It is the intent of this ordinance that residential districts be reserved predominately for residence and contain public and semipublic uses which are necessary to serve the residents; to protect residents, as far as possible, against congestion and through traffic; to promote the stability and character of residential development; and to promote the most desirable use of land in accordance with a comprehensive plan.

It is the intent of the A-1 agricultural district to provide for the continued existence of agricultural uses, and lower density residential development than is found in the R-1 residential district. The A-1 district comprises that portion of the City of Lyons which is primarily rural in nature, but which can be expected to experience urban development in the future. The following uses are permitted in the A-1 district:

(71.1)

Any type of agriculture, except that no building housing cattle or poultry may be located within 300 feet of a district line.

(71.2)

Any use permitted in the R-1 residential district.

(71.3)

Hospitals.

(71.4)

Cemeteries.

(71.5)

Facilities providing municipal services.

The R-1 residential district is composed chiefly of existing low-density residential areas of the city, and vacant or open areas where similar residential development appears likely to occur. The regulations for this district are designed to encourage similar and complementary type residential development together with associated recreational, religious and educational facilities. The following uses are permitted in the R-1 district:

(72.1)

Single-family dwellings, except trailers and mobile homes.

(72.2)

Agriculture, excluding the commercial raising of poultry and livestock.

(72.3)

Church bulletin boards not exceeding 20 square feet in area.

(72.4)

Churches, fraternal organizations and clubs not operating for a profit; provided that:

(a)

There is a planted buffer strip at least ten feet wide along the side and rear lines; and

(b)

The buildings are located not less than 50 feet from any lot line.

(72.5)

Customary accessory uses or buildings.

(72.6)

Customary incidental home occupations including the professional offices of an architect, artist, dentist, engineer, lawyer, and physician provided there is no external evidence of such occupations except an announcement sign not more than two square feet in area and that the operations are conducted within a dwelling by not more than one person in addition to those persons resident therein. Off-street parking provisions of article VI, section 62, are applicable to incidental home occupations.

(72.7)

Substations of utilities (low voltages) provided they are housed within a building architecturally similar to surrounding structures.

(72.8)

Public buildings, structures and grounds, except cemeteries.

(72.9)

Schools, including private schools, nursery schools and kindergartens.

(72.10)

Signs not more than six square feet in area advertising the sale or rental of the property on which they are located.

(72.11)

Hospitals and nursing homes.

It is the intent of the R-2 residential district to provide for a less restrictive type of residential development at higher densities but under similar environmental conditions as found in the R-1 residential district and developed in a compatible and complementary manner with nearby single-family residences. The following uses are permitted in the R-2 residential district:

(73.1)

Any use permitted in the R-1 residential district;

(73.2)

Multifamily residences, provided that requirements under section 73.7(h), (i), (j), (k), (n), (o) and (q) pertaining to streets, utilities, buffers, landscaping, lighting, mailboxes, and flood hazard areas are met. A site plan prepared by a professional licensed in Georgia that is drawn to a readable scale and depicts the information required under the subsections listed above as well as any other information required by the building official to ensure the requirements of this section are met shall be submitted for review and approval by the building official;

(73.3)

Boarding and rooming houses;

(73.4)

Cemeteries;

(73.5)

Hospitals;

(73.6)

Manufactured homes located on lots outside of a manufactured home park, provided that:

(a)

A single manufactured home is placed on a single lot;

(b)

Said lot meets the area and yard requirements as herein specified for this district;

(c)

Sanitary sewage [sewer] facilities are installed or connected to as required by chapter 74 of the Code and by the state health department;

(d)

If the manufactured home is located within 200 feet of a public street or road, it shall be oriented on the lot so that its main entrance door faces the street or road and the unit is approximately parallel to the street or road;

(e)

The manufactured home shall be properly installed on a poured concrete or permanent foundation; and

(f)

Requirements of article III of chapter 14 of the Code and requirements for nonconformities in this ordinance are met.

(73.7)

Manufactured home parks that meet the following requirements:

(a)

One manufactured home shall be allowed on each approved space. No recreational vehicles or dwelling units of conventional construction shall be permitted on a manufactured home park space;

(b)

Requirements of article III of chapter 14 of the Code and requirements for nonconformities in this ordinance shall be met;

(c)

A site plan prepared by a professional licensed in Georgia, drawn to a readable scale, and containing the following shall be submitted for review and approval by the building official: name, address and contact information of owner; vicinity map; numbered manufactured home spaces and space numbers; depiction of all manufactured home space and manufactured home park requirements and information listed under subsection d) to subsection q) of this subsection; and, any other information required by the building official to ensure the requirements of this section are met;

(d)

The minimum manufactured home park size shall be eight acres;

(e)

The space for each manufactured home shall meet the minimum size and side yard requirements as specified for a single-family lot in this district, and no manufactured home shall be located closer than 20 feet to any other manufactured home or building within the park;

(f)

The manufactured home park shall meet the minimum front yard setback requirement as specified for this district, within which no building or structure shall be placed;

(g)

Each manufactured home shall be directly accessed by a private interior street that is paved to a minimum uniform width of 20 feet, is maintained by the property owner or park management, and has a minimum 40-foot right-of-way to accommodate utilities;

(h)

Interior streets shall be designed to provide convenient two-way circulation within the park with unobstructed access to a public street at the entrance(s) to the manufactured home park and shall be constructed in accordance with the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT)'s Design Criteria for Local Roadways;

(i)

Utilities shall be installed in accordance with chapter 74 of the Code and the state health department, as applicable, and electric utilities shall be placed underground subject to the requirements of local power providers;

(j)

A minimum 25-foot wide undisturbed buffer strip shall be provided along a side or rear lot line of the manufactured home park that abuts a residential zoning district, and such buffer shall include opaque screening along the applicable lot lines of the manufactured home park in the form of either a landscape strip that is permanently maintained with trees and shrubbery at a height of no less than six feet in height or a solid fence or wall no less than six feet in height;

(k)

A minimum ten-foot wide landscape strip shall be provided and maintained along any side or rear property line comprising the perimeter of the manufactured home park wherever no buffer is required under subsection (j) of this subsection, and along any street right-of-way abutting the property;

(l)

Two paved parking spaces shall be provided on each manufactured home space;

(m)

Screened and gated trash collection pads shall be provided at locations convenient to each manufactured home space, as shown on the required site plan, and no dumpsters shall be located on a manufactured home lot or site, and a minimum of two yards of dumpster space shall be provided for every four manufactured home sites;

(n)

Provisions for mailboxes shall be required, with the proposed location, access, and design included as part of the required site plan;

(o)

Artificial lighting shall be provided and maintained that is sufficient to ensure the safe night-time movement of pedestrians and vehicles in the manufactured home park while being directed away from adjacent properties, with proposed fixtures and spacing to be included in a photometrics lighting plan that is prepared and stamped by a design professional and submitted with the required site plan;

(p)

No part of any park shall be used for nonresidential purposes, except such uses that are required for the direct servicing of park residents, as shown on the required site plan, or for the management and maintenance of the park, and any building or structure established in connection with such use must be set back no less than 75 feet from any property line;

(q)

A manufactured home park in an area of special flood hazard shall meet the requirements of chapter 32 of the Code;

(r)

Decks, porches, and accessory structures constructed or erected on a manufactured home space shall not be located closer than ten feet to a manufactured home space boundary;

(s)

Accessory structures on a manufactured home space are limited to one storage building no greater than 144 square feet and no greater than the height of the manufactured home, as well as a carport;

(t)

Each manufactured home space shall be identified by reflective numbers of at least four inches in height and shall remain readily identifiable while in use;

(u)

The property owner or manager shall submit operating rules and regulations governing the park to the building official prior to occupancy;

(v)

Park management shall maintain a register containing the names of all park occupants identified by manufactured home space number or street address, and such register shall be available to any authorized city official inspecting the park;

(w)

No manufactured home space or the manufactured home placed thereon shall be rented for periods of less than 30 days; and

(x)

If an existing manufactured home park is to be expanded, the expansion must comply with all of the requirements provided for under this section, and any existing road or street in said manufactured housing park which is used for ingress and egress to access the proposed expansion must also be brought up to the same standards as the expansion and thus must also conform to and comply with the street and infrastructure requirements provided for herein.

(Ord. of 4-3-1984; Ord. No. 2115, § III, 5-6-2025)

In the R-2A district the following uses are permitted:

(74.1)

Any use permitted in the R-1 district.

(74.2)

Multifamily residences.

(74.3)

Boarding and rooming houses.

(74.4)

Cemeteries.

(74.5)

Hospitals.

(Ord. of 6-24-1969)

The purpose of this R-3 district is to provide a suitable area for development of planned residential communities at a higher density that allow a full range of residential uses and housing types, open space and green area. This area may include single-family, detached and/or attached patio homes and townhouses.

(75.1)

Uses permitted.

(a)

Single-family, detached and/or attached patio homes;

(b)

Single-family, detached and/or attached townhouses.

(c)

Any use permitted in the R-1 district.

(75.2)

Height regulations. The maximum height of buildings and other structures erected or enlarged in this district shall be:

(1)

For any dwelling, 35 feet and not to exceed three stories.

(2)

For any building accessory to any dwelling 15 feet and not exceeding one story.

(75.3)

Area, width and yard regulations.

(a)

Single-family detached dwelling.

(1)

Minimum lot area and width: A lot of not less than 5,000 square feet and a lot width of not less than 50 feet at the building line shall be provided for every building or other structure erected or used for any use permitted in this district.

(2)

Front yard: There shall be a front yard on each lot which shall not be less than 50 feet in depth from the center line of all major streets and 35 feet from the right-of-way of all other streets.

(3)

Side yard: On each interior lot there shall be two side yards, each having a width of not less than five feet. On each corner lot there shall be two side yards, the yard abutting the street having a width of not less than 35 feet from the right-of-way, and the side yard not abutting the street having a width of not less than five feet.

(4)

Rear yard: There shall be a rear yard in each lot the depth of which shall not be less than 20 feet, except that an accessory use structure may be erected within the rear yard not closer than five feet to the rear property line and five feet to the side property line.

(5)

Building coverage: Not more than 40 percent of the area of any lot shall be occupied by buildings.

(b)

Two-family, twin dwelling and duplexes.

(1)

Minimum lot area and width: A lot of not less than 8,000 square feet and a lot width of not less than 60 feet at the building line shall be provided.

(2)

Front yard: There shall be a front yard on each lot which shall not be less than 50 feet in depth from the center line of all major streets and 35 feet from the right-of-way of all other streets.

(3)

Side yard: On each interior lot there shall be two side yards, each having a width of not less than ten feet. On each corner lot there shall be two side yards, the yard abutting the street having a width of not less than 35 feet from the right-of-way, and the side yard not abutting the street having a width of not less than ten feet.

(4)

Rear yard: There shall be a rear yard in each lot the depth of which shall not be less than 20 feet, except that an accessory use structure may be erected within the rear yard not closer than five feet to the rear property line and five feet to the side property line.

(5)

Building coverage: Not more than 40 percent of the area of any lot shall be occupied by buildings.

(Ord. of 2-5-2002)