Quinlan City Zoning Code
§ 14
“C” COMMERCIAL DISTRICT.
General Purpose and Description: The “C” district is intended for office facilities or shopping facilities. Typically these uses are either retail or wholesale facilities of a sales and/or service character. The “C” district is established to accommodate the daily and frequent commercial needs of the community and surrounding area.
14.1
Permitted Uses:
A building or property in the “C” district shall be used only for the uses listed in Section 20 of this ordinance.
Such use shall not be objectionable because of odor, excessive light, smoke, dust, noise, vibration or similar nuisance.
14.2
Area; Yard; Height; Lot Coverage; and Building Size Requirements:
The requirements regulating the minimum lot size, minimum yard sizes (front, side, and rear), maximum building height, maximum percent of lot coverage by buildings, and the minimum size of buildings, as pertains to this district, shall conform with the provisions of the “Schedule of District Regulations Adopted” (see Section 19) and any other applicable regulations as herein provided.
14.3
Parking Requirements:
Off-Street parking requirements shall be provided in accordance with Section 22.
14.4
Refuse Facilities:
If the volume of waste makes the use of a refuse facility necessary, each refuse facility shall be placed on a concrete pad and screened from view on three sides from persons standing at ground level on the site or immediately adjoining property, by an opaque fence or wall of wood or masonry not less than six (6) feet nor more than eight (8) feet in height or by an enclosure within a building. No refuse facility may be placed nearer than thirty (30) feet to a residentially zoned district. Refuse containers shall be provided and maintained in a manner to satisfy city public health and sanitary regulations. Each refuse facility shall be located so as to provide safe and convenient pickup by refuse collection agencies.
14.5
Hazardous Waste:
No facility allowed in the “C” District shall transport, store or generate any hazardous wastes defined as any chemical, compound, mixture, substance or article which is designated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) or appropriate agency of the State to be “hazardous” as that term is defined by or pursuant to Federal or State Law.
14.6
Screening Requirements:
Border fencing of wood or masonry of not less than six (6) feet in height is required where abutting or adjacent to any property zoned or used as a residential, and any perimeter not abutting or adjacent to a public street. Screening is not required where abutting or adjacent to another property zoned and used as commercial. This fence shall be maintained throughout the existence of the development by the owner of said property. For the purposes of establishing screening requirements, “adjacent” properties shall include those separated by an easement, alleyway or unimproved right-of-way.
14.7
Building Standards:
A.
Construction Materials
Exterior Walls - Each exterior wall shall consist of 90% masonry materials excluding doors and windows. All buildings shall have exterior walls constructed of stone, brick, glass, block, tile, cast metal, cast or cultured stone, or a combination of those materials. The use of other cementaceous products (e.g. stucco, Hardy Plank, or other similar materials approved by the City) shall be limited to 50% of the building’s exterior finish where it is deemed important as a design feature and where it will be applied under the highest standards for quality and durability. However, stucco may not be located in the first 8 feet above grade on a facade visible from a street or public area. Exceptions to this requirement may be permitted on a case [by case basis] by the Council upon submission and approval of elevation drawings of the subject structure and material samples.
B.
Building Articulation.
Requirements may be permitted on a case-by-case basis by the City Council upon submission and approval of elevation drawings of the subject structure and material samples.
C.
Buildings Greater than 25,000 S.F.
1.
These criteria shall apply to new retail/commercial building construction. These criteria shall not apply to the use, re-use, modification or consolidation of existing retail and/or commercial building.
2.
Ninety percent (90%) of the area of all exterior facades shall consist of clay-fired brick, native stone, cast stone, integral-colored architectural split faced concrete block, plaster, stucco or a combination of these materials. Each facade shall not contain more than seventy-five percent (75%) of any single material.
3.
Loading docks shall not be oriented towards residential zoning districts. Where loading areas are located parallel to residential zoning districts, they must be screened by an architecturally integrated 14-foot-tall wall the entire length of the loading space.
4.
Open storage areas shall be connected to the building and screened with the same building materials.
5.
For those buildings over 80,000 square feet in area, the applicant must demonstrate that the building can be subdivided in a reasonable manner by submitting a plan indicating potential entrances and exits and loading areas for multiple tenants.
D.
Joint and Cross Access.
The intent of this regulation is to provide vehicular access between two or more contiguous sites so the driver need not enter the public street system. The City Council may modify or waive the requirements of this section where the characteristics or layout of abutting properties would make development of a unified or shared access and circulation system impractical.
1.
Adjacent commercial properties shall provide a cross-access drive to allow circulation between sites.
2.
A system of joint use driveways and cross-access shall be established wherever feasible and the building site shall incorporate the following:
A.
A 30 ft. access between adjoining commercial properties and side streets;
B.
A design speed of 10 mph and sufficient width to accommodate two-way travel aisles designed to accommodate automobiles, service vehicles, and loading vehicles;
C.
Stub-outs and other design features to make it visually obvious that the abutting properties may be tied in to provide cross-access via a service drive;
3.
All businesses are unique and the Planning and Zoning Commission reserves the right to make recommendations that might affect the Citizens of Quinlan general welfare and public safety.
E.
Commercial Driveway Requirements.
The purpose of this section is to regulate the construction, improvement, modification, enlargement or the reconstruction of driveways located within a commercially zoned district. This regulation will assure that the location of the driveway and the method of construction will promote the public health, safety and general welfare of the community.
1.
Each Driveway shall have a concrete culvert at the ditch line where the driveway meets the public or private road.
14.8
Conditions and Requirements for Issuance of a New Nonresidential Certificate of Occupancy in any Type Existing Building Located Within the City of Quinlan, Texas.
A.
Whenever a property is rezoned, receives approval of a Specific Use Permit, changes occupancy from a nonconforming use to a conforming use, the previous occupancy was a nonbusiness or nonmercantile (retail) use, or the previous use has been abandoned, as described in Section 30.6 of this Article, no Certificate of Occupancy shall be issued until the property is in compliance with all adopted conditions and standards included in the City’s Zoning Ordinance and other applicable chapters of this Code, including but not limited to:
1.
Required number parking spaces, including handicap spaces.
2.
Required driveways, drive isles, and joint or shared access.
3.
Required paving materials for parking, loading, driveways, drive approaches, fire access lanes and other areas required for access, parking and loading.
4.
Sign regulations.
5.
Required screening in accordance with this Chapter (Zoning Ordinance).
6.
Dumpster location and screening requirements.
7.
Fencing and screening requirements.
8.
Utility connections.
9.
Exterior building materials.
10.
Compliance with Property Maintenance Standards.
11.
Applicable Building Code(s) and Fire Code.
B.
When an application for a Certificate of Occupancy changes the use to from one business or mercantile (retail) use to another business or mercantile (retail) use, the following conditions or requirements shall be in compliance:
1.
Required number parking spaces, including handicap spaces.
2.
Required asphalt or concrete paving for parking, loading, driveways, drive approaches, fire access lanes and other areas required for access, parking and loading.
3.
Dumpster location and screening requirements.
4.
Required screening in accordance with this Chapter (Zoning Ordinance).
5.
Utility connections.
6.
Compliance with Property Maintenance Standards.
7.
Applicable Building Code(s) and Fire Code minimum requirements.
C.
Improvements to the parking lots, buildings, signs and other site improvements shall improve the property’s level of compliance and shall not expand or extend any nonconforming conditions or otherwise prevent nonconforming conditions to be brought into conformance with the requirements of this Code in the future.
D.
Exceptions to these requirements may be authorized on a case-by-case basis, by the City Council after receiving recommendations from the Planning and Zoning Commission. City Council approval may be requested by the applicant in the form of a Variance request. In addition, the Building Official, at his/her discretion, may refer the application to City Council for final approval.
(Ordinance 299-000, sec. 13, adopted 9/18/91; Ordinance 06-0512 adopted 5/8/06; Ordinance 269-002 adopted 2/12/07; Ordinance 8007 adopted 2/12/07; Ordinance 8007-001 adopted 3/12/07; Ordinance 07-753-00, sec. 14, adopted 6/11/07; Ordinance 07-756-000 adopted 6/11/07; Ordinance 2017-03-03 adopted 4/10/17; Ordinance 2019-01-01 adopted 1/14/19)