General. Unless specifically defined below, words or phrases used in this section shall be interpreted to give them the meanings they have in common usage and to give this section its most reasonable application.

Specific terms. As used in this section, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:

No adult use shall be allowed within 1,500 feet of another existing adult use.

No adult use shall be located within 500 feet of the boundaries of the R, UMU, NMU, D, C Districts.

No adult use shall be located within 2,000 feet of a preexisting school or place of worship.

This section shall not apply to any establishments existing on the effective date of said section, which shall be subject to requirements for nonconforming uses.

Observation from public way prohibited. No adult use shall be conducted in any manner that permits the observation of any activity, display, decoration, sign, show window, screen or activity from any public way or from any property not registered as an adult use, except signs as permitted as part of a special permit review process.

No person, firm, corporation or other entity shall lease, rent, maintain, operate, use or allow to be operated or used any business or establishment, any part thereof which contains an adult use, without first complying with the provisions of this section as set forth below.

In addition to all other necessary licenses and permits, no form of adult use shall be allowed to operate nor allowed to continue to operate, until a certificate of registration is filed in person with the City Clerk by the corporate principals containing:

If there occurs any change in the information required for the certificate of registration, the City Clerk shall be notified of such change and a new amended certificate filed within 30 days of such change.

Upon change of ownership, a new certificate of registration must be filed with the City Clerk.

The processing fee for each certificate of registration or amendment thereto shall be $1,500. Such certificate of registration shall be effective concurrently with the special use permit issued as provided below.

No certificate of registration issued under the provisions of this section shall be transferable to any person other than the registrant, nor shall a certificate of registration be transferable for use at any premises, building or location other than that stated in the certification of registration.

The owner, manager or agent of any adult use shall cause a copy of the certificate of registration, issued under the provisions of this section, to be prominently displayed on the premises, building or location for which it is issued.

Any knowingly false statement, or any statement which the registrant or applicant should reasonably have known to be false, which is provided in the certificate of registration or any document or information supplied therewith shall be grounds for rejection, suspension or revocation of the certificate of registration.

It is a violation of this section for the owner or person in control of any property to establish or operate thereon or to permit any person to establish or operate an adult use without having in force a certificate of registration complying with this section.

No use as described in this section shall be established until the issuance of a special use permit by the Planning Commission. Application for such a special use permit shall be in conformity with this chapter.

A special use permit issued under the provisions of this section shall not be transferable.

Animals, crops, plants, and composting shall only be kept in conditions that limit odors, noise, the attraction of insects, and rodents so as not to cause a nuisance or health hazard to occupants of nearby buildings or lots.

Animals shall not be kept in a manner that is injurious or unhealthful to the animals being kept on the property.

It shall be unlawful for any person or other party operating or occupying any building or premises to keep or allow to be kept any animal that makes noise that unreasonably disturbs the peace and quiet of the neighborhood.

Animal or animal products may not be sold unless it is an approved use in the district in which it located.

Composting areas shall not be located within the setback areas for the district in which it located.

Number of animals.

The coops or cages housing such animals shall be located:

No roosters, geese, guinea fowl or turkeys may be kept in any district.

All such animals shall be provided with a covered, predator-proof coop or cage or other shelter that is thoroughly ventilated, designed to be easily accessed and cleaned, and of sufficient size to permit free movement of the animals, exclusive of areas used for storage of materials or vehicles.

All such animals shall have access to an outdoor enclosure adequately fenced or otherwise bounded to contain the animals on the property and to prevent access by dogs, cats and other predators.

The keeping of bees, and associated beehives, shall be governed by the following regulations.

Number. There may only be one beehive for each 2,400 square feet of lot area with a maximum of three beehives per parcel.

Location and setbacks. Beehives may not be located in any of the required setbacks. The front of any beehive shall face away from the property line of the residential property closest to the beehive.

Fences and shrubs. A solid fence or dense hedge, known as a "flyway barrier," at least six feet in height, shall be placed along the side of the beehive that contains the entrance to the hive, and shall be located within five feet of the hive and shall extend at least two feet on either side of the hive. No such flyway barrier shall be required if all beehives are located at least 25 feet from all lot lines and for beehives that are located on porches or balconies at least 10 feet above grade, except if such porch or balcony is located less than five feet from a lot line.

Water supply. A supply of fresh water shall be maintained in a location readily accessible to all bee colonies on the site throughout the day to prevent bees from congregating at neighboring swimming pools or other sources of water on nearby properties.

Prohibitions. No Africanized bees may be kept on a lot in any district.

All permanent storage of material, merchandise and equipment shall be within a building.

During business hours, open-air outdoor storage of materials, merchandise and equipment shall be permitted. During nonbusiness hours, storage of materials, merchandise and equipment shall take place within the principal building or within closed, secure containers, such as outdoor storage cabinets.

No partially dismantled or wrecked vehicle or any unregistered vehicle shall be stored for more than 72 hours outside of an area unless screened from public view.

All entrance and exit lanes, parking areas and vehicle storage areas shall be surfaced with an all-weather, durable and dustless surface.

Stormwater shall be accounted for according to state, local and federal regulations.

In the NMU District, auto repair activities shall be limited to three bays.

No repair activity, and no building within which such operations are conducted, shall take place within 100 feet of the Residential District. This distance may be waived or modified by the Planning Commission during site plan review or special permit review or by the Planning and Community Development Department if site plan review and special permit are not required upon finding that this distance is not necessary given existing circumstances of the property or adjacent use.

All repairs shall be performed within an enclosed building on the premises, and the doors of the repair building shall not face any Residential District.

Screened storage areas shall be provided for damaged vehicles awaiting repairs and for any vehicles requiring longer-term storage while awaiting repair. Such storage area shall be located to the side or rear of the principal building.

Sales of vehicles shall only be accessory to the primary use, and the vehicles shall not occupy the required parking spaces.

All vehicular access shall be from a radial arterial, radial collector street, or state-maintained arterial as classified by the City of Watertown's Complete Streets Design Guidelines.

All washing and machine-dry operations shall be conducted within a building.

Queuing lane(s) shall not interfere with on-site or off-site pedestrian and vehicular circulation.

The building exit for automobiles that have completed the washing and machine-drying process shall be set back a minimum of 40 feet from the nearest point of any property line. This distance may be waived or modified by the Planning Commission during site plan review or special permit review or by the Planning and Community Development Department if the Department finds that the existing circumstances of the property or adjacent uses do not warrant site plan review or special use permit review and that a forty-foot setback is unnecessary.

No washing, vacuuming, steam cleaning, waxing, polishing or machine-drying operation, and no building within which such operations are conducted, shall be permitted within 100 feet of a Residential (R) District.

All lot lines abutting or adjacent to a Residential (R) District shall be screened on such side by a landscape buffer that may consist of evergreen trees and shrubs, a berm or a six-foot tight board fence or a combination thereof. Such buffer shall be adequate to shield headlights, noise, and uncontrolled access from adjoining properties. No such landscape buffer shall block the sight line distance for ingress and egress to the property.

In the NMU, minimum lot size of 1.5 acres.

In the UMU and NMU Districts, hours of operation shall be limited to 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

The applicant shall submit an analysis of the traffic impact of the proposed development that addresses the following:

All lot lines abutting or adjacent to Residential Districts shall be screened on such side by a landscaped buffer that may consist of evergreen trees and shrubs, a berm or a six-foot tight board fence or a combination thereof. Such buffer shall be adequate to shield headlights, noise, and uncontrolled access from adjoining properties. No such landscape buffer shall block the sight line distance for ingress and egress to the property.

An accessory car wash shall have no more than a single point of access for entering and exiting and shall be limited to a single bay.

No such use shall be located within 100 feet of any Residential District boundary line.

Any repairs shall be performed only within an enclosed building on the premises.

The showroom shall be oriented toward the public street.

Screened storage areas shall be provided for damaged vehicles awaiting repairs and for any vehicles requiring longer-term storage while awaiting repair. Such storage area shall be located to the side or rear of the principal building.

Vehicle sales/rental/storage uses shall be considered parking lots; therefore parking regulations shall apply with regard to landscape requirements.

Fast-food restaurants and coffee shops: sufficient to accommodate a minimum queue of six vehicles.

All other accessory drive-through: sufficient to accommodate a minimum queue of two vehicles per window.

Washington Street.

Franklin Street.

State Street.

Factory Street.

Mill Street.

Main Street West.

Coffeen Street.

Arsenal Street.

Massey Street.

Mullin Street.

Academy Street.

Gotham Street.

Minor home occupations: a home occupation in which no persons other than resident of the property are engaged in the occupation, which has no visible exterior evidence of the conduct of the occupation, which does not create need for off-street parking beyond normal dwelling needs, which does not generate additional traffic, and in which no equipment is used other than that normally used in household, domestic or general office use.

Major home occupations: a home occupation in which not more than one person other than resident of the property is employed, but which exceeds any of the stated criteria for a minor home occupation.

May not perform any services on-site.

May not serve customers on-site.

May not have visible exterior evidence of the conduct of the occupation.

May not create need for off-street parking beyond normal dwelling needs.

May not generate additional traffic above normal neighborhood levels.

May not use equipment other than that which is normally used in household, domestic, or general office use.

May not store any materials outdoors on-site.

May not generate noise above the normal levels of the neighborhood.

May not have delivery or pickup services that would exceed the average volume for the residential neighborhood where the home occupation is located.

Entertainment, drinking, and public eating establishments;

Veterinary services, including grooming and boarding, and the breeding or care of animals for hire or for sale;

Sales, repair or maintenance of vehicles, including automobiles, boats, motorcycles, aircraft, trucks, or recreational vehicles;

Trade or private schools. This excludes private instruction of up to two students at any one time.

Roof-mounted solar energy systems that use the electricity on-site or off-site are permitted as an accessory use in all zoning districts when attached to any lawfully permitted building or structure.

Height. Solar energy systems shall not exceed the maximum height restrictions of the zoning district within which they are located and are provided the same height exemptions granted to building-mounted mechanical devices or equipment.

Aesthetics. Roof-mounted solar energy system installations shall incorporate, when feasible, the following design requirements:

Roof-mounted solar energy systems that use the energy on-site or off-site shall be exempt from site plan review under this chapter.

Ground-mounted solar energy systems that use the electricity primarily on-site are permitted as accessory structures in all districts.

Height and setback. Ground-mounted solar energy systems shall adhere to the height and setback requirements of the underlying zoning district.

Lot coverage. The surface area covered by ground-mounted solar panels shall be included in total allowable lot coverage of the underlying district.

All such systems in the Residential (R) District shall be installed in the side or rear yards.

If the property of the proposed project is to be leased, legal consent between all parties, specifying the use(s) of the land for the duration of the project, including easements and other agreements, shall be submitted.

Drawings showing the layout of the solar energy system signed by a professional engineer or registered architect shall be required.

The equipment specification sheets shall be documented and submitted for all photovoltaic panels, significant components, mounting systems, and inverters that are to be installed.

Property operation and maintenance plan. Such plan shall describe continuing photovoltaic maintenance and property upkeep, such as mowing, trimming and application of herbicides.

Decommissioning plan. To ensure the proper removal of large-scale solar energy systems, a decommissioning plan shall be submitted as part of the application. Compliance with this plan shall be made a condition of the issuance of a special use permit under this chapter. The decommissioning plan must specify that after the large-scale solar energy system can no longer be used, it shall be removed by the applicant or any subsequent owner. The plan shall demonstrate how the removal of all infrastructure and the remediation of soil and vegetation shall be conducted to return the parcel to its original state prior to construction. The plan shall also include an expected timeline for execution. A cost estimate detailing the projected cost of executing the decommissioning plan shall be prepared by a professional engineer or contractor. Cost estimations shall take into account inflation. If the large-scale solar energy system is not decommissioned after being considered abandoned, the City may remove the system and restore the property and impose a lien on the property to cover these costs to the City.

Prior to the acceptance of a special use permit application, the applicant must provide the City with a performance guarantee as provided herein. The amount of the guarantee shall be 1.25 times the estimated decommissioning cost or $50,000, whichever is greater. Estimates for decommissioning the site shall be determined by a professional engineer or a licensed contractor. It is the responsibility of the applicant to provide the City with the certified cost estimate.

The following types of performance guarantees are permitted:

The full amount of the bond, certified check, or letter of credit must remain in full force and effect until the solar farm is decommissioned and any necessary site restoration is completed.

Special use permit standards.

Removal of abandoned large-scale solar energy systems.

No on-site consumption of cannabis products shall be permitted at a marijuana retail dispensary.

On-site cannabis consumption lounges are prohibited.

A marijuana retail dispensary shall not be located on the same road and within 500 feet of a building and its grounds occupied exclusively as school grounds, as defined in § 409(2) of the New York State Education Law. The distance between the dispensary and the school shall be measured from the door of the marijuana retail dispensary to the property line of the school.

A marijuana retail dispensary shall not be located on the same road and within 200 feet of a building and its grounds occupied exclusively as a house of worship. The distance between the dispensary and the house of worship shall be measured from the door of the marijuana retail dispensary to the property line of the house of worship.