoor light fixtures shall not exceed 35 feet in height.

211-90.4 Cemetery, Family Cemetery or Mausoleum. Except when accessory to a place of worship; cemeteries, family cemeteries and mausoleums shall conform to the following requirements:

A.

The cemetery may front only on a street classified as a Collector or Arterial roadway or along a State Highway, and the entrance and exits to the cemetery shall only be from the classified street on which it fronts.

B.

The cemetery shall be bordered by a 25-foot in depth buffer and a minimum six-foot-high decorative fence or wall along all of its exterior property lines not bordering the frontage street and not extending into the required front yard. The buffer strip shall be planted with evergreen trees or shrubs that grow at least eight feet tall and provide an effective visual screen. A 25-foot in depth buffer and a four-foot-high decorative fence or wall shall be installed along the right-of-way of any abutting public street.

C.

Prior to the approval of a request to use property as a cemetery, a site plan and a covenant for perpetual care shall be submitted to the Department of Planning and Development. The covenant for perpetual care shall include measures to be undertaken to preserve, protect, and provide for ongoing maintenance including the fencing, landscaping, and gravesites.

D.

The covenant for perpetual care and a plat of survey delineating the limits of the cemetery shall be recorded in the Gwinnett County Clerk of Superior Court (Deeds and Records).

211-90.5 Emissions Inspection Stations. Emissions inspection stations shall meet the following design standards:

A.

The facility shall be located in a permanent non-combustible structure.

B.

The structure shall include a designated indoor public waiting area (minimum three fixed seats) with restrooms; or as an alternative, shall provide the required designated indoor waiting area and restrooms upon the same lot, within 500 feet of the testing facility.

C.

The facility shall provide a minimum of four paved parking spaces. Drive-through facilities shall also provide a paved stacking lane for a minimum of four vehicles. Parking spaces and stacking lane shall be striped.

D.

If constructed in an existing parking lot, the facility and stacking lane(s) shall not occupy any required on-site parking space or encroach into any minimum required driveway width.

211-90.6 Hookah/Vapor Bar or Lounge. Hookah/Vapor Bars and Lounges shall be subject to the following restrictions:

A.

Smoking of vapor products or hookah in any establishment that serves alcohol or food shall be prohibited.

B.

Hookah bars and lounges shall not serve patrons under the age of 21.

C.

Hookah bars and lounges shall be additionally subject to the requirements of the Smoke-free Ordinance in Article V, Chapter 38 of the Gwinnett County Code of Ordinances.

211.90.7 Landfills

A.

A landfill may be permitted in certain zoning districts of Gwinnett County by Special Use Permit, after a public hearing, provided the following conditions are met:

1.

A minimum 200 foot in depth natural, undisturbed buffer shall be provided between all active waste burial areas and exterior property lines except for approved perpendicular access and utility crossings.

2.

A minimum 75 foot in depth natural, undisturbed buffer shall be provided between non-waste disposal operations and exterior property lines except for approved perpendicular access and utility crossings.

3.

The limits of any 100 year floodplain or a stream buffer of 200 feet, whichever is greater, shall be preserved as natural, undisturbed area except for approved perpendicular access and utility crossings.

4.

The entire site shall be fenced with a minimum six foot high chain link security fence.

5.

The landfill shall be located on or have direct private access to a road designated on the Long Range Road Classification Map as a major collector, minor arterial, major arterial, or principal arterial.

6.

The applicant shall include with the Special Use Permit application a report detailing the phasing of the landfill and plans for closure and reclamation.

B.

The following waste disposal activities, recycling facilities and recovery activities shall be permitted as accessory uses to landfills, unless otherwise stipulated by the Board:

1.

Composting, Municipal Solid Waste.

2.

Composting, Yard Trimmings.

3.

Consumer Recycling Centers.

4.

Gas Recovery/Gas Co-generation Plant.

5.

Recovered Materials Processing Facility.

6.

Solid Waste Transfer Stations.

C.

Within the Big Haynes Creek and Alcovy River Watersheds, landfills and hazardous waste facilities are subject to the following:

1.

New sanitary landfills shall utilize synthetic liners and leachate collection systems.

2.

Hazardous waste treatment or disposal facilities are prohibited.

3.

Facilities which handle hazardous materials, of the types and amounts determined by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, shall perform all operations on impermeable surfaces having spill and leak protection systems as prescribed by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

211-90.8. Lodging Establishment Lodging establishments shall be subject to the following requirements:

A.

Guest rooms shall be accessed internally to the building with no direct room access to the outside. This does not prohibit balconies on individual rooms.

B.

Each hotel/motel must provide management on duty 24 hours a day.

C.

No business may operate from any guest room within the facility.

211-90.9 Microbrewery/Microdistillery. Microbreweries and Microdistilleries shall be subject to the following standards.

A.

Sale of beer, malt beverages, or distilled spirits in tap rooms or tasting rooms, or as carry-out packages, shall be limited to those produced on-site.

B.

Outdoor placement of grain silos shall be allowed, subject to the Department of Planning and development review and approval of their appearance, signage, location and height.

C.

If placed outdoors, containers for spent grain shall be sealed and located in a screened service/dumpster area.

211-90.10 Outdoor Display or Sales of Merchandise. Outdoor display or sales of merchandise shall be subject to approval of a Special Use Permit, with the following exceptions:

A.

Automobile, truck and other vehicle sales facilities shall be exempt for the parking of vehicle inventory.

B.

Businesses which have obtained a valid Temporary Outdoor Activity Permit shall be exempt during the permit period.

C.

Merchandise may be displayed on the front sidewalk immediately adjacent to a retail building or immediately beneath an actively operating fuel island canopy, subject to the following restrictions and requirements:

1.

Merchandise shall be permitted only along the business' tenant bay or storefront façade.

2.

Merchandise shall not block an entrance or exit to or from the building.

3.

Merchandise displayed for sale shall be that normally found within the on-premises business.

4.

Merchandise shall not be located on sidewalks that are less than six feet in depth and may not extend beyond the limits of the sidewalk.

5.

All such display or sales shall meet applicable building, fire and safety codes.

211-90.11 Outdoor Sales and Storage of Goods

A.

Outdoor storage in residential zoning districts shall be governed by the Gwinnett County Property Maintenance Ordinance (PMO).

B.

In mixed-use and non-residential zoning districts (other than industrial), outdoor storage of equipment, materials and/or merchandise shall be subject to approval of a Special Use Permit.

C.

In industrial zoning districts, outdoor storage of equipment and materials shall be allowed subject to the following restrictions and requirements:

1.

Outdoor storage shall be set back at least 15 feet from any side or rear property lines.

2.

Shall not be located within a required front yard.

3.

Outdoor storage shall not be located in the area between the front of the principal structure and the public street.

4.

Outdoor storage shall be fully screened by a solid wood fence, masonry wall or slatted chain-link fence at least 8 feet in height.

5.

Materials stored outdoors shall not be placed or stacked at a height exceeding that of the screening fence.

6.

The setback distance shall be landscaped to provide a year-round vegetative screen.

211-90.12 Recovered Materials Processing Facility. Recovered Materials Processing Facilities shall meet the following design standards:

A.

The minimum lot area for such facilities shall be 2 acres.

B.

Activities shall be limited to collection, sorting, compaction and shipping.

C.

Along the entire road frontage (except for approved access crossings), provide a 3-foot-high landscaped earthen berm with a maximum slope of 3 to 1 and/or a minimum 6 foot high, 100 percent opaque, solid wooden fence or masonry wall. The fence/wall or berm must be located outside of any public right-of-way and interior to any landscaped strip. The finished side of a fence/wall shall face the exterior property lines.

D.

The facility shall not be located adjacent to or across the street from any property used for or zoned for single-family residential use.

E.

Lighting for such facilities shall be placed in such a fashion as to be directed away from any nearby residential areas.

F.

Materials collected shall not be visible and deposited in a bin or bunker. All sorting and collection bins shall either be enclosed and have chutes available to the public or be located inside a fully-enclosed building.

G.

No outdoor storage of uncontainerized materials shall be allowed.

H.

Any outside storage areas shall be screened by a minimum eight-foot-high, solid wood fence, masonry wall or slatted chain-link fence. Materials stored outdoors shall not be placed or stacked at a height exceeding that of the screening fence.

211-90.13 Salvage Operation or Junk Yard.

A.

The minimum lot area for such facilities shall be 2 acres.

211-90.14 School, college, private, trade, or similar. Private schools shall conform to the following requirements. Properties not meeting these standards shall be required to obtain a Special Use Permit:

A.

This use shall not be located except on property with direct access to a roadway designated as a collector or higher category on the latest Gwinnett County Long Range Road Classification Map.

B.

Minimum Lot Size (based on the highest grade level offered):

1.

Elementary School: two acres, plus one additional acre for each 100 students based on the design capacity of the school.

2.

Middle School: three acres plus one additional acre for each 100 students based on the design capacity of the school.

3.

High School: five acres, plus one additional acre for each 100 students based on the design capacity of the school.

C.

When adjacent to a residential zoning district, the following additional standards shall apply:

1.

A minimum 50-foot in depth natural, undisturbed buffer shall be maintained adjacent to residential zoning is required.

2.

Driveways and parking areas must set back at least 25 feet from side property lines and five feet from any buffer.

3.

Parking lots or outdoor lights shall be closer than 100 feet from residences on adjacent property.

4.

Outdoor recreational facilities shall be located at least 100 feet from property lines of adjacent residential properties.

D.

Accessory Uses and Facilities. In addition to the accessory uses and facilities that are permitted in Chapter 230 for the zoning district in which the private school is located, additional accessory uses and facilities are permitted that are customarily associated with schools and intended primarily for the use of students, such as an auditorium, library, administrative offices, cafeteria and related kitchen and dining area, or outdoor recreational facilities.

211-90.15 Self-Storage Facilities. Self-Storage and Mini-Warehouse Facilities shall meet the following restrictions and design standards:

A.

Storage units shall not be used for manufacturing, retail or wholesale selling, office, other business or service use, or human habitation.

B.

Site access shall not be onto roadways classified as local residential streets.

C.

Outdoor speakers or sound amplification systems shall be prohibited.

D.

Dumpsters shall not be located within 150 feet of residentially zoned properties.

E.

Provide adequate loading and unloading areas outside of fire lanes.

F.

Adequate screening via a 6-foot-tall privacy fence and vegetation shall be provided adjacent to residentially zoned properties and subject to the review and approval of the Department of Planning and Development.

G.

Shall be indoor, climate controlled self-storage buildings without any exterior roll-up doors for individual storage units.

211-90.16 Vehicle Sales and Related Services Establishment. Vehicle Sales and Related Services Establishments shall meet the following restrictions and design standards:

A.

Such establishments shall be located on lots with a minimum size of two acres.

211-90.17 Vehicle Washing Establishments. Vehicle Washing Establishments shall meet the following restrictions and design standards:

A.

All newly constructed conveyor car washes shall install a recycled water system which captures and reuses water used in the wash or rinse cycles. A minimum of 50 percent of the water utilized shall be recycled. Car wash facilities, including hand car washes, shall utilize floor drains connected to the sanitary sewer system for collection and proper disposal of all wastewater.

211-90.18 Wood or Lumber Processing Facility. Wood Chipping and Shredding and Log Splitting Facilities shall meet the following restrictions and design standards:

A.

Such facilities shall not be located closer than 200 feet from residentially-zoned property.

B.

Along the entire road frontage (except for approved access crossings), and along the side and rear property lines, provide a three foot high landscape earthen berm with a maximum slope of three to one and/or a minimum six foot high, 100 percent opaque, solid wooden fence or masonry wall. The fence/wall or berm must be located outside of any public right-of-way and interior to any landscape strip. The finished side of a fence/wall shall face the exterior property lines.

(Ord. No. UDOA2023-00002(GCID 2023-0604), Exh. A(§ 19), 9-26-2023)