(A) Purpose.
(1) The GC General Commercial District, is designed to provide sites for more diversified business types which would often be incompatible with the pedestrian movement in the Local Commercial District and which are oriented to serving the needs of “passer-by” traffic. Many of the business types permitted also generate greater volumes of traffic and activities which must be specially considered to minimize adverse effects on adjacent properties.
(2) The following regulation shall apply in all GC districts. Buildings, structures or premises, except as otherwise provided in this section, shall not be erected, altered or used except for 1 or more of the specified uses. Site plan review, as defined in §§ 152.131 through 152.136, shall be required for all uses in the GC District.
(B) Principal uses permitted. No building or structure or part thereof shall be altered or used, and no land shall be used except for 1 or more of the following:
(1) Any uses permitted in Office District (O) or Local Commercial District (LC), including small local service shopping centers and malls;
(2) Catering halls and/or establishments;
(3) Pet shops or taxidermist;
(4) Veterinary clinics, including indoor boarding facilities only;
(5) Printing, lithographing, publishing, blueprinting;
(6) Public parking area for compensation;
(7) Sign painting shop, within building;
(8) Motels and hotels subject to the following conditions:
(a) Each unit shall contain not less than 250 square feet of floor area; and
(b) No guest shall establish permanent residence at a motel for more than 30 days within any calendar year.
(9) Health and racquet clubs;
(10) Mini-warehouses subject to the following conditions:
(a) All storage of goods and materials shall be enclosed within a building; and
(b) At no time are any dangerous or hazardous materials to be stored.
(C) Permitted accessory uses. Buildings, structures, and uses customarily accessory to any permitted principal uses shall be permitted as approved during site plan review, in accordance with this section.
(D) Principal uses permitted subject to special conditions. The following special condition uses shall be permitted subject to review and approval by the Planning Commission and Township Board, and further subject to any and all reasonable conditions which may be imposed in accordance with §§ 152.130 Site Development, 152.131 through 152.136 Site Plan Review, and 152.150 through 152.152 Special Condition Uses.
(1) All special condition uses permitted in the Office District (O) or Local Commercial (LC) District;
(2) Express office;
(3) Farm implement, feed and fuel sales lots and stores;
(4) Pawn shops;
(5) Auto wash when completely enclosed in a building;
(6) New and used car/or other vehicle salesroom, showroom or office, including outdoor sales space for exclusive sale of new or secondhand automobiles, mobile homes, or rental of automobiles, all subject to the following:
(a) The lot or area shall be provided with a permanent, durable and hard surface, and drained as to dispose of all surface water accumulated within the area;
(b) Access to the outdoor sales area shall be at least 60 feet from the intersection of any 2 streets;
(c) All major repair or major refinishing shall be done in an enclosed building; and
(d) All lighting shall be shielded from adjacent residential districts.
(7) Business in the character of a drive-in/drive-through restaurant or open front store, subject to the following conditions:
(a) A setback of at least 60 feet from the right-of-way line of any existing or proposed street must be maintained;
(b) Access points shall be located at least 60 feet from the intersection of any 2 streets; and
(c) All lighting shall be shielded from adjacent residential districts.
(8) Gasoline and automobile service stations for the sale of gasoline, oil and minor accessories only, and auto repair;
(9) Radio or television broadcasting or recording studio and/or transmission station;
(10) Cleaning establishment using not over 2 cleaning units, neither of which shall be rated more than 40-pound capacity and using cleaning fluid of nonexplosive and nonflammable nature at temperatures below 138ºF;
(11) Amusement enterprises, bowling alleys, pool halls, boxing arena, dance hall or theater, when conducted wholly within a completely enclosed building;
(12) Public auditoriums;
(13) Golf driving ranges;
(14) Stadiums, skating arenas;
(15) Unattended relay transmission towers such as cellular telephone towers;
(16) Temporary outdoor sales. Grand openings, tent sales, special sales or special events may be permitted and shall be subject to the following conditions and considerations:
(a) The use shall be temporary. A permit for the temporary sales may be granted for a period not to exceed 14 days. A permit shall not be issued more than 2 times per year for any 1 business.
(b) All merchandise offered for sale shall be a products(s) normally offered or sold by the principal business or occupant of the subject business.
(17) Public parking areas for compensation, and the open storage of vehicles, including recreational vehicles and boats.
(18) Medical marijuana dispensary, provided that the dispensary that stores and sells or dispenses medical marijuana shall not be permitted:
(a) Within 500 feet, as measured from the boundaries of the subject property, of any other medical marijuana dispensary, medical marijuana club, compassion club, or medical marijuana growing facility;
(b) Within 250 feet, as measured from the nearest point of the building or tenant space in which the medical marijuana dispensary is located to the nearest point of the closest home in any residential district surrounding the property where the medical marijuana dispensary is located;
(c) Within 1,000 feet, as measured from the boundaries of the subject property, of any school, nursery, licensed day care center or other building used for the care or instruction of children under 18 years of age;
(d) Within 500 feet, as measured from the nearest point of the building or tenant space in which the medical marijuana dispensary is located to the nearest point of any church, house of worship, or other religious facility or institution surrounding the property where the medical marijuana dispensary is located;
(e) Within 1,000 feet, as measured from the boundaries of the subject property, of any public or municipal park; and
(f) A medical marijuana dispensary shall be subject to all requirements as set forth in §§ 151.131 through 151.134 of this code for site plan review.
(19) Medical marijuana club (compassion club), provided that the club shall not be permitted:
(a) Within 500 feet, as measured from the boundaries of the subject property, of any other medical marijuana dispensary, medical marijuana club, compassion club, or medical marijuana growing facility;
(b) Within 250 feet, as measured from the nearest point of the building or tenant space in which the medical marijuana club is located to the nearest point of the closest home in any residential district surrounding the property where the medical marijuana club is located;
(c) Within 1,000 feet, as measured from the boundaries of the subject property, of any school, nursery, licensed day care center or other building used for the care or instruction of children under 18 years of age;
(d) Within 500 feet, as measured from the nearest point of the building or tenant space in which the medical marijuana club is located to the nearest point of any church, house of worship, or other religious facility or institution surrounding the property where the medical marijuana club is located;
(e) Within 1,000 feet, as measured from the boundaries of the subject property, of any public or municipal park; and
(f) A medical marijuana dispensary shall be subject to all requirements as set forth in §§ 151.131 through 151.134 of this code for site plan review.
(20) Medical marijuana growing facility that does not sell or dispense medical marijuan to qualifying patient shall not be permitted:
(a) Within 1,00 feet, as measured from the boundaries of the subject property, of any other medical marijuana dispensary, medical marijuana club, compassion club, or medical marijuana growing facility;
(b) Within 250 feet, as measured from the nearest point of the building or tenant space in which the medical marijuana growing facility is located to the nearest point of the closest home in any residential district surrounding the property where the medical marijuana club is located;
(c) Within 1,000 feet, as measured from the boundaries of the subject property, of any school, nursery, licensed day care center or other building used for the care or instruction of children under 18 years of age;
(d) Within 500 feet, as measured from the nearest point of the building or tenant space in which the medical marijuana growing facility is located to the nearest point of any church, house of worship, or other religious facility or institution surrounding the property where the medical marijuana club is located;
(e) Within 1,000 feet, as measured from the boundaries of the subject property, of any public or municipal park; and
(f) A medical marijuana growing facility shall be subject to all requirements as set forth in §§ 151.131 through 151.134 of this code for site plan review.
(21) Warehousing and wholesale establishments, and trucking facilities; provided all products are enclosed within a building.
(22) Retail uses which have an industrial character in terms of either their outdoor storage requirements or activities (such as, but not limited to: lumber yard, building materials outlet, outdoor sales of boats, house trailers, or agricultural implements) or serve convenience needs (such as, but not limited to: eating and drinking establishments, bank, savings and loan association, credit union, motel or bowling alley, trade or industrial school or industrial clinic).
(23) Open air display area for the sale of manufactured products, such as similar to garden furniture, earthenware, hardware items or nursery stock, flea market or the rental of manufactured products or equipment such as household equipment, small tools, trailers, and similar products and equipment.
(24) Uses of the same nature or class as uses listed in this district as either a permitted principal use or a special land use as determined by the Planning Commission.
(E) Additional standards and regulations. The following list of references includes additional standards and regulations applicable to any proposed use in this district:
(1) Section 152.100 Schedule of Regulations;
(2) Section 152.031 Performance Standards;
(5) Section 152.077 Screening of Trash Storage Areas;
(6) Section 152.078 Landscaping; and
(7) Section 152.085 Signs.
(Ord. Art. XVII, passed 5-22-1997; Am. Ord. 439, passed 11-10-2011; Am. Ord. 458, passed 2-13-2014)