Mount Pleasant City Zoning Code
10.14 P-F
Public Facilities Zone
10.14.010 PURPOSE.
A. The public facilities zone (P-F) is established to provide areas for the location and establishment of facilities which are maintained in public and quasi-public ownership and which use relatively large areas of land. This zone is intended to provide immediate recognition of such areas upon the official zoning map of the city, and to reduce the effect which the location of these facilities may have upon zoning statistics in residential, commercial or industrial areas.
B. Typical uses permitted in the P-F zone are public schools, public parks, hospitals, airports, public utilities, public equipment storage areas and zones to initially accommodate public facilities in appropriate areas without undue difficulty. It is intended that the P-F zone would then be applied to all such facilities for ease of recognition and accurate statistical indexing.
10.14.020 PERMITTED USES.
10.14.030 PRINCIPAL USES.
The following principal uses and structures, and no others, are permitted in the P-F zone:
Amusement parks (public only).
Arenas and field houses (public only).
Art galleries (public only).
Auditoriums (public only).
Automobile parking lots (public only).
Civic theaters and halls (public only).
Convention halls (public only).
Educational facilities.
Exhibition halls (public only).
Golf courses (public only).
Governmental services and structures.
Information centers.
Junior college, community colleges, colleges and universities, special training and schooling (public only).
Libraries.
Meeting halls (public only).
Museums.
Nursery, primary and secondary (public and private).
Parks (public only).
Recreation facilities, sports field and playgrounds (public only).
Resorts and group camps (public only).
Stadiums and coliseums (public only).
10.14.040 ACCESSORY USES.
A. Accessory uses and structures are permitted in the P-F zone, provided they are incidental to, and do not substantially alter the character of, the permitted use or structure.
B. Permitted accessory uses and structures include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. Accessory buildings such as garages, carports, bathhouses, greenhouses, gardening sheds, recreation rooms and similar structures which are customarily used in conjunction with and incidental to a principal use or structure;
2. Swimming pools;
3. A detached single-family residence used only for the use of a caretaker, watchman or similar employee of a permitted use when located upon the same site of the permitted use;
4. Dormitories, fraternity and sorority buildings, recreational and service facilities, and office buildings customarily associated with an educational facility or other institutional use, when the facilities are accessory and incidental to the primary use of the land;
5. Storage of materials used for construction of a building, including the contractor’s temporary office; provided, that such use is on the building site or immediately adjacent thereto; and provided further, that such use shall be permitted only during the construction period and thirty (30) days thereafter;
6. Nothing herein shall be construed to permit the open storage of materials or equipment used in conjunction with permitted uses. All such equipment or materials shall be stored within a building or shall be concealed from view from public or private streets; and
7. The accessory building does not encroach onto any easement.
10.14.050 CONDITIONAL USES.
The following uses and structures are permitted in the P-F zone only after a conditional use permit has been issued by the planning commission and subject to the terms and conditions thereof:
Airports and related facilities.
Buildings and structures which house permitted and conditional uses which exceed one story or twenty five feet (25') in height, except hospitals and educational facilities.
Cemeteries.
Communications.
Correctional institutions.
Crematories.
Golf courses (private).
Heliports.
Hospitals (public or private).
Mining and quarrying (public or private).
Nursery and rest homes.
Parks (private).
Railroads.
Signs and advertising displays.
10.14.060 LOT AREA.
The minimum area of any lot or parcel of land in the P-F zone shall be ten thousand (10,000) square feet.
10.14.070 LOT WIDTH.
Each lot or parcel of land in the P-F zone shall have an average lot width of not less than eighty feet (80').
10.14.080 LOT FRONTAGE.
Each lot or parcel of land in the P-F zone shall abut on a public street for a minimum distance of thirty five feet (35'), on a line parallel to the centerline of the street or along the circumference of a cul-de-sac improved to city standards. Frontage on a street end which does not have a cul-de-sac improved to city standards shall not be counted in meeting this requirement.
10.14.090 EXISTING LOTS.
Lots or parcels of land which were created prior to the application of the P-F zone shall not be denied a building permit solely for reasons of nonconformance with the above parcel requirements of this chapter.
10.14.100 LOT AREA PER DWELLING.
Any caretaker dwelling established in conjunction with a permitted use in the P-F zone shall have a land area of at least five thousand (5,000) square feet devoted exclusively to the use of the inhabitants of the residential unit.
10.14.110 YARD REQUIREMENTS.
The following minimum yard requirements shall apply in the P-F zone:
A. Front Yard: Each lot or parcel of land in the P-F zone shall have a front yard of not less than ten feet (10'), except that those lots or parcels lying adjacent to a residential zone along the same street frontage shall have a front yard equal to that required by the provisions of the most restrictive residential zone which it abuts along the street frontage.
B. Side Yard: No requirement, except when the parcel of property in the P-F zone abuts the side or rear yard of a lot or parcel lying within a residential zone. In that case, the yard width shall be equal to that required by the provisions of the residential zone established on the abutting property. The provisions of subsections C, D and E of this section shall apply as appropriate.
C. Side Yard; Corner Lots: On corner lots, the side yard contiguous to the street shall not be less than ten feet (10') in width and shall not be used for vehicular parking, except such portion as is devoted to driveway use for access to a garage or carport.
D. Side Yard; Driveway: When used for access to a garage, carport or parking area with less than five (5) parking spaces, a side yard shall be wide enough to accommodate an unobstructed twelve foot (12') paved driveway. When used for access to a garage, carport or parking area having six (6) or more parking spaces, a side yard shall be wide enough to provide for an unobstructed twelve foot (12') paved driveway for one-way traffic, or a sixteen foot (16') paved driveway for two-way traffic.
E. Side Yard; Accessory Building: An accessory building may be located on a side property line if, and only if, all of the following conditions are met:
1. The accessory building has no openings on the side which is contiguous to a property line or zone line, and the side is constructed of two (2) hour fire resistant material;
2. The accessory building has facilities for the discharge of all roof drainage onto the lot or parcel on which it is created; and
3. The accessory building is located more than ten feet (10') away from any main building on the same lot, or more than six feet (6') from any building structure on an adjacent lot lying within a residential zone.
F. Rear Yard: As required by the building code.
G. Rear Yard; Accessory Building: An accessory building may be located on the rear property line as long as:
1. It has no opening on the side contiguous with the rear property line;
2. It has one hour fire resistant construction in the wall adjacent to the property line;
3. It provides for all roof drainage to be retained on the subject lot or parcel;
4. The materials used on the side of the building adjacent to the rear property line shall present an attractive architectural appearance to the adjacent property and shall not be a detriment to the adjacent property; and
5. The accessory building does not encroach onto any easement.
10.14.120 PROJECTIONS INTO YARDS.
In the P-F zone:
A. The following structures may be erected on or projected into any required yard:
1. Fences and walls in conformance with city codes and ordinances;
2. Landscape elements, including trees, shrubs, agricultural crops and other plants; and
3. Necessary appurtenances for utility service.
B. The structures listed below may project into a minimum front yard not more than two feet (2'):
1. Cornices, eaves, belt courses, sills, buttresses or other similar architectural features;
2. Fireplace structures and bays, provided they are not wider than eight feet (8') and are generally parallel to the wall of which they are a part;
3. Stairways, balconies, door stoops, fire escapes, awnings and planter boxes or masonry planters not exceeding twenty four inches (24") in height; and
4. Carports over a driveway in a side yard; provided, that such a structure is not more than one story in height and twenty four feet (24') in length, and is entirely open on at least three (3) sides, except for necessary supporting columns and customary architectural features.
10.14.130 BUILDING HEIGHT.
No lot or parcel of land in the P-F zone shall have a building or structure which exceeds a height of three (3) stories or thirty five feet (35'), except that a greater height may be allowed by the provisions of a conditional use permit granted by the planning commission.
10.14.140 DISTANCE BETWEEN BUILDINGS.
The minimum distance between buildings in the P-F zone shall not be less than ten feet (10').
10.14.150 PERMISSIBLE LOT COVERAGE.
In a P-F zone, all buildings and structures shall not cover more than sixty percent (60%) of the lot or parcel of land upon which they are placed.
10.14.160 PARKING, LOADING AND ACCESS.
A. Requirements: Parking within the P-F zone shall be provided in accordance with the requirements of MPMC 10.22. Parking spaces shall not be provided within a required front yard or a side yard adjacent to a public street.
B. Paved Access:
1. Paved access for five (5) or less parking spaces shall have a minimum width of twelve feet (12').
2. Paved access for six (6) or more spaces shall have a minimum width of twelve feet (12') for one-way traffic, and sixteen feet (16') for two-way traffic.
10.14.170 SITE PLAN APPROVAL.
A. Prior to the construction of any building or structure in the P-F zone, a site plan shall be submitted to and approved by the planning commission.
B. The site plan shall be drawn to scale and shall contain the following information:
1. The location of proposed buildings on the site, and adjacent buildings in the immediate vicinity, with full dimensions showing distances between buildings and distances from buildings to adjacent property lines;
2. The location of all parking spaces, driveways and points of vehicular ingress and egress;
3. A landscaping plan showing the location, types and initial sizes of all planting materials to be used, together with the location of fences, walls, hedges, open spaces and attached signs;
4. Preliminary elevations of main buildings showing the general appearance and types of external materials to be used; and
5. The location, types and coverage of proposed external lighting.
10.14.180 SIGNS.
Signs within the P-F zone shall be allowed only with the issuance of a conditional use permit by the planning commission, and subject to conditions established therein. The planning commission shall use the standards and provisions of the building code as a guide in determining appropriate sizes for displays.
10.14.190 LANDSCAPING.
The following landscaping provisions shall apply in the P-F zone:
All open areas within required front yards and side yards adjacent to a public street, except driveways, walkways, utility areas, porches, etc., shall be maintained with suitable landscaping of plants, shrubs, trees, grass and similar landscaping materials approved in accordance with MPMC 10.14.170.
10.14.200 TRASH STORAGE.
In the P-F zone, no trash, used materials, or wrecked or abandoned vehicles or equipment shall be stored in an open area. All such materials must be screened from public streets and adjacent properties with an opaque screening fence or wall, or must be stored in a fully enclosed building. Containers of a size, type and quantity approved by the city shall be provided for trash storage. An area concealed from the street shall be designated on the submitted site plan to provide an attractive and convenient location for the storage containers.