BZA holds training on C1, C2, I1 and A1 zoning rules; staff flags needed ordinance updates

The Board of Zoning Appeals conducted a training session on local zoning districts and application procedures, reviewing allowed uses, setbacks and special exceptions for C1 (Central Commercial), C2 (Highway Commercial), I1 (Industrial) and A1 (Agricultural) districts.

Why it matters: Familiarity with zoning definitions and dimensional standards helps board members evaluate variance requests and special exceptions; staff told members that parts of the ordinance, including the land-use chart and zoning map, need updating.

Planning staff opened with administrative material and the permitting checklist, saying the packet contains parcel information, septic approvals, site-plan requirements, contractor licensing, construction plans and inspection procedures. “You have to prove that you own the property if you're the applicant,” planning staff Rosalie said, summarizing required documents.

Staff then reviewed C1, the Central Commercial District, which is primarily downtown and is intended for central commercial activities. Rosalie noted that C1 allows a broad range of uses including administrative services, community assembly, cultural services and certain health-care facilities and that the minimum front setback for C1 is 25 feet while side setbacks are generally none except where adjacent to residential districts. She emphasized that where a C1 parcel abuts an R1/R2 residential district, the adjacent setback must match the residential standard.

On C2 (Highway Commercial), staff said the district is intended for corridor activity such as along McMurray Boulevard. Key dimensional rules discussed: a 10,000-square-foot minimum lot size, a 30-foot front setback, and 20-foot side setbacks (40 feet where abutting residential). Staff also noted a 50% maximum lot coverage and a 10% landscaping requirement; staff said an additional 10-foot buffer strip and a 7-foot privacy fence are applied between commercial and residential properties per more recent updates not shown in the packet.

For I1 (Industrial), staff reviewed uses allowed by reason of scale and freight needs and recited dimensional rules including a 20,000-square-foot minimum lot, a 50-foot front setback and a 60-foot height limit for certain industrial structures. Rosalie confirmed that prohibited uses specifically excluded in an ordinance cannot be authorized by the BZA.

On A1 (Agricultural), staff said detached single-family and two-family dwellings are permitted and described accessory farm uses. Rosalie said the updated minimum acreage requirement for A1 is three acres (or two acres if an automatic fire-protection system is available within defined standards), with setbacks of 75 feet front, 40 feet side and 60 feet rear, and a maximum lot coverage of 20%.

Staff also pointed out administrative items and inconsistencies. A board member noted that a drugstore/grocery classification in one matrix appeared inconsistent with district text; Rosalie said the land-use chart “needs to be updated” and recommended that members follow planning commission review when ordinances are amended.

The training closed with staff noting the zoning map has not been updated since 2020 and that additional topics such as floodplain regulations would be covered at a future session.

The session was presented as training and no board actions were taken on ordinances during the meeting.