(A) Performance standards. It is the intent of this section to provide that uses of land and buildings in commercial and industrial districts shall be established and maintained with proper appearance from streets and adjoining properties and to provide that each permitted use shall be a good neighbor to adjoining properties by the control of the following:
(1) Standards.
(a) Landscaping. All required yards either shall be open landscaped and green areas or be left in a natural state. If any yards are to be landscaped, they shall be landscaped attractively with lawn, trees, shrubs and the like. Any areas left in a natural state shall be properly maintained in an attractive and well-kept condition. Yards adjoining any residences shall be landscaped with buffer planting screens. Plans of such screen shall be submitted for approval as a part of the site plan and installed prior to occupancy of any tract in the district.
(b) Emissions. Emission or creation of noise, odors, heat, glare, vibration, smoke, toxic or noxious fumes, and dust or other particulate matter shall conform to standards established by the State Pollution Control Agency. Detailed plans relating to the proposed use and operation may be required before issuance of a building permit to ensure compliance with these regulations.
(c) Exterior lighting. Any lights used for exterior illumination shall be diffused, hooded or directed away from adjoining properties and public streets.
(d) Water pollution. All uses shall conform to the water pollution standards and controls enforced by the county and those adopted by the State Pollution Control Agency and other agencies and governing bodies which have such powers and controls.
(e) Hazard. Every use established, enlarged or remodeled shall be operated with reasonable precautions against fire and explosion hazards.
(2) Compliance. In order to ensure compliance with the performance standards set forth above, the County Board may require the owner or operator of any permitted or conditional use to have made such investigations and tests as may be required to show adherence to the performance standards. Such investigation and tests as are required to be made shall be carried out by an independent testing organization as may be selected by the County Board.
(B) Landscaping. Yards of commercial sales and service and industrial uses adjoining any residential district shall be landscaped with planting buffer screens. Plans for such screens shall be submitted as a part of the application for zoning permit and installed as a part of the initial construction.
(C) Storage of materials. For any commercial sales and service and industrial uses the display of materials in the public right-of-way shall be prohibited. Any other outdoor display shall be located or screened so as not to be visible from any residential district within 1,000 feet.
(D) Exception to required front yard area. For commercial and industrial buildings, up to 20% of the required front yard area may be covered by arcades, canopies, roofs, solar power systems or similar architectural features.
(E) Parking standards for commercial and industrial uses.
(1) Location of required off-street parking.
(a) On-site parking and loading facilities shall not be subject to the front yard, side yard and rear yard regulations for the use district in which parking is located, except that in the Highway Commercial and General Industrial Districts no parking or loading space shall be located within ten feet of any property line that abuts a road or highway right-of-way, or any residential or agricultural district, except for railroad loading areas.
(b) No parking area shall be constructed in the required side yard of a building that is adjacent to a residential district.
(2) Handicapped parking. Off-street parking areas shall be designed to meet the number, placement, size and marking and identification requirements for handicapped parking contained in state statutes.
(a) Design and access to off-street spaces. Commercial and industrial uses shall adhere to the standards for parking areas for residential, civic and institutional uses found in § 6.12, except where it directly contradicts a standard found in this section (§ 6.15), when the standards found in this section (§ 6.15) shall be the controlling.
(b) Number of required spaces. In all districts, off-street parking for commercial recreation, retail, service, commercial and industrial uses shall be required based on the principal use of the lot in the amounts listed in Table 6.7 below.
Table 6.7 Minimum Off-street Parking Standards for Commercial and Industrial Uses | |
Commercial recreation uses | 1 for each 4 seats provided or 5/1,000 sq. ft. of gross floor area or gross land area |
Industrial uses | No minimum or spaces as required by the Board after review by the Planning Commission in case of conditional use permit |
Retail, service and commercial uses | 3/1,000 sq. ft. of gross floor area or as required by the Board after review by the Planning Commission |
(3) Combined parking facilities. Combined or joint parking facilities may be provided for one or more buildings or uses in any commercial or industrial District, provided that the total number of spaces shall equal the sum of the requirements for each building or use.
(4) Construction and maintenance.
(a) In any commercial or Industrial District, parking areas and access drives shall be covered with a dust-free, all-weather surface or an adequate gravel base with proper surface drainage, as required by the County Engineer.
(b) The operator of the principal building or use shall maintain parking and loading areas, access drives and yard areas in a neat and adequate manner.
(5) Lighting. Lighting shall be reflected away from the public right-of-way and nearby or adjacent residential or agricultural district.
(6) Off-street loading areas; commercial and industrial uses.
(a) Purpose. The purpose of the regulation of loading spaces in these zoning regulations is to alleviate or prevent congestion of the public right-of-way and so to promote the safety and general welfare of the public, by establishing minimum requirements for off-street loading and unloading from motor vehicles in accordance with the utilization of various parcels of land or structures.
(b) Loading space and access. All loading spaces shall be sufficient to meet the requirements of each use and shall provide adequate space for storage and maneuvering of the vehicle they are designed to serve. Each loading space shall contain a minimum area of not less than 500 square feet.
(c) Number of loading berths. Required loading berths in connection with any structure which is to be erected or substantially altered and which requires the receipt or distribution of materials or merchandise by trucks or similar vehicles, and which will have a gross floor area of 5,000 square feet or more, there shall be provided off-street loading space on the basis of the following minimum requirements.
Square Feet of Aggregate Gross Floor | Minimum Required Number of Area Berths |
5,000 up to and including 16,000 | 1 |
16,000 up to and including 40,000 | 2 |
40,000 up to and including 70,000 | 3 |
70,000 up to and including 100,000 | 4 |
For each additional 40,000 | 1 additional |
One additional loading berth shall be provided for each additional 20,000 square feet or fraction thereof of gross floor area | |
(7) Off-street loading area design standards. Required off-street loading areas shall meet the following design standards.
(a) Size. Each loading berth shall be not less than 15 feet in width, 60 feet in length, and 15 feet in height. All loading spaces shall be sufficient to meet the requirements of each use and shall provide adequate space for storage and maneuvering of the vehicle they are designed to serve. Each loading space shall contain a minimum area of not less than 500 square feet.
(b) Location. Such berth may occupy part of a required yard space, however, required off-street loading areas shall not occupy required buffer areas between commercial or industrial lots and adjacent non-commercial or non-industrial lots, and no berth shall be constructed in the required side yard of a building that is adjacent to a residential district.
(Ord. 97, passed 7-21-2009)