[CC 1961 §§23.19 — 23.19.11; Ord. No. 2974 §23.19, 6-20-1988; Ord. No. 3048 §1, 5-1-1989; Ord. No. 3331 §1, 6-5-1995; Ord. No. 3589 §§1 — 2, 3-17-2003; Ord. No. 3791 §1, 5-5-2008]
A. If,
after a public hearing and study, the City Council shall find that,
consistent with proper planning to preserve and promote the public
health, safety and general welfare, a building or use should be permitted
in any zoning district in the City which is not permissible according
to this Chapter, then the City Council, by passing a resolution, may
issue a special use permit for the special uses listed in each district.
B. Applications
for the special use permit shall be made to the Public Works Director
with a site plan and necessary descriptive material of the entire
property, including all permitted and special uses. Each application
shall be verified by the owner or the authorized representative of
the owner of the property subject to the permit, attesting to the
truth and correctness of all facts and information presented in the
application.
[Ord. No. 4806, 9-25-2023]
C. Applications shall be submitted by the Public Works Director to the City Plan Commission forthwith. The City Plan Commission shall investigate and make a report regarding the effect of such proposed building or use upon character of the neighborhood, aesthetics, traffic conditions, fire hazards, public utility facilities, and other matters pertaining to the public health, safety, and general welfare of the community. Such report shall be filed with the City Council within sixty (60) days of the day of reference to the Commission. If the City Plan Commission fails to recommend any application within sixty (60) days of reference, unless applicant petitions for a delay and said delay is deemed to be of a reasonable nature, the plan(s) and the meeting minutes shall be forwarded to the next City Council meeting for their action. This action may include approval to order a public hearing, return the application to the City Plan Commission, or rejection of the application without prejudice based upon criteria, including, but not limited to, that described in Sections
400.370 and
400.530(B), as well as other appropriate Sections of the City Charter or Municipal Code.
[Ord. No. 4806, 9-25-2023]
D. Upon
receipt of the report of the Commission, the City Council shall hold
a public hearing in relation to the application. The Council shall
cause notice of the time, place, and purpose of such hearing to be
published in two (2) consecutive issues of a newspaper of general
circulation in the City, the first (1st) notice of which shall be
published at least fifteen (15) days prior to the date of the hearing,
and shall, in addition, cause similar notices to be prominently posted
at least fifteen (15) days prior to the hearing in no less than ten
(10) places in the City. Five (5) or more of said notices shall be
posted in the immediate vicinity of the property which would be affected
by the proposed change. The provisions pertaining to public protests
against changes in the zoning ordinance as provided by State law for
all incorporated Cities, Towns, and Villages situated in Counties
having a population of ten thousand (10,000) or more inhabitants,
shall be applicable. Costs of such publication shall be paid by the
applicant.
E. The applicant shall be responsible for and provide the City Clerk with an accurate list of all owners of property within one hundred eighty-five (185) feet distance from the boundaries of the property sought to be devoted to such building or use. The City Clerk shall notify, in writing, all owners of said property of the filing of the application, the proposed building or use proposed by the application and date of the hearing provided for in Subsection
(D) of this Section.
F. After
the City Council's hearing, the Council shall consider, in addition
to matters mentioned hereinabove, the following:
1. The compatibility with surrounding uses and compatibility with the
surrounding neighborhood.
2. The comparative site, floor area and mass of the proposed structure
in relationship to adjacent structures and buildings in the surrounding
properties and neighborhood.
3. The frequency and duration of various indoor and outdoor activities
and special events and the impact of these activities on the surrounding
area.
4. The number of transit movements generated by the proposed use and
relationship to the amount of traffic on abutting streets and on minor
streets in the surrounding neighborhood, not in terms of the street's
capacity to absorb the additional traffic, but rather in terms of
any significant increase in hourly or daily traffic levels.
5. The capacity of adjacent streets to handle increased traffic in terms
of traffic volume.
6. The added noise level created by activities associated with the proposed
use and the impact of the ambient noise level of the surrounding area
and neighborhood.
7. In commercial districts, the negative impact on the economic viability
of the commercial area of businesses with poor appearance due to type
of goods or services offered; limited business hours or other evidence
of limited use of building for commercial purposes; and interruption
of the continuity of retail sales uses and walk-in customers in commercial
areas predominately oriented to retail sales.
8. The requirements for public services where the demands of the proposed
use is in excess of the individual demand of adjacent land uses in
terms of Police and fire protection, the presence of any potential
or real fire hazards created by the proposed use.
a. The general appearance of the neighborhood will not be adversely
affected by the location of the proposed use on the parcel, nor will
the materials used in the construction of the proposed buildings of
the special use be greatly dissimilar, or that the general architecture
of the building stand out or create a visual problem within the neighborhood.
b. The impact of night lighting in terms of intensity and duration and
frequency of use as it impacts adjacent properties and in terms of
presence in the neighborhood.
c. The impact of the landscaping of the proposed use in terms of maintained
landscaped areas versus areas to remain in a natural state, openness
of landscape versus the use of buffers and screens.
d. The impact of a significant amount of hard-surfaced areas for buildings,
sidewalks, drives, parking areas, and service areas in terms of noise
transfer, water runoff and heat generation.
e. The potential for the proposed use to remain in existence for a reasonable
period of time and not become vacant, or unused. Consideration should
also be given to unusual single purpose structures or components of
a more temporary nature.
f. In the case of any antenna, any interference with a neighbor's vision,
appearance or utilization of their property.
g. In addition to any other requirements, all requirements outlined
in FCC Ruling PRB-1 shall be met for any amateur radio towers and/or
antennas. Due to the City's closeness to the St. Louis International
Airport, any applicant shall provide a letter from the Airport Commission
or the FAA stating that the proposed radio tower, antenna or wave
length will not interfere with Airport operations and/or communications.
G. If
the City Council determines that the public health, welfare and safety
are adequately protected in view of the foregoing criteria, then the
special use permit shall be granted; but if it is negative as to any
of such paragraphs, then the special use permit shall be denied.
H. In
granting such special use permits, the City Council may provide that
the permit be valid for a limited period of time not to exceed ten
(10) years. Upon expiration of the time limit specified in the permit,
the holder of the permit may request the permit be reviewed by the
City Council, and the City Council may extend it for another limited
period of time not to exceed ten (10) years. The City Council shall
provide that the permit be exclusive only for the holder and non-transferable.
I. Substantial
work or construction as determined by the City Council under the permit
shall be commenced within ninety (90) days and completed with actual
occupancy within one hundred eighty (180) days or the permit shall
terminate. The permit may be extended by the City Council. The City
Council may condition the permit with conditions to protect the public
health, safety and general welfare. "Actual occupancy" shall mean the business is open to the public.
J. The City Council may, in accordance with Section
400.580, institute a rezoning. The City Council, after a public hearing, may revoke a special use permit for failure of compliance with the regulations and restrictions of this Chapter or the requirements of the special use permit.
K. A fee
of three hundred fifty dollars ($350.00) shall be paid to the Director
of Finance at the time of filing an application for a special permit.
There shall be no additional cost for advertising.
[Ord. No. 3681 §§1 —
10, 6-5-2006]
A. The
"land use regulations" (entitled "zoning ordinances") previously adopted
and codified relating to bars, nightclubs, liquor stores, restaurants,
massage parlors and establishments at which any form of gambling or
game of chance is permitted or played are hereby amended as follows.
B. Special Permit Uses.
1. Bars, nightclubs, liquor stores, restaurants, massage parlors and
establishments at which any form of gambling or game of chance is
permitted or played shall be deemed a special use in each and every
zoning district within the City of Berkeley, Missouri.
2. It is the intent of special permit uses to provide for certain uses
which shall be permitted only if adequate conditions exist or can
be imposed that will make such uses compatible with the purposes of
this Section. The special permit procedure shall provide for some
measure of individualized judgment and the imposing of conditions
on certain uses in order to make them compatible with permitted principal
uses in the applicable zoning district. It is further intended that
the special permit process shall provide a method whereby it can be
determined whether or not a use would cause any damage, hazard, nuisance
or other detriment to persons or property in the vicinity.
3. The following uses shall be permitted only as regulated by this Section
of the zoning districts and regulations ordinance:
c. Restaurant, if serving alcoholic beverages.
d. Establishment at which any form of gambling or game of chance is
permitted or played.
e. Adult book store, adult videotape store, adult motion picture theater
or adult entertainment establishment, as the same are defined in this
Section.
C. Procedures.
1. The Berkeley Planning and Zoning Commission may by special permit
authorize any of the uses which are permitted by special permit within
this Section. Such uses shall be subject to all other regulations
set forth in this Section unless the special permit specifically exempts
said use from any one (1) or more regulations. In addition, the Commission
may attach reasonable restrictions to any special permit use as it
deems necessary to comply with the purposes of this Section. Existing
special permit uses shall not be enlarged, extended or relocated without
first receiving approval of a new special permit.
2. Before the issuance of a special permit, the Commission shall make
a decision regarding the effects of such proposed use upon the character
of the neighborhood, public utilities, traffic conditions, fire protection
and other matters pertaining to the public health, safety and general
welfare. Furthermore, the Commission shall:
a. Make a finding concerning the proposed uses' conformance with applicable
zoning and planning ordinances and regulations, and
b. Shall prescribe other restrictions or conditions where deemed necessary
to safeguard the public health, safety or general welfare.
3. Three (3) copies of the plot plan of the lot and proposed buildings
or uses, drawn to an accurate scale and showing all pertinent information
shall accompany the three (3) copies of the application for a special
permit. Filing requirement, including filing fees, deadlines and public
hearing procedures, shall be as set forth in this Code.
D. Requirements. The following uses shall be subject to the
restrictions and conditions set forth below, in addition to compliance
with applicable zoning and planning ordinances and regulations:
1. Adult bookstore, adult videotape store, adult motion picture theater,
adult entertainment establishment, massage parlor and establishment
where consumption of beer or alcoholic beverages or gambling are permitted
on the premises.
2. Said uses shall not be located within one thousand three hundred
twenty (1,320) feet of each other and any residentially zoned property
within the City.
3. The Planning Commission may waive this spacing provision for an adult
bookstore, adult videotape store, adult motion picture theater, adult
entertainment establishment, massage parlor and establishment where
consumption of beer or alcoholic beverages or gambling are permitted
on the premises if the following findings are made:
a. The proposed uses will not be contrary to the public interest or
adversely affect the value, use or enjoyment of nearby properties
and that the spirit and intent of this Section will be observed.
b. The proposed use will not enlarge or encourage the development of
a "red light" or "skid row" area.
c. The establishment of an additional regulated use in the area will
not be contrary to any program of neighborhood conservation nor will
it interfere with any program or urban renewal.
d. All applicable regulations of this Section will be observed.
E. It
shall be unlawful to hereafter establish any adult bookstore, adult
videotape store, adult motion picture theater, adult entertainment
establishment, massage parlor and establishment where consumption
of beer or alcoholic beverages or gambling are permitted on the premises
in a residential district, a business and residential district or
an industrial district without first following the procedures set
out herein.
F. It
shall be unlawful to hereafter establish any adult bookstore, adult
videotape store, adult motion picture theater, adult entertainment
establishment, massage parlor and establishment where consumption
of beer or alcoholic beverages or gambling are permitted on the premises
in a central business district or manufacturing district if the proposed
location is within one thousand three hundred twenty (1,320) feet
of a residence district, business and residential district or a public/private
school or day care. This prohibition shall be waived upon the presentation
to the Zoning and Planning Commission of a valid petition requesting
such waiver, signed by at least fifty-one percent (51%) of those persons
owning, residing or doing business within one thousand three hundred
twenty (1,320) feet of the proposed location. The circulator of the
petition requesting a waiver shall subscribe to an affidavit attesting
to the fact that the circulator personally witnesses the signatures
of the petition and that the same were affixed to the petition by
the persons whose names appear thereon. The Zoning and Planning Commission
shall not consider the waiver of spacing requirement set forth in
this Subsection until the above described petition shall have been
filed with and verified by the Berkeley City Clerk.
G. No
adult bookstore, adult videotape store, adult motion picture theater,
adult entertainment establishment, massage parlor and establishment
where consumption of beer or alcoholic beverages or gambling are permitted
on the premises shall be located within one thousand three hundred
twenty (1,320) feet of a school, park, library or place of worship.
H. Advertisement,
displays or other promotional materials depicting, describing or relating
to "specified sexual activities" (as defined in this Chapter) or "specified
anatomical areas" (as defined in this Chapter) shall not be visible
from a public sidewalk or public road.
I. If
the special permit use relates to any adult videotape store, adult
motion picture theater or adult entertaining establishment, massage
parlor, all doors, windows and other apertures shall be located, covered
or screened in such a manner as to prevent viewing the interior of
the establishment from a public sidewalk or public street.
J. In
the event that an adult bookstore, adult videotape store, adult motion
picture theater, adult entertainment establishment, massage parlor
and establishment where consumption of beer or alcoholic beverages
or gambling are permitted on the premises is replaced by another type
of land use, the adult bookstore, adult videotape store, adult motion
picture theater, adult entertainment establishment and establishment
where consumption of beer or alcoholic beverages or gambling are permitted
on the premises shall be required to obtain a new special permit before
it can be re-established.