Zoneomics Logo
search icon

Hamilton City Zoning Code

SECTION VIII

- Supplementary regulations.

1.

Off-Street Parking and Loading Requirements.

a.

Intent: To secure safety from fire, panic, and other dangers; to lessen congestion on public streets; to facilitate the adequate provisions of transportation; to conserve the value of buildings; and to encourage the most appropriate use of land. Minimum off-street parking and loading shall be provided as set forth in the following schedules and provisions.

b.

Special Off-Street Parking Provisions:

1)

In nonresidential Districts, all required parking shall be provided on paved concrete or other similar impervious surface if approved by the City Council.

2)

Each standard off-street surface parking space size for 90 degree parking shall be a minimum of nine feet (9') in width and twenty feet (20') in depth.

3)

Handicap parking space(s) shall be provided according to State of Texas Program for the Elimination of Architectural Barriers and shall conform to the Americans Disability Act (ADA) of 1991, as may be amended, accessibility guidelines or the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards.

c.

Parking Requirements Based on Use. In all Districts, there shall be provided at the time any building or structure is erected or structurally altered, off-street parking spaces in accordance with the following requirements. Requirements based on square footage refer to floor area measurements.

1)

Residential Uses:

USE CLASSIFICATION MINIMUM OFF-STREET PARKING REQUIREMENTS
Single Family Residential 2 spaces per dwelling unit
Duplex Residential 1 space per dwelling unit
Townhouse/Condominium Residential 2 spaces per dwelling unit Multiple Family Residential and
Group Residential Efficiency: 1 space per dwelling unit
One Bedroom: 1.5 spaces per dwelling unit
Two or more bedrooms: 2 spaces per dwelling unit
Manufactured Home Residential 2 spaces per Manufactured Home Space or lot

 

2)

Commercial Uses:

USE CLASSIFICATION MINIMUM OFF-STREET PARKING REQUIREMENTS
Administrative and Business Offices 1 space per 400 square feet
Agricultural Sales and Services See Schedule A
Automotive Rentals See Schedule A
Automotive Repair Services 2 spaces per mechanic or repair stall whichever is greater
Automotive Sales See Schedule A
Automotive Washing Queue Line space equivalent to 1 times the service capacity of the use
Bed and Breakfast 1 space per guestroom in addition to the requirements for normal residential use.
Building Maintenance Services See Schedule A
Business Support Services See Schedule A
Business or Trade School 1 space per 5 person capacity
Campground 1 space per camping unit
Cocktail Lounge 1 space per 3 persons capacity
Commercial Off-Street Parking Facility No requirement
Communications Services 1 space per 500 square feet
Construction Sales and Services See Schedule A
Consumer Convenience Services See Schedule B
Consumer Repair Services 1 space per 400 square feet
Convenience Storage 1 space per 2000 square feet
Convenience Store/Self Serve Gasoline 1 space per 300 square feet and 1 space per gasoline pump
Dance Halls/Meeting Halls 1 per 40 square feet or 2 per 6 seats for patron use
Dance Halls (Liquor Sales) 1 per 4 patron seating
Drive Through Facility, as an ancillary use May be adjusted through the Site Plan Review or Specific Use Permit procedure
Equipment Repair Services See Schedule A
Equipment Sales See Schedule A
Exterminating Services 1.5 spaces per 1000 square feet
Financial Services 1 space per 400 square feet
Food Sales 1 space per 300 square feet
Funeral Services 1 space per 4 person capacity
General Retail Services 1 per 400 square feet
Hotel/Motel First 50 Rooms: 1.10 spaces per roomEach additional room over 50 rooms: 1.0 space per roomOther use activities within hotel/motel: 100% of the use requirements of this table.
Indoor Entertainment 1 per 100 square feet or 1 space per 4 seats
Indoor Sports and Recreation 1 per 400 square feet
Kennels 1 space per 750 square feet of kennel space
Laundry Services 1 space per 200 square feet or 4 customer spaces and 1 space per employee, whichever is greater
Liquor Sales 1 space per 400 square feet
Medical Offices 1 space per 300 square feet of exam, testing, waiting rooms & offices
Outdoor Entertainment See Schedule B
Outdoor Sports and Recreation See Schedule B
Pawn Shop Services 1 space per 400 square feet
Personal Improvement 1 space per 300 square feet
Personal Services 1 space per 300 square feet
Pet Services 1 space per 400 square feet
Professional Offices 1 space per 400 square feet
Research Services 1 space per 400 square feet
Restaurant 1 space per 4 seats, plus cocktail lounge requirements if applicable
Restaurant, Drive-In/Fast Food 3 spaces per each 100 square feet within the customer service and dining area
Scrap and Salvage Services See Schedule A
Service Station 1 space per 2 gas pumps plus 1 space per service person
Shopping Center 1 space per 200 square feet
Stables See Schedule B
Vehicle Storage No requirement
Veterinary Services 1 space per 500 square feet

 

3)

Industrial Uses:

USE CLASSIFICATION MINIMUM OFF-STREET PARKING REQUIREMENTS
Basic Industry See Schedule A
Custom Manufacturing See Schedule A
General Warehousing See Schedule A
Light Manufacturing See Schedule A
Limited Warehousing See Schedule A

 

4)

Civic Uses:

USE CLASSIFICATION MINIMUM OFF-STREET PARKING REQUIREMENTS
Administrative Services 1 space per 400 square feet
Aviation Facilities See Schedule B
Cemetery See Schedule B
Club or Lodge 1 space per 5 persons capacity
College and University Facilities See Schedule B
Community Recreation 1 space per 5 persons capacity
Convalescent Services 1 space per 4 beds patient capacity, plus 1 space per 2 employees (Maximum shift)
Cultural Services 1 per 400 square feet
Day Care Services 1 1/2 space per teacher, administrator, or day care provider
Detention Facilities See Schedule B
Guidance Services 1 per 400 square feet
Hospital Services (General) 1 space per bed
Hospital Services (Limited) 1 space per 200 square feet of examination, treating, waiting rooms and offices
Local Utility Services See Schedule B
Maintenance and Service Facilities See Schedule A
Major Utility Facilities See Schedule A
Park and Recreation Services See Schedule B
Postal Facilities See Schedule B
Public and Private Primary Educational Facilities 2 spaces per classroom plus public assembly requirement for auditorium or assembly hall
Public and Private Secondary Educational Facilities 1 1/2 off-street parking space per classroom and one space for each three students anticipated to be enrolled in the 11th and 12th grades
Public Assembly 1 space per 5 persons capacity
Railroad Facilities See Schedule B
Religious Assembly (Church) 1 space per 4 seats in sanctuary
Safety Services See Schedule B
Transportation Terminals See Schedule B

 

5)

Agricultural Uses:

USE CLASSIFICATION MINIMUM OFF-STREET PARKING REQUIREMENTS
Horticulture 1 per 1000 square feet
Resource Extraction 1 per employee based on the largest shift plus 25% to cover shift change
Stockyards 1 per employee based on the largest shift
Other Agricultural Uses See Schedule B

 

6)

Schedule A:

Specific off-street parking requirements to be determined by the Zoning Administrator based on the following minimum requirements for applicable functions or activities associated with each use:

ACTIVITY REQUIREMENT
Office or administration activity 1 space per 400 square feet
Indoor sales, service or display 1 space per 750 square feet
Outdoor sales, service or display 1 space per 1200 square feet
Indoor storage, warehousing, equipment servicing or manufacturing 1 space per 1,000 square feet or 1 space per employee, based on the largest shift
Outdoor storage, equipment servicing or manufacturing 1 space per 2,300 square feet

 

7)

Schedule B:

The minimum off-street motor vehicle parking and loading requirements for uses subject to Schedule B shall be determined by the Zoning Administrator. In making such determination, the Zoning Administrator shall consider the requirements applicable to similar uses, the location, and characteristics of the use, and appropriate traffic engineering and planning data.

d.

Rules for Computing Number of Parking Spaces. In computing the number of parking spaces required for each of the above uses, the following rules shall govern:

1)

"Floor Area" shall mean the gross floor area of the specific use.

2)

Where fractional spaces result, the parking spaces required shall be constructed to be the nearest whole number.

3)

The parking space requirements for a use not specifically mentioned herein shall be the same as required for a use of similar nature.

e.

Fire Lanes. Fire lane easements shall be provided in accordance with the applicable City Fire Code.

2.

Special Regulations.

a.

Lot Area:

1)

The minimum lot area for the various Districts shall be in accordance with the individual districts, except that a lot having less area than herein required which was an official "lot of record" prior to the adoption of this Ordinance may be used for any use designated in the Zoning District in which the lot is located, and no lot existing at the time of passage of this Ordinance shall be reduced in area below the minimum requirements set forth in the respective District.

2)

Location of Dwellings and Buildings - Only one main building for single-family and two-family use, with permitted accessory buildings, may be located upon a lot or unplatted tract. Every means of access shall have a minimum lot width of twenty-five feet (25') at the property line. Whenever two or more main buildings, or portions thereof, are placed upon a single lot or tract and such buildings do not face upon a public street, the same may be permitted when the site plan for such development is approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission so as to comply with the City Subdivision Regulations' requirements for platting.

b.

Front Yard:

1)

Where the frontage on one side of a street between two intersecting streets is divided by two or more zoning districts, the front yard shall comply with the requirements of the most restrictive district for the entire frontage (See Illustration 1).

2)

Where a building line has been established by a plat approved by the City Council or by ordinance prior to the adoption of this Ordinance, and such line required is a greater or lesser front yard setback than prescribed by this Ordinance for the district in which the building line is located, the required front yard shall comply with the building line so established by such Ordinance or plat provided no such building line shall be set back less than twenty feet (20').

3)

The front yard shall be measured from the property line to the front face of the building, covered porch, covered terrace or attached accessory building. Eaves and roof extensions or a porch without posts or columns may project into the required front yard for a distance not to exceed three feet (3'), and subsurface structures, platforms or slabs may not project into the front yard to a height greater than thirty inches (30") above the average grade of the yard (See Illustration 2).

4)

Where lots have double frontage, extending from one street to another, a required front yard shall be provided on both streets unless a building line for accessory buildings has been established along one frontage on the plat or by ordinance, in which event only one required front yard need be observed. (See Illustration 3)

5)

Visual clearance shall be provided in all zoning districts so that no fence, wall, architectural screen, earth mounding or landscaping two feet six inches (2'6") or higher above the street center line obstructs the vision of a motor vehicle driver approaching any street, alley, or driveway intersection.

6)

At a street intersection, clear vision must be maintained for a minimum of twenty-five feet (25') across any lot measured from the corner of the property line in both directions. (See Illustration 4)

i.

At an intersection with an alley, this clearance must be maintained for ten feet (10'). (See Illustration 4)

ii.

Fences, walls, and hedges two feet, six inches (2'6") in height, as measured from the centerline of the street, or less may be located in the visual clearance areas of all districts.

c.

Side Yards: Every part of a required side yard shall be open and unobstructed from the ground upward except for accessory buildings as permitted herein and the ordinary projections of window sills, belt courses, cornices, and other architectural features not to exceed twelve inches (12") into the required side yard, and roof eaves projecting not to exceed thirty-six inches (36") into the required side yard. Air conditioning compressors and similar appurtenances are permitted in the side yard.

d.

Miscellaneous Requirements: All measurements of setback requirements shall be made according to Illustrations 5, 6, and 7.

e.

Handicap Accessibility: All nonresidential buildings and parking areas shall conform to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1991, as may be amended, accessibility guidelines or the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards or the Texas Accessibility Code of 1994 with Amendments, with the most stringent rules applying in event of conflict. Current editions of all acts will apply.

3.

Standards for Manufactured Housing Parks or a Manufactured Housing Subdivision.

a.

Size of Yards (For each space within a Manufactured Housing Park or a Manufactured Housing Subdivision):

1)

Minimum Front Yard - Thirty feet (30') from a dedicated street; fifteen feet (15') from any private street or drive

2)

Minimum Side Yard - Ten feet (10'); twenty feet (20') between units; twenty-five feet (25') from zoning district line

3)

Minimum Rear Yard - Ten feet (10'); twenty-five feet (25') from any zoning district line

b.

Size of Lot (For each space within a Manufactured Housing Park):

1)

Minimum Lot Area - Twenty-five hundred (2500) square feet per unit

2)

Minimum Lot Width - Forty feet (40')

3)

Minimum Lot Depth - None specified

c.

Size of Lot (For each space within a Manufactured Housing Subdivision):

1)

Minimum Lot Area - Four thousand, five hundred (4,500) square feet per unit

2)

Minimum Lot Width - Forty feet (40')

3)

Minimum Lot Depth - One hundred feet (100')

d.

Minimum Dwelling Size: Six hundred fifty (650) square feet

e.

Maximum Lot Coverage: N/A

f.

Parking Regulations: Two (2) spaces per unit (see Section VIII-1, Off-Street Parking)

g.

Special District Requirements:

1)

Area for Manufactured Housing Park or a Recreational Vehicle Park - Minimum, five (5) acres; maximum, twenty-five (25) acres

2)

Minimum Average Vertical Clearance of Manufactured Home Frame Above Finished Ground Elevation - Eighteen inches (18")

4.

Standards for Townhouse and Condominium Residential Uses.

a.

Intent: Residential density regulations are established to coordinate the intensity of residential development with existing and planned public service and utility capabilities, to ensure residential development compatible with existing and anticipated uses of nearby property, and to promote the growth, population distribution, and development policies of the Comprehensive Plan.

b.

Townhouse Residential: Townhouse residential use is permitted in the GR, C-1, and CBD districts with a Specific Use Permit as modified by the following limitations:

1)

Minimum Lot Size: 2,500 Square feet, per dwelling unit.

2)

Minimum Lot Width: 20 feet per dwelling unit.

3)

Minimum Lot Depth: 100 feet.

4)

Minimum Front Yard Setback: 20 feet.

5)

Minimum Interior Side Yard Setback: 7 1/2 feet, measured from the unattached side wall of an end unit, to the interior side lot line. Within a townhouse project here shall be at least fifteen (15) feet of separation or combined side yard between each group of townhouses.

6)

Minimum Exterior Side Yard Setback: 20 feet, measured from the unattached side wall of an end unit, to the side lot line abutting a street.

7)

Minimum Rear Yard Setback: 10 feet.

8)

Maximum Building Length: No group of attached townhouses shall exceed two hundred (200) feet in length.

9)

Coverage: No more than fifty-five percent (55%) of the total site area may be covered with buildings and required parking spaces. The remaining forty-five percent (45%) may include driveways, sidewalks, patios, grass, and other landscaped areas.

10)

Private Yards: Each lot shall include a front yard with not less than three hundred (300) square feet of area. Not more than fifty percent (50%) of the required private yard may be occupied by a driveway. Parking spaces shall not be included in the computation of the required private yard area. A wall or solid fence not less than five (5) feet in height is required on side lot lines where the required private yard adjoins such lot lines. A patio cover or roof may cover up to twenty-five percent (25%) of the private yard.

11)

Maximum Density: 3600 square feet of site area per dwelling unit.

12)

Parking and Driveways:

i.

Two (2) off-street parking spaces shall be provided for each townhouse.

ii.

No driveway located in front of a townhouse lot shall exceed twenty-one (21) feet in width.

iii.

One-way common driveways shall be at least ten (10) feet in width, and two-way driveways shall be at least eighteen (18) feet in width.

iv.

Each building shall be directly accessible from a public street or from an unobstructed fire lane.

v.

Individual driveways shall not open onto streets with a functional classification of collector or greater. When townhouse units are located on a collector street, the driveway entrances shall be limited to providing access to a common interior driveway located at the rear of the townhouses.

13)

Other requirements: Each townhouse shall be located on an individual lot. There shall be at least four (4) connected units in each project.

c.

Condominium Residential. Condominium Residential use is permitted in the GR, C-1, and CBD with a Specific Use Permit as modified by the following limitations:

1)

Minimum of four (4) dwelling units.

2)

Minimum site area for condominium residential use shall be 14,000 Square feet.

3)

Maximum residential density for condominium use shall be 3,500 Square feet of site area for each dwelling unit.

5.

Accessory Building and Use Regulations.

a.

In a residential district, an accessory building is a subordinate or incidental building, attached to or detached from the main building without separate kitchen facilities, not used for commercial purposes and not rented.

b.

In other districts, an accessory building is a subordinate building, the use of which is incidental to and used only in conjunction with the main building.

c.

Accessory dwelling units in the A/O District shall be allowed as an incidental residential use of a building on the same lot or tract as the main dwelling unit and used by the same person or persons of the immediate family when approved as a Specific Use Permit, and meet the following standards:

1)

The accessory dwelling unit must be constructed to the rear of the main dwelling, separate from that upon which the main dwelling is constructed. Each lot must have a minimum of one-half (1/2) acre upon which an accessory dwelling unit may be constructed.

2)

The accessory dwelling unit may be constructed only with the issuance of a Building Permit.

3)

The accessory dwelling unit may not be sold separately from sale of the entire property, including the main dwelling unit, and shall not be sublet.

4)

Setback requirements shall be the same as for the main structure.

d.

An accessory building may not be built without a main building constructed on the lot with the accessory building.

e.

Accessory Buildings in all residential and commercial districts, sized 225 square feet or less and single level, will be permitted by the Building Official with a standard building permit. A site plan drawn to scale and showing compliance with all offsets will accompany the permit application.

f.

Accessory Buildings in all residential and commercial districts: (1) over 225 square feet and/or (2) having multiple or split levels will require a Specific Use Permit.

g.

All Accessory Buildings must be securely anchored to the ground.

h.

Only one Accessory Building will be located on each lot. Additional Accessory Buildings will require a Specific Use Permit.

i.

A detached Accessory Building must be located in the rear half of the lot and placed using all regulated setbacks. Garages/carports arranged so as to be entered by a motor vehicle from an alley or rear alley easement shall be set back from the rear yard or alley easement line a minimum distance of twenty feet (20').

j.

All shipping/cargo/storage containers will require a Specific Use Permit.

6.

Screening, Fence, and Wall Standards.

a.

Intent. Standards set forth in this Section for new developments are intended to encourage the appropriate use of land and conserve and protect the privacy and value of adjacent permitted uses. Regulations are prescribed for the location and type of various screening devices to be used when required in the various zoning districts or in this section in accordance with the following standards.

b.

Location of Required Screening.

1)

When a boundary of a non-residential Zoning District sides or backs upon a residential district, a solid screening wall or fence of not less than six feet (6') nor more than eight feet (8') in height shall be erected on the property line separating these districts. The purpose of the screening wall or fence is to provide a visual barrier between the properties.

The owner of such property of the lesser restrictive use shall be responsible for and shall build the required wall or fence on his property line dividing his property from the more restrictive zoning district. In cases where the City finds this requirement to be better met by an irrigated living screen, the same may be substituted for the screening wall after a landscape plan has been prepared to demonstrate equal visual screening.

2)

Open storage of materials, commodities, or equipment permitted in the Industrial (I-1) District shall comply with the following requirements:

i.

Open storage shall be located behind the front building line.

ii.

Any open storage areas shall observe all yard requirements.

iii.

A six-foot (6') high screening fence shall be provided.

iv.

Standards shall not apply to new and used automobile dealers and similar facilities requiring outdoor display of vehicles or equipment for sale.

3)

In all other districts where screening of open storage is required, such screening shall be required only for those areas used for open storage. A six-foot (6') high fence shall be provided and maintained at the property line adjacent to the area to be screened. Screening of open storage areas may be of materials as approved by the City.

(Ord. No. 11-20, 10-8-20)