Town of Union, NY Commercial Districts

A.

The commercial districts are listed below. When this Zoning Ordinance refers to commercial, central business, office, or C zoning districts, it is referring to one of the following:

	Table 21-1
	Commercial Districts
	District Name	Map Symbol
	Neighborhood Commercial	NC
	Central Business	CB
	General Commercial	GC
	Commercial Office	CO

B.

The district names and map symbols are intended to provide a general indication of what is allowed in the district by denoting the commercial or office orientation of the district.

A.

Neighborhood Commercial. The purpose of the Neighborhood Commercial District is to encourage smaller-scaled commercial development, compatible with the scale and intensity of adjacent residential and noncommercial sites, and to support the goals and objectives contained in the Unified Comprehensive Plan. This district allows for commercial operations along collector and arterial type streets offering convenience shopping and services for adjacent residential areas.

B.

Central Business. The purpose of the Central Business District is to foster a concentration of small-scale, mixed use activity and to support the goals and objectives contained in the Unified Comprehensive Plan. The CB District is established to maintain and enhance the traditional mix of retail, office, civic and residential uses within the core of the Villages. Development in this district should reinforce compact, pedestrian-oriented development and preservation of traditional historic character.

C.

General Commercial. The purpose of the General Commercial District is to encourage commercial development and to support the goals and objectives contained in the Unified Comprehensive Plan. The GC District is established to provide areas for intensive commercial activities that primarily depend upon a large volume of vehicular traffic and serve the daily shopping needs of the community-at-large and surrounding areas. This district encourages the application of site design and buffering techniques to mitigate the impacts of commercial operations and traffic on adjacent uses and the traveling public.

D.

Commercial Office. The purpose of the Commercial Office District is to accommodate office and nonretail activity in a manner that protects and enhances existing residential neighborhoods. The CO District permits a mix of residential and office type uses along primary and secondary thoroughfares that may not be suitable for single-family living due to increasing traffic volumes. These volumes create an environment suitable for certain multifamily and office uses that can exist in close proximity to neighborhoods without adversely affecting the residential environment.

Uses are allowed in commercial and office zoning districts in accordance with Table 21-2.

A.

Uses identified with a "P" in Table 21-2 are permitted as-of-right in the subject zoning district, subject to compliance with all other applicable standards of this Zoning Ordinance.

B.

Uses identified with a "SP" in Table 21-2 may be allowed if reviewed and approved in accordance with the special permit procedures contained in Article 66.

C.

Uses not listed and those identified with a "-" are expressly prohibited.

Table 21-2
Permitted and Specially Permitted Uses [Amended 3-7-2012 by L.L. No. 2-2012; 10-5-2016 by L.L. No. 4-2016]
P	=	Permitted
SP	=	Specially permitted
—	=	Prohibited

		Zoning District
Land Use		CB	NC	GC	CO
Commercial
	Professional, medical or dental office	P	P	P	P
	Dance, art, or music studio	P	P	P	—
	Bank or financial institution	P	P	P	P
	Retail or personal service store or shop	P	P	P	—
	Shopping center	SP	—	P	—
	Veterinary clinic	P	SP	P	SP
	Kennel	—	—	SP	—
	Mortuary or funeral home	SP	SP	SP	SP
	Laundromat or dry cleaning outlet	P	—	P	—
	Dry cleaning facility	—	—	P	—
	Drinking establishment or tavern	P	SP	P	—
	Fast-food restaurant	P	—	P	—
	Sit-down restaurant	P	SP	P	—
	Take-out restaurant	P	SP	P	—
	Dance hall, theater, private club	P	SP	P	—
	Bowling alley	P	—	P	—
	Indoor recreation facility	SP	—	P	—
	Outdoor recreation facility	—	SP	SP	—
	Adult uses	—	—	SP	—
	Lodging	P	P	P	—
	Conference/meeting center	SP	—	P	—
	Gasoline station	—	SP	SP	—
	Car wash	—	—	SP	—
	Auto sales or rental	—	—	SP	—
	Auto repair establishment	—	—	SP	—
	Motor vehicle parking lot	P	SP	P	SP
	Outdoor sales or display	SP	—	P	—
	Stand alone drive through establishments	—	—	P	—
	Stand-along drive-through establishments, excluding beverages, food or food products	—	SP	—	—
	Drive-through in conjunction with a permitted use	SP	SP	P	SP
	Mix of permitted uses	P	SP	P	SP
	Accessory use	—	P	P	P
Institutional
	Educational institution	SP	SP	P	SP
	Nursery school	P	P	P	P
	Church or religious institution	P	P	P	P
	Hospital or health care facility	SP	SP	SP	SP
	Public utility	P	P	P	P
	Public or municipal use	SP	SP	P	P
	Telecommunications facilities	SP	SP	SP	SP
	Day care (adult and youth)	—	P	P	—
Residential
	Single-family dwelling	—	P	P	P
	Apartment over commercial	P	P	P	—
	Multifamily dwelling	P	P	P	P
	Boarding- or rooming house	P	—	—	—
	Group care facility	—	—	SP	—

The following lot, area, and setback requirements shall apply to the commercial districts within the Town and Villages.

Table 21-3
Commercial Lot, Area, and Setback Requirements
		District
Land Use		CB	NC	GC	CO
Minimum lot size (with public water and sewer)
	Residential uses (square feet)	SPR⁽⁴⁾	7,000	15,000	10,000
	Nonresidential uses (square feet)	SPR⁽⁴⁾	7,000	15,000	20,000
Minimum lot size (no public water and sewer)
	Residential uses (square feet)	NA	40,000	40,000	40,000
	Nonresidential uses (square feet)	NA	40,000	40,000	40,000
Minimum lot width (with public water and sewer)
	Residential uses (feet)	NA	40	40	40
	Nonresidential uses (feet)	SPR⁽⁴⁾	50	80	80
Minimum lot width (no public water and sewer)
	Residential uses (feet)	NA	100	100	100
	Nonresidential uses (feet)	NA	100	100	100
Minimum front setback
	Residential uses (feet)	0	20⁽¹⁾	30	20
	Nonresidential uses (feet)	0	20⁽¹⁾	30	20
Maximum front setback
	Residential uses (feet)	5	NA	NA	NA
	Nonresidential uses (feet)	5	NA	NA	NA
Minimum side setback
	Residential uses (principal use or structure)⁽²⁾ (feet)	SPR⁽⁴⁾	5/15	20/30	5/15
	Residential uses (accessory use or structure) (feet)	SPR⁽⁴⁾	10	10	15
	Nonresidential uses (principal use or structure)⁽³⁾ (feet)	SPR⁽⁴⁾	5/15	20/30	5/15
	Nonresidential uses (accessory use or structure) (feet)	SPR⁽⁴⁾	10	10	10
Minimum rear setback
	Residential uses (principal use or structure)⁽²⁾ (feet)	SPR⁽⁴⁾	20	20/40	20
	Residential uses (accessory use or structure) (feet)	SPR⁽⁴⁾	10	10	15
	Nonresidential uses (principal use or structure)⁽³⁾ (feet)	SPR⁽⁴⁾	20	20/40	20
	Nonresidential uses (accessory use or structure) (feet)	SPR⁽⁴⁾	10	10	15

NOTES:
⁽¹⁾	Or average of front setbacks on the two adjacent lots, whichever is less.
⁽²⁾	The first number represents the required setback if the lot is located adjacent to a commercially zoned property or use. The second number is the required setback if the lot is adjacent to a residential property.
⁽³⁾	The first number represents the required setback if the lot is located adjacent to a commercially zoned property or use. The second number is the required setback if the lot is adjacent to a residential property.
⁽⁴⁾	SPR indicates that these requirements will be determined through the site plan review process.

The following bulk requirements shall apply to the commercial districts within the Town and Villages.

Table 21-4
Commercial Bulk Requirements
		District
Land Use		CB	NC	GC	CO
Maximum building height
	Residential uses (principal use or structure) (feet)	65	30	50	35
	Residential uses (accessory use or structure) (feet)	15	15	20	15
	Nonresidential uses (principal use or structure) (feet)	40	30	50	35
	Nonresidential uses (accessory use or structure) (feet)	18	18	20	18
Maximum building coverage
	Residential uses	90%	50%	40%	50%
	Nonresidential uses	90%	50%	40%	50%
Maximum building footprint
	Residential uses (principal use or structure)	NA	NA	NA	NA
	Residential uses (accessory use or structure)	NA	NA	NA	NA
	Nonresidential uses (principal use or structure) (square feet)	NA	8,000	NA	NA
	Nonresidential uses (accessory use or structure) (square feet)	NA	1,000	NA	NA

The applicable specific use requirements (Part 4) and development standards (Part 5) in this chapter shall apply to all uses in the CB, NC, GC, and CO Districts.