Section 712. GC General Commercial District 712.1 Intent of District. It is the intent of this section that the GC Zoning District be developed and reserved for general business purposes. The regulations which apply within this district are designed to encourage the formation and continuance of a compatible and economically healthy environment for regionally oriented business, financial, service and professional uses which benefit from being located in close proximity to each other, and to discourage any encroachment by industrial, residential or other uses considered capable of adversely affecting the commercial character of the district. 712.2 Permitted Uses. The following uses shall be permitted in any GC Zoning District: 1) Business involving the rendering of a personal service. 2) Retail and wholesale business. 3) Private or semi-private club, lodge, union hall or social center. 4) Church, synagogue, temple or other place of worship. 5) Off-street commercial parking lot or parking garage. 6) Hotel, tourist home or motel. 7) Commercial trade, vocational or private school. 8) Truck and/or transportation terminal provided that: a) Paved acceleration and deceleration lanes at least ten (10) feet in width and one hundred (100) feet in length, respectively, are furnished and maintained where trucks enter or leave terminal sites; b) No safety hazard or impediment to traffic movement is produced as a result of such operation; and c) Sites for such facilities have direct access to major streets or controlled access highways. Updated through: July 17, 2008 Page: 712-1
9) Restaurants, except in the St. Simons Village Preservation District. (See Section 709.) 10) Radio or television station or transmission tower. 11) Public utility installation or other essential service. 12) Office building or office for governmental, business, professional or general purposes. 13) Repair garage except those which involve the open yard storage of junk, salvage, used automotive equipment parts or materials. 14) Accessory use in compliance with the provisions of Section 609. 15) Newspaper publishing plant provided that the requirements for parking, loading and unloading conform to those for industrial buildings, as set forth in Sections 611 and 612. 16) Any educational facilities directly related to an authorized hospital or the Glynn County Board of Health, and under the supervision of said authorized hospital or the Glynn County Board of Health, provided such uses are in compliance with the provisions of Section 724.3. 17) Telecommunications Facilities provided the requirements of Article XIV Telecommunications Facilities Ordinance are met. 712.3 Conditional Uses. The following uses may be permitted on a conditional basis in any GC Zoning District, subject to the conditions set forth in Section 704: 1) Combination residential and commercial use on separate levels as defined in Section 503.4 provided that all dwelling units have direct access to the street or parking area. 2) Retail or wholesale business involving the open yard sale of merchandise on the premises, such as automobiles, mobile homes and travel trailers, except those uses which involve open yard storage of junk, salvage, used auto parts or building materials. 3) Automobile service station provided that: Updated through: July 17, 2008 Page: 712-2
a) All pumps are setback at least fifteen (15) feet from the right-of-way line of any street; and b) Paved parking and/or service areas are separate from adjoining residential properties by a suitable planting screen, fence, or wall at least six (6) feet in height above finished grade. 4) Animal hospital and/or boarding facility provided all boarding arrangements are maintained within a building and no noise connected with the operation of the facility is perceptible beyond the premises. 5) Community hospitals or clinics, including any function such as cafeteria and laundries which are related directly to the operation of the hospital or clinic and are contained within the confines of said hospital or clinic, and provided such uses are in compliance with the provisions of Section 724.3. 6) Single or multi-story dormitories or living quarters for the staff and/or student body of an authorized hospital or its related activities, including eating and laundry facilities, provided such dormitories and sleeping quarters are under the supervision and control of an authorized hospital, and provided such users are in compliance with the provisions of Section 724.3. 7) Public or private care homes, provided such facilities conform with the requirements of the Georgia State Board of Health, provided plans for such facilities receive the written approval of the Glynn County Board of Health and the County Fire Chief to the issuance of any permits for construction and operation, copies of such approval to be attached to the building permit and to be retained in the files of the Building Official and provided that such use conforms with the provisions of Section 724.3 pertaining to care homes. 8) Temporary uses in compliance with the provisions of Section 906. 9) Private child care center, kindergarten or pre-school nursery provided: a) Buildings or structures shall have a minimum of thirty-five (35) square feet per child of useable space within the building; b) Outdoor play areas shall have a minimum of one hundred (100) square feet per child and a fence four (4) feet in height; Updated through: July 17, 2008 Page: 712-3
c) All facilities shall meet state and local requirements and codes for the operation of child care centers; and d) The plans for such facilities shall receive the written approval of the Georgia Department of Human Resources and the Glynn County Fire Chief prior to the issuance of any permits for construction and operation, copies of such approval to be attached to the building permit and to be retained in the files of the Building Official. Special Uses 1) Amusement center and outdoor commercial recreation facilities, but not including drive-in theater. 2) Drinking establishments, except in the St. Simons Village Preservation District which are also subject to the St. Simons Village Preservation Ordinance (See Section 709.), provided a site plan is approved which includes parking, lighting and noise control. The plan shall also show any residential property within five hundred (500) feet of the proposed location. 3) Restaurants and/or drinking establishments in the St. Simons Village Preservation District shall meet the following requirements: a) If a property used for restaurant and/or drinking establishment is located adjacent to residential zoned properties, then a ten (10) foot development setback will be required along all property lines adjoining the residential property. In the ten (10) foot setback area a six (6) foot high solid fence or similar construction material as used on the neighboring properties will be required. The fence will also require a planting screen of four (4) feet high on both sides in order to make the fence in harmony with the neighboring residential properties. An exception from the ten (10) foot setback will be allowed when the restaurant and/or drinking establishment uses an existing structure without any increase in building footprint greater then twenty percent (20%) and the alterations and improvements keep the architectural style, general design and general arrangement of the exterior of the existing building or structure. When an existing structure is used, a six (6) foot high fence will also be required along all property lines adjoining residential zoned properties. Updated through: July 17, 2008 Page: 712-4
b) If an applicant has met the criteria for a special use permit for a restaurant or drinking establishment in the General Commercial District, the Glynn County Board of Commissioners has the right to place certain provisions on the Special Use Permit to control the use of excessive or disruptive lighting and sound system. The Commission has the right to control outside patio and deck serving areas, to control location of dumpsters and waste refuse containers and require protective screening and buffering from adjoining properties. Any violations of any conditions of a Special Use Permit could result in a revocation of the permit. c) Restaurants and/or drinking establishments having patron space no larger than one thousand two hundred (1,200) square feet and thirty-two (32) person seating capacity will be allowed as a special use only when parking spaces on site are provided to meet the total number of spaces required as per Section 611.6 "Number of Parking Spaces Required" for restaurant use. Parking requirements to be determined by total patron space including outside patios, decks and sidewalk seating areas. d) Restaurants and/or drinking establishments having patron space larger than one thousand two hundred (1,200) square feet or thirty-two (32) person seating capacity will be allowed as a special use only when parking spaces on site are provided to meet fifty percent (50%) of the total number of spaces required as in Section 611.6 "Number of Parking Spaces Required" of the Glynn County Zoning Ordinance for restaurant use and an additional parking requirement of one hundred percent (100%) of what is required is provided in the St. Simons Village Preservation District by one of the following: i. Provide a private parking area for customers and employees adjacent to the use or on properly zoned property within one hundred (100) feet of the use. ii. Provide a public parking area within the district or on properly zoned property with five hundred (500) feet of the use. e) Restaurants and drinking establishments in the St. Simons Village Preservation District, the following requirements shall be required on both restaurants and drinking establishments in the General Commercial Village Preservation District: Updated through: July 17, 2008 Page: 712-5
i. Owner/Developer to provide the following as part of his application for a special use and meet all requirements of Section 904 of the Glynn County Zoning Ordinance for special uses. ii. Plans showing over-all dimensions, customer seating area with total number of seats, including any outside patio, deck and sidewalk seating and any area of proposed expansion. iii. Applicant shall present and define any special or unusual activities of the business such as sound system entertainment, lighting and business hours. iv. Proposed total number of employees and designated areas for employee parking. v. Any special provisions the applicant is willing to make for parking, such as providing off-street parking or improvement to on-street parking in order to provide additional spaces in the Village Area, and to prevent over flow of parking into adjoining residential areas. 4) Museum, auditorium, theater, exhibition hall, or related facility. (O-2006-07, 5/18/2006) 712.4 Other Requirements. Unless otherwise specified elsewhere in this Ordinance, uses permitted in GC General Commercial Zoning Districts shall be required to conform to the following standards: 1) Minimum Lot Area: 1,875 square feet 2) Minimum Lot Width: Twenty-five (25) feet 3) Minimum Front Yard: None 4) Minimum Side Yard: No side yards are required. The provisions of Article VI, Section 604, pertaining to corner lots, shall not apply to GC Zoning Districts. 5) Minimum Rear Yard: None Updated through: July 17, 2008 Page: 712-6
The provisions of Article VI, Section 605, pertaining to double frontage lots, shall not apply in GC Zoning Districts. 6) Off-Street Parking: Uses permitted in GC Zoning Districts, shall meet all standards set forth in Article VI, pertaining to off-street parking, loading and other requirements. In a GC district located within the Village Preservation Overlay District a governmental use, museum, auditorium, theater, exhibition hall, or similar use may be permitted with fewer than the required number of parking spaces. Such reduction shall require review and approval of a special use permit, approval of which requires the Planning Commission and Board of Commissioners to find that adequate parking is available on-site or within the overlay district through a parking agreement consistent with Section 611 of this ordinance. (O-2006-07, 5/18/2006) 7) Signs: Signs permitted in GC Zoning Districts including the conditions under which they may be located, are set forth in Article VIII. 8) Maximum Building Height: Sixty (60) feet, subject to the approval of the Fire Chief. For exceptions to height regulations, see Article VI, Section 617. 9) St. Simons Village Preservation District: Areas of General Commercial Zoning which are located in the area designated as the Village Preservation District are subject to all conditions set forth in this Section and Section 709. St. Simons Village Preservation District. 10) All conditional and special uses shall require site plan approval. (O-2008-08, 7/17/2008) Updated through: July 17, 2008 Page: 712-7