Chapter 17.22 — C-2 GENERAL COMMERCIAL DISTRICT

Note: Prior history: Prior code §§ 30-206, 30-206.1, 30-206.6; Ords. 631 and 695.

The general commercial district is intended primarily to serve as the central trading area of the city. The district accommodates and enhances several of the existing dominant features of the central area and provides the permanent shopping goods, financial and business, as well as the entertainment center of the community. In the C-2 district no building or land shall be used and no building shall be erected or structurally altered, unless otherwise provided herein except for one or more of the uses set forth in Section 17.22.020 . (Ord. 700 § 5 (Exh. A), 2003)

• A. The principal permitted general commercial use in the C-2 district includes:

  1. Retail and wholesale sales located inside a building, such as: large or small shops, stores, centers, and outlets.

  2. Services located inside a building, such as: offices, financial institutions and personal service shops, including laundromats, small item repairs and printing services.

  3. Indoor and outdoor recreational or travel activities and services, such as: all eating and drinking places (including drive-thru services), hotels and motels, theaters, entertainment centers, and bus stations.

  4. Medical centers and services including convalescent homes.

  5. Accessory structures, such as: parking lots and secondary storage buildings.

  6. Improvements to existing residential uses which can be demonstrated to have been legally established before the year 2001.

• B. Other C-2 uses for which a use permit must first be secured:

  1. Outdoor service or accessory storage areas, such as: auto sales, communications facilities, automobile service storage, and uncovered lumber yard or nursery areas.

  2. Medical facilities for animals such as veterinary clinics and animal hospitals.

  3. One residential unit for occupancy by the manager/caretaker of an existing commercial facility.

  4. Residential units up to thirty units per acre density, as either a mixed-use activity which is secondary to an existing or proposed commercial use, or as a residential-only development.

  5. Assisted care residential facilities.

  6. Non-profit organization offices.

  7. Stores in which more than fifty percent of the merchandise is second-hand.

  8. Mortuaries.

  9. Car, boat or other vehicle washing facilities.

  10. Local and regional public utility and community service facilities.

  11. Gas stations and light-commercial automobile service uses.

  12. Cannabis uses conducted pursuant to Chapter 17.95 (Commercial Cannabis Regulations), including: storefront retail, nonstorefront retail (delivery only), cultivation (indoor only), non-volatile manufacturing, processing facilities, distribution, microbusinesses, and testing laboratories.

• (Ord. 700 § 5 (Exh. A), 2003; Ord. 715 § 2, 2006; Ord. 819 § 3, 2020)

Uses prohibited in the C-2 district include:

• A. Truck and heavy equipment repair shops;

• B. Any manufacturing use not specifically defined herein; and

• C. Outdoor recreation or entertainment facilities which generate excessive noise, dust or glare. (Ord. 700 § 5 (Exh. A), 2003)

In the C-2 district the height of buildings and the maximum dimensions of yards and lots shall be as follows:

• A. Height. The maximum building height shall be forty-five feet.

• B. Yard and Areas.

  1. Front Yard. None required except where adjacent properties abutting upon the C-2 use are in a zone of greater requirements, then the front yard shall conform to the more restrictive zone;

  2. Side Yards. None required except where the side yard of the C-2 use abuts upon the side yard of a residential or an RP use, and the side yard shall be five feet;

  3. Rear Yard. Minimum ten feet;

  4. Lot Area. No minimum; and

  5. Lot Coverage. The maximum total building square footage shall be fifty percent of the size of the lot. Parking areas shall not be counted as building square footage. Residential units which are on the ground floor shall be counted, however residential units above the ground floor shall not be counted in the square footage.

• (Ord. 700 § 5 (Exh. A), 2003)

Whenever property classified for a C-2 use is separated from adjacent residential property by a permanent open space or landscaped parking area of no less than twenty-five feet in width, the required front yard or side yard setback shall not be required. (Ord. 700 § 5 (Exh. A), 2003)

• A. Parking. See Chapter 17.42 for parking requirements.

• B. Fencing. See Chapter 17.40 for fencing requirements.

• C. Signs. See Chapter 17.38 for sign requirements.

• (Ord. 700 § 5 (Exh. A), 2003)

All uses permitted in the C-2 district except those requiring a use permit shall be subject to and approval of a site plan and architectural review. Architectural review for use permit uses shall be conducted by the planning commission as part of the use permit process. Procedure for such submittal and approval will be found under Chapter 17.46 . (Ord. 700 § 5 (Exh. A), 2003)

• A. Outdoor uses shall be subject to the provision of landscaping and/or solid screen fencing relative to the type of use. Material and equipment storage and automobiles awaiting service overnight or longer shall be confined behind a six-foot solid wall or fence.

• B. There shall be no manufacture compounding, processing, or treatment of products other than that which is clearly incidental and essential to a retail store or business and where such completed products are sold at retail on the premises.

• C. There shall be no display of goods outside of the structure except for those uses customarily conducted in the open such as automobile sales.

• D. Accessory uses shall be permitted only to the extent necessary to the limited uses permitted under this part.

• E. The above general commercial uses shall not be objectionable due to odor, dust, smoke, noise, vibration, or other similar causes beyond the level of the ordinary neighborhood retail establishment.

• (Ord. 700 § 5 (Exh. A), 2003)