Ithaca Town City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XIV
Neighborhood Commercial Zones
§ 270-125 Purpose.
The purpose of the Neighborhood Commercial Zone is to provide areas or centers for shopping and service-oriented uses that are easily accessible to the neighborhoods which they serve, which are not intended to draw customers from considerable distances, or which have low-volume traffic and no significant impacts so as to be minimally intrusive upon residential neighborhoods. These zones shall be located so as to be generally distributed throughout the Town in proportion to the population and shall be limited both in size and in proximity to one another.
§ 270-126 Permitted principal uses.
Only the following buildings or uses are permitted of right in a Neighborhood Commercial Zone:
A.
The following retail uses provided that the interior floor area is 5,000 square feet or less:
(1)
Retail food store/grocery.
(2)
Retail sales of candy, ice cream, gifts, flowers and similar small items.
(3)
Retail store (other than a retail store expressly referred to elsewhere in this chapter) where goods are sold from inside the store and rental of goods is not a significant portion of the revenues.
(4)
Arts and crafts gallery/studio.
(5)
Photography store/studio.
(6)
Drugstore/pharmacy.
(7)
Florist.
(8)
Bicycle sales/repairs which may include outside displays.
(9)
Bakery.
(10)
Plant nursery which may include outside displays.
(11)
Hardware store.
(12)
Painting and decorating boutique.
(13)
Bookstore or newsstand.
B.
The following personal service retail uses provided that the interior floor area is 5,000 square feet or less:
(1)
Bank or other financial institution.
(2)
Laundromat, dry cleaning (self-service or pickup).
(3)
Barbershop or beauty parlor.
(4)
Milliner/dressmaker/tailor.
(5)
Shoe maker/repair.
(6)
Restaurant or coffee shop.
(7)
Caterer.
(8)
Photocopying/related printing.
(9)
Optician.
(10)
Decorator.
C.
Business, professional, administrative, or governmental office, but excluding a medical or dental clinic.
D.
Fire station and emergency medical services.
E.
The following uses provided that the area on which construction occurs on the land is 5,000 square feet or less (excluding underground utilities):
(1)
Any municipal or public utility purpose necessary to the maintenance of utility services except that substations and similar structures shall be subject to the same setback requirements as apply to other buildings in the district in which the substations or similar structures are constructed.
(2)
Electric vehicle charging station.
[Added 8-12-2024 by L.L. No. 7-2024]
F.
Small wind energy facilities, subject to the limitations on small wind energy facilities set forth in § 270-219.4.
[Added 8-11-2008 by L.L. No. 13-2008]
§ 270-127 Principal uses authorized by special permit only.
The following uses are permitted in a Neighborhood Commercial Zone, but only upon receipt of a special permit for same from the Planning Board in accordance with the procedures set forth in this chapter:
A.
Any of the uses, except caterer, set forth above as being permitted as of right where the interior floor area for such use exceeds 5,000 square feet.
B.
The following uses where the construction on the lot exceeds 5,000 square feet of land area but does not exceed 10,000 square feet of land area (excluding underground utilities):
(1)
Any municipal or public utility purpose necessary to the maintenance of utility services except that substations and similar structures shall be subject to the same setback requirements as apply to other buildings in the district in which the substations or similar structures are constructed.
C.
Bank or other financial institution with a drive-through with a maximum of two drive-through lanes served by tellers or automatic teller machines.
D.
Furniture and appliance sales and service.
E.
Packaging/mailing service.
F.
Hotel or motel provided the facility fronts on a state highway.
G.
Child day-care center and elder care center.
H.
Clubhouse, lodge, community center.
I.
Mixed use commercial and residential provided the commercial use is a use that would be permitted in a Neighborhood Commercial Zone if it were not in a mixed use facility.
J.
Health or fitness center.
K.
Any other lawful use, not otherwise specifically referred to in this chapter, that both the Planning Board and the Zoning Board of Appeals find is substantially similar to a use permitted as of right in the Neighborhood Commercial Zone and does not have greater adverse effects upon traffic, noise, air quality, parking, or any other attribute reasonably relevant, than a use permitted as of right.
§ 270-128 Maximum building size.
No building in a Neighborhood Commercial Zone shall exceed 7,500 square feet in size (inclusive of all floors except a basement used solely for storage) unless the Planning Board, by special permit, authorizes the size to be increased up to 10,000 square feet. In no event shall a building exceed 10,000 square feet in size (inclusive of all floors except a basement used solely for storage).