Article 34.
C3 General Commercial District.
§ 26-34-005 Purpose.
§ 26-34-010 Permitted uses.
§ 26-34-020 Uses permitted
with a use permit.
§ 26-34-030
Building intensity and development criteria.
Purpose: to implement the provisions of Section 2.3.1 of the general plan by providing a location for wholesale and heavy commercial uses and services necessary within the county which are not suited to other commercial districts. To implement the commercial objectives of adopted redevelopment plans within redevelopment projects areas in the general plan. (Ord. No. 4643, 1993.)
Sec. 26-34-010. Permitted uses.
Permitted uses include the following:
(a) Retail sales and service uses necessary to serve the C3 district, but not including those uses listed in Section 26-34-020;
(b) New and used passenger vehicle, boat and recreational vehicle sales, rental and repair;
(c) Truck, trailer and farm implement sales, including major repair facilities;
(d) Tire sales, including recapping and retreading;
(e) Machinery sales and rental;
(f) Bakeries, creameries, soft drink bottling plants, laundries, cleaning and dying plants;
(g) Cabinet shops; electrical, plumbing and heating shops; welding, sheetmetal and machine shops;
(h) Wholesale warehouse uses;
(i) Storage yards accessory to the uses listed in this section, not to exceed one hundred percent (100%) of the gross area of the main building;
(j) Small collection facilities as an accessory use to any permitted use subject to the provisions of Section 26-88-070; (Ord. No. 3805.)
(k) Feed stores;
(l) Surplus goods stores;
(m) Furniture, carpet, drapery and upholstery warehousing including incidental retail sales and service;
(n) Paint and wallcovering stores;
(o) Garden supply stores;
(p) New and used manufactured home sales;
(q) Business equipment and supplies sales;
(r) Automobile accessories, parts and equipment sales including installation;
(s) Business support services including copying and printing, janitorial services and security services;
(t) Household goods rental store;
(u) Business equipment and furniture rentals;
(v) Warehouses including mini-warehouses, moving and storage companies;
(w) Occasional cultural events; provided, that a written notice stating “The Sonoma County Planning Department will issue a zoning permit for a cultural event (state nature and duration) on this property if a written appeal is not received within ten (10) days from the date of this notice.” is posted on the property at least ten (10) days prior to issuance of a zoning permit, and no appeal pursuant to Section 26-92-040 has been received from any interested person, and provided that approval is secured from the following departments: sheriff, public health, fire services, building inspection and public works. In the event of an appeal, a hearing on the project shall be held pursuant to Section 26-92-040;
(x) Beekeeping;
(y) Attached commercial telecommunication facilities subject to the applicable criteria set forth in Section 26-88-130;
(z) Minor and intermediate freestanding commercial telecommunication facilities eighty feet (80') or less, subject to the applicable criteria set forth in Section 26-88-130;
(aa) Noncommercial telecommunication facilities eighty feet (80') or less in height subject to the applicable criteria set forth in Section 26-88-130;
(bb) Small wind energy systems not located within a county-designated urban service area or within two thousand five hundred feet (2,500') of a county-designated urban service area, subject to zoning permit approval and the standards in Section 26-88-135;
(cc) Other nonresidential uses which in the opinion of the planning director are of a similar and compatible nature to those uses described in this section. (Ord. No. 5435 § 29(x), 2003; Ord. No. 5342 § 3, 2002; Ord. No. 4973 § 9(a), 1996; Ord. No. 4643, 1993.)
Sec. 26-34-020. Uses permitted with a use permit.
Uses permitted with a use permit include the following:
(a) One (1) dwelling unit on permanent foundations per lot subject, at a minimum, to the following criteria, and provided that no commercial use may be permitted unless the dwelling unit is removed or converted to another use in accordance with this district.
(1) The property is not located within a redevelopment project area identified on the general plan land use map,
(2) The property has constraints or is of such a size as to make it infeasible to develop with the commercial uses allowed by zoning,
(3) The unit complies with setbacks, building heights and other standards of the applicable zoning district,
(4) The unit meets other conditions which may result from the application review process;
(b) Reserved;
(c) Animal hospitals, veterinary clinics and kennels;
(d) Large and heavy merchandise sales, including machinery, hardware, lumber yards, building materials or landscape materials yards;
(e) Truck terminals, gasoline service stations and associated uses;
(f) Fuel yards, the bulk storage of flammable liquids;
(g) Contractor’s equipment storage or rental yards;
(h) Outdoor sales yards, auction yards and flea markets; heavy equipment sales;
(i) Gasoline sales;
(j) Nonoperative vehicle storage yards, recreational vehicle storage yards, manufactured home storage yards, fleet storage yards;
(k) Recycling centers for household paper, glass and metals;
(l) Testing laboratories;
(m) Photo processing plants;
(n) Plating, stripping, and coating shops;
(o) Bus terminals;
(p) Ambulance terminals;
(q) Taxi terminals;
(r) Commercial parking facilities;
(s) Heliports;
(t) Retail and wholesale nurseries;
(u) Minor public service uses or facilities (transmission and distribution lines and telecommunication facilities excepted), including but not limited to reservoirs, storage tanks, pumping stations, telephone exchanges, small power stations, transformer stations, fire and police stations and training centers, service yards and related parking lots which, at a minimum, meet the criteria of general plan Policy PF-2(s) and which are not otherwise exempt by state law;
(v) Exploration and development of low temperature geothermal resources for other than power development purposes provided that at a minimum it is compatible with surrounding land uses;
(w) Gymnasiums, health clubs, spas and similar uses;
(x) Commercial planned developments and commercial condominiums. Compatibility with adjacent development, unique characteristics, innovation and the provision of amenities will be the primary criteria utilized in evaluating such development. The lot size and setback requirements of Section 26-34-030 shall not apply to such developments;
(y) Adult entertainment establishments, subject to the requirements of Section 26-88-010(f); (Ord. No. 3340.)
(z) Day care center;
(aa) Large residential community care facility;
(bb) Large recycling collection facilities and light recycling processing facilities subject to the provisions of Section 26-88-070;
(cc) Amplified live music. Bars, cocktail lounges, live entertainment;
(dd) Intermediate and major freestanding commercial telecommunication facilities greater than eighty feet (80') in height, subject at a minimum to the applicable criteria set forth in Section 26-88-130;
(ee) Noncommercial telecommunication facilities greater than eighty feet (80') in height subject at a minimum to the applicable criteria set forth in Section 26-88-130;
(ff) Small-scale homeless shelters serving up to ten (10) persons, subject to design review, within designated urban service areas;
(gg) Emergency homeless shelters with up to fifty (50) beds, subject to design review, within designated urban service areas;
(hh) Small wind energy systems located within a county-designated urban service area or within two thousand five hundred feet (2,500') of a county-designated urban service area, subject to the standards in Section 26-88-135;
(ii) Live/work uses in conjunction with a legally established single family residential unit subject to the requirements of Section 26-88-122. Live/work uses shall not be permitted in a mixed use development, SRO unit, or caretaker unit.
(jj) Other nonresidential uses which in the opinion of the planning director are of a similar and compatible nature to those uses described in this section. (Ord. No. 5569 §§ 5, 7, 2005; Ord. No. 5435 § 2(y), 2003; Ord. No. 5429 § 2(y), 2003; Ord. No. 4973 § 9(b), (c), 1996; Ord. No. 4643, 1993.)
Sec. 26-34-030. Building intensity and development criteria.
The use of land and structures within this district is subject to this article, the applicable regulations of this chapter, and the provisions of any district which is combined herewith. Policies and criteria of the general plan and any applicable specific or area plan or local area development guidelines shall supersede the standards herein.
(a) Building Intensity. The maximum building intensity of the use of a site shall be determined by multiplying the maximum building height limit and the maximum coverage of the lot in square feet. The specified height or lot coverage limits may be modified if a use permit is first secured and if the maximum building intensity is not exceeded.
(b) Maximum Building Height.
(1) Thirty-five feet (35') provided, however, that the additional height may be permitted subject to subsection (a) of this section.
(2) Maximum height for telecommunication facilities is subject to the provisions of this article and Section 26-88-130.
(c) Minimum Lot Size. Eight thousand (8,000) square feet.
(d) Maximum Lot Coverage. Fifty percent (50%) provided that additional coverage may be permitted subject to subsection (a) of this section.
(e) Yard Requirements. The minimum yard requirements in a C3 district shall be the same as in an LC district; provided, however, that a greater setback may be established for properties abutting certain roads classified as collector or arterial in Sections CT-4.4 and CT-4.5 of the general plan or to accommodate any landscaping required pursuant to subsection (g) of this section. If the subject property adjoins land which is zoned AR or is designated as agricultural land, the use is subject to the requirements of Section 26-88-040(g).
(f) Parking and Loading Spaces. The parking and loading space requirements shall conform to the provisions of Article 86 of this chapter.
(g) Design Review. Design review approval shall be required for all uses in the manner provided in Article 82. (Ord. No. 4973 § 9(d), 1996; Ord. No. 4643, 1993.)