§ 21-32. General zoning districts defined; purpose and intent.

(a)

Rural Agricultural, RA. This district is developed to provide for a minimum level of land use regulations appropriate for outlying areas of the county. These outlying areas typically consist of rural single-family housing, larger tracts of land used for agriculture or in fields and forest land, with some nonresidential uses intermingled. Multifamily uses are discouraged in this district. This district would provide for protection from the most intensive land uses while containing provisions for a variety of less intensive land uses. It is the intent of this district to rely upon development standards to protect residences from potential adverse impacts of allowed nonresidential uses. The most intensive land uses would not be allowed in this district.

(b)

Rural Residential, RR. This zoning district is comprised of areas of the county in which moderate levels of single-family housing has occurred or is occurring. In this district, agricultural uses have been replaced to a significant degree with single-family housing. The regulations in this district are intended to provide a land owner with an opportunity to engage in limited business or commercial activities. Multifamily uses are not allowed.

(c)

Residential Suburban, RS. The purpose of this zoning district is to protect existing residential neighborhoods and promote the creation of more residential neighborhoods. These areas are typically near major thoroughfares and have or could be provided significant infrastructure. Commercial uses, business uses and multifamily uses are generally not allowed.

(d)

Multifamily Residential, MFR. This district is intended to allow for a wide range of residential uses and will be the primary location for multifamily development. This district will typically be located near arterials or collectors. The development of multifamily developments within this district cannot be predetermined and cannot be adequately controlled by general district standards. Therefore, specific development proposals for multifamily developments in this district shall be reviewed and approved by the board of commissioners. Approval of the site plan may include the addition of reasonable and appropriate standards to the site plan. No other uses allowed in the MFR district shall require site plan approval by the board of commissioners unless expressly required by this chapter. Additional approval standards for multifamily residential developments are listed in article III. The requirements of this district shall not apply to duplexes on individual lots but shall apply to multiple duplexes on an individual lot.

(e)

Manufactured Home Park, MHP.

(1)

This district is established in order to provide for the proper location and planning of manufactured home parks, excluding family manufactured home parks. Special requirements shall be applied to these parks which shall specify improvements to the park to ensure the public health, safety and welfare of the park inhabitants as well as the surrounding area. Designation of an area as being in the MHP district provides design and appearance criteria which are more appropriate for rental manufactured housing and/or spaces, including vinyl or similar skirting, clustering of units and reduced road construction standards. These standards are not applicable to manufactured homes and/or lots located outside a MHP district. This district requires site plan review for development of manufactured home parks by the board of commissioners. This review is required because the use may have particular impacts on the surrounding area and the county as a whole. Approval of the site plan may include the addition of reasonable and appropriate standards to the site plan. No other uses allowed in the MHP district shall require site plan approval by the board of commissioner unless expressly required by this chapter.

(2)

Manufactured home parks, existing at the effective date of this chapter and registered as provided by the county mobile home park ordinance are zoned as conforming uses, even though they may not meet the development standards of this chapter. Expansions of the existing registered manufactured home parks or construction of new manufactured home parks, approved under the county mobile home park ordinance may be initiated or continue unless no work has begun within six (6) months of the date of issuance of a "permit to develop" under that ordinance, or work has ceased for a period of twelve (12) months.

(3)

Other manufactured home parks, which meet the intent of this section by having improvements similar to the requirements of this chapter may also be zoned as conforming uses. However, all expansions of any manufactured home park, existing at the effective date of this chapter shall meet all requirements of this chapter unless expressly provided otherwise. Development standards for a manufactured home park are listed in article III.

(f)

Commercial, Business, Industrial, CBI. This zone allows for a wide range of commercial, business and light industrial activities which provide goods and services. This district is typically for more densely developed suburban areas, major transportation corridors, and major cross-roads communities. However this district may also exist or be created in an area other than listed in this subsection if the existing or proposed development is compatible with the surrounding area and the overall public good is served.

(g)

Industrial, IND. This district is intended to provide for industrial activities involving extraction, manufacturing, processing, assembling, storage, and distribution of products. The district is also designed to accommodate other, more intense nonresidential uses which generate adverse side effects such as noise, odor or dust. The district is typically applied in areas with maximum accessibility to major highways, rail lines, and other significant transportation systems. However this district may also exist or be created in an area other than listed in this subsection if the existing or proposed development is compatible with the surrounding area and the overall public good is served.

(h)

Neighborhood Business, NB. This district is designed for retail, limited small manufacturing facilities and service oriented business centers which serve small trading areas. As a result the list of allowed uses is more limited than those in the CBI district. The development standards for these business areas are designed to promote sound, permanent business development and to protect abutting and surrounding residential areas from undesirable aspects of nearby commercial development. This district is also designed to provide opportunities for potential development within the NB district.

Areas zoned NB shall be so located as to conveniently serve the community population. The establishment and subsequent development of this district shall not create or expand problems associated with traffic volumes or circulation. As the district is established to provide for small neighborhood oriented business areas limitations on gross floor area is established. Limitations on total impervious surface are established to minimize the adverse impacts of this type of development on adjacent residential areas. Generally, the NB district shall be two (2) acres or larger. However a lot of record, smaller than two (2) acres may be considered for rezoning to NB if the owner of the lot does not own adjacent property which may be included in the rezoning request.

(i)

Institutional, INST. The purpose of the Institutional district is to recognize and permit the creation of defined areas for the unified and orderly development of major cultural, educational, medical, governmental, religious and other institutions in order to support and enhance their benefits to the community in a manner which protects adjacent residential uses. Trade school facilities teaching a trade, for example truck driving or welding, which have that activity on site, shall meet zoning requirements for that use.

(Ord. of 1-19-98, § III; Ord. of 2-1-99(1), §§ 2, 9; Ord. of 6-17-02; Ord. of 4-21-03; Amend. of 4-21-14)