Purpose and Intent
The NC District is established to accommodate small-scale nonresidential development and activity centers to serve the convenience shopping, service, and office needs of nearby residents. Development in this district shall consist primarily of nonresidential uses but may allow for limited inclusion of buildings that include both a residential and nonresidential use to expand employment opportunities and activate commercial areas throughout the day. New development in the NC District shall be human scale, compact, pedestrian-oriented, multimodally connected to surrounding development, and include public gathering space.
Summary of Allowable Uses
Please refer to Section 18-168 for a complete list of principal uses; Section 18-334 contains a list of accessory uses; and Section 18-366 contains a list of temporary uses.
Summary of Allowable Uses
Please refer to Section 18-168 for a complete list of principal uses; Section 18-334 contains a list of accessory uses; and Section 18-366 contains a list of temporary uses.
Legend:
- (SUP): Special Use Permit required
- (L): Limited use standards apply
- (TUP) Temporary Use Permit required
Note: If no item in the legend is listed next to a listed land use, it is permitted by right in the NC district
Main Uses
Agriculture and Animal Related Uses
- Animal Clinic / Day Care, without Outdoor Runs
- Community Garden
- Crop Production (L)
Commercial Uses
- Artisan Manufacturing
- Bank, Credit Union, Financial Services
- Bar / Lounge / Tavern (L)
- Food Truck Court (SUP)
- General Commercial, 5,000 sq ft or less
- General Commercial, more than 5,000 sq ft (SUP)
- General Office / Professional Services, 5,000 sq ft or less
- General Office / Professional Services, more than 5,000 sq ft (SUP)
- Liquor Store (SUP)
- Medical Clinic
- Micro Alcohol (SUP)
- Natural Medicine Healing Center
- Personal Services
- Private Event/Banquet Facility (L)
- Restaurant 5,000 sq ft or less
- Restaurant more than 5,000 sq ft (SUP)
- Tobacco Store (SUP)
Entertainment Uses
- Cultural and Arts Facility (L)
- Private Entertainment / Recreation / Fitness Facility, Indoor (L)
- Movie Theater (L)
Industrial, Automotive, and Transportation Uses
- Catering (SUP)
- Commercial Kitchen (SUP)
- Mining (SUP)
- Recycling Collection Center (L)
- Transit Passenger Shelter
- Transit Station
- Well / Production Sites
Lodging Uses
No land uses listed
Public and Institutional Uses
- Business / Technical / Trade School, Indoor Activity Only (L)
- Cemetery / Mausoleum (SUP)
- Civic Meeting Facility
- Day Care Facility
- Institutional Residential, Assisted Living and Long-Term Care (SUP)
- Library
- Park
- Post Office
- Public Entertainment / Recreation Facility
- Public Service / Safety Facility
- Recovery Residence
- Religious Institution
Residential Uses
- Dwelling, Live-Work (SUP)
- Multi-Unit Dwelling, Above Ground Floor (single lot) (SUP)
Utilities and Infrastructure Uses
- Public Utility Facilities
- Utility or Government Installation Other than Listed (SUP)
- Water Treatment Plant, Reservoir and Water Storage Tanks
- Wireless Telecommunications, Tower and Equipment (SUP)
Accessory Uses
- Accessory Building / Structure
- Accessory Food Truck Court (L)
- Accessory Outdoor Merchandise Display and Sales
- Accessory Outdoor Seating
- Accessory Outdoor Storage
- Accessory Retail / Restaurant
- Amateur Telecommunications Facility
- Golf Safety Net (SUP)
- Home Occupation
- Solar Energy Collection System, Canopy
- Solar Energy Collection System, Ground-Mounted
- Solar Energy Collection System, Roof-Mounted
- Wind Energy Conversion Systems
- Wireless Telecommunications, Building/Structure Mounted (L)
Temporary Uses
- Mobile Vendor
- Pop-Up Retail / Restaurant
- Seasonal Sales
- Special Event
- Temporary Concrete or Asphalt Batch Plant
- Temporary Donation Collection Bin
- Temporary Grazing
- Temporary Parking Lot
- Temporary Use, Other
Development Standards:
To access the complete development standards for the NC zone district, use this link to Section 18-91 of the Code.
Table 18-91.1. NC District dimensional standards by use.
| Regulation | All Uses [1] [2] |
|---|---|
| Front or Street Side Setback, Minimum (feet) [3] | 15 Arterial; 6 Collector or Local |
| Front or Street Side Setback, Maximum (feet) [3] | 25 Arterial; 20 Collector or Local |
| Interior Side Setback, Minimum (feet) [4] [5] | 5 |
| Rear Setback, Minimum (feet) [5] | 0 |
| Building Height, Maximum (feet) | 45 |
| Frontage Build-Out on Primary Street, Minimum (%) [6] | 40 |
| Lot Coverage, Maximum (%) | 85 |
| Distance Between Buildings Up to Two Stories, Minimum (feet) | 10 |
| Distance Between Buildings More Than Two Stories, Minimum (feet) | 20 |
Table 18-91.1 footnotes:
- Residential uses may not have front vehicular access directly from the street. Vehicular access shall be rear access through an alley or parking lot.
- Primary entrance required on at least one of the street facing façades for commercial uses.
- No vehicular circulation or parking is allowed between the building and street except for when specifically required to provide access necessary to adhere to Fire Codes.
- Standard shall not apply if fire rated partition wall meeting all Thornton Building Code requirements is provided.
- Standard shall depend on required buffer yards as detailed in Section 18-600.
- Primary street is defined, for the purposes of this provision, to be at least one arterial street, and, if no arterial streets abut the project site, at least one collector, private street or other access easement abutting the site.
Additional standards
Use this link to Section 18-91(b) to access the additional provisions.
Buildings containing a residential use shall not exceed 25 percent of the total land area of the site proposed to be developed. Buildings that contain 100 percent nonresidential uses on the ground floor are exempt from this requirement.