Saint Joseph Town Saint Croix County
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
ARTICLE VIII
Business Districts
§ 170-43 Purpose.
A.
The purpose of the business districts is to implement certain objectives of the Town's Comprehensive Plan, which designates planned locations and desirable characteristics of future business development. Area generally shown for future commercial and industrial development in the Town's Comprehensive Plan is more specifically designated on the Town's Zoning Map as Houlton Town Center Mixed Use, Rural Mixed Use, and Business Park. The Traditional Commercial District includes areas which were zoned commercial prior to the adoption of this chapter and which may not be conducive to future business development.
B.
The design standards and requirements set out in this article apply to all business districts unless more specific requirements are set forth elsewhere in this chapter.
§ 170-44 Uses in business districts.
Uses in each category of commercial district are either permitted, conditionally permitted or not allowed. See Zoning Ordinance text and Zoning Use Table.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: The Zoning Use Table is included as an attachment to this chapter.
§ 170-46 General standards.
The following standards shall apply to all business uses, whether permitted or permitted with a conditional use permit:
§ 170-47 Traffic and parking standards.
A.
Loading. All business district development proposals shall contain a traffic plan with detailed landscaping, off-street parking layout, bicycle parking locations, drainage provisions and driveway locations. The following standards shall apply:
(1)
Provision. Space for off-street unloading of vehicles with access to a public street or other public way shall be provided so that streets and sidewalks are free and unobstructed for vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
(2)
Quantity. The Parking Table provides the parking spaces required. Any use not specifically named shall be assigned to the most appropriate classification as provided in Zoning Use Table. If an appropriate classification is not apparent, the Zoning Administrator may consult the most current version of the Parking Generation Manual by the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE). One loading space minimum is required for every 2,500 square feet of gross floor area of the building served. Establishments offering curb service to customers who remain in their vehicles shall provide at least five off-street parking spaces for each person employed to serve such customers. See the following tables.
Chapter 170 Parking Spaces | Parking Spaces Required |
|---|---|
AGRICULTURE | |
Animals | |
Aquaculture | — |
Beekeeping | — |
Livestock Facility (< 200 animal units) | — |
Livestock Facility of any size | — |
Raising Chickens, Ducks, and Fowl | — |
Plants | |
Crop or Forage Production | — |
Floriculture | — |
Forest Management | — |
Sod or Christmas Tree Production | — |
Wholesale Nursery | — |
Community Garden | — |
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA food farm) | — |
Nurseries for propagation of plants only | — |
Greenhouse or Nursery for Retail Plant Sales | Minimum of 2, plus 1 space per 200 sf of inside sales and display area; 1 space per 4,000 sf of outdoor display area; 1 for each company vehicle; and 1 per employee on the largest shift |
Greenhouse | — |
Harvesting Wild Crops | — |
Pick-Your-Own Operations | — |
RESIDENTIAL | |
Residences | |
Accessory Buildings | — |
Dwelling, Single-Family | 2 spaces for each dwelling unit |
Dwelling, Secondary | 2 spaces for each dwelling unit |
Dwelling, Two-Family | 2 spaces for each dwelling unit |
Dwelling, Multiple | 2 spaces for each dwelling unit |
Live-Work Units | 1 space per unit under 2,500 sf; for units larger than 2,500 sf. 1 space required per 300 sf of business area |
Temporary Residence | 2 spaces for each dwelling unit |
Group Living | |
Community Living Arrangement (1-8 persons) | 1 space for each 5 beds, plus 1 space for each 3 employees on the largest shift |
Community Living Arrangement (9-15 persons) | 1 space for each 5 beds, plus 1 space for each 3 employees on the largest shift |
Community Living Arrangement (greater than 15 persons) | 1 space for each 5 beds, plus 1 space for each 3 employees on the largest shift |
Foster Home/Adult Family Home | 1 space for each 5 beds, plus 1 space for each 3 employees on the largest shift |
Residential Care Services/Group Home | 1 space for each 5 beds, plus 1 space for each 3 employees on the largest shift |
COMMERCIAL/MIXED USES | |
Animal Services | |
Kennel, Commercial (5 acres or more) | 1 space per 1,500 sf |
Veterinary Clinic for Domestic Animals | 3 patron parking spaces per doctor, plus 1 space per employee on the largest shift |
Arts, Entertainment and Recreation | |
Adult Establishment | 1 space per 400 sf |
Artisan Workshop | — |
Athletic Fields or Sport Courts | 1 space per 3 users (participants and spectators) |
Dance School, Fitness Center or Similar Indoor Recreation Facility | 1 space per 4 patrons |
Drive-In Theater | 1 space per 400 sf |
Game Arcade | 1 space per 400 sf |
Golf Course | 6 spaces per hole |
Museum, Gallery or Similar Cultural Center | 1 space per 400 sf |
Passive Recreation | To be determined by Zoning Administrator to fit maximum intended capacity |
Reception, Meeting or Community Events Center | 1 space for each 5 seats |
Recreation Outfitter | 1 space for each 150 sf of net floor space |
Single-Screen Theater, Movie, or Performing Arts Stage | 1 space for each 5 seats |
Day Care | |
Child Care Center (9 or more children) | 1 space per employee on the largest shift, plus 1 space per 10 children |
Small Group Day Care for Children or Adults (up to 8 children or adults) | 1 space per employee on the largest shift, plus 1 space per 8 children or adults |
Food and Beverage Sales/Service | |
Bakery or Deli | 1 space per 150 sf |
Cafe or Restaurant | 1 space per 100 sf and 1 space for each 2 employees on the largest shift |
Grocer or Food Cooperative | 1 space per 500 sf |
Liquor Store | 1 space per 500 sf |
Roadside Stand | |
Sales of Processed or Preserved Agricultural Products and Produce | Minimum of 5 spaces, plus 1 space per employee on the largest shift 1 space per 500 sf |
Specialty Beverage Tasting Room with Retail Sales | 1 space per 50 sf and 1 space for each 2 employees on the largest shift |
Tavern | 1 space per 50 sf and 1 space for each 2 employees on the largest shift |
Lodging | |
Boardinghouse | 1 space per 2 guest rooms |
Bed-and-Breakfast | 1 space per 2 guest rooms |
Campground, Private | 1 per campsite |
Campground, Public | 1 per campsite |
Offices and Professional Services | |
Courier and Messenger Service | 1 space per 300 sf and 1 space for each 2 employees on the largest shift |
Financial or Investment Institution | 1 space per 300 sf and 1 space for each 2 employees on the largest shift |
Home Health Care Service Offices | 1 space per 300 sf and 1 space for each 2 employees on the largest shift |
Innovation Workspace | 1 space per 300 sf and 1 space for each 2 employees on the largest shift |
Office - Business or Professional | 1 space per 300 sf and 1 space for each 2 employees on the largest shift |
Technology, Software and Computer Services | 1 space per 300 sf and 1 space for each 2 employees on the largest shift |
Personal Services | |
Barber, Salon, Day Spa or Beauty Shop | 3 spaces per chair, plus 1 space per employee on the largest shift |
Car Wash | — |
Dental Clinic | 5 spaces for each doctor |
Funeral Home | 20 spaces for each viewing room |
Laundromat | 1 space per 400 sf |
Medical Clinic | 5 spaces for each doctor |
Product Repair and Contractor Services | |
Automotive Service, Repair and Towing | 1 space for each regular garage employee on the largest shift, plus 1 space per 500 sf of floor area used for repair work |
Contractor Sales and Service | 1 space per 400 sf |
Maintenance and Repair of Goods and Equipment | 1 space per 400 sf |
Retail Sales | |
Artisan Furniture or Clothing and Similar Retail Sales | 1 space per 400 sf |
Automotive Parts, Accessories and Tire Stores | 1 space per 400 sf |
Convenience Store, with or without Gasoline Sales | 1 space per 300 sf |
Dealerships (Off- Road, Watercraft and Implements) | 1 space per 500 sf |
Drug Store/Pharmacy | 1 space per 400 sf |
Farm Market or Other Open-Air Agri-Business | 1 space per 400 sf of sales area, whether paved, grass or other suitable material |
Garden Center | 1 space per 400 sf, plus 1 space per 1,000 sf of outdoor sales area |
Hardware supply store | 1 space per square feet of sales area, whether paved, grass or other suitable material |
Landscape Supply and Contracting Business (Plant or Tree Nursery) | 1 space per 1,000 sf |
Notion, Variety or Gift Shop | 1 space per 400 sf |
Office supply, printing, photocopy and packaging and similar services | 1 space per 400 sf |
Optical Sales | 1 space per 400 sf |
Miscellaneous Commercial | |
Agricultural Business | 1 space for each 2 employees on the largest shift |
Home Occupations, Major | Shall not reduce the number of parking spaces available to a dwelling unit to less than 2 |
Home Occupations, Minor | Shall not reduce the number of parking spaces available to a dwelling unit to less than 2 |
Any building more than 5,500 square feet | 1 space per 500 sf |
INDUSTRIAL/PRODUCTION | |
Manufacturing and Employment | |
Building Construction Services | 1 space for each 2 employees on the largest shift |
Cabinetry, Cabinet Making and Counters | 1 space for each 2 employees on the largest shift |
Cut-and-Sew Apparel Manufacturing | 1 space for each 2 employees on the largest shift |
Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing/Packaging, with the exception of animals | 1 space for each 2 employees on the largest shift |
Industry, Light | 1 space for each 2 employees on the largest shift |
Microbrewery, or Distillery with Tap/Tasting Room | 1 space per 150 square feet and 1 space for each 2 employees on the largest shift |
Renewable Energy Production Equipment, Distribution and Sales (wind, solar, and geothermal) | 1 space for each 2 employees on the largest shift |
Winery | 1 space for each 2 employees on the largest shift |
Warehousing, Storage & Distribution | |
Contractor Storage Yard | 1 space per 1,500 sf |
Propane Storage and Distribution | |
Seasonal Storage | |
Self-Storage Facility | 1 space per 1,500 sf |
INFRASTRUCTURE | |
Utilities | |
Dam | |
Electric-Generating Facility - Small-Scale | |
Irrigation and Industrial Water Supply | |
Mobile Support Structures and Facilities | |
Utility, Minor | |
Solar Energy Production, Small-Scale | |
Solar Energy Production, Large-Scale | |
Wind Energy | |
Wired and Wireless Communication/Cable/Transmission Facility | |
PUBLIC, CIVIC & INSTITUTIONAL | |
Assembly | |
Governmental, Institutional, or Nonprofit Community Use | 1 space for each 5 seats |
Club, Lodge or Meeting Hall | 1 space for each 5 seats |
Church/Religious Institution | 1 space for each 5 seats |
Educational Institutions and Services | |
Botanical Garden or Similar Outdoor Exhibits and Scientific Plant Study | |
Interpretive and/or Research Center for Historical, Natural or Social Sciences | 3.5 spaces per 1,000 sf |
Preschool | 1 space per employee on the largest shift, plus 1 space per 10 children |
School (Public or Private) | 4 spaces per classroom or office, 1 per 150 square feet of group seating area (auditorium, gymnasium, etc.) |
Technical or Trade School | 4 spaces per classroom or office, 1 per 150 square feet of group seating area (auditorium, gymnasium, etc.) |
Public Administration | |
Library | 3.5 spaces per 1,000 sf |
Community Center | 1 space for each 5 seats |
Parks, Trails and Open Space | 1 space per acre of passive recreation area |
Postal Service | 1 space per 800 sf |
Public Safety | 1 space per 800 sf |
Social Services and Nonprofit Organizations | |
Child and youth services | 1 space per 400 square feet |
Elderly and disabled services | 1 space per 400 square feet |
Family services (food, emergency, etc.) | 1 space per 400 square feet |
Notes: | ||
sf = gross sf building area of the principal structure unless otherwise indicated | ||
"—" = not applicable |
(3)
Location. Off-street loading spaces shall be located on the same lot with the principal use requiring such space. No loading space shall be located within 30 feet of the nearest point of intersection of two streets or require any vehicle to back into a public street.
(4)
Design. Each off-street loading space shall have a width of at least 12 feet, a length of at least 40 feet, and a vertical clearance of at least 15 feet. All loading berths shall be completely screened from residential properties by building walls or a uniformly painted solid fence, wall or door, or any combination thereof, not less than eight feet in height.
(5)
Surfacing. All open-street loading berths shall be improved with a compacted gravel base not less than seven inches thick, surfaced with not less than three inches of asphalt or treated with some comparable all-weather material providing a hard, durable, dustless surface. Unless impractical and waived by the Town Engineer, all such areas shall be graded and drained to a point or points within the private lot such that no runoff shall exit the property into the public street.
(6)
Repair and surface. No motor vehicle repair work or service of any kind shall be permitted in conjunction with any loading facilities that may be provided in any residential district.
(7)
Utilization. No motor vehicle repair work or service of any kind shall be permitted in conjunction with any loading facilities that may be provided in any residential district.
B.
Parking. In connection with every use, and provided at the time any use or building is erected, enlarged, extended, or increased, off-street parking stalls are required for all vehicles in accordance with the following:
(1)
Access. Adequate driveway access to a public street shall be provided for each parking space. Aisles providing access to stalls shall be not less than 24 feet wide.
(2)
Location. Parking locations are to be on the same lot as the principal use. No parking stall or driveway shall be closer than 25 feet to a residential district lot line or a street line opposite a residential district, except in residential districts.
(3)
Size. The size of each parking space shall have a stall width of at least 10 feet, a stall length of at least 20 feet and vertical clearance of at least 6 1/2 feet.
(4)
Delineation. Any off-street parking area under this section for five or more vehicles shall have the aisles and spaces clearly marked. Curbs or barriers shall be installed in parking lots that prevent the parked vehicles from extending over any adjoining lot line.
(5)
Grading. All parking spaces shall be graded and drained so as to prevent the accumulation of surface water.
(6)
Surfacing. All open off-street parking areas shall be surfaced with a dustless all-weather material or other appropriate impermeable surface material capable of carrying a wheel load of 4,000 pounds (normally, a three-inch blacktop on a compacted gravel base of not less than seven inches, or five inches of Portland cement, will meet this requirement).
(7)
Design. Irregular or other creative parking layout designs may be required to prevent or minimize the undesirable appearance of large undifferentiated spaces.
(8)
Setbacks. No part of a special purpose off-street parking facility shall extend closer to a street than 1/2 of the setback that would be required for a building on the premises. No part of a special purpose off-street parking facility shall encroach into setback areas. Screen plantings, decorative fences, walls or combination thereof shall be provided in setback area to protect and buffer adjacent properties.
(9)
Handicapped parking requirements. The provisions of Wis. Stats., §§ 101.13, 346.503 and 346.56, and any Wisconsin Administrative Code sections adopted pursuant thereto, are hereby adopted by reference and made applicable to all parking facilities constructed in the Town.
C.
Adjustments to required parking.
(1)
Purpose. The purpose of this subsection is to allow adjustments to the minimum number of parking spaces required to avoid constructing unneeded and excessive off-street parking facilities. Reducing the amount of excess off-street parking facilities is intended to provide for more cost-efficient site development, to eliminate constructing more impervious surface than necessary, to minimize stormwater runoff, to avoid construction of unnecessarily large stormwater management facilities, and to provide more landscape areas and open space on commercial and light industrial sites. To achieve these purposes, the Plan Commission may reduce the number of required off-street parking spaces in specific cases as described in this subsection.
(2)
Adjustments. In all districts, the minimum number of required parking spaces may be adjusted by the Town Board, upon recommendation from the Plan Commission, on an individual basis. The petitioner for such an adjustment shall show to the satisfaction of the Plan Commission that adequate parking will be provided for customers, clients, visitors, and employees. The following provisions and factors shall be used as a basis to adjust parking requirements:
(a)
Evidence that actual parking demands will be less than Zoning Code requirements. The petitioner shall submit written documentation and data to the satisfaction of the Plan Commission that the operation will require less parking than the Zoning Code requires.
(b)
Availability of shared parking. The petitioner shall submit written documentation to the satisfaction of the Plan Commission that off-site shared parking spaces are available to satisfy the parking demand. When the reduction of parking spaces attributable to shared parking is requested, the petitioner shall submit written verification that such parking is available and shall include copies of any contracts, joint lease agreements, purchase agreements, and other such documentation to show that such shared parking can be accomplished. The Town Attorney shall provide an opinion designating the method by which the required shared parking shall be provided. The off-site shared parking spaces shall be clearly posted for the joint use of employees and/or tenants or customers of each respective use those spaces serve.
(c)
Use of off-street parking for visitors. Available nearby on-street parking may be counted toward visitor parking needs. This may only be allowed when on-street parking spaces are within 250 feet of the entrance they are intended to serve.
(d)
Use of alternative transportation. Upon demonstration to the Plan Commission that effective alternative transportation to the automobile will occur, the Plan Commission may reduce parking requirements. Alternative transportation may include, but is not limited to, bus transit, van pool operations, car pool/ride sharing and bicycles. Parking management plans/operations may also be used as a basis to reduce required parking. Parking management plans may include, but are not limited to, flexible working hours or shifts, preferential parking for car pools/van pools, transit/van pool fare subsidy, imposition of a charge for parking, and establishment of a transportation coordinator to implement car pool, van pool, and transit programs. Proposals for adjustments of parking requirements under this subsection shall show how the alternative transportation modes will be implemented, the permanency of such modes, extent of the program, the number of vehicles the mode will replace, and other pertinent information.
(3)
Space to be set aside for reduced parking. The site plan for the commercial or light industrial use shall be designed to provide sufficient open space on the subject site to accommodate the additional parking spaces otherwise required by this section. Such open space shall be in addition to required yards, setbacks, driveways, private streets, loading, and service areas. Sufficient open space shall be provided which, if converted to parking spaces, would provide off-street parking to meet the full requirements of this section at the time of application.