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The C-B district is representative of the core downtown business, residential, and retail area. The intent of the C-B district is to recognize the unique and historic character of the downtown area as an asset to the community and to provide standards and criteria necessary for its continued development and redevelopment as a vital part of this community.

(1) Commercial and Industrial Development Standards. All of the site development standards set forth in Article V, Section 10.721, Commercial and Industrial Site Development Standards, shall be waived in lieu of the following site development standards:

(a) Off-street parking and loading. Except when within the parking district, development of vacant parcels shall be subject to the parking requirements of Section 10.741, Off Street Parking and Loading Requirements, through 10.746, General Design Requirements for Parking and Sections 10.747, Bicycle Parking and Storage Regulations, General Provisions, through 10.751, Exceptions to Bicycle Parking Standards.

(b) Growers’ Market in Commercial Zones. A growers market is allowed as a permitted use in the C-B overlay. A growers market shall be defined as an association of five (5) or more local agriculturalists organized for the purpose of providing a single location for the sale of locally grown produce and crafts directly to the consumer. Crafts shall be limited to those made by the vendor with a purpose or theme interactive with agriculture, and composed of locally grown agricultural products or by-products.

(c) Sidewalk Cafes in Commercial Zones. Operation of a sidewalk cafe is allowed as a permitted use given compliance with the following definitions and conditions:

(i) Definition of terms includes:

“Community Event” - Any public or private activity authorized by the City Council within the Central Business District.

“Operate a sidewalk café” - Serving food or beverage from an adjacent cafe or restaurant to patrons seated at tables located within the sidewalk area adjacent to the cafe or restaurant.

“Sidewalk” - That portion of the public right-of-way intended for pedestrian use located between the curb line or lateral line of the roadway and the adjacent property line.

(ii) Application for a permit to operate a sidewalk cafe shall be made at the City Planning Department and shall include the following information: name and address of the applicant, a drawing showing the width of the applicant’s cafe or restaurant facing the sidewalk area requested to be used, location of doorways, width of sidewalk (distance from curb face to building face), location of trees, parking meters, bus shelter, sidewalk benches, trash receptacles, or any other semi-permanent sidewalk obstruction. The drawing shall also include the area requested for use as a sidewalk cafe, the table locations and the area which will be occupied by the tables and accompanying chairs, and location and size of any features used to delineate the area, such as portable planters, etc.

(iii) Operation of a sidewalk cafe shall comply with the following permit criteria: the area to be considered must have sidewalks which are eight (8) feet in width or greater. There shall remain a clear and unobstructed width of six (6) feet for pedestrians.

(iv) Operation of a sidewalk cafe shall require the following provisions for liability and insurance: a signed statement shall be submitted with the permit application stating that the permittee shall hold harmless the City of Medford, its officers and employees, and shall indemnify the City of Medford, its officers and employees for any claims for damages to property or injury to persons which may be occasioned by any activity carried on under the terms of the permit. Permittee shall furnish and maintain such liability insurance as shall protect permittee and the City from all claims for damage to property or bodily injury, including death, which may arise from operations under the permit or in connection with it. Such insurance shall provide coverage of not less than $200,000 for bodily injury for each person, $500,000 for each occurrence, and not less than $50,000 for property damage for each occurrence. Such insurance shall name as additional insured the City of Medford, its officers and employees, and the property owner, and shall further provide that the policy shall not terminate or be canceled prior to the expiration date of the permit, without 30 days written notice to the City. Evidence that such a policy exists shall be provided to the Planning Department.

(v) Issuance of a sidewalk cafe permit shall comply with the following terms and conditions of the permit itself: the permit may be suspended by the City for the duration of a special “community event” which would make use of the public sidewalk area impractical, the permit is specifically limited to the area shown on the permit application, the permittee shall assure that its use of the sidewalk in no way interferes with sidewalk users or limits their free and unobstructed passage, the sidewalk and all things placed on it shall at all times be maintained in a clean and attractive condition, and at such times that the permittee is not utilizing the sidewalk as authorized all things shall be removed from it. If throw-away utensils, cups, plates, etc., are used, trash containers shall be provided on-site for use by the cafe patrons.

(vi) Once approved, the following conditions for denial, revocation or suspension of a sidewalk cafe permit may be applied: the City Planning Director may deny or revoke the permit if it is found that any of the provisions of this Chapter have been violated, that any necessary health permit has been suspended, revoked, or canceled, or if the permittee does not have or maintain insurance which is correct and effective in the minimum amounts prescribed in Section (d) above. Whenever the Planning Director determines that there is cause to deny or revoke a permit, the Planning Director shall mail a notice to the applicant or permit holder stating: the reasons for the proposed denial or revocation, a brief summary of the evidence relied upon and what to do to obtain a hearing in order to dispute the proposed decision. A person whose permit is proposed to be denied or revoked may, within ten days after the notice is sent, request an evidentiary hearing before the Planning Director in order to dispute the proposed decision. If no request for a hearing is received by the Planning Director within ten days after the notice was sent, the proposed decision shall become final. If a timely request for hearing is received, the Planning Director shall notify the applicant or permit holder of the time and place of the hearing and shall make a final decision after considering all the evidence presented. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Land Development Code, the decision of the Planning Director to issue, deny or revoke a permit under this section may not be appealed to the City Council.

(2) Residential Development Standards. All residential development standards contained in Article III, Zoning Districts, and Article V, Site Development Standards, shall be waived in lieu of the following:

(a) Off-street parking and loading. All residential development shall be exempt from providing parking and loading spaces, except for bicycle parking spaces. Off-street parking and loading, when developed, shall conform to the following standards:

(i) 10.744 Shared Parking

(ii) 10.746 General Design Requirements for Parking

(iii) 10.747 General Provisions, Bicycle Parking

(iv) 10.748 – 10.751 Bicycle Parking Standards

(b) New residential development on vacant parcels. The multi-family development standards contained in Section 10.715A through 10.719 shall apply for residential development within the C-B Overlay.

(c) Lot coverage. When within the C-B Overlay, the maximum lot coverage of the underlying zoning district need not apply and may be one-hundred percent (100%).

(3) Streetscape Standards. All new or reconstructed streets and streetscapes within the C-B District shall be developed according to the following standards and as identified in the Street Materials Standards List.

Streetscape Types

There are five (5) streetscape types. These Streetscape Types are designated in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Streetscape Type Map for the Central Business District

Each streetscape type and its associated design shall comply with the standards of this section. All listed distances shall be considered minimum width. Existing street widths may vary. Street tree designations are included in Street Materials Standards List.

Type I, Primary Commercial Streets.

Type I Streets are commercial streets that are intended as high volume vehicular and pedestrian streets linking the Central Business District with sub-districts and other parts of the City. The streetscape design for Type I Streets is intended to facilitate and balance pedestrian and vehicular movement in an attractive and safe environment. The Type 1 Street includes benches, decorative street and pedestrian lighting, tree grates, trash receptacles, banner poles, tree lighting, and concrete pavers or brick pavers. The minimum design standards for the Type I Street are illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 below.

Figure 2. 

Figure 3. 

Type II, Secondary Commercial Streets.

Type II streets are commercial streets with moderate volume of vehicular traffic and high volume of pedestrian activity. The minimum design standards for the Type II Street are illustrated in Figures 4 and 5. Benches and trash receptacles are installed only where space permits.

Figure 4. 

Figure 5. 

Type III, Special Design Streets.

Type III streets are unique commercial streets that are intended for low volumes of vehicular traffic and high volumes of pedestrian activity. The final design for all Type III Streets will require individual approval from the City Council as a Transportation Facility Development review. Unique benches, streetlights, diagonal parking, trash receptacles, and paver patterns that vary from the Street Materials Standards List may be chosen for each Type III Street.

Type IV, Standard Commercial/Residential Streets.

There are two classes of Type IV Streets, Commercial and Residential. These are local streets intended for moderate to low volume of vehicular and pedestrian traffic. The class determination is based on the underlying zoning. Commercial zoning requires the Type IV Commercial Street standards as illustrated in Figures 6 and 7. Residential zoning requires the Type IV Residential Street standards as illustrated in Figures 8 and 9. The only distinction between the two Type IV classes is the requirement of a 5-foot sidewalk and a 5-foot planter strip for the Residential classification in lieu of a 10-foot sidewalk required for the Commercial classification. Streetlights shall be located at street intersections, alleys, and other places only as needed. For the Type IV Residential Street, tick marks for on-street parking are optional.

Figure 6. 

Figure 7. 

Figure 8. 

Figure 9. 

Within the Central Business District there are two classifications of alley streetscapes; General Alleys and Pedestrian Alleys (i.e., Middleford Alley).

Type V, General Alleys.

General Alleys shall serve as access to parking and services. The minimum standards for General Alleys are illustrated in Figures 10 and 11.

To retain the pedestrian character of the Central Business District all alley intersections with public streets shall use the standard approach illustrated in Figure 12. The appropriate sidewalk pattern shall extend across the length of the approach.

Note: All driveway aprons (including for alleys and access to parking lots) within the Central Business District shall meet the standard in Figure 12.

Figure 10. 

Figure 11. 

Figure 12. 

Type V; Alleys, Pedestrian.

Certain alleys shall be improved to standards that encourage pedestrian circulation. These Pedestrian Alleys are identified in Figure 1. Pedestrian alleys may have brick or concrete pavers or a stamped concrete surface in lieu of asphalt. Pedestrian alleys are also encouraged to include street furniture, pedestrian lighting, and landscaping in their design.

Corner Extensions.

To enhance pedestrian movement within and throughout the Central Business District, certain intersections are designated for corner extensions. Figures 14 and 15 illustrate the standards for full and partial corner extensions.

Figure 13 identifies the location of full and partial corner extensions.

Figure 13. Corner Extension Map

Figure 14. 

Figure 15. 

[Amd. Sec. 18, Ord. No. 5820, Mar. 19, 1987; Amd. Sec. 5, Ord. No. 5873, May 21, 1987; Amd. Sec. 5, Ord. No. 5986, Oct. 1, 1987; Amd. Ord. No. 6264, Dec. 15, 1988; Amd. Ord. No. 6748, Oct. 18, 1990; Amd. Sec. 1, Ord. No. 7629, May 5, 1994; Amd. Sec. 1, Ord. No. 7970, Oct. 5, 1995; Amd. Sec. 1, Ord. No. 7991, Nov. 16, 1995; Amd. Ord. No. 2003-98, Mar. 20, 2003; Amd. Sec. 3, Ord. No. 2009-207, Sep. 17, 2009; Amd. Sec. 4, Ord. No. 2014-161, Dec. 22, 2014; Amd. Sec. 12, Ord. No. 2016-35, Mar. 3, 2016; Amd. Sec. 146, Ord. No. 2018-64, Jun. 21, 2018 (effective Jul. 23, 2018); Amd. Sec. 13, Ord. No. 2020-23, Feb. 20, 2020.]