Mathews County Unincorporated
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
ARTICLE 9
Business-2 District B-2
§ 175-9.1 Intent.
Generally this district covers that portion of the community intended for the conduct of general business not requiring waterfront location or access and to which the public requires direct and frequent access, but which is not characterized either by constant heavy trucking other than occasioned by incidental light and noise or congregation of people and passenger vehicles. This includes such uses as retail stores, banks, theaters, business offices, newspaper offices, printing presses, restaurants, garages, and service stations. Multifamily dwellings, such as apartment houses and townhouses, may be permitted upon obtaining a conditional use permit from the governing body.
§ 175-9.2 Uses permitted by right.
[Amended 2-23-2021; 12-19-2023]
The following uses shall be permitted subject to all other requirements of this chapter as a matter of right in the Business-2 District (B-2):
B.
Agriculture, including the growing of fruit, forest, field, vegetable crops and, for personal and home occupation uses only, fowl and animal handling and containment excluding hogs; grain dryers, feeder lots, dairy barns, agricultural lagoons, poultry and hog houses and other structures or areas involving the concentrated handling or containment of animals and fowl are excluded.
D.
Auto sales and services.
E.
Bakeries.
F.
Banks.
G.
Barber and beauty shops.
H.
Boarding houses and tourist homes.
I.
Car wash, commercial.
J.
Churches.
K.
Clubs and lodges.
L.
Convalescent, nursing or rest homes.
N.
Day-care centers.
O.
Doctor and dentist offices.
P.
Drainage, erosion and flood control facilities.
Q.
Drug and variety stores.
R.
Dry cleaners and laundries.
T.
Florist shops.
U.
Forestry.
V.
Funeral homes.
W.
Garage and service stations.
X.
General stores.
Y.
Home appliance services.
AA.
Hospitals.
BB.
Hotels, motels and apartment motels.
CC.
Insurance offices.
DD.
Legal, architectural, engineering and other professional offices.
EE.
Libraries.
FF.
Light manufacturing and cottage and craft industries as defined.
GG.
Lumber and building supply, with storage either under cover or screened from public view if not under cover.
HH.
Machinery and tool sales, rental and service.
II.
Mobile food vending vehicle.
JJ.
Office buildings and business and governmental offices, including schools, post offices and fire, rescue squad and police stations.
KK.
Plumbing and electrical supply, with storage either under cover or screened from public view if not under cover.
LL.
Printing offices.
MM.
Radio and television broadcast studios excluding transmission towers.
NN.
Recycling location (dropoff) with a total capacity of 10 cubic yards or less.
OO.
Residential apartments above stores.
PP.
Restaurants.
QQ.
Retail food stores.
RR.
Retail stores and shops.
SS.
Signs, subject to Article 13.
TT.
Theaters.
VV.
Utility use, minor.
WW.
Veterinary hospitals with or without kennels.
XX.
Wayside stands, roadside stands, and wayside markets.
YY.
Wearing apparel stores.
ZZ.
Wholesale and processing not objectionable because of dust, noise, or odors.
§ 175-9.3 Conditional use permits.
The following uses shall be permitted in Business-2 District (B-2), subject to all the other requirements of this chapter, only upon obtaining of a conditional use permit from the Board of Supervisors.
F.
Condominiums.
H.
Farmer's market.
I.
Flexible residential/business use with a business use other than professional offices, subject to § 175-15.15.
J.
Fuel wholesale and retail distribution.
L.
Local shopping centers.
M.
Museums.
N.
Recreation and amusement enterprise.
O.
Recycling location (dropoff) with a total capacity in excess of 10 cubic yards.
P.
Self-storage facilities and offices.
Q.
Sewage treatment systems (private) where the subject lot or parcel shall be located outside the area identified by the Floodplain Management Ordinance of Mathews County[2] as being subject to inundation by waters of the one-hundred-year flood event.
T.
Utility use, major.
[Added 2-23-2021]
§ 175-9.4 Requirements for permitted uses.
The Administrator may require landscaping within any established or required setback area and that sufficient area be provided:
§ 175-9.5 Area regulations for all permitted uses, except as otherwise required in Article 15.
A.
Lot size.
(2)
For permitted business uses:
(a)
No minimum lot size shall be required if central sewer or both central water and sewer are provided and other requirements of the Health Department and this chapter are met;
(b)
All uses utilizing individual on-site facilities for sewer only or both water and sewer shall provide a minimum lot size of 25,000 square feet or greater if required by the Health Department.
B.
Frontage and lot width regulations. The minimum frontage for permitted uses shall be the same width as the width at the setback line except as otherwise required herein.
C.
Lot coverage. The maximum percentage of any lot used for a permitted business use, including parking areas and roads, will be as follows:
D.
Setback regulations.
(1)
If permitted uses occupy the adjacent parcels, the setback line shall be the average of the adjacent buildings or structures, but not less than 15 feet where no parking is provided in the front and not less than 45 feet where front parking is provided from the edge of public and private rights-of-way. If a permitted use occupies the existing parcel and is less than 50 feet from a right-of-way, the setback line shall be the average distance of the existing structures/buildings from the edge of the public and private right-of-way, but not less than 15 feet from the public and private right-of-way.
(2)
If a permitted use exists on only one side, the setback line shall be the same as the permitted use, but not less than 15 feet where no parking is permitted in the front and not less than 45 feet where front parking is provided.
(3)
If neither of the above formulas applies, buildings shall be set back a minimum of 50 feet from the edge of the right-of-way or 75 feet from the center line, whichever is greater, on all lands adjacent to public or private rights-of-way.
(4)
Freestanding canopies over commercial fuel pumps shall be setback a minimum of 15 feet from the edge of the right-of-way.
E.
Yard regulations.
(1)
There shall be no minimum side or rear yard for main buildings except as otherwise required in this chapter.
(2)
The minimum side and rear yards setbacks for accessory buildings shall be per the requirements set forth in the Building Officials and Code Administrator (BOCA) Basic/National Building Code; except that when abutting a residential use or residential, rural or conservation zone the side and rear yard setbacks shall be 10 feet.
§ 175-9.6 Height regulations.
A.
Buildings and accessory buildings may be erected to a height of 50 feet.
B.
Public utility buildings, church spires, belfries, cupolas, monuments, water towers, chimneys, flues, flag poles, television antennae and radio aerials are exempt. Parapet walls may be up to four feet above the height of the building on which the walls rest.
§ 175-9.7 Sign regulations.
Sign regulations shall conform to Article 13 of this chapter.
§ 175-9.8 Off-street parking regulations.
Off-street parking shall be provided in conformance with Article 12 of this chapter.