Article 36.
LC Limited Commercial District
§ 26-36-005 Purpose.
§ 26-36-010 Permitted uses.
§ 26-36-020 Uses permitted
with a use permit.
- Amended by Ordinance 5715 
§ 26-36-030
Permitted building intensity and development criteria.
Purpose: to implement the provisions of Section 2.3.2 of the general plan by providing areas for retail sales and services necessary for the daily self-sufficiency of urban and rural areas in keeping with their character and to implement the objectives of adopted redevelopment plans within redevelopment project areas in the general plan. (Ord. No. 4643, 1993.)
Sec. 26-36-010. Permitted uses.
Permitted uses include the following:
(a) Neighborhood retail businesses which supply household commodities on the premises such as groceries, meats, dairy products, baked goods or other foods, drugs, notions or hardware; personal service establishments which perform services on the premises for persons residing in adjacent residential areas such as shoe repair, dry cleaning shops, tailor shops, beauty parlors, barber shops and the like. All retail sales and service uses shall be conducted entirely within a building;
(b) Restaurants;
(c) Financial institutions such as banks and savings and loan offices, provided the facility is limited to five thousand (5,000) square feet of gross floor area;
(d) Medical or dental clinic;
(e) Professional and administrative offices which provide services for persons residing in nearby residential areas;
(f) Accessory buildings and uses normally incidental to any permitted use. This shall not be construed as permitting any commercial use or occupation other than those specifically permitted;
(g) Small collection facilities as an accessory use to any permitted use subject to the provisions of Section 26-88-070; (Ord. No. 3805.)
(h) Feed stores;
(i) Garden supply stores;
(j) Truck, trailer and farm implement sales, and rental;
(k) Tire sales, including recapping and retreading;
(l) Machinery sales and rental;
(m) 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;
(n) 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;
(o) Small family day care;
(p) Large family day care, provided that the applicant shall meet all performance standards listed in Section 26-88-080;
(q) Small residential community care facility;
(r) Beekeeping;
(s) Attached commercial telecommunication facilities subject to the applicable criteria set forth in Section 26-88-130;
(t) Minor and intermediate freestanding commercial telecommunication facilities eighty feet (80') or less, subject to the applicable criteria set forth in Section 26-88-130;
(u) Noncommercial telecommunication facilities eighty feet (80') or less in height subject to the applicable criteria set forth in Section 26-88-130;
(v) 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;
(w) 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 § 2(z), 2003; Ord. No. 5342 § 3, 2002; Ord. No. 4973 § 9(a), 1996; Ord. No. 4643, 1993.)
Sec. 26-36-020. Uses permitted with a use permit.
- Amended by Ordinance 5715
Uses permitted with a use permit include the following:
(a) One (1) dwelling unit on a permanent foundation 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) One (1) caretaker unit per lot in rural areas as defined in the general plan and provided that the lot is not already developed with a residence;
(c) Mixed Use Developments. Additional dwelling units for permanent occupancy as part of a mixed commercial/residential development, provided that the property is located within an urban service area as defined in the general plan and that the residential units complement and are compatible with an existing or proposed commercial use, subject to the provisions of Section 26-88-123 (Mixed use developments).
(d) Gasoline service stations and minimarts; (Ord. No. 3615.)
(e) Restaurants serving alcohol, takeout food, bars, cocktail lounges, live entertainment, amplified live music;
(f) Noncommercial clubs and lodges;
(g) Art, craft, music and dancing schools;
(h) Business, professional or trade schools and colleges;
(i) Churches;
(j) Wholesale and retail nurseries;
(k) Antique stores, second hand sales, auction studios;
(l) New and used automobile sales, service and repair establishments;
(m) Truck, trailer and farm implement repair facilities;
(n) Animal hospitals, veterinary clinics and commercial kennels;
(o) Large and heavy merchandise sales, including machinery, hardware, lumber yards, building materials or landscape materials yards;
(p) Recycling centers for household paper, glass and metals;
(q) Truck terminals, gasoline service stations and associated uses;
(r) Fuel yards, the bulk storage of flammable liquids;
(s) Contractor’s equipment storage or rental yards;
(t) Outdoor sales yards, auction yards and flea markets; heavy equipment sales;
(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) Outdoor vendors; (Ord. No. 3348.)
(x) Commercial planned developments and commercial condominiums. Compatibility and provision of amenities shall be required and unique characteristics, design innovation and creativity shall be additional criteria utilized in evaluating such development. Required yards of Section 26-36-030 shall not apply to such development. Conversions of existing commercial buildings to commercial condominium or commercial planned development may be accomplished by use permit waiver pursuant to Section 26-88-010(g) and applicable Sections of Chapter 25 of the Sonoma County Code;
(y) Small collection facilities as an accessory use to any permitted use subject to the provisions of Section 26-88-070;
(z) Large residential community care facility;
(aa) Day care center;
(bb) Gymnasiums, health clubs, spas and similar uses;
(cc) Heliports;
(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) One (1) bed and breakfast inn, containing not more than five (5) guest rooms, established and maintained in conjunction with an existing or proposed commercial use on the property. The bed and breakfast inn shall be subject to Article 82 (Design Review) and Article 86 (Parking Regulation). Food service shall be limited to breakfast served to inn guests only, and shall be subject to approval of the Sonoma County department of health services. Weddings, lawn parties or similar activities may be allowed if specifically authorized by the use permit. No outdoor amplified sound shall be permitted at any time. No bed and breakfast inn shall include the use of more than one (1) single-family dwelling. No accessory structures may be used for transient occupancy;
(gg) Small-scale homeless shelters serving up to ten (10) persons, subject to design review, within designated urban service areas;
(hh) Emergency homeless shelters with up to fifty (50) beds, subject to design review, within designated urban service areas;
(ii) 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;
(jj) In designated urban service areas, small single room occupancy (SRO) facilities, subject to the granting of a use permit and consistent with the provisions of Section 26-88-125;
(kk) In designated urban service areas, large single room occupancy (SRO) facilities of up to thirty (30) SRO rooms, subject to the granting of a use permit and consistent with the provisions of Section 26-88-125;
(ll) 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;
(mm)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, 6, 7, 2005; Ord. No. 5435 § 2(aa), 2003; Ord. No. 5429 § 5, 2003; Ord. No. 5265 § 1(o), 2001; Ord. No. 4973 § 9(b), (c), 1996; § Ord. No. 4643, 1993.)
Sec. 26-36-030. Permitted building intensity and development criteria.
The use of land and structures within this district is subject to this article, the general 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 lot coverage. 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 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.
(1) Where both public sewer and public water services are provided or where public sewer service alone is provided, eight thousand (8,000) square feet.
(2) Where public water service alone is provided, one (1) acre.
(3) Where neither public sewer service nor public water service is provided, one and one-half acres.
(d) Maximum Lot Coverage. Fifty percent (50%) provided that additional lot coverage may be permitted subject to subsection (a) of this section.
(e) Yard Requirements. The following shall apply except that if the subject property adjoins land which is zoned AR or designated as agricultural land, the use is subject to the requirements of Section 26-88-040(g).
(1) Front Yard. None, except where the frontage of a block is partially in an R district, in which case the front yard shall be the same as required in such R district.
(2) Side Yard. None, except where the side of a lot abuts upon the side of a lot in an R district, in which case the side yard shall be not less than ten feet (10').
(3) Rear Yard. None, except where the rear of a lot abuts on an R district, in which case the rear yard shall be not less than ten feet (10').
(4) The yard requirements set forth in this section may be increased to be consistent with the circulation and transit element of the general plan or to accommodate landscaping required pursuant to subsection (g) of this section.
(f) Parking Spaces. Parking shall be provided in accordance with the standards established in Article 86.
(g) Design Review. Design review approval shall be required for all permitted uses in the manner provided in Article 82. (Ord. No. 4973 § 9(d), 1996; Ord. No. 4643, 1993.)