This Article implements the goals, objectives and policies set forth in the Comprehensive Plan relating to land use in the City of Mary Esther. Provisions set forth as to type of land use, density and intensity permitted are correlated with the districts shown on the Future Land Use Map and the Zoning Map.

7.00.01 General Legislative Intent of Residential Districts: The residential districts established in this Section (R-1 and R-2, and residential portions of PUD and PMD districts) are designed to promote and protect the health, safety, morals, convenience, order, prosperity and other aspects of the general welfare. The general goals include:

A.

To provide sufficient space in appropriate locations for residential development to adequately meet the housing needs of the present and expected future population of the City.

B.

To efficiently utilize existing public roads and streets and to mitigate the effects of heavy traffic, especially thru-traffic, in residential areas.

C.

To protect residential areas against flood, fire, explosions, toxic and noxious matter, radiation, and other hazards, as well as offensive noise, vibration, smoke, dust and other particulate matter, glare and other objectionable influence.

D.

To protect residential areas against undue congestion, by regulating the density of population, the intensity of activity and the bulk of buildings in relation to the surrounding land and to one another and by providing for off-street parking spaces for automotive vehicles.

E.

To require the provision of open space and landscaping in residential areas in order to assure residential areas have adequate light and air, to provide open areas for recreation, to enhance scenic quality, to facilitate surface drainage, and thereby to provide a more desirable environment for living areas.

F.

To provide for access of light and air to windows and provide for privacy by controls over the height of buildings and other structures.

G.

To provide appropriate space in accessible locations for public and private educational, religious, recreational and similar facilities and public utilities which serve the needs of nearby residents, generally function more effectively in a residential environment and do not create objectionable influence; and to coordinate the intensity of residential land use with community facilities which are appropriately located and designed.

H.

To promote the most desirable use of land as well as the appropriate location and density of development, to promote stability of residential areas by providing for smooth transitions in residential density, to effectuate and maintain adequate levels of public services, to conserve the value of land and buildings, to protect the City's present and future tax revenues and to achieve the objectives of the Comprehensive Plan.

7.00.02 General Legislative Intent of Commercial Districts: The Commercial districts established in this Section (C-1, C-2, PMDD and commercial portions of PUD districts) are designed to promote and protect the health, safety, convenience, order, prosperity and other aspects of the general welfare. The general goals include:

A.

To provide sufficient space, in locations accessible to residential areas, for local retail services and trades catering specifically to the recurring shopping needs of the occupants of nearby residences.

B.

To protect both retail and service developments and nearby residences against flood, fire, explosion, toxic and noxious matter, radiation and other hazards, and against offensive noise, vibration, smoke, dust and other particulate matter, odorous matter, glare, and other objectionable influences.

C.

To protect both retail and service developments and nearby residences against congestion, by regulating the intensity of retail and service developments consistent with their marketing functions, preserving open space and access to light and air, for traffic, by providing for off-street parking and loading facilities and regulating the height of buildings and other structures.

D.

To provide sufficient and appropriate space, and in particular, sufficient area to meet the needs of the City's expected future economy and to encourage planned commercial development concentrated in regional, community and local commercial centers with adequate areas for vehicular and pedestrian circulation, open space and landscaped areas to facilitate surface drainage and enhance scenic quality for the mutual advantage of both consumers and merchants and to discourage proliferation of commercial uses in non-commercial areas.

E.

To provide sufficient space in appropriate locations for commercial districts which satisfy specific needs of the City for medical services, offices, highway oriented goods and services, and other commercial trades and services.

F.

To provide sufficient space in appropriate locations for the mixture of higher density residential and restricted commercial developments where standards for development will provide protection to established areas and alleviate potential adverse impacts often characterizing transitional areas in commercial districts.

G.

To provide appropriate space for varied commercial activities within a compatible environment and in accord with the Comprehensive Plan, to promote a viable economic base within the City, to protect the character of the districts and their particular suitability for particular uses to conserve the value of land and buildings and to protect the City's present and future tax revenues and to achieve the objectives of the Comprehensive Plan.