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THE ZONING REPORT For Planning and Zoning Professionals ISSN 0748-0083 VOL 12, NO 13 -- OCT 21, 1994 -- Charles Reed, AICP, Editor/Publisher -- $58/year/subscription ESTABLISHING A HIERARCHY OF BUSINESS AND COMMERCIAL ZONES IN ZONING CODES Most persons involved in zoning decisions un- derstand the match and fit of only a few busi- ness zones, organized within a hierarchy of 3-6 zones. This understanding accords with the trend in codes to reduce the number of busi- ness zones as a result of pressure from board members. Thereby, many recent codes have only three or four business zones. Many zoning codes, especially tl{~se that have not been revised in many years, accumu- late special purpose zones. Codes might accu- mulate 10 or more business zones, often in central cities. When enacted, these zones are intended to provide zoning solutions to previ- ously unforeseen problems believed not solvable by existing zone districts. But most developers continue to seek rezoning to the familiar basic These are the few basic business zones found in zoning codes A neighborhood business zone is provided in almost all urban zoning codes. Rural codes commonly provide this zone as a village center zone intended for the smallest towns and crossroads villages. The zone provides for the few small-scale service and retail uses that need to be located immediately next to resi- dential neighborhoods to serve the convenience needs of the residents. Many zoning codes ex- pect the major tenant to be a supermarket~ perhaps in combination with a drug store. Some codes allow gas stations in neighbor- hood zones as a conditional use, limited by the number of pump islands, allowing no repairs. few business zones. . ........... ~.~nt codes might allow ATMs and branch When codes eventually are revised, the little- b~s as a by-right or conditional use, but no used zones are deleted and their special ~?~g. Lu-(~ /code~allows drive-up bank windows or fast-food tations melded into existing zones through 'st~me ' ~a~t:3rive-in-~-~t{~ ~)ta---~es. type of special review or permit impos~Lon .~ .-..~Development standards of the zone are the few uses with special problems. ~,Ai~,~t~(~gly oriented toward compatibility with To improve understanding of the function and rationale of zone districts, more codes in the past ten years or so are including a purposes or description section for each zone. For busi- ness zones, the purposes section can describe the zone's intensity of use, general compatibil- ity to other land uses and to office and light industrial uses, its density of building bulk, amount of traffic generated, size of trade area and the variety and characteristics of uses al- lowed. adjoining residential uses and zones. All uses must operate within enclosed buildings, with no outdoor sales or display; have a maximum floor area imposed on all uses, ranging in codes from 2500 to 5000 sq ft, with 5000 sq ft typical in recent codes; provide large landscaped street yards,., with landscaped side and rear buffer yards, screens and walls or fences adjoining residential uses and zones; limit signs in num- ber and '.area; and require businesses to be closed at night. © 1994 by Charles Reed ........ 1404 N. State Road 7, Suite 269; Margate, Florida 33063 -- Mailing address: PO Box 6529; Margate, Florida 33063 --