Business district regulations are intended to govern the locations and uses of a full range of business and commercial establishments needed to serve the citizens of Mendota and its trade area. The regulations of the various business districts are designed to provide for groupings of business and commercial establishments that are compatible in scope of service and method of operations.
Unless otherwise provided in the regulations of this chapter, the following provisions shall apply to all business districts:
A. 
Dwelling units. Dwelling units and lodging rooms are not permitted on the ground-floor level in any business district except in a permitted hotel, motel, or as a nonconforming use existing on the effective date of this chapter.
B. 
Enclosure of operations. All business, servicing, or processing shall be conducted within completely enclosed buildings except:
(1) 
Off-street parking or off-street loading;
(2) 
Drive-in types of operations when conducted as a conditional use in the B-2 Commercial District; and
(3) 
Open sales lots when operated as a use in the B-3 Commercial District.
C. 
Performance standards. All activities shall conform with the performance standards established for the M Manufacturing District, provided that performance standards shall in every case be applied at the boundaries of the lot on which any such activities take place.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
D. 
Parking limitations. Parking of trucks, when accessory to the conduct of a permitted use, shall be limited to vehicles having not over 1 1/2 tons' capacity, except for pickup or delivery services during normal business hours.
E. 
Scope of operations. All business establishments shall be retail trade or service establishments dealing directly with consumers, and all goods produced on the premises shall be sold on the premises where produced except for specific uses in the B-2 General Retail District where wholesale sales or processing and fabricating are permitted.[2]
[2]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
The B-1 Local Business District regulations are intended to provide areas and govern uses therein for a range of shopper and personal service types of establishments in order to serve the general shopping needs of a consumer population that is located in one or more of the neighborhoods adjoining and in the vicinity of the shopping district.
A. 
Permitted uses. The following uses are permitted in the B-1 District:[1]
(1) 
Alphabetical list.
Art and school supply stores
Bakeries, retail sales, where not more than 30% of the floor area may be devoted to processing of goods
Barber shops and beauty parlors
Book and stationery stores
Camera and photographic supply stores
Candy and ice cream stores
Clothes pressing establishments
Drugstores
Dry-cleaning and laundry-receiving stations, including self-service coin-operated equipment
Dwelling units and lodging rooms, provided they are above the first floor
Food stores, meat and fish markets, and delicatessens
Gift shops
Hardware stores
Hobby shops for retailing of items to be assembled or used away from the premises
Launderettes, including automatic self-service dry-cleaning equipment
Liquor stores, package
Newsstands
Office supply stores
Offices, professional, business, institutional and public
Paint and wall paper stores
Temporary buildings for construction purposes, for a period not to exceed the duration of such construction
Toy shops
Variety stores
(2) 
Accessory uses to the above permitted uses, including, but not limited to:
(a) 
Off-street parking and off-street loading in accordance with applicable regulations set forth in Article VIII of this chapter.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
B. 
Conditional uses. The following conditional uses are permitted in the B-1 District:[2]
(1) 
Other business uses similar to permitted uses listed above.
(2) 
Planned developments under single ownership or control and having a gross area of at least 10 acres.
(3) 
Public utility and governmental services uses. Lot areas and lot widths for the following uses shall be as recommended by the Plan Commission and approved by the City Council and may be lesser or greater in area or width than herein required in the district regulations.
(a) 
Electric distribution centers.
(b) 
Gas regulator stations.
(c) 
Police and fire stations.
(d) 
Radio and television towers and antennas.
(e) 
Railroad rights-of-way and passenger stations.
(f) 
Telephone exchange buildings, microwave relay towers, and telephone transmission equipment buildings.
(g) 
Water filtration plants, pumping stations, reservoirs, towers, and sanitary and storm sewer lift stations, public or community.
(4) 
Radio and television service and repair shops.
(5) 
Accessory uses to the above conditional uses.
[2]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
C. 
Ground floor area. The maximum ground floor area of each business establishment shall be 5,000 square feet measured from the exterior faces of the exterior walls.
D. 
Floor area ratio: not to exceed 1.0.
E. 
Yards.
(1) 
Front: not less than 20 feet in depth.
(2) 
Side: no yard is required; however, if a yard is provided it shall be not less than 10 feet in width; except a side yard adjoining a street shall be not less than 20 feet in width.
(3) 
Rear: not less than 20 feet in depth.
The General Retail District regulations are designed to accommodate prime retail trade activities located primarily within the core of the City's business area. Regulations provide for a wide variety of related shopper-type business establishments along with personal service and other complementary uses.
A. 
Permitted uses. The following uses are permitted in the B-2 District:
[Amended by Ord. No. 01-07-13[1]]
(1) 
As in the B-1 District.
(2) 
Alphabetical list.
Antique shops
Automobile accessory stores
Banks and other financial institutions, including drive-in facilities
Bicycle sales, rental, repair stores
Carpet and rug stores
China and glassware stores
Clothing stores
Clubs or lodges, when located above the ground floor
Coin and philatelic stores
Currency exchanges
Department stores
Drugstores, including drugstores with one- or two-lane drive-through facility
Dry goods stores
Flower and gift shops
Fraternal, philanthropic, and eleemosynary institutions, when located above the ground floor
Frozen food stores, including locker rental in conjunction therewith
Furniture stores, including upholstering when conducted as part of the retail operations and secondary to the principal use
Furrier shops, including the incidental storage and conditional sale of furs
Garden supply stores with no outdoor storage or display of merchandise
Grocery stores, supermarkets, meat and fish markets and delicatessens
Haberdasheries
Hardware stores, retail and wholesale
Hobby shops
Hotels and motels
Household appliance stores, including radio and television sales with incidental repair facilities
Interior decorating shops, including upholstery and making of draperies, slip covers, and other similar articles when conducted as part of the retail operations and secondary to the principal use
Jewelry stores
Laboratories, medical, dental or optical, when located above the first story or as accessory to a principal use occupying the first story
Leather goods and luggage stores
Libraries, public and private
Liquor stores, package
Loan offices
Locksmith shops
Magazine and news stores
Medical and dental clinics
Millinery shops
Music stores
Newspaper offices, including printing
Newsstands
Office supply stores
Offices, professional or business
Paint and wallpaper stores
Pawn shops
Photography studios, including developing and printing of photographs when conducted on the premises as part of the retail business
Picture framing
Post offices
Radio and television broadcasting studios
Restaurants, which may include accessory cocktail lounges
Schools, music, dance or business
Shoe and hat repair stores
Shoe stores
Sporting goods stores
Tailor shops
Telegraph offices
Theaters
Tobacco shops
Toy stores
Travel bureaus and ticket offices
Vending machines
Wearing apparel shops
(3) 
Accessory uses customarily incidental to the above permitted uses, including, but not limited to:
(a) 
Off-street parking and off-street loading in accordance with applicable regulations set forth in Article VIII of this chapter.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
B. 
Conditional uses. The following conditional uses are permitted in the B-2 District:
[Amended by Ord. No. 04-06-15A]
(1) 
Any conditional use permitted in the B-1 District.
(2) 
Amusement establishments, bowling alleys, pool halls, dance halls, gymnasiums, swimming pools and skating rinks.
(3) 
Cocktail lounges or taverns.
(4) 
Bus depot and cab stands having off-street loading and parking facilities.
(5) 
Public or private cultural institutions, and utility and governmental service establishments.
(6) 
Restricted production and repair, limited to the following: needlework; clothing, such as custom manufacturing and alterations; jewelry from precious metals; watches, dentures, and optical lenses.
(7) 
Other uses similar to permitted uses in this district.
(8) 
Microdistillery and/or microbrewery, provided the following stipulations are followed:
[Added by Ord. No. 04-18-16A]
(a) 
In any thirty-day period no more than 500 gallons shall be distilled and/or brewed and received.
(b) 
All building codes currently adopted by the City of Mendota are implemented and abided by.
(c) 
All federal, state and local licenses, permits and codes are adhered to.
(d) 
Tasting room and retail sales will be allowed.
C. 
Floor area ratio: not to exceed 2.0; except where 10% or more of the lot area is reserved and maintained as public open area (paved for pedestrian use or landscaped), the floor area may be increased by 0.1 for each 1% of lot area (in excess of 10%) reserved as public open area.
D. 
Building height: no height limitations.
E. 
Yards.
(1) 
Front: no yard requirement.
(2) 
Side: no yard requirements; except if a yard is provided, it shall not be less than five feet in width.
(3) 
Rear: no yard requirement; except where the rear yard line adjoins a residence district, a rear yard not less than 25 feet shall be provided.
The B-3 Service Business District is intended to accommodate a wide range of specialized commercial and business uses, including highway-oriented service and commercial-recreation types of establishments to serve a trade area embracing the City and intercommunity traffic through the City.
A. 
Permitted uses. The following uses are permitted in the B-3 District:
[Amended by Ord. No. 04-17-00A; Ord. No. 04-06-09; Ord. No. 04-06-15A]
(1) 
Alphabetical list.
All uses as permitted in the B-2 District
Amusement establishments: bowling alleys, billiard parlors, gymnasiums, swimming pools, skating rinks, and miniature, pitch and putt, par-3 or standard courses, golf driving ranges, swimming pools and clubs and recreation centers containing one or more of the above use.
Animal hospitals
Auction rooms
Automobile and truck sales establishments
Automobile service stations
Bakeries, including sale of bakery products to restaurants, clubs, hotels, institutions and similar establishments
Battery and tire sales and service establishments
Blueprinting and photocopy establishments
Boat sales, rentals, storage, and repair, including sales and service of marine motors, boat parts and accessories and boat fuels
Building material sales with outdoor storage, when the area for outside storage is completely surrounded by a uniformly painted solid fence or wall eight feet in height, and no storage shall project higher than the height of the fence or wall
Catering establishments
Clothing and costume rental shops
Club or lodges, private, fraternal, or religious
Contractors' offices and shops
Drive-in establishments, except theaters
Dry-cleaning and laundry establishments, provided that not more than 2,500 square feet of floor area shall be devoted to dry-cleaning, pressing, or laundering processes other than self-service coin-operated facilities
Employment agencies
Exterminating shops
Feed, fertilizer and seed stores
Fraternal, philanthropic, and eleemosynary institutions
Fruit and vegetable stands
Fuel and ice retail sales establishments with no outside storage and liquid fuels are stored in underground tanks
Garages, public, including painting, body and fender work and motor rebuilding
Greenhouses, garden centers, and nurseries, retail and wholesale sales
Highway maintenance shops and yards
Hospitals
Laboratories, medical, dental, optical
Linen, towel, or diaper service establishments
Live bait stores
Machine, sheet metal, or welding shops, provided a building for such a use shall contain not more than 5,000 square feet of floor area, and operations are within the enclosed building, and glare from welding operations is not visible from outside the building
Machinery and equipment sales establishments, construction and agriculture
Mail order houses, order and service centers
Meat markets, including sale of meats to restaurants, clubs, hotels, institutions, and similar establishments
Meeting halls, convention or exhibition halls
Mobile homes and trailer sales establishments
Model homes or garage display and sales
Monument sales
Motels or hotels
Motorcycle sales
Newspaper distribution agencies, for home delivery and retail trade
Offices, general or professional
Packing and crating establishments.
Parcel delivery stations
Pet service, domestic
Pet shops
Plumbing, electrical or heating, fixtures and equipment, sales, service and repair establishments
Printing, publishing or lithography establishments, maximum gross floor area of 6,000 square feet
Public utility and governmental service uses
Religious institutions, churches, chapels, temples, synagogues, convents, monasteries and theological schools
Research laboratories
Rest homes, nursing homes, sanitariums, and institutions for children and the aged
Restaurants, including entertainment, dancing, and serving of alcoholic beverages
Schools, commercial or trade, including those teaching music, dance, business, commercial, or technical subjects when operations do not involve danger of fire and explosion, or objectionable noise, vibration, smoke, dust, odor, glare, heat, or other similar influences
Self-service stores, coin-operated vending machines
Sheet metal shops
Taverns
Taxidermists
Temporary buildings for construction purposes for a period not to exceed the duration of construction.
Training centers, engineering or sales
Wholesale and warehouse establishments, except for the sales or storage of flammable liquids, materials or gases, except those that are in the original sealed containers
(2) 
Accessory uses to the above permitted uses, including, but not limited to:
(a) 
Off-street parking and off-street loading, in accordance with applicable regulations set forth in Article VIII of this chapter.
B. 
Conditional uses. The following conditional uses are permitted in the B-3 District:
[Added by Ord. No. 04-06-09[1]]
(1) 
Other uses similar to the above permitted uses.
(2) 
Automobile laundries.
(3) 
Garages, public, including painting, body and fender work and motor rebuilding.
(4) 
Helipads, public or private, provided the area dedicated to said helipad is at least one acre in size.
(5) 
Open sales lots.
(6) 
Radio and television towers, receiving or transmitting.
(7) 
Single-family dwellings when designed as an integral part of a building, the principal use of which is a permitted or conditional use, and when occupied by the proprietor of such use.
(8) 
Theaters, outdoor, provided that vehicular entrance and exit driveways intersect with a secondary or primary thoroughfare and traffic signal lights or other means of traffic control are provided. Reservoir parking spaces for temporary parking of automobiles of patrons awaiting entrance shall be provided on the lot, in the amount of not less than the number of parking spaces equivalent to 10% of the vehicular capacity of the theater. No building or structure shall be located nearer than 100 feet to a residence district boundary line. Artificial illumination shall be arranged in such manner that direct rays of light shall not beam upon adjoining properties and streets.
(9) 
Accessory uses customarily incidental to the above conditional uses, including but not limited to signs, off-street parking and off-street loading.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
C. 
Plan of operation. All uses in this district shall be designed to encourage safe and efficient traffic flow and physical compatibility with uses existing on adjoining properties. The Building Inspector shall review building and site development plans for conformance to these objectives. Because of the unique traffic-generative nature of some of the permitted uses in Subsection A above, prior to the issuance of a zoning certificate, the Building Inspector may forward copies of all plans to the Plan Commission for review. Following its review, the Plan Commission shall by written report advise the Building Inspector that 1) the proposed development scheme is in accord with foregoing standards and objectives of the B Districts, or 2) the proposed development scheme is not in accord with the foregoing standards and objectives of the B Districts and that design changes, to be specified, must be made in the application prior to the issuance of a zoning certificate. The Plan Commission may also require such additional plans or details from the applicant as may be necessary to adequately review the proposed development.[2]
[2]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
D. 
Lot area and lot width: except as may herein otherwise be required for a specific permitted or conditional use, not less than 15,000 square feet in area and 100 feet in depth.
E. 
Floor area ratio: not to exceed 1.0.
F. 
Yards.
(1) 
Front yard: not less than 40 feet.
(2) 
Side yard: two side yards, neither of which is less than 10 feet in width, except:
(a) 
A side yard adjoining or across the alley from a residence district shall be not less than 20 feet in width; and
(b) 
A side yard adjoining a street shall be not less than 40 feet in width.
(3) 
Rear yard: not less than 40 feet.