The intent and purpose of the commercial zone (C) is to provide areas throughout the city in which commercial facilities designed to serve a broad area with a wide range of commercial services may be located. Such zone districts will generally be located along arterial and collector streets and will buffer residential areas from traffic, noise, and pollutants. It is the objective of this chapter to achieve development which will be compatible with surrounding uses.

No building or structure shall be erected, reconstructed, structurally altered, or enlarged, nor shall any building, structure or land be used for any purpose except as provided in this chapter. The following uses shall be permitted in the commercial zone (C).

Each residential use and structure legally existing as of January 1, 1980, is a permitted use in the commercial zone.

The following standards shall apply to uses within the commercial zone (C) provided that automobile service stations, public utility facilities, public and quasi-public buildings and facilities and drive-through and walkup restaurants, and buildings constructed adjacent to or directly across a public or private street from a residentially zoned district shall be subject to development standards contained in Chapter 17.11 of these regulations; and provided further, that any lot or parcel which is substandard in width, depth, or area and was legally recorded as a separate lot as of July 1, 1988, may be used for any use permitted by the commercial zone district regulations. Notwithstanding the above, residential uses and structures permitted by Section 17.14.030 shall be subject to development standards contained therein.

Accessory buildings and structures shall conform to the standards contained in Chapter 17.12.

A minimum of five percent of the total area devoted to parking shall be landscaped as well as all other areas not designated for parking, structures, or pedestrian walkways. Landscaping shall consist of grass, ground cover, or other plant materials and shall include an accepted automatic irrigation system (sprinklers, bubblers, or diffuser heads) or hose bibs not over fifty feet from any portion of a planted area and all landscaping shall be contained within six-inch concrete or eight-inch masonry curbing.

Except as permitted by Section 17.06.100, all business operations in the commercial zone must be conducted entirely within a completely enclosed building. However, automobile, and light truck sales, automobile service stations, outdoor dining, and other businesses which, by their nature, require operations outside of a building may be conducted outside of a building. Also, certain ancillary operations, such as the immediate loading and unloading of merchandise and supplies, routine property and building maintenance and permitted advertising may be conducted out of doors. Non-spoilable trash and/or recyclable material may be temporarily stored in approved and permitted trash enclosure area(s) for not more than seven days.

Businesses selling merchandise at retail may display sale or promotional items outdoors subject to the following regulations

Exterior lighting facilities shall be arranged in a manner that will not provide a direct glare or create hazardous interference with highways and neighboring properties.

There shall be sufficient refuse enclosures provided to serve each development. Each enclosure shall have minimum interior dimensions of five feet by seven feet and shall be constructed of wood, masonry, block, or a combination of such materials and shall be designed to be compatible with the principal structure or structures on the site. The number, placement and design of such enclosures shall be determined during review of the proposed development.

No building permit shall be issued for any lot or parcel of land unless said lot or parcel has frontage on a dedicated and improved public street or on a private street conforming to street standards established by the city.