Article 15. C-2 General Commercial District

15-1.          Intent and purpose of district.

The C-2 general commercial district is intended for the purpose of allowing basic retail, service, and office uses in locations outside the central business district.

This district is intended to provide locations for commercial activities that do not need a central location but do require a location easily accessible to downtown shoppers.

Business uses needing large floor areas, particularly those not compatible with central business district densities, are included in this district.

15-2.          District regulations.

In the C-2 district, no building shall be used and no building or structure shall be erected, altered, or enlarged which is arranged, intended, or designed for other than one of the uses listed in section 15-3.

15-3.          Use regulations.

Uses in the C-2 district:

(1)   Accessory uses.

(2)   Amusement places (indoors).

(3)   Animal hospitals, clinics and kennels providing the establishment and runs are completely enclosed in a building.

(4)   Antique shops and stores, providing all merchandise is displayed and sold inside a building.

(5)   Apparel and accessory stores.

(6)   Apartments on floors other than the ground floor.

(7)   Armory.

(8)   Art and art supply stores.

(9)   Artist studio.

(10) Auditoriums and similar places of public assembly.

(11) Automobile accessory and supply store.

(12) Automobile and mobile home sales and service.

(13) Automobile parking lots and garages.

(14) Bakery and pastry shop (retail only).

(15) Banks and other savings and lending institutions.

(16) Barber shops, beauty shops, chiropody, massage or similar personal services.

(17) Bicycle shops.

(18) Books and stationary stores.

(19) Bowling alleys.

(20) Business and technical schools including schools for photography, dancing and music.

(21) Business machine repair, sales and service.

(22) Carpenter and cabinet shops employing five persons or less.

(23) Car wash.

(24) Cigar and tobacco store.

(25) Churches and other similar places of worship.

(26) Clothing and costume rental.

(27) Commercial recreation centers.

(28) Computer and associated equipment, sales and service.

(29) Custom dressmaking, millinery, tailoring and similar trades.

(30) Delicatessens and catering establishments.

(31) Department stores.

(32) Drug stores and prescription shops.

(33) Dry goods and notion stores.

(34) Dry cleaning and laundry establishments.

(35) Electronic appliances and equipment stores.

(36) Fire stations, police stations and jails.

(37) Fix-it shops (radio, television and small household appliances).

(38) Florist and gift shops.

(39) Funeral homes and mortuaries.

(40) Furniture and home furnishing stores.

(41) Golf courses including miniature golf and driving tees.

(42) Government administrative buildings.

(43) Greenhouses, garden centers and nurseries.

(44) Grocery stores.

(45) Hardware stores.

(46) Hobby, stamp and coin shops.

(47) Hotels and motels.

(48) Household appliance stores.

(49) Interior decorator’s shops.

(50) Jewelry and metal craft stores and shops.

(51) Leather goods and luggage stores.

(52) Library and museum (public).

(53) Liquor stores.

(54) Lock and key shops.

(55) Lumber and building supply stores.

(56) Mail order catalog stores.

(57) Medical, dental and health clinic.

(58) Medical and orthopedic appliance stores.

(59) Meeting halls and auditoriums.

(60) Messenger and telegraph service stations.

(61) Music instrument sales and repair shops.

(62) Music studios.

(63) Newspaper offices.

(64) Newsprint, job printing and printing supply stores.

(65) Offices and office buildings.

(66) Office supply and office equipment stores.

(67) Optician and optometrists.

(68) Package liquor stores.

(69) Paint and wall paper stores.

(70) Parking lots and garages.

(71) Parks and open spaces.

(72) Pawn shops.

(73) Pet shops.

(74) Photographic equipment sales and supply stores.

(75) Photographic studios.

(76) Picture framing shops.

(77) Plumbing shops.

(78) Post office.

(79) Printers.

(80) Private clubs and lodges.

(81) Radio and television studios.

(82) Restaurants, including drive-ins.

(83) Service stations.

(84) Self-service laundries and dry cleaning establishments.

(85) Sewing machine shops and stores.

(86) Sheet metal shops employing five persons or less.

(87) Shoe stores.

(88) Shoe repair shops.

(89) Sporting and athletic goods stores.

(90) Stores and shops for the conduct of retail business similar to the uses listed in this section.

(91) Tailor shops.

(92) Taverns.

(93) Theaters.

(94) Tire repair shops.

(95) Tinsmith shops employing five persons or less.

(96) Toy stores.

(97) Travel bureaus.

(98) Used car lots.

(99) Utility company offices.

(100)      Variety stores.

(101)      Watch repair shops.

(102)      The following uses may be allowed by special use permit when submitted, reviewed, and approved by the board of zoning appeals, and under such condition as the board may impose:

a.     Motor vehicle repair service, provided that all work shall be performed and all materials shall be stored within an enclosed building; and provided further that all operable or inoperable motor vehicles determined by the building official to be a safety hazard or visual blight shall be screened from public view and access by a solid or semi-solid fence having a minimum height of six feet and a visual density of no less than 90 percent.

b.    Motor vehicle body shop, provided that all work shall be performed and all materials shall be stored within an enclosed building; and provided further that all operable or inoperable motor vehicles determined by the building official to be a safety hazard or visual blight shall be screened from public view and access by a solid or semi-solid fence having a minimum height of six feet and a visual density of no less than 90 percent.

c.     Storage and warehousing except for products of a highly explosive, combustible or volatile nature.

d.    Wholesale establishments except those which handle products of a highly explosive, combustible or volatile nature.

e.     Any public building erected on land used by any department of the city, county, state or federal government.

f.     Public utility—telephone exchange, electric substation, radio and television towers, water, sewers or storm sewer facilities, a natural, piped gas operating under government franchise and contract.

g.     Collection and distribution of recyclable items.

h.    Adult video and novelty stores.

15-4.          Intensity of use regulations.

A tract used for other than residential purposes shall be not less than 2,500 square feet in area with an average width of not less than 25 feet. A minimum of 1,500 square feet of lot area shall be required for each apartment built above ground floor.

15-5.          Height regulations.

No building in a C-2 district shall exceed 35 feet except as provided in the additional height, area, and use regulations of this chapter.

15-6.          Yard regulations.

(a)   Front yard. There shall be a front yard having a depth of not less than 25 feet, except as required for arterial streets and collector streets in Article 23.

(1)   Where a lot or group of lots have a double frontage, the required front yard shall be provided on both streets.

(2)   Where a lot is located at the intersection of two or more streets or roads, there shall be a front yard on each street side of a corner lot.

(b)   Side yard. Where the C-2 district abuts a residential district there shall be a side yard of not less than six feet.

(c)   Rear yard. There shall be a rear yard of not less than 25 feet, or 20 percent of the depth of the lot, whichever amount is smaller.

15-7.          Sign regulations.

See Article 18.

15-8.          Parking and loading regulations.

See Article 19.

15-9.          Landscaping regulations.

See Article 20.

15-10.        Traffic regulations.

See Article 21.