The purpose of the General Business Districts is to allow general commercial and office development in designated areas located along arterial streets, limiting the intensity of development and providing adequate off-street parking. Automotive and similar drive-in type establishments shall be prohibited.

In a General Business District no land, building or structure shall be used, and no building shall be hereafter erected, altered or added to, unless otherwise provided in these regulations, except for one (1) or more of the following uses:

No minimum requirement, except that no lot shall have less than 50 feet of frontage on at least one street.

No principal building, structure or use shall extend closer than thirty (30) feet from any front lot line or Residential District Boundary Line, fifteen (15) feet from any side lot line or twenty-five (25) feet from any rear lot line. No accessory building or structure shall extend closer than thirty (30) feet from any front lot line or Residential District Boundary, and fifteen (15) feet from the side and rear lot lines.

No building or other structure shall exceed two (2) stories and a height of either twenty-five (25) feet to the top of a flat roof or thirty (30) feet to the mid-point of a pitched roof.

The building coverage shall not exceed twenty-five percent (25%) of the area of the lot which lies within a General Business District.

No mandatory requirements.

The architectural design, scale and mass of buildings and other structures, including, among other elements, the exterior building material, color, roof-line, and building elevations shall harmonize and be compatible with the other buildings in the General Business Districts so as to preserve and improve the appearance and beauty of the community. New construction or reconstruction shall adhere to the design purpose of this district, in whole or in part.

1. Buildings designed to achieve a small scale and residential appearance shall be encouraged.
2. Pitched roofed buildings shall be encouraged.
3. Roof-top mechanical equipment, other than solar energy panels, shall be concealed from all sides.
4. Buildings shall be designed and located on the site so as to retain the existing topography and natural features of the land to the greatest extent possible.(813, 03/27/2023)

Signs shall be permitted in accordance with §33 of the Supplementary Regulations.

Off-street parking and loading shall be provided in accordance with §34 of the Supplementary Regulations. Pursuant to Special Permit approval, minimum parking requirements may be met using a Parking Management Plan per §34-4.2.

Notwithstanding the above, Unified Shopping Centers entirely in the GBD zone, having frontage on the Post Road, parking shall be provided subject to the following standards:

a. First Floor parking, 1 parking space per each 200 square feet of gross floor are

b. Parking for areas above the First Floor, 1 parking space per each 300 square feet of gross floor area.

c. Warehouse Storage space above the First Floor, 1 parking space per each 500 square feet of gross floor area.

d. Basement and/or Cellar space, 1 parking space per each 500 square feet of gross floor area.

e. Rugs/Furniture/Fabric Stores on any floor, 1 parking space per each 400 square feet of gross floor area.(792, 05/27/2021; 808, 03/05/2022)

Landscaping, screening and buffer areas shall be provided in accordance with §35 of the Supplementary Regulations.

 

The following additional uses are permitted subject to Special Permit and Site Plan approval in accordance with §43, herein.

Except as provided in Section 24-2.2.9, herein, the following uses in addition to those listed in §32-7, herein, shall be prohibited: gasoline filling stations, automobile service establishments, motor vehicle repair garages, any lot, establishment, agency or dealer for new, rental or used motor vehicles, automobiles, motor cycles, trucks, mobile homes, trailers, campers, farm or other heavy equipment, hotels, motels, motor inns, and drive-in restaurants.(776, 07/09/2020)

Groups of buildings on a single lot shall be so arranged that the minimum horizontal distance between the nearest walls, or corners of any principal and/or accessory buildings shall not be less than one-half the sum of the heights of such adjacent buildings.

Coverage shall not include entry ways comprising less than a total of 200 SF or open entryway canopies comprising less than a total of 500 SF; said exemption benefitting considerations of public access, safety and convenience.  (776, 07/09/2020; 804, 01/28/2022)

No one building shall exceed 10,000 square feet of gross interior floor area and no group of stores or shopping center shall exceed 50,000 square feet of gross interior floor area.

No buildings or structures shall exceed a Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 0.25 on the area of the lot that lies within the General Business District (GBD) Zone. Floor area used for parking and loading spaces, internal vehicular drop off and internal display areas for up to a total of five (5) vehicles shall be excluded from the FAR. (776, 07/09/2020)

No buildings or structures in any Multiple Use Development, which contains two-family or multi-family dwellings, shall exceed an FAR as described in §32-12. In any Multiple Use Development containing two-family or multi-family dwellings, any incremental increase in floor area above the maximum allowable FAR for the non-residential uses shall be used for dwelling(s) units, only. No dwelling unit approved under these bonus provisions shall thereafter be changed to any non-residential use. Floor area used for parking and loading shall be excluded from the FAR.

Any use permitted in the Residence AAA District, subject to the same approvals and conditions specified in 11-2, herein.

The following additional uses are permitted subject to Site Plan Approval in accordance with §43, herein.

1. Stores and shops where goods are sold and services are rendered primarily at retail.
2. Grocery stores, delicatessens and Retail Food Establishments.
3. Restaurants.
4. Cafes and taverns.
5. Business, professional, medical, healthcare professional, insurance, real estate and other offices.
6. Banks
7. Indoor theaters and assembly halls.
8. Undertaker's establishments.
9. Newspaper and job printing establishments.
10. Off-street parking lots, docks and garages.

Veterinary hospitals and animal clinics. There shall be no more than one outside exercise area for animal runs. The use of such area shall be limited to the period from 8:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M.

Golf driving ranges, paddle tennis courts, tennis courts, bowling alleys, skating rinks and other indoor and outdoor commercial recreation and entertainment uses, except game rooms.

Commercial marinas, including accessory boat sales. No boat shall be occupied or used as a dwelling or dwelling unit.

Commercial Wireless telecommunication service facilities, in conformance with §32-16.

Private Occupational Schools.

Bank drive-in within 500 feet of another bank drive-in as permitted by §24-2.3.3.

Inclusionary two family and multi-family dwelling units subject to the provisions of §32-12, herein.

Retail boat sales including accessory boat repairs and storage in conformance with §32-22.

Automobile Dealership, New and Used as defined in Section 5-2 in operation as of July 9, 2020.

(776, 07/09/2020) 

Cottage Cluster Developments (835, 11/01/2023) 

Use customarily accessory to a permitted principal use including the manufacturing, processing or assembly of goods which is incidental to the conduct of a retail business conducted on the premises, subject to provisions of §32-7, herein.

Outdoor storage and display is permitted in accordance with §32-6, herein.

Bank drive-in; except that no lot shall be used for a bank drive-in, if such lot is located within a radius of 500 feet from any other lot used for a drive-in bank, provided that the Planning & Zoning Commission may permit, upon a Special Permit Approval in accordance with §43 of the regulations, and so long as the Commission shall find that such use shall maintain or improve the traffic level of service and safety conditions in and around the site. The application must be accompanied by a traffic report supplied by the applicant.

Wholesaling and warehousing.

Outdoor Eating Areas for Restaurants, Cafes, Taverns and Retail Food Establishments subject to the requirements in §32-20 and initial administrative approval in the form of a Site Plan Waiver from the Planning and Zoning Director pursuant to §43 and a Zoning Permit. Thereafter the use is subject to an annual Zoning Permit from the Planning and Zoning Office renewed by May 1st each year provided there are no changes, or a new Site Plan Waiver must be obtained.(814, 04/01/2022)

Games Rooms, subject to the following conditions:

1. That a Zoning Permit be obtained from the Zoning Enforcement Officer.
2. The number of coin operated amusement devices shall be limited to not more than 3 per lot.
3. The hours of operation of said game room shall not exceed those of the principle use, but in no case shall the hours of operation extend beyond 11:00 P.M. except in establishments with liquor licenses for on-premises consumption.

One attached dwelling unit.