A. General Rule: This zoning code rejects as outdated and inappropriate the concept of hierarchical and cumulative zoning districts and, except as noted below, is based on the concept that each district should be designed to accomplish a specific purpose, to encourage a particular type of development, and to protect that development from being encroached upon by incompatible types of development.
B. Special Rule: Within the foregoing philosophy, however, it is recognized that when different districts are juxtaposed, their differing characters may require special treatment to ameliorate incompatibilities that might otherwise result. For this limited purpose, this zoning code recognizes the concept of "more restrictive" and "less restrictive" districts. And for this limited purpose, the districts established by this zoning code shall be considered "more restrictive" or "less restrictive" in accordance with the following rules:
1. The open space district shall be deemed to be more restrictive than any other district.
2. The residential districts shall be deemed to be more restrictive than any nonresidential district except the open space district.
3. The R-1/2 district shall be deemed to be the most restrictive residential district and the R-6 district shall be deemed to be the least restrictive residential district, and the residential districts shall be deemed to become less restrictive as the district number increases.
4. The institutional buildings district shall be deemed to be more restrictive than the business and office districts but less restrictive than any residential district.
5. The business and office districts shall be deemed to be more restrictive than the industrial districts, and all of them shall be deemed to become less restrictive as the district number increases.
6. Except in the DR downtown redevelopment overlay district, overlay districts shall not be considered in determining the restrictiveness of the underlying district. (Ord., 10-2004)