Chapter 12 — Commercial and Office Districts, Article 1 — NEIGHBORHOOD SHOPPING DISTRICT (NS)

Several areas have been designated as appropriate for development as neighborhood activity centers. Some neighborhood activity centers exist and are developed or developing according to a conventional automobile-dependent model for suburban shopping centers. It is the intent of the County that existing neighborhood shopping districts be encouraged, as additional development and redevelopment occurs within them, to be retrofitted as neighborhood activity centers, consistent with design guidelines for activity centers specified in this Chapter.

Neighborhood shopping districts are activity centers that provide convenient commercial developments that serve residential areas within an approximate one-half mile radius. Generally, the uses permitted to locate in NS districts are those that have an economic threshold of 5,000 population or less. Some uses that are not retail or service in nature are also allowed so a variety of uses may locate in existing buildings. In any given location, NS districts are not intended to exceed ten acres of land or a total gross leaseable floor area of more than 75,000 square feet, and in many cases they are not that large in area or square footage. Individual establishments do not exceed 10,000 square feet.

Neighborhood shopping districts contain uses of low intensity when compared to urban village districts and commercial business districts.

This district is to intended to discourage the random sprawl of commercial development by concentrating neighborhood-serving businesses in activity centers at road intersections rather than in a strip or linear pattern, and to limit commercial and other uses to those that do not compete with the continued development of urban villages.

Objectives of the neighborhood shopping district are to encourage new smaller-scale activity centers that have definable edges, to locate shops and services at high visibility places, and to require that new buildings respect the scale and design of existing neighborhoods and fit into the streetscape. Some of the residential areas served by neighborhood shopping districts are within walking distance, and therefore, pedestrian access is facilitated and off-street parking is restricted.

Development within the NS district is subject to the general site development and design regulations and is further encouraged to adhere to the design guidelines for activity centers.