(A) Prohibited uses. All permitted principal and accessory uses in the underlying general zoning district are allowed; except that, the following uses are prohibited, irrespective of the underlying zoning district.
(1) Business, professional and personal services (§ 6.4).
(a) Automobile parking (commercial);
(b) Automobile rental or leasing;
(c) Automobile repair and service (excluding storage of wrecked or junked vehicles);
(d) Automobile storage;
(e) Automobile towing and storage services;
(f) Automobile washing facilities;
(g) Automobile wrecking or junk yards;
(h) Communicative facilities, including radio and television broadcasting excluding towers that exceed the height limits;
(I) Contractors’ facilities with open storage;
(j) Convenience store;
(k) Drive-in theaters;
(l) Equipment rental and leasing;
(m) Equipment repairs, heavy;
(n) Equipment repairs, light;
(o) Freezer lockers;
(p) Private clubs;
(q) Radio, television or communication towers;
(r) Recreational vehicle parks or campsites;
(s) Refrigerator or large appliance repair;
(t) Repair shops not classified elsewhere;
(u) Septic tank service;
(v) Service stations (not including truck stops);
(w) Shoe repair or shoeshine shops;
(x) Tattoo parlors;
(y) Taxi terminals;
(z) Tire recapping;
(aa) Truck and utility trailer rental, sale and leasing, heavy;
(bb) Truck and utility trailer rental, sale and leasing, light;
(cc) Truck driving schools;
(dd) Truck washing; and
(ee) Utility stations and plants.
(2) Retail trade (§ 6.5).
(a) Automobile and truck dealers, new and used;
(b) Automobile parts and supply store;
(c) Boat dealer, sale or repair;
(d) Building supply dealers;
(e) Farm machinery sales and service;
(f) Farmer’s or produce markets;
(g) Flea market;
(h) Fuel oil sales;
(I) Mobile home sales and service;
(j) Motorcycle sales;
(k) Newsstands;
(l) Pawn shop;
(m) Recreation vehicles sales and service;
(n) Retail sales and services not classified elsewhere, including outdoor storage;
(o) Service stations (gasoline);
(p) Tire dealers and service; and
(q) Truck stops.
*Note: wholesale trade uses are prohibited in the South Gateway Overlay District.
(B) Permitted uses with definitions. The following uses are allowed in the South Gateway Overlay District according to the standards set forth in § 3.26(E) of this ordinance. Note that the following uses with an “S” next to them indicate that a special use permit is required per the guidelines found in § 12.5(B) of this ordinance.
(2) Business, professional and personal services (§ 6.4).
(a) Animal clinics and hospitals; including totally enclosed kennels operated in connection with animal clinics or hospitals S;
(b) Building maintenance services;
(c) Dry cleaning and laundry facilities;
(d) Exterminating services;
(e) Laundromats;
(f) Locksmith shops, including repair;
(g) Motion picture production;
(h) Photo finishing laboratory;
(I) Structures and uses clearly incidental to a permitted use;
(j) Tanning salons;
(k) Upholstering and furniture refinishing;
(l) Veterinary services S; and
(m) Watch or jewelry repair shops.
(3) Retail trade (§ 6.5).
(a) Brew-pub;
(b) Furniture repair, including upholstery;
(c) Jewelry sales and repair;
(d) Microbrewery S;
(e) Music stores including instrument dealers and repairs;
(f) Outfitter;
(g) Pet stores;
(h) Retail sales and services not classified elsewhere, and where all retail sales and services are conducted in an enclosed building; and
(I) Shoe sales and/or repair.
(C) Design regulations South Gateway Corridor; architectural requirements.
(1) General principals.
(a) Design regulations are not intended to promote the repetition of the existing built form of Mount Holly, but to allow imaginative design that is respectful of its unique location.
(b) Roof forms are to be pitch or flat.
(c) Architectural elements like openings, sills, bulkheads, columns and other architectural features shall be used to establish human scale at the street level.
(d) Where any approved, new commercial construction is taking place along an adopted portion of greenway, per the 2007 Catawba River Corridor Plan, regardless of the zoning of the property or the zoning overlay district, in which the property lies, the developer/property owner must build that portion of the greenway on his or her property to city standards, which are found in the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance and Standard Detail Manual.
(e) Required design submittals: building elevations of all visible sides and samples of exterior materials and colors shall be submitted to the Planning Department for approval.
(2) Configurations.
(a) All visibly exposed facades should have a recognizable base course consisting of, but not limited to:
1. Thicker walls, ledges or sills;
2. Integrally textured materials, such as stone or other masonry materials;
3. Integrally colored and patterned materials such as smooth finished stone or tile;
4. Lighter or darker materials, mullions or patterns and planters;
5. Cornice treatments, other than just colored stripes or bands, with integrally textured materials;
6. A roof overhang with brackets;
7. Stepped parapets; and
8. A cornice capping the top of a building wall.
(b) No frontage wall shall remain unpierced by a window or functional general access doorway for more than 32 feet.
(c) Window and door openings should be proportioned so that verticals dominate horizontals. Upper story windows shall be vertically aligned with the location of windows and doors on the ground level, including storefront or display windows.
(d) All sides of the building shall use materials consistent with those on the front if visible from a public street or way.
(e) Two or more wall materials may be combined horizontally on one facade. The heavier material should be below.
(f) Flat roofs shall incorporate parapet walls at minimum of three feet to conceal the flat portions of the roof that are visible on the front and side elevations from any public street. The parapet must also conceal any HVAC or other utility equipment that may be located on the roof of a building.
(3) Building materials.
(a) Building finishes shall be in the form of brick, cast concrete, stone, marble or other materials similar in quality, appearance and durability, as determined during the Commercial Plan Review process by the Planning Director or his or her designee.
(b) Decorative concrete block and EIFS-type stucco may be used as trim or for accent materials, defined as no more than 25% of a facade that is visible from a public street. EIFS-type stucco may not be utilized below eight feet from the base of the building.
(c) In the event that EIFS-type stucco is sought to be utilized as a non-accent building material, the following conditions must be met.
1. For multi-story buildings, the first floor shall be clad in a heavier material such as brick or stone on all sides.
2. For single-story buildings, EIFS shall not be utilized below eight feet from the base of the building.
3. Seventy percent of the remainder of the building may utilize EIFS-type stucco in the event that columns and ends of buildings are clad in heavier materials, such as brick or stone.
4. In all options, EIFS-type stucco shall be of float finish.
(d) All accessory buildings shall be clad in materials similar in appearance to the principal structure.
(e) Sloped roofs or structural canopies shall be covered with asphalt shingles, diamond tab asphalt shingles, clay tile, slate, concrete tile, standing seam metal, corrugated metal, ribbed metal material, wood shakes or shingles.
(f) The color of roof stacks, flashing, vents, power exhaust fans and metal chimney caps shall blend with roof colors.
(g) A building canopy, awning or similar weather protection may be provided and should project three to five feet from the facade.
(h) Building materials and colors shall be similar to the materials already being used in the neighborhood, or if dissimilar materials are being proposed, other characteristics such as scale, proportion, form, architectural detailing, color and texture shall be used to ensure that enough similarity exists for the building to relate to the rest of the neighborhood.
(I) Facade and roof colors shall be of low reflectance earth tone, muted, subtle or neutral colors. Building trim may feature brighter colors as an accent material only, the use of fluorescent, day-glow or neon colors shall be prohibited.
(j) Exterior metal or aluminum siding on buildings shall be prohibited as a primary material.
(k) Front and side yard fences and walls shall be brick, stucco, wrought iron, stone or materials similar in appearance and durability. Maximum fence height shall be five feet. Rear yard fences and walls shall be made of brick, stucco, wrought iron, stone, wood or similar materials. Maximum fence height shall be eight feet.
(l) Brick facade for existing buildings shall not be painted or covered by any material.
(D) South Gateway Overlay; B-3 General Business.
(2) Dimension requirements.
(a) Minimum required lot area: none.
(b) Minimum required lot width: none.
(c) Minimum required front yard: 25 feet along Highway 273; 15 feet on interior streets.
(d) Minimum required side yards: none; except that, the side yard abutting a residential district shall be 25 feet.
(e) Minimum required rear yard: none; except that, the rear yard abutting a residential district shall be 25 feet.
(f) Maximum lot coverage: 50% of total lot area.
(g)
Maximum building height: 60 feet unless the minimum required front and side yards are increased one foot for each additional two feet in height.
(h) Location of accessory buildings and structures: accessory buildings and structures shall be placed in accordance with the provisions of § 3.11 of this ordinance.
(3) Off-street parking and loading, relationship of building to street.
(a) Off-street parking and loading shall be provided in accordance with the provisions of Ch. 8 of this ordinance.
(b) Relationship of building to street:
1. Building facades that front a street must extend parallel to that street. Main pedestrian access to the building is from the street with secondary access from the parking areas. Entrances to retail oriented buildings should encourage easy access from the sidewalk and, therefore, be built close to ground level.
2. The principal, functional doorway for public or direct-entry access into a building shall be from the fronting street. Corner entrances shall be provided on corner lot buildings.
3. Parking shall be placed to the side or rear of the building.
4. Parking shall be permitted in between the building and right-of-way for hotel uses only. Parking located between the building and the right of way shall be limited to a single double-sided drive aisle of parking that runs parallel to the right-of-way along the front of the building. All parking located between the building and the right of way shall be sufficiently screened, up to a height of five feet, utilizing an opaque landscape treatment as approved during the commercial site plan review process by the City Technical Review Committee.
5. Two rows of parking, not greater than 40% of the total amount of parking located on the parcel may be located in front of a proposed commercial building that is not in the South Gateway Overlay District.
6. Drive thru service windows shall be placed on the rear facade of the building. In no case shall drive thru windows be located on the front facade. If a drive thru window is to be located on a side of the building, it must be located on the least visible side from the fronting street.
7. A minimum of an eight-foot wide sidewalk is required with at least a six-foot wide landscaped buffer between sidewalk and edge of road is required for all buildings located along a major thoroughfare.
8. A minimum of a five-foot wide sidewalk is required with at least a six-foot wide landscaped buffer between sidewalk and edge of road is required for all other buildings.
(4) Signs.
(a) Signs shall be regulated by the provisions of Ch. 9 of this ordinance.
(b) Allowable sign area on the front of building shall not exceed two square feet per linear foot of building facing a public street.
1. If a monument sign is utilized, then said monument sign shall not exceed 48 square feet or eight feet in height.
2. In the event the building has walls facing a side or rear street, then those areas are permitted to have one square foot per linear foot of said building with public street facing.
(c) In the event of a shopping center, the monument sign shall not exceed 64 square feet and eight feet in height.
(d) In the event of a shopping center, in which the building is over 25,000 square feet, the monument sign shall not exceed 100 square feet and 12 feet in height.
(5) Screening and landscape requirements.
(a) Landscaping shall be provided in accordance with the provisions of Ch. 10 of this ordinance.
(b) Mechanical screening: mechanical equipment, utility meters, storage areas, trash enclosures, transformers, generators and similar features or other utility hardware on the building, roof or ground shall be screened from public view with materials similar to the structure or they shall be so located as not to be visible from any public view or from potential nearby building.
(Ord. passed 5-13-1996; Ord. passed 2-10-2014; Ord. passed - -)