New Haven City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XII
GB General Business District
§ 515-50 Intent.
The GB General Business District is intended to promote the development of vehicle and pedestrian accessible areas with a variety of retail, office, civic and service uses. The GB District is also intended to provide locations for the development of highway-oriented-type businesses and shopping centers.
§ 515-51 Principal permitted uses.
In the General Business District, no building or land shall be used and no building shall be erected except for one or more of the following uses:
A.
Generally recognized retail businesses which supply commodities on the premises, such as but not limited to groceries, meats, dairy products, baked goods, beverages, drugs, dry goods, clothing, books, hardware and similar uses.
B.
Banks, savings and loan, and credit unions.
C.
Cocktail lounges, bars and restaurants, excluding drive-in or drive-through window facilities.
D.
General, service, sales and professional offices.
E.
Laboratories.
F.
Medical and dental offices, including walk-in clinics and ambulatory care centers but excluding hospitals.
G.
Outdoor assemblies.
H.
Personal service shops, such as tailor, beauty parlor, barbershop, photographer, photo dropoff with or without on-site processing, instant or quick printing shop, shoe repair, laundromats and dry cleaning establishments, provided the actual dry cleaning takes place off site, and similar uses.
I.
Private clubs, lodge halls and similar uses.
J.
Public buildings without outdoor storage yards, including community centers, libraries, museums, and post offices.
K.
Public parks.
L.
Theaters (excluding drive-ins).
M.
Veterinarian offices, excluding kennels.
N.
Antique, thrift and resale shops.
O.
Accessory uses and structures incidental to the principal use.
§ 515-52 Special land uses.
The following special land uses may be permitted only after review and approval by the Planning Commission, subject to the requirements and standards of Article XX and the submission of a site plan conforming with the requirements of § 515-100:
§ 515-53 Accessory structures and uses.
Accessory buildings, structures and uses shall be permitted in accordance with § 515-78. In addition, the following accessory structures and uses may also be permitted only when conducted within a completely enclosed building, subject to the following:
A.
Garages shall be used exclusively for the storage of passenger motor vehicles and/or commercial vehicles of less than one-ton capacity, which are to be used in connection with a business permitted and located in the GB General Business District.
B.
Sidewalk sales shall be permitted only as provided hereunder:
(1)
No person, firm, corporation or merchant shall vend, sell, dispose of or display any goods, wares, merchandise or produce on any public street or sidewalk or anywhere else outside a building without full compliance with this section for the period of said sidewalk sale.
(2)
Sidewalk sales shall be permitted for no more than three days. No more than two such sidewalk sales shall be permitted on a site to any person, firm, corporation or merchant in a single calendar year.
(3)
Sale of the merchandise under this subsection shall be limited to merchandise usually sold on the premises. No new merchandise shall be brought in to vend, sell, dispose of or display at the sidewalk sale.
(4)
All merchandise offered for sale hereunder must be displayed on private property. Merchandise shall be securely and adequately placed so that it will not endanger passersby or fall or extend into the public right-of-way. Such sales shall not be operated in any manner which would cause a nuisance or create a fire hazard or obstruct ingress and egress to premises.
§ 515-54 Development regulations.
A.
All uses shall be retail or service establishments dealing directly with customers. All retail goods produced on the premises shall be sold on the premises.
B.
All business, servicing or processing, except for off-street parking or loading, shall be conducted within a completely enclosed building, unless otherwise permitted through special land use approval. All accessory buildings shall be similar in architectural design and materials to the principal building.
C.
Waste materials of any sort shall be screened from public view by a masonry wall and shall be consolidated in a defined trash receptacle area in conformance with § 515-91K(1).
D.
Exterior site lighting shall be in accordance with § 515-90G. In addition, where a building wall faces an abutting residential district there shall be no floodlighting of such facade. This shall not preclude the lighting of doorways on such facades.
E.
All uses in this district require site plan review and approval. Site plans shall be prepared in accordance with the requirements of § 515-100 of this chapter and shall be reviewed and approved by the Planning Commission prior to issuance of a building permit.
F.
See Article XVIII, General Provisions, relating to off-street parking, off-street parking layout, landscaping and screening requirements and other sections of the article as they relate to uses permitted in the district.
G.
Except where otherwise regulated in this article, refer to Article XVII, Schedule of District Regulations, limiting the height and bulk of buildings, the minimum size of lot by permitted land use, the minimum yard setback requirements and development options.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: The Schedule of District Regulations is included at the end of this chapter.
H.
No required front yard space in any GB General Business District shall be used for the storage or parking of vehicles or any other materials or equipment.
I.
Prohibited use of open areas: No machinery, equipment, vehicles, or other materials shall be stored or parked unless in full accordance with the Village of New Haven Nuisance Ordinance.