The general character of this commercial district would be designed to accommodate community shopping and service facilities which cater largely to family shopping needs and to essential services to business establishments over a wide area of the city, and which would generate considerable traffic.

(Ord. No. 958, 2-10-98)

A building may be erected, altered or used, and a lot may be used or occupied for any of the following purposes and no other:

A.

Permitted uses:

1.

Any use permitted in district C-1 as of right, without regard to maximum floor area restraints;

2.

Department store;

3.

Wholesale establishment;

4.

Motor bus or railroad passenger station;

5.

Any commercial use not specifically stated or implied elsewhere in this ordinance;

6.

Restaurant or night club, only in conformity with requirements of laws or ordinances governing such use;

7.

Hotels and motels;

8.

Offices and related service businesses;

9.

Any use of similar character when authorized as a special use; and

10.

Accessory uses.

B.

Special uses - granted by the board of zoning appeals.

1.

Mini-warehouses, as defined in title I of this ordinance, subject to the following:

a.

The requirements of title XVIII, section 2, special use permits.

b.

Traffic conditions and accessibility of buildings for fire and police protection.

c.

No chemicals or materials of highly combustible, explosive, or flammable nature to be stored or kept on the premises.

d.

No materials stored outside the buildings.

e.

Consideration of the character and use of buildings adjoining or in the vicinity of the property.

2.

Assembly and manufacturing operations where not more than 50 percent of the building space is used for such operations.

(Ord. No. 958, 2-10-98)

The maximum height of any building or other structure shall be 2½ stories or not more than 35 feet.

(Ord. No. 958, 2-10-98)

A.

Minimum lot area and width. A minimum lot area of not less than 8,000 square feet, and a lot width of not less than 70 feet at the building line shall be provided for every building or other structure erected or used for any use permitted in this district.

B.

Front yard. There shall be a front yard between the building line and the highway and street right-of-way lines as follows (the right-of-way line is not to be construed as the center of or the edge of pavement of the highway or street):

(1)

On existing federal or state highways, a distance of seventy-five (75) feet;

(2)

All county highways at the time of adoption of this ordinance or constructed thereafter, a distance of 75 feet; and

(3)

All other streets, a distance of 35 feet.

C.

Side yards.

(1)

On each interior lot, there shall be two side yards each having a width of not less than 25 feet, unless otherwise provided for in this section.

(2)

On each corner lot, there shall be a side yard abutting the street having a width of not less than 35 feet, and another side yard having a width of not less than 25 feet unless the building employs a common party wall with the building on the adjoining lot.

(3)

Where abutting lots have buildings or other structures employing a common wall, no side yard is required between the common wall.

D.

Rear yard. There shall be a rear yard on each lot, the depth of which shall be not less than 40 feet.

E.

Building coverage. Except for the provision of landscaping; parking and loading; front, side and rear yards; on-site utilities and stormwater detention; there is no limitation concerning building coverage for the remaining buildable area of the lot.

(Ord. No. 958, 2-10-98)

Landscaping requirements will be in accordance with the provisions of title XIII, section 17 of this ordinance.

(Ord. No. 958, 2-10-98)

Adequate off-street parking and loading spaces shall be provided in accordance with the regulations specified within title XV of this zoning ordinance, herein, except in the case of a planned unit development the required space for individual establishments need not be provided separately but may be made a component part of such plan.

(Ord. No. 958, 2-10-98)

Sign requirements will be in accordance with the provisions of title XIII, section 13, of this ordinance.

(Ord. No. 958, 2-10-98)

All business operations shall be conducted within a completely enclosed building except as follows:

A.

Outdoor sales and displays. Outdoor sales and displays shall be permitted only if the uses comply with the following:

1.

Outdoor sales and displays shall be permitted only within an area not greater than 15 percent of the gross floor area of the building, except outdoor garden displays, which may have an area up to 50 percent of gross floor area less the percentage used for other outdoor sales and displays. The combined outdoor displays may not exceed 50 percent including up to the 15 percent maximum for displays other than gardening sales. If the maximum is used for other displays, only 35 percent of gross floor area may be used for garden displays.

2.

Outdoor sales and displays must be located at least 25 feet from any residentially used or zoned property and meet all other setbacks. A property shall not be considered residentially used if the first floor is occupied for commercial use.

3.

Outdoor sales and displays shall be located no less than 25 feet from the edge of any street or highway, at least five feet on either side of a sidewalk, and more than three feet from any building entrance. The height of the displays cannot exceed six feet if adjacent to the structure, or four feet if the display is away from the building.

4.

Outdoor sales and displays are not allowed in areas set aside, required or designated for driving aisles, driveways, emergency access ways or fire lanes, public or private right-of-ways, loading or unloading zones, landscaped or buffer areas, handicap access areas or any other required open area, and the displays may not interfere with vehicular traffic.

5.

Vending and ice machines shall be permitted outside of the building when located against and parallel to the building facade and shall count toward the total outdoor sales and display area.

6.

All applications for outdoor sales and displays shall have a site plan showing where the displays for each sales event shall be located on the property.

7.

All sidewalk sales and displays shall provide a continuous clear and unobstructed four-foot path for pedestrian movement. Materials located at the edge of a pedestrian way adjacent to a street shall not extend along the edge of a pedestrian way adjacent to a street shall not extend along that edge at a distance of more than ten feet without providing a break of not less than three feet in width to allow for access to the pedestrian walkway, and shall be no higher than four feet.

8.

Outdoor sales and displays shall only be accessories to a principal business that conducts its business activities within a completely enclosed building or group of buildings, shall be conducted by employees of the principal business and shall be owned by the owner of the principal business and not a consignment operation or arrangement.

9.

Outdoor sales and displays shall not be permanent. They shall only be in use during the season or holiday for which they were meant to be used. Outdoor sales and displays shall be removed within 30 days after the seasonal or holiday time period has elapsed. This includes greenhouses, tents, canopies, tables, display racks, shelving and any other structure used in displays and sales of merchandise.

10.

The display items can only be items normally produced or sold in the principal structure during business hours.

11.

Outdoor display areas may be located on concrete, asphalt or brick paved areas and shall not be located on lawn areas or landscaped areas.

12.

Additional parking space shall be required to replace displaced parking area as required by the Comprehensive Knox Zoning Ordinance.

13.

No outdoor display shall obstruct visibility at the intersection of two or more roadways, driveways or traffic lanes.

14.

All outdoor display items must be maintained and displayed in a neat, orderly and safe manner. Failure to do so may result in the revocation of any outdoor sales and display permit.

15.

Lighting of outdoor merchandise is prohibited. No electricity shall be utilized by an outdoor display. No noise shall be generated by an outdoor display.

16.

All outdoor sales and displays must meet all other applicable federal, state and local laws and ordinances.

B.

Outdoor storage. Outdoor storage shall be permitted only if it complies with the following:

1.

Outdoor storage shall be limited to those areas designated for employees only and made inaccessible to the general public by means of a fence, wall or other permanent, secured enclosure.

2.

Outdoor storage shall only occur in the rear yard of the business, and be screened from view from the abutting property by a fence of sufficient height so that all outdoor storage areas are effectively screened.

3.

Outdoor storage shall have a setback of 25 feet to any public right-of-way.

4.

Goods, merchandise or products stacked on pallets and/or wrapped in packing material such that the items are not readily available to the public for immediate retail sale shall be considered outdoor storage and not outdoor display.

5.

In all districts of manufacturing, trash containers shall be enclosed on four sides with a gate.

6.

Outdoor storage of tires shall meet the following standards:

a.

Tires shall be stored in compliance with applicable public health regulations.

b.

Tires stored outdoors shall be neatly stacked, with no stack greater than eight feet high.

7.

Vehicles that are in a state of disrepair must be stored in a fenced area meeting the appropriate fencing and screening ordinance or regulation.

8.

All outdoor storage must meet all other applicable federal, state and local laws and ordinances.

C.

Exemptions: Auto dealers, boat dealers, tractor dealers, RV/ATV/motorcycle dealers or truck/trailer rentals that have 75 percent of their gross sales from the types of vehicles listed herein are exempt.

D.

Permit required: No outdoor sales and displays or outdoor storage shall be installed, erected, operated or used within the zoning areas governed by the City of Knox prior to receiving a permit from the planning administrator.

E.

Fees: An annual fee will be required for any outdoor sales and displays or storage. A site plan may be requested by the planning administrator.

F.

Special uses—Granted by the board of zoning appeals: Any exceptions for the above requirements for outdoor sales and displays listed in Section 8, paragraph A, and outdoor storage listed in Section 8, paragraph B shall require a special use permit authorized by the board of zoning appeals. An application for special use shall be filed with the zoning administrator, and a public hearing must be held before a decision can be made by the board of zoning appeals.

G.

Violations; Uses conducting outdoor sales and displays or storage in a manner not permitted by this section may be cited in accordance with Title XXII Section, 1, 2 and 3 of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance #355 of the City of Knox.

(Ord. No. 958, 2-10-98; Ord. No. 1142, § 1, 6-10-14)