In addition to the general objectives of this Chapter (13.10) the Commercial Districts are included in the Zoning Ordinance in order to achieve the following purposes:
(a) General Purposes.
(1) To provide for retail stores, offices, service establishments, recreational establishments, and wholesale businesses offering a range of commodities and services adequate to meet the needs of County residents and visitors, of different geographical areas in the county and of their various categories of patrons.
(2) To contain commercial facilities in appropriately located areas, avoiding new freeway oriented development and new strip commercial uses, and providing opportunities for commercial uses to concentrate for the convenience of the public and in mutually beneficial relationships to each other.
(3) To ensure that commercial facilities and uses are compatible with the level of available public facilities and services, minimizing traffic congestion and preventing the overloading of utilities and public services.
(4) To ensure that commercial development is compatible with natural resource protection, environmental quality, and the scenic setting of the County.
(5) To ensure that commercial facilities are constructed and operated such that they are compatible with adjacent development, and that high standards of urban design are maintained, minimizing impacts on residential areas and providing for adequate site layout, protection of solar access to adjacent property, landscaping, sign and building design and size, and on-site parking, loading, and circulation.
(6) To protect commercial properties from noise, odor, dust, dirt, smoke, vibration, heat, glare, heavy truck traffic, and other objectionable influences incidental to industrial uses, and from fire, explosion, noxious fumes and other hazards.
(7) To provide space for community facilities and institutions which appropriately may be located in commercial areas.
(8) To provide for a mixture of commercial and residential uses where the advantages of such a mixture, such as convenience, atmosphere, and low energy use, can be maximized, and the conflicts, such as noise, traffic, and lack of adequate visual amenities, can be reduced to an acceptable level. Residential uses are intended to be incidental or secondary to commercial use of a site, or as otherwise provided by a Village Design Plan.
(9) To maximize efficient energy use and energy conservation in commercial uses, and to encourage the use of locally available renewable energy resources.
(b) Specific “PA” Professional-Administrative Office District Purposes. To provide for professional and administrative office uses in areas where such use is designated on the General Plan, or in areas designated for neighborhood, community or service commercial use, particularly where an office use can provide a buffer use between residential areas and the more intensive commercial or industrial activities. Professional and administrative office uses are intended to be low impact, non-retail activities. The “PA” District is intended to allow a compatible collection of related services within a development and may include a variety of retail and service uses where they are ancillary and incidental to office uses on a site.
(c) Specific “VA” Visitor Accommodations District Purposes. To provide areas specifically reserved for visitor accommodations and limited appurtenant uses. To allow a broad range of such overnight or extended stay lodging for visitors and to recognize these as commercial uses. The Visitor Accommodations District is intended to be located primarily in areas designated Visitor Accommodation or in areas designated as Community Commercial on the General Plan, and in locations where there are existing or approved (at the date of this section) visitor accommodations developments. All visitor accommodations are intended to be located where adequate access and public services and facilities are available, and to be designed and operated to be compatible with adjacent land uses, utilize and complement the scenic and natural setting of the area, and provide proper management and protection of the environment and natural resources.
(d) Specific “CT” Tourist Commercial District Purposes: To encourage and recognize a narrow range of visitor serving uses in appropriate locations in the County on major transportation corridors or in commercial centers where properties have a land use designation on the General Plan of Neighborhood or Community Commercial. Visitor serving uses allowed in this zone district include primarily food services, auto fueling, visitor accommodations, and related accessory uses.
(e) Specific “C-1” Neighborhood Commercial District Purposes. To provide compact and conveniently located shopping and service uses to meet the limited needs within walking distance of individual urban neighborhoods or centrally located to serve rural communities. Neighborhood Commercial uses and facilities are intended to be of a small scale, with a demonstrated local need or market, appropriate to a neighborhood service area, and to have minimal adverse traffic, noise, or aesthetic impacts on the adjacent residential areas.
(f) Specific “C-2” Community Commercial District Purposes. To provide centers of concentrated commercial uses accommodating a broad range and mixture of commercial activities, serving the general shopping and service needs of community-wide service areas, and including visitor accommodations. This district is intended to be applied to areas designated on the General Plan as Community Commercial. The Community Commercial districts are intended to have definite boundaries to promote the concentration of commercial uses.
(g) Specific “C-4” Commercial Services District Purposes. To meet the commercial services needs of the various communities in the County by allowing a broad range of commercial services uses in areas reserved for and designated as Commercial Services on the General Plan. Commercial service uses are intended primarily to be non-retail in nature, such as building material suppliers, auto repair, or freight terminals, and to be non-polluting. These uses usually need large sites, proximity to major streets to handle truck traffic, and in some cases need access to rail transportation. The Commercial Services districts are intended to be located in areas where the impacts of noise, traffic, and other nuisances and hazards associated with such uses will not adversely affect other land uses. Commercial recreational uses needing large sites and good access, such as drive-in theaters or indoor arenas, are also included in this district. (Ord. 560, 7/14/58; 681, 5/8/61; 839, 11/28/82; 1834, 2/27/73; 1891, 6/19/73; 2762, 9/4/79; 3186, 1/12/82; 3344, 11/23/82; 3432, 8/23/83; 3501, 3/6/84; Ord. 4346, 12/13/94; Ord. 4761 § 21, 5/18/04)