[R.O. 1996 § 404.240; Ord. No. 4558 § 1, 8-3-2015; Ord. No. 4625 § 3, 11-21-2016; Ord. No. 4679, 8-21-2017; Ord. No. 4723, 3-19-2018; Ord. No. 4829, 6-3-2019; Ord. No. 4839, 7-15-2019; Ord. No. 4849, 9-4-2019; Ord. No. 4862, 10-21-2019; Ord. No. 5017, 7-7-2021; Ord. No. 5192, 3-6-2023; Ord. No. 5383, 12-16-2024; Ord. No. 5418, 5-19-2025]
A. Intent.
1. The intent of the Downtown Development Code (DDC) is to support and implement the 2006 Master Plan as amended from time to time for downtown that the City of Blue Springs has adopted.
2. The DDC is meant to reinforce key concepts and components of the plan, such as:
(a) Creating a dynamic, mixed-use environment, where walking is the predominant mode of transportation.
(b) Providing for a range of housing choices in close proximity to each other, including vertical mixed use.
(c) Creative land development solutions that are not typically found elsewhere in the City.
(d) Quality public spaces that are usable for a variety of public and semipublic activities.
(e) Higher standards of design and construction for buildings, public infrastructure and landscaping.
(f) A high degree of connectivity for pedestrian and vehicular traffic.
(g) Buildings placed close to the street, so that streets and squares are defined as "outdoor rooms."
(h) Utilizing all the streets for on-street parking. Parking lots and garages shall not front the street.
(i) Expediting the development process to make conforming to the plan easy.
B. Exclusions. For the property located within the area of the Downtown Zoning Map, the standards contained in this Section supersede provisions contained within the Blue Springs Unified Development Code. Sections
403.070,
404.180 and
404.220 shall not be applied within the area covered by the DDC.
C. Conceptual Framework And T-Zones.
1. Because of the unique characteristics of downtown Blue Springs, a subclassification of organizing property and uses is established with the DDC. The subclassifications for this Section are called "transect zones" (T-Zones). T-Zones differ from conventional zoning districts in that they are inherently mixed use and place more emphasis on design than building use. The different T-Zones establish a variety of scales, intensities and characteristics to account for the differing conditions in the plan area. The zones are shown in graphic format in the Downtown Zoning Map. Additional requirements are also shown in the Downtown Zoning Map Overlay. The DDC shall apply to those properties shown on the Downtown Zoning Map. The zoning districts shown below may only be applied to property shown in the corresponding color on the Downtown Zoning Map.
2. T-Zone Definitions For This Section.
(a) T3 Sub-Urban. The most natural, least dense, most residential context of a community.
(b) T4 General Urban. A predominantly residential context, typically the largest zone within a community. It allows for the widest variety of housing choice.
(c) T5 Urban Center. A denser, mixed-use context, typically located near the center of a pedestrian shed or as a corridor along important thoroughfares.
(d) CS Civic Space Zone. Sites reserved for civic buildings and/or civic space.
The zones may be designated, for example, as a T3 or T-3 zone.
D. Performance Standards. The intent of the DDC is to allow for a mixture of uses, often adjacent to or very close to each other. Issues of noise, trash and operational hours are to be closely coordinated. Specific standards include:
1. Businesses providing drive-up services shall not have a drive-through lane or window that abuts or faces a public street.
2. Outdoor dining and seating areas for bars, taverns, restaurants, or food production — limited uses may be permitted in the public right-of-way, subject to the following standards:
(a) Outdoor dining and seating areas in the public right-of-way shall not be permanent but may be approved as an extended temporary use permit for up to twelve (12) months. Outdoor dining and seating areas in the public right-of-way may be required to be removed as requested by the Director of Public Works for the repair, replacement, or maintenance of public infrastructure, including but not limited to streets, sidewalks, and utilities.
(b) The width of the outdoor dining and seating area shall not exceed the width of the storefront in which the principal use operates.
(c) A minimum clear sidewalk width meeting ADA requirements shall be provided and maintained in an unobstructed condition as determined by the Director of Public Works.
(d) Outdoor dining and seating areas and associated structural elements, awnings, covers, furniture, umbrellas, or other physical elements shall be compatible with the overall design of the main structure in which the principal use is located.
(e) Litter, food and beverage items, and tableware shall be continually removed and all fixtures and grounds within the outdoor dining and seating area continually cleaned to ensure the area is maintained and all health, safety, and sanitation requirements are met.
(f) All outdoor dining and seating areas where a tenant has a liquor license will be required to add the outdoor dining and seating area to their licenses in order to sell and serve alcoholic beverages in the outdoor dining and seating area.
(g) Any use of the public sidewalk shall be subject to an application for approval by the Downtown Review Board.
3. Medical Marijuana.
(a) Buffer Requirement. Medical marijuana dispensary and testing facility uses are exempt from the buffer requirements, as listed in 405.050(A)(34) and (36), to an existing elementary or secondary school, licensed child day care center, or church.
(b) Medical marijuana dispensary and testing facility uses may be located within a building that contains a residence as permitted in mixed-use buildings and live/work units.
E. Permitted Uses And Uses Allowed By Conditional Use. Within the area covered by the DDC, a wide variety of uses and structures, from residential to commercial, are allowed or allowed by conditional use. All conditional uses and structures must be approved by the Downtown Review Board. Structures shall be regulated by T-Zone.
1. Uses permitted in mixed-use and commercial building types:
(a) Assisted living — convalescent care.
(b) School — elementary, middle, or high.
(d) School — college or university.
(h) Public/government service.
(k) Micro-commercial (< 1,000 square feet).
(l) Small retail (< 3,000 square feet).
(m) Mid-size retail [three thousand (3,000) square feet to twelve thousand (12,000) square feet].
(n) Grocery store (< 40,000 square feet).
(p) Outdoor sales — seasonal.
(r) Bank or financial institution.
(bb) Recreation and entertainment — indoor.
(ee) Studio — television or film.
(ff) Artisan/micro-manufacturing.
(hh) Food production — limited.
(kk) Marijuana testing facility.
2. Uses permitted by conditional use permit in mixed-use and commercial building types:
(a) Group home — transitional living center.
(b) Outdoor sales and services.
(d) Recreation and entertainment — outdoor.
(f) Storage — residential warehouse.
(j) Parking lot — commercial.
(k) Building/construction contractor.
3. Building Types Permitted In T3 Zone.
(a) Allowed: single-family houses, accessory units.
(b) Allowed by conditional use: live/work units, small civic buildings, flat over flats, paired houses, tandem houses.
4. Building Types Permitted In T4 Zone.
(a) Allowed: single-family houses, accessory units, paired houses, flat over flats, tandem houses, row houses, apartment buildings, small civic buildings.
(b) Allowed by conditional use: mixed-use buildings and live/work units.
5. Building Types Permitted In T5 Zone.
(a) Allowed: accessory units, row houses, apartment buildings, mixed-use buildings, live/work units, small civic buildings, rooftop decks, patios, and associated enclosures.
(b) Allowed by conditional use: small commercial buildings.
6. Building Types Permitted In CS Zone.
(a) Allowed by conditional use: prominent civic buildings.
F. Functional Intensity Standards. The intensity of the uses noted above are governed by T-Zone, lot location and parking requirements.
1. Zone T3.
(a) Residential. Only one (1) accessory unit shall be allowed per main structure. All accessory units shall have a maximum square footage equal to fifty percent (50%) of the main structure's finished area excluding garages and basements. The total building footprint area for all accessory units and accessory structures shall have a maximum square footage equal to fifty percent (50%) of the main structure's finished area excluding attached garages and basements.
2. Zone T4.
(a) Lodging. The number of bedrooms permitted on each lot for lodging is limited by the parking requirement of Section
404.240(H)(3)(b), up to twelve (12) bedrooms, in addition to the parking requirement of the dwelling.
(b) Office. The building area available for office use on each lot is restricted to the first story of the principal or the second story of the ancillary building and by the parking requirement of Section
404.240(H)(3)(b), in addition to the parking requirement of the dwelling.
(c) Retail. The building area available for retail use is restricted to one (1) block corner location at the first story and by the parking requirement of Section
404.240(H)(3)(b), in addition to the parking requirement of the dwelling.
(d) Residential. Only one (1) accessory unit shall be allowed per main structure. All accessory units shall have a maximum square footage equal to fifty percent (50%) of the main structure's finished area excluding garages and basements. The total building footprint area for all accessory units and accessory structures shall have a maximum square footage equal to fifty percent (50%) of the main structure's finished area excluding attached garages and basements.
3. Zone T5.
(a) Lodging. The number of bedrooms permitted on each lot for lodging is limited by the parking requirement of Section
404.240(H)(3)(c).
(b) Office. The building area available for office use on each lot is restricted by the parking requirement of Section
404.240(H)(3)(c).
(c) Retail. The building area available for retail use is restricted by the parking requirement of Section
404.240(H)(3)(c).
(d) Residential. Only one (1) accessory unit shall be allowed per main structure. All accessory units shall have a maximum square footage equal to fifty percent (50%) of the main structure's finished space excluding garages and basements.
4. Zone CS.
(c) Residential. Not allowed.
G. Height And Area Standards. All buildings and structures shall incorporate the following minimum standards:
1. Height Of The Primary Building On A Lot.
(a) Zone T3. Not more than two and one-half (2 1/2) stories.
(b) Zone T4. Not more than three (3) and not less than two (2) stories. Mixed-use buildings and live/work buildings shall have a sidewalk-level floor to floor height of twelve (12) feet minimum. Upper levels in mixed-use buildings and live/work buildings shall have floor to floor or floor to roof heights of minimum nine (9) feet.
(c) Zone T5. Not more than five (5) and not less than two (2) stories. Mixed-use buildings, live/work buildings and small commercial buildings shall have a sidewalk-level floor to floor or floor to roof height of twelve (12) feet minimum. Upper levels in mixed-use buildings and live/work buildings shall have floor to floor or floor to roof heights of minimum nine (9) feet.
(d) Zone CS. No height limitation.
2. Setbacks From Property Lines. Setbacks vary by T-Zone and frontage type and are measured from the public right-of-way. Frontage types are illustrated in the definitions.
(a) Front Yard.
(1) Zone T3.
(a) Common Lawn. Not less than ten (10) feet and not more than twenty (20) feet to the building wall. This frontage is limited to no more than fifty percent (50%) of any given block's total frontage.
(b) Front Yard. Not less than ten (10) feet and not more than twenty-five (25) feet to the building wall.
(2) Zone T4.
(a) Common Lawn. Not less than zero (0) feet and not more than ten (10) feet to the building wall. This frontage is limited to no more than fifty percent (50%) of any given block's total frontage.
(b) Front Yard. Not less than zero (0) feet and not more than fifteen (15) feet to the building wall.
(c) Dooryard. Not less than eight (8) and not more than twenty (20) feet to the building wall. A courtyard wall may extend to the public right-of-way.
(d) Terrace/light Court. Not less than eight (8) and not more than twenty (20) feet to the building wall. A courtyard wall may extend to the public right-of-way.
(e) Forecourt. Not less than ten (10) feet and not more than thirty-five (35) feet to the courtyard facade of the building. The foreground facade of the building is to have a setback of not less than zero (0) feet and not more than ten (10) feet.
(f) Doorway. Not more than zero (0) feet.
(3) Zone T5.
(a) Common Lawn. Not less than zero (0) feet and not more than ten (10) feet to the building wall. This frontage is limited to no more than fifty percent (50%) of any given block's total frontage.
(b) Dooryard. Not less than eight (8) and not more than twenty (20) feet to the building wall. A courtyard wall may extend to the public right-of-way. This frontage is limited to no more than fifteen percent (15%) of any given block's total frontage.
(c) Front Yard. Not less than zero (0) feet and not more than fifteen (15) feet to the building wall.
(d) Terrace/light Court. Not less than eight (8) and not more than twenty (20) feet to the building wall. A courtyard wall may extend to the public right-of-way.
(e) Forecourt. Not less than ten (10) feet and not more than thirty-five (35) feet to the courtyard facade of the building. The foreground facade of the building is to have a setback of not less than zero (0) feet and not more than ten (10) feet.
(f) Doorway. Not more than zero (0) feet.
(g) Storefront. Not more than zero (0) feet.
(h) Gallery. Not more than zero (0) feet.
(i) Arcade. Not more than zero (0) feet.
(4) Zone CS. No setback limitation.
(b) Side Yard, Interior.
(1) Zone T3. Not less than five (5) feet to the building wall.
(2) Zone T4. Not less than zero (0) and not more than ten (10) feet to the building wall.
(3) Zone T5. Not less than zero (0) and not more than ten (10) feet to the building wall.
(4) Zone CS. No setback limitation or by special review.
(c) Side Yard, Corner.
(1) Zone T3. Not less than five (5) feet to the building wall or to match that of the existing side street.
(2) Zone T4. Not less than zero (0) and not more than ten (10) feet to the building wall or to match that of the existing side street.
(3) Zone T5. Not less than zero (0) and not more than ten (10) feet to the building wall or to match that of the existing side street
(4) Zone CS. No setback limitation.
(d) Rear Yard.
(1) Zone T3. Not less than five (5) feet to the building wall.
(2) Zone T4. Not less than five (5) feet to the building wall.
(3) Zone T5. Not less than five (5) feet to the building wall.
(4) Zone CS. No setback limitation.
(e) Rear Yard With Alley. Applicable to all zones: not less than zero (0) feet.
3. Lot Size And Area.
(a) Lot Size. Lot sizes vary by T-Zone.
(1) Zone T3. Minimum twenty-five (25) feet lot width.
(2) Zone T4. Minimum sixteen (16) feet lot width for attached housing, twenty-five (25) feet width for detached housing.
(3) Zone T5. No minimum lot size.
(4) Zone CS. No lot size regulation.
(b) Minimum Floor Area. The DDC District has no minimum floor area requirements.
H. Parking Standards.
1. Parking standards vary by T-Zone. Office and retail space may utilize the on-street parking adjacent to the lot frontage as part of the parking requirement. Attached garages shall not front to the street on which the primary building entrance is located. Detached garages may front to the street when located in the rear yard. Off-street parking shall be located at the rear of the building. When the depth of a lot is insufficient to accommodate required off-street parking, surface parking may be provided on the side of the building, provided that it covers no more than thirty percent (30%) of the width of the lot. Surface parking shall be screened from public right-of-way by landscaping to effectively screen parking areas from the street. Surface parking shall be set back a minimum of six (6) feet from any property line of a less-intensive zoning district.
2. Bicycle parking shall be provided for row houses, apartment buildings, small civic buildings, mixed-use buildings, live/work units, and prominent civic buildings with the following frontage types: common lawn, dooryard, front yard, terrace/light court, and forecourt. Bicycle parking for residential shall be one (1) space per dwelling unit. Bicycle parking for retail, office, and civic uses shall be twenty-five percent (25%) of the required parking spaces. The Downtown Review Board may recommend a reduction in required bicycle parking spaces when a public bicycle rack is located within one hundred (100) feet of the primary building entrance.
3. T-Zone Parking Standards.
(a) Zone T3. Two (2) off-street parking spaces shall be provided for each dwelling unit. One (1) off-street parking space shall be provided for each lodging bedroom. Two (2) parking spaces per one thousand (1,000) square feet of office space shall be required. Two (2) spaces per one thousand (1,000) square feet of retail space shall be required.
(b) Zone T4. One (1) off-street parking space shall be provided for each dwelling unit. One (1) off-street parking space shall be provided for each lodging bedroom. Two (2) parking spaces per one thousand (1,000) square feet of office space shall be required. Two (2) spaces per one thousand (1,000) square feet of retail space shall be required.
(c) Zone T5. One (1) off-street parking space shall be provided for each dwelling unit. One (1) off-street parking space shall be provided for each lodging bedroom. Two (2) parking spaces per one thousand (1,000) square feet of office space shall be required. Two (2) spaces per one thousand (1,000) square feet of retail space shall be required.
(d) Zone CS. No parking regulation.
4. Shared Parking Standards. The parking requirement may be further reduced by the following factors, when sharing uses on a particular lot:
(a) Residential And Office. The combined requirement may be reduced by a factor of 0.75.
(b) Residential And Retail. The combined requirement may be reduced by a factor of 0.9.
(c) Office And Retail. The combined requirement may be reduced by a factor of 0.75.
(d) Lodging And Residential. The combined requirement may be reduced by a factor of 0.9.
(e) Lodging And Office. The combined requirement may be reduced by a factor of 0.8.
(f) Lodging And Retail. The combined requirement may be reduced by a factor of 0.9.
I. Signs. Sign regulations are governed by Chapter
501 of the City Code.
J. Roadway Standards. In general, roadways are to be designed for slower design speeds to ensure the safety of pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists. This entails narrower lane widths, the provision of on-street parking on all roadway types and small curb radii at intersections. A variety of roadway types are encouraged, and block perimeters should be small. Specific Roadway Standards are noted in Appendix A, DDC Roadway Design Criteria.
K. Landscaping And Screening.
1. A reasonable amount of landscaping is required with emphasis on softening the visual impact of parking areas and enhancing the overall appearance. Allowed species of trees may be placed in the public right-of-way at the discretion of the Director of Public Works with written approval. All required trees shall follow recommendations of Great Trees for Blue Springs included in Appendix A3 of the Comprehensive Plan. A minimum of one (1) small street tree per twenty-five (25) feet of right-of-way frontage or one (1) large street tree per forty (40) feet of right-of-way frontage is required.
2. Certain frontage types have front yard planting requirements. Front yard plantings are a deciduous or evergreen shrub or tree planted between the frontage line and the facade of a building. Required front yard plantings and frontage types are as follows:
(a) Dooryard: six (6) front yard plantings.
(b) Terrace/light court: six (6) front yard plantings.
(c) Forecourt: fifteen (15) front yard plantings.
(d) Front yard: ten (10) front yard plantings.
(e) Common lawn: six (6) front yard plantings per unit.
L. Building Materials. High-quality masonry building materials approved for this district are stone, brick, cast stone and stucco. Synthetic stone, such as pre-manufactured fiberglass, cultured stone, or glass-fiber reinforced concrete, is permitted, provided that it is identical in appearance and of equal or greater durability to natural stone. These masonry materials shall be required on fifty percent (50%) of the sum total of all building facades, except single-family houses which shall have ten percent (10%) of the sum total of all facades. All accessory units and garages shall be constructed from the same materials as the main structure. "Stucco" in the DDC shall mean traditional stucco or gypsum concrete/plaster materials with smooth sand finish. Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS) and cement board siding may be used to fulfill the masonry requirement, but the percentage of masonry becomes seventy-five percent (75%) excluding trim unless otherwise approved by the Downtown Review Board. Premanufactured panels, including exposed tilt-up concrete panels, are not permitted. These provisions are intended to ensure a longer-lasting, sustainable appeal of the downtown.
M. Planned Zoning.
1. Procedures.
(a) Projects Requiring Rezoning. A rezoning must be to another zone regulated by the Downtown Development Code.
(b) Historic Overlay District (H-O) Review. Projects involving a permit for new buildings or structures, excluding fences, uncovered decks, pools, sheds, or other similar structures as determined by the Community Development Director, or include altering a building or structure that is identified on the property's Architectural/Historic Inventory Form as significant or as a contributing feature of the H-O shall apply to the City pursuant to Sections
402.050 and
408.020 for review.