Santa Maria City Zoning Code
CHAPTER 12
12 C-1 CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT
Section 12-12.01 Regulations designated.
The sections of this chapter constitute the regulations of the C-1 (central business) district.
Section 12-12.02 Purpose.
The C-1 district is designed and intended to provide for the community's need for a pedestrian-oriented commercial district. The zone shall be used by those retail and service activities which are space intensive and serve the regional market.
Section 12-12.03 Permitted uses.
Section 12-12.04 Conditional uses.
Those uses which the Planning Commission finds to fall within the intent and purpose of this zone, that will not be more obnoxious or detrimental to the public health and welfare and are found by the commission to be compatible with adjoining land uses, provided that conditions and development standards are applied to mitigate any potentially adverse impacts, are permitted in the C-1 district subject to obtaining a conditional use permit according to the procedures set forth in Article 2 of Chapter 12-35 of this title. Examples include:
(a)
Bars and cocktail lounges, and restaurants serving alcoholic beverages;
(b)
Hotels or motels;
(c)
Passenger terminals;
(d)
Pet shops, (exception: fish sales only does not require a CUP);
(e)
Lodges and clubs;
(f)
Churches;
(g)
Mechanical riding machines;
(i)
Any use with drive-up, drive-in or drive-through facilities for serving customers from their vehicle;
(j)
Temporary retail sales within a hotel or motel;
(k)
An increase in pipeline capacity through the repair, maintenance, replacement or installation of new pipelines as defined in Section 12-2.113.1;
(l)
Farmers' markets;
(m)
Arts and crafts sales;
(n)
Auditoriums;
(o)
Community centers;
(p)
Theaters;
(q)
Concurrent retailing of motor vehicle fuel with alcoholic beverages for off-premises consumption at existing nonconforming service stations;
(r)
An apartment or living quarters which can be occupied only by the owner, caretaker or someone associated with a business located in the building;
(s)
Child daycare centers;
(t)
Senior citizen housing;
(u)
Buyback recycling facility when in conjunction with an existing business;
(Ord. 83-1065 § 1, eff. 1/5/84; Ord. 86-32 § 2, eff. 2/19/87; Ord. 88-6 § 1(B), eff. 6/2/88; Ord. 90-1 § 2, eff. 3/8/90; Ord. 92-14, eff. 11/05/92; Ord. 2005-04, eff. 5/9/05; Ord. 2006-13, eff. 10/2/06; Ord. 2012-08, eff. 5/17/2012; Ord. 2013-04, eff. 6/6/13; Ord. 2016-05 § 28, eff. 3/2/16)
Section 12-12.05 Penny arcades: Game machines.
Installations of four or more coin-operated game machines, as that term is defined at Section 4-6.101 of this Code, are permitted only upon the issuance of a conditional use permit or planned development permit, as provided for under this title.
(a)
Installations of three or less such game machines is expressly prohibited in the C-1 zone when provided in conjunction with the sale of alcoholic beverages, whether for on-premises or off-premises consumption, on the same premises if persons under the age of 18 years are also admitted, unless accompanied by and under the supervision of a parent, legal guardian or other adult person having legal custody. The proprietor of a premises coming within the provisions of this section shall post and maintain a sign in a conspicuous place advising customers of the requirements imposed in this subsection.
(b)
Installations of three or less such game machines shall provide at least 60 square feet of net public floor area solely devoted to each such machine.
(c)
An exemption from the provisions of this section exists for any such game machine located in a private dwelling and neither offered for use by, nor available to, the general public.
(d)
In addition to the standards and conditions set forth at Sections 12-35.203 through 12-35.208 and elsewhere in this title, the following standards and conditions are illustrative of those available to the City in reaching a final determination under this section:
(1)
At least two on-site bicycle parking spaces shall be provided for each such game machine. Bicycle parking shall be in approved bicycle racks or stands and shall not obstruct required exits or external circulation. Bicycle parking may be permitted inside buildings if no acceptable exterior parking site exists. In the event interior parking is required, the area designated as interior bicycle parking space may be deducted from net public floor area for purposes of calculating numbers of coin-operated machines permitted.
(2)
There shall be at least 60 square feet of net public floor area solely devoted to each such game machine.
(3)
No person under the age of 18 years shall be permitted to operate such game machines during normal school hours unless accompanied by a parent, legal guardian or other adult person having the legal care and custody of such minor.
(4)
All such game machines within a premises shall be visible to and supervised by an adult attendant who shall be present at all times when any such game machine is being operated.
(5)
The adult supervision of the patrons on the premises shall be adequate to ensure and shall, in fact, ensure that there is no conduct contrary to law or otherwise detrimental to the public health, safety and welfare.
(6)
Generally distributed illumination adequate to permit observation and supervision shall be maintained in all parts of the premises at all times when any such game machine is available for public use.
(7)
No such game machine shall be situated in violation of any applicable fire regulation or so as to hinder reasonable internal circulation on the premises.
(e)
Nonconforming business amortization:
(1)
Existing, legally nonconforming arcades shall be exempt from the provisions of this section. Legal nonconforming uses include those installations of such game machines for which one or more of the following permits or licenses had issued on or before June 22, 1982:
(A)
A conditional use permit under the provisions of this title;
(B)
A planned development permit under the provisions of this title;
(C)
An operator's license under Chapter 4-6 of this Code for purposes of establishing legal nonconformity only. An installation of such game machines is legally nonconforming if such an operator's license had issued to either:
(i)
The owner/operator of the premises at which such machines are located, or
(ii)
The distributor who placed such machines upon the premises, unless the placement of additional machines at such a location on or after June 22, 1982 constituted the unauthorized expansion of an existing nonconforming use.
(2)
All other installations of such machines are illegal nonconforming uses, and the owner or operator shall, within 90 days after the effective date of the ordinance from which this section derives, either comply with the provisions of Chapter 4-6 of this Code and of this title or terminate the nonconforming use, ownership, operation or possession.
(3)
Any unauthorized expansion of nonconforming uses is prohibited.
(Ord. 82-1039 § 2, 1982)
Section 12-12.06 Accessory uses.
Premises in the central business district may be used for accessory uses, provided such uses are established on the same lot or parcel of land, are incidental to and do not substantially alter the character of any permitted principal use.
Section 12-12.07 Development standards.
Section 12-12.08 Building site.
Each lot or parcel of land shall have a minimum lot area of not less than 7,000 square feet. Minimum lot width is 50 feet.
Section 12-12.09 Height.
No lot or parcel of land in the C-1 district shall have a building or structure in excess of three stories, or 40 feet in height, whichever is less.
However, a conditional use permit or planned development permit is required for any building or structure in excess of one story or 18 feet in height when adjacent to a residential zoning district unless the building or structure is located more than 100 feet from the residential district boundary. Properties separated by streets and alleys are considered to be adjacent.
Exception: Within the boundaries of the Central Redevelopment Project - California NDPA-1-2, no lot or parcel of land shall have a building or structure in excess of 75 feet in height, provided, however, that the height of a building or structure in excess of three stories or 40 feet in height is subject to approval of a conditional use permit or planned development permit by the Planning Commission.
(Ord. 87-11 § 1, eff. 7/16/87; Ord. 98-16, eff. 01/14/99)
Section 12-12.10 Wall.
Each lot or parcel of land in the C-1 district which has a side or rear lot line adjoining property in a residential zone shall have a solid masonry wall of not less than six feet in height, established along the side and rear lot line adjoining the zone.
Section 12-12.11 Setbacks.
(a)
Front Yard. Each lot or parcel of land which has a side lot line adjoining property in a residential zone shall have a front yard of not less than 10 feet in width.
(b)
Side Yard. Each lot or parcel of land in the C-1 district which has a side lot line adjoining property in a residential zone shall have a side yard of not less than 10 feet in width on the side adjoining such residential lot or parcel of land.
(c)
Rear Yard. Each lot or parcel of land in the C-1 district which has a rear lot line adjoining property in a residential zone shall have a rear yard of not less than 10 feet.
Section 12-12.12 Project review.
Approval of elevations, site plans and landscaping by the Zoning Administrator is required before the issuance of a building permit.
Section 12-12.13 Parking.
For provisions on parking, see Chapter 12-32 of this title.
Section 12-12.14 Signs.
For provisions on signs, see Chapter 12-34 of this title.
Section 12-12.15 Entrada Plan.
Standards presented in the Entrada Specific Plan may apply to uses in certain locations, see Section 12-3.04.
Section 12-12.16 Westside revitalization project.
Standards presented in the Westside Revitalization Project Design Guidelines apply to the areas within the C-1 district, see Section 12-3.05.
(Ord. 83-1065 § 1, eff. 1/5/84)
Section 12-12.17 Display and storage.
All display and storage shall be located wholly within an enclosed building.
Section 12-12.18 Residential screening.
Each lot or parcel of land which has a side or rear lot line adjoining property in a residential zone shall have a solid masonry wall of not less than six feet in height established along the side and rear lot line adjoining the zone.
Section 12-12.19 Non-taxable merchandise limitations.
For commercial uses exceeding 90,000 square feet of gross floor area, the non-taxable merchandise floor area shall not exceed 8% of the total gross floor area of the building occupied by the commercial use.
(Ord. 97-12, Enacted, 12/4/97)