§ 708.23. OI, Office Institutional.
A.
Purpose and Intent. The OI district is intended to provide suitable areas for nonretail commercial uses such as offices and financial institutions, schools and clinics. This district is designed to support mid-sized office developments, banking and professional offices, hotels and other nonretail commercial activities.
B.
Permitted Uses.
1.
Animal hospitals and veterinary clinics.
a)
All structures shall be located and activities conducted at least 100 feet from any property zoned for residential purposes.
b)
All animals shall be housed within an enclosed building and adequate sound and odor control shall be maintained.
2.
Places of assembly.
3.
Private parks and playgrounds.
4.
Banks and financial institutions, including those with drive-in services and automatic tellers.
5.
Cultural facilities.
6.
Day care centers and nursery schools, provided:
a)
Such use must obtain certification from the Georgia Department of Human Resources
b)
Any outdoor play area shall be enclosed by a fence not less than four feet in height and located in the rear yard area of the principal building with a self-closing, self-latching gate.
7.
Eating and drinking establishments, excluding drive-in fast food restaurants. Outdoor dining facilities may encroach into required setbacks only upon approval from the Fire Department, Public Works Department, and Planning & Zoning Division.
8.
Fraternity and sorority houses and residence halls.
9.
Funeral homes. Such use shall be at least 300 feet from any property zoned for residential purposes.
11.
Health service clinics (including accessory pharmacies).
12.
Hospitals.
13.
Hotels.
a)
Such use shall not be established within 300 feet of any property zoned for residential use.
b)
Maximum density of 100 guest units per acre.
14.
Medical and dental laboratories.
15.
Offices, professional and general business.
16.
Parking lots and garages. Up to 50% of the gross floor area of the ground floor level may be devoted toward commercial use oriented towards pedestrian traffic. If a surface parking lot abuts a single family residential district, a 5-foot wide landscaped buffer with a solid fence or wall no less than six feet in height shall be provided.
17.
Public buildings and utilities.
18.
Radio, recording and television studio facilities.
19.
Sanitariums, rest and retirement homes, nursing homes, assisted living and personal care facilities.
a)
Must attain all required state certifications.
b)
Maximum 20 beds per gross acre of development.
20.
Schools, colleges and universities. Public and private.
a)
Minimum 5-acre lot size.
b)
Accessory uses may include food preparation and service, athletic facilities, residence halls, limited retail activities and any other use denoted as a permitted use within this subsection subject to such use being wholly accessory to the principal use.
21.
Other uses which are substantially similar in character and impact to those uses enumerated above. Such uses must clearly meet the purpose and intent of this zoning district.
22.
Accessory uses and structures incidental to any legal permitted use, provided:
a)
Retail sales and services must be conducted and accessed wholly within the building(s) housing the use to which the activities are accessory and are limited to the first two stories.
b)
No show window or other advertising shall be visible from the exterior of the primary use structure.
C.
Temporary/Conditional Uses Allowed by the Director. Not applicable in this district.
D.
Special Uses Permitted by Board of Zoning Appeals.
1.
Halfway houses (see standards set forth in Section 712.02).
a)
The structure meets all aspects of the Standard Housing Code including minimum dwelling space requirements.
b)
The operator obtains certification from the appropriate state licensing body.
c)
No other such facility is located within 1,000 feet as measured from property line to property line.
E.
Special Uses Permitted by City Council. Not applicable in this district.
F.
Accessory Structures.
1.
All such structures shall be located upon the same lot and to the side or rear of the principal use at least 10 feet from side or rear lot lines. In cases of corner lots, the accessory structure may not be closer to any right-of-way than the principal building.
2.
Any accessory building in excess of 1,500 square feet of gross space must be atl least 10 feet from any property line and shall be architecturally compatible with the principal structure.
3.
When an accessory building is attached to the principal building in any manner, it shall be deemed part of the principal structure and subject to all bulk and area requirements of same.
4.
No accessory building shall be constructed upon a lot before the principal building, nor shall it contain a greater floor area than the principal structure.
5.
No accessory structure may exceed the more restrictive of either 15 feet or the height of the principal building.
6.
Swimming pools must be enclosed by a fence not less than 4 feet in height with a self-closing, self-latching gate and must comply with all applicable safety and health ordinances.
7.
Heating and air conditioning units may encroach 5 feet into the required rear or side setback.
G.
Use Limitations.
1.
No outside storage is permitted.
2.
No uses which emit odors, fumes or sounds are permitted.
3.
No kennels are permitted with veterinary clinics.
4.
Building design and materials may be of the developer's choosing; however, structures which utilize metal siding shall be constructed with brick, stone, rock or wood covering any facade of the building facing a roadway.
H.
Bulk and Area Regulations.
Minimum Lot Size: 20,000 sq. ft. Minimum Lot Width: 75 ft. Maximum Building Height: 50 ft. Maximum Floor Area Ratio: 0.75 Maximum Impervious Surface: 80% Minimum Landscaped Area: 15% Front Setback (arterial): 50 ft. Front Setback (collector): 40 ft. Front Setback (local): 30 ft. Side Setback (major): 25 ft. Side Setback (minor): 15 ft. Rear Setback: 35 ft. I.
Landscape and Buffer Requirements. When an OI district directly abuts an R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, PRD-SF, RA-4, RA-6, or RA-8 district, a 30-foot buffer shall be established (see standards set forth in Section 710.05).
J.
Zoning Bonuses and Incentives. The following zoning incentives are designed to allow specific benefits to property owners, developers, and end users of a property and not for the purpose of circumventing any other provision of this ordinance. If a specific bonus or incentive is determined to be contrary to any provision of this ordinance, the City reserves the right to deny a specific bonus or incentive on that basis alone.
1.
If required parking is provided exclusively in the rear yard, then the required front yard setback may be reduced 50%.
2.
Where parking spaces are provided in on-site underground or deck parking, a bonus floor area of 350 square feet for each provided parking space shall be allowed.
3.
Any entity that retrofits an existing site without vehicular or pedestrian interconnection to provide permanent access to adjacent sites' parking and sidewalks shall be allowed a 10% reduction in required parking.
4.
All developments wherein the front door is located within 250 feet of a public transit stop shall be allowed a 10% reduction in required parking.
(Ord. No. 6149, 8/9/2000, § 3; Ord. No. 6534, 7/9/2003, § 15; Ord. No. 6737, 10/13/2004, § 15; Ord. No. 6753, 11/10/2004, § 11; Ord. No. 7881, 6/8/2016, §§ 5, 6; Ord. No. 7994, § 1, 12/13/2017)