Article 11 — Commercial Office Zones (C-O)

To provide a method by which land located in or adjacent to residential areas may be designed and developed as a unit for professional and limited commercial offices, and to produce a professional and limited commercial office development which will be compatible and harmonious with the existing or potential development of adjacent residential or other areas, and to foster professional and limited commercial office developments which meet high standards of open space, the concentration of buildings, parking facilities, landscaping, and pedestrian and vehicular circulation, Commercial Office Zones (C-O) are established to provide suitable alternative locations for offices and services of a professional, clerical, or administrative nature.

(§ 8138, T.O.O.C., as added by § 1, Ord. 85)

Only the uses identified in Article 21 of this chapter as being permitted in the Commercial Office (C-O) Zone shall be established or maintained on property located therein, subject to the permitting requirements and limitations set forth in said Article 21.

(§ 8138.2, T.O.O.C., as added by § 1, Ord. 85, as amended by § 1, Ord. 662-NS, eff. January 12, 1978, § 1, Ord. 1025NS, eff. May 16, 1989, § 17, Ord. 1178-NS, eff. April 27, 1993, § 2, Ord. 1292-NS, eff. August 28, 1997, and § 18, Ord. 1620-NS, eff. August 12, 2016)

(§ 8138.4, T.O.O.C., as added by § 1, Ord. 85, as amended by § III, Ord. 163-NS, eff. August 27, 1970, § XVI, Ord. 220-NS, eff. August 19, 1971, § VIII, Ord. 312-NS, eff. November 2, 1972, § II, Ord. 662-NS, eff. January 12, 1978, § II, Ord. 833-NS, eff. May 21, 1983 § 18, Ord. 1178-NS, eff. April 27, 1993, § 9, Ord. 1273-NS, eff. January 8, 1997, § 21, Ord. 1392-NS, eff. June 7, 2002, § 25, Ord. 1547- NS, eff. January 12, 2011, § 10, Ord. 1555-NS, eff. May 13, 2011; § 15, Ord. 1614-NS, eff. April 22, 2016, and repealed by § 19, Ord. 1620-NS, eff. August 12, 2016)

(§ 8138.1, T.O.O.C., as added by § 1, Ord. 85, as amended by §§ 2, 3, and 4, Ord. 142-NS, eff. March 26, 1970, and § VI, Ord. 162-NS, eff. August 27, 1970; repealed by § 19, Ord. 1178-NS, eff. April 27, 1993)

Subject to the requirements and conditions of the planned development permit, business signs advertising only the business conducted or the services provided on the premises shall be the only signs permitted in the C-O Zones. Such signs shall be attached to the building and shall not project more than twelve (12") inches therefrom. The total sign area permitted on the front of the building shall be limited to one square foot of area for each foot of the width of the front of the building. Such signs may be permitted on each side of the building which faces a public street. No such sign shall extend above the height of the building to which it is attached. Such signs may be illuminated or consist of nonintermittent or nonflashing neon lighting.

The Community Development Director may permit one single-faced sign on any portion of a parcel of record to advertise the sale or lease in total of the subject property, identify a construction project, or announce a building project. Such sign shall not total more than fifty (50) square feet in sign area on a parcel of record less than five (5) acres in size, or one hundred (100) square feet in sign area on a parcel of record of five (5) acres or more in size. No portion of any sign permitted pursuant to the provisions of this section shall have a height of more than fifteen (15') feet or have a dimension of the panel face which exceeds fifteen (15') feet. Such sign shall be removed in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.

(§ 8138.3, T.O.O.C., as added by § 1, Ord. 85, as amended by § 1, Ord. 222)

The Community Development Director shall not permit any building or structure, or part thereof, in C-O Zones to exceed a height of two (2) stories not to exceed twenty-five (25’) feet. A building or structure exceeding such height may be approved by the Commission if it finds the purposes of this article have been met. (§8138.5, T.O.O.C., as added by § 1, Ord. 85)

The following area regulations shall apply to any use permitted in C-O Zones:

(a) Each building shall have a landscaped front and corner side yard of not less than twenty (20’) feet, exclusive of vehicular parking, turnaround areas, and drives other than drives providing access from a street to a parking area located on other portions of the parcel.

(b) A side yard shall not be less than five (5’) feet in width. Where the lot adjoins a residential zone, there shall be a side yard having a width equal to the maximum required in the adjoining residential zone but in no case greater than thirty (30’) feet. A side yard viewable from a public street or walk shall be screened or landscaped.

(c) A rear yard of not less than twenty (20’) feet shall be provided for each building erected or extended and shall be screened or landscaped, if viewable from a public street or walk.

(d) Interior yards between buildings shall have a width equal to the greater height of the two (2) buildings, but such yards need not exceed forty (40’) feet.

(e) Buildings, including accessory buildings, shall not cover more than fifty (50%) percent of the planned development permit area. If covered parking is provided in or under the principal building, or if uncovered but on the roof of the principal building and not viewable from the public street and walk, the building coverage may be increased by one hundred eighty (180) square feet for every covered or rooftop parking space, and the minimum landscaping shall be increased by one percent for every five (5) covered or rooftop parking spaces provided. In any event, not more than ninety (90%) percent of the permit area shall be used for buildings, structures, parking, and vehicular circulation, and not less than ten (10%) percent of the planned development permit area shall be devoted to landscaping.

(f) A separate lot shall not be required for each separate building or structure planned and erected in a C-O Zone. (g) Every lot created on or after September 5, 1969, shall have a minimum street frontage of one hundred (100’) feet and a minimum lot area of twenty thousand (20,000) square feet; provided, however any lot having frontage on a limited or controlled access highway shall have a minimum street frontage of six hundred (600’) feet unless;

(1) All access rights to such limited or controlled access highway have been dedicated to and accepted by, the City subject to such driveways or common driveways as permitted in such acceptance of access rights dedication; or

(2) A special use permit for an automobile service station, including access thereto, has been approved by the City. (h) Every lot created on or after September 5, 1969, shall have a depth at least equal to the required street frontage of such lot (except the required frontage along limited or controlled access highways) and a depth not more than three

(3) times the amount of the actual street frontage of such lot.

(§ 8138.6, T.O.O.C., as added by § 1, Ord. 85, as amended by § 5, Ord. 105-NS, eff. September 5, 1969)

Off-street parking in C-O Zones shall be provided in accordance with the provisions of Article 24 of this chapter. (§ 3138.7, T.O.O.C., as added by § 1, Ord. 85)

The following general provisions shall apply in C-O Zones:

(a) Landscaping.

(1) Three (3%) percent or more of the parking area shall be landscaped, and such landscaping shall be considered as part of the required ten (10%) percent. In complying with the three (3%) percent landscaping requirement, the planting beds shall be distributed through the parking area as evenly as possible. For example, a plot plan showing the entire three (3%) percent landscaping in one large planting bed concentrated on only one portion of the parking area shall not be permitted.

(2) Whenever the parking or circulation area abuts a public street along the property lines adjacent to the streets, except within the approved exit and entrance ways, the Community Development Director shall require a planting strip not less than one and one-half (1-1/2’) feet wide but may not require more than four and one-half (4-1/2’) feet side. The planting shall be maintained at a minimum height of two and one-half (2-1/2’) feet. Where sign distance may be impaired, the Community Development Director may permit a lesser height requirement. Appropriate wheel blocks, posts, or curbs, shall be installed along the parking area adjacent to the planting strip.

(3) Wherever the property abuts an R Zone, there shall be erected along the property line abutting the R Zone a solid or decorative fence or wall six (6’) feet in height which substantially bars the view and light, or there shall be planted and maintained an evergreen hedge at a height of six (6’) feet. Such improvements shall not exceed two and one-half (2-1/2’) feet in height for a distance of twenty (20’) feet from the public right-of-way.

(4) Trees, approved as to number, placement, spacing, and type by the Landscape Supervisor, shall be planted in the parkway area between the curbs and sidewalks.

(5) The required landscaping area shall be provided with permanent irrigation systems and may contain pools and pedestrian walks.

(b) Lighting. Lighting may not illuminate or glare onto any adjacent property or street so as to be objectionable to adjacent residents or hazardous to motorists. Alternating lights shall be strictly prohibited.

(c) Storage of materials and equipment. Storage of materials and equipment may be permitted only when enclosed and when incidental to the use of an office or other building located on the front portion of the same lot. Any such storage plan shall be approved and shown on the plot plan.

(d) Temporary storage of trash. Temporary storage of trash shall be enclosed and not viewable from a public street or walk.

(§ 8138.8, T.O.O.C., as added by § 1, Ord. 85)