The City of Riverdale is divided into zoning districts, as shown on the official zoning map that together with all explanatory matter such official zoning map is hereby adopted by reference and declared part of this ordinance.

The official zoning map shall be authorized by the signature of the mayor, attested by the city clerk, and bear the seal of the city under the following statement: "This is to certify that this is the official zoning map referenced in the zoning ordinance of the City of Riverdale."

(Ord. No. 7-2020, § 1(Exh. A), 10-26-20)

The event the official zoning map is damaged, destroyed, lost or difficult to interpret due to the nature or number of revisions, mayor and council may adopt a new official zoning map by resolution that shall replace the previous official zoning map. Drafting errors or other errors or omissions in any previous official zoning map may be corrected on the new official zoning map, but no such correction shall have the effect of amending the original official zoning map. Unless the previous official zoning map is lost or destroyed, that previous map or any significant remaining portions of that map shall be preserved, together with all available records pertaining to its adoption and amendment.

(Ord. No. 7-2020, § 1(Exh. A), 10-26-20)

For purposes of this ordinance, which among others is to assign property rights to individual lots, the land area of the City of Riverdale is divided into the following zoning districts:

Residential districts. The following zoning districts represent the residential districts established in the City of Riverdale.

"R-1" single-family detached residential district. The R-1 district is established to accommodate households seeking a suburban lifestyle on relatively large lots.

"R-2" single-family detached residential district. the R-2 district is established to accommodate households desiring an urban lifestyle on moderately sized lots.

"R-3" residential attached district. The purpose of the R-3 District is to provide housing options for households that choose to rent living quarters rather than purchase for a variety of reasons. Duplexes, tri-plexes and quadruplexes are allowed dwelling types in the R-3 district.

"MR" multifamily district. The MR District is established to accommodate demand for attached dwelling units involving virtually no property maintenance. Permitted densities are not considered excessive in the context of the urban area that characterizes Riverdale. Such densities should be accommodated in locations well served by public infrastructure, particularly the transportation network comprised of collector and arterial streets. Optimally, MR districts are located at the periphery of single-family detached neighborhoods, providing a transition in use from more intense uses such as pedestrian scale commercial establishments to such low density neighborhoods. Rental apartments, and condominiums and townhouses intended for owner-occupancy, are among the allowed dwelling types.

Commercial districts. The following zoning districts represent the commercial districts established in the City of Riverdale.

"NC" neighborhood commercial district. The neighborhood commercial district is intended to serve the consumer needs of adjacent neighborhoods. Uses are limited to those that will not tend to attract shoppers from beyond those neighborhoods. Properly located, the NC District is walkable for nearby residents. Building sizes are restricted to small shops to achieve a pedestrian scale. Drive-through businesses are prohibited to foster walking.

"GC" general commercial district. The general commercial district acknowledges the auto-dependent character of the development pattern along Riverdale's arterials such as Highway 85 and Highway 138. This district protects the substantial investments made by the owners of such properties and the contribution of these businesses to Riverdale coffers. The broad range of uses permitted in the general commercial district assigned to these commercial corridors yields more options in identifying tenants thereby enabling owners to better tap into market demand represented by the substantial traffic volumes along these routes.

"O-I" office-institutional district. The O-I District is a typical office-institutional district that should be promoted by the City of Riverdale as a source of high paying jobs. As with the majority of zoning districts in the ordinance, the O-I is an exclusive district, prohibiting low density residential development that could compete with office development in a market where vacant land is limited. Given that reality, development standards that foster high intensity development, in combination with a reservation of open space, are intended to create park-like settings that will attract and sustain office tenants and employees. Institutional uses such as places of worship and schools of all types are also allowed in the O-I district. Buffers and setbacks can facilitate an appropriate transition from office and institutional uses to either neighborhood commercial districts or multifamily districts that would be appropriate uses to step down from O-I District uses to single-family neighborhoods.

"H" hospital overlay. The hospital overlay recognizes the limited amount of land in close proximity to Southern Regional Medical Center and the "economic engine" the medical center represents to Riverdale. Accordingly, the overlay features greater building mass, zero lot line development and reduced parking ratios. A limit is placed on uses that are not medically related and have the potential to displace medically related uses and attract motorists that would add traffic congestion inappropriate to a location characterized by frequent emergency vehicle traffic. The hospital overlay allows multifamily development targeting hospital employees and medical staff and would also allow "suites" hotels for visiting medical professionals and family members of patients. The allowed uses represent the full range of life cycles, including child day care, adult day care and long term care such as nursing homes and skilled nursing centers. Hospice facilities are also allowed.

"MU" mixed-use district. The MU mixed-use district is intended to accommodate flexibility in design and a mix of uses to empower private developers to build projects that will lease up and sell, and that investors and mortgage lenders will finance. Architectural and urban design standards developed for the town center mixed-use district are incorporated into the MU district. Applied to properties at such intersections as Main Street/Valley Hill Road at Highway 85, and Highway 85 and Highway 138, the mixed-use district can facilitate transformation of the primary function of Riverdale's arterials as commuter routes into destination environments. The preferred configuration is nodal development, reserved for such key intersections. Given traffic volumes, these properties are expected to focus on commercial uses with vehicle and pedestrian circulation that favors a menu of shops and services for commuters rather than the single purpose shopping of "get it and go," strip commercial development, The MU district is characterized by upscale, architectural design standards and open space reservation that create inviting settings. Reduced parking ratios to allow more vertical construction, less pavement and incentives to place new building construction at the street rather than on the deep building setbacks typical of suburban locations are hallmarks of the mixed-use district. Mixed-use district developments incorporate residential uses such as townhouses to the rear of office and commercial developments, buffering nearby single-family neighborhoods.

"TCMU" town center mixed-use district. The TCMU town center mixed district is intended to inspire private market development such as that seen in other "livable centers initiative" town centers across the Atlanta region. The enhanced architectural style showcased by a unique city hall and community center building is expected to attract similar private market development. The TCMU district accommodates substantial development intensity in a range of complementary uses that will foster a sense of place.

The town center is viewed as the focus of development in Riverdale where residents and visitors can interact in a walkable setting offering a range of amenities. These amenities include a pedestrian plaza with fountains, a community center building, an amphitheater and useable open space. A public parking deck built as an incentive to private development serves to minimize the use of limited land area for parking. With these public improvements in place, and the projected growth of metropolitan Atlanta, Riverdale is positioned to become a premier destination. The TCMU district standards and associated architectural design standards encourage true, mixed-use development essential to a viable town center.

Architectural design standards. The architectural design standards seek to create developments that provide a safe, convenient, dynamic and attractive environment through the integration of uses and building design, where people can live, work, and play in Riverdale. The purpose of these design standards is to eliminate the ambiguity for the development community and ensure complementary environments. Supplemental design guidelines are found in the city's streetscape and improvement design standards which can be accessed through the community development department. The building and site design standards set forth in article 5, Architectural Design Standards integrate land use, urban design, transportation, and architecture that comprise the built environment and address building orientation, setbacks, connectivity, building design, landscaping, lighting, building height, fenestration, signs, screening, streetscapes, as well as parking and circulation for certain types of development.

Industrial districts. The following zoning district represents the single industrial district established in the City of Riverdale:

"M" light industrial district. The M light industrial district recognizes the "bedroom community" character of Riverdale and the proximity of retail and service uses to industrial zoning districts. Accordingly, the range of uses in the M district is limited to "clean" industry. Much of Riverdale's industrial property is undeveloped with a trucking business and mini-warehouses being the dominant uses. Warehouses and manufacturing uses tend to dominate the industrial base on the Southside. Given the proximity of Riverdale to air cargo and truck transport, freight intensive uses may represent future market demand. These uses should be limited to locations on arterials designed to accommodate truck traffic. As Riverdale is not dominated by the warehouse uses found in Forest Park and south Atlanta, and DeKalb and Fulton counties, and such uses are not characterized by a significant number of professional employment options, creation of opportunities for warehouse development facilitated by rezoning of property to the M district should be limited.

Parks and open space district. This parks and open space district is comprised of certain properties within the city limits of Riverdale primarily owned by the City of Riverdale in fee simple interest. Such properties may be developed as active and passive recreation facilities such as parks, jogging or walking trails, bicycling and hiking trails, lakes or ponds, golf courses, playgrounds, ballfields and outdoor ball courts or reserved as greenspace, wooded areas and environmentally sensitive areas, whether public or private. The P district is intended to provide reference information concerning the location of cultural, historic, environmental and outdoor recreational resources and to foster their preservation. Properties within this shall not be subject to the standards and regulations of this ordinance.

In the event any parks and open space district property is sold to a private individual or individuals or other entity and the City of Riverdale no longer owns the underlying fee simple interest or any other interest in the property, such property shall be rezoned to a classification that is compatible with the future land use map designation of the property and the future land use map designation and zoning of nearby properties.

(Ord. No. 7-2020, § 1(Exh. A), 10-26-20)

The future land use categories adopted in the comprehensive plan and indicated on the future land use map are intended to guide zoning decisions. The future land use categories and the zoning districts deemed compatible with those categories are identified Table 2.1, Zoning District and Land Use Category Compatibility.

Table 2.1. Zoning District and Land Use Category Compatibility

(Ord. No. 7-2020, § 1(Exh. A), 10-26-20)

A.

Where uncertainty exists with respect to the location of the boundaries of any zoning district, the following rules shall apply:

1.

The boundaries of the several zoning districts are indicated on the official zoning map. Street rights-of-way shall serve as district boundaries adjoining property lines, and no such rights-of-way shall be zoned.

2.

Where a zoning district boundary is shown on the zoning map as approximately following a corporate limits line; a militia district line; a land lot line; streambed; lot line; or the centerline of a city street, county road, state highway, public right-of-way; or railroad right-of-way, or such lines extended, such lines shall be construed to be the zoning district boundary line.

B.

Inconsistencies between legal boundary descriptions submitted at the time of a rezoning and lot lines identified on more recent surveys shall be interpreted to attach the zoning to the legal lot.

C.

Where zoning district boundaries remain in doubt, the Riverdale Community Development Director shall determine such boundaries.

(Ord. No. 7-2020, § 1(Exh. A), 10-26-20)

In the event a zoning district boundary line on the official zoning map divides a lot of record held in one ownership on the date of adoption of this ordinance, each part of the lot so divided shall be used in conformity with the standards established by this ordinance for the zoning district in which each portion of such lot is located.

(Ord. No. 7-2020, § 1(Exh. A), 10-26-20)

Any lot divided by corporate limits of the city or county shall fully meet the ordinance standards of the county on that portion of the lot within the unincorporated county for the purposes of a building permit. All corporate limits dividing a lot shall be viewed in the same manner as a property line. Setbacks shall be measured from corporate city limit lines and county boundary lines.

(Ord. No. 7-2020, § 1(Exh. A), 10-26-20)

All land annexed into the City of Riverdale shall be subject to rezoning in accordance with the provisions of this ordinance found in article 13, Procedures for Zoning Decisions and the Georgia Zoning Procedures Law.

(Ord. No. 7-2020, § 1(Exh. A), 10-26-20)