PURPOSE AND INTENT. In accordance with the Village of Los Ranchos Master Plan, the purpose and intent of this Section is to establish a Village Center Zone surrounding the Fourth Street/Osuna Boulevard/Chavez Road Intersections in the Village of Los Ranchos that promotes a more viable commercial center for the Village while protecting the established neighborhoods abutting Fourth Street and Osuna.
In creating the Village Center Zone the Village envisions a pleasurable destination for Village residents to gather and shop, an area that can be utilized for public gatherings such as markets and special events with a mix of complementary uses. Commercial development should be limited to those uses which are deemed to encourage pedestrian activity and draw large numbers of individuals to the area for the use of the general retail, restaurant and service establishments. To support the desired commercial development, the Village Center Zone should be the highest density residential zoning district in the Village of Los Ranchos.
The Village Center Project Area includes land within the Village Center Zone, but does not include all of the land within the Village Center Zone. In this Project Area, the Village will encourage the types of development envisioned, and may control development parameters by requiring economic development plans, entering into development agreements and to the extent the land may be owned or controlled by the Village, by filing of covenants and restrictions dealing with development and use of the Land, in addition to the zoning ordinances.
(A) LOCATION AND AREA. In accordance § 9.2.5, the boundaries of the Village Center Zone and the Village Center Project Area are shown on the official Zone Map.
(1) The Project Area boundaries may be amended by the Board of Trustees in accordance with § 9.2.25(E), Commission/Board Issued Permits.
(B) ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN. An Economic Development Plan may be required for any development within the Village Center Project Area and the content shall be defined by the terms of a Development Agreement entered into between the Village and the property owner or developer. The Economic Development Plan will be reviewed by the Planning and Zoning Commission, which may make recommendations with regard to the Economic Development plan, and approved by the Board of Trustees.
(C) USES. Properties within the Village Center Zone shall conform to the Use Table below. Uses designated as “Permitted” may be denied if the proposed use is not in conformance with the Master Plan, or is deemed by the Village to be a nuisance or injurious to adjacent property, the neighborhood, or the Village of Los Ranchos.
Use Table | |
Key: | |
Permissive Uses | P |
Conditional Uses | C |
Prohibited Uses | X |
All uses shall meet regulations for permits as required by the Village Codified Ordinances. | |
Agricultural | C |
As an ancillary use in support of an on-site permissive use, limited to an area not to exceed 10% of the area of the permissive use it supports, and not to include livestock | C |
Cannabis establishment | X |
Residential (as qualified below) | P |
Assisted living (adult) facilities | C |
Daycare (adult) facilities | C |
Duplex | X |
Garage sales, estate sales, home distribution parties, trunk shows or other similar activities. | X |
Single-family detached | X |
Townhouses are required to provide a minimum of 24 dwelling units per gross acre. | C |
Triplex | X |
Institutional (as qualified below) | P |
Government buildings and accessory uses customarily incidental to that use. | C |
Places of worship | C |
Schools, public or private, educational facilities, or learning centers | C |
Theaters | C |
Food and alcohol service (as qualified below) | P |
Alcohol sales between 12:00 am and 2:00 am | C |
Alcohol sales between 2:00 am and 8:00 am | X |
Lodging (densities consistent with residential use requirements) | P |
Services (as qualified below) | P |
Dry cleaning, laundry, clothes pressing operations, laundromats | C |
Ferrier services | X |
Large animal boarding facilities | X |
Mortuary | X |
Rental centers | X |
Office | P |
Retail (as qualified below) | P |
Adult bookstore or video store | X |
Adult entertainment establishments | X |
Fireworks stores, both temporary and permanent | X |
Large format retail exceeding 50,000 square feet at ground level | X |
Light Manufacturing such as jewelry, pottery, ceramics, glass, and metal art | P |
Auto-oriented Uses | |
Auto sales, parts and supplies, including service stations and farm equipment | X |
Commercial car washes | X |
Construction yards and commercial storage facilities | X |
Establishments with drive-up facilities | C |
Self-storage units | X |
Trailer or recreational vehicle sales or service | X |
Civic Support | |
Parking lots and parking structures | C |
Public utility structures such as transformers, switching, pumping, or similar technical installations essential to the operation of a public utility | C |
(D) AREA REGULATIONS.
(1) Residential density is limited by area regulations in the Village Center zone.
(2) Lot widths in the Village Center Zone shall be a minimum of sixteen (16) feet and a maximum of one hundred twenty (120) feet. Within the Project Area lot widths shall be a minimum of sixteen (16) feet and a maximum of two hundred (200) feet. These widths shall apply to buildings on existing lots with dimension in excess of that allowed in lieu of requiring subdivision.
(3) Setbacks
(a) Setbacks for properties in the Project Area that abut residential zoned property shall be:
Front | Five (5) feet minimum and eighteen (18) feet maximum |
Side | Fifteen (15) feet minimum |
Rear | Fifteen (15) feet minimum |
(b) Setbacks for properties in the Project Area that do not abut residential zoned property shall be:
Front | Five (5) feet minimum and twelve (12) feet maximum |
Side | Zero (0) feet minimum or six (6) feet maximum |
Rear | Zero (0) feet minimum |
(c) Setbacks for properties not in the Project Area abutting C-1 or VC property:
Front | Five (5) feet minimum and twelve (12) feet maximum |
Side | Zero (0) feet minimum or six (6) feet maximum |
Rear | Ten (10) feet minimum |
(d) Minimum setbacks for properties abutting an M.R.G.C.D. irrigation ditch or drain shall be twenty-five (25) feet from the nearest edge of the ditch or the required property line setback, whichever is greater.
(4) Building height shall be regulated in stories and maximum height pursuant to the following restrictions. Measurements for the Height limits will exclude masts, flues, or elevator bulkheads.
(a) Maximum Building heights shall be the lesser of three (3) stories or forty-eight (48) feet.
(E) DESIGN REGULATIONS.
(1) The design of the commercial and residential development within the Project Area will be determined in the Site Development Plan application and approval process.
(2) Blank exterior building walls (walls with no openings and a single color, material, and uniform texture on a single plane) greater than 15 feet in length shall not be permitted. Exterior walls that face Fourth Street or Osuna Road must have glazing with clear glass for a minimum of 30% of the area of the façade.
(3) Lots that face Fourth Street shall have buildings along a minimum of fifty (50) percent of the property line/setback adjacent to Fourth Street.
(4) The primary entry of all buildings shall face a sidewalk readily accessible to the public. Secondary entries may face private parking lots.
(5) Pedestrian and bicycle paths shall be encouraged. Development standards for pedestrian and bicycle paths shall include:
(a) Stable, permeable surface including pavers, permeable asphalt or concrete.
(b) A continuous planter separating the path from the street.
(c) Paths shall connect to existing sidewalks and bike paths if connections are possible.
(d) Shade shall be provided for a minimum of fifty (50) percent of the pedestrian or bicycle path.
(e) No barriers shall be permitted within the path including, meters, utility poles, signage, furniture, or walls. Planters not exceeding thirty (30) inches in height may abut bicycle and pedestrian paths.
(6) Parkland provided in new development shall comply with the following standards:
(a) All parks shall be publicly accessible and visible from the right-of-way.
(b) Parks may be in the form of a plaza, community garden, or pocket park. A minimum of fifty (50) percent of a plaza perimeter shall be a public street. Plazas may be landscaped or paved, or a combination of both pavement and landscaping, shall provide a minimum of twenty (20) percent shade, and shall provide seating.
(F) OFF STREET PARKING REGULATIONS.
(1) Excepting for areas within the Project Area parking may be permitted at the side of a building, but may not be located between the front of the building and the public sidewalk. If parking is located on the side a building, it shall be screened from the roadway by an opaque wall or evergreen hedge that shall be a minimum of thirty (30) inches and a maximum of forty (40) inches in height.
(2) Off street parking requirements for the Project Area shall be determined by the Site Development Plan.
(3) The minimum requirements for off-street parking spaces for property not in the Project Area shall be as follows:
Use | Required off street parking spaces |
Use | Required off street parking spaces |
Amusement facility | Four (4) spaces per one thousand (1,000) square feet of gross floor area |
Residential | One (1) space per residence |
Dining, bar, nightclub | Five (5) spaces per one thousand (1,000) square feet of gross floor area |
Retail, office | Two (2) spaces per one thousand (1,000) square feet of gross floor area |
Assembly | Four (4) spaces per one thousand (1,000) square feet of gross floor area |
Lodging | One (1) space per room |
Light manufacturing | One (1) space per one thousand (1,000) square feet of gross floor area |
Institutional | Three (3) spaces per one thousand (1,000) square feet of gross floor area |
(G) LANDSCAPING REGULATIONS.
(1) The Site Development Plan will establish the landscaping requirements for the Project Area. Landscape maintenance shall comply with § 9.2.19 (F)
(2) The requirements of § 9.2.19 of the Zoning Code provide the basic guidelines for designing the landscaping in the non-Project Area excepting buffer widths shall be equal to or less than the required side or rear setback.
(H) DARK SKIES REGULATIONS. The regulation of § 9.2.20 of the Zoning Code shall govern all site lighting in the Village Center Zone.
(I) SIGNS.
(1) The Site Development Plan will establish the sign requirements for the Project Area.
(2) The requirements of § 9.2.22 of the Zoning Code will apply as to the basic guidelines in the non-Project Area except as follows.
(a) Sandwich board signs may be permitted during business hours but they must not impede pedestrian or bicycle access. Sandwich boards may be permitted on a public sidewalk.
(b) Height. Maximum height of a free-standing sign shall not exceed eight (8) feet in height from the elevation of the sidewalk closest to the base of the sign. The sign will not be permitted within the clear site triangle for any roadway.
(J) OUTDOOR STORAGE REGULATIONS.
(1) Stored materials shall be fenced, screened, and fully buffered from public view.
(2) Stored materials shall be safely contained.
(K) OUTDOOR DISPLAY OF MERCHANDISE.
(1) The outdoor display of merchandise will be permitted if it is ancillary to a primary business.
(2) The total area allowed for the ancillary outdoor display of merchandise (excluding agriculture) shall be less than five (5) percent of the total gross square foot area of the principal building unless otherwise approved by the Village.
(3) Displayed merchandise shall be safely stored and shall not utilize required parking spaces or impede pedestrian use of interior walkways.
(4) The displays shall be temporary and may be erected and used during business hours only.
(5) Outdoor displays shall be located not less than fifteen (15) feet from any residentially zoned property which is outside of the Village Center Zone
(L) APPLICATION AND APPROVAL PROCESS. All applications for development requiring platting actions other than the Project Area shall be approved in the manner set forth in § 9.2.25 of the Zoning Code.
(M) TRANSIT REGULATIONS. If there is an existing bus stop located directly adjacent to a property, granting of an easement for a new sheltered bus stop will be a development requirement, as approved by the Commission/Board.