(1)

Central business district. The central business district (CBD) is intended to provide for a traditional mixture of small office buildings, specialty retail stores, entertainment, public spaces, and related activities that are mutually supporting and serve the needs of both the city and surrounding communities. The intent of these district regulations is to encourage a lively social environment and economically viable downtown with a wide variety of uses in a pedestrian-oriented, unified setting, with shared parking. The district makes special provisions for vertical zoning, allowing the upper floors to be used as residential dwellings.

(2)

Corridor business district. Corridors are the streets that connect the city together, and sometimes divide it. They are the arteries of transportation into, around and through the city and are home to most of the commercial areas. Historic Corridors connect the centers of the city with other corridors and the surrounding neighborhoods. The city has four (4) primary corridors: Main St (M-21) east of downtown, Corunna Ave between downtown and the city limits, S. Washington St. south of downtown to Baker College, and N. Shiawassee St between downtown and the hospital.

(3)

General business district. The general business district (GBD) is intended to accommodate commercial establishments that serve community-wide shopping and service needs, including motorists using M-21 and M-52. This district is intended to create cohesive commercial areas that take advantage of access provided by the city's roadway system but also provide convenient vehicular access between businesses in attractive settings, thereby ensuring the safety and discouraging undesirable commercial development.

(Ord. No. 844, § 2, 3-18-24)

In the CBD, COR and GBD districts, land, buildings, and other structures shall be used only for one (1) or more of the uses specified in the table below.

Uses denoted by a "P" are permitted by right, whereas uses denoted by "C" have site development standards for specific uses and uses denoted by a "S" are considered special land uses and may be approved by the planning commission subject to the applicable general and specific standards in Article X, site development standards for specific uses and Article XI, special land uses.

(Ord. No. 844, § 2, 3-18-24)

All uses permitted by right or by special land use approval shall be required to meet the following requirements:

(1)

Dealing directly with consumers. All permitted retail or service establishments shall deal directly with consumers. All goods produced on the premises shall be sold at retail on the premises where produced.

(2)

Conducted within enclosed buildings. All business, servicing or processing, except for off-street parking, loading and approved open air uses shall be conducted within completely enclosed buildings.

(3)

Site and building design. All sites and buildings shall comply with the building, landscaping, parking, access, circulation, and all other design requirements of the zoning ordinance.

(Ord. No. 844, § 2, 3-18-24)

All uses within the business districts shall adhere to the following area, height, bulk, and placement regulations:

Footnotes to section 38-94 schedule limiting height, bulk, and placement regulations:

¹Setbacks for institutional uses (such as a religious organization, church, nonprofit organization, academic institution, library or hospital) in residential districts shall be as follows:

(a)

A 35-foot wide greenbelt shall be provided along major thoroughfares or arterial roadways in all residential districts for residential developments. Building setbacks are measured from the interior line of the greenbelt. See Article XVII, landscape standards and tree replacement.

(b)

Refer to Article XVII, landscape standards and tree replacement for required setback and buffering based on adjacent zoning districts.

(c)

All yard areas shall be lawn, ground cover or living landscape plant materials, except for access drives, sidewalks, bike paths, architectural features, permitted accessory buildings and essential service facilities.

(d)

Refer to section 38-53, General Provisions, projections into yards.

(e)

Refer to subsection 38-187, off-street parking space design and setback requirements.

²Front yard requirements in accordance with section 38-53, front yard requirements. Front yard setback reductions are permitted as follows:

(a) Where the front yards for existing main buildings in the vicinity of, and in the same zoning districts as a subject lot are less than the required front yard for the zoning district of the subject lot, the required front yard for the subject lot shall be no less than ninety (90) percent and no more than one hundred thirty-five (135) percent of the average established front setback of existing main buildings on the same side of the street and entirely or partially within three hundred (300) feet of the side lot lines of the subject lot, subject to subsections b and c below.

(b) The front yard setback reduction shall only be permitted if there are two (2) or more lots occupied by main buildings within the area described in subsection a, above, for computing the average front yard.

(c) In no case shall the required front yard resulting from the application of subsection a & b, above, be less than fifteen (15) feet.

³Any side or rear yard for a principal use or a use with specific standards permitted in this district other than one-family, two-family and multiple-family dwellings, shall not be less than the height of the structure at the side or rear lot line.

⁴There shall be no height limit on the CBD, provided, however, that prior to the issuance of a building permits for any structure over thirty-five (35) feet in height, the planning commission shall make a finding that such excessive height will not be detrimental to the light, air, or privacy of any structure or use currently existing or approved for construction. In approving a height in excess of thirty-five (35) feet, the planning commission shall follow the standards set forth below in floor area ratio:

(a)

All enlargements or new construction shall be undertaken with respect to the established building line.

(b)

In the CBD, the maximum floor area ratio for a building shall not exceed the lot area by more than four (4) times.

(c)

The proposed height of the building meets the intent of the city master plan.

⁵The maximum percentage of lot coverage for buildings, after review and approval by the planning commission and the zoning administrator, may be permitted to increase to a maximum of seventy (70) percent providing that all requires off-street parking areas, service drives, loading and unloading areas, and all outdoor storage shall not infringe upon required minimum yard setbacks, and/or required buffer areas and not adversely affect adjacent properties.

(Ord. No. 844, § 2, 3-18-24)

All principal uses and special land uses are subject to the following site development requirements:

(1)

Article II: General provisions.

(2)

Article XIII: Site plan review.

(3)

Article XV: Off-street parking and loading standards.

(4)

Article XVI: Access management and driveway standards.

(5)

Article XVII: Landscape standards and tree replacement.

(6)

Article XVIII: Lighting standards.

(7)

Article XX: Signs.

(Ord. No. 844, § 2, 3-18-24)