§ 25-23. C-2 ZONE (CENTRAL COMMERCIAL).

The C-2 district is intended to help strengthen the vitality and character of Firebaugh's downtown commercial district by establishing an appropriate list of permitted uses, regulating the size and location of buildings, parking lots, landscaping and other improvements, in a manner that promotes a vibrant pedestrian-oriented shopping environment. In general, new buildings shall front onto the public sidewalk, with on-site parking located to the rear or side of buildings. Large merchandisedisplay windows are required along the public sidewalk, as opposed to blank building walls.

The following uses are permitted in the C-2 district:

• a. Accessory uses incidental to a permitted or conditionally permitted use existing on the site.

• b. Automated teller machine (stand-alone or associated with a bank).

• c. Automobile sales (conducted entirely within a building).

• d. Banks and financial institutions.

• e. Business, professional and trade schools.

• f. Check-cashing services.

• g. Clubs, lodges and meeting rooms.

• h. Day care, small- and large-family.

• i. Funeral parlors/mortuaries.

• j. Health/athletic clubs.

• k. Hotels/motels.

• l. Mixed-use developments, subject to the requirements detailed in § 25-41 , Special Uses.

• m. Multiple-family dwellings, provided that the use shall be developed in accordance with property development standards of the "R-3" District, § 25-19 .

• n. Offices (administrative, business, medical, general, governmental and professional).

• o. Personal services businesses. Commercial establishments that provide services of a personal nature, including:

  1. Barber and beauty shops.

  2. Cleaners.

  3. Fortune telling, hypnotists and palm reading.

  4. Locksmiths.

  5. Mail/delivery stores.

  6. Massage and physical therapy businesses practiced by individuals certified by the state.

  7. Laundry (self-serve).

  8. Music, dance, gymnastics and martial arts studios.

  9. Tattoo shops.

• p. Retail stores and service establishments that supply commodities or services that meet the needs of residents in the community. Permitted uses include:

  1. Bakeries, retail.

  2. Clothing, shoes, jewelry and accessory stores.

  3. Confectionary (candy) stores.

  4. Convenience grocery stores (except that stores selling alcoholic beverages require a conditional use permit).

  5. Florists.

  6. Food stores.

  7. Furniture stores/mattress shops and upholstery shops.

  8. Gift shops.

  9. Hardware and home improvement stores.

  10. Health food stores.

  11. Hobby shops.

  12. Ice cream shops.

  13. Jewelry stores.

  14. Office supply stores.

  15. Pet shops.

  16. Pharmacy/drug stores (except those with a drive-through are not permitted in the C-2 Zone).

  17. Photo studios and photographic supplies, art galleries.

  18. Sporting goods stores.

  19. Supermarkets.

  20. Tobacco stores.

  21. Toy stores.

  22. Variety stores.

• q. Restaurants and cafes (except drive-through or drive-ins, which are not permitted in the C-2 Zone).

• r. Social service and counseling centers.

• s. Veterinarian offices.

• t. Video arcades.

• u. Other uses similar in nature and intensity to those permitted, as determined by the City Planner.

The following conditional uses may be permitted in accordance with the provisions of § 25-51 , Conditional Use Permits.

• a. Bars.

• b. Churches.

• c. Communications buildings and structures, except for wireless telecommunications facilities.

• d. Dancing associated with a restaurant or nightclub.

• e. Liquor stores and convenience markets that sell alcoholic beverages.

• f. Live music associated with a facility that serves alcoholic beverages.

• g. Pawn shops and secondhand stores/used goods stores.

• h. Parking lots.

• i. Other uses similar in nature and intensity as determined by the City Planner subject to granting of a conditional use permit.

The C-2 Zone is designed to foster a pedestrian-oriented shopping district in downtown Firebaugh, with uses such as stores, restaurants, offices and gathering places. Towards this end, the zone does not allow automobile-oriented uses that are allowed in other commercial zones, such as auto repair and tire shops and uses with drive-through/drive-up windows.

No development shall be constructed on any lot or site in this district until a site plan has been submitted and approved consistent with § 25-53 , Site Plan and Design Review (or a conditional use permit for uses listed as such).

The following standards shall apply to all parcels being developed in the C-2 Zone, except that any parcels zoned C-2 that are located outside the downtown planning area (generally bounded by N Street on the west, Fourteenth Street on the south, Q Street on the east, and 8th Street on the north) shall be developed to standards of the C-3 (General Commercial) Zone.

• a. Site area, lot frontage and depth: No requirement.

• b. Building height: The maximum height of commercial structures shall be 35 feet/two stories; the maximum height of accessory structures shall be 15 feet.

• c. Yards (see also Exhibit 23-1).

  1. Front: New buildings shall be placed so that at least 1/2 of the property line along a public street shall adjoin a building wall.

  2. Side: None required except that buildings on corner lots shall be placed so that at least half of the side lot line along a public street shall adjoin a building wall.

  3. Rear: No requirement unless the subject property abuts a residential district, wherein the minimum side yard shall be 10 feet.

Exhibit 23-1: Building Placement Standards

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• a. Front, side and rear yards: Fences, walls, and hedges shall not exceed seven feet in height along any front, side or rear property line.

• b. Where a property zoned C-2 directly abuts a residential district, a seven-foot solid block masonry wall shall be constructed between the two uses. Where appropriate, openings should be provided to allow pedestrians to travel between the two uses.

• a. The number of on-site parking spaces required for uses in the C-2 district may be reduced by up to 100% of the parking requirement for the particular use, as shown in § 25-45 , Auto and Bicycle Parking and Loading; however, where the reduction results in more than 25 spaces, the use shall require a conditional use permit, consistent with § 25-51 , Conditional Use Permits.

• b. On-site parking shall be located to the rear or to the side of the building, except parking lots on corner lots shall be located to the rear or the interior side of the building.

• c. Parking lots constructed in C-2 district shall be designed and constructed so that within five years of construction, 50% of the parking lot is shaded by trees.

• d. Parking lots shall be separated from buildings by raised sidewalks or curbing.

• e. Parking lots shall be designed to accommodate solid waste pick-up.

Signs shall be consistent with the requirements detailed in § 25-47 , Signs.

• a. A landscaping and irrigation plan shall be submitted on all developments to the City Planner for review and approval consistent with the standards in § 25-43 (Landscaping, Irrigation and Grading). All setback areas along streets shall be landscaped.

• b. The landscaping and irrigation plan shall show a tree-planting scheme in the parking lot that will result in 50% of the parking lot being shaded within five years.

• c. The landscaping and irrigation plan shall provide for a minimal amount of turf and shall incorporate a variety of xerophytic plants, mulch to reduce water use, and an automated irrigation system that incorporates water conservation technology, including drip irrigation, smart irrigation controllers, and low-flow irrigation heads.

• d. Parking lots should be screened from adjacent public roadways by low walls and/or hedges.

• e. Vines and climbing plants should be used on buildings, trellises and perimeter garden walls in order to soften the appearance on the buildings.

• f. All trash enclosures shall be surrounded by a six-foot solid block wall and the area around the enclosure shall be landscaped. The gate to the enclosure shall be constructed of metal.

All processes, businesses and services shall be conducted entirely within a completely enclosed structure, except for off-street parking and off-street loading areas, outdoor dining areas and nurseries.

New development in the C-2 Zone shall be designed consistent with the following Design Guidelines.

• a. General concepts. New development in the downtown should reinforce the area's unique pedestrian-oriented shopping environment. Positive design elements that exist in the downtown area include:

  1. Storefronts located immediately behind the sidewalk;

  2. Stores with large windows that permit window shopping;

  3. Awnings and arcades that provide shade for pedestrians;

  4. A variety of stores in a small area - facilitating pedestrian shopping;

  5. Off-street parking is located to the rear or to the side of buildings;

  6. Architectural styles that reflect Firebaugh's history and that of the San Joaquin Valley.

• b. Site planning concepts.

  1. Consistent with standards of the C-2 Zone, new buildings in the downtown must be located along the front property line, at the back of the sidewalk. On-site parking must be located to the rear or to the side of buildings.

  2. New development on corner lots must be situated immediately at the corner (rather than the parking lot being located on the corner).

  3. Usable open spaces such as courtyards and plazas with outdoor seating, landscaping, water features, etc. are encouraged. Pedestrian corridor access (paseos) should be provided to link rear parking lots to the street. Sidewalk dining is also encouraged (see Exhibit 23-2), as long as a sufficient distance from the curb is maintained (usually eight feet, minimum).

  4. Side and rear setbacks should be determined on a case-by-case basis. In most cases it is preferred that downtown buildings be designed to cover the entire lot, with no side yard setbacks.

Exhibit 23-2

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Sidewalk dining helps to add life to the downtown streetscape.

• c. Architectural design.

  1. The following urban design elements are considered most desirable for new downtown development or redevelopment (see Exhibit 23-3):

     • (a) Significant wall articulation (e.g. insets, alternating with columns, etc.);

     • (b) A variety of surface textures, provided that they are appropriate to the particular architectural style of the building;

     • (c) Large display windows at street level for the display of merchandise and to allow shoppers to see inside the store. Windows must extend across the majority of the wall and a significant vertical distance;

     • (d) Overhangs and arcades or awnings;

     • (e) Regular window placement;

     • (f) Pedestrian-scale signs that compliment the style and character of the individual building.

Exhibit 23-3

Desirable Facade Elements for Downtown Buildings

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This graphic displays some of the most desirable elements of good downtown building design

Exhibit 23-4: Display Windows

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Large display windows help to make the downtown a more inviting place. Windows should extend a significant width and height of the wall.

2. The following design elements are considered undesirable and should be avoided for new downtown development or redevelopment:

   • (a) Large, blank unarticulated walls;

   • (b) Highly reflective surfaces of buildings;

   • (c) Reflective window tinting;

   • (d) A mix of unrelated styles (e.g., rustic wood shingles with polished chrome) on the same building;

   • (e) Highly visible outdoor storage, equipment and loading areas;

   • (f) Large, flashy signs that are out of scale and character with the building.

   • (g) Contemporary "ultra-modern" styles and materials.

• d. Building mass and scale.

  1. The height and scale of new development should be compatible with the scale of surrounding development. Scale is the relationship between the size of the structure and the size of adjoining structures. Scale is also the manner in which the proposed building's

size relates to the size of a human being. Large-scale building elements can appear overwhelming if situated in a visual environment that is predominantly smaller in scale.

Exhibit 23-5: Building Height and Scale

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The height and scale of new developments should be compatible with the scale of surrounding development

2. The scale of a large building should be broken up or reduced by creating horizontal emphasis of the building. This can be accomplished through the proper use of window patterns, roof overhangs, the use of trim moldings, awnings, eaves, or other ornamentation, by using a combination of complimentary colors, and through the use of landscaping.

3. Blank solid walls of buildings visible from public view, including bland areas above cantilevered canopies, should be avoided. If such walls are necessary for interior or structural reasons, the structure wall shall be treated with some form of articulation such as larger awnings, cornice bands, dentils or similar materials.

4. The facades of adjacent structures should be considered in the design of new buildings to avoid clashes in architectural style and materials.

Exhibit 23-6: Building Compatibility

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5. Buildings with flat or oversimplified facades (e.g., straight rooflines without definition) should utilize parapet walls and/or cornice detailing to give greater stature to the building as well as the entire block on which the structure is located.

6. Canopies and awnings are desirable elements in the downtown and are encouraged to shelter the openings of each building from sun and rain. New canopies and awnings should be respectful of the style and character of the structure on which they are attached, particularly in terms of materials and colors. The highest point of a canopy or its support structure shall not be higher than the midpoint of the space between the second story window sills and the top of the first floor store front window, awning, canopy or transom. Awnings should also be set inside vertical elements on the building such as columns, pilasters or storefronts that are indented.

Exhibit 23-7: Window Awnings

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Window awnings are a desirable element, when properly scaled.

7. Awnings, trellises and other accessory structures that do not restrict pedestrian or vehicular movement may project into the public right-of-way, subject to clearance requirements specified in the Zoning Ordinance. In general, awnings should be no less than eight feet above the sidewalk.

Exhibit 23-8: Awnings over the public sidewalk

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8. Existing historically significant buildings should be maintained. Any physical changes shall be done in a manner that is consistent with the original architectural style.

9. For safety, identification and convenience, entrances of buildings and parking areas shall be well illuminated.

10. Rooftop mechanical equipment (e.g., air-conditioning units) should be screened from view from the public right-of-way through the use of parapets, cornices or other treatments. Mechanical equipment should not be mounted on street arcades, in front windows or other visible locations.

Exhibit 23-9: Screening Roof Equipment

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