Article IV: Business/Industrial Districts

Village Business (VB) Zone.

The Village Business (VB) Zoning District is intended to recognize and support the business uses in the historic village centers in Somers Center and Somersville and provide for appropriate use and development in these areas.

See Section 214-4.2 for declaration of the Village Business District as a "Village District" in accordance with C.G.S. Section 8-2j.

Business (B) Zone.

The Business (B) Zoning District is intended to provide areas for convenience goods and services and commercial uses which are considered necessary to serve the residents and businesses of the Town.

Industrial (I) Zone.

The Industrial (I) Zoning District is intended to permit a variety of uses of an industrial nature which might not be desirable or compatible in residential or business areas.

Somers

Somersville

§ 214-4.2 Village District declared.

In order to maintain and enhance the historic value, distinctive character and landscape of the village areas in Somers Center and Somersville, the Village Business (VB) Zoning District is hereby declared to be a "Village District" as authorized by C.G.S. Section 8-2j and as recommended in the Plan of Conservation and Development.

In accordance with C.G.S. Section 8-2j, the Commission shall consider the design, placement, relationships and compatibility of structures, plantings, signs, roadways, street hardware and other objects in public view. These regulations encourage the conversion, conservation and preservation of existing buildings and sites in a manner that maintains the historic value, distinctive character and landscape of the Village District.

Applications within a Village District shall be reviewed and processed in accordance with Section 214-9.8N, except that construction or renovation of residential dwellings within the Village Business (VB) Zoning District shall be exempt from such Village District review.

§ 214-4.3 Principal uses and structures.

[Amended 1-6-2025, effective 1-27-2025; 3-31-2026, eff. 5-1-2026]

ZPNR	Permitted; zoning permit not required
ZP	Permitted with zoning permit (from Zoning Enforcement Officer)
SPA	Permitted with site plan approval (from Planning & Zoning Commission)
SUP	Permitted with special use permit approval (from Planning & Zoning Commission)
X	Not permitted in this district

Use			Village Business	Business	Industrial
A.	Business
	(1)	Retail store or personal service	SUP	SUP	X
	(2)	Bank or other financial institution	SUP	SUP	X
	(3)	Office	SUP	SUP	X
	(4)	Restaurant with indoor seating	SUP	SUP	X
	(5)	Tavern/inn	SUP	SUP	X
	(6)	Printing establishment	SUP	SUP	SUP
	(7)	Motor vehicle sales, service	X	SUP	SPA
	(8)	Motor vehicle sales, service, provided that such use was in existence prior to May 1, 2021	SUP	X	X
	(9)	Liquor store	SUP	SUP	X
	(10)	Hotel or motel	SUP	SUP	X
	(11)	Funeral home	SUP	SUP	X
	(12)	Gasoline sales approved or in existence as of May 1, 2021	SUP	SUP	X
	(13)	Animal hospital (which may include boarding)	X	SUP	SUP
	(14)	Animal grooming facility, provided that no boarding of animals occurs	SUP	SUP	SUP
	(15)	Winery/brewery/distillery	SUP	SUP	SUP
B.	Mixed-Use
	(1)	Mixed-use buildings containing business and residential uses within the same building with business uses required on the first-floor level (retail-type uses are encouraged) and allowed on the upper floor(s)	SUP	X	X
	(2)	Mixed-proximate residential	SUP	X	X
C.	Industrial
	(1)	Industrial research and service	X	SUP	SPA
	(2)	Warehousing, wholesaling, building material sale, contractor's yard, truck terminal	X	X	SPA
	(3)	Industrial or manufacturing use, provided that such use does not emit dust, odor, gas, fumes, noise, glare or vibration beyond the property lines in which it is located	X	X	SPA
	(4)	Autobody repair and painting	X	X	SPA
D.	Recreational
	(1)	(Reserved)	X	X	X
E.	Residential
	(1)	One single-family detached dwelling per lot, except that no lot shall be occupied for residential purposes unless it has the required frontage on a Town-approved or state-approved street	SPA	ZP	X
	(2)	Two-family building, provided that there shall be at least 40,000 square feet of contiguous buildable area and at least 250 feet of frontage	SPA	ZP	X
	(3)	Age-restricted housing in accordance with Section 214-6.5 of these regulations	X	SUP	X
F.	Institutional
	(1)	Place of worship open to the public	SUP	SUP	X
	(2)	Governmental uses and/or public service uses, such as firehouse, library, etc.	SUP	SUP	SUP
	(3)	Convalescent or nursing home or home for the aged	SUP	SUP	X
	(4)	Public or private school (not including business or trade schools), nursery, dancing school or riding school, conservatory for music or other arts	SUP	SUP	X
	(5)	Nonprofit institution or private museum	SUP	SUP	X
G.	Open Space
	(1)	Open space	ZPNR	ZPNR	ZPNR
	(2)	Parks and playgrounds	SUP	SUP	SUP
H.	Agricultural
	(1)	Farm/agriculture	ZPNR	ZPNR	ZPNR
	(2)	Water harvesting for commercial purposes	SUP	SUP	SUP
	(3)	Greenhouse operations and nurseries	X	SUP	SUP
	(4)	Commercial horse farm in accordance with Section 214-6.3 of these regulations	X	X	SUP
I.	Utility/Infrastructure
	(1)	Public utility lines, substations and buildings in accordance with Section 214-6.10 of these regulations	SUP	SUP	SUP
	(2)	Wireless transmitting and receiving in accordance with Section 214-8.3 of these regulations	See Section 214-8.3	See Section 214-8.3	See Section 214-8.3
J.	Other
	(1)	Cemetery, provided that a minimum boundary buffer of 20 feet shall be provided to burial plots	SUP	SUP	X
	(2)	Adult-oriented establishment in accordance with Section 214-8.5 of these regulations	X	SUP	X

§ 214-4.4 Accessory uses and structures.

[Amended 3-31-2026, eff. 5-1-2026]

General provisions for accessory uses/structures.

(1)

Accessory structures customarily incidental to any use permitted herein are allowed, provided that such accessory structures shall not include any advertising signs, signboards or posters, except as allowed by Section 214-7.1 of these regulations.

(2)

Accessory buildings for commercial or industrial uses shall observe the same yard and height requirements as a main building.

(3)

Accessory buildings on a farm or a residentially used lot shall be governed by Section 214-3.3 of these regulations.

Provisions for specific accessory uses/structures.

ZPNR	Permitted; zoning permit not required
ZP	Permitted with zoning permit (from Zoning Enforcement Officer)
SPA	Permitted with site plan approval (from Planning & Zoning Commission)
SUP	Permitted with special use permit approval (from Planning & Zoning Commission)
X	Not permitted in this district

Use/Structure				Village Business	Business	Industrial
(1)	Accessory to a Business Use
	(a)	Off-street parking and loading in accordance with Section 214-7.2		Same approval procedure as principal use	Same approval procedure as principal use	Same approval procedure as principal use
	(b)	Uses and/or structures customary, subordinate, and incidental to the principal business use		Same approval procedure as principal use	Same approval procedure as principal use	Same approval procedure as principal use
	(c)	Drive-through establishment in accordance with Section 214-6.8 of these regulations		X	SUP	X
	(d)	Outdoor seating associated with a restaurant or a winery/brewery/distillery		SUP	SUP	X
	(e)	Sale of alcoholic beverages in accordance with Section 214-6.11		SUP	SUP	SUP
(2)	Accessory To A Farm
	(a)	Roadside stand for sale of agricultural produce, provided that at least 4 parking spaces are available		ZP	ZP	ZP
	(b)	Building(s) on a farm for storing and/or processing of agricultural products produced on the premises		ZP	ZP	ZP
	(c)	Building(s) on a farm for storage and repair of motor vehicles and equipment for operation of such farm		ZP	ZP	ZP
	(d)	A building or dormitory on a farm to house farm workers at an active farm, provided that:
		[1]	Such farm employs at least 6 workers at any given time during the year, including seasonal or otherwise
		[2]	The number of workers housed shall not exceed 2 workers per cultivated acre and such cultivated acreage must be within the Town of Somers and owned by the applicant	X	ZP	ZP
		[3]	Before construction or use of any such facility, adequate documentation shall be submitted to demonstrate that the above criteria are met and will be maintained
	(e)	Building housing horses and ponies in accordance with Section 214-6.3		ZP	ZP	ZP
	(f)	Building housing animals other than horses and ponies in accordance with Section 214-3.3B(7)		ZP	ZP	ZP
	(g)	Manure storage in accordance with generally accepted agricultural practices as follows:
		[1]	Up to 2 cubic yards (2 CY)	ZPNR	ZPNR	ZPNR
		[2]	Between 2 CY and 16 CY, provided that such material shall be stored at least 100 feet from any property line	ZPNR	ZPNR	ZPNR
		[3]	If more than 16 CY or if between 2 CY and 16 CY and stored less than 100 feet from any property line	SUP	SUP	SUP
(3)	Utility/Infrastructure
	(a)	Underground storage of fuel when in accordance with Section 214-7.12 of these regulations and C.G.S. Section 22a-449, as amended		SUP	SUP	SUP
(4)	Other
	(a)	Mobile homes for emergency housing or storage for up to 6 months at a time (and renewable) necessitated by natural disaster or similar occurrence		ZP	ZP	ZP
	(b)	Temporary trailer in accordance with Section 214-6.9A of these regulations		SUP	SUP	SUP
	(c)	School bus shelters in accordance with Section 214-6.9B of these regulations		ZP	ZP	ZP
	(d)	Nonprofit events in accordance with Section 214-6.9C of these regulations		ZP	ZP	ZP
	(e)	Special events for commercial operations in accordance with Section 214-6.9D of these regulations		SUP	SUP	SUP
	(f)	Satellite receivers and antennas (less than 1 meter in diameter)		ZPNR	ZPNR	ZPNR
	(g)	Outdoor wood-burning furnaces in accordance with Section 214-6.13 of these regulations		SUP	SUP	SUP
	(h)	Antenna structures operated by licensed amateur radio operators:
		[1]	When not located in the front yard	ZP	ZP	ZP
		[2]	If located in the front yard	SUP	SUP	SUP

§ 214-4.5 Area, yard and bulk regulations.

Regulation			Village Business	Business	Industrial
A.	Lot Area/Frontage
	(1)	Minimum lot area (square feet)	20,000 (sewer) 40,000 (septic)	40,000	60,000
	(2)	Minimum lot frontage (feet)	75	75	200
B.	Setbacks - Principal Building
	(1)	Business: maximum front setback (feet) May be modified by the Commission by special use permit for renovation or expansion of existing building or good cause shown, provided that some provision is made to promote a walkable, pedestrian-friendly village-type area	15	N/A	N/A
	(2)	Business: minimum front setback (feet)	5	25	35
	(3)	Residential: minimum front setback (feet)	25	25	35
	(4)	Minimum side setback (feet)	10	10	20
	(5)	Minimum rear setback (feet)	30	30	40
C.	Setbacks - Accessory Building/Structure
	(1)	Minimum front setback (feet)	Not permitted in front yard	Not permitted in front yard	Not permitted in front yard
	(2)	Minimum side setback (feet)	10	10	20
	(3)	Minimum rear setback (feet)	30	30	40
D.	Setbacks - Parking Area
	(1)	Minimum side setback (feet)	5	5	5
	(2)	Minimum rear setback (feet)	10	10	10
E.	Building Height
	(1)	Maximum height - primary building	35 feet/2.5 stories	35 feet/2.0 stories	40 feet/2.0 stories
	(2)	Maximum height - mixed-use building	40 feet/3.5 stories	N/A	N/A
F.	Coverage
	(1)	Maximum impervious coverage	60%	60%	60%