(a)

An authorized agency of the municipal, parish, state or federal government or the private owner or owners of any tract of land comprising an area of not less than ten (10) acres may submit, to the zoning commission, a plan for the use and development of all of the tract of land for residential and allied purposes. The development plan shall be referred to the zoning commission for study and report and for public hearings. Notice and publication of the public hearings shall conform to the procedure prescribed in section 12-2011 of this chapter. After consideration by the commission, these plans shall be submitted to the city council for consideration and action. The recommendations of the commission shall be accompanied by a report stating the reasons for its action. If the commission gives approval, it shall submit specific evidence and facts showing that the proposed community unit plan meets with the following conditions:

(1)

The property adjacent to the area included in the plan will not be adversely affected;

(2)

The plan is consistent with the intent and purposes of this chapter to promote public health, safety, morals, and general welfare;

(3)

The buildings shall be used only for single-family dwellings, two-family dwellings, or multiple dwellings, and the usual accessory uses such as private or storage garage, parking spaces, and for noncommercial community activities such as libraries, schools and other similar uses; and

(4)

The average lot area per family contained in the site, exclusive of the area occupied by streets, will not be less than the lot area per family required in the district in which the development is located.

(b)

If the city council approved such a plan, building permits and certificates of zoning compliance may be issued even though the use of land and the location and height of buildings to be erected in the area and the yards and open space contemplated by the plan do not conform in all respects to the district regulations of the district in which it is located.

(1)

Minimum off-street parking uses:

a.

Apartments. One and one-half (1½) spaces per apartment unit.

b.

Dwellings. One (1) space for each dwelling unit.

c.

Boardinghouses. One (1) space for each five (5) guests.

d.

Tourist homes. One (1) space for each room.

e.

Hotels. One (1) space for three (3) guest rooms.

f.

Clubs and fraternities. One (1) space for four (4) members.

g.

Libraries and museums. One (1) space for each four hundred (400) square feet.

h.

Schools. Elementary and junior high, one (1) space for each two (2) classrooms; senior high, four (4) spaces for each classroom; colleges and universities, five (5) spaces for each classroom.

i.

Auditoriums and theaters. One (1) space for each ten (10) seats.

j.

Hospitals. One (1) space for each five (5) beds.

k.

Clinics. One (1) space for each two hundred (200) square feet.

l.

Stores and shops. One (1) space for each one hundred fifty (150) square feet.

m.

Offices. One (1) space for each three hundred (300) square feet.

n.

Restaurants. One (1) space for each five (5) seats.

o.

Roadside stand. Five (5) spaces only.

p.

Undertakers. One (1) space for each two hundred (200) square feet.

q.

Industries and manufacturing. One (1) space for each three (3) employees.

(2)

Supplementary regulations, uses:

a.

Fences may be erected along the boundaries of a lot or yard area subject to the requirements of the building code. One (1) segment of a fence may be erected in a required side yard.

b.

Power, heating or refrigerating plants, apparatus or machinery which are accessory to permitted uses shall be permitted only if placed and operated so as to comply with existing ordinances and not cause serious annoyance or injury to occupants of adjoining premises.

(3)

Area:

a.

Where a lot has less area than the minimum requirements for the district within which the lot is located, and was a lot of record in separate ownership from adjacent property at the time of the passage of this zoning ordinance, that lot may be used for a single-family dwelling or other non-dwelling use permitted in the district.

b.

More than one (1) main institutional, public or semi-public, commercial or industrial building may be built on a lot provided it is located within the buildable area of the lot.

(4)

Height:

a.

Public, semi-public or public service buildings, schools, or institutions when permitted in any district may be built to a height not exceeding sixty (60) feet when the required front, side, and rear yards are each increased by one (1) foot for each one (1) foot of additional height above the height limit of the district.

b.

The height limitations of this chapter shall not apply to church spires, belfries, monuments, tanks, water towers, fire towers, stage towers or scenery lofts, cooling towers, ornamental towers, spires, radio or television antennas, chimneys, elevator bulkheads, smokestacks, oil derricks, conveyors or flagpoles; except that all uses including the above shall comply with the provisions of any government jurisdiction height zoning ordinance.

c.

Accessory buildings shall not be built more than 13 feet in height.

(5)

Yards:

a.

Where a lot in a business or industrial district abuts a lot in a residential district, there shall be provided along such abutting lines a yard equal in width or depth to that required in the residential district.

b.

Where the frontage on one (1) side of a street between two (2) intersecting streets is zoned partly as residential and partly as business or industrial, the front yard depth in the business or industrial district shall be equal to the required front depth of the residential district.

c.

On every corner lot there shall be provided on the side street a side yard equal in depth to one-half (×) the required front yard depth on the said side street; the front yard requirement of a residential district shall prevail over that of a commercial or industrial use.

d.

On a corner lot in any district no fence, wall, hedge, or other structure or planting more than three (3) feet in height shall be erected, placed or maintained within the triangular area formed by the intersecting street lines and a straight line joining the street lines at points which are thirty (30) feet distant from the point of intersection measured along the street lines.

e.

Covered but unenclosed areas may project into required yards not more than ten (10) feet and shall not be considered in determining yard sizes; provided, however, that such area shall not be closer than four (4) feet to any lot lines.

f.

Every part of a required yard shall be open to the sky except ordinary projections not over 18 inches except that a roof, gutter or eaves may project to the extent of four (4) feet providing at least three (3) feet remains open to the sky.

g.

If forty (40) percent or more of the frontages on the same side of the street between two (2) intersecting streets are improved with buildings that have observed front yard less than that required, no building need be set back from the street more than the average front yard depth of such buildings.

h.

Open fire escapes may extend into any required yard not more than five (5) feet.

i.

Bay windows may project into any required yard not more than two (2) feet.

j.

The building area of accessory buildings shall not be greater than forty (40) percent of the required rear yard area.

k.

Accessory buildings shall not be built less than three (3) feet from a lot line.

l.

Accessory buildings may be built in required side yards; providing that the building is not less than sixty (60) feet from the front lot line.

(Ord. No. 186, 10/10/68, Art. VI)