§ 115-94. Appendix of inactive zoning districts.

This appendix is provided as a reference for projects developed under requirements of the Gwinnett County Zoning Resolution prior to adoption of the current regulations and the Referendum Annexation of House Bill H.B. 579 Act 207 approved on May 12, 2011. No new zoning applications will be accepted for the following zoning districts:

(a)

R-TH Single-family residence townhouse district.

(1)

(Prior to January 2005). This zoning district is intended primarily for rowhouse or townhouse attached or detached single-family dwelling units. Such dwelling units may be held in the condominium form of ownership, or in fee simple. It is not the intention of Gwinnett County or of this ordinance to determine or dictate which form of ownership is most desirable.

(2)

Within the R-TH Single-family residence townhouse district, the following requirements shall be met:

a.

All dedicated street rights-of-way shall be a minimum of 50 feet.

b.

Front and rear yard setbacks shall total a minimum of 75 feet with a minimum of 20 feet for a yard which faces on an interior street. If the subject property abuts property zoned R-60, R-75, R-100, or property developed as same, the rear yard setback shall be 40 feet at the point of abutment.

c.

Side yards shall be a minimum of 20 feet to any exterior property line. Side yards between individual units, groups of units or rows of units shall be determined based upon individual site plan review.

d.

Densities shall not exceed eight units per gross acre.

e.

A minimum of two off-street parking spaces per unit shall be provided.

f.

A minimum of a two-hour rated firewall shall be required between each attached dwelling unit. A four-hour rated firewall shall be required between every fourth attached dwelling unit. Firewalls shall be constructed in accordance with applicable building codes of Gwinnett County.

g.

The specific requirements set forth above are not necessarily exhaustive of all requirements or conditions which the Board of Commissioners may require prior to approval of any rezoning application under this district. This enactment specifically reserves, in the favor of the Board of Commissioners, the discretion to deny any individual rezoning application submitted hereunder, if after review of the site plan and other materials submitted therewith and a careful consideration of all of the facts and circumstances relating to the proposed development, the Board of Commissioners deems the proposed development not to be in the best interest of the health, safety and welfare of the present and future citizens of Gwinnett County.

h.

All roads, both interior and exterior, including roads dedicated and not dedicated to the county, must meet the minimum county standards as established by the County Engineer.

(b)

R-ZT Single-family residence zero lot line/townhouse district.

(1)

(Prior to January 2005). This district is intended to provide areas for the development of moderate density residential uses and structures in moderately spacious surroundings. It is intended that these districts be located in the urban and suburban portions of Gwinnett County where a protected environment suitable for moderate-density residential use can be provided, as well as in established moderate-density residential areas as a means to ensure their continuance. The use of this district is also appropriate on a smaller scale in the suburban portions of the county as a transitional zone between low-density residential districts and commercial districts, industrial districts, or major transportation arteries, or other uses that are not compatible with a low-density residential environment. In fulfilling the intent of this district, the townhouse or rowhouse concept may be used which permits the construction of single-family dwellings immediately adjacent to one another without side yards between the individual units and which units may or may not be structurally connected. The intent of this district may also be fulfilled by the use of the zero lot line concept, which permits the construction of detached single-family dwellings on lots without a side yard requirement on one side of the lot. This concept permits better use of the entire lot by compacting the usual front, rear and side yards into one or more internal gardens which may be completely walled in or screened.

(2)

Within the R-ZT Single-family residence zero lot line/townhouse district, the following uses are permitted:

a.

Zero lot line single-family detached dwellings.

b.

Townhouses.

c.

Single-family detached dwellings.

d.

Customary home occupations (provided the building lot is a minimum of 60 feet in width and 7,200 square feet in area).

e.

Within the R-ZT Single-family residence zero lot lot/townhouse district, the following requirements shall be met:

1.

Maximum density shall not exceed eight units per acre for attached dwelling units and six units per acre for detached dwelling units.

2.

Minimum lot width for zero lot line or single-family detached units—40 feet. Minimum lot width for townhouse attached units—22 feet. Zero lot line or single-family detached lots shall maintain a minimum road frontage of 20 feet. Townhouse lots shall maintain a minimum road frontage of 15 feet.

3.

Minimum front yard depth shall be 20 feet.

4.

Minimum side yard depth—None for townhouses except that on corner lots the minimum side yard of the corner side shall be 20 feet. Zero lot line lots shall have a zero-foot side yard on one side and a minimum of ten feet on the opposite side. Single-family detached units shall have a minimum five-foot side yard on each side.

5.

Minimum rear yard depth—When abutting an R-75 or R-100 district, the rear yard shall be equal to the required buffer plus an additional five feet. However, the rear yard setback shall not be less than 25 feet.

6.

Maximum height—35 feet or two and one-half stories.

7.

Provide two or more off-street parking spaces per dwelling unit.

8.

Provide sidewalks adjacent to interior streets, excluding cul-de-sac turnarounds.

9.

Provide a minimum 40-foot building setback adjacent to exterior streets. The setback may be reduced to 30 feet if a berm, landscaping, fence or wall is provided adjacent to the exterior street(s).

10.

A maximum of eight dwelling units shall be allowed in each row of townhouses. When an end unit of a townhouse row does not side on a street, an open space or court of at least 20 feet in width shall be provided between it and the adjacent row of townhouses, and this open space shall be divided between the two immediately adjacent townhouse lots as to property or lot lines.

11.

Where townhouse lots and dwelling units are designed to face upon an open or common access court rather than upon a street, this open court shall be a minimum of 40 feet in width and said court shall not include vehicular drives or parking areas.

12.

Townhouses shall be constructed up to side lot lines without side yards, and no windows, doors, or other opening shall face a side lot line except that that the outside wall of end units may contain such openings.

13.

Zero lot line dwellings shall be constructed against the lot line on one side of a lot, and no windows, doors, or other openings shall be permitted on this side. The access for exterior maintenance shall be assured through a perpetual wall maintenance easement of five feet in width as necessary.

14.

A minimum of a two-hour rated firewall shall be required between each attached dwelling unit. A four-hour rated firewall shall be required between every fourth attached dwelling unit. Firewalls shall be constructed in accordance with applicable building codes of Gwinnett County.

(c)

R-60 Single-family residence district.

(1)

This zoning district is intended primarily for single-family detached residences and accessory uses on land served by a central sewerage system.

(2)

Within the R-60 Single-family detached residence district, the following uses are permitted:

(3)

All uses permitted in the R-75 Single-family residence district, including special uses, except group day care homes, family group or congregate personal care homes.

(4)

Subdivision development provided the following guidelines are met:

a.

Maximum density shall not exceed four units per acre.

b.

The subdivision development shall have a minimum land area of at least five contiguous acres.

c.

Dwellings shall include double-car garages and where garages are front entry, driveways shall be 16 feet in width. On cul-de-sac lots driveways may taper from 16 feet at the right-of-way line to the street pavement, but a minimum 16′ × 35′ paved parking pad must be provided.

d.

Provide sidewalks adjacent to interior streets, excluding cul-de-sac turnarounds.

e.

Provide a minimum 40-foot building setback adjacent to exterior streets. The setback may be reduced to 30 feet if a berm, landscaping, fence, or wall is provided adjacent to the exterior street(s).

(d)

M2 Heavy industry district. The M-2 Heavy industry district provides a location for industrial operations and processes conducted both indoors and outdoors, and which due to their intensity of use, should be located on or have ready access to a major thoroughfare or state highway.

(1)

Only the following uses shall be permitted within the M-2 Heavy industry district and no structure shall be erected,, structurally altered or enlarged for any use other than a use permitted herein with the exception of a) uses lawfully established prior to the effective date of this amendment, b) special uses as permitted herein, c) accessory uses as defined in article III, definitions, or d) other uses which are clearly similar to and consistent with the purpose of this district:

a.

Accessory uses such as retail business and service establishments. In addition to the limitations on "accessory use" imposed under "article III, "definitions", such permitted accessory uses specifically exclude retail business, office, and service establishments that could be construed as principal uses except as provided herein, and include only those uses that are primarily intended for and used by patrons or occupants of the principal use to which said establishment is accessory.

b.

Aircraft factory.

c.

Aircraft hanger/maintenance.

d.

Aircraft landing field.

e.

Alcoholic beverage plant/distillery.

f.

Animal hospital or veterinary clinic.

g.

Appliance repair shop.

h.

Automatic teller machine.

i.

Automobile or truck storage lot, excluding junk or wrecked vehicles (subject to screening requirements for outdoor storage).

j.

Automobile rental.

k.

Baking plant.

l.

Bank/financial services institution.

m.

Billboards or oversized signs, as provided in the Sign Ordinance of Gwinnett County.

n.

Building material sales (wholesale).

o.

Cabinet shop.

p.

Cafeteria (employee/accessory only).

q.

Catering service (no retail sales).

r.

Cement, concrete, masonry plant.

s.

Clothing and apparel manufacturing.

t.

Cold storage plant.

u.

Contractor's office, with accessory vehicle maintenance. (subject to screening requirements for outdoor storage).

v.

Convention facility.

w.

Crematory.

x.

Depot/passenger terminal (bus, rail).

y.

Distribution facility.

z.

Dye casting works.

aa.

Food processing/packaging/canning plant (other than poultry/meat processing).

bb.

Fraternal club or lodge.

cc.

Funeral home and/or crematory

dd.

Heavy equipment and farm equipment rental or sales and service.

ee.

Hospital or medical clinic.

ff.

Hotel or motel provided the minimum standards are met as specified in the C-2 zoning district, section 1308.

gg.

HVAC equipment dealer/contractor.

hh.

Ice manufacturing/packing plant.

ii.

Laboratory.

jj.

Laundry/dry cleaning plant.

kk.

Lawn treatment service.

ll.

Liquid wastes treatment/recycling (paint, oil, grease, etc.).

mm.

Machine shop (not including on-site automotive repair).

nn.

Maintenance shop (automobile or truck fleet vehicles).

oo.

Manufacturing or assembly plant, general (including outdoor activities subject to screening requirements).

pp.

Medical/dental laboratory.

qq.

Movie studio.

rr.

Museum.

ss.

Office park.

tt.

Offices, professional/business.

uu.

Outdoor storage, other than junk/salvage yards, meeting the following requirements:

1.

It shall not be located within a required front yard.

2.

It shall be screened by a solid wood fence, masonry wall or slatted chain-link fence at least eight feet high.

3.

Materials stored outdoors shall not be placed or stacked at a height exceeding that of the screening fence.

vv.

Parking garage.

ww.

Pest control/extermination business.

xx.

Pharmaceutical manufacturing plant.

yy.

Photo processing plant.

zz.

Plant nursery (wholesale).

aaa.

Plastics extrusion plant.

bbb.

Plumbing equipment dealer/contractor.

ccc.

Printing/bookbinding/publishing plant.

ddd.

Radio/television station.

eee.

Railroad repair/storage yard.

fff.

Recording/rehearsal studio.

ggg.

Recovered materials processing facility, wood chipping and shredding, yard trimmings composting facility, provided the following conditions are met:

1.

Recovered materials processing activities shall be limited to collection, sorting, compaction, and shipping. Composting materials shall be limited to tree stumps, branches, leaves, and grass clippings or similar putrescent vegetative materials, not including animal products, inorganic materials such as bottles, cans, plastics, metals, or similar materials.

2.

During the preceding 90 days of operation, the amount of material that is recycled, sold, used, or reused shall equal at least 60 percent by weight or volume of the material received during that 90-day period and 60 percent by weight or volume of all material previously received and not recycled, sold, used, or reused and carried forward into that 90-day period.

3.

Along the entire road frontage (except for approved access crossings), and along the side and rear property lines, provide a three-foot high landscaped earthen berm with a maximum slope of three to one and/or a minimum eight-foot high, 100 percent opaque, solid wooden fence or masonry wall. The fence/wall or berm must be located outside of any public right-of-way and interior to any landscaped strip or buffer. The finished side of a fence/wall shall face the exterior property lines.

4.

No such facility shall be located adjacent to or across the street from any property used for or zoned for residential use.

5.

Lighting for such facilities shall be placed in such a fashion as to be directed away from any nearby residential areas.

6.

Materials collected shall not be visible once deposited in a bin. All sorting and collection bins shall either be enclosed and have chutes available to the public or be located inside a fully-enclosed building.

7.

Any outside storage areas shall be screened by a minimum eight-foot high, solid wood fence, masonry wall or slatted chain-link fence. Materials stored outdoors shall not be placed or stacked at a height exceeding that of the screening fence.

hhh.

Research and testing facility.

iii.

Soft drink bottling/distribution plant.

jjj.

Stadium/concert hall/amphitheater.

kkk.

Taxi/limousine service.

lll.

Textile/carpeting factory.

mmm.

Trade/vocational school.

nnn.

Truck rental or leasing

ooo.

Truck fleet maintenance shop, principal use.

ppp.

Truck terminal.

qqq.

Upholstery shop.

rrr.

Welding shop.

sss.

Wholesaling and warehousing (accessory retail sales are permitted, not to exceed 15 percent of gross floor area).

ttt.

Wholesale membership club.

(2)

Public and semi-public uses.

a.

Electrical, telephone or other public or semi-public utility station.

(3)

Residential uses.

a.

Caretaker or watchman quarters as an accessory use.

(4)

Special uses. Within the M-2 Heavy industry district the following uses may be permitted provided the applicant for such a development is granted a special use permit by the Board of Commissioners after receiving recommendations from the Planning Director and Planning Commission and after a public hearing:

a.

Asphalt plant.

b.

Bulk storage tanks including natural gas, chemical and petroleum and excluding accessory fuel dispensing/storage tanks or stations. No above ground storage facilities may be located closer than 500 feet to a residential district. All storage is to be subject to approval of the Fire Department.

c.

Chemical plant.

d.

Church, temple or synagogue.

e.

Composting facility, municipal solid waste.

f.

Day care facility.

g.

Explosives plant/storage.

h.

Fat and bone rendering plant.

i.

Feed processing facility.

j.

Fertilizer plant.

k.

Group homes.

l.

Health club or fitness center.

m.

Metal smelting/forging works.

n.

Mini-warehouses or self-service storage facility.

o.

Nursing home, personal care home or assisted living facility.

p.

Paper/pulp mill.

q.

Petroleum refinery/processing plant.

r.

Poultry/meat processing plant.

s.

Private school.

t.

Quarry for the removal of minerals and other natural materials, together with the necessary accessory asphalt plant, buildings, machinery, and appurtenances thereto, provided that:

1.

Quarry areas being excavated shall be entirely enclosed within a fence located at least ten feet back from the edge of any excavation and of such construction and height as to be demonstrably able to exclude children and animals from the quarry area.

2.

The operators and owners of the quarry present to the Municipal Gwinnett County Planning Commission and to the County Commissioners of Gwinnett County an acceptable comprehensive plan for the re-use of the property at the cessation of the quarry operation.

3.

In case of an existing quarry, any extension of the quarrying operations beyond the areas being quarried or approved for quarrying at the effective date of this amendment to the resolution, shall be permitted and shall not be considered a new operation nor require the approval of the Board of Commissioners as a special use permit, provided that said extension does not extend to within 300 feet of a residential district boundary line.

u.

Recreation facility/training center, indoor (gymnastics schools, baseball academies, etc.).

v.

Residential or community shelter, subject to the provisions of Rules for Shelters in Gwinnett County.

w.

Restaurant, provided the following minimum standards are met:

1.

The proposed site shall be located within a recorded concept plan or subdivision plat for a business or office park which:

(i)

Has an overall area of not less than 50 acres.

(ii)

Has existing principal use structures already developed within the office/business park.

(iii)

Has controls in place through protective covenants which will ensure building appearance and landscaping compatible with the remainder of the business or office park and which will ensure compliance with the requirements of this section.

2.

No more than ten percent of the acreage within the recorded concept plan or subdivision plat for the business or office park may be occupied by uses requiring a special use permit.

3.

The proposed restaurant:

(i)

Shall have a minimum of 2,000 square feet of seating area excluding kitchen facilities.

(ii)

Shall have sit-down waiter or waitress service.

(iii)

Shall not have drive-thru or pick-up windows.

(iv)

Shall not be adjacent to or across a public street from residentially zoned property.

x.

Rubber/tire/retreading plant.

y.

Salvage operation, junk yard, impound lot (subject to screening requirements for outdoor storage).

z.

Scrap tire processing plant.

aa.

Self-service ice manufacturing/vending machines (metal buildings shall be prohibited).

bb.

Slaughter house.

cc.

Solid waste transfer station.

dd.

Sugar refinery.

ee.

Tannery/leather processing.

ff.

Towing/wrecker service.

gg.

Waste incineration facility.

(e)

Minimum area requirements.

Zoning District	Area (Square Feet)/Density	Lot Size/Square Ft. Per Family	Lot Width
RTH	8 units per acre	N/A	See section 115-94(a)
RZT	6 units per acre	4,000	40 feet
R60	7,200 sewer	7,200	60 feet
M2	1 acre	N/A	100 feet

 

(f)

Minimum yard and height requirements.

Zoning District	Front Yard Local Street	Front Yard Major Thoroughfare	Side Yard	Rear Yard	Maximum Height or Stories
RTH	See section 115-94(a)	See section 115-94(a)	See section 115-94(a)	See section 115-94(a)	See section 115-94(a)
RZT	20 feet from right-of-way	See section 115-94(b)	1 yard 5 feet 2 yards 10 feet	25 feet or See section 115-94(b)	35 feet
R60	25 feet from right-of-way	See section 115-94(c)	1 yard 5 feet 2 yards 15 feet	30 feet or See section 115-94(c)	35 feet
M2	50 feet from right-of-way	50 feet from right-of-way	20 feet but 50 feet if abuts residential district	15 feet but 40 feet if abuts residential district 1	40 feet

 

(Ord. No. 14-2012, 5-7-2012)