Lancaster Town City Zoning Code
ARTICLE V
Commercial Districts
§ 400-17 Light Commercial (LC).
In the Light Commercial District, the following regulations shall apply:
A.
Intent. To provide areas within the Town for commercial uses serving the day-to-day shopping and personal service needs of a neighborhood area, for professional offices, and to ensure compatibility with surrounding residential development. This district may also serve as a buffer between residential districts and general commercial or industrial districts.
B.
Permitted structures and uses. Permitted structures and uses are set forth in Schedule A and are as follows:
(1)
Principal uses.
(a)
Apparel repair and alterations and shoe repair shop.
(b)
Art, dance, or music studios.
(c)
Banks.
(d)
Beauty, hair salon, or barber shop.
(e)
Commercial recreation activities.
(f)
Custom manufacturing shop for sale of product on premises, provided that the use does not produce offensive odors, noise, vibration, heat, glare, or dust.
(g)
Day-care center, nursery and other private schools.
(h)
Electrical and household appliance repair services.
(i)
Exercise studio or gym.
(j)
Finance, insurance, real estate services and travel agencies.
(k)
Grocery store.
(l)
Hardware, plumbing, lawn, garden, or other home improvement sales, or services.
(m)
Legal, engineering, architectural, educational/scientific research, accounting, auditing and bookkeeping, and community planning services.
(n)
Medical and other health services.
(o)
Motel or hotel.
(p)
Office building and offices.
(q)
Stores, including for bakery and confectionery shops (and manufacture if primarily for on-site sale); apparel, jewelry, and accessories; home furnishings; drugstore; liquor; antiques and secondhand goods; book and stationery; sporting goods and bicycles; home garden items; laundromat, cleaning and dyeing; photo supply, printing, and/or photocopying; florist; tobacco products; newspapers and magazines; gifts, novelties and souvenirs; optical goods; hardware.
(s)
Veterinarian or small animal hospital.
(t)
Wholesale sales.
(u)
Automobile, farm equipment and trailer sales, rental, repair and services, including motor vehicle washes, with a special use permit and site plan approval.
(v)
Bar, tavern, or restaurant, with a special use permit and site plan approval.
(w)
Business services, including sign company, window cleaning and other dwelling and building services and equipment sales and rental, with a special use permit and site plan approval.
(x)
Funeral parlors and mortuaries, with attendant or owner apartment, with a special use permit and site plan approval.
(2)
Accessory uses.
(a)
Outdoor display of merchandise, provided that:
[1]
Seasonal fruit and vegetable sales stands requiring a structure shall require a building permit.
[2]
Seasonal fruit and vegetable sellers, hawkers, or peddler-type use, including holiday-related sales, operated from a vehicle or trailers, shall be required to obtain a license as required under the Town Code.
(b)
Signs as permitted and regulated by this chapter.
(c)
Storage of goods and processing operations clearly incidental to the principal uses.
(d)
Solar energy facilities, with a special use permit and site plan approval pursuant to the requirements of this chapter.
C.
Design regulations for principal and accessory structures and uses are set forth in Schedule B to this chapter.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Schedule B is included as an attachment to this chapter.
D.
Outdoor retail sales not related to the primary use shall require a special use permit.
§ 400-18 General Commercial (GC).
In the General Commercial District, the following regulations shall apply:
A.
Intent. To provide areas within the Town for the location of commercial uses that serve community-wide needs for general and specialized goods and services, comparison shopping, and transportation-oriented commercial uses. Such uses may require larger land areas and generate large volumes of traffic and evening activity.
B.
Permitted uses. Principal and accessory uses allowed in this district are set forth in Schedule A to this chapter and are as follows:
(1)
Principal uses.
(a)
All principal uses allowed by right and by special use permit in the Light Commercial District. No residential uses shall be permitted.
(b)
Farm, lawn, and garden supply outlets and nursery facilities.
(c)
Funeral parlors and mortuaries, with attendant or owner apartment.
(d)
Lumber and other building materials and services.
(e)
Newspaper printing.
(f)
Gas station, with a special use permit and site plan approval.
(g)
Tire, battery, and accessories store, with a special use permit and site plan approval.
C.
All special use permits obtained pursuant to this section shall be issued by the Town Board for a period of up to two years. The permit may be renewed by the Town Board upon written request to the Town Clerk by the applicant and after inspection by the Town's Code Enforcement Officer, Building Inspector, or designee to determine compliance with the conditions in the permit.
D.
Design regulations for principal and accessory structures and uses are set forth in Schedule B to this chapter.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Schedule B is included as an attachment to this chapter.
E.
Outdoor retail sales not related to the primary use shall require a special use permit.
§ 400-19 Mixed-Use District (MU).
[Added 4-21-2024 by L.L. No. 1-2025[1]
In the Mixed-Use District, the following regulations shall apply:
A.
Intent. The intent of the Mixed-Use District is to:
(1)
Provide areas within the Town for mixed-use development at higher densities where public sewers are available;
(2)
Encourage development that exhibits the physical design characteristics of pedestrian-oriented, storefront-style shopping streets by allowing certain neighborhood-serving retail, service, and other uses;
(3)
Promote the health and well-being of residents by encouraging physical activity, alternative transportation, and greater social interaction.
B.
Permitted structures and uses. Permitted structures and uses are set forth in Schedule A to this chapter[2] and are as follows:
(1)
Principal uses.
(a)
Apparel repair and alterations and shoe repair shop.
(b)
Art, dance, and music studios.
(c)
Banks.
(d)
Beauty, hair salon, or barber shop.
(e)
Church, synagogue or any other place of public worship.
(f)
Common recreational structure or use associated with multi-family development, provided that:
[1]
The land is owned by a homeowners' association or other common ownership and is maintained and used only by the members of the association or owners in common, and their families and guests;
[2]
The members or common owners are residents of the subdivision within which the structure or use is located; and
[3]
All buildings shall be located at least 75 feet from any adjoining residential lot line, and all other structures and uses are at least 25 feet therefrom.
(g)
Day-care center, nursery and other private schools.
(h)
Exercise studio or gym.
(i)
Finance, insurance, real estate services and travel agencies.
(j)
Legal, engineering, architectural, educational/scientific research, accounting, auditing and bookkeeping, and community planning services.
(k)
Medical and other health services.
(l)
Multifamily housing provided that the development includes structures that contain a minimum of 50% commercial land use as permitted under this chapter.
(m)
Office building and offices.
(n)
Stores, including for bakery and confectionery shops (and manufacture if primarily for on-site sale); apparel, jewelry, and accessories; home furnishings; drugstore; liquor; antiques and secondhand goods; book and stationery; sporting goods and bicycles; home garden items; laundromat, cleaning and dyeing; photo supply, printing, and/or photocopying; florist; tobacco products; newspapers and magazines; gifts, novelties and souvenirs; optical goods; hardware.
(p)
Veterinarian or small animal hospital.
(q)
Bar, tavern, or restaurant, with a special use permit and site plan approval.
(r)
Business services, including sign company, window cleaning and other dwelling and building services and equipment sales and rental, with a special use permit and site plan approval.
(s)
Dormitories, fraternities, and sororities, with a special use permit and site plan approval.
(t)
Funeral parlors and mortuaries, with attendant or owner apartment, with a special use permit and site plan approval.
(2)
Accessory uses.
(a)
Office of a resident professional as permitted and regulated by this chapter.
(b)
Outdoor display of merchandise, provided that:
[1]
Seasonal fruit and vegetable sellers, hawkers, or peddler-type use, including holiday-related sales, operated from a vehicle or trailers shall be required to obtain a license as required under the Town Code.
(c)
Private and parochial schools and day-care centers accredited, when required, by New York State, when accessory to a church, synagogue or other place of public worship.
(d)
Private garages and parking areas, detached.
(e)
Signs as permitted and regulated by this chapter.
(f)
Storage of goods and processing operations are clearly incidental to the principal uses.
(g)
Swimming pools.
(h)
Solar energy facilities, with a special use permit and site plan approval pursuant to the requirements of this chapter.
[2]
Editor's Note: Said schedule is included as an attachment to this chapter.
C.
Design regulations for principal and accessory structures and uses are set forth in Schedule B to this chapter.[3]
[3]
Editor's Note: Said schedule is included as an attachment to this chapter.
§ 400-19.1 Supplementary regulations for LC, GC and MU Districts.
[Amended 4-21-2024 by L.L. No. 1-2025]
A.
Lighting. Lighting system design standards shall be as follows:
(1)
Exterior lighting shall be designed, sized, and located to prevent glare and hazardous light intrusion upon adjoining properties or streets, and to prevent impacts of the same upon persons or pedestrians using them. Lighting shall be limited to the extent necessary to ensure public safety.
(2)
Lighting shall not be used for the purpose of advertising or attracting attention to the principal use.
(3)
Lighting fixture height above grade shall not exceed 12 feet in or adjacent to a residential district or use, and in no instance shall it exceed 15 feet above grade.
B.
Enclosure of waste materials. All waste materials, including garbage and trash, shall be stored in covered containers in a screening or enclosure at least as tall as the trash containers they store. Gates on enclosures shall be kept closed at all times except for when trash is being removed.
C.
All development in the LC, GC and MU Districts shall comply with Town Code Chapter 182, Flood Damage Prevention, as applicable.
D.
All uses except signs, landscaping, and off-street parking, loading, and stacking must be completely enclosed.