University City, MO Division 8 "CC" Core Commercial District

Section 400.540 General.

[R.O. 2011 §34-37.1; Ord. No. 6139 §1(Exh. A (part)), 1997]

A. The following Sections provide specific regulations regarding the use and development of property within the "CC" district. These district regulations are supplemented by additional regulations appearing elsewhere in this Chapter or other Chapters of the University City Municipal Code. Other regulations contained in this Chapter governing land use and development include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following:

1. Supplementary Regulations (Article V);

2. Historic Landmarks and Districts (Article VI);

3. Off-Street Parking and Loading Requirements (Article VII);

4. Sign Regulations (Article VIII).

Section 400.550 Intent and Purpose.

[R.O. 2011 §34-37.2; Ord. No. 6139 §1(Exh. A (part)), 1997]

The "CC" Core Commercial District is a zoning district which encompasses the "Loop" area of University City. It is intended to accommodate a wide variety of retail commercial uses, with an emphasis towards the sale of retail goods, dining and entertainment which attracts shoppers from a trade area beyond University City. All ground floor building space, having frontage on Delmar, is limited to retail trade (see Section 400.590 for limitations on use of ground floor building space fronting Delmar Boulevard).

Section 400.560 Permitted Uses.

[R.O. 2011 §34-37.3; Ord. No. 6139 §1(Exh. A (part)), 1997]

A. The following land uses and developments are permitted in the "CC" district. In addition to the land uses permitted in this district, certain other land uses may be conditionally allowed per Section 400.570. Other uses not listed, which are determined by the Zoning Administrator to be identical or similar to one (1) or more of the following uses, are permitted as well. When an unlisted use is proposed, which appears to meet the intent of this district but its potential impact is uncertain, then such use shall be considered a conditional use.

1. Accessory uses (see Article V "Supplementary Regulations", Division 3);

2. Art galleries;

3. Bakeries, limited to the processing of bakery goods for sale only on the premises;

4. Bank and other financial institutions;

5. Computer stores, sales and service;

6. Dry cleaning drop-off/pickup (no cleaning facilities on site);

7. Furniture stores, home and office furnishings sales and repair, including antiques and interior decorating;

8. Grocery stores, delicatessens, and specialty food shops;

9. Outdoor dining.

[Ord. No. 6971 §1, 11-10-2014]

10. Offices for business, professional, medical, institutional, or governmental entities;

11. Pharmacies;

12. Places of worship;

13. Restaurants;

14. Restaurants, fast-food;

15. Retail stores providing for the sale of consumer goods normally found in a shopping center or a freestanding building, including the sale of clothing and apparel, sporting goods, home or car audio/video equipment, dry goods, toys, and similar merchandise;

16. Retail service establishments, including barbershops and beauty parlors; copying and duplicating services; dressmaking or tailor shops; shoe repair shops; suntan parlors; travel agencies; typing and stenography services; and other similar service establishments;

17. Retail specialty shops, including antique shops; art and school supplies; bicycle shops; bookstores; camera shops and film developing; candy stores; card and stationery shops; florist shops; gift shops; hobby shops; jewelry stores; newspaper and magazine shops; record, tape and compact disc shops; tobacco and pipe shops; and other similar specialty retail establishments;

18. (Reserved)[1]

[1] Editor’s Note: Former Subsection (A)(18), which listed telecommunications equipment as a permitted use, was repealed 1-14-2019 by Ord. No. 7094.

19. Theaters, indoor; for performing arts or movies;

20. Video rental and sales stores.

Section 400.570 Conditional Uses.

[R.O. 2011 §34-37.4; Ord. No. 6139 §1(Exh. A (part)), 1997; Ord. No. 6142 §1(part), 1997; Ord. No. 6401 §1(part), 2002; Ord. No. 7094, 1-14-2019; Ord. No. 7218, 2-27-2023]

A. The following land uses and developments may be permitted in the "CC" district, subject to the issuance of a conditional use permit in accordance with the procedures and standards contained in Article XI, "Conditional Uses":

1. All permitted land uses and developments which include drive-through facilities;

2. Amusement centers (indoor);

3. Bars and taverns;

4. Comprehensive marijuana dispensary facility;

5. Day care center;

6. Dwellings units, when located above the ground floor;

7. Hotels;

8. Medical marijuana dispensary facility;

9. Microbusiness dispensary facility;

10. Parking lots and structures, as a principal use, but not for the storage of wrecked or otherwise damaged or immobilized vehicles;

11. Public utility facilities.

12. Resale/thrift shop;

13. Tattoo parlor.

Section 400.580 Density and Dimensional Regulations.

[R.O. 2011 §34-37.5; Ord. No. 6139 §1(Exh. A (part)), 1997; Ord. No. 6296 §1, 2001; Ord. No. 6401 §1(part), 2002]

A. Minimum Lot Size.

1. Permitted and conditional uses. Lot area and lot dimensions shall be adequate to provide the minimum setbacks required by this Section and required parking, as established under Article VII "Off-Street Parking and Loading Requirements", but in no instance shall a lot be less than twelve thousand five hundred (12,500) square feet in area, except as provided for in paragraph (2) below.

2. Minimum lot size exceptions.

a. Public utility facilities. Lots created for public utility facilities may be less than twelve thousand five hundred (12,500) square feet in area, provided that such lots shall not be used for any other use.

b. Other uses. The minimum lot size requirement may be reduced, subject to the issuance of conditional use permit in accordance with the procedures and standards contained in Article XI, "Conditional Uses". Such a reduction in lot size may be allowed if the applicant can demonstrate that no reasonable alternative exists to acquire and assemble adjacent "CC" zoned property with the property in question. An example of such a circumstance would be "in-fill" development where all properties, adjacent to the parcel in question, are already developed and said parcel existed prior to the adoption of this Chapter, or amendment thereto.

B. Building Setback Requirements.

1. Minimum right-of-way setback. Except as provided for in Article V "Supplementary Regulations", Division 2, no building shall be located within thirty-five (35) feet of a street right-of-way, unless no parking areas are located between the street right-of-way and any principal or accessory building. Under these conditions, the minimum setback may be reduced to fifteen (15) feet. The minimum right-of-way setback may be decreased subject to the issuance of a conditional use permit in accordance with the procedures and standards contained in Article XI, "Conditional Uses".

2. Minimum property line setback. No building setback is required from a property line, other than from a right-of-way line, except where a lot abuts a residential district or abuts an alley right-of-way which separates the lot from a residential district. Under these conditions, the minimum building setback requirement shall be fifteen (15) feet from the applicable property line(s). Where a property line setback is not required, but a building is set back off the property line, then it shall be set back at least five (5) feet.

C. Building Height Limitations.

1. Except as provided for in Article V "Supplementary Regulations", Section 400.1030, and paragraph (2) below, no principal building shall exceed thirty-five (35) feet in height.

2. Upon conditional use permit approval (see Article XI, "Conditional Uses") or under an approved "Planned Development", buildings may exceed the height limit specified above, subject to the following increases in minimum building setbacks:

a. Right-of-way setback. The minimum building setback shall be increased by one (1) foot for each two (2) feet, or portion thereof, of increased building height, provided however, that the setback from the right-of-way does not have to exceed fifty (50) feet.

b. Property line setback. When adjacent to an "SR" district, the minimum building setback shall be increased by one (1) foot for each two (2) feet, or portion thereof, of increased building height, provided however, that the setback from the property line does not have to exceed fifty (50) feet.

D. Maximum Site Coverage. No limit.

Section 400.590 Other Development Standards.

[R.O. 2011 §34-37.6; Ord. No. 6139 §1(Exh. A (part)), 1997; Ord. No. 6142 §1(part), 1997; Ord. No. 6401 §1(part), 2002; Ord. No. 6764 §1, 1-26-2009]

A. All ground floor building space with frontage on Delmar Boulevard shall be limited to the retail sales of goods or merchandise for personal consumption only. Exceptions to this limitation may be obtained by granting of a conditional use permit.

B. A principal building, in which one (1) or more uses may locate, shall not exceed fifty thousand (50,000) square feet in gross floor area. The exception to this is for developments approved under the provisions of a conditional use permit under Article XI, "Conditional Uses."

[Ord. No. 6990 §1, 5-26-2015]

C. Except for authorized temporary outdoor sales (see Article V, Section 400.1360400.1360), permitted outdoor dining, and off-street parking and loading, all business, servicing, processing, and storage, which takes place outdoors on private property, shall be limited to one hundred (100) square feet in area and shall be limited to items and/or service for which the use is approved under the occupancy permit. Otherwise, all business, servicing, processing, and storage shall be conducted within completely enclosed buildings. Exceptions to this limitation may be obtained by granting of a conditional use permit. In order to be considered for this exception, outdoor storage of items, whether or not intended for direct sale to the public, shall be screened from public view and located behind the building setback line from a street right-of-way or a property line.

D. Outdoor display of merchandise shall only be permitted in conjunction with an existing permitted use, where an established use has been granted occupancy and occupies the ground floor of a premise. Any display shall only be permitted on private property, and such display shall be placed between the subject use's principal building and nearest public right-of-way. Total gross display area of merchandise may not exceed twenty-five (25) square feet. This total gross display area may be increased to forty (40) square feet if the building frontage of the portion of the building occupied by the subject use exceeds ninety (90) linear feet, and increased to eighty (80) square feet if the building frontage of the portion of the building exceeds one hundred twenty (120) linear feet. Display items shall be limited to merchandise sold by the established use. All sales transactions shall occur completely within enclosed buildings. Any outdoor display of merchandise shall permit free access to buildings and not be placed in or on street furniture, parking meters, public signage, planter boxes, turf, dirt or landscaped areas, or beyond the edge of the subject use's street frontage. Display items shall not include signage which would otherwise be regulated by Article VIII.

E. Process and equipment employed and goods processed or sold shall be limited to those which are not objectionable by reason of odor, dust, smoke, noise, vibration, refuse, water-carried waste, pollutants or other matter which in any manner creates a nuisance beyond the property line of a particular use (see Article V, Division 12 for performance standards).

F. Outdoor Dining And Display Of Merchandise.

[Ord. No. 6971 §1, 11-10-2014]

1. Outdoor dining is permitted upon receipt or renewal of an annual outdoor dining permit, as required under Chapter 605, Article I. Outdoor displays or merchandise shall be permitted only on private property lcoated between the frontage of a ground floor premise and the nearest public right-of-way.

G. For all new developments or those uses requiring a new conditional use permit or site plan review, a detailed landscaping plan shall be submitted to the Director of Planning for approval, in conjunction with a review by the City Forester. Landscaping shall be installed and maintained in accordance with the approved plan. Unless other arrangements were made during the permitting process, said landscaping plan shall be approved prior to the building permit being issued and shall be installed prior to the occupancy permit being approved.

H. All restaurant and convenience store uses shall comply with the following:

1. The operator of the business shall regularly police the site and the area adjacent to the restaurant to remove litter and debris.

2. Trash containers for patron use shall be available on the premises at all times. Adequate refuse disposal shall be provided by and for the business. The refuse containers and surroundings shall be maintained in a clean condition.

3. If applicable, an exhaust system shall be installed and/or other means shall be taken to prevent any food preparation odors or cooking odors from being perceptible beyond the lot lines of the property on which the business is located. The exhaust system shall be maintained in a clean condition by regularly scheduled cleaning of the system.

I. All uses that have exterior speakers shall be operated so that the volume of the service speaker as well as noise from patrons shall not be perceptible beyond the property lines of the business.

J. Lighting of all exterior areas, including all parking areas, shall comply with Section 400.2110 of the Zoning Code, and shall be designed to be compatible with surrounding areas, shall be shaded to direct light downward and away from abutting uses, adjoining properties and streets.

K. For all developments requiring new curb cuts along County or State roadways, curb cuts shall be approved by the proper State and/or County agencies. If there is a substantial change in site design caused by those approvals, the applicant shall resubmit the changes to Department of Planning Development, the Plan Commission and/or the City Council (whichever approvals were originally required).

L. For all new developments or those uses requiring substantial exterior construction, a detailed construction traffic control and parking plan should be submitted to the Director of Planning for approval. Said plan shall set forth details pertaining to worker and resident parking during all phases of the proposed construction. It shall further detail solutions to public property maintenance issues such as street cleaning and traffic diversion. Said plan shall be finalized prior to the issuance of a building permit.

M. For all new developments, drainage and grading arrangements shall be approved by MSD and the City Public Works and Parks Department.

N. In addition to all other requirements and regulations set forth in this Chapter, all new development and substantial redevelopment proposed and planned along the Olive Boulevard corridor between Skinker Boulevard to the east side of the I-170 interchange shall adhere to the guidelines and regulations set forth in the document known as the "Olive Boulevard Design Guidelines". The guidelines are a required part of the building permit process. A copy of the guidelines may be obtained from the Zoning Administrator in the Community Development Department (an electronic copy is also available online at the City's website at ucitymo.org/government/departments/community development/ zoning). For the purpose of this requirement, "substantial redevelopment" shall mean one (1) or more of the following:

1. Increase of twenty-five percent (25%) or more in the gross floor area of any building;

2. Significant upliftment of the facade aesthetics by paint and/or addition or replacement of facade elements;

3. Restoration of historic structures;

4. Significant changes in site design, for example, landscaping, lighting, ingress/egress, etc.