TA21-03_NonresidentialDistrict_Summaries2021-08 Public Comment Draft
COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT ADDITIONAL HEIGHT ALLOWANCE CONCEPT OVERVIEW
District
Current Height Standards Proposed Height Standards
Height
Maximum General Setbacks
Setbacks from
Residential
Properties
Additional Height Allowances
Additional Standards
(i.e., setbacks,
design)
Height
Maximum &
Intent
General
Setbacks
Setbacks from
Residential
Properties
Additional Height Allowances
Additional Standards
(i.e., setbacks,
design)
B-1,
Neighborhood
Business
35 ft. Front—50 ft. or 35 ft.
depending on
roadway
Side (street)—50 ft.
or 35 ft. depending on
roadway
Side (interior)—None
Rear—None
Side—25 ft.
Rear—30 ft.
N/A N/A 40 ft.
Allow for 2 story
structures
Front—25 ft.
Side (street)—25
ft.
Side (interior)—
None
Rear—None
Side—20 ft.
Rear—30 ft.
50 ft. for the following situations:
• Structure no more than 2
stories
None
CB,
Community
Business
3 stories, not
to exceed 45
ft.
Front—25 ft.
Side (street)—25 ft.
Side (interior)—None
Rear—None
Side—20 ft.
Rear—25 ft.
N/A Buildings with heights
over 35 ft. are subject to
an additional setback
requirement of 4
additional feet.
50 ft.
Allow for 3 story
structures
Front—25 ft.
Side (street)—25
ft.
Side (interior)—
None
Rear—None
Side—20 ft.
Rear—30 ft.
65 ft. for the following situations:
• Structure no more than 3
stories
None
B-2, Regional
Business
40 ft. Front—50 ft. or 35 ft.
depending on
roadway
Side (street)—50 ft.
or 35 ft. depending on
roadway
Side (interior)—None
Rear—None
Side—30 ft.
Rear—35 ft.
Buildings located within the
Employment Center, Community Mixed
Use, Urban Mixed Use or Commerce
Zone place types and fronting along a
collector, minor arterial, or principal
arterial have no limit as long as their
floor-to-area ratio does not exceed 1.0.
Floor-to-area ratio allowed up to 1.4 if
the ratio of the total building footprint
to the total buildable site area does not
exceed 40% and the required parking is
included within the building footprint.
If all surface parking is within the
building footprint, additional floor area
can be added at the rate of 1 ft. of floor
per 1 ft. of parking area. The total
height of the parking structure shall be
excluded from the height limit.
N/A 50 ft.
Allow for 3 stories
Front—25 ft.
Side (street)—25
ft.
Side (interior)—
None
Rear—None
Side—30 ft.
Rear—30 ft.
100 ft. for the following situations:
• Structure no more than 3
stories
• Hotel or Motel no more than 5
stories
When adjacent to R
residential properties
(RA, R-20, R-20S, R -15,
R-10, R-7, R-5),
additional setbacks, step
backs, or buffers apply:
-Additional setbacks or
step backs for portions
of buildings
-40 ft. for structures
51-75 ft. tall
-50 ft. for structures
76-100 ft. tall
-Additional buffering
-25 ft. vegetative
buffer/15 ft. vegetation
w/fencing for structures
51-75 ft. tall
-30 ft. vegetative
buffer/20 ft. vegetation
w/fencing for structures
76-100 ft. tall
2021-08 Public Comment Draft
District
Current Height Standards Proposed Height Standards
Height
Maximum General Setbacks
Setbacks from
Residential
Properties
Additional Height Allowances
Additional Standards
(i.e., setbacks,
design)
Height
Maximum &
Intent
General
Setbacks
Setbacks from
Residential
Properties
Additional Height Allowances
Additional Standards
(i.e., setbacks,
design)
O&I, Office &
Institutional
Residential
Uses—40 ft.
Nonresidential
& Mixed Use
Structures—
52 ft.
Front—25 ft.
Side (street)—25 ft.
Side (interior)—None
Rear—None
Side—25 ft.
Rear—30 ft.
N/A N/A Residential Uses—
45 ft.
Allows for 3 stories
Nonresidential &
Mixed Use
Structures—75 ft.
Allows for 5 stories
Front—25 ft.
Side (street)—25
ft.
Side (interior)—
None
Rear—None
Side—25 ft.
Rear—30 ft.
See Additional
Standards for
structures >50 ft.
in height
Residential Uses—50 ft. for the
following situations
• Structure no more than 3
stories
Nonresidential & Mixed Use
Structures—125 ft. for the
following situations:
• Structure no more than 5
stories
• Colleges, University, &
Professional Schools and
Hospital structures no more
than 7 stories
When adjacent to R
residential properties
(RA, R-20, R-20S, R -15,
R-10, R-7, R-5),
additional setbacks, step
backs, or buffers apply:
-Additional setbacks or
step backs for portions
of buildings
-40 ft. for structures
51-75 ft. tall
-50 ft. for structures
76-100 ft. tall
-60 ft. for structures
101-125 ft. tall
-Additional buffering
-25 ft. vegetative
buffer/15 ft. vegetation
w/fencing for structures
51-75 ft. tall
-30 ft. vegetative
buffer/20 ft. vegetation
w/fencing for structures
76-100 ft. tall
-35 ft. vegetative
buffer/25 ft. vegetation
w/fencing for structures
101-125 ft. tall
I-1, Light
Industrial
District
45 ft. Front—50 ft.
Side (street)—50 ft.
Side (interior)—None
Rear—None
Side—50 ft. (may
be reduced to no
more than 35 ft.
with additional
buffering)
Rear—50 ft. (may
be reduced to no
more than 40 ft.
with additional
buffering)
Buildings located within the
Employment Center or Commerce Zone
place types and fronting along a
collector, minor arterial, or principal
arterial have no height limit provided
their floor-to-area ratio does not exceed
1.0.
N/A 50 ft.
Allows for 3 stories
Front—50 ft.
Side (street)—50
ft.
Side (interior)—
None
Rear—None
Side—50 ft. (may
be reduced to no
more than 35 ft.
with additional
buffering)
Rear—50 ft. (may
be reduced to no
more than 40 ft.
with additional
buffering)
100 ft. for the following situations:
• Structure no more than 3
stories
• Government Offices &
Buildings, Hotel or Motel,
Offices for Private Business and
Professional Activities, and
Research and Development
Facility structures no more
than 7 stories
None
2021-08 Public Comment Draft
2021 HEIGHT STANDARDS AMENDMENT CONCEPTS
B-1 NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESS DISTRICT
CONCEPT SUMMARY: Adjust height standards to allow for 2-story
commercial structures and modify setbacks to allow consistent
development patterns.
DISTRICT INTENT: To provide lands that accommodate a range of
small-scale, low-intensity, neighborhood-serving commercial
development that provide goods and services to residents of adjacent
neighborhoods. District regulations are intended to ensure uses,
development intensities, and a development form that is consistent
with a pedestrian-friendly, walkable, and neighborhood scale. Mixed
use development is allowed that is consistent with district character.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GUIDANCE: While the plan does not
directly relate place types with specific zoning districts, this commercial
district could be appropriate for small-scale commercial services in
carefully located General Residential areas, in Community Mixed Use
areas, as transitions between higher intensity and lower intensity
development patterns, and in other areas with site-specific conditions.
This district is most likely to be applied along roadways and at minor
intersections.
DRAFT TEXT AMENDMENT CONCEPT
Current Standards
Proposed Standards
Height
Maximum
Setbacks Additional Height
Allowances Height
Maximum
Setbacks Additional Height
Allowances
General Adjacent to
Residential
Allowance
Maximum
Additional
Standards General Adjacent to
Residential
Allowance
Maximum
Additional
Standards
35 ft.
Front—50 ft.
or 35 ft.
depending on
roadway
Side (street)—
50 ft. or 35 ft.
depending on
roadway
Side
(interior)—
None
Rear—None
Side—25 ft.
Rear—30 ft. N/A N/A 40 ft.
Front—25 ft.
Side (street)—25
ft.
Side (interior)—
None
Rear—None
Side—20 ft.
Rear—30 ft.
50 ft. for the
following
situations:
-Structure no
more than 2
stories
None
Considerations:
• This district is currently applied to a number of properties
along major and minor roadway corridors that any
amendment could impact.
• A wide range of uses are allowed in this district, none of
which should require more than a 2-story building.
• 2-story nonresidential and mixed use buildings currently
require about 38 ft. in height.
• In the Community Business district front yard setbacks are
25 ft., street side setbacks are 25 ft., side setbacks from
residential properties are 20 ft. and rear setbacks from
residential properties are 25 ft.
2021-08 Public Comment Draft
2021 HEIGHT STANDARDS AMENDMENT CONCEPTS
CB COMMUNITY BUSINESS DISTRICT
CONCEPT SUMMARY: Adjust height standards to allow for 3-story
commercial structures and modify setbacks to allow consistent
development patterns.
DISTRICT INTENT: To provide lands that accommodate the
development, growth, and continued operation of businesses that serve
surrounding neighborhoods with goods and services needed for a
variety of daily and long-term purposes. Development in the CB district
should be designed in a form and at a scale that is both walkable and
accessible to vehicles and located at intersections and along streets that
will allow multiple neighborhoods access to the district’s businesses. CB
district lands can serve as a buffer between higher density/intensity
development and moderate or low density multi-family and single
family neighborhoods.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GUIDANCE: While the plan does not
directly relate place types with specific zoning districts, this commercial
district could be appropriate for Community Mixed Use areas, which
anticipates heights around 2-3 stories, as transitions between higher
intensity and lower intensity development patterns, and in other areas
with site-specific conditions. This district is most likely to be applied
along roadways and at intersections.
DRAFT TEXT AMENDMENT CONCEPT
Current Standards
Proposed Standards
Height
Maximum
Setbacks Additional Height
Allowances Height
Maximum
Setbacks Additional Height
Allowances
General Adjacent to
Residential
Allowance
Maximum
Additional
Standards General Adjacent to
Residential
Allowance
Maximum
Additional
Standards
3 stories,
not to
exceed 45
ft.
Front—25 ft.
Side (street)—
25 ft.
Side
(interior)—
None
Rear—None
Side—25 ft.
Rear—25 ft. N/A
Buildings with
heights over
35 ft. are
subject to an
additional
setback
requirement
of 4
additional
feet
50 ft.
Front—25 ft.
Side (street)—25
ft.
Side (interior)—
None
Rear—None
Side—20 ft.
Rear—30 ft.
65 ft. for the
following
situations:
-Structure no
more than 3
stories
None
Considerations:
• This district is currently applied to only three properties, all
subject to conditional zoning approvals.
• The uses allowed in this district are limited and designed
to be appropriate in close proximity to existing residential
neighborhoods. Typical uses include retail and offices.
• 3-story nonresidential buildings currently require about 50
ft. in height.
• In the Neighborhood Business district, rear setbacks from
residential properties are 30 ft.
2021-08 Public Comment Draft
2021 HEIGHT STANDARDS AMENDMENT CONCEPTS
B-2 REGIONAL BUSINESS DISTRICT
CONCEPT SUMMARY: Adjust height standards to allow for 3-story
commercial structures, allow for 5-story hotels and motels, and modify
setbacks to allow consistent development patterns and adequately
protect adjacent residential properties.
DISTRICT INTENT: To provide for the proper site layout and
development of larger format or larger structure size business uses,
including big box stores and automobile dealers. It is also designed to
provide for the appropriate location and design of auto-oriented uses
that meet the needs of the motoring public or that rely on pass-by
traffic.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GUIDANCE: While the plan does not
directly relate place types with specific zoning districts, because of the
range of uses allowed, this commercial district could be appropriate for
a wide variety of areas, including:
-Community Mixed Use areas, which anticipates heights around 2-
3 stories,
-Urban Mixed Use areas, which anticipates up to 7 stories for some
uses,
-Employment Centers, which anticipates up to 7 stories for some
uses, and
-Other areas with site-specific conditions.
This district is most likely to be applied along roadways and at
intersections.
Considerations:
• This district is the most common commercial district in the county’s jurisdiction. It is applied along major and minor roadways and to
properties surrounded by residential development.
• This district allows a wide range of uses including retail, auto-oriented sales, offices, lodging, heavy commercial, and some manufacturing. The
only permitted uses likely to need more than 3 stories are hotels and motels.
• 3-story nonresidential buildings currently require about 50 ft. in height.
• 5-story nonresidential buildings currently require 75 ft.
• An additional allowance for unlimited height is currently provided for in this district for qualifying properties. No additional setbacks are
required, though the floor-to-area ratio standard was intended to ensure more open space. This provision has not been used for a project at
this point to staff’s knowledge.
• The draft amendment concept would reduce some current height allowances for properties located in particular Comprehensive Plan Place
Types and along particular roadways. However, place types were not developed to be property specific, which could cause difficulties in
determining the application of the additional height allowance for some properties.
• In order to allow for the full scale of development intensity envisioned in the Comprehensive Plan, an additional commercial district that would
allow for uses appropriate at a more intense urban scale (i.e., retail, mixed-use, offices but not industrial) could be useful.
See the back of this page for proposed amendments.
2021-08 Public Comment Draft
DRAFT TEXT AMENDMENT CONCEPT
Current Standards
Height
Maximum
Setbacks Additional Height Allowances
General Adjacent to
Residential Allowance Maximum Additional Standards
40 ft.
Front—50 ft. or
35 ft. depending
on roadway
Side (street)—50
ft. or 35 ft.
depending on
roadway
Side (interior)—
None
Rear—None
Side—30 ft.
Rear—35 ft.
Buildings located within the Employment Center,
Community Mixed Use, Urban Mixed Use or Commerce
Zone place types and fronting along a collector, minor
arterial, or principal arterial have no limit as long as their
floor-to-area ratio does not exceed 1.0.
Floor-to-area ratio allowed up to 1.4 if the ratio of the
total building footprint to the total buildable site area
does not exceed 40% and the required parking is included
within the building footprint.
If all surface parking is within the building footprint,
additional floor area can be added at the rate of 1 ft. of
floor per 1 ft. of parking area. The total height of the
parking structure shall be excluded from the height limit.
N/A
Proposed Standards
Height
Maximum
Setbacks Additional Height Allowances
General Adjacent to
Residential Allowance Maximum Additional Standards
50 ft.
Front—25 ft.
Side (street)—
25 ft.
Side (interior)—
None
Rear—None
Side—30 ft.
Rear—30 ft.
100 ft. for the following situations:
• Structure no more than 3 stories
• Hotel or Motel no more than 5 stories
When adjacent to R residential properties
(RA, AR, R-20, R-20S, R -15, R-10, R-7, R-5),
additional setbacks, step backs, OR buffers
apply:
-Option 1: Additional setbacks or step backs
for portions of buildings
-40 ft. for structures 51-75 ft. tall
-50 ft. for structures 76-100 ft. tall
-Option 2: Additional buffering
-25 ft. vegetative buffer/15 ft. vegetation
w/fencing for structures 51-75 ft. tall
-30 ft. vegetative buffer/20 ft. vegetation
w/fencing for structures 76-100 ft. tall
2021-08 Public Comment Draft
2021 HEIGHT STANDARDS AMENDMENT CONCEPTS
O&I OFFICE AND INSTITUTIONAL DISTRICT
CONCEPT SUMMARY: Adjust height standards to allow for 3-
story residential structures, 5-story nonresidential and mixed uses
structures, 7-story selected institutional uses, and to modify
setbacks to adequately protect adjacent residential properties.
DISTRICT INTENT: To provide lands that accommodate
institutional, professional office, and other compatible uses. The
O&I district should be located in areas with more intense uses and
higher density development patterns to support economic clusters
in appropriate locations
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GUIDANCE: While the plan does
not directly relate place types with specific zoning districts,
because of the range of uses allowed, this commercial district
could be appropriate for a wide variety of areas, including:
-Community Mixed Use areas, which anticipates heights
around 2-3 stories,
-Urban Mixed Use areas, which anticipates up to 7 stories for
some uses,
-Employment Centers, which anticipates up to 7 stories for
some uses, and
-Other areas with site-specific conditions.
This district is most likely to be applied along roadways and as part
of integrated special-purpose developments (i.e., schools, medical
facilities, office parks, etc.).
Considerations:
• This district is currently applied to a number of properties along major and minor roadways.
• The uses allowed in this district are relatively limited. Typical uses include offices, medical facilities, and educational institutions.
• 3-story nonresidential buildings currently require about 50 ft. in height.
• 5-story nonresidential and mixed use buildings currently require about 75 ft. in height.
• 7-story nonresidential buildings currently require about 100 ft. in height.
• O&I districts are commonly used as transitions between higher intensity and lower intensity uses, as well as for large-scale institutional uses.
The draft amendment concept would be most appropriate for the institutional uses, though the small size of other properties currently zoned
O&I should not increase impacts on adjacent parcels. However, an additional office district that could serve as a transition between higher
intensity and lower intensity places may be necessary to specifically allow for smaller-scale office uses. The Community Business (CB) district
may also serve that function.
See the back of this page for draft amendment concept.
2021-08 Public Comment Draft
DRAFT TEXT AMENDMENT CONCEPT
Current Standards
Height
Maximum
Setbacks Additional Height Allowances
General Adjacent to
Residential Allowance Maximum Additional Standards
Residential
Uses—40 ft.
Nonresidential
& Mixed Use
Structures—
52 ft.
Front—25 ft.
Side (street)—25 ft.
Side (interior)—
None
Rear—None
Side—25 ft.
Rear—30 ft. N/A N/A
Proposed Standards
Height
Maximum
Setbacks Additional Height Allowances
General Adjacent to
Residential Allowance Maximum Additional Standards
Residential
Uses—45 ft.
Nonresidential
& Mixed Use
Structures—
75 ft.
Front—25 ft.
Side (street)—25 ft.
Side (interior)—
None
Rear—None
Side—25 ft.
Rear—30 ft.
See Additional
Standards for
structures >50
ft. in height
Residential Uses—50 ft. for the following situations
• Structure no more than 3 stories
Nonresidential & Mixed Use Structures—125 ft. for
the following situations:
• Structure no more than 5 stories
• Colleges, University, & Professional Schools and
Hospital structures no more than 7 stories
When adjacent to R residential properties
(RA, AR, R-20, R-20S, R -15, R-10, R-7, R-5),
additional setbacks, step backs, or buffers
apply:
-Additional setbacks or step backs for
portions of buildings
-40 ft. for structures 51-75 ft. tall
-50 ft. for structures 76-100 ft. tall
-60 ft. for structures 101-125 ft. tall
-Additional buffering
-25 ft. vegetative buffer/15 ft. vegetation
w/fencing for structures 51-75 ft. tall
-30 ft. vegetative buffer/20 ft. vegetation
w/fencing for structures 76-100 ft. tall
-35 ft. vegetative buffer/25 ft. vegetation
w/fencing for structures 101-125 ft. tall
2021-08 Public Comment Draft
2021 HEIGHT STANDARDS AMENDMENT CONCEPTS
I-1 LIGHT INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT
CONCEPT SUMMARY: Adjust height standards to allow for
3-story structures and allow for 7-story office buildings and
hotels and motels.
DISTRICT INTENT: To provide lands to accommodate light
industrial development and associated operations, including
assembly, fabrication, packaging, and transport, where operations
are conducted primarily indoors and where suitable sites are
served by rail, a waterway, and/or a highway transportation
system as well as readily available utilities. I-1 districts are also
intended to support the development of commerce and
employment clusters as recommended in the Comprehensive
Plan.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GUIDANCE: While the plan does
not directly relate place types with specific zoning districts, this
district could be appropriate for Employment Centers and
Commerce, which both anticipate heights around 7 stories for
office buildings, and in other areas with site-specific conditions.
This district is most likely to be applied near existing employment
and commerce nodes and near major roadways or other
transportation corridors.
Considerations:
• This district is currently applied to a number of properties, primarily in the northern portion of the county’s jurisdiction.
• This district allows a wide variety of uses, including office, commercial, manufacturing, waste and salvage, and wholesaling operations.
• 3-story nonresidential buildings currently require about 50 ft. in height.
• 7-story nonresidential buildings currently require about 100 ft. in height.
• The I-1 district currently requires large setbacks from adjacent residential properties, so it would not be necessary to amend setbacks to
mitigate the impact of taller buildings on existing homes.
• The current dimensional standards are designed primarily for manufacturing uses, limiting the types of office uses that may otherwise be
appropriate for employment centers in the county.
• The draft amendment concept would be most appropriate for larger pieces of property or integrated developments, though the small size
of other properties currently zoned I-1 should not increase impacts on adjacent parcels.
See the back of this page for proposed amendments.
2021-08 Public Comment Draft
DRAFT TEXT AMENDMENT CONCEPT
Current Standards
Height
Maximum
Setbacks Additional Height Allowances
General Adjacent to
Residential Allowance Maximum Additional Standards
45 ft.
Front—50 ft.
Side (street)—50
ft.
Side (interior)—
None
Rear—None
Side—50 ft.
(may be
reduced to no
more than 35
ft. with
additional
buffering)
Rear—50 ft.
(may be
reduced to no
more than 40
ft. with
additional
buffering)
Buildings located within the Employment Center or
Commerce Zone place types and fronting along a
collector, minor arterial, or principal arterial have no
height limit provided their floor-to-area ratio does not
exceed 1.0.
None
Proposed Standards
Height
Maximum
Setbacks Additional Height Allowances
General Adjacent to
Residential Allowance Maximum Additional Standards
50 ft.
Front—50 ft.
Side (street)—
50 ft.
Side (interior)—
None
Rear—None
Side—50 ft.
(may be
reduced to
no more than
35 ft. with
additional
buffering)
Rear—50 ft.
(may be
reduced to
no more than
40 ft. with
additional
buffering)
100 ft. for the following situations:
• Structure no more than 3 stories
• Government Offices & Buildings, Hotel or Motel,
Offices for Private Business and Professional
Activities, and Research and Development Facility
structures no more than 7 stories
None