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Watford City City Zoning Code

ARTICLE XVII

C-1 GENERAL COMMERCIAL DISTRICT

SECTION 1. - INTENT AND PURPOSE OF DISTRICT:

1.

The "C-1" General Commercial District is intended for the purpose of allowing basic retail, service and office uses. This district is also intended to provide locations for commercial activity that do not require a central location downtown. Also included are business uses needing large floor areas, particularly those of a service nature and certain industrial uses that do not create obnoxious sounds, glare, dust, or odor. The District is not intended for heavy commercial uses, uses that would be considered industrial in nature, or those businesses that may not be considered compatible with adjacent traditional General Commercial uses.

SECTION 2. - PERMITTED USES:

1.

Agricultural Equipment and automobile service/sales business.

2.

Animal Hospitals, Clinics and Kennels, providing the establishment and runs are completely enclosed in a building.

3.

Automobile Parking Lots and Garages (Public and Private).

4.

Banks and Other Savings and Lending Institutions.

5.

Bar, Poolroom, Tavern, Taproom, etc.

6.

Convenience Stores with or without fuel/alcohol sales.

7.

Fire Stations, Police Stations, and Jail.

8.

General Retail and Service Shops and Stores, i.e. food stores, car washes (not truck washes), convenience stores, mechanic shops, etc.

9.

Grocery Stores.

10.

Hotels, Motels, and Bed and Breakfasts.

11.

Laundromat/Dry Cleaner.

12.

Libraries and Museums.

13.

Meeting Halls and Auditoriums.

14.

Medical, Dental, and Office Buildings.

15.

Places of Worship.

16.

Recreational Buildings.

17.

Restaurants with or without Drive-through and with or without on-premises alcohol sales.

18.

Retail, Service and Sales Shops and Stores.

19.

Schools.

20.

Trucking and Freight Handling Centers.

21.

Warehouses.

22.

Accessory Uses Customarily Incident to the Above Uses.

23.

Engineered Post-Framed Buildings

(Ord. No. 446, 11-21-2017; Ord. No. 522, 1-7-2019)

SECTION 3. - CONDITIONAL USES:

1.

Automobile Service Stations, Retail Fuel Sales

2.

Billboards subject to the requirements outlined in SECTION 8 below

3.

Campgrounds (must conform with requirements from the Campground Zone)

4.

Carpenter and Cabinet Shops

5.

Contractors Office and Equipment Storage Yards

6.

Grain Elevators

7.

Hot Mix Asphalt Plant/Concrete Batch Plant

8.

Liquid, Gas Bulk, Explosives, and Other Hazardous Material Storage

9.

Manufacturing and/or Processing Operations

10.

Mobile Homes for Security Purposes

11.

RV Parks

12.

Salvage Yards/Recycling Operations

13.

Single-Family Dwelling Unit, for owner of an adjacent business

14.

Temporary Workforce Housing

15.

Transmission Facility/Substation/Public Uses

(Ord. No. 216, 9-7-2010; Ord. No. 522, 1-7-2019)

SECTION 4. - INTENSITY OF USE REGULATIONS:

1.

Commercial uses in this district shall be subject to fire regulations and building coverage shall be subject to yard regulations.

SECTION 5. - HEIGHT REGULATIONS:

1.

When a building or structure is within one hundred fifty (150) feet of a residential district zone, said building or structure shall not exceed thirty-five (35) feet in height without an approved variance.

2.

When a building is more than one hundred fifty (150) feet from a residential district zone, said building or structure shall not exceed fifty (50) feet in height if not in conflict with airport approach zones without an approved variance.

(Ord. No. 386, 12-1-2014)

SECTION 6. - YARD REGULATIONS:

1.

Front Yard:

There shall be a front yard of not less than 25 feet.

2.

Side Yard:

No side yard shall be required, except where such side yard is adjacent to a dwelling district zone, in which case there shall be required five (5) feet of side yard on the side of the lot which abuts the residential district zone; however, in instances where buildings are taller than allowed without a variance, there shall be an additional setback requirement at a ratio of three additional feet of setback for each ten feet of height above thirty-five (35) feet or fifty (50) feet as allowed without a variance in Section 5 of this ordinance or except where a side yard is required for fire regulations.

3.

Rear Yard:

There are no rear yard requirements other than loading and parking requirements; except in any case where such rear yard is adjacent to an area zoned for dwelling purposes there shall be required fifteen (15) feet of rear yard; however, in instances where buildings are taller than allowed without a variance, there shall be an additional setback requirement at a ratio of three additional feet of setback for each ten feet of height above thirty-five (35) feet or fifty (50) feet as allowed without a variance in Section 5 of this ordinance.

(Ord. No. 386, 12-1-2014)

SECTION 7. - PARKING AND LOADING:

As permitted in ARTICLE XX

SECTION 8. - SIGN REGULATIONS:

As permitted in ARTICLE XXI, SIGN REGULATIONS

Article XVII as Amended by Ordinance No. 197 on 10/06/08