A.Â
The GBD General Business Downtown District is intended
to encourage development of a traditional downtown, with mixed land
uses, minimal front setback requirements, wider pedestrianways, on-street
parking, and architectural and facade design consistent with downtown
development. The area identified on the Zoning Map as the GBD District
is a unique resource for the Village of New Haven.
B.Â
In order to maintain the viability and preserve the
character of this district, specific development regulations are provided
to accomplish the objectives of the adopted Village Master Plan and
Zoning Ordinance. The regulations in the GBD District are intended
to permit flexibility in regulation of land development, encourage
innovation in land use and variety in design, layout and type of structures
constructed; achieve economy and efficiency in the use of land, natural
resources, energy and the providing of public services and utilities;
encourage useful open space; and provide better housing, employment
and shopping opportunities particularly suited to the needs of the
surrounding area.
In the GBD District, no building or land shall
be used and no building shall be erected except for one or more of
the following uses:
A.Â
Generally recognized retail businesses which supply
goods on the premises, including, but not limited to, grocery or appliance,
pop and alcoholic beverage stores, delicatessens, drug, dry goods,
meat, hardware, gift, clothing, jewelry, music, paint, sporting goods
and variety stores.
B.Â
Banks, savings and loan, and credit unions, excluding
drive-through window facilities.
C.Â
Cocktail lounges, bars and restaurants, excluding
drive-in or drive-through window facilities.
D.Â
General, service, sales, and professional offices.
E.Â
Laboratories.
F.Â
Medical and dental offices, including walk-in clinics
and ambulatory care centers but excluding twenty-four-hour clinics
and hospitals.
G.Â
Personal service shops, such as tailor, beauty parlor,
barbershop, photographer, photo dropoff with or without on-site processing,
instant or quick printing shop, shoe repair, laundromats and dry cleaning
establishments (excluding dry cleaning plants), and similar uses.
H.Â
Private clubs, lodge halls and similar uses.
I.Â
Public buildings without outdoor storage yards, including
community centers, libraries, museums and post offices.
J.Â
Public parks.
K.Â
Off-street parking lots.
L.Â
Single-family residential, two-family residential,
and multiple-family residential development.
M.Â
Theaters (excluding drive-ins).
N.Â
Antique, thrift and resale shops.
O.Â
Veterinarian offices, excluding kennels.
P.Â
Accessory uses and structures incidental to the principal
use.
The following special land uses may be permitted only after review and approval by the Planning Commission, subject to the requirements and standards of Article XX and the submission of a site plan conforming with the requirements of § 515-100:
Accessory buildings, structures and uses shall be permitted in accordance with § 515-78. In addition, the following accessory structures and uses may also be permitted only when conducted within a completely enclosed building, subject to the following:
A.Â
Garages shall be used exclusively for the storage
of passenger motor vehicles and/or commercial vehicles of less than
one-ton capacity, which are to be used in connection with a business
permitted and located in the GBD District.
B.Â
Sidewalk sales shall be permitted only as provided
hereunder:
(1)Â
No person, firm, corporation or merchant shall vend,
sell, dispose of or display any goods, wares, merchandise or produce
on any public street or sidewalk or anywhere else outside a building
without full compliance with this section for the period of said sidewalk
sale.
(2)Â
Sidewalk sales shall be permitted for no more than
three days. No more than two such sidewalk sales shall be permitted
on a site to any person, firm, corporation or merchant in a single
calendar year.
(3)Â
Sale of the merchandise under this subsection shall
be limited to merchandise usually sold on the premises. No new merchandise
shall be brought in to vend, sell, dispose of or display at the sidewalk
sale.
(4)Â
All merchandise offered for sale hereunder must be
displayed on private property. Merchandise shall be securely and adequately
placed so that it will not endanger passersby or fall or extend into
the public right-of-way. Such sales shall not be operated in any manner
which would cause a nuisance or create a fire hazard or obstruct ingress
and egress to premises.
A.Â
Pedestrian orientation. Proposed uses shall create
a significant pedestrian orientation in keeping with the intent of
the district. Whenever a building has frontage upon a public road,
it shall have at least one pedestrian access point fronting the public
right-of-way, unless the Planning Commission finds that there are
unique circumstances associated with the use, building or parcel that
would make the access requirement unreasonable. The site plan shall
show sidewalks along all public road frontage, placed one foot inside
the road right-of-way or in other appropriate locations, as determined
by the Planning Commission. The width and appearance of the sidewalk
shall be determined by the Planning Commission, after reviewing adjacent
parcels and appropriate provisions of the Village Master Plan. In
addition, no off-street parking shall be permitted between the property
line and the front of any principal building.
B.Â
Building materials and design:
(1)Â
To encourage pedestrian circulation in the district,
whenever a building fronts upon Main Street, it shall have at least
one display window for every 100 feet of building frontage unless
the Planning Commission finds that unique circumstances exist.
(2)Â
Exterior walls of any principal or accessory building
shall be composed of the same or complementary architectural building
facade materials. Exterior building facades shall be primarily brick
or stone, which may be augmented by complementary materials. When
facade materials other than brick or stone are proposed for a building
within the GBD District, the Planning Commission may permit such alternative
facade materials, provided it finds that all of the following are
satisfied:
(a)Â
The selected facade materials and material combinations
will be consistent with and enhance the building design concept.
(b)Â
The selected facade materials and material combinations
will be complementary to existing or proposed buildings within the
site and surrounding area.
(c)Â
The use of selected facade materials and material
combinations will not detract from future development in the district
of buildings of stone or brick, augmented by complementary materials.
(d)Â
The request is accompanied by facade material
samples, detailed elevation drawings, and a brief statement of how
the proposal is consistent with the standards in this section.
(3)Â
It is not intended that contrasts in design and facade
materials are to be discouraged; rather, care should be taken so that
any such contrasts will not be so out of character with existing and
planned development so as to create an adverse effect on the stability
and value of the surrounding area.
C.Â
Loading areas shall be placed at the rear of buildings
so as to minimize visibility from public roadways and interference
with vehicular and pedestrian traffic. In the case of certain uses,
such as offices and other businesses that have a very infrequent incidence
of deliveries, and when so approved by the Planning Commission, the
off-street loading space may be utilized for off-street parking, but
it shall not diminish the number of off-street parking spaces otherwise
required.
D.Â
All uses shall be retail or service establishments
(except residential uses) dealing directly with customers. All retail
goods produced on the premises shall be sold on the premises.
E.Â
All business, servicing or processing, except for off-street parking or loading, shall be conducted within a completely enclosed building, unless otherwise permitted through special land use approval. All accessory buildings shall be similar in architectural design and materials to the principal building. Waste materials of any sort shall be screened from public view by a masonry wall and shall be consolidated in a defined trash receptacle area in conformance with § 515-91K(1).
F.Â
Exterior site lighting shall be in accordance with § 515-90G. In addition, where a building wall faces an abutting residential district there shall be no floodlighting of such facade. This shall not preclude the lighting of doorways on such facades.
G.Â
All uses in this district require site plan review and approval. Site plans shall be prepared in accordance with the requirements of § 515-100 of this chapter and shall be reviewed and approved by the Planning Commission prior to issuance of a building permit.
H.Â
See Article XVIII, General Provisions, relating to off-street parking, off-street parking layout, landscaping and screening requirements and other sections of the article as they relate to uses permitted in the district.
I.Â
Except where otherwise regulated in this article, refer to Article XVII, Schedule of District Regulations, limiting the height and bulk of buildings, the minimum size of lot by permitted land use, the minimum yard setback requirements and development options.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: The Schedule of District Regulations is included at the end of this chapter.
J.Â
No required front yard space in the GBD District shall
be used for the storage or parking of vehicles or any other materials
or equipment.
K.Â
Prohibited use of open areas: No machinery, equipment,
vehicles or other materials shall be stored or parked unless in full
accordance with the Village of New Haven Nuisance Ordinance.