Northwood News ♦ April 2002

The Purpose of C-4 Zoning at Woodmoor Shopping Center

The purpose of the C-4 zone is “to provide locations for low-density commercial uses of a nature which are compatible with locations on arterial or major roads outside of central business districts and regional shopping centers.”  Further, it is intended for locations “where low-intensity development is necessary to preclude an adverse impact on public facilities in the area.”

The zoning ordinance goes into detail about:

• permitted building height:  two stories or 30 feet;
• floor areas, lot coverage:  not to exceed 0.25 FAR [floor area ratio] and 25 percent of lot;
• lot frontage:  lot must have a minimum frontage of 100 feet on an arterial or major road;
• set backs:  10 feet from right-of-way for streets and no less than setback required of neighboring residential properties; and
• parking:  in accordance with a detailed scheme in part 59-E, must have a minimal impact on adjoining residential properties and be screened from them.  [Note:  An NFCCA member will speak about the parking requirements at our April meeting.]

The zoning ordinance also allows more intensive development on C-4 sites under additional special regulations, providing that the approved and adopted master plan does not disallow it for the specific property.  KFC/Pizza Hut’s application for a special exception is made under these additional requirements, based on the assumption that the lot is integral to the shopping center:

• minimum area of lot:  the more intensive development may not be made on lots less than two acres;
• development density:  allows floor area above 0.25 FAR up to 0.75 if compatible with intensity of surrounding existing and planned land uses and would not adversely impact existing and planned public facilities nearby and accords with the master plan; and
• height limit/lot coverage:  building height to three stories or 40 feet/building can cover up to 35 percent of lot.   ■