763 Atlantic Boulevard Zoning Verification Letter 01.27.2023
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Sec. 24-112. Commercial general district (CG).
(a) Intent. Within the City of Atlantic Beach, the CG zoning district is intended for uses, which provide general
retail sales and services for the City of Atlantic Beach and the closely surrounding neighborhoods.
(b) Permitted uses. It is not possible to list all potential permitted or prohibited general commercial uses within
this section, but typical uses permitted within the CG zoning district shall include neighborhood serving uses,
which shall mean low intensity commercial uses intended to serve the daily needs of residents of the
surrounding neighborhoods. Such uses shall not include manufacturing, warehousing, storage or high
intensity commercial activities, or commercial uses of a regional nature, or such uses that have the potential
for negative impacts to surrounding neighborhoods and properties due to excessive traffic, noise, light or
extremely late hours of operation or other factors that may adversely affect existing commercial uses or any
nearby residential uses.
Where a proposed use is not specifically listed in this section, the permissibility of the use will be determined
based upon its similarity to listed uses and the compatibility and potential for adverse impacts to existing nearby
uses. The uses permitted in the CG zoning district shall include the following subject to the limitations as set forth
within the following subsection (d). Unless otherwise and specifically provided for herein, all business activities,
products for sale and services must be located within an enclosed building properly licensed for such use.
Permitted uses shall also not include adult entertainment establishments, indoor or outdoor firing ranges,
indoor or outdoor flea markets, vendors on public rights-of-way, amusement or game centers, tattoo or body
artists, pawn shops, bingo halls, billiard or pool halls, game arcades, gaming, video poker establishments,
computer game centers, or games played on individual machines or computers, including any type of card, token
or coin-operated video or simulated games or similar activities or machines which are played for any type of
compensation or reward.
The uses permitted in the CG zoning district shall include the following subject to the limitations as set forth
within the following subsection (d). Unless otherwise and specifically provided for herein, all business activities,
products for sale and services must be located within an enclosed building properly licensed for such use.
(1) Retail sales of food and nonprescription drugs, clothing, toys, books and stationery, luggage, jewelry,
art, florists, photographic supplies, sporting goods, hobby shops and pet shops (not animal kennel or
veterinarian), bakery (but not wholesale bakery), home furnishings and appliances, office equipment
and furniture, hardware, lumber and building materials, auto, boat and marine related parts, and
similar retail uses.
(2) Service establishments such as barber or beauty shop, shoe repair, restaurants with indoor or outdoor
seating areas but without drive-through facilities, health clubs and gyms, laundry or dry cleaner,
funeral home, printing, radio and television and electronics repair, lawn care service, pest control
companies, surf board repair in association with surf shops, but not the production of surfboards, and
similar service uses.
(3) Banks with or without drive-through facilities, loan companies, mortgage brokers, stockbrokers, and
similar financial service institutions.
(4) Child care facilities in accordance with section 24-152.
(5) Business and professional offices.
(6) Retail plant nursery, landscape and garden supplies. Live plants and nursery stock may be located
outside of the adjacent building licensed for such business, provided no obstruction to walkways,
parking and internal driving aisles is created.
(7) Retail sale of beer and wine only for off-premises consumption.
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(8) On-premises consumption of beer and wine only in conjunction with a full-service restaurant, which is
a food service use where unpackaged ready-to-consume food is prepared onsite and served to the
customer while seated at tables or counters located in a seating area within or immediately adjacent to
the building.
(9) Minor automotive service
(10) Theaters, but not a multi-screen [exceeding two (2) screens] or regional cineplex.
(11) Hotel, motel, motor lodge, resort rental and short-term rentals as defined within section 24-17.
(12) Institutional and government uses, buildings and facilities.
(13) Churches in accordance with section 24-153.
(14) Residential use, consistent with the comprehensive plan, which permits residential uses not exceeding
the applicable density set forth in the comprehensive plan when in conjunction with, or adjacent to
commercial development and redevelopment, provided that such residential development shall not be
permitted within the coastal high hazard area. Policy A.1.11.1(b).
(15) The CG District shall permit those uses listed as permitted uses and uses-by-exception in the
commercial limited (CL) and commercial, professional and office (CPO) zoning districts except off-street
parking lots.
(16) Mixed use projects combining the above uses and those approved as a use-by-exception pursuant to
subsection (c) below.
(17) Pharmacies and medical marijuana treatment center dispensing facilities subject to the requirements
of section 24-169.
(18) Gas stations, subject to the requirements of section 24-165.
(19) Convenience stores subject to the requirements of chapter 13, article 4 as applicable.
(20) Electric charging stations.
(21) Car washes.
(c) Uses-by-exception. Within the CG zoning district, the following uses may be approved as a use-by-exception
where such proposed uses are found to be consistent with the uses permitted in the CG zoning districts with
respect to intensity of use, traffic impacts and compatibility with existing commercial uses and any nearby
residential uses:
(1) Pet kennel and facilities for the boarding of animals.
(2) Veterinary clinic.
(3) On-premises consumption of alcoholic beverages in accordance with chapter 3 of this Code.
(4) Restaurants with drive-through service where the site contains lanes dedicated solely to drive-through
business (this shall not be construed to prohibit restaurants with carry-out service, which are a
permitted use).
(5) Limited wholesale operations, not involving industrial products or processes or the manufacturing of
products of any kind.
(6) Contractors, not requiring outside storage, provided that no manufacture, construction, heavy
assembly involving hoists or lifts, or equipment that makes excessive noise or fumes shall be permitted.
Not more than one (1) contractor related vehicle shall be parked outdoors on a continuous basis.
(7) Produce and fresh markets with outdoor sale and display of garden produce only.
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(8) Cabinet shops, woodworking shops and surfboard production.
(9) Hospitals.
(10) Sale of new and used automobiles, motorcycles and boats, and automotive leasing establishments, but
not temporary car, truck, boat or motorcycle shows or displays.
(11) Live entertainment in conjunction with a permitted use or approved use-by-exception, not including
adult entertainment establishments as defined by F.S. § 847.001(2).
(12) Off-street parking lots. Parking lots shall conform to provisions of section 24-162.
(13) Tattoo or body artists or studios.
(14) Billiard and pool halls.
(d) Limitations on certain uses. Permitted uses within the CG zoning district shall not include large-scale retail
establishments, which for the purposes of this chapter shall be defined by their size and as follows:
Large-scale retail establishments shall include those businesses, whether in a stand-alone building or in a
multi-tenant building, which occupy a floor area exceeding sixty thousand (60,000) square feet including any
interior courtyards, all areas under roof and also any other display, sales or storage areas partially or fully
enclosed by any means including walls, tarps, gates or fencing. Large-scale retail establishments are
commonly referred to as "big-box" retailers, discount department stores, super-centers, warehouse clubs or
by similar terms. Such establishments may offer a similar type of products such as electronics or appliances
or office products, but more typically offer a wide variety of general merchandise and departments, which
may include home improvement, house-wares and home furnishings, sporting goods, apparel, pharmacy,
health and beauty products, automotive parts and services and may also include grocery items. This
definition shall not be construed to limit the overall size of shopping centers as these are defined within
section 24-17, but shall apply to any building where businesses with separate local business tax receipts may
share the same interior space of a building which is not separated into individual units by structural fire rated
walls or that do not contain separate and distinct exterior entrances.
(e) Minimum lot size. The minimum size for lots within the commercial general zoning district shall be:
(1) Lot or site area: Five thousand (5,000) square feet.
(2) Lot width: Fifty (50) feet.
(3) Lot depth: One hundred (100) feet.
(f) Minimum yard requirements. The minimum yard requirements within the commercial general zoning district
shall be:
(1) Front yard: Twenty (20) feet, except that the front yard may be reduced to ten (10) feet where
required off-street parking is located at the rear or side of the building site, and the primary business
entrance is designed to face the street.
(2) Rear yard: Ten (10) feet.
(3) Side yard: Ten (10) feet where adjacent to existing residential use. Otherwise, a combined fifteen (15)
total feet with a five (5) feet minimum on either side.
(g) General restrictions. The following restrictions shall apply to all development in the commercial general
zoning district:
(1) Maximum impervious surface: Seventy (70) percent. Where existing impervious surface area exceeds
seventy (70) percent on previously developed sites, new development shall not exceed the pre-
construction impervious surface area, and required landscaping shall be provided in accordance with
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division 8 of this chapter. Stormwater management requirements shall apply to infill development and
to redevelopment projects involving exterior site changes.
(2) Maximum building height: Thirty-five (35) feet.
(3) Parking. Off-street parking shall be provided in accordance with section 24-161 of this chapter. Where
existing uses, which do not provide the required number of off-street parking spaces as set forth within
subsection 24-161(i) are replaced with similar uses (such as a restaurant replacing a restaurant), with
no expansion in size or increase in number of seats, additional parking shall not be required. Any
increase in floor area or expansion in building size, including without limitation the addition of seats
shall require provision of additional parking for such increase or expansion.
(Ord. No. 90-10-212, § 2(Exh. A), 3-8-10; Ord. No. 90-18-233, § 1c, 6-11-18; Ord. No. 90-18-234, § 1c, 6-11-19; Ord.
No. 90-19-240 , § 3(Exh. A), 7-8-19)
Created: 2021-10-22 10:10:11 [EST]
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Sec. 24-171. Commercial corridor development standards.
(a)Intent. The following additional standards and requirements shall apply to those lands within all commercial
zoning districts that are located along arterial street corridors within the City of Atlantic Beach. The intent of
these additional requirements is to: Enhance the aesthetic and physical appearance of these gateways into
the city; enhance and retain property values; promote appropriate redevelopment of blighted areas; and to
create an environment that is visually appealing and safe for pedestrians, bicycles and vehicular traffic. New
development in the CBD and TM zoning districts may be exempted from the landscaping provisions of this
section by the planning and community development director.
(b)Delineation of commercial corridors. Commercial corridors are defined in section 24-17. They are graphically
depicted on the following map:
Figure 11 Commercial Corridor Map
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(c) Building form and finish materials. The following general provisions shall apply to all development in the
commercial corridors.
(1) Roofs, which give the appearance of a flat roof from any street side of the building, are prohibited.
Roofs may be gabled, hipped, mansard or otherwise designed so as to avoid the appearance of a flat
roof from the adjoining street.
(2) Open bay doors and other similar large doors providing access to work areas and storage areas shall
not open towards or face the commercial corridors.
(3) The exterior finish of new buildings, and also exterior finish alterations and additions to the front and
any street side, or any side visible from adjoining residential properties, of existing buildings shall be of
brick, wood, stucco, decorative masonry, exterior insulation and finish systems (EIFS), architectural or
split-faced type block, or other finish materials with similar appearance and texture. Metal clad,
corrugated metal, plywood or oriented strand board (OSB), and exposed plain concrete block shall not
be permitted as exterior finish materials of a building.
(4) Blank exterior walls facing the commercial corridors, which are unrelieved by doors, windows and
architectural detail, shall not be permitted.
(5) Burglar bars, steel gates, metal awnings and steel-roll down curtains are prohibited on the exterior and
interior of a structure when visible from any public street. Existing structures which already have
burglar bars, steel gates, metal awnings and steel-roll down curtains shall be brought into compliance
with these provisions within a reasonable time after any change of ownership of the property, which
shall not be more than ninety (90) days.
(d) Signs. Signs shall be regulated as set forth within chapter 17 of this Code, except that externally illuminated
monument signs are encouraged.
(e) Lighting. Exterior lighting shall be the minimum necessary to provide security and safety. Direct lighting
sources shall be shielded or recessed so that excessive light does not illuminate adjacent properties or the
sky.
(f) Fences. The use of chain link, barbed wire, razor or concertina wire, and similar type fencing shall be
prohibited in any required front yard and in any required yard adjoining a street.
(g) Landscaping and required buffers. The requirements of article III, division 8 of this chapter shall apply, except
that the following additional requirements shall also apply to new development and to redevelopment that
is subject to the requirements of article III, division 8. Required buffers and landscape materials shall be
depicted on all plans submitted for review. See Figure 12 for a graphical depiction of street frontage
landscaping requirements.
(1) A ten-foot wide buffer shall be required along the entire parcel frontage of the commercial corridors,
except for driveways. This buffer shall consist of trees as required by division 8 and shall also contain a
continuous curvilinear row of evergreen shrubs not less than two (2) feet in height at installation.
Buffers shall be kept free of debris and litter and shall be maintained in a healthy condition.
(2) Along the front of the principal building, a six-foot wide area shall be maintained between the building
and the parking area or any walkway. This area shall be used for landscaping.
(3) Sod or ground cover shall be installed and maintained in a healthy condition. Only organic mulch shall
be used, and the excessive use of mulch is discouraged.
(4) Because of the harsh environment of the commercial corridors, the use of landscape materials that are
drought and heat resistant is strongly encouraged. Unhealthy or dead landscape materials, including
sod and ground covers shall be replaced within thirty (30) days of written notification from the city to
the property owner.
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(5) Stormwater retention or detention facilities may be placed within required buffers, provided that
required landscape materials are provided.
Figure 12 Commercial Corridor Street Frontage Landscaping
(Ord. No. 90-10-212, § 2(Exh. A), 3-8-10; Ord. No. 90-19-240 , § 3(Exh. A), 7-8-19)