The purpose of the O-2 district is to accommodate the development of larger scale office buildings or office building complexes or other institutional or public service uses of an intensity that is normally greater than what is permitted in the O-1 district. The O-2 district is intended to be applied to larger parcels that have direct access to major thoroughfares. Offices within this district are intended to be developed as a planned or integrated cluster of establishments served by consolidated driveways and parking areas as well as unified architecture and landscaping features.

   The following uses shall be permitted, provided that all businesses shall be conducted within a completely enclosed building:

   A.   Any one or more of the permitted uses in section 8.01 of the O-1 district, except as otherwise provided herein;

   B.   Any one or more of the special approval land uses specified in section 8.02 of the O-1 District, as regulated in the O-1 District, but not requiring Planning Commission approval;

   C.   Office uses which, by their nature, are more intense and of a scale larger than that permitted in the O-1 District;

   D.   Retail businesses normally associated with, and complementary to, office districts, i.e., stationery shops, office supplies and office equipment;

   E.   Uses similar to those above, as determined by the Zoning Official.

   The following uses and others similar to those cited in this article may be permitted by the Planning Commission, subject to the general standards of section 25.02 and the specific standards of imposed for each.

   A.   General hospitals, subject to the following conditions:

      1.   All such hospitals shall be developed only on sites consisting of at least ten acres in area and providing a minimum of 1,500 square feet of lot area per bed;

      2.   All ingress and egress from the site shall be directly onto a major thoroughfare having an existing or planned right-of-way width of at least 120 feet as indicated on the Master Road Plan;

      3.   Ambulance delivery and service areas, when visible from adjacent land zoned for residential purposes, shall be obscured from view by a wall at least six feet in height;

      4.   The minimum distance between any structure and a property line shall be 75 feet;

      5.   Maximum lot coverage shall not exceed 30%.

   B.   Colleges, universities and other similar institutions of higher learning, public and private, offering courses in general, technical or religious education, subject to the following conditions:

      1.   Any use permitted herein shall be developed on sites of at least 15 acres in area;

      2.   All ingress to and egress from the site shall be directly onto a major thoroughfare having an existing or planned right-of-way width of at least 120 feet as indicated on the Master Road Plan;

      3.   No building shall be closer than 50 feet to any property line when said property line abuts or is adjacent to land zoned for residential purposes;

      4.   The site shall consist of a minimum area of 400 square feet per pupil.

   C.   Private, noncommercial recreation areas, nonprofit swimming pool clubs, institutional or community recreation centers, subject to the following conditions:

      1.   Any use permitted herein shall not be permitted on a lot or group of lots of record, except in those instances wherein 100% of the owners of property immediately abutting and 65% of the owners of property within 300 feet of any property line of the site herein proposed for development shall sign a petition indicating concurrence with said site;

      2.   Front, side and rear yards shall be at least 50 feet in width and shall be landscaped with trees, shrubs and grass;

      3.   Maximum lot coverage shall not exceed 30%;

      4.   Whenever a swimming pool is constructed, said pool area shall be surrounded with a protective fence six feet in height, and entry shall be provided by means of a controlled gate.

   D.   Private clubs, fraternal organizations, lodge halls, cultural centers and union halls, subject to the following conditions:

      1.   All such uses shall have ingress and egress directly onto a major thoroughfare having an existing or planned right-of-way width of at least 120 feet as indicated on the Master Road Plan;

      2.   All activities, other than parking of motor vehicles and loading and unloading, shall be conducted within a completely enclosed building, except for outdoor activity specifically approved and/or licensed by the City Council;

      3.   No building shall be closer than 50 feet to any property line;

      4.   Maximum lot coverage shall not exceed 30%;

      5.   No such uses shall abut an existing residential district on more than one side.

   E.   Restaurants, when incidental in size to the principal office uses included on the site, subject to the following conditions:

      1.   Adequate ventilation shall be provided to ensure that any odors associated with any food preparation will be confined to the site so as not to create a nuisance for any adjoining parcels. Evidence of the type and adequacy of any such ventilation system shall be provided and approved by the City of Sterling Heights Building Department and the Macomb County Health Department;

      2.   All restaurants shall be located in an existing office building and shall not be permitted as a freestanding building;

      3.   The site shall be located on a major thoroughfare with at least 120 feet of right-of-way, existing or proposed.

   F.   Establishments relating to the trade, investment, sale or appraisal of precious metals, precious stones, jewelry, coins, stamps, rare books and paintings, subject to the following conditions:

      1.   The use shall be located in the office building with access from a common corridor within the building;

      2.   The use shall be located entirely within a building containing other business and/or professional offices. The total floor area devoted to such uses shall not exceed 40% of the total usable floor area of the entire building;

      3.   No more than 2,000 square feet of the total usable floor area of the office building shall be devoted to such uses;

      4.   No advertising or display for such business or use shall be visible from a public thoroughfare or sidewalk;

      5.   No sign shall be visible from a public thoroughfare or sidewalk, except one wall sign for identification purposes;

      6.   Temporary use of the premises by transient dealers or traders shall be prohibited.

   G.   Mortuaries, not including crematories, subject to the following conditions:

      1.   Sufficient off-street automobile parking and assembly area is provided for vehicles to be used in a funeral procession. The assembly area shall be provided in addition to any required off-street parking area;

      2.   The site shall be located so as to have one property line abutting a major thoroughfare of at least 120 feet of right-of-way, existing or proposed;

      3.   Adequate ingress and egress shall be provided to said major thoroughfare;

      4.   Loading and unloading area used by ambulances, hearses or other such service vehicles shall be obscured from all residential view by a wall six feet in height.

   H.   Fully assisted housing, subject to the following conditions:

      1.   All such facilities shall ingress and egress from a site directly onto a major or secondary thoroughfare having an existing or planned right-of-way of at least 86 feet as indicated on the Master Road Plan or a private road of at least four lanes which serves as a secondary thoroughfare;

      2.   All such facilities shall be developed only on sites consisting of at least five acres in area;

      3.   There shall be provided at least 1,000 square feet of lot area per bed;

      4.   Licensing shall be in accordance with the State of Michigan and/or appropriate authority or jurisdiction.

   I.   Office developments in excess of two stories in height, but not exceeding three stories and a maximum of 40 feet in height, may be permitted in the O-2 district only, subject to the following conditions:

      1.   No office structure in excess of two stories in the proposed development shall be located closer than 100 feet to any residential zone district.

      2.   The use shall have ingress and egress directly onto a major thoroughfare having an existing or proposed right-of-way of at least 120 feet as indicated on the master road plan.

   J.   Public utilities, as regulated by section 3.02(I). Wireless communication towers, antennas and related facilities shall be further subject to the provisions of section 28.18.

(Ord. No. 278-T, § 5, 6-3-97; Ord No. 278-Y, §§ 10, 11, 5-16-00; Ord. No. 278-BB, § 2, 12-18-01)

   Accessory buildings and uses customarily incidental to the principal permitted uses enumerated in sections 9.01 and 9.02 are permitted. Amusement devices shall be permitted, subject to the requirements of section 28.01.

   A.   The minimum size of each lot:

      1.   Area: 1 acre.

      2.   Width: 100 feet.

   B.   Maximum height of any structure:

      1.   In stories: 2.

      2.   In feet: 30.

   C.   Minimum building floor area:

      1.   Area: 5,000 square feet.

   D.   Minimum yard setback per lot:

      1.   Front and street-side setbacks shall be measured from the centerline of each road right-of-way (R.O.W.) in accordance with the city’s Master Road Plan, as follows:

         Distance from centerline (in feet):

         a.   Regional (204' R.O.W.): 131.

         b.   Regional (150' R.O.W.): 110.

         c.   Major: 95.

         d.   Secondary: 78.

         e.   Collector: 70.

         f.   Local: 65.

         g.   Cul-de-sac radius: 95.

         h.   Freeway: 35.*

         i.   Private roads: 35.**

   *   Freeways shall be measured from the established right-of-way line.

   **   In the case of private roads, the front yard setback shall be measured from the road easement or common usage line abutting the subject lot.

   Where the majority of lots are located in a commercially platted subdivision, the lots abut private roads and/or public roads with a right-of-way equal to or less than 86 feet as shown on the Master Road Plan and adequate access to the building for fire fighting and emergency equipment is available, parking shall be permitted to encroach not more than 20 feet into the required front yard setback measured from the required front building setback line. The required front yard shall be landscaped and maintained thereafter in a neat and orderly fashion.

   If existing right-of-way is greater than that shown on the Master Road Plan, the front yard setback (or street side setback) as measured from the centerline of the right-of-way shall be equal to one-half of the actual right-of-way of the street plus 35 feet for all classes of roads.

      2.   Side: 25 feet. Where a lot line abuts a side street, that street yard setback shall be the same as the front yard required for the use fronting on the street adjacent to said property. No building shall be located closer than 50 feet to the outer perimeter (property line) of such district when such property line abuts any residential zoning district.

      3.   Rear: 40 feet. No building shall be located closer than 75 feet to the outer perimeter property line when such property line abuts any residential zoning district.

   E.   Maximum lot coverage. The maximum lot coverage shall be governed by meeting all requirements for yard space, landscaping, screening and off-street parking and loading.

(Ord. No. 278-E, § 4, 7-3-90; Ord. No. 278-G, § 3, 9-18-90; Ord. No. 278-P, § 1, 10-3-95; Ord. No. 278-U, § 7, 1-6-98; Ord. No. 278-Y, § 12, 5-16-00)

   A.   The exterior of all buildings hereafter erected shall be constructed of brick and/or stone building materials or other similar durable, decorative building materials as may be approved by the Planning Department, subject to any additional requirements set forth in section 26.01, paragraph H. The architecture and exterior finish of any building shall be complementary and compatible in style and be of uniform finish on all sides of its exterior.

   B.   All portions of the site not used for parking, driveway and buildings shall be provided with a lawn or landscaping (section 24.02) approved by the Planning Department and so maintained in an attractive condition.

   C.   Once a building line has been established by the construction of a principal building upon an approved site, no other principal building or use shall be located between the established building line and the front lot line (or side lot line abutting a side street) without first obtaining approval of the Planning Commission. The Planning Commission shall review the building and/or use proposed to be located in front of the established building to determine whether the building or use is of such location, size and character to be in harmony with the appropriate and orderly development of the balance of the site, is not detrimental to the development of adjacent uses, does not create any vehicular or pedestrian hazards and is aesthetically compatible with the buildings and uses located upon the site. Landscaping plans, site plans (including signs and the location of dumpsters) and elevations of all sides of any building to be constructed shall be submitted to enable the Planning Commission to determine whether the proposed additional building and/or use conforms with the requirements of this section. All dumpsters shall be screened from visibility from any area visible to the public by use of a wall constructed of the same material as the building walls to ensure aesthetic compatibility. In reviewing this request, the Planning Commission shall apply the standards contained herein and in section 25.02 and may impose reasonable conditions as authorized by section 25.03(D) to ensure that the standards are satisfied.

   D.   Roof mounted appliances and fixtures shall be effectively screened on all sides by the roof line so as not to be visible from off the site. (Section 24.04)

   E.   The distance of the closest point between any two buildings shall not be less than 30 feet.

(Ord. No. 278-A, § 18, 4-17-90; Ord. No. 278-OO, § 2, 8-5-09)