North Plains City Zoning Code

C-1 COMMUNITY

COMMERCIAL DISTRICT

§ 155.215 PURPOSE.

The purpose of the C-1 District is to provide areas in the central business district to:

(A) Allow a mixture of complimentary land uses including retail, offices, commercial services, civic and residential uses, to create economic and social vitality and to encourage the linking of trips;

(B) Develop commercial and mixed-use areas that are safe, comfortable and attractive to pedestrians;

(C) Provide flexibility in the siting and design of new developments and redevelopment to anticipate changes in the marketplace;

(D) Reinforce streets as public places that encourage pedestrian and bicycle travel;

(E) Provide roadway and pedestrian connections to residential areas;

(F) Provide transitions between high traffic streets and neighborhoods;

(G) Encourage efficient land use by facilitating compact, high-density development and minimizing the amount of land that is needed for surface parking; and

(H) Provide appropriate locations and design standards for automobile- and truck-dependent uses.

(Prior Code, § 16.35.000)

§ 155.216 PERMITTED USES.

Permitted uses are subject to the requirements of §§ 155.045 through 155.057 of this chapter, if applicable. Refer to § 155.143 of this chapter:

(A) Accessory uses related to commercial, office and retail, subject to §§ 155.500 through 155.502 of this chapter;

(B) Alcoholic beverage establishment;

(D) Art studio/gallery;

(E) Bed and breakfast;

(F) Catering establishment;

(G) Child care, certified home, if part of a single-family residential use;

(H) Child care, registered home, if part of a single-family residential use;

(I) Child care, certified center;

(J) Civic/governmental use;

(K) Clinic, medical and dental;

(L) Dry cleaners and laundry;

(M) Home occupations, subject to §§ 155.430 through 155.432 of this chapter;

(N) Hotels and motels;

(O) Live/work townhomes; on Commercial Street frontages, residential uses shall not occupy more than 25% of front building elevation on the ground floor;

(P) Mixed-use developments; on Commercial Street frontages, residential uses shall not occupy more than 25% of front building elevation on the ground floor;

(Q) Multi-family dwellings, except on sites with frontage on Commercial Street, subject to §§ 155.045 through 155.057 of this chapter;

(R) Townhouse dwellings, except on sites with frontage on Commercial Street; subject to §§ 155.485 through 155.487 of this chapter;

(S) Offices, business;

(T) Parking as primary use;

(U) Planned unit development, subject to §§ 155.610 through 155.614 of this chapter;

(V) Restaurants; drive-in/thru windows are prohibited; and

(W) Retail sales and service; single tenant retail buildings shall not exceed 30,000 square feet; drive-in/thru windows are prohibited.

(Prior Code, § 16.35.005) (Ord. 488, passed 5-15-2023)

§ 155.217 CONDITIONAL USES.

(A) Conditional uses are subject to the requirements of §§ 155.045 through 155.057 of this chapter when applicable. Refer to § 155.143 of this chapter.

(B) The following uses and their accessory structures may be permitted in the C-1 District when authorized by the Planning Commission pursuant to §§ 155.070 through 155.077 of this chapter:

(1) Amusement enterprise, outdoor;

(2) Animal care facility;

(3) Child care, certified center;

(4) Conference/convention center;

(5) Drive-in/thru window;

(6) Educational facility;

(7) Extended care facility/convalescent/nursing home;

(8) Farm/logging/lumber supply/equipment sales and service;

(9) Fraternal lodge;

(10) Funeral homes, mortuaries and taxidermist;

(11) Places of worship;

(12) Radio/television station/studios;

(13) Retail sales and service-single tenant over 30,000 square feet;

(14) Utility facilities;

(15) Wholesales/services; and

(16) Wireless telecommunication facilities.

(Prior Code, § 16.35.015)

§ 155.218 LIMITATIONS ON USE.

The following conditions and limitations shall apply to development in the C-1 District.

(A) The Commission may impose the following conditions before a building permit will be issued for the proposed development:

(1) Limit or prohibit access to streets not designated as major streets on an officially adopted plan where the principal uses along the street in the block are residential; and

(2) Require sight or sound barriers.

(B) The use shall not be objectionable in relationship to surrounding residential zones because of odor, dust, smoke, cinders, fumes, noise, glare, heat or vibration.

(C) (1) All business, service, repair, processing, storage or merchandise displays shall be conducted wholly within an enclosed building, except for the following:

(a) Off-street parking or loading;

(b) Drive-in windows; and

(c) Display of merchandise along the wall of the building not extended more than three feet from the wall and not in a public right-of-way.

(2) The use shall not be objectionable in relationship to surrounding residential zones because of odor, dust, smoke, cinders, fumes, noise, glare, heat or vibration.

(D) All drive-in/drive-through businesses are prohibited in the C-1 zone.

(Prior Code, § 16.35.020) (Ord. 488, passed 5-15-2023)

§ 155.219 DIMENSIONAL AND DESIGN STANDARDS.

The following dimensional and design standards shall be the minimum requirements for all development in the C-1 District, except for modifications permitted under §§ 155.530 through 155.533 and §§ 155.610 through 155.614 of this chapter.

(A) Lot size.

(1) The minimum lot area shall be 2,500 square feet.

(2) The minimum lot width shall be 25 feet.

(B) Setback requirements.

(1) Front yard. The maximum front setback standard shall be met when a minimum of 50% of the front building elevation is placed no more than ten feet back from the front property line (see Figure 1). On lots with more than one building, this standard applies to the largest building. On lots with more than one street frontage, this requirement shall apply to all of the lot’s street frontages. The setback standard may be increased when a usable public space with pedestrian amenities (such as, extra-wide sidewalk, plaza, pocket park, outdoor dining area or town square with seating) is provided between the building and front property line. An exception to this standard may also be approved through site design review for sites with multiple, detached buildings, when those buildings are oriented to an internal “shopping street”.

Adjacent to a residentially zoned lot	Minimum and maximum setback: 10 feet
Adjacent to any other zone	No minimum required
Adjacent to any other zone	Maximum setback: 10 feet

(2) Side yard.

Adjacent to a residentially zoned lot	10 feet
Adjacent to any other zone	None required

(3) Rear yard.

Adjacent to a residentially zoned lot	10 feet
Adjacent to any other zone	None required

(C) Building orientation. New development shall be oriented to a street. The building orientation standard is met when all of the following criteria are met. See Figure 1.

(1) The minimum and maximum setback standards are met.

(2) Buildings have their primary entrance(s) oriented to (facing) the street (i.e. within 45 degrees of the street property line). Building entrances may include entrances to individual units, lobby entrances, entrances oriented to pedestrian plazas, or breeze-way/courtyard entrances (for example, to a cluster of units or commercial spaces). Alternatively, a building may have its entrance facing a side yard, plaza, or courtyard when a direct pedestrian walkway not exceeding 20 feet in length is provided between the building entrance and the street right-of-way.

(3) All primary entrances to a building are connected to the sidewalk by a direct and continuous walkway.

(4) Off-street parking, driveways or other vehicular circulation shall not be placed between a building and the street which is used to comply with division (B)(1) above.

Figure 1. Building orientation (§ 155.219(B)(1) and (C)).

(D) Building entry design. The primary building entrances must be architecturally emphasized through the use of one or more of the following features; recessed doorway(s); overhangs or canopies; transom windows; ornamental light fixtures; larger, transparent or more prominent doors; or pilasters or columns that frame the principal doorway.

(E) Height of buildings. Buildings in the C-1 District shall not exceed a height of 45 feet.

(F) Lot coverage. In the C-1 District, there is no maximum lot coverage requirement.

(G) Window requirements.

(1) Nonresidential buildings.

(a) Building facades facing Commercial Street must have windows, display areas, or glass doorways for at least 60% of the area of the ground level wall area.

(b) Building facades facing other public streets must have windows, display areas, or glass doorways for at least 40% of the area of the ground level wall area.

(2) Residential buildings. Building facades that face a public street must have windows for at least 15% of the area of the entire facade.

(3) Transparency. All ground floor windows shall have a Visible Transmittance of 60% or higher.

Figure 2. Window area (§ 155.219(G))

(H) Weather protection. On building facades facing Commercial Street, weather protection for pedestrians must be provided along at least 75% of the facade. Weather protection may be an awning, canopy, arcade, colonnade, recessed entry, or some combination of these elements. Where provided, weather protection shall meet the following standards (see Figure 3):

(1) Awnings and canopies shall be constructed of glass, metal, plexiglass, exterior grade fabric, or a combination of these materials;

(2) Project at least five feet from the building facade;

(3) Have at least ten feet clearance above the sidewalk;

(4) Match the width of the storefront, door, or window opening(s); and

(5) Not obscure any existing or proposed transom windows.

Figure 3. Weather protection (§ 155.219(H)).

(I) Building design.

(1) Facade articulation. All building exterior walls greater than ten feet in length that orient to a street or public space must have breaks in the wall plan (articulation) of not less than one break for every 40 feet of building length or width, as applicable, as follows (see Figure 4).

(a) A “break” is a feature or variation in the wall plane that projects or recedes at least six inches for a length of at least two feet. Breaks may include but are not limited to an offset, recess, window reveal, pilaster, frieze, pediment, cornice, parapet, gable, dormer, eave, coursing, canopy, awning, column, building base, balcony, permanent awning or canopy, marquee, or similar architectural feature.

(b) Changes in paint color and features that are not designed as permanent architectural elements, such as display cabinets, window boxes, retractable and similar mounted awnings or canopies, and other similar features, do not meet the break-in-wall-plane standard.

Figure 4. Facade articulation (§ 155.219(I)(1)).

(2) Distinct base. For buildings with two or more stories, the street-facing facade at the ground level of the structu re shall be visuall y distinct from upper stories. This visual separa tion shall be provid ed by one or more of the follow ing features (see Figure 5):

(a) A band, band course, band molding, belly band, belt course, or similar horizontal element of relatively slight projection, which marks a horizontal division in the wall plan between the ground floor and the upper floors;

(b) A projecting facade element (awning, canopy, or arcade) between the ground floor and the upper floors. Awnings and canopies must meet the standards in division (H) above;

(d) The street-facing facade above the ground floor is set back from the ground floor facade;

(e) The use of larger windows on the ground floor facade and smaller windows on the upper floors; or

(f) A row of transom windows above the main windows on the ground floor facade.

Figure 5. Distinct base (§ 155.219(I)(2)).

(3 ) Prohibited materials.

(a ) The following materials are prohibited on any building facade: T-111 siding, plain or plain painted plywood and strandboard sheets, plastic, vinyl siding, mirrored glass, and plain concrete block (not including split-faced, colored or other block designs that mimic stone, brick or ot her similar masonry).

(b ) Corrugated metal or fiberglass is p ermitted only on non-street-facing fa cades and shall not cover more than 20% of any facade.

( Prior Code, § 16.35.025) (Ord. 488, p assed 5-15-2023)

§ 155.220 PARKING REQUIREMENTS.

Parking requirements for commercial uses are specified in §§ 155.670 through 155.676 of this chapter.

(Prior Code, § 16.35.030)

§ 155.221 LIGHTING REQUIREMENTS.

All building entrances, pathways and other pedestrian areas shall be lit to two-foot candles with pedestrian-scale lighting (such as, wall mounted, sidewalk lamps, bollards, landscape up lighting and the like).

(Prior Code, § 16.35.035)