Chapter 17.51
C-3 COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL DISTRICT
Sections:
17.51.010 Intent.
The intent of this chapter is to establish and preserve community commercial area shopping areas, including shopping centers, having a variety of uses and accessible primarily by automobile. (Ord. 3315, 2006; Ord. 2352, 1989).
17.51.020 Permitted uses.
Permitted primary uses in the C-3 district include:
A. Commercial uses:
1. Retail stores;
2. Personal services;
3. Offices, banks, and financial institutions;
4. Hotels, motels, and lodging houses;
5. Eating and drinking establishments;
6. Theaters, bowling alleys, skating rinks and other entertainment uses;
7. Laundry and dry cleaning pickup stations;
8. Shopping centers consisting of either:
a. One to five retail uses occupying a lot area in excess of 60,000 square feet, or
b. Five or more retail uses sharing a common parking area and intended to function as a unified shopping complex regardless of lot area;
9. Drive-in banks and eating establishments;
10. Gasoline service stations and automobile repair garages.
B. Public and quasi-public uses:
1. Governmental buildings, administrative offices;
2. Municipal parks of less than one-half acre;
3. Churches; provided, that their principal access is from a secondary arterial street or greater and they shall conform to all the development standards and requirements of the public (P) zone and concurrent with approval the city shall require both the comprehensive plan and zoning designations to be changed to public (P) during the city’s next comprehensive plan amendment cycle;
4. Private vocational schools.
C. Other uses specifically permitted:
1. Printing operations;
2. Upholstery and furniture repair shops.
D. On-site hazardous waste treatment and storage facilities as an accessory use to a permitted use; provided such facilities comply with the State Hazardous Waste Siting Standards and Mount Vernon and State Environmental Policy Act requirements.
E. Emergency shelter for the homeless; provided emergency shelter for the homeless shall not be located within a 1,000-foot radius of any other emergency shelter for the homeless and an existing shelter shall not expand the existing square footage of their facility to accommodate additional homeless, except that the hearing examiner may approve a location within a lesser distance or an increase in square footage of the existing facility to serve additional homeless if the applicant can demonstrate that such location will not be materially detrimental to neighboring properties due to excessive noise, lighting, or other interference with the peaceful use and possession of said neighboring properties; and provided further, an emergency shelter for the homeless shall have 100 square feet of gross floor area per resident as defined by the city building code (MVMC Title 15); and provided further, an emergency shelter for the homeless shall have any and all licenses as required by state and local law. (Ord. 3802 § 32, 2019).
17.51.025 Accessory uses.
Each primary structure is permitted to have one accessory structure that can be used as a shed to store tools or other items as long as it complies with the following requirements:
A. The total building area of the accessory structure shall be no more than 120 square feet.
B. The accessory structure is required to be a single story and is not allowed to be taller than the primary structure on the site.
C. The accessory structure shall be located in the rear yard and is required to maintain a minimum five-foot setback from all property lines and all other structures.
D. The accessory structure shall not have a permanent heat source.
E. The accessory structure is intended to be for storage of tools or other household items and is not to be a space that is slept in.
F. The accessory structure is not allowed in critical areas or their associated buffers regulated under Chapter 15.40 MVMC. (Ord. 3802 § 33, 2019).
17.51.030 Prohibited uses.
Uses specifically prohibited in the C-3 district are:
A. Sales of inoperable vehicles or used parts;
B. Junkyards;
C. Auto wrecking yards. (Ord. 3315, 2006; Ord. 2352, 1989).
17.51.040 Conditional uses.
Uses permitted by conditional use permit, and classified as a Type III permit in the C-3 district, are as follows:
A. Multifamily developments, subject to the following:
1. The multifamily use shall not be constructed on the ground floor; and the ground floor uses shall include one or more of the permitted uses listed in MVMC 17.51.020.
2. The multifamily uses must be built at the same time or following the nonresidential ground floor uses.
3. The multifamily uses shall comply with the setbacks and building height requirements of this chapter and the following requirements:
a. Minimum distance between buildings: 10 feet.
b. Density requirements: unrestricted.
c. Design standards: requirements found in Chapter 17.70 MVMC for multifamily uses.
d. Parking requirements: requirements found in Chapter 17.84 MVMC for multifamily uses.
e. Signage requirements: requirements for residential uses found in Chapter 17.87 MVMC.
f. Landscaping requirements: requirements for R-3 zones found in Chapter 17.93 MVMC.
B. Churches; provided, that their principal access is from a collector street or greater and they shall conform to all the development standards and requirements of the public (P) zone and concurrent with approval the city shall require both the comprehensive plan and zoning designations to be changed to public (P) during the city’s next comprehensive plan amendment cycle. (Ord. 3775 § 3, 2019).
17.51.045 Administrative conditional uses.
Repealed by Ord. 3802. (Ord. 3315, 2006; Ord. 3193 § 24, 2004).
17.51.050 Lot area and width.
There are no limitations on lot area and width. (Ord. 3315, 2006; Ord. 2352, 1989).
17.51.060 Setbacks.
Minimum setback requirements in the C-3 district are as follows:
A. Front yard: 10 feet. Buildings on corner lots and through lots shall observe the minimum setback on both streets. For properties that front on an arterial, the minimum setback from the right-of-way shall be 25 feet. The community and economic development and public works directors can through a Type I decision process administratively reduce, for good cause shown, this setback;
B. Side yard and rear yard: none, except along any property line adjoining a residentially zoned district or use, with no intervening street or alley, there shall be a setback of at least 10 feet when adjoining a multifamily district or use and 20 feet when adjoining a single-family district or use. (Ord. 3775 § 4, 2019).
17.51.070 Building height.
Maximum building height shall be four stories, but not more than 50 feet. These maximum limits may be increased to six stories or 65 feet if parking is provided beneath the habitable stories or through use of Chapter 17.73 MVMC. Uninhabitable stories such as a church spire, fleche, campanile, nave, a dome and lantern or a clock tower may be permitted to exceed the height limit provided such structures are not intended as advertising devices. (Ord. 3802 § 35, 2019).
17.51.071 Buildable area calculation – Transfer of floor area.
Repealed by Ord. 3315. (Ord. 3014 § 22, 2000).
17.51.080 Landscaping.
Landscaping shall be required pursuant to the terms of Chapter 17.93 MVMC. (Ord. 3315, 2006; Ord. 2352, 1989).
17.51.090 Parking.
Parking shall be provided pursuant to the terms of Chapter 17.84 MVMC. (Ord. 3315, 2006; Ord. 2352, 1989).
17.51.100 Signs.
Signs shall meet the requirements as provided in Chapter 17.87 MVMC. (Ord. 3315, 2006; Ord. 2352, 1989).
17.51.110 Site plan review.
All developments in this district shall be subject to site plan review as provided in Chapter 17.90 MVMC. (Ord. 3315, 2006; Ord. 2352, 1989).