The City of Riverside carries out the policies of the 2005 Comprehensive Plan for the City of Riverside (Comprehensive Plan) by classifying and regulating the uses of land and structures within the City. This Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) is adopted to protect and promote the public health, safety, comfort, convenience and general welfare of the community. The fulfillment of this purpose is to be accomplished by seeking:

A.

To encourage and facilitate orderly, efficient, and appropriate growth and development;

B.

To establish population densities that prevent or reduce congestion and that economically provide water supply and sewer systems, streets and highways, fire and police protection, schools, parks and recreation facilities, and other governmental services;

C.

To conserve and protect the City's natural, cultural and historic resources;

D.

To ensure that proposed development and new land uses conserve energy and natural resources;

E.

Ensure that proposed development is of human scale, pedestrian oriented, and designed to create attractive streetscapes and pedestrian spaces;

F.

Minimize vehicle traffic by providing for a mixture of land uses, pedestrian oriented development, compact community form, safe and effective traffic circulation, and adequate on and off street parking facilities;

G.

To conserve the expenditures of funds for public improvements and services;

H.

Provide neighborhoods with a variety of housing types to serve the needs of a diverse population;

I.

To enhance the social and economic stability of the City of Riverside.

(Ord. 17-O-618, Passed 3-16-17)

This Unified Development Ordinance shall be known and may be cited as the "Unified Development Ordinance of the City of Riverside, Ohio," the "UDO," the "Unified Development Ordinance," or just the "Ordinance."

(Ord. 17-O-618, Passed 3-16-17)

The authority to adopt this UDO within the City of Riverside, Ohio, is authorized by the provisions of Ohio R.C. Ch. 713 and provided under Article 5 and Article 9 of the Charter of the City of Riverside, Ohio. Whenever the Charter or other laws referenced in this UDO have been amended or superseded, this UDO shall be considered amended in reference to the new or revised Charter or other laws.

(Ord. 17-O-618, Passed 3-16-17)

This UDO shall apply to all land and land development within the incorporated area of the City of Riverside, Ohio. The City may exercise extraterritorial jurisdiction for a distance of up to three miles of its corporate limits if county or township zoning is not in effect within the area as provided in Ohio R.C. 711.09 and the City has adopted a major thoroughfare, parks, and public open space plan for the territory within the City limits and within three miles of the City. The Planning Commission may receive advice from the county or regional planning commission upon all subdivisions plats located within three miles of the corporate limits.

(Ord. 17-O-618, Passed 3-16-17)

This UDO was enacted by Ordinance 13-O-535 adopted by the Riverside City Council on September 19, 2013, and shall become effective on January 1, 2014. Uses or structures, or combinations thereof, not lawful under the zoning regulations for Riverside, Ohio or Montgomery County, Ohio as applicable, and any amendments thereof, in effect prior to the above stated effective date, are considered to be unlawful under this Ordinance, unless they now meet all requirements of this Ordinance.

(Ord. 17-O-618, Passed 3-16-17)

A.

All Ordinances or parts of Ordinances in conflict with this UDO or inconsistent with the provisions of this UDO are hereby repealed to the extent necessary to give this Ordinance full force and effect.

B.

The following Ordinances are hereby specifically repealed:

Previous Part Eleven, Title One, Subdivision Regulations;

Previous Part Eleven, Title Three, Zoning Administration and Enforcement;

Previous Part Eleven, Title Five, Zoning Districts;

Previous Part Eleven, Title Seven, Zoning General Provisions.

C.

This UDO and the referenced Official Zoning Map hereby replace all stated Sections, Chapters, and Ordinances of the Riverside Municipal Code.

(Ord. 17-O-618, Passed 3-16-17)

To the extent that the provisions of this UDO are the same in substance as the previously adopted provisions that they replace in the zoning ordinances, they shall be considered as continuations thereof and not as new enactments unless otherwise specifically provided. In particular, a situation that did not constitute a lawful, nonconforming situation under the previously adopted zoning ordinance does not achieve lawful nonconforming status under this chapter merely by the repeal of the zoning ordinance.

(Ord. 17-O-618, Passed 3-16-17)

The Unified Development Ordinance, as established in this chapter, has been developed in accordance the Comprehensive Plan for the purpose of promoting health, safety, and the general welfare of the community. It is intended to consolidate in one place and in logical order without unnecessary duplication all of the regulations pertaining to land use and development. It is designed to make it possible for all of those concerned with land use and development to have access to all City legislation with respect thereto in one convenient document which is capable of being published and distributed as a separate and comprehensive segment of the City Code as a whole.

A.

Chapter 1101, General Provisions, establishes the purpose of the UDO, the authority to administer and enforce the UDO provisions, the relationship to existing ordinances, and ordinance effective date.

B.

Chapter 1103, Administration, establishes the various administrative agencies involved in the development approval process, as well as the role of administrative and legislative bodies.

C.

Chapter 1105, Development Procedures, is designed to consolidate the location of regulations governing the processing of permits for the development of land. The purpose is to ensure that notification and procedures comply with state enabling legislation, provide ample opportunity for public participation in the land development process, provide for the efficient and timely processing of development permits, and to promote the readability of the document for the general public and for applicants requesting a permit.

D.

Chapter 1107, Zoning Districts, identifies the various residential, commercial, industrial and planned districts and the uses permitted within each district as well as the appropriate development standards.

E.

Chapters 1109 to 1115, Development Standards, consolidates the substantive standards relating to the issuance of permits for zoning and subdivision approval in order to provide clarity and certainty in the development approval process.

F.

Chapter 1117, Definitions, is established in order to provide guidance to readers of this Ordinance, while reserving the balance of the Ordinance for substantive standards.

(Ord. 17-O-618, Passed 3-16-17)

A.

In their interpretation and application, the provisions of this UDO shall be the minimum requirements, unless otherwise noted and shall be deemed neither to limit nor repeal any other powers granted to the City under its Charter and Ordinances or under State Statutes.

B.

It is not intended by this Ordinance to repeal, abrogate, annul, or in any way impair or interfere with any existing ordinances or provisions of law, or with any rules, regulations or permits previously adopted or issued pursuant to law, relating to the use of buildings and land, except as provided for in Section 1101.11 herein.

C.

Where this Ordinance imposes a greater restriction on the use of buildings or premises, or on the heights of buildings, or requires larger yards, courts, or other open spaces than are imposed or required by such existing provisions, the provisions of this Ordinance shall prevail and control to the extent permitted by law.

D.

The UDO contains graphics, pictures, illustrations and drawings in order to assist the reader in understanding and applying the regulations. However, to the extent that there is any inconsistency between the text of this ordinance and any such graphic, picture, illustration or drawing, the text shall control unless otherwise provided in the specific section.

E.

When the term "days" appears in this Ordinance relative to the technical review process for a subdivision plat or any other plat, unless specifically noted as working days, the term days shall be interpreted to mean calendar days. If the reference to days for a period of time less than six days, the term shall be interpreted as working days.

(Ord. 17-O-618, Passed 3-16-17)

The 2005 Comprehensive Plan for the City of Riverside as referenced in the UDO was adopted on May 19, 2005, Ordinance 05-O-326 and may be amended. It establishes the goals, objectives and strategies that serve as a basis for the UDO. All regulations or amendments adopted pursuant to this Ordinance shall be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan as adopted and revised or updated. In cases of inconsistency with other regulations or amendments, the UDO regulations shall prevail.

(Ord. 17-O-618, Passed 3-16-17)

Except as specified herein, no land shall be subdivided, no building, structure, premises, or part thereof shall be used, occupied, located, moved, erected, constructed, reconstructed, converted, extended, enlarged, or altered except in conformity and full compliance with the regulations herein specified for the district in which it is located.

(Ord. 17-O-618, Passed 3-16-17)

City Council shall establish by resolution a schedule of fees for all permits and applications required by the UDO. In so doing, the City Council shall consider the recommendations of the Director of the Planning and Program Management (DPPM) with respect to actual administrative costs.

(Ord. 17-O-618, Passed 3-16-17)

Each chapter, section, paragraph, sentence, clause, phrase or other divisible part of the UDO is hereby declared to be severable. If any such chapter, section, paragraph, sentence, clause, phrase, or other divisible part of the UDO is declared unconstitutional or otherwise invalid (by any court of competent jurisdiction in a valid judgment or decree), such unconstitutionality or invalidity shall not affect any of the remaining chapters, sections, paragraphs, sentences, clauses, phrases, or other divisible parts of the UDO.

(Ord. 17-O-618, Passed 3-16-17)