OFFICE DISTRICT REGULATIONS
Purpose. The Office District is primarily intended to promote and permit traditional office (administrative, professional and business) uses in close relationship with each other outside of other business districts. This district can serve as a transitional district between residential districts and more intensive business districts.
The goal is to encourage and provide for the appropriate and convenient location of a broad range of office uses, personal and professional services, and similar ancillary uses. The district will also provide for multi-story buildings permitting residential uses on the upper floors.
Within an Office District as shown on the official Zoning Maps of the City of Huntsville, Alabama, the following regulations shall apply:
No building, structure, or land shall be used and no building or structure shall hereafter be erected, structurally altered, enlarged, or maintained except for one or more of the uses herein cited and subject to the conditions stated herein:
Office uses where administrative, clerical, one-on-one consultations and sales services are rendered, provided that, except in the case of medical, optical and dental offices, no commodity or tangible property, either by way of inventory or sample, shall be stored, kept or exhibited in any office or on the premises wherein the office is located. Permitted office uses shall be limited to the following:
Architects, attorneys and other professionals; consumer service offices such as real estate and insurance agencies; and administrative and clerical offices.
Medical, optical and dental offices and clinics for health professionals, excluding overnight care and ambulance services.
Banks and credit unions (provided there are no drive through services or outdoor automated teller machines).
Computer programming, software design and web design services.
Telephone answering services and telemarketing services.
Residential dwelling units located above the ground floor excluding hotels, motels, tourist homes, rooming houses, boarding houses and other such transient uses.
Retail sales and consumer service establishments for the convenience of the office workers and residents of the building or complex - provided that such commercial uses are located on the ground floor and that the aggregate floor area of such uses shall not occupy more than 15 percent of the total ground floor area of the building in which such use is located.
Municipal, county, state or federal uses, excluding off-premises liquor retailers.
Permitted uses as special exceptions as defined and regulated by subsection 92.5.3 hereof.
(Ord. No. 06-732, § 2, 9-28-2006; Ord. No. 09-1053, § 1, 12-17-2009)
The following yard, density and height of building requirements shall be observed except as provided in Article 73 hereof:
81.2.1 Minimum required lot area: 15,000 square feet.
81.2.2 Minimum required lot width: 100 feet.
81.2.3 Minimum required lot frontage: 50 feet.
81.2.4 Minimum required depth of front yard: From major arterials (see Section 73.15): 50 feet.
From other streets: 20 feet.
81.2.5 Minimum required depth of rear yard: None, except when the rear lot line abuts a residential district a rear yard of not less than 20 feet is required.
81.2.6 Minimum required depth of side yards:
Abutting a residential district: A distance equal to the height of the building, but not less than 15 feet.
Other side yards: Two feet for each ten feet of building height but not less than five feet.
(Setback = 2′ × height/10)
81.2.7 Maximum impervious cover: 70 percent of total lot area.
81.2.8 Maximum height: 30 feet when lot abuts a residential district 40 feet with all surface parking 55 feet if at least 40 percent of the required parking spaces are in the office building or an attached garage
(Ord. No. 06-732, § 2, 9-28-2006)
Except as provided for herein all off-street parking requirements shall be provided for as set forth in article 70 hereof.
Parking shall not be permitted in any required side yard nor in the first 15 feet of any required rear yard as measured from the property line.
Required bicycle parking spaces and facilities shall be provided as set forth in article 76 hereof.
(Ord. No. 06-732, § 2, 9-28-2006; Ord. No. 09-430, § 29, 7-9-2009; Ord. No. 10-507, § 2, 8-26-2010)
Landscaping and lighting of off-street parking and vehicular use areas are required in accordance with Article 71, Off-Street Parking and Vehicular Use Area Landscaping Requirements. Where the requirements of Article 71 are in conflict with Article 81, then the more stringent shall apply.
(Ord. No. 06-732, § 2, 9-28-2006)
81.5.1 Front yards:
(1)
On local streets contained wholly within a district the first five feet of the required front yard shall be landscaped with a minimum of one small Type 3 or Type 4 tree per each 50 linear feet of yard or portion thereof, and the area shall be planted with a permanent evergreen ground cover or turf grass.
(2)
On local streets that extend into other zoning districts and on collector and arterial streets the following landscaping is required:
(a)
Whenever 80 percent of the length of a building's street facade is located at the minimum building line, then the first five feet (ten feet on major arterials) of the required front yard shall be landscaped with a minimum of one small Type 3 or Type 4 tree per each 50 linear feet of yard or portion thereof, and the area shall be planted with a permanent evergreen ground cover or turf grass.
(b)
If more than 20 percent of a building's street facade is set back farther than the minimum building line, then the first 15 feet of the required front yard shall be landscaped with a minimum of one large Type 1 or Type 2 shade tree per each 50 linear feet of yard or portion thereof, and the area shall be planted with a permanent evergreen ground cover or turf grass.
81.5.2. Side and rear yards: Where side or rear yards are required adjacent to residential districts, the first 15 feet shall be landscaped with a Buffer of Screen Planting as defined herein.
Trash collection facilities, dumpsters and other structures are not permitted in any required rear or side yard.
Trash collection facilities and dumpsters shall be concealed by solid wood and/or masonry walls for their full height. Where wood is used as the screening material, it shall be securely attached to an all metal support structure; if the wood is not pressure treated, it shall be cedar, redwood or cypress; and no wood member shall exceed 12 inches in width. The gates shall be of metal, shall be at least 80 percent opaque, and shall be self closing.
Pedestrian paths are permitted through buffers of screen planting to connect residential areas with the office district so long as they do not intrude on nor cross any private property without the owner's permission.
81.5.3. Lots in use without buildings: In the event that a parcel is put to use without a building, then the first ten feet along all lot lines shall be landscaped with a minimum of one large Type 1 or Type 2 shade tree and eight shrubs per each 50 linear feet of yard or portion thereof, and the area shall be planted with a permanent evergreen ground cover or turf grass. If the parcel abuts a residential district, then Section 81.5.2 shall apply along the side and/or rear lot lines.
81.5.4. Installation and maintenance of landscaping:
(1)
Trees and shrubs shall be well distributed, though not necessarily evenly spaced and shall meet the minimum size standards as set out in Table 1 of Section 71.5.1(2).
(2)
All landscaping shall be installed in accordance with Section 71.5.3, Installation Requirements (1), (2), (3), (4), (7) and (8) and with Section 73.19, Installation of Landscaping.
(3)
The owner, lessee, or his agents shall be responsible for providing, maintaining, and protecting all landscaping in a healthy and growing condition and for keeping it free from refuse and debris. All unhealthy and dead materials shall be replaced within one year after notification or during the next appropriate planting period, whichever comes first.
(Ord. No. 06-732, § 2, 9-28-2006)
Signs shall be permitted in accordance with the provisions of article 72—Sign control regulations.
(Ord. No. 06-732, § 2, 9-28-2006; Ord. No. 21-46, § 1(Exh. A, § B.2.), 2-25-2021)
No primary or accessory non-residential building or structure with a footprint in excess of one thousand (1000) square feet shall be allowed to use aluminum, steel, or other metal siding or cladding as an exterior finish, except as a special exception in accordance with section 92.5.3(37). This requirement shall not include window framework, doors, roofs and walkway covers.
(Ord. No. 08-429, § 13, 6-26-2008;Ord. No. 15-758, § 12, 11-19-2015; Ord. No. 25-157, § 13, 4-24-2025)
OFFICE DISTRICT REGULATIONS
Purpose. The Office District is primarily intended to promote and permit traditional office (administrative, professional and business) uses in close relationship with each other outside of other business districts. This district can serve as a transitional district between residential districts and more intensive business districts.
The goal is to encourage and provide for the appropriate and convenient location of a broad range of office uses, personal and professional services, and similar ancillary uses. The district will also provide for multi-story buildings permitting residential uses on the upper floors.
Within an Office District as shown on the official Zoning Maps of the City of Huntsville, Alabama, the following regulations shall apply:
No building, structure, or land shall be used and no building or structure shall hereafter be erected, structurally altered, enlarged, or maintained except for one or more of the uses herein cited and subject to the conditions stated herein:
Office uses where administrative, clerical, one-on-one consultations and sales services are rendered, provided that, except in the case of medical, optical and dental offices, no commodity or tangible property, either by way of inventory or sample, shall be stored, kept or exhibited in any office or on the premises wherein the office is located. Permitted office uses shall be limited to the following:
Architects, attorneys and other professionals; consumer service offices such as real estate and insurance agencies; and administrative and clerical offices.
Medical, optical and dental offices and clinics for health professionals, excluding overnight care and ambulance services.
Banks and credit unions (provided there are no drive through services or outdoor automated teller machines).
Computer programming, software design and web design services.
Telephone answering services and telemarketing services.
Residential dwelling units located above the ground floor excluding hotels, motels, tourist homes, rooming houses, boarding houses and other such transient uses.
Retail sales and consumer service establishments for the convenience of the office workers and residents of the building or complex - provided that such commercial uses are located on the ground floor and that the aggregate floor area of such uses shall not occupy more than 15 percent of the total ground floor area of the building in which such use is located.
Municipal, county, state or federal uses, excluding off-premises liquor retailers.
Permitted uses as special exceptions as defined and regulated by subsection 92.5.3 hereof.
(Ord. No. 06-732, § 2, 9-28-2006; Ord. No. 09-1053, § 1, 12-17-2009)
The following yard, density and height of building requirements shall be observed except as provided in Article 73 hereof:
81.2.1 Minimum required lot area: 15,000 square feet.
81.2.2 Minimum required lot width: 100 feet.
81.2.3 Minimum required lot frontage: 50 feet.
81.2.4 Minimum required depth of front yard: From major arterials (see Section 73.15): 50 feet.
From other streets: 20 feet.
81.2.5 Minimum required depth of rear yard: None, except when the rear lot line abuts a residential district a rear yard of not less than 20 feet is required.
81.2.6 Minimum required depth of side yards:
Abutting a residential district: A distance equal to the height of the building, but not less than 15 feet.
Other side yards: Two feet for each ten feet of building height but not less than five feet.
(Setback = 2′ × height/10)
81.2.7 Maximum impervious cover: 70 percent of total lot area.
81.2.8 Maximum height: 30 feet when lot abuts a residential district 40 feet with all surface parking 55 feet if at least 40 percent of the required parking spaces are in the office building or an attached garage
(Ord. No. 06-732, § 2, 9-28-2006)
Except as provided for herein all off-street parking requirements shall be provided for as set forth in article 70 hereof.
Parking shall not be permitted in any required side yard nor in the first 15 feet of any required rear yard as measured from the property line.
Required bicycle parking spaces and facilities shall be provided as set forth in article 76 hereof.
(Ord. No. 06-732, § 2, 9-28-2006; Ord. No. 09-430, § 29, 7-9-2009; Ord. No. 10-507, § 2, 8-26-2010)
Landscaping and lighting of off-street parking and vehicular use areas are required in accordance with Article 71, Off-Street Parking and Vehicular Use Area Landscaping Requirements. Where the requirements of Article 71 are in conflict with Article 81, then the more stringent shall apply.
(Ord. No. 06-732, § 2, 9-28-2006)
81.5.1 Front yards:
(1)
On local streets contained wholly within a district the first five feet of the required front yard shall be landscaped with a minimum of one small Type 3 or Type 4 tree per each 50 linear feet of yard or portion thereof, and the area shall be planted with a permanent evergreen ground cover or turf grass.
(2)
On local streets that extend into other zoning districts and on collector and arterial streets the following landscaping is required:
(a)
Whenever 80 percent of the length of a building's street facade is located at the minimum building line, then the first five feet (ten feet on major arterials) of the required front yard shall be landscaped with a minimum of one small Type 3 or Type 4 tree per each 50 linear feet of yard or portion thereof, and the area shall be planted with a permanent evergreen ground cover or turf grass.
(b)
If more than 20 percent of a building's street facade is set back farther than the minimum building line, then the first 15 feet of the required front yard shall be landscaped with a minimum of one large Type 1 or Type 2 shade tree per each 50 linear feet of yard or portion thereof, and the area shall be planted with a permanent evergreen ground cover or turf grass.
81.5.2. Side and rear yards: Where side or rear yards are required adjacent to residential districts, the first 15 feet shall be landscaped with a Buffer of Screen Planting as defined herein.
Trash collection facilities, dumpsters and other structures are not permitted in any required rear or side yard.
Trash collection facilities and dumpsters shall be concealed by solid wood and/or masonry walls for their full height. Where wood is used as the screening material, it shall be securely attached to an all metal support structure; if the wood is not pressure treated, it shall be cedar, redwood or cypress; and no wood member shall exceed 12 inches in width. The gates shall be of metal, shall be at least 80 percent opaque, and shall be self closing.
Pedestrian paths are permitted through buffers of screen planting to connect residential areas with the office district so long as they do not intrude on nor cross any private property without the owner's permission.
81.5.3. Lots in use without buildings: In the event that a parcel is put to use without a building, then the first ten feet along all lot lines shall be landscaped with a minimum of one large Type 1 or Type 2 shade tree and eight shrubs per each 50 linear feet of yard or portion thereof, and the area shall be planted with a permanent evergreen ground cover or turf grass. If the parcel abuts a residential district, then Section 81.5.2 shall apply along the side and/or rear lot lines.
81.5.4. Installation and maintenance of landscaping:
(1)
Trees and shrubs shall be well distributed, though not necessarily evenly spaced and shall meet the minimum size standards as set out in Table 1 of Section 71.5.1(2).
(2)
All landscaping shall be installed in accordance with Section 71.5.3, Installation Requirements (1), (2), (3), (4), (7) and (8) and with Section 73.19, Installation of Landscaping.
(3)
The owner, lessee, or his agents shall be responsible for providing, maintaining, and protecting all landscaping in a healthy and growing condition and for keeping it free from refuse and debris. All unhealthy and dead materials shall be replaced within one year after notification or during the next appropriate planting period, whichever comes first.
(Ord. No. 06-732, § 2, 9-28-2006)
Signs shall be permitted in accordance with the provisions of article 72—Sign control regulations.
(Ord. No. 06-732, § 2, 9-28-2006; Ord. No. 21-46, § 1(Exh. A, § B.2.), 2-25-2021)
No primary or accessory non-residential building or structure with a footprint in excess of one thousand (1000) square feet shall be allowed to use aluminum, steel, or other metal siding or cladding as an exterior finish, except as a special exception in accordance with section 92.5.3(37). This requirement shall not include window framework, doors, roofs and walkway covers.
(Ord. No. 08-429, § 13, 6-26-2008;Ord. No. 15-758, § 12, 11-19-2015; Ord. No. 25-157, § 13, 4-24-2025)